Refurbed Glider and Four Tips to Keep Your Sanity When Tackling a Big Project.

I am so excited to share this project with you this today. This one has been about a two months in the making.

This great old glider has been in my family for a long time. I really don’t have a summer memory that doesn’t involve this glider. It was always reminds me of my grandma and its probably the reason I love swings and rocking chairs so much.

Over the past few years it has been looking a little bedraggled. Last summer I tried to freshen it up by simply cleaning it really well and sanding it down to get off a lot of the chipping paint. But it still just felt really sad.

There’s Grandma’s glider in the background…looking a little sad and weather worn.

So this spring we made the decision to take it apart completely, repaint the metal base and add all new two by fours.

This project proves that no piece is beyond saving if you are willing to put in a little time and effort. This isn’t necessarily a how to, but some of the tips for how to make a big project like this a little less painful (because trust me after a two months of work I was really ready to be rid of this thing).

Tip #1.
Proper Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance.

This is probably one of my favorite mantras of all time. When you start something, even before you start it, when you first have the idea to do something, think about every little aspect of the project. Time, Money, Skill, Where, When, Who, etc. Make lists, then make another list, then a schedule, then a timeline, then ask for advise. I think you see where I am going with this. You can never plan to much.

Tip #2.
Be prepared for all the planning and thought that your did because of Tip # 1….to go to pot!

I hate to say it but what will almost always happen is that you get into something and everything that you planned becomes null and void. As we started tearing apart the glider I imagined it would take us thirty minutes of drilling…it actually involved hours of The Hubs holding the screw with a Vice Grip, as if for dear life, and me desperately trying to use a wrench to unscrew the bolts. They were so horribly rusted on that it took us almost a whole morning (and several bloody knuckles) to get the thing apart.

Tip #3.
Blessed are the flexible for they will not be bent out of shape.

This is another favorite moniker of mine. If you are working with someone who you love dearly….like say….your husband, make sure that part of your planning includes the grace you will need to work with said person. I tend to be rather short tempered (its only by Gods grace that I married the most even tempered man on the planet to balance out my insanity) and, I hate to admit it but, when things start going wrong so does my attitude. I can say that if I plan for the unexpected and go into something knowing that things will probably not go smoothly I have much more success avoiding a melt down. If you ever want to hear a funny melt down story ask me about the time The Hubs and I got a new fridge right after we got married, its a doozy.

Tip #4.
Listen to great music.

This one is just a little more fun. I love listening to great 80’s and 90’s country (don’t judge me) when I am in the shop working, mostly because I know all the words and it is easy to sing along. This is a great way to disolve any of the tension from Tip #2 that might have developed in Tip#3.

What helps you keep your sanity when you are working on a big project?