Seriously A Week Has Passed Me By?

I can't believe that a whole week has went by since my last post! In my defense I have been really busy, well I have! Since last Thursday, I have been working on the next section of cabinets for the kitchen, running the boys all over the place, trying to find out how to move a nest of bunnies without them dying, working out at 5:30-6am Mon-Fri, making food for my crazy bunch of boys, and oh yea homeschooling! Not that much huh? I am sure that I missed something but it must have gotten done or it would still be on the list of things to do, right?

For anyone who is interested the cabinets are coming along, just taking forever to finish this last section. Partly because I got impatient and did a bigger section. Secondly there was a lot of build up on them that caused me to go thru a package of sanding discs! But at least I am done with the frames inside the house and cleaned up the mess that sanding inside always creates.

Yes you heard me right a nest of bunnies decided to take up a house in my container. I was cleaning out the containers this past week, trying to see what made it and what didn't. Then I come across the ones with my Black Eyed Susans and Hollyhocks in them and there is all this what I thought was dog hair in them. I was like why did the boys think it was ok to put dog hair in my container? (of course it was them who else would it be, LOL) When I went to remove it (with my gardening gloves on) I saw that something was in there. JUMPING BACK for a second before I realized it was bunnies and not mice/rats or possums (YUCK). AWE was my next thought then it went to OH SHIT! THEY ARE IN MY FLOWER CONTAINER! Now we all know that they are cute as a button when they are small but what are the three things that bunnies do?? GET BIG, EAT,AND MAKE MORE BUNNIES!  Do you know that there are places that come and rescue bunnies? I sure didn't! Of course, I haven't contacted them yet, can't decide what to do with the bunnies;)

What I thought was dog hair.

nope see Bugs in there with about 6 or 7 of his brothers and sisters?

 

Well that is most of what I have been up to, what about you?

Kitchen Section 2 COMPLETE;)

This is what I started with, but I didn't get a picture of the two additional drawers under the stove before I started. Notice the stock cabinet that doesn't match the other cabinets and the toe kick/corner round that doesn't even go in front of the cabinet. I assume that there was a trash compactor at some point, due to the fact that there was an electrical outlet behind the cabinet. I capped it before reinstalling the new shelf cabinet. Even thought you can't see the stain or lack there of, just take my word for it they looked terrible!

Finished section;) Well I know what I think but what about you? I replaced the toe kick around all the cabinets that I had finished and extended the corner round to include my revamped cabinet. Added some baskets on clearance from Pier One and Bobs your uncle another section complete. How I made the shelf from the existing cabinet was I carefully snipped the staple on each side of the inside of the frame. Then used a Japanese saw (for fine cuts or thin spaces) to cut the dowel from each side. The cabinet already had the holes for adjustable shelving so I got some heavy duty shelf holders to help hold my new shelf. (which I made out of 3/4" plywood with an oak veneer)

 Now here is the coolest gadget that I bought to help hold my cabinet doors while I stained them. The wooden dowels that are included lift the door or drawer off your surface so that you don't get any of that dripping on the under side on the door. BUT if you use too much stain you will still get drips! (just check before you walk away that you wipe them up for a professional look) I bought mine from the link below, probably could have gotten them cheaper somewhere else. (maybe?) Check out the link below to see more info about these . (I don't get paid for sending you to this site, just trying to share what worked for me;)

http://woodworker.com/wolf-bench-paws-mssu-157-877.asp?search=wolf&searchmode=2

 

 

If you have any questions on how I did something OR what I used just comment below or shoot me an email;) The only way to learn is to ask and maybe just maybe you won't make the same mistakes that I DID! OH yea and if you have helpful hints please let me know that too! 

Have a wonderful day!

Kitchen Cabinets Project Section 1

Wow finally finished with completely stripping ,sanding, staining and sealing the first section of my kitchen cabinets. Boy does that feel good to say! I can't tell you how many projects I have done over the years but this has to be one of the ones that I dreaded starting the most. One because after doing the same treatment to our bathroom cabinets about a year ago, I said "Never again!". Fast forward to last month when I was soooo tired of looking at the cabinets in their current condition and decided "well its too cold to go outside and do too much so lets get this party started!" Hearing the sigh from the other room,( DH chiming in here) I took the doors and drawers out and started working on getting off years of grime and old stain/polythene (well what was left of it!) I tried to find a stripper that worked but didn't stink up the place and give us all headaches. An orange wood stripper is what I found through some online research and asking at the local hardware store. ( I will put up the link in the bottom of this post so you can see everything that I used, so you will know when you go out to get it)

Well I used the stripper and it work good, but I found that for the doors and drawers it was just easier to take them outside and sand them (with my palm orbiter sander). Definitely going to continue to use the stripper inside on the cabinet bases, because it is just less of a mess than sanding. Then doing the drawers and doors outside, just a good system for me.

Now for the pics;) ok so bear with me the pics are not the best but you get the idea. What I didn't get was just how bad the finish was and I did try a different darker stain before that I had to re-sand/strip off again.Finally happy with the results and the pics do not do it justice.

This is the Before Picture~ Notice the lighter color and the vinyl mismatched paper on the island.

Section 1~ finished complete with bronze hardware

Section 1~ Made a new end panel(other was contact paper) bronze hardware

Section 1- best picture I could get of what the finished product looked like

Great stripper for indoor use- hardly any smell, just a light orange smell. It is cheaper on Amazon but shipping could push it to the same price as locally bought ($19.95 is what I paid locally)