It was in excess off 100° F yesterday afternoon and even hotter inside my west facing workshop/garage when I started a project because I needed a win for the day.
Earlier in the day Kari and I started a project to install some spray cooling misters on the back patio. Assuring her over the past couple days that I had all the needed parts, we quickly discovered the 3M Command Strips I had purchased were not for outdoor use in extreme heat. Yeah, it’s there in the fine print (note to self, always take reading glasses into hardware store). Checking online, I couldn’t find a local store with a compatible hook in stock. In all these years together, we’ve never truly hard an argument where we’ve yelled at each other—and this day was no different. Yet, between the frustration I was feeling in combination with what Kari was displaying, the air was thick.
I digress.
After other tasks, I ended up in my hot workshop. Exterior doors cracked open and a quality floor fan moved the air around that when combined with a large glass of dripping ice cold water and some good tunes on the classic rock station, I knew I was confident I’d end the day on a Stephen Perry equivalent high note.
The task was relatively simple. Earlier this month I built and installed a basic shelf in our travel trailer, nicknamed Seemore. The shelf is an overhead shelf above the top of the bed between to small storage cabinets. Nothing fancy, just a place to hold some folded shirts and a ledge to hold the iPhone or iPad when falling asleep. I bought a piece of pre-finished shelving, trimmed it to length, painted the cut portion and some 1x2s with matching “limousine leather” colored paint, then mounted it in position.
After getting it in place, I had a feeling I probably need to brace the center in some way to keep it from sagging. I’ve vacillated between adding a space eating brace of some sort vertically in the middle or something horizontal. I had some left over 1x2 that seemed might work, so I opted for horizontal solution. It was just a bit too short, yet I had sold myself on the idea. I picked up a nice straight and square length of pre-primed 1x2 from Lowe’s that I was certain would work. The goal yesterday afternoon became my time to make this my win project, cutting it to length, drilling out the holes for screws to mount it, and getting the first coat of paint on it.
The piece was trimmed to 5’ 1” (61”). Using visual cues and mostly math, I determined that maybe the best way to mount the 1x2 is to drill nine holes in it so it would give the shelf the proper amount of support. But dealing with math for nine holes along a 61” board was too much for me to figure out in the heat. Since the screws on either end can’t actually be on the end, I subtracted 1/2” from each end to place the first screw giving me a 60” dimension to work with for determining screw locations.
Half of 60” gave me 30” for the middle screw, halve that again and again, and screws are 7 1/2” apart. Mark and drill the pilot holes, then drill it out larger for the screw to fit and catch, easy-peasy, something I’ve done a million times.
The pilot holes drilled, and about half of the final holes drilled.
Kari said it was getting close to dinner.
I should have stopped.
I kept drilling. I wanted them finished so I could put a coat of paint on it after dinner.
I should have stopped.
I’m a bit delayed getting inside to help with dinner.
I should have stopped.
The drilling was going fine. I wasn’t rushing or pushing excessively on the drill All was fine, until the last hole. Almost through the wood, and it cracked. My win for the day, now splintered away.
I should have stopped!
Off to Lowe’s today for a replacement 1x2. I’ll try again tomorrow. Amazon delivered new clips for the misters. That project first.
