In Sink....

Can anyone tell me why ANYONE would WANT to be a plumber?

I mean, it's a dirty, wet, smelly, nasty job - and you have to do it standing on your head. It's one of those things I avoid like the plague, especially since I'm not good at standing on my head anymore, and everything I do takes a lot longer then it used to.

No need to prolong the agony.

It seems like, every time I do any kind of plumbing, I get it all put together, and there is this tiny little leak that REFUSES to go away. I end up fighting the "Post Install Drip" for what seems like hours, usually making it worse as I go along.

Well, I can tell you this, I messed up a few weeks ago (ok three or four MONTHS ago...), when I spotted a nice sink and metal base that someone had thrown away. I HAD designs on using it outside but my wife looked at it and decided that she wanted the sink in the kitchen. That's when I knew I was in trouble.

She (nor I) could believe that someone had gotten rid of the thing. It was a NICE, double sink with a side board on each end. The best part was, it was one of those older metal ones covered in porcelain. Her mom has one like it, but not in nearly as good of shape.

The sink came complete with bails and baskets, but the base was missing one drawer. The only thing missing from the sink was the faucet. She decided that she only wanted the sink, so now, I'm left with a "topless" sink base to wonder about what to do with...I'll think of something.

Yesterday, my avoidance came to a screeching halt - deer season is coming up, and she wanted her new sink before we had butchering to do. I was doomed.

Between the two of us, we managed to get the counters and the new sink ready to go in. Luckily, the sink and countertops we installed six years ago are "temporary", so nothing was screwed down - everything just came apart with ease (since the new "modified" stuff is also "temporary" - it ain't fastened down neither...).

A little measuring, a little sawing, and a little gnashing of teeth, and the new sink fit into place.

It was getting close to milking time (ok, 2 hours away...), so I TRIED to use that excuse to stop. I was, however, foiled - I had to push on and do the plumbing.

Did I mentioned I was doomed?

Well, at least most of the work I could do from the top, with Deb holding the sink up. I used long lines when I installed the first sink so I was able to do this. Just tip the sink up, and have at it. The worse part was having to sit on the floor, put together the drain pipes -

and watch them drip.

It took - literally - until the cows came home, for me to get that *#@^&* thing to stop leaking. I DID finally, but it was past time to milk, and the Moo-Moo's were waiting at the door for supper. All-in-all, it took about 6 hours to do an install that I USED to be able to do - drips and all - in about 2. I'm not actually DONE yet, I still have to shim one side to make it level, so I guess I'm still on the clock.



I still, for the life of me, cannot figure out why anybody (in their right mind) would actually WANT to do this kind of work for a living. Another thing I can never understand about plumbers....

Why don't any of them wear a belt?