The Clock is Ticking!

Amazing, I had not realised the kitchen clock Jan has on the wall above the sink made a noise.  Neither had I realised the Isuzu diesel engine in the 4x4 was so noisy; nor did I know the vehicle indicators made a clicking sound when activated. 

Yes readers, we were at Costco yesterday for my hearing aid fitting.  Jan now has to learn it is no longer necessary for her to shout at me.  I’ve already noticed the TV volume can be turned down between 30-50%.  The pc keyboard makes clicking sounds when you touch the keys.  The reclining armchair creaks and those small things that fly in the sky make cheerful sounds.  My poor brain is in sensory overload.

The cabinet project is progressing very slowly.  Jarrah timber is expensive and I’m attempting to make as few mistakes as possible.

In the foreground is the top horizontal rail to which I’ve glued small triangular bracing blocks.

Unfortunately I have discovered something I missed earlier.  I drill out all the old nail and screw holes in the recycled timber for the base before plugging them with Jarrah plugs.  It wasn’t until I fitted the vertical partitions to the base that I discovered the surface of the base is NOT flat.

 

If I screw the leading edge of the vertical panel to the base removing the gap then the back of the panel rises and the panel is no longer plumb.  I should have identified this earlier.  I’ll probably have to remove the base and cut it longitudinally into sections that will fit through the thicknesser and then biscuit join the sections back together.

 

Top horizontal rail installed

Rather than work from the base up I may have to turn the cabinet over and work from the top down <Grrrr>

The autumn rain has arrived.  Hopefully enough will fall in the northern and southern wheat belts for the farmers to get a good crop this year.  I do feel for some of them as they have already planted barley.  Western Australia is the largest supplier of Australian barley and the major market is China.  In the last few days China placed a 80% tariff on Australian barley claiming it was subsidized by the government.  By coincidence this occurred just after the Australian Federal Government instigated the request for an international inquiry into the COVID19 pandemic.  China is showing her displeasure!

Jan and I have been discussing project priorities.  The next project is likely to be the trench and power cable from the house to the workshop.  Once that is complete then we can progress the swimming pool installation.  Hopefully a winter installation will mean more competitive pricing.  My mental design for the pool solar water heating system is complete.  I now need to start collecting the beer cans.  I know… it’s an onerous job emptying the cans, but I’m up for the challenge!

 

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Drawers

I’ve been tucked away in my “man cave” whilst Perth gets battered by the storm of the decade.  We’ve not suffered any property damage however a few local trees and fences are down.  No doubt there will also be a number of building that have lost their rooves (or roofs… depending upon your english).

I had a little problem to overcome with the current cabinet project.  It will have adjustable glass shelves, which means all the partitions need to be drilled with a series of holes for the shelf support pins.  All these holes have to be parallel or the shelves will wobble.  So how do I drill holes that are perfectly aligned and the direction of the hole has to be exactly 90° to the partitions.  No doubt a major cabinet shop would have a CNC machine.  My solution was to make a template from a piece of scrap plywood.

 

This was aligned with each partition and clamped in place.  Next I needed to drill the holes to the right depth and at 90°.   I did this by gluing two pieces of scrap timber together and then vertically drilling a 5mm hole through the middle with the bench drill.

The length of the drill bit was adjusted to ensure it drilled the required depth.  My technique was to align the tip of the drill bit inside each hole in the template  and then slide the block of wood down the bit until it was flush on the surface of the template.  Theoretically the drill bit was now at 90° to the partition.  It was then a matter of repeating the process for each hole.

I ensured the template didn’t move during the process by drilling diagonally opposite holes first and then fitting a 5mm HSS bit into the hole.

I hope I got this part right otherwise the shelves either won’t be level or will be wobbly… perhaps both!!!

The centre of the cabinet will have a timber shelf and two large drawers.  I laid out the drawer runners opposite each other in an effort to ensure they were also going to be parallel.

I’m recycling some old metal drawer runners.

The centre was then assembled by gluing and screwing.

The two white pieces of particleboard are spacers.  Once the glue had set I concealed the screw heads with timber plugs I’d made from some scrap timber using my Aldi plug makers.

Once the plug glue has set I’ll cut off the surplus plug with a chisel.

Then I made the horizontal support for the back of the carcass.

Pip will note my red arrow which is pointing to the rebate I’ve cut in the rear of the support.  The plan is to run a concealed LED strip lighting along the back of the cabinet. 

Finally I fitted the drawers made earlier in the project.

Next task is to fit the partitions to the cabinet base.

Gate and Roll

I’ve made and installed the entrance gate to my new shelter between the garage and our neighbour.  Jan suggested it was probably overkill for Molly the dachshund.  Whilst I am known for over-engineering things perhaps Jan doesn’t realise just how high a dachshund can jump!

With the new sheet steel fencing in place it makes a reasonably safe storage area for the second set of 4x4 tyres.

