110 yr old house is a little different than a 17 yr old house as far as renos go Mark. It would be nice to capture/take advantage of some of the history in your area/house if you started any projects, though.
As far as tackling new projects goes, I think being in the toolmaking trade helped alot...having to solve problems as they arose when building machinery, you didn't have too much time either so you needed to come up with a solution, then make the parts in the shop. I tend to look at alot of things in respects to "how they are made" and "I can make/do that".
Beware about renos though, you may find yourself starting into other projects along the way....I'll do the bathroom floor in ceramics...hmmm, maybe update the plumbing while I'm at it...heck, if I update the plumbing I'll install a new shower unit...gotta install a new toilet with matching faucettes to go with that....I wonder how much new cabinets are?
From the work you've showed us, I'm sure you'd be fine tackling some reno projects, Mark. Just don't try to get away with cutting corners in the wrong places, and don't talk yourself out of a project because you think it's overwhelming. Start with a smaller job to fertilize your ego a bit before you build a third story above your house


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