W

Presidenl Publisher &

DonoldB. Peschke

EDITOR'S NOTES
here'sa lot to be saidfor front porches. Not the leastof which is fond memoriesof beine a Kool-Aid-drinking, lightning-bug porch-swinging kid. More chasing, and more, though, I've come to the appreciate unique opportunity a porch providesto visit with passersby,
catch up on what's happening in the neighborhood, and just plain relax. Well, aside from nostalgia, what's all this talk about front porches anyway? It has to do with a porch we built recendy,an addition to an 1885 r\rvo-story house a few blocks from rhe Worlebenrh shop.As you can see in the Photosbelow, the porch made a huge improvement, visually "qing" the house to the landscape and cre^tinga warm, welcoming Gel. All in all, I couldn't be more pleased with how this porch turned out. ltt not the rype of project to tackle lightly, however. Designing and building the main structure of a porch - in particular the framing for the floor and roofcan get quite complicated.To be honest, it's ajob thatt best left to a professional. Then, once the structure is in place, you can add the distinctive details that make the porch unique. Transforming a Porch - So what are those transforming details? In short, they're the porch flooring, columns, and railings.These are the projects we've detailed in the article beginning on page 38. They're the most visually interesting aspectsof a porch.They re also the most expensive if you were to hire the work done. Fortunately, adding these elements is well within the reach of most any woodworker.And whether it's a new or an existing porch, doing the work yourself savesa bundle. Plus it gives you something to chat about when neighbors stop to visit.

..i {

Editor Tim Roberlson R. Senior llesignEditor Jomes Downing Senior Ediior Billlink Associqte Edibr JoeHowkins Assisiont Ediiors Wyotl Myers,
Kote Busenborrick

Proiect Builder Mike Donovon AssociobArt Director Kim Downing Sr.Grophic DesignerKurtSchultz Senior lllushotorsErichLoge
Motf Scolt

lj,r'

Creolive Direclor TedKrolicek Sn Proiect Designers KenMunkel

KentWelsh ChrisFitch RyonMimick SteveCurtis Steve Johnson Croyolo Englond Tobin Bennett Rebecco Cunninghom Troy Clork

Shop rofismen
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Senior Photogropher Phobgropher Associob Slyle Direclor Pre-Press lmoge Spec.

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Group Direclor Mo*eting bnd Soles J. Fritz Croiger Adv. SofesMonogers George Clork80A563-5472 A. MoryK. Doy 877-835-1955 Morketing Associole Nicolle Scott515-87 135 5.7
Audit Bureau of Circulations
(SSN {x)43 E057) is publishcd bnnoDthly WOreENCH (F$., Apdl,Junc, Aug., Oct., l)ec.) by Au$st l{ouc I'ublish;rg Con|P.oy, 22(X) Gr.Dd Avd., l)$ Mohcs, lA 5{)312. /odhd is i h&nE.k of AuSs! HotrE l'ubhhnrg. Copyrigh! O2m4 Au$st HonE I'ublishtug Complny. All rishs r.scNcd. Sub$dpdon nG: Sntdc copy, a4.9. On.-yc.rsubscnption (6 Gus), t22: NoyLlr sub., t33; drec-yclr sub., t44. CrMdrn/lnd., add tl0 p.rycs. PenodicrLr posbgc prid.t I)s Monrdr, Iow., ard at additional officcs. "USPS/l).ry-Judd\ Hsrtlard l)ivision rutomublc poly." Porma*er: Seod rddrs chargs o Wo*lrlr/r, l'O Dox 37272, BooDc. lA 5U)37r)272. Cmadim Subsdption3: (l!u& Po$ Areeilrtr! No.4t[38201. Scild ehrils( ofJddr$( 'nfonnit'oil tol PO Aox 881, St,tun Miir, M..khril. ON L3P 8M6. hted h U.S.A.

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I NG ^ ^ PUBrrsa Hi(k, Miry R. Sch.vc.6/tDlidi CdsSsllc, s'. /@inrcrrr hunJ. Thon6, A@nilB Paydbh':Mary J. Sehlle. A@unB R?eirahh: Mlrgo Pem. !'lcd. ,l'r. D'.j l)oughr M. Li&tcr. ,bd Di.r C.o$ Chtrridan, Ite PK h'qe SFcilk Mnniefte rc Md!ira,,r,.. lid.: llobcft D- Cook, Ndo M.dh M!1.: Joh'sn, Stnoil /ddnr.j Cft Schwdrhck, GordoD C. Giippe, rd Sn /t Dri EuFnc I'ede6cn, Milnil.did Dsiptt Krn Dlsri$ ry., &trrldtrr)'.i Carcl Scho{ple\ wil sil. Cilt il M!6|DaridAnw Wcl' hdtM: T.ry Walker, R.r.drl cbrl'ir,?o. Ni.hof6 A. Jtcgct, thJ Melophot Diri Mich,l Sisl, H,,,,r ReJorrdr /sr. j Kisren Koeb, qfir.Mfrj Nedicb'tldalc, Alfh. h4./R.rytiollr:JcaucJoLN\ Ad'nh. Arr't.: D.nielle l)ehoblough, Mdil/Dlivry Cl.,*: bu Webber, rdalrier M{'.: Kuf Joh.sn . Ctuuladm: Citr. Opt. Dr.i Sandy Baoi1, Cir. tudah& Dt.: WrydcJ. Khryb.il. Ro'oel Mri: l'dsc RoseE. Gt. Shdtqi. tsan6 Atdtsri (tr $hleilnns, Prula M. DcM.rtct, Cir. Md*rri8 4rarr,i l,.rick A. W*h. Cin. Matuanu A$.r.i Chn*nre Fomt, n!tlrr.,, M{rr St{h Id;nah 'Creitiv. R.sm$: 9 Lr,o'j Cni8Rucrsq /sr. Ijli,o'j Jocl lis, /d l'.r Dougln A- flnn,.Sr Gqhk Mipts: Chtr Glowacki, Mark A. Hay6, Jr., Robnr Fdcnd, si G,/tt &rirfl?': Ilmdy Shebek, Crdpr,? . NocB &r,:{/.r ktic Bskru Group: Orrdlio,r Dr i Bob B.kci Crio'w &'i.. Mx'i Jcnf,ie Enos, /dElou..$rF/to': Nmqjoh'er 8/pi Lindrjotrd, /$,. &,/cri Nrnq l)own.y, sL Ctr. k kpr.rTalmy Truckenbrcd, Anm Cox. ApnlRevell.I)ebonh Rich. Vdcne Jo Riley, Os,. &d. Rtpt.i Meli$a Clark, Kint Harlin, Cheryl JoFdaD, rydE 'd'ra Srdl Syldi Carcy, Kin Frceufi; Neil Nndini . Wm&midr Store: MXr. j Dave hD, ArL M{.:TinT\.len, Mnhudie Matutiry Mg:Johtr Sibcren,Pdt, &p,. Mf,r:Janr6 Hochs, LD'rd.vlr iltir Mark Mattisi, Qffa MJ6.i Vicki Edwad,TaDil Kslcr, StaE StiryndR.d"h$ Lry Motun, SLr .sr4lf Wendell sbne, Mark Johnson,G.epV kuzbnch, John Wmcn, Davc Frenmrnrg,Stqhen Duncs, Bnu SimnDm. Shcdc Sinno$, Ceoryi, Kimek, Dn LeBe"u, Mike Mc(llulcy

