What Happened to 2014...?

I know that 2014 was a quiet year for the Malleable Monarch although not necessarily a quiet year for life events.  Even though there was not much in the way of online activity, it doesn't mean I was idle during the year.  We had quite a few projects that were completed this year including a deck and shed at a beach house, a carport for some relief for the elements, and replacing our old water heater for starters.  But the big projects didn't occupy all of our time.  The original Malleable Monarch stove is back in the works after getting most of the frame sandblasted free of rust.  I hope to get it back to it's former glory although it's a slow, pain-staking process.

Our old barbecue was also due for a makeover since the bottom had rusted out.  We looked at some options of purchasing a new one but we really aren't big barbecuers in the first place.  So instead of upgrading to something bigger that we wouldn't use, I decided to make this an excuse to play with the welder.  Originally, the barbecue came with a central heating plate that disbursed the gas flames around it's circumference and helped keep the heat contained.  The plate had completely rusted away along with the bottom of the barbecue main cylinder.  To fix that, I used an old square metal cover from an electrical junction box that had a 1/2" center knockout which fit the gas in-line nicely.  Cutting the bottom of the cylinder to match, I welded it into place and drilled three holes for mounting bolts to support the new heating plate.  After that, I spray painted it with heat-resistant black barbecue paint.  For the heating plate, I used an old 7 1/2" diameter circular saw blade.  The hole in the middle of the blade needed to be covered  since it would let the flames right through instead of dispersing them to the outside edge so I used the 1/2" knockout plug from the junction box cover and welded it over the hole.  I then drilled three holes to match the mounting bolt placement and set it with nuts and washers placed underneath to balance it.

Another big change for us this year was the addition of a new car.  Our old trusty Subaru was starting to show some serious signs of age after 200,000 miles so we decided it was time to get something a bit more reliable.  While we were making that decision, we also wanted to get something economical as a commuter car and we opted for a plug-in hybrid.  With plug-ins, you can't just run an extension cord from any old outlet, so I installed a dedicated outlet and circuit for the charging unit.  We also needed something to hang the charging cord from.  It came with keyhole screw mounts that you could use if it were more of a permanent placement but I know We knew we would be taking the cord with us when we traveled so we wanted something a bit easier to use than the keyhole screws.  Instead, I used used scrap pallet wood to make a mounting fork for the unit and installed it next to the outlet.  It looks much nicer than a couple screws in the wall.

Finally, I found time to finish up a little project for Bree that we had discussed.  Her collection of necklaces was getting to be too much for the box they were housed in and it was becoming quite a clutter.  So we found a lovely piece of driftwood and I found a set of antique ceramic drawer knobs for $4 at an antique store.  I used the router to put a couple of keyhole mounts on the back and then some drywall screw anchors to hang it up in our closet.  It's too bad that it's in the closet since it looks pretty darn nice with the jewelry on it!

There were many more small projects here and there in 2014 but these were my most memorable.  I hope 2015 has many and more opportunities and possibilities for creativity and I hope you all enjoy reading about what's in the works.