Hand Tool Shop: Reclamation & Renovation

Once I made the decision to reclaim the "back room" as my hand tool shop, there was a lot of moving and rearranging to be done. The biggest and most challenging thing was the piano. Now this is not some little spinet but a 6' GRAND PIANO! One doesn't simply shift one of these around like a sofa. I have moved grands several times, including out of my father's basement, but I've left stuff like that astern decades ago. Professionals did the job for a very reasonable fare and even carried the treadmill upstairs for no additional fee ("we're already here")!

The empty space was exhilarating and daunting. Though the picture shows the final result, repainting the pink trim with two coats of Benny Moore's Satin Impervo chewed up over 20 hours (I'd never make a living as a painter). More effort was the floor though. A smooth polyurethane floor in a shop not only looks odd, it's dangerous! Sawdust on a smooth floor is slippery. If you've ever shot bar bowling you'll know what I mean.

I tried an orbital floor sander with 60 grit paper. HA! It skated over the surface like skates. 30 grit was like a dull Zamboni; it had some effect but left a very inconsistent surface. Bare wood and thick film.