Mr Winch Redux

You could be forgiven for having thought that Mr Winch was a Single Purpose winch (viz. for raising and lowering the clothes drying rack). Not so.

This week's project was to use the boards I had so carefully learnt to glue together in previous weeks to create, complete and install a linen cupboard/shelves. As projects go, this one made greater use of tools than any project I've undertaken so far, setting me that much further apart from lower life forms.

Once I had my cupboard, though, I had to find some way of perching it twenty feet above a flight of stairs, in a corner opposite the drying rack. And to make the challenge that little bit more challenging, I had to do this on my own. And because the walls are plaster and masonry, I would need to install wall plugs to make it work.

So this is what I did:

(1) I designed a way of attaching the cupboard to a series of cords which would not foul the positioning of the cupboard against two walls (after all, I had to be able to remove the cables once the cupboard was in place). I also designed a cup-holder-like-thing on the base of the cupboard so that I could get a purchase on the cupboard from underneath with a bundle of timber I had to hand.

(2) I harnessed the cupboard to the pulley system and Mr Winch, and I lifted the cupboard into the air.

(3) I tied a cable from the harness to a door jamb on the other side of the stairwell from the pulley system, giving me lateral maneuverability.

(4) I pulled this slightly towards the door jamb and then propped it against the wall with the help of a bundle of timber and a strut.

(5) I then tightened the winch, repeating step 4, until I had the cupboard up in the corner.

(6) I then made this fast by screwing the support timber into place and using a G-clamp to affix the edge of the cupboard to the wall to the left hand of the cupboard.

(7) I drilled pilot holes into the wall through the cupboard's lateral supports. This involved climbing onto the staircase banister and hovering, with one hand for support, over the 20 foot drop....

(8) I then slowly worked the cupboard back down the wall and out of the way, so that I could drill holes in the wall and insert wall plugs.

(9) Finally, I worked the cupboard back into position, secured it, screwed it in, removed the cup-holder, removed the harness and, voila! All done.

(10) Oh yeah, and I hoovered for an hour to get up all the sawdust and plaster dust.

Finished product: