Once again, can I say how much the Wilkeys RAWK.

I have so many shout-outs and updates on prizes and general pics I need to post that I feel bad just posting with no pics. But really, I just want to say a couple of things. 1 - the Wilkeys are the bizz-omb. whatever that means. Second, after a couple of days of wood-cutting frustration, I think we'll be set tonight because Justin sent over his jigsaw to fill in for my jigsaw that I broke last night trying to get through the beast of a slab of wood that is the IKEA Numerar countertop**. So hopefully, tonight we'll finish cutting that and then install the sink and faucet and connect the plumbing. And I'm really hoping the plumbing will drain because Justin's suggestion about potential problems causing the upstairs sink to not drain makes me wonder if the downstairs drain will work after all. Pleh. Anyway, I'm glad Heidi's been posting progress pics because I've just been working and working to get this thing done and I've been too grumpy/tired to take and post pics. I love looking at them, though, so keep them coming, Heidi!


**If you googled "Numerar" "countertop" "cut" "blade" or "I'm going to shoot myself in the face now that I have a giant slab of counter and cant' actually cut it to size or cut a hole in it," and that's how you end up here, here is what I know.
1 - Numerar actually has a good face and a bad side. DO NOT mistake the two. You will know in one of 2 ways - either you will be looking at the good face thinking that both are the same, or you will flip it over and know right away that there really are a top and bottom. The bottom is uneven and has glue smears all over it, as well as a big ugly black IKEA stamp. Again, if you open the thing in such a way that you see the front side, you might not realise that there is a bad side lurking under there. And that comes into play when you start making cuts.
2 - I have read online both complaints that this stuff is a b*tch to cut and people saying it's not bad at all. Actually, both are true depending on your circumstances. I bought a new SKILSAW for the job, because it's not really a project until you have to buy a new tool. I tried cutting the counter with the 24T carbide blade that came with the saw. Bad idea. I bet that blade is just fine for cutting pine framing lumber, but for the glued-up 6/4" hardwood this countertop is made of, you are going to need something with a little more bawlz. And the one that worked for me is the Freud Diablo, 40T. I wavered a bit between it and the Freud Avanti, 40T, but in the end, I read a review that said the Diablo was a little beefier and that's what I wanted for this job. Turns out that was just the trick. That thing went through the countertop like butter. I felt like I was sawing through MDF - just smooth and even. I had a few binding spots that were my own fault for letting the saw drop - I'm still getting the hang of the weight of it - but otherwise the cut is smooth as glass. Now, they say you should cut bad-side-up with the circular saw and that's what I did. But I'm also going to tell you that the 40T gives you such a smooth cut that it probably won't matter which side is up. I didn't have any splintering or tear-out at all. I am actually in love with this blade, and honestly, it was so inexpensive, I'm going to go back and get one for my 10-inch saws, too. Yeah, I know, I sound like a commercial. But man, this thing is sweet. Oh, and I had been under the impression that a lower tooth count was better for cutting thick boards. But this 40T was excellent at it, so I guess I missed something in my reading or else they mean "lower" as in "not 200 teeth". Whatevs.

I have to give mad props to Naomi, Single Mom extraordinaire, whose blog I found while frantically searching for a way to cut this stuff. Seeing her cooktop cutout gave me the confidence that I could actually cut the thing without losing my mind or any fingers. Thanks, Naomi! (The kitchen looks great!)