Pagan Federation International Pagan Federation International Forum Index Wiccan Rede Magazine

I hate painting and wood staining, really I do!

New topic   Reply to topic Pagan Federation International Forum Index => Off topic
 
Previous :: Next  
Author Message
ChristopherBlackwell Post number 25874 Posted: 18th September 2019     Subject: I hate painting and wood staining, really I do!
View user's profile
I hate doing painting and wood staining. Even less fun with my disabilities and I can only work for about an hour at a time and I still have a shop to run. However I am the only one that can do it and with my propane tank, that I especially hate, I have to get the wire brushing the rust off and paint at least the under coat before I have propane in it. I have to buy the propane before the first cold spell comes, and the prices jump and delivery is slowed because everyone else is ordering it.

Now one of my problems is that if I get on my haunches, it is very difficult to get up after, and of course the propane tank is low to the ground. Also I forget all about painting and how to do it, so each time I have to relearn.

I gather all my paint, thinner, brushes and something to use for stirring the paint, and carry it all in a bucket while using my walker to get there. As luck would have it, the paint was far too thin at first, so as I painted it barely covered the rust. But with each restirring, it got better. I did the backside first because it is near my larger tank and difficult to get to. I painted the back side having to start in the middle, and back out to each side. Once I had covered the back side the paint was much thicker, so I went back and did a second coat of the thin first coat of one side. I got both ends done and the half the top before I ran out of steam a bit over an hour later. So I will have to do the rest of it tomorrow. Then the season of painting and staining will have begun, a bit at a time until cold weather makes it impractical.

As I closed down, closed the chain gates at each end of my driveway, changed open signs for closed signs, I noted the much delayed and hated painting of the propane tank. Gee it looks rather good now!

Wisdom is what is left after you have done all the dumb stuff
ChristopherBlackwell Post number 25888 Posted: 21st September 2019     Subject: I hate painting and wood staining, really I do!
View user's profile
I took a couple of hours of the next Thursday to finish up on the smaller propane tank. I used a foot high step stool to sit on for doing the lower parts of the tank. The idea was to make it easier to get back up on my feet, but that nearly did not happen, as I had to try a half dozen times to finally get up. Finally I made it up on to my feet.

My next job was the ever rusty mailbox. Back again to putting stuff into two buckets, so I could carry stuff while using my walker. Fortunately as I set out the paint, I could use the site of a former mail box, so that I did not have to bend down each time that I wanted to get more paint on my brush.

I was tired afterward, and still had not had breakfast, so I had a late breakfast, discovering that my blood surgear was very low. Then a long nap, which my cat joined me in. Near closing time, 5 PM, there was a sudden tropical like down pour, quite the most rain I have seen an a good many years, with thunder and pea size hail for a good fifteen, or twenty minutes. For much of it, I could not see the highway, only seventy feet from my window. I wondered what an effect it might have on my newly done paint job, and th solar panels, though I was not too worried about the panels, as they have gone through this before.

Near as I could tell, no real affect on any of my paint jobs that day. However I do want to do some touch painting on the larger propane tank as some rust spots are showing through the paint, and this might be a good time to save me a total repaint job on it.

I went down to a large gully nearby to watch the water run for awhile, as that is rare enough experience here in the desert. I have rested today, as the sudden increase in work has given me some aches and pain in the neck and upper back, that in turn was damaged from a fall and concussion last year.

Christopher

Wisdom is what is left after you have done all the dumb stuff
ChristopherBlackwell Post number 25891 Posted: 23rd September 2019     Subject: I hate painting and wood staining, really I do!
View user's profile
I took a break yesterday, though I was happy my muscle aches were ending. Today I was of two minds about doing more work or not today, but I checked out what was needed and it did not look too bad. Two metal posts that hold up my porch roof of my sanctuary building had some rusty areas that needed scraped, and repainted. The wood door frame had loose paint, much of it taken off by the hail a couple off a days ago. So two different kids of undercoat paint, one for metal and one for wood.

As it turned out a bit more work than I had planned on, but this has been awaiting for a couple of years or more. As it turned out the same wire brush I used for scrapping off rust, was equally good for scrapping off loose paint. I repainted all of one side of the door frame and about half of the other side. It is not necessary for it to look pretty or professional, as I am not a painter. This is just basically protecting property. How much I touch up, or repaint will depend on how I am feeling. After a bit more than a hours work, it looks pretty good from a short distance. I will recheck it after the paint's dry. I also had to learn a new way to get off my foot high stool, by putting both hands on the stool, and pushing hard as I attempt to lift up on my feet. All in all, seeing noticeable improvement is good for my spirit.

Christopher

Wisdom is what is left after you have done all the dumb stuff
ChristopherBlackwell Post number 25908 Posted: 26th September 2019     Subject: I hate painting and wood staining, really I do!
View user's profile
Took a day off yesterday as it was threatening rain. Paint does not dry well if it is too cool, or it gets rained on before it drys. Of course I got to feel guilty for not doing it.