AugUSf

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corponk se*c$: clredk ra *,do,,. |,ousrs I

Phone:800-31t-3991 Subscriptions Editoriql

Workberch Customer Serice PO. Box 842, Da Moines,IA 50304-9961 Online: lVorkbwh Magazine 2200 GnndAve. Da Moina,lA 50312 eroil: Editor@Workbenchmag.com

Customer Service

woRKBENcH

;uNn

2004

FEATURES

Gonlrents
WORKBENCH'June 2004

Wh Plostic Meets Wood

Durable,adaptable, lout-maintenance and composite mateials openup a naa realmof possibilities your outdoorprojects. for

Increase home's appeal your curb with a porchfaceffi.These simple three projJront ects dress a newor existing will up porch.

er Potti
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hesenting winnerc ourred*ood the of deck mntest co-sponsored byWorkbenchandthe CalforniaRedw od,* soci on. ai

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Easy to mount underkitchencabinets, these uniquetrays"tilt down" at an angleto make kitchen accessories readily auailable.
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woRKBENCH

Et.Jul\lr 2004

IN EVERY ISSUE CONTENTS

READER'S WORKSHOP

SKILL BUILDER
JoineryWorkshop
karn how to makethreedffirent joints that will defendyour outdoorprojects against Mother Nature'sworst. f@OnlineVideo: Three Weotherproof Joints

WORKBENCH TIPS SHOP

L REVIEU/
6" RondomOrbit Sonders
Think a sanderisjust a sander? gaueseuen We new models spin and a cameup with some surprisingresults.

TOOL CLOSE-UP
MicroFence
This uersatile routerfence allowsfor precise adjustments simplfies and complex routing operations.

1 \i-/

Questions Answers & llEW!Finishing Fundomenhls Tips& Techniques Tools Products & Croftsmonship Close-Up

acluestions

iis ffiljiitflilf,,
joints in my I wouldlike to make mortise tenon and shop, I don'touma drillpres.k there wayI but any could make mortises afxed-base with router? Joel Breidenbach Wa email
You can make mortises with a fixed-base router mounted in a router table.To make a mortise this way, you have to lower a workpiece onto

A lt'seosyto cut mortises on o tobl+mounted router. The key is to setstop blocksto estoblish endsof the the mortise ond useo guideroil to keeptheworkpiecefrom kicking out.A storter hole creotes pocketthot o /nsef/ fitsdown over the routerbit.

a spinning bit. It takesa little bit of setup to do this safelyand correctly. You'll need three things for the technique:r'wo stop blocksclampedto the router tablefence,and a guide rail to keepthe workpiecefrom kicking out from the fence. Stop Blocks - The location of the stop blocks is important,so takesometime to position them correctly. The idea is to clamp them in placeso that when the workpiece is butted against them, the bit is alignedwith one end of the mortise or the other (see lllustration). Guide Rail - As for the guide rail, it'sjust a scrap 2x4 glued or screwedto a plywood clamp pad (Main Photo).Posrtion clamppad so that the workpiececan the slidesmoothlybetweenthe rail and router tablefence, and clamp it firmly in place. Rout Mortise - Before routing, drill a starterhole at the front of the mortise (InsetPhoto).Thiscreatesa pocket that fits down overthe routerbit.Then, curting the mortise is assimpleasbutting the workpiece againsr the back stopblock,lowering it onto the spinningbit, and pushingit forward until it hits the front stop block. Rout the mortise in a seriesof progressively deeper passes until reachingthe desired depth.

THIRD: Butt
workpieceogoinst bock stop block ond lower onto spinning bit

I I I
Rouler Toble

HOW SEND TO YOUR OUESTIONS: Email: editor@workbenchmas.com Forums: forum.woodnelnet MaiI Workbench Q&4" 2200GrandAve., Des Moines,IA 50312

Indude nome, ond full oddress,

NOIE:Rout
mortisein o series of progressively deeperposses

I phone doylime number. I You'll rereive ofoul one hondsome Workhench cops publhh lefier.I your il we
III

woRKBENcH

D JUNE

2004

q meosuring mystery

ANSWERS

SONIC LASER VS.

I'm confused all the new measuing deuices the market.Can you teII me what by on deuice? the dffirenceis betureen lasermeasuing deuice a and a sonicmeasuring JohnWatkins Concord,NH

Sonic measuringdevices(such asthosefrom Zircon) calculate distanceby bouncing sound

waves offan object and measuring the time it takes them to return. (The "laser dots" are sirrrplya targeting device.) Sound expandsasit travels, the furso ther away a target is, the lessrefiable the measurenrent (Fig. 1).Thts rnakes sonic devices great for estimates rather than accuracy.The units retail for $30 to $60. Laser measuring devices (such as those from Leica and Spectra) work in a similar fashion, only they measure the path ofa laser beam rather than sonic waves (Frg. 2). Light is more focused than sound, and the speed of light is more reliable,so lasermeasuring devices can boast accuracyto within 1/*" o,ret a distance of severalhundred feet.This technology comes at a price, however. Expect to pay at least $300 for one.

--^'
JOUNd

Loser Beom

Loser Device

A While sonicdevices colculote distonce with soundwoves,loser devicesuseo concentroted beomof light,moking themmoreoccurote.

A _finelaycrof rust has deuelopcd on my band tabletop.What\ saut tht bcstway to ramouc rust? the Kcuin Schmueckcr Wa cmail
There are a nurnber of products oLlt there to combat rust. One I've had particular success with is Bull Frog l\ust Renr over (u,'rvur l}-rll-Fxrg. conr). All you do is apply a layer of remover to the tabletop and let it soak in for about 15 rninutes ('lop Photo).Thenwipe the surface clean with a rag. It takes a rusry table down to a shiny, ah-nostnew surflace. For additional protection, spray the table with a sealantsuch asBostikTopCote to prevent further rust (Bottom Photo).

w o R K B E N C H t - t. 1 u u r 2 0 0 4

ANSWERS

3 eosywqys to

REMOVE GROUT
The grout on my tile countertop is I crumbling falling out in places. !I and How canI remove groutwithout Flor. the
damagingthe tile?

