Working on the house`

better get working on house stuff, Though have more to do on cars, but that can wait. Have Lots I want to do on both. Maybe the cinnamon will help, though yesterday I felt wrecked, and took a lot to get rid of pains. Would have expected them the day before.

went down the basement and ripped things apart. Found some things I didn't know I had. Moved and orgaized some, but Didn't find the 2 things I am looking for. Can't be there. Must be upstairs...

have to get working, but it isn't easy, in the heat and sun. With the cars, I can often put them in the shade somewhere, and make it easier. I tried to take a piece of trim off around the front door, but it is hard, being up high, and really needing to get out a ladder, which I don't want to, to remove a small piece, and having to wait till the sun moves, to not be in it. I tried in the sun, trying to reach it with tools, trying a crow bar, for more reach, but it wasn't moving. Last one I tried to take off caused double vision for a few days, and then slow focusing for a few more, so hard to walk, and then drive. Also old dust comes out, which isn't good for breathing, and wearing a mask is an extra hassle.

I wanted to get out and remove it today before the sun moves, but have to before noon, and not getting out there. Will be about 6PM before it moves off. Thinking of just doing it when I am up to it, like I tried yesterday, but the sun ate me up, and I damaged other pieces trying to rush.

I Did paint the 3' pipe I am going to use to extend the floor jack handle for the car, and hammered the bent flat end, to make it look pretty. I wanted to do it in the kitchen/yard doorway, to not get the fumes in the house, but did it in the basement, to make it easier. Wore a paper mask, not a charcoal one, just to not breathe in paint particles, and had a fan blowing away from me, but some pain mist got on things. Nothing special, but didn't like doing that. Had to finish up where I was holding it, and was going to put down a trash bag, but wanted to use a clear one for silver paint, because a black one would look messed. Couldn't find the one that should have been handly, so put down newspaper. Think it worked, since i was spraying right at it. Didn't smell any fumes after. Have another small handle and a jack to paint a little.

Looks like I might wait till 6PM to work outside, which I hate to do. Have to work when I am up to it, and it isn't stressful, which doesn't often agree.

Still thinking about changing the coolant, and fitting that in. That will be, before 10AM or after 2PM if I do it here. Don't feel like going to sis's again to try to do it. Only if I really have to. Complicated...

not doing what I wanted to outside. Have to hope for tomorrow, before it gets hot and humid. Thinking of putting an AC in the basement, or getting a dehumidifier. Would be nice if I had the room... Could use an astronaughts suit for outside.((

slept off and on, and woke later than usual. When waking, I thought about working on the house. I have to fix the ladder, replacing some springe that work latches. Want to cover them so they don't make the clanging sounds they make when metal hits metal. Hope I have springs, but may have to figure what I need, and go buy them. Hope I get started working. To avoid working in the sun, have to start early and can work till noon, and then start again about 5 PM. If I work in the AM, I'm usually not up to working in the evening.

well sorta... between sleeping.

Doing some small things, and getting rid of some small things. Anything is a plus. Often have to pop some B-1 to either feel better or get moving. The fact that it doesn't always work makes me wonder if it's a placebo effct, but then it should work all the time, I would think. Maybe it just depends...

Interesting to find things that I need, without having to hunt. Makes me want to get organized, but That is a job in itself, I did it once, and it didn't last. Getting worn out from doing it, doesn't make me want to continue after it is done, and then not getting back to using things for months, it gets forgotten. Need to be working with the things, or around them often for it to matter. Things get seperated, and wind up here and there, and need to be grouped again and again.

