In the garden, and RAIN!!! (2) by SIGNYM

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In the garden, and RAIN!!! (2)

POSTED BY: SIGNYM
UPDATED: Saturday, August 1, 2026 13:35
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VIEWED: 313231
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Friday, July 31, 2026 9:57 PM

Picture Time.

First is easy stuff that I finally got around to. Like cleaning those gross shades. Like I said, I got the burn marks off the bad one, but then I realized it was clear and the other two were nicotine stain yellow.

And now that the kitchen is all clean, I figured I'd snap an after shot for one of the before pics I put up last week.

And the finished bookcase...

I put some caulk on it where it needed it. Obviously not a pro job with that top left hack job, but I know the thing is built like a tank and you can hardly notice it. All that's left is putting down contact paper on the surfaces when I've given it a few days to cure.

Before/After of the master bedroom closet and entry. You can see the louvered linen closet door in the after shot.

Before/After of the small bedroom closet that I just installed today.

I had to add length to the right door, so I used the smallest part of a piece of window/door trim since it was the perfect height to cap off the ends, then I put my trim on that. For the door that was the right size, I just put the trim flush with the bottom.

And the chest...

I'm wrecked.

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Those who dance always seem crazy to those who can't hear the music.

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Friday, July 31, 2026 10:07 PM

6IXSTRINGJACK

I'm REALLY having fun with that chest.

I've actually never restored a piece of furniture from start to finish, even though that's what my mom and step-dad did after they retired. Whenever I did go over there and worked, I was either the sanding grunt, or I was gluing and clamping pieces that had broke but could be repaired. I don't blame him. The money is in the finish, and he had a spray booth that would have that box finished in no time with a perfectly even sheen and no brush marks at all.

I had a chat with Google AI about the best way to go about doing a lot of the stuff here. Made sure to go with water poly inside and out. At first it said to use the wipe on poly I had inside because it would be much easier to use than brushing on the water based poly, but I had asked it if there would be any problems with that if somebody stored clothes or linens in there and it then said to use the water based stuff to lock everything in so the smells and oils won't contaminate the clothes.

It recommended starting with the inside first since I was doing two colors. I'm glad that I did. I know for sure I have to spend a lot more time sanding the outside smooth. I thought I was thourough, but I know I wasn't. Just a week ago I was really feeling under the gun with all the projects that I took on all at once and I didn't give this piece the time it deserved. I like how that looks on the inside though, along with that black gunk and other abuses and imperfections it had from just being like 100 years old. Stuff that I could have removed with another 4 hours of sanding if I wanted to. When she opens it up, she can remember where it came from. But on the outside? I want that stain to look perfect and I want to get a gloss so high on that it looks like a brand new bowling ball.

Too bad pieces like this don't just fall in your lap all the time. I could probably make what I need to keep my health insurance just doing 1 or 2 pieces like this every month.

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Those who dance always seem crazy to those who can't hear the music.

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Friday, July 31, 2026 11:43 PM

BRENDA

That is some fine looking work there SIX.

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Saturday, August 1, 2026 12:29 AM

6IXSTRINGJACK

Quote:
Originally posted by Brenda:
That is some fine looking work there SIX.

Thanks, Brenda.

Don't mind the tight angle in the after shot of the small bedroom. Had to get in pretty tight to hide all the hoard that I have to go through in there.

I'll have pics of inside the closet too. There was just a lot of stuff in there right now. I've got to take that all out so I can clean it and do a few paint touchups. I had my hard shell guitar case up against the wall and it ruined the paint job behind it for some reason.

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Those who dance always seem crazy to those who can't hear the music.

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Saturday, August 1, 2026 1:13 AM

SIGNYM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

Great work, SIX!

It's great to see the results of all that work! I remember you deciding what to use for that opening in the kitchen to the lower level. For the longest time I had no idea what you were talking about. It was an architectural feature I've never heard of.

Bifold doors. Closet renovation. New trim. HORRIBLE wallpaper and paint job gone! Restored flooring. Nice, nicely proportioned furniture and beautiful light fixtures. New kitchen floor. Plus the stuff we can't see: Major repairs. Repaired sump drain pipe. Improved grading. New windows. Hole in floor fixed.

