Making good use of my sick time

@TheHorse (205750)
Walnut Creek, California
December 28, 2015 8:01pm CST
I hate being sick. But I'm glad I was able to make good use of the time I was down with the flu last week. I was able to get all surfaces sanded on those New Large Advent vintage loudspeakers I'm working on while I was ill. I also replaced some veneer that was missing in some of the corners. Now, I've started the oiling process. I have another photo that shows the speakers completely sanded down. For this one, I'll show two almost-sanded sides and two tops right after initial oiling. I had also started oiling the sides when I took this but decided I'd better check to be sure I'd sanded sufficiently that all of the old finish was gone. Are you able to get some "real world" things done when you're sick?
13 people like this
13 responses
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (325758)
• Rockingham, Australia
29 Dec 15
I guess you use a sanding block or just sandpaper? Not an electric sander?
1 person likes this
The Horse
@TheHorse (205750)
• Walnut Creek, California
29 Dec 15
I use a small art gum eraser as a sanding block. No electric sander allowed. The veneer I work on is only about 1/32" thick.
1 person likes this
The Horse
@TheHorse (205750)
• Walnut Creek, California
29 Dec 15
@JudyEv Exactly! That makes it a bit more challenging, but I've been doing it long enough that I'm pretty confident I won't sand through the veneer.
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Judy Evans
@JudyEv (325758)
• Rockingham, Australia
29 Dec 15
@TheHorse That leaves very little room for error then.
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celticeagle
@celticeagle (159017)
• Boise, Idaho
29 Dec 15
That is so true. I am usually sick and in bed asleep. Your labors of love are coming out nicely.
1 person likes this
celticeagle
@celticeagle (159017)
• Boise, Idaho
29 Dec 15
@TheHorse ..No. You certainly don't want to strain yourself too much when in a weakened state.
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The Horse
@TheHorse (205750)
• Walnut Creek, California
29 Dec 15
@celticeagle My brain might have exploded
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The Horse
@TheHorse (205750)
• Walnut Creek, California
29 Dec 15
I couldn't bring myself to do something SERIOUS, like generate a syllabus for next semester.
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Kevin
@kevin1877uk (36988)
•
29 Dec 15
Depends on how sick you are, hoping your feeling better.
1 person likes this
The Horse
@TheHorse (205750)
• Walnut Creek, California
29 Dec 15
Thank you. I am feeling better now. I actually took my first kid client out in a week this afternoon.
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Kevin
@kevin1877uk (36988)
•
29 Dec 15
@TheHorse Glad you are feeling better :)
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The Horse
@TheHorse (205750)
• Walnut Creek, California
29 Dec 15
@kevin1877uk Thank you! Today was productive. I had some catching up to do.
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Anna M. Wilkes
@gr8nana6 (6614)
• Conyers, Georgia
29 Dec 15
Looks like you put your sick time to good use. The speakers gonna look great when your done. Hope you're feeling much better now.
1 person likes this
Anna M. Wilkes
@gr8nana6 (6614)
• Conyers, Georgia
29 Dec 15
@TheHorse can't wait to see the end result.
The Horse
@TheHorse (205750)
• Walnut Creek, California
29 Dec 15
Thanks! I'll take a picture when they're done.
1 person likes this
Ann LeFlore
@poehere (15126)
• French Polynesia
29 Dec 15
I love to refinish stuff. I one time was given this desk. It was horrible and I had no idea what to do with it. I had it sitting out in the back of my home. Then one day I pulled open the top drawer and found the desk was pure oak. Who ever had this before me had pained over this desk. I started to strip this down and found it had 6 different colors of paint on it. When I finished this desk I found a date stamped on the inside of the drawer. It was made in 1923. The person I got it from was throwing it away and didn't want it. Well anyhow after it was refinished and I just added a natural oil sealer to this a person saw me working on it and took it off my hand for $6000 bucks. I was in total shock when he handed me cash for this. He said he had been watching me work on this for weeks and he knew the value of it. He wanted a desk like this for so long and couldn't find one. Now that goes to show you that people really destroy some nice wood by staining and painting over the top of this. I spent around 3 weeks in my spare time stripping and sanding this down. I did an excellent job of refinishing this. I knew would be moving again soon to a new location and had no idea what to do with this desk. I was going to give it back to the person who gave it to me but instead I sold it. Or actually a guy just handed me all this money and took it away. I was happy and it was a fun projuect to do in my spare time.