A sheet of polycarbonate is required to finish the roof.
Meanwhile I’ve been making slow but steady progress with the display cabinet.  All the major components have now been cut, glued and sanded.  The drawers have been constructed and I’ve made a template for the holes the adjustable shelf supports will require.
Mick I now have photographic evidence the cardboard toilet roll tubes are the same diameter.

The Costco roll definitely has more paper!

Costco has more paperwork

There I was seated on the throne in the House of the Lords when I happened to glance into the far corner of the room.  My attention was drawn the the waiting paperwork and what particularly caught my eye was the disparity in the volume.

The top roll is from one of the two main local supermarkets whereas the bottom two rolls were recently purchased from Costco.  Not only is the Costco paperwork cheaper, there is significantly more on the roll. 

Gordon Ramsey Plating Up

I’d never heard the expression “plating up” until Gordon Ramsey used the expression on a TV show I happened to watch.  Well my expression isn’t quite the same.  I’ve been Planking Up! The last of the timber planks was biscuit joined and clamped this morning.

Why the newspaper underneath?  I made the mistake of not placing newspaper under my first biscuit joining more than a decade ago and the result was the glued panel being stuck to the table.  It’s easier to rip or sand the newspaper off the panel.

Tomorrow I’ll start on smoothing the five panels before they are cut to their final size.

  

Dave I thought I was only going to need to hand mix four bags.  I couldn’t use Jan’s pink mixer as that would require me to carry bucket loads of mixed concrete through the house to the bathroom.  My method was to move the empty wheelbarrow into the bathroom and mix the concrete in it.  Then it was a matter of pouring directly from the barrow to the hole in the floor slab.

Jenny it’s quite strenuous going for a lie down in the middle of the day.  Sometimes Jan sees me and that can result in her dressing in that small black and white french maid outfit with the fishnet stocking and high heels.  She comes into the bedroom with the riding crop and whispers “Want to play Ride the Wild Stallion?”  The brain is willing, but these days the flesh is weak… .which is quite demoralizing!

Eight Bags

The rhyme  “Baa Baa Black Sheep” came to mind as I mixed and poured the concrete in the bathroom this morning.  I’d been putting off the job knowing everything had to be mixed and laid by hand.

My usual habit is to under estimate the required materials as I don’t like a surplus.  In this case I thought surplus concrete would be useful for the next major task and therefore purchased eight bags knowing I’d only require four or five.

Jan wouldn’t let me use her pink concrete mixed bought for her birthday.  I wasn’t going to hire a mixer for 4 bags of cement and decided to mix it by hand in the wheelbarrow.  By the time I reached the third bag I was reconsidering my decision.  By the fifth bag I realised I’d made a mistake erred in my judgement regarding my physical prowess.  By the eighth bag I was stuffed and just hoping this bag would the job.

 

This has been a wake-up call.  My physical condition is nowhere what I had assumed it was and I need to do something about getting back into shape!

At least my physical part of this project is now complete.  The plumber has to return and modify the pipework before the tiler finishs the walls and floor.  Then the plumber can return and install the toilet.  Meanwhile I’ve returned to the timber cabinet project biscuit joining the planks to make the partitions and ends.

Brian Morans

During these difficult times America doesn’t need more Brian Morans!

 

Costco

We’ve paid our $60 and joined Costco.  I recall passing a few Costco outlets when we were living on Waiouru however there was little point in joining as it sells in bulk and we didn’t have the room on board. 

After looking around the new Perth store it was obvious some things are cheaper and other not!  However my primary reason for want to join (probably not Jan’s) was they have a audiologist.  My hearing started failing many years ago.  Likely a combination of gunfire, explosions and hereditary.  My hearing has now reach the point where I can’t understand 40% of what Jan is saying unless I can see her face.  Obviously my brain (apparently I have one) is subconsciously lip reading.  It’s not 100% accurate which has led to some amusing replies on my part.

Anyway, I booked a Costco hearing test for last Tuesday.  Indeed I do have a moderate to severe hearing loss in both ears.  There was no pressure to buy hearing aids, however the audiologist did show me their range.  I rather liked the rechargeable (Lithium) hearing aids.  But at $1800 for each ear I was reluctant to purchase.  She then showed me the Costco branded aids which were $1899 for the pair.  They are not rechargeable, however the batteries would only cost me approximately $30 annually.  The rechargeable aids only last approx 12-18 hours before the batteries are flat.  The non re-chargeable batteries last approx 5 days.  I did like the idea of rechargeable aids,  but could I justify the $3600 verses the $1899 for the non rechargeable.  Then the audiologist informed me irrespective of which brand of hearing aid I selected they would only have a life of 3-5 years and the manufacturers didn’t carry spare parts.  I opted for the cheaper Costco hearing aids (Kirkland signature 9.0) and was about to place an order when Jan mentioned she had received an email from Costco advising they had advertised there would be a $100 discount on hearing aids if purchased between 9 May and early June.  The audiologist then deducted $100 off the price.  The final price for my hearing aids was $1799.

I think we have very quickly recouped our $60 membership fee.

