Jobs Blog

Desiree has a beautiful table from Europe that has belonged in her family for several generations. She asked me to stain & varnish it.

It was not the best time of year to start this project. The stain took awhile to dry in the cold weather (my workshop is only heated while I’m there). First I sanded off the old stain and varnish, then put on two coats of Ebony. After a few days I started with the polyurethane, coat by coat. I had a bit of trouble with the folding leaf, since I had to re-finish both sides, with polyurethane drips etc. So I ended up doing four coats on the top to cover up. But it turned out really nice in the end!

I hadn’t done crown moulding before, but I worked out a deal with a company (that had some partially done) that I would “learn” on their upstairs office and then charge them for their downstairs office. I knew it would be difficult; that’s why I have always refused in the past, but it was a good chance to learn. Below are photos of my first three corners.

my first inside corner; the right piece was existing and I added the left (mitre)

My second inside corner, but my first coped (not mitred)

my first outside corner…tricky!

After I had tried a few corners in one room, I tackled the downstairs office, a small rectangle. The first 2 corners were fine but the last 2 were terrible and needed extra caulking. The next day I got a few pointers from another guy and figured out what I was missing. I completed a larger rectangle (16 feet by 13 feet) and it turned out quite well. But it was still time consuming!

Anyway, if you need some done, call me and I’ll give it my best effort! I just won’t be fast, so I’ll offer a discounted rate.

December saw me doing quite a bit of work for Floform – countertops mostly. Then I got some calls for a few odd jobs such as a stuck drawer and some flourescent lights in a cage, but most of my time was spent working on a new set for Gallery 7. Their next play, Doubt, plays at Abbotsford Arts Addition January 26-February 10. I can’t share too much in the way of pictures here, but please come see the play.

Note: February 11, 2018: The play is over so I can post a picture of the set. Set Design by Calvin Baker (I just built the basics, he did the painting and decorating, and very nicely I might add).

Noel and Tresa were looking for a new shoe rack and bench for their hallway. They had an old pine bed in the garage and I was able to use that wood. At first I just envisioned a simple shelf with a sturdy top, but then they sent me a picture with sliding doors so I modified my plans a bit. I also stained it to match their floor.

Ms. C. was renovating her bedroom, it had been a previous grow-op and she had put a lot of work into it. The floor squeaked, so she had me screw down the sub-floor (3/4 plywood) to the joists, which actually helped a lot! Then I moved a small closet wall and put a new subfloor in the closet (which used to be part of the living room). Lastly, I put a second plywood subfloor down so that vinyl plank flooring could be installed flush with the hall floor. She bought 1/2″ plywood and I spent a long time fitting the floor and putting in hundreds of screws to eliminate future squeaks. Someone else will lay the floor. Then there’s another room to start on…

I’ve taken on a set build for Gallery 7‘s production of Peter and the Starcatcher. This is my ‘solo’ first set build–though I did volunteer last year and helped with the sets for Beauty and the Beast and Enchanted April. I’m really enjoying this new challenge. There was a lot of material in stock, so mostly I’ve been modifying existing risers and flats. However, I did have to build a teeter totter and a kite (see photos). To find out how those fit into this play you’ll have to come see it! November 10-18 at Abbey Arts Center in Abbotsford.

Henry needed a skirt–mobile home skirting, that is. He had started framing around his mobile home, and had painted some boards, but needed the job finished. It took me about two days. Then he had me make some landings, railings, and roof for his existing steps. We worked together on one beautiful sunny day, but I had to finish by myself in the rain. And this week we had some huge windstorms, so I think I should check and make sure the roof is still there!

deck #2 (4×8)

deck #1 (4×4)

starting to frame the skirt

I’ve done a lot of small interesting jobs for Walt and Sarah; this latest one was a kitchen windowsill. The reason for replacement was because of water damage to the painted surface (it was made of MDF). I suggested Corian because it is not affected by water. Walt found a sample and told me what colour would match his paint scheme, and I ordered a piece and fabricated and installed it.

Jeff and Stacey asked me to repair their outside steps (3 entrances). They were coming loose from the house/deck and a little spongy. Last Thursday I spent a good part of the day working on these:

There is limited room so the steps are either too high or too narrow; I chose to add an extra step so they narrow but not too high.

Next I tackled the front steps. Unfortunately they were completely rotten underneath. So I need to do a complete rebuild!

Floform Industries had me install some second-hand cabinets in their First Aid room last week. They had a number of them from their old showroom. However, with space being quite limited we decided to only install one lower and 2 uppers.

When finished, they looked nice. I added a countertop. However, once all the first aid equipment was put away, they were stuffed so full that the doors wouldn’t close! But they will work!