One step forward......

Well there is a little progress on the stairs - but it is very sloooooww.  First of all noone can figure out what type of topcoat the builder put on this.  I think that it might be clear cement.  Honey says he thinks it is some type of shellac that was blown on  - many times.  But whatever it is - it is very, very hard to get off.  I first tried sanding with 60 grit sandpaper.  HAHAHA.  So I bought a stripper that was safe for indoor use.  With it being over 100 each day, I really did not want to open doors and windows to use my normal stripper.  So I got this

And after 3 coats and scrapings I got this

AUGHH.  But at least this would come off with sanding - lots of sanding.

As you can see I worked in sections.  It is very slow going.

So after 6 days of sanding in my spare time.(and unfortunately there was not much of that) I have one side of the hand rail on the newel post pretty much done

Woo hooo!!  And if that weren't bad enough, meet Sandy

Sandy has been my friend through all my DIY projects.  She has been Honey's friend for over 17 years.  She has been a good friend, but Friday night when I went to finally start sanding at about 9:45 - you know the time right before all the stores close for the day - Sandy kicked the bucket.  Really???  Right in the middle of my project.  So I did what any good DIY'er would do.  I made a bubble bath and read a book.  Then I got on line and researched.  I know everything seems to be shifting to the 1/4 sheet sander.  But here is where my cheepness frugality kicks in.  I have a ton of 1/3 sheet sandpaper that I have bought.  Like pieces from about 30 packages.  I just could not bring myself to disregard that.  Of the none professional grade sanders this had the best reviews

Hello Sandra!!!  Oh dust collection bag where have you been all my life!!  I looove this new sander.  My old one did not have a dust collector.  Many of the reviews on the one I got complained about the collector not working well.  Having never used one, this did not bother me.  Uhm - it is a- may-zing.  You do have to use the paper punch on each piece of paper for it to work (I have used over 20 pieces of 60 grit already on this project).  But Honey and I have been so impressed.  Of course it does not get all the dust.  But it gets alot of it.  I do not look like Linus from Charlie Brown any more when I am sanding.  I can actually sand now while Honey is downstairs.  Before the noise (new one is much quiter) and the unholy amount of dust made being around while I was sanding unbearable for anyone else.  Thank you Sandra!!!

And while I was at Sears meeting Sandra, they had a great father's day sell and i picked up something else I have been wanting

We played around with it a bit, and so far it is very impressive for the price.  It is a 10 inch sliding compund miter saw.  I will let you know how it handles my projects.  Happy Father's Day to me!!

Oh and someone else really liked the saw, too.  So my first 12 pictures of the saw resemble this

Meet Ginger - our 16 year old furbaby.  She was fascinated by the saw, as long as it was off


I hope you all have a blessed Father's Day.  We celebrated with dinner at our house from 2;30 this afternoon until 9:30 tonight with oldest daughter, her hubby, grandson, youngest daughter, and her boyfriend.   What a wonderful day!! 

And I must say that I am in awe of all of you who can update your blog everyday - and with so many awesome projects.  I do not know how you do it!!  So I will just keep trying and maybe one day get to that point, too.

Susan