Got my bench cleared off and put the Royal up. Actually took my first real good look at the entire unit today.
Remember, I originally bought it for the key caps only.
I vacuumed the entire unit and closely examined it and things (as usual) got more complicated than expected.
I just had surgery on my neck and as you can imagine, I’m somewhat limited on my physical activities while I mend.
Since I can’t do a lot, I need to do something. I’ve decided to clean & repair this typewriter.
My wife’s friend has plants hanging from iron pipe on her front window. She’s been after me to recreate this for a few years now.
[Apologies, dear reader. No pictures on this post. I got into the zone while working & never stopped to take photos.]
Actually, it’s not as bad as all that. Just a lot of information that needs to be made visible on the ceiling so you can install things aligned with the window. You’re going to need to mark the window frame, ceiling joists, and mounting hardware locations on the ceiling.
Step one (skip if you plan to paint the ceiling.) Painter’s tape gives you a place to make marks without marring the ceiling. Go big here. A few inches past the outside of the window trim. A few inches further out than you think you’ll need.
Step 2 (get creative). You need to transfer the outside, and maybe the center, of your window from the wall to the ceiling. I used a combination square and a speed square.
The blade of the combination square goes against the window trim. But 50 years of paint & caulk have built up the side of the trim so it’s no longer square to the wall. I used the speed square against the wall to rotate the head of the combination square. Then I traced the speed square along the ceiling.
If you’re paying attention, you know that because the head of the combo square is thicker than the blade, my line is about 3/8” inboard of the window trim. Given that it’s the same on each side of the window, it doesn’t matter.
For the center line, I eyeballed my blade on the center divider of the window and traced both left and right sides of the head. Then I drew a center line between those two marks. (It’s easier to eyeball the middle of a 3/4” gap than the middle of a 72” span).
Step 3 (Finally something straightforward). Use your stud finder to locate the ceiling joists and mark them on your tape.
Step 4 (in which something that your partner will recognize as progress actually happens) Now that you know where the window treatment has to be and where the joists are, you can hold your window treatment against the ceiling and plan your fasteners. Can you lag it into joists? Are you using toggle bolts?
Mark your ceiling where the fasteners are going.
Step 5 (making holes, finally). Drill your pilot holes. The sizes you need are determined by your fasteners.
Step 6 (no subtitle needed) Peel off your painter’s tape or paint the ceiling after your holes are drilled.
Step 7 (The light at the end of the tunnel. Or is that an oncoming train?) Attach your mounting hardware to the ceiling and your window treatment to the mounting hardware.
So when you buy the nice straps they have all kinds of sweet extra features
My brain is pretty bad at making a final decision. I’m very good at visualizing alternatives. Brilliant at building pros & cons lists. But choosing something I’m going to have to live with for years – utterly paralyzing to me.
So choosing a paint color when redecorating a room is a special kind of hell for me. Luckily I’ve found a solution. I call it the slow decay decision making process.
Continue reading “Picking paint pigments”Last year, I noticed that one of the finger joints on the door was failing. I also may have figured out a way to reduce the amount of rain that runs down the door. So this spring I’m replacing the door frame.
So, I CAN fit our entire camp setup in & on the excursion, but doing so means loading some heavy bits on the roof. I’m starting to see that this is not worth the risk.
It also means squeezing the kids onto the left & center seat and they’re starting to require a bit of space between them. (Teenagers apparently require more personal space than toddlers.)
So I bought the trailer. And now it’s time for the second phase of the modular trailer to be built.
Continue reading “Ladder (Ger) rack for the trailer.”(part 3 of the ongoing coffee series)
In terms of pack space & weight, this pour over filter definitely beats the Moka pot & French press.
I’m not as fond of the coffee, but I put most of that on me. Pour over coffee is an art that requires dedication and patience, neither one of which I have in great supply early in the morning.
Continue reading “Camp Coffee (Hipster Style)”I started my first batch of booze in far too long yesterday.
Modern Anachronist 