No Drama, just a Kitchen Sink

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Initial Drawing - actually to scale, shock horror...

 

 

15:30, 29th October 2020. It's almost dark, the wind's howling and it's tipping down. It would seem that the latest spent hurricane is making its way across the north-west: the garden's taking a right hammering again, and the leaks in the studio roof are a pain - first fine day, I'll be back up there with felt, nails and black goo to try and staunch the blighters before we get another cast off storm from across the Atlantic.

On the bright side, though I've been planning the kitchen layout for the cottage next door. I've stripped out the existing work surface and am ready to pull out the old sink unit, as soon as its replacement arrives. I'm going for a solid beech; well, what passes for solid,  work surface: it's actually a glued block construction, but at least it's all real timber and not particle board, so it should look good.

The sink will be a drop-in bowl type with a freestanding mixer tap and with the left side of the main surface carrying a wooden drainer. There's to be a drop-down surface to the right, so that when the place is unoccupied, we can get directly through from our house through the connecting doors and the pantry: it just gives a little more working space to the top.

I've dug out the old router and intend to give that a go for cutting out the section that takes the bowl, and if possible I'll use the table saw for cutting the two smaller pieces of top: the drop-down and the short leg of the 'L' to the left. The main cut will have to be either with the handheld circular saw, or even by hand.

I'm going to try and pre-assemble the bulk of it, getting the carcass and cupboards and the necessary wiring and plumbing done before offering and connecting up the top and sink. Should prove interesting and I hope for once to make the plumbing as painless as possible through judicious (and rare for me) planning.

I realise now that my old man's DIY modus operandi was a better and less wasteful method than my rather more improvisational approach to it. I'll post progress updates and pix of the finished article as and when.

Comments

  1. Phil.30 October 2020 at 10:54

    Remember the maxim from my Metalwork teacher, Mr George: "measure twice, cut once"

    Surprised to see you are using metric measurements. I still think - and generally work - in Imperial. Very retro.

    I've got a router. Great fun to use, but I need a router table to make the most of it.

    Looks like another interesting project - Good Luck.

    Keep Safe,

    Phil.

    Phil.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. sideways30 October 2020 at 13:08

      Here's a thing, Phil - the cottage-upstairs-ceiling-stuff was all done in Imperial! I tend to use whatever's expedient or appropriate to the job at hand. I think all this dates back to my junior school days - were taught both Imperial & Metric in parallel: pretty radical fro the early sixties...I'm still comfortable in base twelve, too and up until the Douglas Hotel stopped using the old money in the nineties, I could still tot up a round of drinks and calculate the change expected in old money, right into my forties (I'm bit rusty, now though, without the need for practice). If you want a quick and dirty router table, check this out:
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EM5fX86ijR4&feature=youtu.be

      Delete
    2. Phil.30 October 2020 at 18:25

      That is a good solution for router table. May have a go at that.

      Blimey Kel, being taught the metric system in Junior school in 1964/5 was really forward looking. I was taught in Imperial at Foundry Road (and Lordswood if I remember correctly).

      I also sometimes work in a peculiar hybrid and use both on the same project. Honestly. I find myself using metric for the materials I buy and Imperial for bits of timber and offcuts I have lying around. I think my Mum must have dropped me on my head when I was a baby.

      Keep Safe - Keep Busy.

      Phil.

      Delete
  2. sideways30 October 2020 at 20:37

    I have to admit it was a bit confusing at the time...the other thing they tried to inculcate into us was the 24 hour clock - at the time I thought *what are they talking about?*; but having worked for BT for 15 years, that self-same system (along with the NATO alphabet) is now what I use all the time. BTW - I was measuring down to 1/64" with an old two-foot boxwood straightedge of the old man's on the upstairs. Look after yourselves, but don't get too paranoid. But, somehow I don't think that's your mindset ;0) Cheers, Phil...

    ReplyDelete

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