Week 3 - DIY Christmas Countdown

Right! So this week we worked on the kitchen. SBB was at work at the weekend so it was just Dad and I which was a bit of a father/daughter bonding experience.

We needed to trim down the worksurfaces and the initial idea was to cut them down with the circular saw and then use the router to get it down to a perfect edge.

Action shot

 However, just look at this baby:

That cut is by the circular saw and look how gorgeous it is!

When it came to cutting the shorter piece of worktop we had to cut the edge next to the sink at an angle because, as with any wall, it wasn't exactly straight.


But when we put both bits of worktop in place we discovered that the shorter side didn't line up with the longer side and the longer side didn't line up exactly with the edge of the sink. The difference of measurements was about 3mm which doesn't sound a lot but it was noticeable.

Dad came up with two solutions to the problem. A: he could rout out a bit of the frame for the sink to angle it to meet the edge of the longer section or B: rout down the back of the longer worktop to make it shorter depth-wise.

We went for option A as it seemed the easiest thing to do but a cloud of sawdust and three minutes of wiggling-the-sink later and it was clear that it wasn't to work. Womp womp :(

If you look closely you can see the small overhang of worksurface compared to the sink edge

Option B it was then!

We took the worktop off and Dad went along the back edge with his router which sounds easier than it was. Because he needed a long flat surface to run against he initially thought we'd have to leave it for the day but I managed to find some long 2x4s that we had left in the bedroom. Victory! (I think I may actually have shouted that).
Dad put everything together with an assortment of clamps and I left the room because I didn't have my ear defenders (doh). After the first cut we tried it against the sink but it was still another mil too deep so we had to take it off again, but after the final cut it was perfect and it looks so awesome.

I think we must have gone back and forth with the two worksurfaces about 5 or 6 times and although it wasn't a great distance between the two rooms it was hard work for me. The problem was my arms weren't quite long enough to hold it comfortably upright so in the initial lift the arm gripping the bottom locked out (and that hurt) so I had to bend it slightly but then lean over at the waist so I could reach - all the while claiming 'Yes Dad I'm FINE' to his constant worries about straining my back.

I also bumbled around working on the windows while he was making piles of sawdust. I took the little bit of metal off the kitchen window that keeps it closed (I have no idea what this is supposed to be called) and filled the holes with caulk.

You'd think my caulk smoothing ability would have improved by now... (sigh)

 Then, in my wisdom, decided that as it had worked for the kitchen window it would also work for the windows in the living room and that there would be no issue at all with my removing said small metal pieces from all the windows. So, I happily removed them and filled them with caulk, glad that the windows were taking another step towards completion.

Can you spot the problem?

Yes. Without the small metal things and with the locks yet to be replaced I had no way of closing the windows. Major palm to forehead moment.

Dad was too kind to laugh at me for my mistake and after patiently listening to my attempts at offering options so that my work wouldn't go to waste then pointed out that the easiest and best thing to do would be to replace the metal bits and screw into the holes I'd just filled. A little crestfallen, I agreed.

But at least the worksurface is prepared for the hob to go in. Next step will be to attach the end caps to protect the cut ends, make any adjustments necessary with the 'added length' and then it will be time to put the hob in! I'm so excited to make this room look like a kitchen and I think a trip to Ikea may be needed to buy some accessories.