My Workshop Distractions Thread

It's called "Peteh corsair leftover blue"... 

Spent much of my afternoon over at the barn having a bit of a sort out 




Needed to shuffle a few cars & bodyshells 




Unearthing various parts whilst stashing others that I had brought with me 




Load a Jowett engine to the P38 that I need to deliver elsewhere 



Along with a load more bits that need to go back to the workshop 



Which then allowed me to undertake the main task that I went to the barn for in the first place - exhume from storage this Triumph Spitfire - load it to the trailer and transport it back the workshop for recommissioning (full thread write up in 'The Workshop' section

So SWMBO disappeared out to Budapest on the 1st September on a work contact for the production of a US TV series - she arrives back home tomorrow - hence I've held a freedom & no nagging ticket for the last 3 & half months - Now due to the situation that the world finds itself in I cant really go anywhere but the freedom to please myself in a silenced home environment is quite something special  - with exception of Sid our cat whom is absolutely no trouble apart from him insisting that its time for his breakfast at 05:00 hours and he will bug the hell out of you until you until it happens - so SWMBO left a list of certain things that you would like done on the house - its a work in progress - but I've dragged my feet with the utility for the last 24 months and ran out of excuses 18 months ago - In my defence I have been stupidly busy with the business and many other things but not the utility - it goes without even mentioning it that she is expecting some progress upon her arrival home    

One of the jobs holding everything up was the rear door (which we use as the main door) 



The old one is quite frankly hideous - fitted by the pervious owners when they built the utility extension dont know what planet they they were on - its a converted chapel built 1872 and needs something period style that's fitting with the rest of the property  



This has been a proper time consuming magnet of a job - its taken untold hours to get the doors to hang correctly then weather proof them 



I state doors over door because there's 2 of them - she wanted the county style split door / stable door type - its all hardwood and these doors have been on & off more times than enough to get the fit right and they are bloody heavy - then there's the 2 sets of 5 lever locks to mortice & rebate - drip rails I had to custom make due to the narrow profile of them 



Managed to get 3 good coats of a high quality undercoat on them before the really wet & cold weather set in - top coats will have to wait for spring - so at least that's this task sorted for now - will it get me out of jail - will it hell she'll be expecting a lot more done than this - more later 

Your postman will hate you

Utility floor then - I ripped the old tiles up a few years ago to correct the failing & bodged DPC around the walls - its a insulated screed but I wanted to bring the floor up in level a little to allow a new floating timber floor to run through the lounge at the same level - the tiles alone would not have given me enough height - so I bonded a a tile backing board with a fast setting tile cement to the screed which gave me 20mm and the tiles + adhesive + the heated floor mat gives me another 20mm - so I can lay a 25mm floating floor + 15mm insulation board through the lounge - for now all I need to do is extend from the tiled floor in the kitchen that I laid 2 years ago through the utility 



Small area of the tile backing board was slightly high by the door so - so I reduced it with the DA sander 



Then applied an adhesion promoter 



Mapped the heated mat and laid that 



There's a large floor to ceiling deep cupboard going in the corner but she wants part of it for laundry / drying - bit like a airing cupboard - Pipes running up the wall are the main hot water / central heating flow & return - heated tiled floor and it will be enough to do what she wants 





And got a handful of tiles laid last night this is all seat of the pants stuff - finished at 23:30 - loads of running about to do today collect the shopping - new keys cut for the back door - collect the tree - drop her prescription off - collect some bits for the workshop - fill her car with petrol & check it over (because she wont) - next to no time in the workshop today but various long winded calls in order to keep juggling the running chainsaws - and very large 3 bathroomed house to clean tonight (just finished) 



There has to be some reward and this is it - the tiles have been restricting access in my workshop entrance lobby for over 2 years - must have got used to them but now they are gone I've realised just what a pain they were were to dance around - I think I've done enough because I've also got half of a 'Get out of Jail' card from when I was hospitalised through illness in October - It will all be fine 

What Dinitrol product did you treat the tiles with before application? 😉

I hate floor tiling , dont mind walls too much. Fortunately swmbo loves grouting so at least i get out of that ball-ache! Thats going to look lovely when its finished Chris.

Quality work as usual. Sid will appreciate the underfloor heating. Our younger Cat happily forgoes soft furnishings for the hard Ensuite floor when it switches on.

Don't really do the takeaway thing - there's nothing really around that's any good so I prefer to cook for myself - bottles & cans just go with the recycling - collection was last Weds so very little evidence kicking about - so unless she's put level marks on my gin bottles I'm clean