RandaLl Phillips Tienton, NJ options for doing it are shown at right.

I select a tool for grout removal based on the size of the area I'm working The lareer the area. the more powerful the tool I ciloose.Of the tools available for removing grout, three of the best

a Grcut Sqw
Thistool worksgreotfor o smoll|ob.Just plocethetungstencorbide cutting edgeon thegroutline,opply pressure, ond mokestroight strokes.

Groul

r Rotory Tool
Forlorgeriobs,Dremel mokes grouFremovol for o kit rotorytools.Twoguideskeep thebit centered thegrout in lineos you pullit toworoyou.

A Rotory Sqw
Dremel's for rotorysows kit cutso widergroutlinethon the rotorytool kit shown obove.And thiskit con odiust to remove groutfromcorners.
woRKBENcH f] yuNr 2004

in:ff"ti rltG*r t{:

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INVISIBLE REPAIR
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I scratched surJace my diningtable a receltt the of in moue. NowI lose my appetite lookingat that awfulscratch. tipson how I can it? Any fx Chris Cascalenda Itguna Beach, CA next stepis repairing the finish.The idea is to carefully"paint" a fine line of finish directly on the scratch(Frg. 2).Wipe offany finish that landsoutsidethe scratch. Match the Sheen- When the polyurethane dries (4-6 hours later), chances the sheenofthe repair are won't match the table exactly.To address apply a thin layeroffinish this, to the entire tabletop (Fig.3) Ifyou can still feel the scratch, lightly sandthe areawhile the finish is wet to smooth it out (Fig.4). AIier smoothing,takea cloth and remove as much finish as you can from the tabletop.The thin layer of finish that remainscreates nice, a uniform sheenon the entire table.

l.::, One ofthe grcatestfinishing ,i,,,.:, challenges is matching a I'r repair to the surrounding 'i, wood.The first challenge is matching the stain color, and the second is duplicating the original finish. Stain the Scratch - Ifthe scratch haspenetrated the finish and changed the color of the wood (Photo at left), then begin by restoring the color. The easiestway I ve found to do this is by using a stain market (Fig. 1). Eight colon ofstain markers are available from Minwax or Olympic. Sometimes, a combination of two colors will do the trick, so you may want to experiment on a scrap piece. Replace the Finish - After letting the stain dry for four hours, the

,i' A nostyscrotch suchos thisone presents two refinishing chollenges: First, motching stoin the color,ond second, duplicoting originolfinish. the

Workbenchond BruceJohnson, Minwox finishing expert, ore teomingup to onsweryour questionsoboutfinishing. Sendyour ftnishing questions fo: Mqil: Workbench Q&A 22QOGrond Avenue DesMoines, 503 l2 lA Emqil: ditor@norft hmhmoq.com

Once you find o color motch,rub the ', Whenthestoin dried,use hos on tip of the stoinmorkerolong the scrotch. ortist's to brush opplyMinwoxFosF Useo clothto remove excess stoin. Drying Polyurethone scrotch. to the

Winners receive

: o FREE

To motchthe sheen the repoirto of the toble,wipe o thin loyerof Minwox WipeOn Polyoverthe entiretobletop.

With the finishstillwet, gentlysond the scrotch with 600grit sondpoper to smooth Thenremove it. excess finish.
woRKBENcH ft luNr 2004

1.2

:a

I rps

Tethniques

high-copocity

DUST SEPARATOR
Emptyrng the bag on a dust collector is a dirty job.That's why many woodworkers use a separator, a specialized plastic cover that fits on a trash can. It separateslarge chips and deposis them into the trash can so only fine particles go to the dust collector. Since the bag doesnt fill as quickly, you dont have to empty it as often. These separators work okay, but they have one drawback. When the trash can is about two-thirds full,- all the chips go to the dust collector bag, so it still has to be emptied fairly often. To solve that problem, I made my own high-capacity separator (seePhoto).It allows the trash can to fill completely with chips, so I dont have to empry the trash or the dust b"g - as often. The separator is a 20-gallon, plastic tub attached to a plywood mounting ring that sits on the trash can (Illustrations, below).A smaller alignment ring, sized to fit inside the trash can, makes it easy to reposition the separator after you empty the trash can. To connect the separator to the dust collection system, you'll need to remove the bottom ofthe plastic rub and add a plywood top. Two holes in the top hold metal pipe fittings that connect to flexible hoses.For an airtight seal, caulk around the fittings and attach self-adhesive weatherstripping to the large ring. Mike Harris Innilon. Ontario

Fine Incomino oir dustporticles loodediirh chips dust go io collecior &

Forsending histip, us MikeHaniswins a Black Decker and cord,ess ho,kit

pi.rityo" airH P/a"

-fF-\ NoTE:cur4"
holes forfittings . (S"center i

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#8 xlh" Pon Heod SheetMebl Scrcws

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24 O.D.I
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Maillips to:
Wo*ienchlips & Techniques 2200Grand Avenue Des Moines. lA s0312 workbenchmag,com

Etmift eoioro

sEcTtoN vtEw

Alignfient RingP/n" ply. xl9Wl.D.

