the kitchen's in

this week and last, we moved the curly maple kitchen we have been working on from the shop to its new home.  it was trickier than it looks.  typically, templates for the counter tops are made after the counters are installed, but because of the timing, and, in particular, the long lead time on the sink, we had to make the templates and the sample sink as we started the cabinets.  click the photos to enlarge them ..

before we left the shop though, we had to finish up the plate rack cabinet.  since we actually hadn't built one of these, we made a prototype section with a tablesaw cove to keep the plates in place, (run the board on an angle over the blade raising it a little at a time). BE CAREFUL !!

then, we got to the site, which is a 1920's era large colonial that our client has been working to restore for several years.  we used the slate templates to locate the cabinets and then brought in the slate, which was cut and milled at sheldon slate in granville, just across the line in new york state ... i posted photos of their facility when we first started this project a while back.  there are more early pictures of this project at that link.

the slate was delivered and installed by tom mullan, (seated here), and his crew, sheldon's installation subcontractor, who was the epitome of professionalism, and maintained complete calm as the ineveitable little problems we encountered were overcome.

 

they had a slick little four wheeled dolly that enabled them, and us, to move the +/- 450 pounds pieces into place.

 

ta dah on the corner piece ... it fit perfectly against the wall even though there were some 'old house, out of square corners that we had dealt with when we made the templates.

next came the sink cabinet below.  we had a one dollar pool in the shop where we all guessed the weight of the 42" x 21" x 13" deep slate sink.  trevor took the loot with his guess of 425 pounds ... it said "430 pounds" on the crate.

complicating this operation was the fact that the sink was wider than the opening for the doors.  we made the corner section removable so that we could slide the sink into place and locate it (using the mdf template) and installing the doors and returns after the counter was in place.  we only had to slide the counter back once to relocate the sink about an 1/8th of an inch so that the 1/4" counter overhangs were consistent.  i was some glad when that process was finished.  there was no margin for error.

 

we returned a couple days later with the long, glass doored upper cabinet that will built, and that part of the installation went very smoothly.

 

all in, all done, except for the last piece, a 42" marble table that fills the space between the two counters.  that goes in tomorrow, just in time for the fundraiser party the client is hosting saturday night for the local dorset nursing association .. it should be a great party!  more pics when we are totally totally finished.

trevor put the finishing touches on it today ...

there are a lot of interesting details in this house, like the island we made back in may, (another challenging project), the soft corners on the wall openings, the owner made concrete floor tiles, and the curving steel and marble stairway...

all done; the table's in ...