Projects at the Cabin, Kabine, Hütte, whatever

As noted in my last post, daughter Megan and I drove up to the CITW on Tuesday to work on a few of my projects. Getting the massive table there was a bit of a trick, but the Audi was up to the task. And no, I didn't duct tape it to the roof rack. The duct tape was a futile attempt to keep the straps from vibrating noisily at certain speeds.


I borrowed a belt sander from Hal to take off the existing finish and sand out a few gouges in the table. Well, in the final analysis, I think I added as many gouges as I removed. I think you should have to be licensed to operate one of those things. They can be dangerous. I was going to take off all the finish and give the table a clear finish, but sanding the pedestal down to bare wood would have been a major chore, so I didn't. My intent never was to restore the table as a fine piece of furniture, and in that I was successful. 


So that the table top would match the base, I decided to stain it all. It turned out a bit darker than I expected, but it'll be fine.


When I wasn't working on the table, I was working on the deck gate. I had been blocking off the opening so that Farley wouldn't take unsupervised excursions in the area. Making gates is always a bit fun, a bit challenging, and a more than a bit satisfying when it all works out. You want to match the gate to what's already there, you want it simple and strong, and you want to make it swing through it's arc without binding or twisting. It all seems pretty simple, but it always gets complicated. It took me a while to figure why the gate didn't line up all that well with the deck railing, even though the gate was level and true. It turned out the existing deck railing was off kilter! I was able to adjust the existing railing fairly easily, and now everything's fine.


Here's the table in what I think will be its final resting place. I've still got to put on the last finish coats and get some chairs, but I think the table will work out perfectly in its new location. 


I initially thought that I'd move the TV and stereo over to the other side of the living room, but that turned out to be more difficult than I had first envisioned. So I gave up and left it in place, and now that the table is in, it looks like there should still be more than enough room for the couch and TV. I did move the love seat over to the other side.


All in all, it was a successful trip.