Sometimes it's just maintenance...
Posted: Fri Sep 22, 2017 9:46 pm
... that fills the whole dang day. 
Most of you who have been in the military would recognize the statement, "The CO Wishes." If someone says, "The CO Wishes," or "It's the Commanding Officer's Desire..."
Really... it's an order from the Commanding Officer without being an order....
A couple weeks ago, the wife had been banging and beating on the drawers on her antique buffet. She likes to try and do things herself, much to my dismay sometimes. I asked her what the problem was and she said they were sticking. I started in the kitchen and she said, "I've got it."
I stayed out of it. We have been married a LONG time. I'm not stupid.
Last night, my wife said, "I really wish you would look at the dang drawers on the buffet in the kitchen. (The Commanding Officer Wishes.... )
The drawers had been removed and set on the side porch under the roof line with weights on them to allow the moisture to help them fall back into alignment, and it did help, but it was going to be a job. When she found the buffet in the big warehouse antique shop fifteen years ago, it had damage, which I repaired as best as I could, and she was fine with it. She didn't want it disassembled and restored. (Which would take away from the value... and I would have paid a pro to do anyway....
) Over the years, the damage got worse and then the drawers would barely open. I don't complain, she got a great deal on the piece, I think she talked them down to around $100 and they were glad to get that Monster out of their way.
In preparation for the task, I spent the MORNING, sharpening and tuning planes and chisels... I knew I would need them all.
I had been using them on all the last few projects and they needed it. Then after lunch I got started and the drawers took me thru dinner, with breaks as needed. It was a task... much larger than the wife expected. I had to remove to drawer bottoms and cut new, more accurate tenons. The existing tenons had swollen and were putting pressure on the drawers causing them to swell. Then I had to plane both the bottom and tops of the sides where they rode on the runners. I had to use a shoulder plane to plane the edges of the drawer slots, as the drawers were binding on the sides as well. 
After all that, they slide in and out like oil on glass. (After lubing the contact surfaces with dry bar soap.) A great use for those slivers of leftover bath soap that won't lather up any more.
After relaxing after dinner, I went out to the shop and cleaned up and put away, then did some needed maintenance on the bench. Tomorrow, my daughter and son in law will bring out granddaughter out for a visit. I guess the kitchen knife project will wait until Sunday.
Most of you who have been in the military would recognize the statement, "The CO Wishes." If someone says, "The CO Wishes," or "It's the Commanding Officer's Desire..."
Really... it's an order from the Commanding Officer without being an order....
A couple weeks ago, the wife had been banging and beating on the drawers on her antique buffet. She likes to try and do things herself, much to my dismay sometimes. I asked her what the problem was and she said they were sticking. I started in the kitchen and she said, "I've got it."
I stayed out of it. We have been married a LONG time. I'm not stupid.
Last night, my wife said, "I really wish you would look at the dang drawers on the buffet in the kitchen. (The Commanding Officer Wishes.... )
The drawers had been removed and set on the side porch under the roof line with weights on them to allow the moisture to help them fall back into alignment, and it did help, but it was going to be a job. When she found the buffet in the big warehouse antique shop fifteen years ago, it had damage, which I repaired as best as I could, and she was fine with it. She didn't want it disassembled and restored. (Which would take away from the value... and I would have paid a pro to do anyway....
) Over the years, the damage got worse and then the drawers would barely open. I don't complain, she got a great deal on the piece, I think she talked them down to around $100 and they were glad to get that Monster out of their way. In preparation for the task, I spent the MORNING, sharpening and tuning planes and chisels... I knew I would need them all.
I had been using them on all the last few projects and they needed it. Then after lunch I got started and the drawers took me thru dinner, with breaks as needed. It was a task... much larger than the wife expected. I had to remove to drawer bottoms and cut new, more accurate tenons. The existing tenons had swollen and were putting pressure on the drawers causing them to swell. Then I had to plane both the bottom and tops of the sides where they rode on the runners. I had to use a shoulder plane to plane the edges of the drawer slots, as the drawers were binding on the sides as well. After all that, they slide in and out like oil on glass. (After lubing the contact surfaces with dry bar soap.) A great use for those slivers of leftover bath soap that won't lather up any more.
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