4/22/19
Building Summary: Today I measured out, marked, mounted, and then leveled the first cupboard. This was followed by an attempt to mount the second, but it was found that I would not have enough room for both the remaining 36″ wide cupboards if I continued with my intended location. So, I took that second cabinet down and planned a proper strategy for tomorrow.
Commentary: The morning ride down to Jacobhouse was cool again, but the strengthening springtime sun soon had everything warmed up to a comfortable temperature. In regard to container-home activities, this was my first day of mounting the cupboards. I did only end up getting one cabinet fastened during the lengthy morning I spent at the worksite, but that was due in part to it being a learning experience and also because there were some farm shenanigans*.
As for highlights, the first of today’s couplet was the mounting of the first cupboard. It took a lot of measuring, re-measuring, marking, and predrilling before I was finally confident enough to lift the cupboard up to its intended destination. The highlight came when that furnishing – self-tappers already jutting partly through – finally slipped into the holes I had drilled into the kitchen wall. It was not easy task lifting and holding that little cupboard at head level, but I did, and afterward, I got it fastened and leveled almost perfectly. **
The second highlight occurred just after Padre helped me get the second cupboard into it’spre-drilled slot. Fortunately, he had the prescience to measure between the western side of that cabinet and find that there was 34″ between it and the frame around the panel box. That was not good, for the third cupboard was the same size as the second; that is, 36″. At first, I was filled with dread. The thought of having to wait another two weeks for a 34″ cupboard was… not fun. Fortunately, after a little more measuring, it was revealed that there was 1 ½” of spare space to the right and left sides of oven hood. So, we decided that I would adjust the position of that vent over by 1 ¼” and mount the second cabinet directly against the panel box’s frame. This will ensure that I have enough space for the third cabinet with a mere ½” left over.
That’s a snug fit.
Wren did not appear amused.
Final Note: Tomorrow, I will begin by unfastening and taking down the oven hood. This will be followed by my mounting the westernmost cupboard on the kitchen wall (butting it up against the frame that encloses the panel box). If I have enough time after that, I will set about fastening the third and central cupboard.
*This time they were of such confounding nature that we’re still not sure what was happening, and it’s now many hours later in the day. We think that a calving cow adopted a calved heifer’s calf, and that cow commenced to have a calf which that heifer commenced to adopt as her own. Sometimes, cows – no, Nature – seems so bent on creating needless complexity that I just have to shake my head.
**I will warrant that I did make the process more complicated than it had to be by performing much more measuring than was needed… and then there was the overkill of fastening the furnishing via 6 self-tappers. At least I know it’s never going to fall down!