woRKBENcH !.JuNr 2004

14

.1

W|'RKSH(3P

UTTIMATE
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TECHNIQUES

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All onycariinotitn ftmfdmilingismtwifudprmf o{ddwryumeipt. effiichomsltnf0prly otOlYond h ntuntd. mlflioblhd hfl willmt [nW lm hmpsod n 0llfled trfi. 2. f,g&fitp lhbmophkc b oFnmhlolsg0l sidr 0n qrd (erddrng pGssim0d (mwltlr oidmlsdir U.S. ilstsililuiB, Pwrto [ro) wtnue l8 ymr ofqe 0rdds,ercopl ordoys (fld lieirimr|di0le f!fliliB dh[r'S, d$dmod eodofllnimpelinspum) od mhsof bos, pmnh, pqromprorirhr, Itrir ltrlrotpld)of Dll 0lY's tows (mprios,lm., &iSS8 (qpuutim, }|moywdl(qEUm C{dg, Sffiil 0odgs, hduls Propom Edmlin ond (ouldond ptiriptirg $osmd lhrilrQdiw Rasodt oils cmFni6, 'Swpsrokc tsml sbsidorb, afflided cd sililb {coledinty, tie Entrlis'). ofthe Us fflry iilumlin 0bl0imd ilw mlrmh mtr fim wto 0nlim sbitrt b fi sils! h pimqpohy, sxhcomnl 0tlim 0fqtry.ltr snn0nb tts RdM grM ord r|ffi frmd0sidd fiir6otddqmS6ft*{hurElimsilhsdrn|l0f,fsFiiciFlin prize mfld nty inif, so6hks ond/u meipt w olany omrddinilrb tte r vmptukc.l}b vmptdc isgowmd 1J.5. ond s$id 0llfdad,sl0l0 by hw is l0 ordhol lom. Voil whn orehihtd lm. 3. ftftr* Gmd bv Prire: {l) Gmnd Ons ftize lliinmvllsin: {i) 550,000 dr fil lmbf,d mletub buiH llltimt0 h l0 m (lor0l ("AlV') 6mnd 550.000). ARV lvdkhp R0btr ol ftize: Totol of loponmdo \tolm piros tib sroopt*o:550,000.00.odd0l$nnir{ in dl IF dopild lis rumbq upil qF$os,md/n hxof ofolfuiile reteiwd th oppffi|o enfia fa drodB.All(61s, osodotsd ony witi o|glwrt tlp piz0s spdfo[y of mf odresdl|doin iE soio oro winm. lh gmlis oldlofmntinsddnmb nryrihtllof ttnrcpeliwprize ftircom olmypdzslhympsttsshllh nlely&tmind DIY in mdd'm I b', rilt m mdy r $nnilH, eittro erprxod imflid.lrryond mnonicord o dl oro subpd ltBl03pdiv0 t0 m[ufodjldtloilrB (ildfio$.Wnnds ond 0l $iffi[06 tlBGnidftie willftoirs 0 fom i099. hires comot |Iuddrod, bs $bsNilud 0l ndemdfo oh ercept0lY!sle dbselin, wl*i w 0pfl:6 oqul$ gmlc ot in 0f dmslnlhmdd. lllprizcrilhmdd. 4. Dmfig d llollfi.ol|clh pohnlid rinm oflie Gmnd fthevillh Cectdh o mndsn dmie fim muq oil pia eliptle mlies ttnopflioUe pool o oiout 23,2004 onindecdmt in by on lm $ll coutu ond/uplmowilhin i4in0 o$lirlirn ond b0(0nhctd ovdrighl h oppoxirmtdy(l 0)d0t6 iln dwirg. llm ofltn pdze wilh pmtdm hi 0l wim ItuUY lttdsh. iudF'd06h8*ilhmqedlo tim od otlwmlln pstdning te b ltre smpldm slnlh fiml.Poturtiol nny rquid t0ilfilts mcffidovil winm h ofdittihlily nlss d fiolifily pdlrity(0x(0pt prohititd lm) dtiin ond ond wlus by ffw6) bunmfrp ofiwe, drd $f:id wifiolin mdcmy'imo tlw r l0 with prin ruhs. |)lY mblot0(onhd potwrtiol winm, o potenlid whMhb lf b o il Fro lomy'oloud olm dlfom byfn gotifod it optantiolpdro fdbb wiw dote. mdyritiaryof tnBqiqmhofllw0ftil ftk,oif mypr6qpdnmlifufin rolmxlo ur&hwils, lle oftewf,h flrfuid od m lltsnohwimr$dl bs b phloqnpi, s0ldM. llimscilslshlh$aof thirmme, ftm, blrymily, wio od/r vib fr odvatiirg Funoliomlpirlosss, mhm sd i"drdh onmsmils, pmhfitd wiinlddtimlomprotkn, 0plmlfl mlir, oKoptwlse bhw. lf,in llnf{c'qinim,lhao b uryspxld r rludsvikn dolxtruic mHlodmni( s pfllim0fltn seeptoks, if lrdmiddifrarllic hnpuing sry *ii a cmpmir lh inl0gily itr ffiFl0ls, ttr iudg6 0f r6du ltudght ldnimhltts l0 v00ts1dc f,d (fldd0dmdoNir0h0v'!rdltplrteui'goli$h, d mu4odilibftcivd6 0{lhtsmtulin&h. Slnfl tBsx,000$drs bhmtuH qUblk $ld oftlinl &n, mit nl h pdd m lln OlY its. 5. utnft lbr 0nu don]dy 12, ltt 2001pmyfth ip mdlh pis rim oiltHbyFiB loltF |)lY UISilo d milim o sdhdrmd

scroll sow

BLADE STORAGE
To keep my scroll saw blades organized and in easyreach, I rnade a sin'rplerack that attachesto my saw.Similar to a chemistry test-tube rack, the blades are "filed" in short lengths of PVC plastic pipe. The pipe fits into holes in the top and bottonl of the rack.To keep bladesfrom falling out,"stop" the holes in the bottonr piece.Then add a hardboard mounting plate. PaulA.Thray Sand Springs,OK 3/a" hole Top/Botiom (%"x3"x8"! 7a"counlersunk mountingholes

Vt" xVz" Mochine

Screw

p
-U1" Lock Nut
Mounfing Plo|e

3/4"hole, 3/s"deep

Y2"PVC, 4 " long

Pioeis removoble NOTE: to cleonout dust

Scroll-Sow Stond

DECK BOARDS WARPED

Tiy as I might to pick all straight deck boards for a project, a few inevitably warp before I'm ready to use them. However, it'.s possible to straighten a warped board - even when working by yourself- with the aid of a scissorsryle car jack. L 2x4 cleat screwed to the supporting joists ailows you to exert enough force with the jack to straighten the board. Then screw the board in place.

scissor-style iockrescues cor

ffi"ffi'mffiCil
h dTtlo Do Yud lloml OlY h iizisi.l sbd:. r,rr'fu-. iicii. n' qrdd*ff Product Inlormation Number 274

CraigHuber Marengo, IL

Note: As deueran applicationo;fmechanical aduantage this as k, thejack will not do you one bit of good in the euentof aJlat tire unlessyou remember return it to the carwhen you'refnto ished tuith your deckproject.
woRKBENCH ! 2004

JUNE

WORKSHOP

l'

Jr,

q workstqfion for
jig I tt hard to beat a pocket-hole for making strong, joints accurate I | -and for doing itfsr.You simply clampa workpiecein thejig, drill an angledhole (or holes, the case as may be), and screwthe piecestogether. To make pocket-holejoinery evenmore efficient,Don Carlsenof Centennial, CO incorporatedhisjig into a simple workstation (see Photo jig above).Note:The shown here is manufactured by the Kreg Tool Company (Model #K2). For a Kreg Tool dealernearyou, visit their web siteat KregTool.com Side Supports -This workstation is particularlysuitedto handling Iargeworkpieces.That's because a of

POCKETJOINERY
large"wing" on eachsideof thejig that providesplenty of support for long workpieces (Photo, above) and large panels(Inset Photo). Built-in Storage - Another handy thing aboucthis starionis a pair ofplasricstorage trayshousedin a compartmentbelow the worksurface.These keepdrill bits,pocket rrays screws, plugs, and all the necessary accessoriesarm'srcach(Photo,ight). at Portability - Finally,the entire workstationcan easily carriedto be thejob site.Apair ofhandholdsprovide a comfortablegrip.And once the job is completed,you simply stow everything in the station and hang it on the wall (Photo, page22).