One final observation about the process at the hearing centre.  All the Costco staff were wearing disposable paper overalls, masks and gloves (full PPE).  I was also give a mask to wear during the hearing test.  Costco are obviously taking the COVID19 pandemic seriously.

 

I doubt it’s a real response from Costco…. but it was funny!

Tick

Another one completed…..

The shade house for Jan’s veg garden has been completed.  She was right….. It was a dead space which is now utilized.  If you have read the last couple of posts you will remember the Mulberry bush was obscuring the view of the planned shade house.  Obviously it has gone!

And is now up on the front lawn.  Jan chose the location and I dug the hole… striking two water reticulation pipes in the process <grrrrrr>!   Hopefully the bush will survive the relocation. 
We saw Boris on the TV news this morning calling for more ‘lerts’ in England.  The phrase appears to be “Be A Lert”.  Apparently it’s a change from “Stay at Home”.    West Australian statistics as of today are total of 9 deaths,  4 currently in hospital of which, 1 is in ICU.  No new cases for the last 9 days.  Currently 7 active cases.

Spoons Breakfast

Last night Jan said “Let’s have a Spoons Breakfast tomorrow!”

Probably not the best for the veins and arteries, but it was tasty and did bring back memories of those Wetherspoons Big Breakfasts we used to occasionally have for lunch as our main meal of the day when boating.
My back problem has been delaying the latest projects and two days ago we paid the price when a major storm passed through knocking down the corrugated cement boundary fence beside the garage.  It was already ‘wobbly’ and I had planned to secure it to the new lean to framing.  Alas I didn’t erect the framing in time!

Now I have an additional task of removing the old fencing and installing new sheets.
Jan’s garden shade house is progressing.  All the framing has been erected and tomorrow I’ll make a start on fitting the shade cloth.

We had a visit from local blog reader Ken and his lovely wife, Elaine.  Both pointed out the Mulberry tree in the front garden was in the wrong place.  Apparently it will grow too big and the roots will undermine the house foundations.  Jan has already picked out a new location away from the house.  Another task added to the already long list!
On a more positive note, I’ve been able to keep the vehicle battery going with a regime of regularly placing it on the CTek charger.  I should have disabled the engine management system ‘smart charger’ 12 months ago.  All the short journeys has killed the battery. 

Small 5 amp Ctek charger
We are going to require a new battery.  I have my eye on one that has twice the capacity of the original and am waiting for it to go on sale.   
The social distancing restrictions are starting to be eased.  Travel restrictions within the State have been lifted; but not inter-state travel where a 14 day quarantine still applies.   I think this is the 9th consecutive day of no new COVID19 cases with the State.  Hospital cases are down to low single figures.  The State Premier is (IMHO) taking things very slowly in an effort to avoid a ‘second wave’. 

Status Report

We as a nation, state and couple of old crocks appear to be managing the current crisis quite well.

In Western Australia it’s the sixth consecutive day of no new identified COVID-19 cases.   There are 13 existing cases of which three are in ICU.  The state borders remain closed along with the regional borders within the state.  People entering the state are required to go into state managed quarantine centres for 14 days.  Parents have been given the option of allowing their children to return to school.  Restrictions are gradually being eased.  Until yesterday, we have only left the property four times since February.  All of them to go food shopping.  I have developed a successful strategy for social distancing in supermarkets.  A couple of loud sneezes on my part is quite effective!

Yesterday I was finally able to get an appointment to see my GP about the problems with my back and right ear.  I entered the surgery with two problems and left with three.  The good news was my back problem is muscular rather than something serious, like a collapsed disc.  The advice was to keep moving rather than lying on my back and being attended to by the maid wife.  I have a slight inflammation in my right ear and have been prescribed drops.  During the consultation the doctor said “You need your annual flu shot!”   I’ve only ever had one previous flu shot and that was when I was 16.  It promptly gave me all the symptoms and suffering of the flu.  Yesterday the doctor appealed to my social responsibility and the need for herd immunisation.  I wilted and agreed!  Consequentially I left the surgery with a sore right arm.  The next couple of days will tell if it was a good decision.

Meanwhile, I’ve managed to complete the installation of the framing for the shelter beside the garage.  The final part is the fitting of the roofing.  It’s unlikely to happen today as we had a storm last night and it’s raining today.  

I mentioned to Jan that I might complete the construction of the shade house next and was emphatically  informed the next project was completion of the bathroom.  Apparently having a hole filled with sand in the middle of the bathroom for months is unacceptable.  Concrete must be poured!

Fruity

It must be that time of the year!  Jan dragged me out into the garden to show me her fruit trees.

Her first mangos

Bramley Apple

The mulberry tree has gone berserk since it was removed from the pot and planted in the front garden.

 

Molly can’t reach it in this location which means the raiding of the berries may cease

I’ve cut the posts for the garage shelter and spent yesterday painting them.  today I painted the rails.

The framing might be finished by tomorrow, depending upon the state of my back.

Meanwhile some in the community are pleased children can go back to school.