Push Has Officially Come To Shove

I finished stripping and sanding all the boards for the floor cabinets. It took a day longer than planned, but it is done. Whew! Because ye old table saw is still in a non-functioning state I really can’t go any further with construction of the cabinets at this point. Even if the table saw was in a functioning state I still need to decide about the counter tops. I can’t build the cabinets until I decide how thick the counters will be. I can’t decide how thick the counters will be until I decide what material to use. Decisions have to be made.

Today I was making my weekly trip to a local salvage place to look for doors. I didn’t always go every week but I’m trying to be a little more diligent about it. The place is only about a 10 minute walk from my house so it is not a huge effort. I used to pop in maybe once or twice a month, but about a month ago I went in and there was a set of about 8, 5 panel doors that had arrived recently. Someone had already snatched them up. The doors were still in the shop but there was a name on them and they were being held for that person. They weren’t really the right doors for my house but it got me to thinking. What if those had been the right doors. I would have been kicking myself the whole way home. So now I go in every Saturday and look at doors. The place is only few blocks from the post office so I stop in and check the PO Box on the way.

Anyway, back to the counters. I was in the shop looking at doors and I started to chat with one of the owners. I know the owners socially so they asked me about my house and what project I’m working on. I mentioned my counter top dilemma and the owner says, “You know, I have this salvaged fir counter top in the rafters of my garage”. My mouth dropped open, my tongue flapped out, my eyes widened, and I said, “Gack!” I then composed myself a little and said, “Really, isn’t that interesting. A salvaged fir counter top. What do you know about that.”

He told me as much as he could about it. I’m not real sure about condition. “Pretty good shape” can mean just about anything depending on your point of view. It does have a hole cut for a sink. I am installing a 1932 under-mount American Standard sink, so there is a chance it will be OK. Depth is an issue. I am doing 26-inch deep cabinets so if it’s built for a 24-inch cabinet that could kill the deal. I’m meeting him at his house at 4:00ish so I’ll no more than. Keep your fingers crossed.