En Suite Bathroom Sink

I don't know if you are aware, but if you're talking about a house, nobody says "master bedroom" or "master bathroom" anymore. Or even master suite come to that. Modern alternatives to "master" in this context are "primary" or "principal." Sadly, neither of these terms are adequate for the pokey bathroom in my house, so I'm going with "en suite" as the descriptor. We partially remodeled this bathroom about three years ago, and it has done ok with one small issue:

Unless you have the eyesight of Veronica Seider, you might need to view the close up:

There was really no practical way to replace just the sink, even if we could have found an identical replacement, so we bought a pre-assembled sink/countertop that is almost the exact same size, but has a slightly larger bowl volume - and looks a bit more modern although that wasn't the primary consideration. 

The weekend after the new sink was delivered, I just happened to be alone due to a combination of Spring break and work schedules, so it was a perfect time to put one of the bathrooms out of service. As I mentioned above, we replaced the countertop a few years ago, and it was installed from the top down, so there was no easy way to remove anything. After disconnecting the plumbing and removing the faucet I broke out the sink with a claw hammer. To be honest, the hammer was overkill. 

Obviously, I did not accomplish this entirely alone; even breaking up a sink requires a work crew standing by to observe in order to comply with Union rules. 

I was able to lever the backsplash and sidesplash off the wall without breaking them or busting up too much of the drywall. 

Getting rid of the stone countertop without doing any damage to the cabinet was a tough assignment. I had to cut the countertop and the supporting plywood panel into several pieces to achieve this, which made an awful lot of dust. Bare vanity cabinet after cleanup: 

Before I can mount the new sink, I need to replace the plywood panel. The whole point of the panel is to provide structural integrity to the cabinet. 

The panel would normally go over the cabinet and thus raise the height of the unit by the thickness of the panel....which is 3/4 of an inch in this case. However, the replacement sink is exactly 3/4" thicker at the perimeter than the original. I want to maintain the original height because there is very limited space below the wall cabinet for the outlet:

The solution is to set the new panel inside the cabinet - i.e. flush with the existing top edge. The easiest way to achieve this is to clamp the panel where I want it to go and secure it with pocket screws:

Even with help from my willing assistant, I wasn't able to set the sink....

....until Samuel Sheep came by the next day and provided the necessary muscle:

So, here's the thing: The new sink comes with a backsplash, but not a sidesplash....so, I decided to re-use the originals since I removed them intact. The only hinderance to this plan was one of size: the original pieces were a bit too long:

If I had taken measurements in advance, I could have placed the sink a little bit further from the wall and it would have been a perfect fit. Oops! I also could have ignored the overhang....but I just didn't want to. I ended up trimming the sidesplash with the same diamond encrusted screaming wheel of death that I used to cut up the original countertop. I did this bit of cutting in the workshop since I already de-dusted the bathroom once. I also re-installed and reconnect the faucet.

The original drain fitting was too small for this sink, so I need to find a replacement before operation can be restored:

Fixin' The Deck Part 19

The recent spell of unseasonal good weather, the availability of key personnel and the previously noted desire to get finished with the deck have combined to really move this project forward. This post is a combination of one full day of Samuel Sheep and I banging away, one day of Amy and myself, and one day of all three of us going at it.

New trim installed around the office window and at the base of the siding: 

New trim installed below the big window and the front-facing edge of the frame has been sanded and filled until it was flat - it looked like it had been cut with a chainsaw previously.

All the old paint was scraped off the section of the siding that we are not replacing:

The trim and nail holes were caulked, wood filler was sanded, and everything was given a coat of primer:

All remaining perimeter posts were installed and the sleeves added:

Re-installed the railings:

The post caps were replaced, and the gates were moved to the bottom of the stairs, where it is more practical to install the cane bolt...and looks better if you ask me.

The full-length post has a modified sleeve and a two-piece cap: 

Luna kept me company while I was painting the trim:

At this point all the trim has had one coat of white paint: 

I was planning to just paint the new trim, but I ended up doing all of it, including all the frames at the big window and the entire overhang.