A Plostic storogetroyskeep pockethole occessories orgonized.We purchosedthese troys (Akro-Mils #14316) fromTrue VolueHordwore.

20

woRKBENcH

-l .yuNt 2004

WORKSHOP

building the stqfion

Ifyou're building this workstation,itt a sure bet you alreadyhave the most important thing - a pocket-hole jig.To make assembling the workstation quick and easy, you can use the jig itself to create the joinery. It's also used as an alignment tool when building the workstation. Build the Base - The first step is to build the base of the workstation (Construction View). providesthe main supIt port for the two wings and houses plastic the storageffays. The base consisb a3/4"plywood boaom of (A),t*o endpieces anda sub-top(C).The (B), endsand sub-top form an inverted U-shaped assembly that creates opening for the trays. an To make it easyto slide the traysin and out, size the opening so it's 3/s" wider than the combined width of the trays. This provides 1/s"clearance the sides the traw, and also on of between eachone. After cutting the base pieces size, just to itt a matter of drilling pocket holesand screwing them together (FrontView Detail).Then, to prevent the trays from slipping out when transporting the workstation, add a couple of stops(D).These narrow strips of wood butt agairstthe front and back ofthe trala and are glued in place. Support'Wings - The next stepis to add the two support wings (E).They"sandwich" the pocket-holejig between them, forming a large, continuous worksuface. To end up with a flat, level surface,the wings must be flush with the jig base.Aset of four spacers(F) elevate the wings to accomplish that (Spaeer Detail). Plane the spacers the appropriatethickness.Then to use the pocket-hole jig to position the spacers and glue them to the sub-top. In the sameway, use the jig to position the wings and attach them with screws.

coNsTRucTroN vrEw
A A mounfing holein the boseof the workstotion you hong it on the lets woll for storoge.Wood stopskeep the plostic troysfromslipping ouf.

SupportWing pV. F/a" x 9Bld'xl6"l

PockeFHole Jig (Kreg Model#K2l U1.' roundovers

Thickness mokhes bose Spd-cer (opprox. thick %" xllz" xl0Wl Sub-Top (%"ph.x8" x2l7/s"l
lr/a" PockeFHole Screw

l%'PV.x8"x30"f
l " hole

for hongin{ worksiofion

on woll

,. 'f

NOTE: Locote stops fit to snugly ogoinst ond front bockof sioroge troy

woRKBENcH

ft luNr

2004

TIPS FROMTHE

loy,ng on oul

PROFILE OGEE
A cathedral arch, identified by its ogee profile (a double curve in the shapeof an elongated'S') is often used as a design element for cabinet doors, nrirror frames,and headboards. It's also a distinctive feature on the back panel of

our potting bench fuage 58).For appearance, arch the must be symmetrical. Therein lies the challengelaying out a perfect ogee profile. Two Templates -To do that, I used two templates:one for the center of the arch and one for the sides (see Photoat right).Since the curve is symmetrical, the side template is used to lay out each half of the arch. A template doesn't require any specialmaterial. I used 1/"1" plywood, but hardboard or even posterboard would also work.The shape of the template is laid out using a narrow strip of l/a" plylvood as a compass (Making aTbmplate).Note that the distance

A Whenloying oui the ogee berween the pivot point of the compass(a nail) and the profile for the pencil is equal to the radius of the template. (The back ATwotemplotes mokeit eosyto loy out o cothedrol cothedrol orch panel of the bench requiresa 20"-radius template for the orch.Troce oroundthetemplotes, "blend"the then on this pot- top and a 30"-radius template for the side.) lines together formo smooth, to symmetricol curve. ting bench, Lay Out Arch - It's easyto lay out the arch on the the trick is to use back panel.Align the center template with the peak of two templotes. the arch, clamp it in place,and trace around tt (Illustration, This ensure belou,).Forthe sides,lay out a line indicating the "low" will o smooth curve. point of the arch. Then align the side template with
this mark, butt it against the center template, and trace the arc (Photo,aboveright).kepeat this process on the other side of the panel.Then remove the templates and "blend" the lines together to produce a smooth curve.

IAYING OUT THEARCH

Centerlhie templbteon width ol panelsci it ali1no

with peak of arah, then alafip it in plaaeanA lraae ihe arc

Ali1nlhia templale wllh i low point of arah,buttit Againat aeiter templale, then traoe ara.

lHIR,D:
Removetemplales aind blenA lineE tit produae ai 'i moolh, 5 - ah)ped curve

taiid

9abk

1,4

woRKBENCH

D JUNE

2004

TIPS FROMTHE
Ti -_

HOP circulqrsqw GUIDE CUTTING

Using a circular saw to crosscut a 4x4 post is a comnon operation.To cut all the way through the post,you have to make rwo passes.Thisoften leavesa small ridge of material on the end of the post where the cuts aren't aligned. To create a clean, accurate cut, I use a shop-made guide. Basically,itt a U-shaped "saddle" that clamps to the post (Photo,right).Two fences, one on each side, guide the saw to ensure perfectly aligned cuts. These fences allow you to make either 45o and 90o cuts, which comes in handy for cutting the 4x4 corner blocks and legsofour potting bench (page 58) The cutting guide consists of two sides(A), a back (B), and rwo identical fences(C), each with a 90o and a 45" edge.Start with extra-long pieces for the sides and back. They'll be trimmed to length later with the circular saw, forming reference edgesthat will be used to position the guide on a workpiece. Carefully lay out the locations of the Gnces on each side of the guide so they align with each other. Then attach the fences and trim the waste with a circular saw to create the reference edges. To use the guide, align the appropriate reference edge with a layout line on the post, clar.npthe guide, and make a cut. Then, without removing the guide, turn the post over and make a fina1passon the opposite side.

o AWhen using circulor o sowto crosscut miter or 4x4 post, U-shoped this cutting guideletsyou moke two perfectly olignedcuts- one from eochside.

>Thehiongulor corner blocks for the potting bench require occurotemiter cuts- on both sidesof o 4x4. Our shopmode guide mokeshot o simple tosk.

45'MITERS
To miter the thick corner blocksfor the pottingbench, slip the cutting guide oround o 4x4 post. Then, usingthe 45' fenceto guide the boseof the sow, mokelwo posses, onefrom eochside.

Fenae

Uz" ply.)

cRosscr,T5
guide The culling olso simplifies the iob of trimming the 4x4 legsof the potting bench to length. Onlyhis time,ofier you the clomp guide to lhe posl,use the90'bnce frc guidethe bose of thesow.