I waited late enough in the morning, I did not want to start again as usual. But the porch of my sanctuary building needed both the wooden door frame, and the metal porch posts touched up. I had left all the gear in my sanctuary buildings so setup did not take long. First I used the wood paint to redo the door frame first. Basically it went smoothly enough and then I switched to the metal paint to do the porch post. I even did no spill as many paint drops as before, keeping folded newspaper to catch them.

Once I finished then it was time to change to wood staining. Switched to another set of brushes, and started by using some old stain from a few years ago and switched to the new stain once the old ran out. This will be a longer process than the painting, as I will need to redo it about three times to get it the way that I want. I had to have help getting up from that foot high stool one time, but not surprised by it. We have an old mine set from a movie, that my partner built back in 1990, which forms our entrance to the shop, so the outside part is four by eight plywood that has not been stained in a good many years. Still have the other side to stain dark walnut, then the window frames, a large door and a door frame. So likely another week or two, at one to two hours a day, which is my limit.

Christopher

Wisdom is what is left after you have done all the dumb stuff
ChristopherBlackwell Post number 25910 Posted: 27th September 2019     Subject: I hate painting and wood staining, really I do!
View user's profile
Another day, and another late start. Then I was working around customers. Summer time is slow customers can be very rare, now I hope that Fall will increase them some.

Getting started on the staining is hard enough, anyway. If I squat down, getting up afterward is almost impossible, so a great strain. Our doors are built with a frame all the way round, so I decided the bottom boards, threshold, needed staining first. The larger door has not been opened in several years, so I had to clear away a good couple of inches of dirt. Some of this was the remains of a dirt dike I made to keep flood waters out of the building years ago. Now that I have a flood diversion ditch up hill of my building, I no longer have any need of it. I had two sets of customers while doing this. So I would explain what we had and a bit of how it was formed, then back outside while to continue staining. They made their choices, then I wrapped it up and filled out the information sheet for them, then back to staining.

As I have mentioned the outside of the mine set that we use as an entrance is a four by eight sheet of plywood, so it was time to tackle the other side. This was pretty straight forward. I had to open another can of stain. So now two days, and about half of the area to be stained, I have used about two quarts of stain. Remember that this is the first coating of three coats of stain that is necessary. I had bought four quarts, but may need to buy more. Mean while limited to a hour or two a day it will take at least a week and perhaps as much as two weeks.

That still leaves a number of wood signs to stain three coats, including one taller than I am. Afterward, back to painting in the routed letters again. So I maybe busy for a couple of months, or more, depending on the weather as well. But that is the only way to get it done with in the limits that I have. The end result will look nice.

Christopher

Wisdom is what is left after you have done all the dumb stuff
ChristopherBlackwell Post number 25911 Posted: 29th September 2019     Subject: I hate painting and wood staining, really I do!
View user's profile
Pretty straight forward today, though I did not get started until afternoon. This time it was the formerly five windows, and the window frame around them. Two of the windows were replaced by air conditioners, plywood and sprayed foam insulation to prevent either heat loss of reverse. Since the three windows are flush with the frame, I only had the outer frame to stain, and then
the inner frame around the air conditioners. As this had not been down for years, it badly needed it. So even with the first coat of stain, it looks much better.

So now I have the larger door and its frame to do. That will take care of the first coat of stain, two more staining coats left to do, but hopefully those coats will not use up as much stain as I will have had two and a half quarts of stain used by me when I finish this first coat on the large door.

Christopher

Wisdom is what is left after you have done all the dumb stuff
ChristopherBlackwell Post number 25913 Posted: 29th September 2019     Subject: I hate painting and wood staining, really I do!
View user's profile
I finished the larger door, first coat of stain, including its frame. It is some seven feet high and nearly four feet wide. I opened up another quart of stain. It took about two hours to do.

I have keep from falling or knocking anything over. I did knock over the paint thinner can and the brush soaking in it, but that was a minor problem. I was glad that it was not the quart of stain instead stain itself

The main thing when staining this area was to have things that I could grab on to keep me from falling, and also to help me back up from sitting on my foot high step stool. I have and old fashion farm scale behind me, and I had my walker opened up land locked on the pile of rock next to the door. Anytime I am crossing my rock piles toward on the building, I need to have my walker in use one way or another

When I woke up my blood sugar was a bit high, 215. I added breakfast to that, and my regular amount of insulin. By the time I finished the door near 2 pm, my blood sugar was 98. So it is something that we diabetics have to take into account whenever we do more than usual exercise.

Wisdom is what is left after you have done all the dumb stuff
ChristopherBlackwell Post number 25918 Posted: 30th September 2019     Subject: I hate painting and wood staining, really I do!
View user's profile
As I had hoped, the second coat of stain did not take as much stain, or take as long to apply.

