It’s all little steps these days.

I had just two goals yesterday after work: put the bottoms in the two boxes I built last week, and cut a lid for the battery box. They weren’t big goals, so it’s no big surprise I managed to reach them both. That’s how I keep projects moving: break them down into teeny-tiny baby steps, then do at least one step every day.

Putting the bottoms in the boxes was easy. I had already coated them in poly and sanded them smooth. One of the bottoms was a little tight so I trimmed an eighth-inch or so from one corner to improve the fit. All that was left after that was to cut a pair of rails to hold each bottom in place, drill out holes for screws, insert the bottoms and screw the rails in place. I didn’t glue them because I want to be able to take the bottoms out so cleaning the boxes is easier.

Cutting the lid for the battery box wasn’t hard, either. My goal for today was only to cut it to size but I went a step further because I was already in the garage, I was covered in sawdust, and everything was going smoothly, so why not? I trimmed the lids with pine cut in quarter-inch strips, to cover the end grain of the plywood. I wheeled out the table saw, ripped a handful of quarter-inch strips, then glued them to the edges of the box lid and fastened them in place with 18-gauge brads, just to be sure. Then I left the glue all night to set.

Today’s goals were similarly simple: Sand the lid and slap on a coat of polyurethane. I really hate sanding, so that was no small step, but I motivated myself with the reminder that I was only sanding the lid. Took about a half-hour to get it nice and smooth. Brushing on a coat of poly took even less time. And I got that all done before nine o’clock, so I treated myself to a second cup of coffee and then, a walk around the arboretum after the rain stopped. Not a bad morning at all.