In Limbo

I thought that I would be working on kitchen cabinets right up to when we leave town for the holidays. We are still in the design phase, which is fine with me. I only imagined my work schedule a bit different. It has been very cold in the shop so maybe this is a blessing in disguise. I wrapped up the sashes and stops and even designed a set of cabinets for a clients mud room. It seems that I might be building those before the kitchen, but we will see, only time will tell.

Another possible project is building a set of doors for a room in Berkeley. The house is an old craftsman style structure with an old horse stable converted to a man cave. The double doors are disintegrating and need replacing.

The shower in the house is framed and blocked for the hardi-backer. I am waiting for the drain to arrive via UPS. Our local hardware store didn't have a quality three piece drain with a brass finish so I ordered one.

Framed shower

I am hesitating to start any new projects because we will be gone in a few days and I would like to return and start on a new project instead of coming back and wrapping up something that I wasn't able to make much progress on.  Honestly I think this cold weather has made me either stick close to a heat source or gets me to work up the hill cutting scotch broom in the sun. Even as I write I am soaking up the heat from our Jotul stove, warming my bones for work after lunch.

Freeze

You know the shop will be cold when the water pipes are frozen until 12:30 p.m. Today is the fifth day the pipes have froze. No surprise really, most of the black poly water lines are above ground. This is life in the back country, where the nearest bank, grocery store or hardware store are an hours drive from here. Freezing isn't usually a problem. We fill gallon jugs with water and keep about seven jugs in the bathroom and a few near the kitchen. It takes two jugs to flush the toilet. The pipes have been freezing consistently at about 6:30 p.m. Just now the pipes thawed, it is noon, a half an hour earlier than the last few days. With warm leftovers heated over the wood stove I am ready to work.

Warmth in the studio.

Cold weather hasn't kept me from working, with plenty of layers, a warm hat, wool socks and even gloves I stay warm. Long-Johns under baggy pants are comfortable and I have lined pants from LL Bean, thanks honey!  Even with all the layers of clothing I have been avoiding shop work, instead I have been working in the studio.  First it was glueing up windows and then it was work at the drafting table. The wood stove in the studio warms the space to the mid 60's. Better than high 30's to low 40's in the shop. The Windy Nip kitchen configuration was changed so I sketched the second draft idea. Then I worked on the kitchen plans for the Yellow House. I shifted my drawings around and drew the shower plans for the bathroom yesterday. I plan on framing the shower and then getting back in the shop. Hopefully temps will be warmer. Three more sashes to build and a bunch of stop material to make to hold the glass in the sashes.