Painting Almost Completed

I decided yesterday to finish painting the south end of the cabin.  I tried hand sanding the Spackled areas and could see that wasn't going to work so went to Ace and purchased a small Black & Decker hand sander.

After draping the bunk area with drop cloths...

...I started sanding...







It got the job done but there were a couple of issues.  The "clear plastic housing of the [dust] canister" as referred to in the enclosed instructions, would not stay on.  Without it, apparently all of the dust was just going out into the room.  The canister, which was supposed to be emptied every five minutes, was totally empty at the end of the job and although the dust on the furniture was not intolerable, I did have to go over everything with a duster when I was finished.   I'm going to take it back to Ace and see how they'll handle this complaint. 

The other thing was that the sandpaper wore out almost immediately...

...I guess because 1) I'd already "damaged" the sandpaper when I bent it to insert it (why don't they make these sandpaper sheets with flexible edges that don't crack?), and 2) I was using the edge to get down into the cracks of the bead board, so was putting undue pressure on it.  I managed to get the worst of the rough Spackle sanded off with four pieces of sandpaper.

Then I started painting.  Of course I knew what to expect--pinstripes--but it seemed worse in this end of the cabin...

Prep always take longer than the actual project.  I didn't get started painting until 4 p.m.  The ceiling was the worst...

After I rolled the paint on I had to take the brush and try to fill in all the crevices.  I'd think I had them filled then I'd look at them from a different angle and could still see white.  In fact, even after all my repeated efforts, I can still see areas that I'm going to have to go back over perhaps with a very stiff artist's brush...or a cotton swab dipped in paint...or a toothpick!  I'm not sure, but I know I won't be happy until all of these white areas are covered with paint.

I even got the curtains taken down and window taped off and painted...

...and the door sort of painted.  I need to open the panels and the door itself and paint the edges. (My brother-in-law carves walking sticks and these are a couple he's left here that I've put in an umbrella stand I found in one of my thrift store forays).

Anyway, it looks pretty good...

I finished about 8 p.m. and then had to drag everything that I'd moved out to the deck back into the cabin in case the wind came up in the night or it finally decided to rain...

This photo should be labeled "In Search of the Perfect Shelf."  With the goal of displaying more porcelain, I've bought three shelves, each with the groove for plate display.  Does that have a name?  I'm almost at a point now where I can decide where, if anywhere, these might go and then I can paint them. 

I had painted the mirror in the foreground preparatory to taking it to Wild Bill's in Rollinsville.  It had been in perfect condition, but I thought the black paint would be better than the original dark green for resale.  I had just got it painted and Dixie knocked over the space heater and gouged out a little place so now I've got to fill that, sand it and repaint it. 

By the way, guess who returned today?

The Boyfriend cruised by earlier, cop shades firmly in place, when I was eating brunch out on the deck, Dixie at my feet.  I ignored him. 

I felt as if I'd been run over by a truck earlier today, but I think I might have enough umph now to trek some more of this wood over to the privacy fence and cord it up before our weather changes.  NOAA is still showing 20%-30% chance of rain and or snow right through Saturday starting tonight.

What projects are you checking off your list?  Oh, and to my few and reticent followers, you are allowed to comment!  Teddee