Well the wonderful 'Florida type' weather we were experiencing in December and the first few weeks in January finally came to an end.  Mother Nature decided we had been basking in far too much sun and warmth and we are now in the throws of the winter one would expect in Iowa--i.e. below zero temperatures and snow (you know that white fluffy stuff that looks so beautiful when one is inside looking out, but so ugly and treacherous when one has to venture outside into the 'stuff'.  So, what better time to stay inside and work on the Thornhill.

We had already removed the construction pieces necessary for the first phase of the project.  The first thing on the agenda was to 'square' all of the window and opening holes.  When they are machined at the factory the router cuts out the window and door holes.  Consequently, all the corners that are supposed to be square are gently rounded.  So I squared up each corner with a triangle and pencil marked what needed to be removed.  Then Chuck got out the mini-handsaw and squared them up. 

 So today I applied a mixture of one part shellac and one part denatured alcohol to all the surfaces of each piece.  This seals the wood and insures a much better working surface for paint and other finishes.

Next was to assemble the foundation.  Now that this has been accomplished, tomorrow I will apply a base coat of white latex paint to all of the wall and ceiling surfaces of each component.  The floors and outside surfaces will be left with just the shellac coating.  As soon as the paint has dried/cured, we will begin assembly. 

So today, having nothing else to do (yeah right), I decided to build a little Chippendale 3-drawer chest.  I have it all together, but need to stain it and finish it with a hand rubbed finish, and apply the itsy bitsy brass hardware.

I think that will be quite enough for today.  The sun is going down and with my 'old' eyes and their macular degeneration, it is very difficult for me to do to much close work and/or detail work under incandescent lighting.  Daylight is the time for me to do my work.  So, for today and probably a couple of days, I will leave the blog for you to read, and continue with my plans and order for construction for the Thornhill swirling about my head. 

Here's hoping you are in a climate where you do NOT have to deal with snow and ice.  The older I get, the more I detest the cold and the snow--and from me, a person who years back was on the ski slopes from the day the first snowflake fell until the last manmade snow pellet was made.  Those are days far gone, and never to return.

Dottye