Last I backed a Kickstarter campaign for these Dreamy Mini Alley book nooks, and a couple weeks ago it finally showed up! I opted for the DIY kit rather than getting a pre-assembled one because I love putting these kinds of things together.
Well, I started working on it yesterday evening for a few hours and then worked on it some more today for the last seven or so hours. (This is why I didn’t get around to writing a response to today’s daily writing prompt about pets.)
All it needs to be fully complete are some AA batteries for the lights, and it will be perfect. I did make sure to test the electrical components (by using a 2-AAA battery holder I have for another project) after they were assembled to make sure things lit up and the switch worked. So I know it should work just fine.
Anyway, without further ado, here are some pictures!
There’s a little mirror acting as the back wall to create the illusion of further depth and to see the other shop door correctly (it was designed to be mirrored.)
Some mistakes were made along the way, and it wouldn’t be a fun DIY kit if I hadn’t made any mistakes, but I corrected them along the way. I think it turned out great!
Describe the most ambitious DIY project you’ve ever taken on.
I’m no stranger to getting my hands dirty and doing work myself rather than hiring someone. I do respect professionals and the work they do, and I’ll ask for their help in areas I know nothing about or am too scared to take on. Sometimes, though, you just have to Do It Yourself.
The most ambitious of these projects was working on my motorcycle last summer. I had been needing to get new tires for it for a number of years but I kept putting it off. In the process of putting it off, I let the bike sit. And sit. And sit. For a good few years. Because of this choice I ultimately had to replace more than just the tires.
Last summer in July I finally got off my ass and scheduled some time to get those tires. I knew I had to do some work on the bike to get it running, and I had a couple weeks to figure that out. I forgot to disconnect the battery when not in use, so I knew that was shot. It was also the starting place for the rabbit hole.
So, I replaced the battery and tried to start it. Nothing. It wanted to crank and turn over but nothing happened. Off to Google and YouTube I went to figure out what to do next. Everything I checked seemed to indicate that it was the carburetor that had a problem.
I spent quite a lot of time trying to get the carburetor off. So much time that I couldn’t get the tires replaced when I wanted. I ended up going through the effort to remove the wheels in their entirety just to take those to the dealership rather than find a way to get the whole motorcycle there.
At this point the bike was on stands, no wheels, no carburetor.
With the wheels in the hands of the dealership to get the tires replaced, I still had time to work on the carburetor. That took quite a lot of work. I had taken the carburetor apart, soaked it in chemicals, sprayed it clean, and reassembled. Nothing. It still didn’t work. So I checked Google and YouTube again. This led me to the carburetor rebuild kit.
This whole project took me weeks to do. Several trips to the auto part store. So many tools and parts purchased and ordered. But in the end, I did it. I got the carburetor rebuilt and reinstalled. The battery was replaced. I even replaced the spark plugs. And it finally turned over! I got it running. Eventually I got the wheels back, complete with new tires, and put those back on.
I think it took about six weeks, beginning to end. So much wait time. Sadly, the Summer was mostly over. I did get to ride a few times to and from work to make sure it ran fine before I put it up for the Winter. This time, though, I properly winterized it and put it up. Fingers crossed it runs again in the Spring without much effort!
The Dragon's Grove 