Friday, June 6, 2014

Git 'er done!

Thursday seemed like a good day to finish enclosing the old microwave enclosure I wrote about a few days ago.  You will recall that the rear of the enclosure was open, the exhaust fan over the stove would not draw air properly, and the large wire bundle in the rear was exposed.  To finish this project I needed a sheet of thin plywood, and a small piece of thicker plywood to use for "shims" to hold the new pieces in place. We drove over to the DIY Center where I found a couple of plywood scraps in the lumber section that I was able to buy for $3.00!!

How the enclosure looked before....notice the 
large exposed wire bundle in the rear

 Enclosed
It took a couple of hours to fit the large piece of plywood that closes off the exhaust vent tunnel, and the wire chase.....then it was time to close the small space left in the ceiling.  Notice I drilled holes in this piece to allow air to vent when the toaster oven is being used.

 The final piece in place with holes drilled


Once the pieces were in I rubbed on some stain we bought at the DIY store to dress it up a little, then sealed the various seams with silicone caulk, and finally re-installed the shelf I had modified a few days before.  Now that the back of the enclosure is properly closed in the exhaust fan works much better, and the space has a finished look to it.....most importantly TLE is very, very happy!


In all it took me about 6 hours of steady work to finish the job, and the great thing is it didn't take me longer than I expected.  One thing I have been learning since we became nomads, is to be more patient, and take my time on projects such as this.

Once everything was cleaned up and put away I turned on the BBQ so TLE could roast some vegetables for dinner.  In all it took just over an hour to roast the veggies, so we sat outside in the lounge chairs reading and just enjoying the early evening air.  Around 6 I got out the TV so we could watch the NBA game between the San Antonio Spurs and the Miami Heat as we ate, then when we moved over to the outdoor fire place.  It was a very close game, ultimately won by the Spurs.

Of course, as it warms up we must begin to deal with mosquitoes, ants and yellow jackets, which are all starting to show themselves, and  I got my first mosquito bites of the season while swatting a few yellow jackets, and spraying a few anthills.

Life is good, and the "beat goes on".....thanks for stopping by!

1 comment:

  1. Nicely done! Wish we could get our microwave compartment done like that here in our sticks and bricks house here in FL. Lacking tool skills at this end. Feel badly for everyone suffering through mosquito season.

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