Still left to do:

• paint all the trim a second time.
• paint the siding.
• apply waterproof sealant to the deck surface.

An Update on the Vintage Vehicles

It is Sunday March 1st, 2026, and it has been several months since I posted about either my car or my truck - I've been preoccupied with the deck and one or two other things since the start of the year. So, time for a quick recap, starting with the '68 Mustang coupe:

At the end of September last year I had finished installing the new engine, rebuilt the carburetor, and got it all running. About a month later, after I got back from vacation, I ran-in the new engine in the garage: twenty (20) minutes at approx. 3000 RPM. I set the revs at the carb so that I didn't have to keep my foot on the gas pedal! After everything had cooled back down, I drained the break-in oil, refilled with 10-30W, and recorded the video clip below. Incidentally I discovered that break-in oil has a high zinc content that is designed to seal the cylinder walls. 

I mooched around the house for a bit looking for an extra pair of hands and managed to convince Amy Sheep to pop down to the garage and help me re-install the hood. I still needed to adjust the clutch and get the shifter stick stops lined up, which is most easily achieved by driving the car in and out of the garage and making adjustments. Unfortunately, when I went to re-start the car, I was struck down instantly by a broken throttle cable! 

OMG! Below is a photo of the replacement cable I bought from Summit which just showed up. Because this is the same part, I only have to replace the cable; the other parts like the shroud that I already custom fitted can be reused...I just have to find a minute to swap them over. Hopefully the replacement won't snap...

What about the '67 F250? 

Well, at the end of November last year the truck was running, somewhat nosily, and pretty much ready to go. I decided to repair the exhaust rather than replace it - to be honest I'm fed up with spending money on this particular vehicle. I bought several of what my Dad used to call "bandages" and double wrapped all the junctions in the exhaust pipe. The engine sounds much quieter now, but I will still have to get the entire exhaust system replaced pretty soon. 

Anyway, this morning Amy Sheep and I finally plucked up the courage to take the F250 on a quick test drive around the block. That went pretty well, so after a quick cup ot' tea, we drove down to the bottom of the hill and filled up with gas:

The truck was dripping quite a bit of oil while we were at the gas station. On the way back up the hill we noticed smoke was creeping out from under the hood. It turns out that oil is leaking from the intake manifold gasket - it was pooling at the back of the block. So, the next thing with the F250 will be pulling the intake manifold and replacing the gaskets.....

To be continued....

Tool Box Porn

I've been a follower of r/ToolBoxPorn for a while and and I wanted to make my own version - and not just a couple of drawers either. So here goes!

I've had the "main stack" for about fifteen years, it's the automotive equivalent of two Marshall 4x12 cabinets. I got the top box first and I was stoked to be able to afford to buy it at the time. 

Torque wrench, digital calipers, feeler gauges, flashlights 

Pliers, wire cutters, stripers etc. 

Screwdrivers and standard nut drivers

Standard sockets and extensions (1/4", 3/8" and 1/2" drive)

Standard wrenches and ratchet handles

Metric sockets (1/4", 3/8" and 1/2" drive)

Metric wrenches and nut drivers

Yes, a whole drawer just for HAMMERS!

Grease guns, engine building tools; bolt/nut sizers

pullers and seal drivers, engine lift plate

battery charger, dwell/tachometer, inspection lamp, tire repair kit

The toolboxes below the welding bench are more recent additions:

Left side:

Sealant, grease, bodywork and trim tools

Taps and dies; standard, metric and NPT

Electrical wire and cables, tape, cable ties

Electrical tools, crimping and cutting pliers; cladding

Heat gun, high-speed drill, other power tools

Right side:

Clamps, files, welding clamps

Wire brushes, soldiering and welding gear

Cutting and bending tools, slide hammer

Timing light, vacuum test gauge, flexible fuel lines 

More power tools and some windshield caulk