Once again, we’ve managed to leave it far too long between updates on the website, since we talked about my accident which only rectified itself towards the tail end of last year thanks to a back specialist from America who is working with the National Health Service that a friend of mine had been treated by.
Finally I’ve overcome that stressful year (or eighteen months really if you include the full rehabilitation period), and have been getting a little more active again, particularly with fitting out the new shop. I never thought I’d be lifting and carrying out manual work again, and incredibly the sort of do it yourself work I used to avoid at all costs now has a novelty value that’s not yet wearing off simply because I’m getting a second lease of life and able to do it again.
Admittedly, I’m not able to work with huge materials and bulky tools, but a small miter saw and lengths of timber isn’t too much of a problem. Of course, Freya is still keeping a very close eye on me, as she’s not too keen on providing a taxi service to and from the hospital again any time soon, not to mention having a totally useless husband that can’t get around the house quickly, let alone help with the family business!
It’s actually been fairly therapeutic to be able to create my own fittings, and I’m actually quite proud of the results. Unlike my former self, I’ve been quite good at reading power tool instruction books from cover to cover, so for example, I now know all about what bevels are for in those miter saws, thanks to the guide that was included with my Makita LS1040. I’m not claiming to be any kind of whizz tradesman, but even Freya seemed to be pleasantly surprised that the resulting shelving and counters looked like they’d got quite a professional finish.
Oh, and if you’re wondering about those bevels (and don’t have an instruction book for a Makita LS1040 to hand!), here’s a great video covering that exact topic:
