There's a Hole In My Floor!!!

First of all....I made it into the Black Hole, found the alpaca fuzz and made it back out without a scratch!

Tessie picked out the colors she wanted to work with and bundled them into the new basket. There is enough wool left int the bag to make me a blanket! Thanks Laura!

This morning I went back to work on the Russian Cottage. The second floor needed work.

The first thing that I did was cut a hole in the corner so that a ladder could be installed.

I used my old Dremel Mini Mite and a router bit to cut most of it. Then I sharpened the edges with an Exacto knife. Someone explain to me why I didn't think of the need for a hole before I got the house put together. Please?

The hole is two inches(feet) square and just big enough for Tessie to fit through, if she really wants to climb a ladder instead of zapping herself back and forth.

After that, I went and ripped a 1/32", 4"X 24" piece of walnut into strips on the jigsaw. It has a guide to do that. It gets done in just a matter of minutes that way.

All the while, Tessie was hassling me to get it done. She had laid down the first courses of glue. She kept yelling, "Hurry up! It's drying fast!"

I managed to get started laying the floor before the glue dried and made lumps. That also took just a matter of minutes because I had cut all of the wood to length before I started ripping the strips.

Here's the basic, finished floor. Tessie oiled it with lemon oil. Once that dries, I will do a little sanding and it will be done.

Yes, it will dry out. Yes, I will have to oil it again, but it will look better than varnish. More natural.

I laid the strips a little apart in places to make it look like the floor had been there a while and the wood had shrunk in places.

Now Tessie is harping that she needs a ladder and a feather bed.

Did I mention that the bed is going to be a trundle type that will roll under the roof in the daytime and pull out at night? It is. It will go in the space to Tessie's left when not needed.

Tessie is brandishing the broom and making threats. I guess I had better go make a ladder and a bed. Although I don't think that she really needs the ladder. It is only sensible to humor her. She is armed and dangerous.

See you tomorrow.