Gone in 20 Minutes

Josh Berman continues full throttle on his restoration rampage. First he removed the asbestos siding from his Craftsman Bungalow (see Before and Just After, 3/4/08), next he began to strip moldings and casings (of paint). Saturday, he recruited me to help remove his front (so-called) security door. I issued my terms of engagement, "I'll need a grinder, extension cord, two cut-off wheels, and a take out order from the taqueria on Jefferson."

These metal doors are generally installed with one-way screws, impossible to back out even with bit and gun. My technique is to grind the screw heads off and then using a very large carpenter pull (see image left), twist them out. Ultimately we were able to tip the entire door construct (rigid frame and all) forward and off.


The recojedores, hip to the scrap resale opportunity, loitered just beyond the work scene, buzzard-like, puzzled--though not the least bit distracted, nor made introspective--by our bourgeoisie obsession with things pretty.

Once the grinder emerges, it's hard to holster. With missionary zeal, we sought to eradicate other blight. Neighbor Kathleen beckoned, "you can cut off my window bars, I'm tired of the penitentiary look."
"Ok," Josh commanded, "we'll need an extension cord, two cut-off wheels, and a take out order from the taqueria on Jefferson."