Ever So Slowly

I have been working on the first of three doors for the kitchen at a snails pace. To be fair, I did do a few small projects at the same time. I put up the long awaited under-cabinet lights, and then I decided to put up the light trim. I also spent an afternoon helping some friends move a 1934 movie projector. That was one big, heavy piece of equipment.

My friend is on the board of a nonprofit group that is running the now closed 1920s Art Deco Eureka Theater. The theater is pretty cool but unfortunately was cut up in to a triplex during the 70s. It then closed 10 or 15 years ago because it couldn’t compete with new google-plexes. A few years ago a local philanthropists bought the building with idea turning it in to a performing arts center. The building was turned back in to one large theater but then it was decided the stage was too small, and I guess there were other problems. At any rate, he then bought the 1929 Sweasy Theater, also here in Eureka, and has turned that in to a performing arts center. The Eureka Theater was then turned over to a non-profit organization that was created solely to run the theater. That was 5 years ago, and to be honest the group has floundered ever since, but things are starting to take shape. The projector was donated by a local museum and we moved it in to The Eureka Theater.

But back to the door…

I got about as much paint off this thing as I can hope to. This was not a door that was shellacked first so this was really hard. This is the largest non-shellacked paint stripping job I’ve ever done where the goal was to get it back to bare wood for a clear finish. It was very time consuming but I think it will look good.

There are still some very small specks of white paint here and there but I decided not to go any further. Mainly the problems are down at the base of the door where a zillion shoes kicked the door and the paint gets in to the fibers of the wood. I was left with a choice of making a deep gouge to get the paint out, or doing a little micro-faux graining to cover it up. I settled for the latter, or at least I will, when I get to that point.

I also had to fill the screw holes form the hinges because I need to reverse them to the other side. After the glue sets I think I can start to try and hang the door. That should be tomorrow. This is going to be interesting because I will be hanging this door in an opening that I framed from scratch. I haven’t done that too often. Fingers crossed.