Not Handy. Not.
Did I mention that I'm not handy?
Well, I'm not. At least that's what my brain keeps telling me. I seem to prove it otherwise more often than not, but frankly I don't want it to get around that I know which end of the hammer to use. It only causes more work.
My latest not handy endeavor was to put a new back screen door on. Our old one broke when the wind caught it one day and, well, it worked, but it looked like crap. I measured it, went to Menards and bought a new door.
After putting the project off for a couple of weekends, I set to it on Saturday about 10:30. My goal was to have it done by 12:30 or so. Bahahahaha!
Didn't happen.
First thing I find out is that it's about an inch and a half too long. What the heck? I measured it didn't I? I bought the only 30"X80" standard size door they had. What gives? This leads to my first web search of "Can you cut a vinyl/wood back screen door using a saw?" It turns out you can, so after measuring 3 times against the old door, I cut it. I love power tools, but only when coerced into using them
Next I had to cut the aluminum trim. I grabbed my sorely lacking, somewhat dull hacksaw and started in on it. This might have been the hardest part. Not to mention it made the fillings in my mouth hurt.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzgDdyE2Bmr36vonUSLtmdoQcSc4XJ4tbOV3jEHeYB8NB216ZmJFo9VHZKxpifMEKytLou6-FpXvA4xnP_DcOlQ-MCVbCkEHnsNl7T5B-o2vk3imQ5msX-yShVV1v6uB8FU0whthlPZwid/s1600/2014-04-19+12.04.32.jpg)
Then in trying to drill through the aluminum in the door, I break my first drill bit. No problem, got plenty of them. The next one doesn't fair well either as I bent it once it heated up enough to melt metal.
This is why I don't like projects. It's the "sub-projects" that get created along the way.
I replace it again and finish the job. (I break a third drill bit later, but that's another story.
I get the hinge piece on, mount it to the door frame and low and behold...it doesn't close. Luckily it didn't close because of a trim piece that had been put on the last time I replaced the door. So I take that off, and then lo and behold...there's now a GAP!
Oh the humanity. Did I mention I'm not handy?
Well, I must be getting wiser because I salvaged the old trim and was able to reuse it for the area that had a gap. (The house is not flush, built on a hill, by drunkards with balance issues and a 35 inch yardstick. So there's that.)
I re-gap the gap and lo and behold, the door closes flush and tight.
I finish up the rest of the work and look at the clock.
It reads 3:05
Not a record, but hey, it looks terrific, don't you agree? Not bad for someone who's not handy.
Blogging off...
Well, I'm not. At least that's what my brain keeps telling me. I seem to prove it otherwise more often than not, but frankly I don't want it to get around that I know which end of the hammer to use. It only causes more work.
My latest not handy endeavor was to put a new back screen door on. Our old one broke when the wind caught it one day and, well, it worked, but it looked like crap. I measured it, went to Menards and bought a new door.
After putting the project off for a couple of weekends, I set to it on Saturday about 10:30. My goal was to have it done by 12:30 or so. Bahahahaha!
Didn't happen.
First thing I find out is that it's about an inch and a half too long. What the heck? I measured it didn't I? I bought the only 30"X80" standard size door they had. What gives? This leads to my first web search of "Can you cut a vinyl/wood back screen door using a saw?" It turns out you can, so after measuring 3 times against the old door, I cut it. I love power tools, but only when coerced into using them
Next I had to cut the aluminum trim. I grabbed my sorely lacking, somewhat dull hacksaw and started in on it. This might have been the hardest part. Not to mention it made the fillings in my mouth hurt.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzgDdyE2Bmr36vonUSLtmdoQcSc4XJ4tbOV3jEHeYB8NB216ZmJFo9VHZKxpifMEKytLou6-FpXvA4xnP_DcOlQ-MCVbCkEHnsNl7T5B-o2vk3imQ5msX-yShVV1v6uB8FU0whthlPZwid/s1600/2014-04-19+12.04.32.jpg)
Then in trying to drill through the aluminum in the door, I break my first drill bit. No problem, got plenty of them. The next one doesn't fair well either as I bent it once it heated up enough to melt metal.
This is why I don't like projects. It's the "sub-projects" that get created along the way.
I replace it again and finish the job. (I break a third drill bit later, but that's another story.
I get the hinge piece on, mount it to the door frame and low and behold...it doesn't close. Luckily it didn't close because of a trim piece that had been put on the last time I replaced the door. So I take that off, and then lo and behold...there's now a GAP!
Oh the humanity. Did I mention I'm not handy?
Well, I must be getting wiser because I salvaged the old trim and was able to reuse it for the area that had a gap. (The house is not flush, built on a hill, by drunkards with balance issues and a 35 inch yardstick. So there's that.)
I re-gap the gap and lo and behold, the door closes flush and tight.
I finish up the rest of the work and look at the clock.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_K22QG7fqj5jOlrBqLvz12UmCkvXXdFqaOVEVRAJ0ckGUKyHW5NRVXQuomZTUdip54WQyUZhNiAyuA12hr0Asa4vJdrn14xne5DSTGIVBnywSgabR7LGg94awttClsXQWQZoyOF4Mu3Sq/s1600/2014-04-19+15.13.16.jpg)
Not a record, but hey, it looks terrific, don't you agree? Not bad for someone who's not handy.
Blogging off...
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