Furniture Construction Trip >>> Day 4 (Sunday, 14 May 2006): Armadio Construction Day & La Saga di Porchetta
Wow, did I sleep in … until a bit after noon … but I needed the rest and recovery. Unfortunately, sleeping on this schedule avoided the inevitable resetting of one’s internal clock that comes with time zone changes and results in jet lag. I was still sleeping and waking on Ohio time … not good!
Since I planned to go to the Sagra di Porchetta at Monterado Sunday afternoon, I had to get cracking to make up for sleeping in. A quick pot of espresso made in the small stove-top pot (“caffettiera”), some water, and off to work. I’m saving my appetite for porchetta and whatever other culinary delights await me at the sagra, so food is a no-no until later.
Because of the construction of older Italian buildings like ours, there are usually no closets. So, one must buy an armadio in which to store clothing. We bought the largest unit we could fit into the space available … we spent several days after a scouting trip to IKEA in Bologna (where we picked out what we liked, and took all the measurements, but did not buy anything) just planning out the use of space and making sure everything we wanted to purchase would actually fit into the rooms for which the items we selected were designed. Until we laid everything out, to scale, on paper, we really didn’t know what would work.
CAUTION: I highly recommend you also take this approach if you buy a smaller foreign property. It will save you lots of time, frustration, money, and displeasure! Don’t forget to consider the heights of your ceilings!
The armadio we selected is tall … I would guess about 7’ tall. It’s 150 cm wide (about 60” if my conversion calculation is correct). The two main boxes from IKEA – the actual cabinet units – were almost 120 pounds each – one unit 50 cm in width, another 100 cm in width. Working on my own, it was plenty of exercise moving the boxes they came in and it was a necessity to open them up and work with each piece of each unit separately – some probably 40 to 45 pounds each, and unwieldy. Getting them unpacked, and moved into the room where they were to be constructed, while working with the limited space available because I had already put the bed together, was a mental and physical challenge.
The units had to be constructed in the bedroom, because when constructed, I’m almost certain even the smallest unit would not have fit out the door and down the hall.
Out the window (second floor, “primo piano”)? Maybe.
I was drenched with sweat after only an hour of labor … and I did the smallest unit first!
The second unit was a greater challenge. Bigger and heavier. Plus, I now had even less room because unit number one was in the way.
I had a construction mishap with the second unit. When I went to flip it up when it was partially constructed (as the directions ordered), I did not have someone to help me. Because of this, the bottom section literally ripped the anchors out of the side of the unit as I tried to tip it up. Since it’s pressed wood construction for the sides, top, and bottom, the anchors will only take so much pull … and then they let go … as they did in my case. If I had thought about this possibility, I could have tipped it up from a different angle and better supported the bottom panel. But, I didn't! Must have had too much porchetta on the brain!
Luckily, I’m a pretty handy guy, and had my tools with me. I also had surplus hardware, and designed a quick repair that will hold better than the original anchors supplied by IKEA. The good news is that it was a mistake that only cost about 20 minutes of repair time.
By 4 PM I had the two units constructed and located in their final resting place. This was just two units with sides, back, top, and bottom. Not much to look at or be able to say one had accomplished much, but I figured this had broken the back of the hardest work I had to do (except find gas for the BBQ – more on that later).
I punched out, took a shower, and drove to Monterado for some porchetta. I felt like I could eat a whole pig.
Since I planned to go to the Sagra di Porchetta at Monterado Sunday afternoon, I had to get cracking to make up for sleeping in. A quick pot of espresso made in the small stove-top pot (“caffettiera”), some water, and off to work. I’m saving my appetite for porchetta and whatever other culinary delights await me at the sagra, so food is a no-no until later.
Because of the construction of older Italian buildings like ours, there are usually no closets. So, one must buy an armadio in which to store clothing. We bought the largest unit we could fit into the space available … we spent several days after a scouting trip to IKEA in Bologna (where we picked out what we liked, and took all the measurements, but did not buy anything) just planning out the use of space and making sure everything we wanted to purchase would actually fit into the rooms for which the items we selected were designed. Until we laid everything out, to scale, on paper, we really didn’t know what would work.
CAUTION: I highly recommend you also take this approach if you buy a smaller foreign property. It will save you lots of time, frustration, money, and displeasure! Don’t forget to consider the heights of your ceilings!
The armadio we selected is tall … I would guess about 7’ tall. It’s 150 cm wide (about 60” if my conversion calculation is correct). The two main boxes from IKEA – the actual cabinet units – were almost 120 pounds each – one unit 50 cm in width, another 100 cm in width. Working on my own, it was plenty of exercise moving the boxes they came in and it was a necessity to open them up and work with each piece of each unit separately – some probably 40 to 45 pounds each, and unwieldy. Getting them unpacked, and moved into the room where they were to be constructed, while working with the limited space available because I had already put the bed together, was a mental and physical challenge.
The units had to be constructed in the bedroom, because when constructed, I’m almost certain even the smallest unit would not have fit out the door and down the hall.
Out the window (second floor, “primo piano”)? Maybe.
I was drenched with sweat after only an hour of labor … and I did the smallest unit first!
The second unit was a greater challenge. Bigger and heavier. Plus, I now had even less room because unit number one was in the way.
I had a construction mishap with the second unit. When I went to flip it up when it was partially constructed (as the directions ordered), I did not have someone to help me. Because of this, the bottom section literally ripped the anchors out of the side of the unit as I tried to tip it up. Since it’s pressed wood construction for the sides, top, and bottom, the anchors will only take so much pull … and then they let go … as they did in my case. If I had thought about this possibility, I could have tipped it up from a different angle and better supported the bottom panel. But, I didn't! Must have had too much porchetta on the brain!
Luckily, I’m a pretty handy guy, and had my tools with me. I also had surplus hardware, and designed a quick repair that will hold better than the original anchors supplied by IKEA. The good news is that it was a mistake that only cost about 20 minutes of repair time.
By 4 PM I had the two units constructed and located in their final resting place. This was just two units with sides, back, top, and bottom. Not much to look at or be able to say one had accomplished much, but I figured this had broken the back of the hardest work I had to do (except find gas for the BBQ – more on that later).
I punched out, took a shower, and drove to Monterado for some porchetta. I felt like I could eat a whole pig.
posted by Mark Pukita | 8:53 AM
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