A mechanical engineer and a happy rachet (or two)

We spent the ENTIRE day on Sunday working on bathroom projects and other projects around the house.  In the bathroom we were able to get the tub situated in its final home and Andy got all of the plumbing hooked up.  It was a little strange running water in a bathtub in an otherwise unfinished room, but it was a relief to get the tub in place and know that all of the plumbing is working as planned. 

 Attaching the ratchet and strap.  Andy likes to say that I'm stronger than I look, but this 480 lbs monster was no match for me.  We needed a little extra help to take some of the weight so that we could slowly maneuver the tub into the corner.  Since it's surrounded by three walls it was more of an "engineering marvel" than straight manpower.  Andy gets all of the credit for this idea (even though the ratchet straps live in my car and it was my idea to use both ratchets to make the strap longer).  Especially since I was convinced that he was going to cause the ceiling to collapse.  

 Strap and ratchet assembly.

 Hope this thing holds!

 Tub and drain in place.

 View of the new drain line from below. 

 New trap for the tub from below.

 New PEX supply lines for the sinks.  This is the view from the family room below.

 PEX is great, but it was a tight space to work the the proper PEX tools.

We also cut down a pine tree in the front yard in preparation for a new flower bed.  

 Before.

 Taking down as many limbs as possible.

 More limbs down.

 Separating usable wood from the brush.

Chainsaw Andy.  He rigged a great winch system to pull the tree back away from the street.  Unfortunately I didn't grab any good pictures.  I must have been too busy worrying about where the tree would land or else Andy was just too efficient with the saw.

 Post TIIIMMMMBER!

 Working on the stump.  The chainsaw decided it didn't want to finish the stump on Sunday.  We'll have to go back with a better blade.

All chopped up.  A sad, but necessary sacrifice for a new improvement. 

Pumping iron...Cast iron

The tub was delivered last week.  It's a lovely cast iron tub from Kohler that we bought online.  It's wider than a standard bath tub and fits perfectly into the space where we took the shower out.  The problem is that the delivery company would only bring it into the garage and it weighs 470 pounds!!  Andy recruited MS for some assistance with the heavy lifting and he also did some online research on "how to get a cast iron bathtub upstairs".  We rented an appliance dolly and promised MS a home cooked meal as a trade for some physical labor.  But before we could eat dinner or move the tub there was some wood chopping to do.  In hindsight we probably should have moved the tub first, but it all worked out in the end.

Chopping stance.

Had to provide the proof.

Look close -- they're still smiling. 

Test lift.  

After a few trails of up one step, down one step it was time for a new strategy.  

Made it! (almost)   Giant thanks to MS.  He got stuck with most of the lifting and was still able to smile at the top.  Plus, there were promises of Andy's famous Bananas Foster for dessert.

Final doorway maneuvering.

It's a least in the right room of the house but it's not in the correct position yet.  Because it is such a perfect fit there is very little wiggle room.  Andy needs to remove some plumbing before the tub can be positioned in it's final home.

 

I can always tell what Andy was working on because the installation instructions get stapled up around the room.  Just in case you're passing through and need to figure out how to install a cast iron bathtub.