5ide (/2" ply. x 61/2"x 24" rgh.)

9U
refercnce edgea .,

]
4x4 ?osl Side Baak (l\z"x3lz"x 24" rgh.)

26

NOfE: lo create relerenaeedgeo on autting Ouide,6tart wilh extra-lonq sidea and baak,then trim to lenOlh wiLh airaular aaw

wor{KltENCr.rft luNe

2004

i TOOL
it $lf ''I''

MicroFence

ROUTER EDGE GUIDE

Humor me for just a moment and think of your router as a workhorse. In order to get anything out ofyour workhorse, you're going to need a good bridle. So to stretch this metaphor a little further, let me just say that MicroFence makes one of the best router"bridles" going. The Micrometer Edge Guide System (MicroFence for short) is an incredibly precise,microadjustable router fence that delivers repeatabiliry accuracy, and versatility beyond conventional fences. The version I evaluated is the MicroFence Total Package.This package includes everything for precise joint making and circle cutting in diameters from 6" to 24". It sellsfor about 9260, which is in the low end of the $160 to $1,200 price range ofMicroFence packages. for The more inclusive packagescontain accessories cutting ellipses,attachments that expand the circle-cutting range from as small as 1" in diameter to as large as 48", and various other attachments too numerous to list here. ffisit www.MicroFence.com to see the entire line.) Straight Line Basics - One of the first places the MicroFence proves its worth is in the relatively simple at operation of cutring rabbets and dadoes (Photos W).At some point, you ve probably noticed that a %"-thick sheet

>Thonksto its precision mechonism odiustment (lnset), MicroFence the tokesthe guesswork out of routingperfectly-sized dodo ioints,lt's shown Above with o low-orofile fencefor routingdodoes of exoct intervols.

Advonced Clqss: Inloys

b work needs be incredibly Whenrouter precise, grooves for such whenrouting os inloywork(Fig.IJ,theMicroFence's superpinpoint fineodiustment offers occurocy. Thebestoccurocy ochieved using is by o rouler thot's smoller he desired thon bit width of the groove.After mokingo first posswith the undersized useo diol bit, to the dimension of coliper meosure inside thot thegroove(Fig.2). Thencompore to the width of the inloy moteriol(Fig.3). Subtrocl widthof thegroove(.250 in the thisexomple) fromthewidthof the inloy (.3301. difference (.080)tells moteriol The you exoctly how for to odjusf the MicroFence.

28

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2004

of plywood isnt quite 3/+" thick, but a3/q" straight bit really is 3/+".So ifyou cut a dado with a3/+" bit,itwill be slightly oversized for the pi1'wood, resulting in a poor fit. The secret is to cut the joint in rwo passes with a bit smaller than the plywood (a s/s" bit is a good choice). 'With the MicroFence, adjusting the router for the second pass(the one that really counts) is a simple nutter using the onboard microadjuster. The MicroFence is adjustablein increments of .001", so my approach was to "sneak up" on the settings until I found the perfect rwo-passpositioning. Once those were established, set I stop collars so I could quickly cut multiple dadoes.(The stop collars are a 925 accessory). Circle-Cutting Basics -The circle-cutting abiliry of the MicroFence is one more way this system distinguishes itself from off-the-rack router fences (Photo,top right). By attaching the circle-cutting jig to the MicroFence, circles ranging in diameter frorrr'6" to 24" can be cut with the same laser-like precision. Another interesting feature of the MicroFence is irs abiliry to accurately follow irregular shapes(such as the curve shown tn the Photoat right). For operations such as this, attach the half-round inserts that come with the basic kit (Photo, right).The inserts provide fwo constanr contact points for better directional control.

< Thecircle iig occessory kit turns the MicroFence intoon incredibly occurote circle iig for diome tersronging from 6" to

24',.
< Holf-round inserts the on MicroFence mokeit copobleof following contours, such os wnen routing o groove porollel o to curvededge.

Advonced Closs:Circlewithin o Circle

TheMicroFence wellbeyond everydoy just goes circle cutting withoperotions circl+in<ircle like culs.In thisexomple, cuto lorgering fromo I sheet mopleplywood.Aftercufting inner of the port of the ring, I usedthe microodiuster to increose diometer the setupby exoctly the of thediometer therouter Then cuto finol of bit. I circlefromo sheet wolnutplyvood (Fig.al. of Theresult wos o seomless, two-port circulor |oblebpcut in o few simple steps 5/. fFrg.

M***
woRKTENCH tr luNE 2004

29

ll

ll

WHEN PLASTIC WOOD MEEIS

I Recycled plosticond recopturedwood ore reducedto dust or pelletform ond thenblended to creotecomposite products.
Pholos coudesy Timbe(Tech o{ ond {obovel Trex liopl

I n the simplest of terms, composites are an I alternative to natural wood made from a I Ute"a of recycled plastic and recaptured I sawdust (lnset Photo).These unlikely bedfellows are blended in roughly equal quantities at high temperatures.The molten "goo" thatt formed is then extruded and cut into manageable lengths. At first, this technology was applied exclusively to deck boards. Today, the category includes deck boards, handrails,balusters,fascia boards, molding, and even fence material. In short, whatever your outdoor project, chances are theret a place for composites.

Composites are an excellent choice for several reasons. Chiefly, they are low- or nomaintenance materials. In most cases, annual an cleaning is all that's required. Another reason to select composites is longeviry. Most manufacturers estimate the life expectancy oftheir product at around 75 years (interestingly, warranties range from 10 years to lifetime). And one final argument for composites is the intrinsic flexibiliry of the material.This unique trait makes it easier to incorporate eye-catching design elements into a deck, such as the serpentine pattern shown in the Photo above.
woRKBENCH ft luNr 2004

30

Are All Composites

CREATED EQUAT?
Dozerx of composite producs are currently available, but the offerings have asmany diflerences as sinrilarities. Texture - \z[q5gmanufacturers offer composites in at least rwo of the three cofunon textures (smooth, brushed, and woodgrain, shown at far right). Some even ofFer reversible boards, which have woodgrain on one face and a brushed finish on the opposite face.The textures vary from one brand to another, so some brushed or woodgraln textures are more pronounced than others. Color Color selection also differs slightly from one brand to another. Generally speaking,most manufacturers offer their products in various shadesof gray,tan (often marketed as"cedar" or "natural"), and reddish brown (most often called"redwood") (InsetPhoto).Gray is the most readily available color, though shadesvary dramatically berween brands. Claims of colofastness also dift-er widely. Some manufacturers tell us to expect the color to fade to gray after a few years,while others claim only minimal color fading. Another color option is to use a composite that acceptspaint.Again, there are sigrificant differences to be aware of here. Some nranufacturers sayitt fine to paint their product; others expressly forbid it by voiding the warranfy if their product is painted. One product that deserves specific mena tion here is Tendura Classics.This a unique is conrposite that requires paint and comes preprimed. \)Vhile this is a bit of a compromise on the no-maintenance appealof composites, it's still an excellent choice for a porch project where authentic or historical character is a high prioriry (see page 38). Solid or Hollow Hollow composite products ty?ically cost lessand are lighter than soiid composite products. But there are some trade offt to working with hollow composite products that you'll want to weigh (Plrctos, below).

