Winter Diversions

(Warning: boring)

Some people watch football playoffs. I fix things.

The faucets on the clawfoot tub upstairs (dropping some adjectives there, ain't I?) have been dripping since we bought the house. I always took care of it by tightening the packing nut or wrenching the stem in as hard as I could.

They also squeaked madly, and the bird has mastered this noise to the point where she can break glass with it.


I removed both stems and handles.


I know it looks like an obscene elephant, but I put the short hose on the spout so we could direct the water a little when we draw it for a bath.

Recently having become a bright boy, I decided that photographing washers and rings on the stem in the order in which they ought be assembled was a good idea.


Stem detail showing order of beveled washers, washers, rubber seat. This shit is old. I ain't gonna write down a part number and order it.



Fully exploded from seat to handle.

So I take the whole mess to Home Depot to get new washers & seats. Like I said, I can't just look up the part numbers, so I do my best to select from the generic washers and seals and go from there. I bought some new seals and new beveled washers, and reused some of the metal washers.

The seats fit fine, and I put new screws in to hold them because the old ones were rusted badly. I had to drill larger holes in the beveled washers to make them fit round the stem.

I also greased up the threads on the stem to stop the squeak. If I could only do the same with the bird.

So for about $10 and an hour of work I fixed an annoying drip & a horrible noise. I banged up the faucet a little by using slip-joint pliers on the brass packing nuts, but hey - we're gonna replace it all some day anyway.

Finn's Birthday

Closet Door

I am about 3/4 done with the baseboard and shoe, there is the ceiling to be framed in bed moulding, the octagonal window and two doors need casing. Then the two doors need refinishing. But it's a long way from two weeks ago. (see https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx3oh4f2LQ2bOk9BL_o6N4KrvTf-d27lNhinfSLSyNC1OsYLrrv-YAv5j6UJ0UVS9gx3vioROn4yOtlpDtUxiMIUi5OTTA-C4hgoxoxOrk8B2mEhXxKZwoSmYk8JV3Okcuw4iRj8dslk4O/s1600-h/finn's+bedroom+floor+001.jpg), for example).

I had to modify the closet door. I made the rough opening just a tad too small or got the wrong size door - take your pick. I trimmed 1 3/8 inches from the height and 5/8 from the width, then re-drilled the pivot holes to make them deeper, and last painted the sawn edges to match.

Closet & Trim In Finn's Room

This is what the hallway looks like as I work in Finn's room.

Closet rough opening is trimmed and ready for a door. (I know some things are uneven in that room, but doesn't the door look like something out of an Escher drawing? It's not that bad in reality, honest... the jambs are plumb and right with the header...maybe it's the paint lines...but the white trim looks like an uppercase pi walking toward the camera. )


Lola was hanging out in the bathroom while I worked, muttering things.