Almost Done

The fiancee just finished painting the planks and we really admired how it turned out to be. It was just perfect for the southwestern atmosphere.



Last Saturday was blowing like nuts. It was around 20-25 knots, perfect for the small sail. I was contemplating on testing the waters but also wanted to do some carpentry works. The rain made the decision easier for me. I thought it was better to stay at home rather than at the beach complaining about the rain and lightning.

And so, I decided to build a house for my tools. These babies helped me a lot in building the house. What was supposedly done in 4 man-hours, I can do so in 1. This means if 4 people can make a cabinet in 1 hour, I can do myself in the same amount of time or if 1 person can build the cabinet in 4 hours, I can do it in 1. Still makes sense?

Funds are limited these days so I made use of the leftover wood from construction and just bought another sheet. The hardest part was arriving at a measurement to maximize the wood available while still having a cabinet that's future-proof (i.e., always have room for one more tool). I ended up something like 14 3/4 for the sides, 15 3/8 for the top and bottom and 10 3/4 for the shelves.

The cutting was done on the floor but the mask gave me a lung-ache the next day. Maybe I will have to buy a battle-grade dust mask in the future for my sensitive respiratory system.


After all the boards were cut to size, here comes the easy part: assembling. It helps to have two drills, one for the pilot hole and one for the screw.

The most time consuming was attaching the piano hinge but it was worth it. It will give enormous strength to the doors. I bought a local hinge (for Php 140) because the top brass brand cost something like Php 2,100 which is not very practical.

I was lucky that the new plywood I got has a very good face which is perfect for staining and achieving that exotic hardwood look. I attached the cabinet to the wall using SIX! 3/8 lag screws on 5/8 galvanized plugs. Drilling a 5/8 hole in a concrete wall is like a having a volcanic eruption. I was filled with dust and have to take a bath right after drilling. These plugs have some 100lb capacity in them which would make this cabinet take 600lbs! That's the Adz' philosophy: always over-build.

Now that the tool house is done, time to put some furnishings. Tools are small items and organizing them is pretty tricky but fun. I started with the rulers, squares, screwdrivers and saws which take up the most space. Next would be the tapes, chisels, pliers and clamps which I would do during my next carpentry session.

Tommorrow's forecast looks promising and it's already sunny. I have also bought myself a yellow boardshorts in honor of Tita Cory, the symbol of Philippine democracy and non-violent revolution, who will be buried also tommorrow. We shall honor her at the beach.

Mabuhay tayong lahat! L-L-L-L-L