I’m headed back to Building Value on Monday morning to take apart then transport these columns and knee walls to my foyer…where they will no doubt sit for a little while before I get around to installing them.
I decided I couldn’t pass on this salvage unit – especially after I talked the manager down a bit in price – even though it’s not a perfect fit. The column and base assemblies are about 16″ too short, and the unit as it stands now is about 40″ too narrow, so I’ll be removing the frame around the unit, and attaching the knee walls and columns directly to the walls. Plus, I’ll build up the base for the knee walls to a height suitable for bookcases – which is what I wanted to begin with – using some of that frame. I’ll also remove the frame-and-panel assembly from one face of the current knee wall, then use it as the back (or front, depending on which side you stand) of the new base portion.
That rest of that 10″-wide old-growth Southern yellow pine frame will be repurposed as the face frame for the (still to be built) built-in linen closet in my upstairs hallway – the finish (and the wood) matches all the other woodwork in my house.
And if there’s any left after the above, I’ll no doubt find a use for it.
Arguably, as a self-employed hobo, I should have just let it go…but I know I’d regret it for years to come (those columns are in darn-near perfect condition!). And I recently finished a delightful and unexpected assignment that helped to cover the cost. Unbudgeted income (plus a little more) for an unbudgeted expenditure – a fair trade.
Chris, I hope you don’t mind that I’m borrowing your truck (I only wish I could borrow you on Monday, too – bet you’re glad to be out of the country)!
Rude Mechanicals Press Blog 
Yay!
Nice! (I truly enjoy the note to Chris…)
Lovely. When you can’t afford to feed your cats, you may go re-read all the comments egging you on.
You go, Girl! Good for you!
Congrats! You did the right thing. Can’t wait to see what you make of it. Till then, have a dram on me.
Good decision! Even self employed hobos have to spend money now and then on things they need. And your house did need them.
Thumbs up!
So glad you got there before others ! What state do you reside in Fitz ? I’m in Alaska and could only wish for something old to work on in my retirement ! Keep up the postings we all love following your quests !
On Fri, Oct 5, 2018 at 12:47 PM Rude Mechanicals Press Blog wrote:
> fitz posted: ” I’m headed back to Building Value on Monday morning to take > apart then transport these columns and knee walls to my foyer…where they > will no doubt sit for a little while before I get around to installing > them. I decided I couldn’t pass on this salvag” >
Ohio – Cincinnati has a wealth of old buildings, from about 1880 and on.
Some for sale here
http://www.dupagewoodworkers.org/classifieds.html
Architectural antiques like this are notable for their patination or ‘age lustre’. Even when you’ve figured out how to build them you still have to wait another 100 years plus for them to attain this sort of wood colour. None of us has that sort of time to kill. You did well. Show us the final result,eh?