Still in the 90's out, so not eager to work outside. Sometimes it goes from hot to cold fast in the fall.

got rid of some things. 6 carton of smokes I bought to try the brand, and didn't like. Gave them to a homless guy who will smoke anything. Moved some things to the basement, and looking to do more.

seem to be sleeping a Lot longer overnite, without waking, but not when I need to. Woke at noon, and think I slept about 8-9 hrs. The way the sun moves, noon is about when I have to quit, so Not good for working. Have to get set up to work, so I'll be ready. Trying to do things that will make everything easier, but that doesn't get the house done.

toying with the idea of making a new front door Again. Last time it was to be an insulated raised panel one, using the etched, beveled, arched panes from the old one, and making it 3 matching sized wood panels, to match the sizes of the 2 diff sized glass ones, but insulated, it was SO dammed complicated, my brain used to ache just planning it, and I worried how strong it would be, even reinforced with metal. One offs often have problems you have to correct, and don't need that on a front door. Since the old door has rot, that would be hard to clean out and repair, and I was going to stick with the old layout, to make it easier, it still will be real hard to repair and fix, and still have the layout I don't like. Finding space to build it will be hard.

doing more thinking than doing, but keeping busy. Found vids and even a site about building doors, like the front one I want to rebuild. Interesting to see what I plan to do, and others doing it, even one who does it with fewer tools than usual, to get or confirm ideas. Now if I could get started. Finding tools to make it easier, and cheaper than I had seen by the pros.

buying tools to build the door. Was trying to figure out the dimensions the tools will cut, but too complicated, and best to have them in hand so I can see and hold them close up, and figure how they are set up to work together, which should work out, or I'll have to compensate somehow. Saved money on shipping of one tool and bought other things I will need, so worked out good. Will be interesting to see how it goes. Hope I build the door, and not collect more tools and materials.

I'm eager to get the tools into make the front door. Ordered cutters to make the raised wood panels. It will be interesting to be able to easily cut the complicated shapes. It will be a challenge to cut and fit all the many and complicated shapes. They must be right, because they have to float when they expand from temp and humidity, and I have beveled glass panels, that would be Really hard to have remade, if they broke, so will have to be extra careful they fit right. Don't have room to make it, so will have to rig up a table, that is going to be a doubled sheet of flake board, set on stuff in the basement. I have a sheet but it is buried. May buy another, and have it cut in half which will make it the right size, and easier to carry, each piece weighing 45 lbs, not 90, which I used to handle easily. I plan to use dowels to join the pieces of wood for the door, so I don't have to try to make mortise, and tenon joints, that are the norm.

I better wait till tools come and I have them in hand to try to figure how I'm going to cut the shapes they will cut, or I'm gona fry my brain. Dealing with decimal sizes that the tools are reversible to cut the opposite shape, and trying to figure what the dimensions are, and will cut is complicated, but I'd like to know... An extra complication is, I have to take measurements off the front door while still installed, not laying on a bench.

cutters for the raised panel doors came in. Reading about using them and dangers. My router is said to spin too fast for the size they are. I have 3 options. Try a Variac voltage reducer I have that some say might or will work, and others say won't. Can buy a speed reducer for 20$, or try the much slower speed saw motor that can be used as a router. Guess I'll try the Variac, and the saw motor before buying.

They say the router should be mounted in a bench/table, and I don't want to, and have to find out why the recommendation. Most tables are too small for the size of the work.

Trying to learn the dangers so I can avoid them.

changing the circuit breakers the other day, I found some milk crates with car things in them. Headlights, freon for the ac, some oil filters, and brake shoes. Have to find out what the brakes are for, and put everything in one crate to make some room.

Getting rain from the last hurricane that hit New Orleans. Gona last a while, but light wind.

testing the router with the Variac to slow it down. Who says it will work, and who says it won't Some say the motor will burn up. Can buy a speed control, and want to go to the store to get something else, and may pick one up to have it. .Cleaned up the router and relearning how to use it, and trying the Variac on it, to see who is right? One of the cutters is too big, and will probably need to be raised up, sitting on a piece of wood on the wood being cut to work. They say it won't have the power, and thinking if I increase the speed to where it runs without bogging it may work OK, but if it bogs, they may be right, or it is too much work for it. This is a challenge.

buying lots of stuff to build the door, from cutters, to clmps, to glue. Picked up a speed control, to see how it compares to the Variac I have. They say it slows it down, but the power stays up, and makes it better. Have to see. I picked up a waterproof, urethane glue on sale, and a reviewer said it didn't cure. I tested it and so far, so good.

testing the router speed control, and not sure it works as intended. Had to take the router apart, to make sure what type it was, and if the speed control is supposed to work on it. It is supposed to be.

