I did it!

[swestrup]

It took all day and a fair amount of swearing, but I have manufactured a platform for holding my air conditioner. I've installed it and checked that it holds the AC at the right angle, but I've yet to actually install the AC. That can wait until tomorrow, as I exhausted myself getting as far as I did.

The design of the platform was simple, and was suggested by _sps_, but carrying it out without the proper tools was a nightmare. Had I had an electric miter saw, or an electric table saw, the design would have been very different, and much easier to make. As it was I had just a single handsaw for wood, and it was designed for cutting trim, to boot.

In the end I had to stop to put together a work bench we had recently bought, so that I would have something able to hold the pieces of wood together while I worked. (Nope, we didn't have any adequate clamps). That took a couple of hours by itself, due to the utter awfulness of the assembly instructions and an accident caused by my over eagerness to use a reamer.

In the end, it was past 9:00pm by the time it was all together. Naturally, there had been a few mistakes along the way and things that had to be redone, hence my swearing. Some days it just seems I wasn't cut out to deal with the physical world. Give me virtual, any day!

Ah well, at least it all worked in the end. Tomorrow I will attached the wings and other bits to the AC, and fit it in the window. I'll need to get a piece of plexiglass or something to close off the rest of the window (A piece came with the AC, but it was only 1/3 the needed size). For the interim though, I'll probably just use some cardboard.

And now, I'm off to bed, but I suspect my wood-sawing arm will be rather stiff and sore in the morning, as it got quite a workout today.

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/_grey_knight/]

I find it quite satisfying once the work has been completed - something I can point to and say "I did that!". Not sure why, as like you, I prefer the virtual world - but I get the same joy from a finely crafted bit of coding.
And I known now why men have always collected tools as well - the right one certainly does make the job easier and faster.

Of course, as soon as you do install the AC, we're going to have a cold spell. Par for the course?

[swestrup]

When I build something physical, I always end up with a feeling of "It works, but it sure won't win any beauty prizes".

When I code something, I just feel a sense of satisfaction.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_grey_knight/]

So, how is the arm today?

[swestrup]

Not too bad, actually. For some reason, my legs are much sorer than the arm.

[kalkuly.livejournal.com]

as long as it works!!! that's the way i look at it. Usually i am not that great in the mr fix-it area but can do a mean bit of lace - sigh

Still, I get the same feeling of satisfaction from fixing a piece of text - funny that when i have been phobic for so long