The Crib Fiasco

Recall from a previous post that I couldn't find the bolts for the crib and had to buy new ones? Well, it didn't occur to me that some of them would need to be different lengths, so I had to go back and get some shorter ones. When I went back to the hardware store, I really wanted to get bolts with hex heads so that I could drive them with a socket wrench, which is much easier to get into the space than a screwdriver. So I got these bolts that were about the same, only had hex heads. Turned out metric bolts don't fit well in the little built-in nuts that were screwed into the wood. When I tried to take them out, they took the nuts out with them. Then I tried to get the nuts off, but they were made of some soft metal, and they just bent and scratched. Since I couldn't get the bolts out, I had to cut one off with my little rotary tool; otherwise I would have had to replace the bracket too.

Then I had to chase all over town looking for two of these nutty little nut-things. The hardware store didn't have any, and sent me to a business called Fastenal over in the industrial part of town. She gave me directions, but when I went to the building she'd directed me to, I could see no sign with that name on it. So I parked down at one end of it, and walked the entire length of the building, asking directions as I went. At that end of the building I was assured that Fastenal was at the other end of the building, but when I got to the other end and still hadn't found it, I was told that it was in the near end of the next building. So I went there, and asked for directions again, and found that it was at the OTHER end of the OTHER building. I finally found it. This would not have been such a big deal, except that today I can barely walk for the pain in my hip and leg.

I had to special-order the nut-things and they won't be in until Monday. So until then, I will have to keep the kids from climbing on the half-assembled crib.

Moral of this story: ALWAYS bag your bolts and TAPE THE BAG SECURELY to the furniture you are disassembling.