It’s not fine woodworking, but does count as a finished home improvement project. And I finished the project the day I started it. Of course actually keeping the garage clean is itself a never-ending project…
I’m just happy that I had time to do a project today. The morning was spent with me rushing to get Will to soccer camp (somehow I was thinking it started at 9:30 when it started at 9 – makes for an interesting morning) and Susanna taking Ben to a birthday party.
After Will’s soccer camp, we swung by the Sawyer family farm to pick up our supply of fresh eggs and home for lunch.
I have been trying to find a way to keep our bicycles organized in the garage. Susanna had cleaned all the toys and junk out of the garage earlier this year, but still the bikes cluttered the space.
I made the bike rack from lumber I had sitting around. The top and bottom is made from a 10-foot long 2×4. The two ends are separated by 29-inch long 3×3 posts that I had been planning to burn if I couldn’t find a use for them. The boys and I found four pieces of 2×4 lumber that I was able to cut to 32-inch long sections to make the posts to support the bike tires. I ripped the 2×4 posts to 1 1/2-inch wide and then attached them to the front of the bike rack (a little over 6-inch space between the posts for each bike, and about 12 inches between bikes). Note to self: pre-drill the holes for the screws when drilling though a narrow piece of lumber before attempting to attach the first post to the frame and splitting the wood. But on a good note, I did learn after only two screws split the wood (so I’m getting closer).
I was able to get the garage bay cleaned out and the bikes put back in time for a homemade pizza dinner and movie. There is room to put at least one additional bicycle on the rack if I cleaned out the stuff on the back left wall of the garage – maybe another day.
Total cost for bike rack: $0
Overall thoughts about the project: a quick 1 hour construction project – not the fanciest, but it is in the back of the garage, so not too visible – and with the condition of the garage, no reason to build a fancy bike rack from the hardwood I have in the woodshop.
The movie tonight was “Despicable Me.” The boys had never seen the movie and loved it; I must have seen it on a flight at one time and loved it the second time around.