MAlTRIALS

ATEXTURE VARIETIES
Smooth, brushed, woodgroin the ond ore threebosictextures composites. of Brushed ond woodgrointextures vory in depthbetween monufocturers.

'i, :' ."t:

< POSTS
Hollow composite posts{or sleeves) costlessthon solidcomposite posts initiolly, requireon innerwood but post,which odds to the cost.

> DECK BOARDS

Hollow compositedeck boordsore lighterthon solid composite deck boords,but require on end cop for o finished oppeoronce.

31

lfE*Ell,rnarrRtnLs

BEYONDDeckBoords
A deck is much more than just deck boards.Skirting, molding, stairs,and of course, railing, are important components of a complete deck. Composite Variety - Just how many of these design demands can be met with composites will depend on the brand you choose. Some composite companies offer only deck boards. Others have comprehensive product lines that include everything for a deck except the structural pieces. The best example of a full line is Tiex, which includes four rypes of deck board, five choices of fascia, and the full complement offered by Trex (see Buyer'sCuide onpage37). the Railing - One decking element that deserves a closer look is the railing. The most basic composite railing systemsinclude 2x2 balusters and use deck boards for handrails.By contrast, ChoiceDek's railing system uses specifically designed components, including a unique turned spindle, to create an attractive and easy-to-construct rail that will complementjust about any deck (Photos, upper left). This railing also has wire chases built into the posts and handrails for concealing wire inside the railing system.This is a great feature if your deck design includes lighting. One more raiJing that merits individual mention is TimberTech's \X/hitesand railing system (Photo, middle leJt).-fhisis the only one hundred percent composite white railing available.White rails offered by other companies are actually a PVC shell over a substrateof aluminum or composite.The high sheen of the plastic shell makes these much less attractive than the more natural appearance ofTimberTech's product.

I
t

> WIRE RUNNING

roiling is ChoiceDek's ond eosy to ossemble right down to complete, built-in wire chosesfor lightingor low-voltoge outdoorspeokers.

risers, and trim, as well as a complete rail system that includes a couple choices each for balusters, handrails, and post caps.Trex also offers other outdoor elements such as landscapetimbers and edging. Running a close second to Tiex in options availableis GeoDeck.An example of a complete prqect utilizing GeoDeck composite products

; l. f

< WHITE RAIL

A w h i t e r o i l i s o n i c e is shown in the Pftoto below. to complement ony deck Most manufacturers fall someor porch. TimberTechwhere between the "deck offers the only 100% board only" end of whiteroiling. the spectrum composite
(Phob couilesy ot Timberlech)

t i I

DECORATIVE POST CAP

FASTENING stems S
In most cases, composites can be . Composite Screws - Specially machinedjustlike wood. One impor- designed composite screws, on the tant difference the fasteners is used other hand, eliminate this volcano
to install them. Deck Screws effect.These screws have a length of coarse thread at the bottom and a Conventionaldeckscrews section of fine thread at the top. This

REDWOOD

do not work well with fine thread captures any "mushcomposites. The coarse rooming" material and pulls it back
thread on deck screws tends to tear and [ft the fibers ofcomposites, down into the screw hole. (Composite ScrewPhoto, below).

STAINIESS STEET GRAY

which resuls in an unsighdy Composite screws also come in "volcano" around the screw colors that match the various shades head (Conventional Deck Screw of composite materiaTs(Photos, Iefi). Photo, belua).Drilling pilot holesdoes Hidden Fasteners - Another lirde to eliminatetheseeruptions. option is hidden fasteners. Most
composites are compatible with the many hidden-fasteningsystems available from companies such as Eb-Ty, Grabber,Tiger Claq and others. Some composite manufacturers have gone one step further and designed a hidden-fastening system into their product. Lifelong Decking, for insrance, uses a screw-and-clip system that

A Conventionol deck screwsteor the compositefibersond creoleo scoron the surfoce.

A Duol-threoded compositedeckscrews hide thetorn fibers by pulling theminto the screwhole.

nestles between the deckboards. Another example isTendura Solids, which is pre-drilled for nailing through the tongue (see Integral Hidden Fasteners, below).

,li:.. .

| :. - ' "a . :.t: ' ..' . :, " . . t , . '"..,.

Hiddenfusbners on excellenl ore woy lo nsure cleon,blemish-free instollotion deckboords. of Shown hereore lwo exomples comof fudening sysrm rightin. Tenduro built *rttes fiot hoveo hidden Solids deckboords(belov(leftlore p'drilled ot 4n inbnols. .;it . . . '
all^:-^r-ll!-^-^ L----r J .. , .' ,'.,1,:- After.ins|olling..?n: thegroove ? . fie moting of r rytg, ' '.

] ..

boordwill hidethehdener. LifelongDecking(rightl uses screw o ond clip fiot conbrmb fie profileof thedeckboord.

<PRE.DRILLED
Tenduro Solids' predrilledtongue mokes eosy for noilingond o cleoner finished look.

34

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2004

cHoosE
MATE rtrFFE',unrrn^m RIATS
Given all this information on composites,and particularly the differences that existbefweentheseseemingly similar products,choosingthe compositethat bestsuitsyour needs may seemlike an overwhelming ask. The bestadviceI can offer is to apply an organized process elimination. of Design First - The first stepis to designyour deckjust the way you want it, without regardto whether or not there are compositesavailable to do everything you hope to. Later in the process you can decide whether you want to make any compromises to your design to accommodate composites. Shop Around - 1116l<1, this and is where the elimination begins, you'll need to determine which compositesareavailable your area. in Although this is a rapidly growing category,you'll find that many of the products listed in the Buyer's Guide(page just arent available 37) in your region. Check the Features- Having shortened the list to products you know you can get, you're ready to startcomparing product lines to your design.The first thing you'll want to consider is the completeness of the available compositelines.Ifyour deck includes a matching railing, you might want to eliminate the products that don't offer composite railing systems. Likewise, if you can't find the color, colorfastness, texture within or a given product line, then you can probably eliminate them from the short list. Also keep in mind that some products allow painting, and one in particularrequiresit.Are you okay with the occasionalmaintenancethis enails, or do you prefer to "build it and forget it?" Be sureto considerhow you'd like to constnrctthe deck.For example, wotrld you save money by usingdeckboardsthat span24" insteadof 16"? And is it important to you that you be able to usehidden fastenen? Compare'Warranties - You'll alsowant to comparethe warranties offered on the various products. Longer is better, obviously. But if you foresee sellingyour home,a warranty that can be transferredto the new owner might be a valuable sellingpoint. Mix and Match - As you apply this criteria, considerwhere you are willing to compromise. instance, For ifyou must havethe authenticwood look offeredby EverGrain,but want a fancier railing than they offer, are you willing to use a wood rail? Or perhapsyou can partner EverGrain deck boardswith the railing system from another manufacturer. Hopefully these guidelines will get you closeto finding the product or combination ofproducts to construct exacdythe project you desire. And having chosento usecomposites,you're not likely to haveto make this decisionagainin your lifetime.

