"Self-sufficiency does not mean 'going back' to the acceptance of a lower standard of living. On the contrary, it is the striving for a higher standard of living, for food that is organically grown and good, for the good life in pleasant surroundings... and for the satisfaction that comes from doing difficult and intricate jobs well and successfully." John Seymour ~ Self Sufficiency 2003

Thursday, 14 March 2013

The kitchen counter this time...

RMan removed the counter top before I could take a "before" pic - so, unfortunately, this one will have to do...
The kitchen counter is just visible on the left
hand side of this pic
You remember that I scored a kitchen counter (or two) from Freecycle.
Perfectly good wood...
There was absolutely nothing wrong with the wood - no woodworm, no rot - it was just a bit scruffy, especially in the joins of the planks which were used in it's construction, and it also had a couple of burn marks.
...just a little scruffy, and the silicone joins
needed replacing
RMan and I weren't happy with the (remaining) silicone filler they had used either - it had seen just those few too many meals prepared on it, and wasn't clear coloured anymore...

 ...in fact, we felt it was downright unhealthy.

 So, RMan got himself into gear, and totally stripped the counter - reducing it to planks of wood.  He then re-siliconed the joins as he re-assembled it, and he (and I LOL - I'm getting braver with regards power tools) proceeded to plane it down...
This is the opening of my tiny caravan LPG stove
...with an electric planer and then a sander, both of which work within our solar power parameters...
Planing in progress...
...and that soon got rid of the nasty marks...
"Out, out, damned spot..."
... and, after I had filled in whatever small gaps still remained in the joins with wood-filler and sanded that down, I gave the whole thing 6 - 7 coats of wood sealer - top and bottom - and I now have what appears to be a spanking brand new kitchen counter, on which I am finally happy to prepare meals.
Gorgeous!
As we could only use part of the two counters, the balance of the wood became my kitchen wall shelves :)
Very necessary shelves were produced from the
balance of the wooden counter
And to think that if I hadn't taken it, it could've ended up in landfill, or as firewood...!

 Another well deserved notch in your belt, RMan :)
Posted by Dani at 09:48:00
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12 comments:

  1. Mrs. Mac14 March 2013 at 17:39

    Very nice re-do on your re-purposed wood. Looks like the counter will clean up nicely now with only a damp kitchen cloth.

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    Replies
    1. Dani15 March 2013 at 14:06

      Mrs Mac - It does - just a damp cloth and a spray of vinegar (for those dratted flies...) :)

      Delete
  2. DFW14 March 2013 at 17:49

    Well done! They look fantastic. And, you got beautiful shelves to boot!

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    Replies
    1. Dani15 March 2013 at 14:07

      DFW - Thanks. Yip, I'm after all the storage I can find, any kind of storage... :)

      Delete
  3. Mum14 March 2013 at 21:58

    They look brand new. What a great recycling job.
    Love from Mum
    xx

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    Replies
    1. Dani15 March 2013 at 14:07

      Mum - They do, don't they. Thank you :)

      Delete
  4. Quinn14 March 2013 at 23:12

    Extremely successful project, I'd say! Both the counter and the shelving. I love wood, and especially thick wood planks. And salvaged thick wood planks most of all! Great job :)

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    Replies
    1. Dani15 March 2013 at 14:09

      Quinn - Thanks. RMan and I are "woodaholics" - must be our European roots...? But I am always on the lookout for any wood that can be salavaged :)

      Delete
  5. Moonwaves17 March 2013 at 13:29

    Looks great. And I like the shelves, too.

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  6. Dani17 March 2013 at 17:11

    Thanks Moonwaves - we're pretty chuffed too :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Leigh18 March 2013 at 05:13

    Wow! Looks fantastic. I know it was a lot of work but it really looks great in your kitchen.

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    Replies
    1. Dani18 March 2013 at 11:55

      Leigh - Thanks - nah, wasn't too bad - the electric planer and sander helped tremendously :)

      Delete

Thank you for taking the time to comment - it makes my day and removes the "loneliness' of sitting at my screen blogging supposedly to myself ;) I try and reply as quickly as possible so please forgive me if sometimes my response is delayed.

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