It used to be dark, busy, almost oppressive. Now it's light and calm and classy.

SIX, you've done an impressive job.

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"It may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal."- Henry Kissinger

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Saturday, August 1, 2026 2:08 AM

BRENDA

Quote:
Originally posted by 6ixStringJack:
Quote:
Originally posted by Brenda:
That is some fine looking work there SIX.

Thanks, Brenda.

Don't mind the tight angle in the after shot of the small bedroom. Had to get in pretty tight to hide all the hoard that I have to go through in there.

I'll have pics of inside the closet too. There was just a lot of stuff in there right now. I've got to take that all out so I can clean it and do a few paint touchups. I had my hard shell guitar case up against the wall and it ruined the paint job behind it for some reason.

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Those who dance always seem crazy to those who can't hear the music.

Don't worry SIX. I found the angles were fine to see what you did.

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Saturday, August 1, 2026 12:38 PM

6IXSTRINGJACK

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
Great work, SIX!

It's great to see the results of all that work! I remember you deciding what to use for that opening in the kitchen to the lower level. For the longest time I had no idea what you were talking about. It was an architectural feature I've never heard of.

Bifold doors. Closet renovation. New trim. HORRIBLE wallpaper and paint job gone! Restored flooring. Nice, nicely proportioned furniture and beautiful light fixtures. New kitchen floor. Plus the stuff we can't see: Major repairs. Repaired sump drain pipe. Improved grading. New windows. Hole in floor fixed.

It used to be dark, busy, almost oppressive. Now it's light and calm and classy.

SIX, you've done an impressive job.

Thank you, Sigs.

Yeah... I learned a lot doing all of it along the way. I tended not to want much to do with actual finish work outside of painting when doing this stuff with other people over the years. I always liked doing the demolition because nobody I ever worked with was going to complain about my speed doing that. So I either had to draw from memory of seeing other people finishing stuff or rely on YouTube University.

The really cool part is just how little I've actually paid in cash to get all this work done. Not going to claim it was anything close to free overall. I've probably spent $600 on paint alone. But that 2/3 bathroom remodel was only about $50 so far (I did have things like new knobs and the paint purchased back when the kitchen was done years ago).

The kitchen is all original outside of the new flooring which I got on the cheap because they had a "remenant" that was big enough to do the kitchen floor and both the coat closet and pantry with more to spare. That was something like $89 instead of over $125. And those poles for the overlook were BEEFY oak coat closet hangers that are about double the width of any of my actual closet poles. Normally $22 each but I got them on sale for $10 each. So probably add about $300 for paint and another $100 for caulk, knobs and hinges and the hinge jig. (I did have to buy that drill press and the forstner bit set for the overlook, but I generally don't count the purchase of tools as a cost of a job unless they were single use or rentals... but technically that was another $75 or so).

And all the trim in the house basically was free after the clearance prices and me taking out that new card to pay with it that gave me $250 signup bonus for spending $1,000 in 90 days (I used that as an excuse to load up on stuff I know I would be using eventually).

So far, that kitchen remodel was probably $600 and the bathroom was about $50.

I would like to get a nice jet black countertop to replace that awful Menard's special that's sitting on top of them now though. It's why I haven't caulked any of that to the wall yet.

--------------------------------------------------

Those who dance always seem crazy to those who can't hear the music.

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Saturday, August 1, 2026 1:35 PM

BRENDA

Out in a bit on what should be a cooler day. Got some rain where I am over night. Outside of the library not totally sure what I am doing.

SIX if you didn't get my message in tags. I did the restart before I went to bed last night. Everything is working this morning. Turning into a two finger typist because of my hands as I don't know what is going on. Going to look at another store about laptops.

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USER	POST DATE
6ixStringJack	08.01 00:29
SIGNYM	08.01 01:13
Brenda	08.01 02:08
6ixStringJack	08.01 12:38
Brenda	08.01 13:35