I also tried some new support to help me to keep either from falling, or having trouble to get up from being down on my haunches. I used a metal ladder to provide me with hand hold to keep me study, and to help me pull up from the ground after painting down on my haunches. Nice to find a new use for a ladder. Climbing a ladder is far too dangerous for me with my balance problems.

As you may recall my tunnel entrance has two 4by 8 foot panels of plywood on the outside section. On the first coat stain it had taken over and hour each piece of plywood. This time it only took just a bit over an hour to do both of them. That gives me eve more hope for the third coat.

Next will come the windows and the large door and frame for their second coat. Just glad that I only have windows on the front of my building and nowhere else.

Meanwhile, I will have to take a break tomorrow. I have run out of stain. Shopping day is not until Wednesday.

Christopher

Wisdom is what is left after you have done all the dumb stuff
ChristopherBlackwell Post number 25922 Posted: 7th October 2019     Subject: I hate painting and wood staining, really I do!
View user's profile
My break from doing wood staining lasted longer than I expected as the store that I bought the stain from had not reordered yet, apparently I am just about the only person that buys dark walnut stain from them. So I had them reorder and bought some other things a small gardening scoop to clear away a pile of dirt in front of the threshold of the of the big door, and a whisk broom to sweep away dirt from the thresh hold for further staining needed. So by Friday I was getting things ready.

I have to arrange a ride, as I don’t drive, so the Saturday trip to get the cat to the vet. was also the trip to pickup the stain and they only got two quarts. As Saturday was my movie night, I left staining until today Sunday.

One of the things that makes this wood staining problematic is the piles of rough rock that I sell is piled in front of the building and my balance is shaky at best. Nor do I have the strength to move those piles of rock though I have l cleared a bit right next to the building, but the piles still have to be climbed over.

You may remember in my last post that I found having the ladder, braced against the building and resting on the rock pile, gave me something to hold on so that I don’t fall. That worked as well this time and I would move the ladder to new location as I stained my way along the windows.

I also learned to load the brush with much less stain. So more dipping it into the stain more often, but creating far less mess to clean up after, including less on my hands. So today I completed the second coat of stain, and only one more coat to go before this difficult part is finished.

Christopher

Wisdom is what is left after you have done all the dumb stuff
ChristopherBlackwell Post number 25923 Posted: 7th October 2019     Subject: I hate painting and wood staining, really I do!
View user's profile
Today I finished doing the smaller door and the door frame and threshold. As this is the main door and the stain remains tacky for long time, I have wedged the door open. Considering the temperature outside is in the seventies, that will help, and also we are lucky enough not to have great many flies around due to the cooler weather. The weather will determine how long it takes for the third coat of stain. Possibly two more days, perhaps more.
Christopher

Wisdom is what is left after you have done all the dumb stuff
ChristopherBlackwell Post number 25926 Posted: 9th October 2019     Subject: I hate painting and wood staining, really I do!
View user's profile
Thinking of how long it takes for the main door to dry within the tunnel, I checked it at closing time and it was dry. I decided to do its third coat of strain in the early evening sunlight. I will have to check tomorrow to see if any touch ups are needed, but I got the door, it’s frame and it’s threshold.

Tomorrow is my shopping day, so I will be closed while this latest bit of work dries. It should be dry by the time I open up again on Thursday morning. That still leaves me a couple of days afterward to finish the third coat of stain on the windows and larger door.

Christopher

Wisdom is what is left after you have done all the dumb stuff
ChristopherBlackwell Post number 25928 Posted: 14th October 2019     Subject: I hate painting and wood staining, really I do!
View user's profile
One thing about being disabled, or with health issues, is once that you stop a project, it is somewhat more difficult to get it started again. So it was not until today, on the 13th, that I got started again with staining the wood on in the front of my building.

There were couple of other issues besides my own reluctance. One the weather cooled down enough that it would have been hard for the stain to dry properly. Two I decided that I wanted my full moon ceremony while I was still fairly clean because once staining, you get stained as well. Not having shower here I can only get a shower once week in town.

So early in the afternoon, I started, and it took a bit over an hour to finish the windows and the big door and its frame. As we had a high of 79F today, I was a bit overheated, and tired enough to need a second nap after. My cat thought that it was a very good idea, so he joined me. But the building, the more difficult project, is done.

I still have a slew of wooden signs to do, but that will not be as difficult, and I need not get them all finished before the cold weather arrives, often by the end of October. So this will be the last post on this project.

Christopher

Wisdom is what is left after you have done all the dumb stuff
Show:   
New topic    Reply to topic Pagan Federation International Forum Index => Off topic
Show YouTube films

All times are GMT + 1 hour
Overviews
  New posts :: Recent posts :: 24 hour digest :: Search

You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum

 

Admin

phpBB 2.0.23 © 2001-2008 phpBB group