Read how to glue wood. There is end grain, and straight grain, and some joints are better, unless you prime the end grain with glue first. They Say, that end grain sucks up the glue, and makes the joint dry, and it can suck up to 2". That is a lot. Was reading a discussion about what joints are best, but priming compensates.

Can't find a cordless drill charger and it is bugging me. It's in a bigger plastic case that the drill also fits into.

Sorted some stuff in the basement, but have a Lot to do, and no room to put things. Back started to tighten up, so taking a break.

slept a bit, and decided to try the new router bits. Picked one I thought would be easy to use, though lots of shapes. Tried to find the right speed for it that is just a guess. Cut a piece of scrap wood and got an idea what it will look like, and how to handle a multi shaped cutter. They usually give a speed for a variable speed router, but mine is single speed, and not as powerful as some new ones, and not sure if the speed control works well.

Still pretty hot, at about 80, and wearing 2 back supports, that seems to help, but doesn't stop sweating.

building a raised panel front door isn't easy. Trying to find out how much of a gap to leave for thermal and moisture expansion, took some hunting but it is 3/8" for wood, and 1/4" for glass, and the glass should have a rabbeted joint in case it has to be replaced, and the wood, a groove.

tested the doweling jig a bit, and the router speed control, but have so little room to work, I have to move things to put something else. Not a good situation. Have to Try to make room, but don't know how. Like everything else, when I put saved things back, its like I haven't moved anything.

thought about how to use the router safely, since I hadn't used it in a while, except for some test cuts, and decided to look for info, in case I could learn something. Unplugging it when changing bits, I knew, but good to hear it mentioned, so maybe I will hear the guys voice when doing it. Came up with some other ideas, like cutting the far side of the wood, and supporting both sides of the router, with the other long piece I have to cut, and connecting the ends together. Should work good.

Got doing some work. Was stalling by figuring the door some more, and laying it out better and decided to read about using the Variac for tool speed control, and try to get a straight answer, not someones beliefs or fears, and read some warnings, and details about how to set it up that made me think. What the guy said was over my head, and though he said it could be used, the warnings scared me, and especially in the damp basement, and figured I better play it safe. The guy talked about having the same power as the mains, if not done right, and that is 100 amps, and nothing to play with, unless you know what you are doing, and going to be occupied by the router as it is, so better use the device I bought. Since the house is old, and not all receptacles are grounded, I figured I better run a separate wire to ground the saw to a water pipe, but even that makes me wonder.

Taking a break, but want to do more. Been feeling pretty chipper the past few days, and driving faster. Probably the cooler weather, but then it will get cold...

lots to learn about making raised panel doors, and especially entrance ones. Trying to figure which wood to use, and have to worry about water getting into the joints and rotting. Playing with the router and separate speed control, to try to learn it. The cutter on the router is big, so have to slow the router down, but how far is a guess, so practicing, and then the gaps and shapes are a challenge to cut. Going to have to place things in the location where saw dust and chips fly in a direction that is easy to clean up. Want to start making it, but better do slow, but I might run out of steam.

Sorting a little as I go, and making room. Thank god it is cool.

would have been easier if I would have bought a raised panel cutter with a back of apanel cutter also, so the thickness of the panel would have been exact, but I bought the cheapest I could find, and they don't have one in the size I need, so gona have to measure it, which will take some trail and error, unless I can get it right the first time.

Want to get a guide for the router, to make it easier, but what they sell isn't what I would build, so guess I'm building it. I had built half of what I need before, for cutting holes, so half done.

Trying to be Extra careful, until I get a routein, and then continue being careful. It's like having a tiger by the tail. Digging out all my safety gear, and trying to make the work area safe, but one is broken, and might be hard to fix, and taking it apart last night, I lost some pieces.

Reading on how to build the door, Some of the safety warnings are ringing in my ears while I work. Early on I cut myself not paying attention, thinking about other problems. That taught me a lesson. Luckily it was just with a knife, and not that bad, I heard a rattling in the router, and stopped to see what it was. The bit was slipping. It was tight, but I guess not tight enough. A warning said, stop and find out about any strange noises. So I did.