1 person likes this
The Horse
@TheHorse (205750)
• Walnut Creek, California
29 Dec 15
I'll only charge $80 for this little restoration, but it wasn't really that labor-intensive. It's an interesting area, and some reseearch is necessary with some objects. With speakers, they're wort more if the look good. But with some guitars, they're worth more if you DON'T do anything to restore them. Unless someone has done something horribe like a bad refinish or painting over the original finish. If I did furniture, I'd research each piece to see what was best!
Ann LeFlore
@poehere (15126)
• French Polynesia
29 Dec 15
@TheHorse I just decided to do this one after looking in the drawer of the desk. I was sort of curious about this one. The desk was ugly to say the least with all the gobs of paint on it. But when ti was cleaned and sanded down it was such a nice looking desk. If I was going to stay where I was I wouldn't of sold that desk at all. I would of kept it for myself. I did like it a lot.
1 person likes this
paigea
@paigea (35690)
• Canada
29 Dec 15
Sometimes when I am really sick I do a small task every time I get up to move a bit and get more done than when I am glued to my laptop all day.
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The Horse
@TheHorse (205750)
• Walnut Creek, California
29 Dec 15
I did some laptop time too. But I did a lot of reading in bed.
paigea
@paigea (35690)
• Canada
29 Dec 15
@TheHorse When I am sick; I finally put the laptop down so that's why I get a few other things done.
winterose
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
30 Dec 15
Wow I wish I was as handy as you are. The only thing I am good at is writing
Patsie Hatley
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
26 Dec 16
I was also sick but I did manage tio mylot in spite of that good for you on the sanding wow
Belle Starr (Iz)
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
29 Dec 15
No, I am rarely sick but when I am I am usually knocked on my butt and stay in bed and sleep.
1 person likes this
The Horse
@TheHorse (205750)
• Walnut Creek, California
29 Dec 15
I usually get a cold a year. But nothing that keeps me away from work. When my temperature was 101.8, I knew it was time to take a few days off.
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Judy Story
@jstory07 (134460)
• Roseburg, Oregon
29 Dec 15
You were lucky that you were not to sick that all you could do was lay in bed.
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The Horse
@TheHorse (205750)
• Walnut Creek, California
29 Dec 15
That was the case part of the time. But when my fever went down, I'd crawl about the house and try to get things done.
Anna
@LadyDuck (458091)
• Switzerland
29 Dec 15
I never stay in bed when I am sick. I try to do easy tasks around the house. Usually I take out things from the cabinets and I sort them.
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The Horse
@TheHorse (205750)
• Walnut Creek, California
29 Dec 15
Yep. I tried to do stuff that didn't require too much thinking. Speaker restoration requires some planning, but it's all stuff I've done before.
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Valerie J. Routhieaux
@just4him (306195)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
29 Dec 15
When I'm sick the only thing I can do is stay in bed. I'm glad you were able to make good use of your sick time. The speakers look great.
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The Horse
@TheHorse (205750)
• Walnut Creek, California
29 Dec 15
Thanks. I have four more surfaces to oil. Then I'll be done with these.
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fishtiger58
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
29 Dec 15
Wow you had the flu but worked anyway. I warm up the couch really good when I'm sick. Does that count??
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The Horse
@TheHorse (205750)
• Walnut Creek, California
29 Dec 15
Nah, I'm a psychologist. Woodworking is just a hobby. I slithered around the house and worked on these speakers in tiny increments when I had the energy.
1 person likes this