Sweet Stakmore

 Here's a sweet little Stakmore Urn back folding chair that we also found near the dumpster. Man, people, have you never heard of Goodwill? Well, your loss is our beautiful find!

Cute.

Oh! It folds! Wow!

The frame was actually in great condition, just a few loose bolts. The cover...

GROSS.

A little staple removal, pad rinsing, a shellac touch-up, a bit of brocade, et viola:

Beautiful...

...and clever.

We listed this beauty on Craigslist, along with the magazine rack. It will be hard to see her go.

I have a really hard time letting furniture go...

Oh, Watchmaker's Desk. I'm so glad we kept you. <3

Yeah.

Furniture for Sale

I'm not sure exactly when my goal of doing something, anything, became full-on furniture restoration, but here it is, nine months from the start of the Wong challenge, and here I've somehow morphed into this vein.

Interior of the Watch Maker's Desk leg. We opened it up to repair the wiring.

The husband, attaching the new reproduction plug.

Arg! My guts!

Boring lamp. Oh, wait! Is that plugged into the desk? Why, it is!

How satisfying is this?

Gently restored top.

Brand new, period appropriate rayon wrapped cord with Bakelite plug.

Clean, working, beautiful desk. (Cat for scale.)

In Which Polyurethane is Applied.

Here's a look at the original drawer front and the refinished drawer with the first layer of polyurethane.I need to sand it and apply the second coat before I replace the handle. This was what I completed a few days ago, before the job search binge.

Pretty Awesome
Great news on the Awesome Front - one of  my friends just got a job using a resume which I formatted for her. Obviously, it was her great history and work ethic that actually landed her the job, but it's very satisfying to know I'm providing something valuable.

Fitness
I ran 45 minutes on a treadmill yesterday. I think the longest I've tried before was 25. As usual, the day after working out, I gained 4 pounds which stuck around most of the week. (No, you do not gain four pounds of muscle in one workout.) The Internet says I'm either eating more OR retaining water due to not drinking enough as a rule. I have a calorie tracker that assures me I'm not eating more calories than prior to the I was prior toning class and elliptical running. So, retention it is. I've started drinking a big bottle of water each day. This should convince my body to stop retaining water after work outs. Today, I'm down 2 pounds. Maybe next week, I'll manage a pound less. This time, I won't freak out and quit before the exercise and diet has a chance to work.

I don't really feel like doing much more than cleaning my house today. Maybe I'll put something on the television and finish my pattern today. That would be Awesome.

A Watchmaker's Desk

My new acquisition! It's a watchmaker's desk, and it is beautiful! It needs a gentle refinish and some work on the drawers, but is otherwise in great shape. I've passed by this piece many times, and was surprised with an email asking if I'd like to have it to refinish and sell. What luck!

Other than that, I've installed AutoCAD on the freshly partitioned MacBook and all is well. Now to learn how to draw earrings with it. There is a skill worth mastering. Not bad for a day of doing pretty much nothing.

The Daily Awesome - In Which a Dremel is Employed

More on the nightstand for today. We knocked out the new side piece to give it a bit more shape. In the photo, I'm matching the roundness of the original side using a Dremel tool. If you want a tool that is completely approachable, a Dremel is a good place to start. Hit some scrap wood to get a feel, and go to on any custom shaping job you've got. I once carved a little wooden dog using a carving knife and Dremel. It's really fun!

I had to knock a bit off the teeth on the dove tail to get the piece to fit a bit more flush with the back and front pieces. I'll hit it with a bit of wood filler after the glue dries to close the gaps. This isn't exactly pro, but it's way better than foam core and duct tape!

The interior now has a second coat of paint. I need to sand a couple spots and do a third coat. Word to the wise, if you paint wood use a foam brush. In retrospect, I believe spray enamel would have been far better for the desired effect. It still looks great, but didn't achieve the smoothness we wanted. 

That's all for today. I'll see if we can start the exterior stain tomorrow.

Yesterday's Daily Awesome and a Preview of What's Coming

Yesterday's Awesome account was delayed due to my nearly taking off the end of my finger with a sushi knife. I'm fine, but word to the wise; if you are left-handed use a left-handed Japanese knife, not a right-handed one.

I used this opportunity to teach my husband how to make sushi rolls. I told him step by step what to do, and made some amazing California Rolls and miso soup!

So delicious! 

Here's a little update on some of the upcoming Awesome. 

1. I bought a mask to turn into a proper sleep mask. The store bought ones are either really flat or really spendy. I need one that warps around my nose to close off the light around my cheeks. 
2. I bought foam and chip brushes to finish off the nightstand paint and stain. 
3. The book is my guide to making a great background for the catalog. I've training in digital print making for fabrics, and forgot how to do some of the basics since the class. Glad I didn't sell this one back! 

Here's another picture of the cardboard blanks for the earring store. I've got all of the photos done like this. We want to take pictures of them in my ear with the hooks on as well. I've nearly completed the price sheet and the background for the catalog to send to stores. It's really beautiful, and will be today's awesome once I complete it.

The Daily Awesome

Today, Jon and I are working on a piece of furniture. I found it on the side of the road and didn't want to see it go into a landfill. The piece is made of solid wood and particle board with veneer. The point is not to restore an expensive piece of furniture, rather to take a functional piece and make it attractive once more. I have no space in my home for it, so we'll be selling it once the work is done.

The original nightstand. The top is water damaged, the veneer on is missing on two edges. Still, it's an adorable piece of vintage mid-century.

The original drawer. One side is missing. The handle is corroded.

The stand with the finish removed and the veneer replaced. We did not sand the interior, as we plan to paint it white.

We created a template from the existing drawer side, then cut a blank. The holes were not a true dovetail, as they were round with a flanged front. Eventually, we were able to whittle the shape properly.

First coat of paint on the interior. The drawer now has a new side. Once the glue is dry, the drawer side will be sanded and bevelled with a Dremel.