How Io

Boordwolk
www.CertoinTeed.com 800-782-8777

EverX
www.UFPl.com

lifelong Decking
wwwBriteMfg.com 905-857-6021

TimberTech
www.TimberGch.com

608-326-0900

800-307-7780

ChoiceDek
www.ChoiceDek.com 8 0 0 - 9 5 1 - 5l1 7

Everoin
www.EveGroin.com 800-405-0546

NexWood
www.NexWood.com 888-763-9966

Trex
www.Trex.com 800-289-8739

CorrectDeck
www.CorrectDeck.com 888-290-1 235

GeoDeck
www.GeoDeck.pom 877-804-0137

Tenduro
www.Tenduro.com

WeotherBest
www.WeotherBesl.com

800-836-3822

800-343-3651

36

woRKBENcH

tr yuNr

2004

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perkup a I PORCH
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"welcome" like a front porch - unless happens be othing says it to an old porch that hasfalleninto disrepair, one ofthose tacked-on or afterthoughts with spindlyposts you sometimes on newly constnrcted see houses. One sureremedyfor either situationis to give your front porch a "facelift."In this article,we'refeaturingthreeprojectsthat do just that. Composite Flooring -The first improvementis to installrongueand-grooveflooring madefrom a durable,low-maintenance, weatherresistant compositematerial.Andthe bestpart of all - it looksjust like porch flooring, (See old-fashioned article beginning page on 40.) Post Cladding -The second upgradeis to add cedarcladdingto "beef up" the 4x4 poststhat aretypicalon manyporches.This make will them look more like architectural porch columns(page 42). Porch Railings - Finally, explainhow to build a simplerailing we and add decorative trim that integrates into the columns(page it 44).

39

One drarnatic improvement you can make to a front porch is to install new flooring. For this project, I wanted to re-create the feel ofan old-fashioned porch. Ifyou look at the Plrctoat left, I think you'Il agree this painted flooring gives it that warm, inviting appeal of yesteryear. A Solid Foundation - Aesthetics aside though, the floor must be solid without any "give" when you walk on it.That stabiliry comes from the footings and franring beneath the porch (Illustration, below). If you re '"vorking on an existing porch, you'll have the perfect opportuniry to examine these structural elements firsthand - after you tear offthe old flooring.To shore Llp the frantework, you may have to replace rotting boards, add bridging to take the "bounce" out of the floor, or perhaps"sister" a new joist to one that'ssagging. Depending on the condition of the porch, you may want to hire a contractor to do this work.That's also a good idea if you're adding a new porch, as building the structure of a porch can be a fairly complicated process.

Instolling the Flooring

That will free you up to concentrate on the most vrsually appealingelemenrsof the porch - like the flooring. On this porch, the flooring runs perpendicular to the house (Illustration,below).ln a nod to the olden days (and to ensure a rock-solid installation), I used tongueand-groove flooring. But notjusr any old tongue-andgroove flooring, mind you.

FTOOR ASSEMBTY
Fosten first two boords the with #8 x 2" golv. deck screws HouseSiding Quorter-Round Trim _ Tongue-ond-Groove Composifre Decking Rip gnioved edge from first boord Posl (treoted 4x4 |

Floshing

Composite Flooring Holf-Round

Quorter-Round I

Holf-Round Trim PorchFooting Weolher-resislronl scorf joint on skirt (seepoge 50) RimJoist

Cedor Skirt Boord

40

To minimize maintenance and framing is out ofsquare,the overhang createa durable,weather-resistant will makeanydiscrepancy noticeable. les suface,I useda compositematerial With that in mind, position the calledTenduraClassic (Photo, ight). lt's board so its cut edge overhangs the a mixture of wood fibersand plastic sideof the porch.Thisboardand the (henceits longeviry),which youd one that's installed next are simply neverguess looking at it.Tendura face-fastened screws, by with creating a looks so much like traditionalwood solidbackstop subsequent for pieces. flooring that it's acnrally usedfor hisAToolYou'll Need -To install toricalrestorations.That madeit ideal most of the remaining flooring, I for this project. (See page30for more rented a pneumatic floor nailer inJorm ationab ut compsite ) o o s. (Photo,right). drivesa fastenerat a It Starting Square - The key to 45o angle through the tongue and making surethe floor will be square into the joist. To operateit, set the to the front ofthe houseis to carefirlly nailerright on the flooring, and then lay out the the first strip of flooring. strike the plunger with a mallet. Ifit isnt square, restofthe boards the Using the nailer, installing the will alsobe "oft-,"compounding the boards should go smoothly and problem asyou work your way across quickly.fu you work your way across the porch.The Box below outlinesa the porch, someboardswill haveto simplemethod for startingoffsquare. be notched to fit around the posts. Before installing the first board, Here, a wood cleat will help supyou'll need to rip the groove from port the flooring (Inset Photo). the edgeofthe piece (Fastening Detail, When you get to the oppositeend Front View). This producesa square of the porch, rip the tongue offthe edge, which you will laterattacha last board (again, the half-round to for half-round trim piece. rrim). As before,face-fasten last the As for the length of the board, rwo boards.Then attacha half-round there arerwo things to consider. First, trim piece on the three sidesofthe to allow for expansion(yes,even porch perimeter and a strip of compositematerial expands), you'll quarter-roundnext to the house. want to leavea1/4" gapbetweenthe Just Finishing - To finish off end of the board and the house.It's the floor, I paintedtheTendura,which alsoa good ideato allow for an ample camepre-primed.It'simportant here overhangon the front ofthe porch to use the type of paint recom(Edging Detail).-tlns way,if the porch mendedby the manufacturer.

A Foro duroble,
low-mo inteno surfoce, nce we usd o preprimedcomposite colledTenduro Clossic the longuefor ond-groove flooringond holf-round trim.

AA floor noiler/obovel drives noilsol on ongle infothe tongues the of flooring. cleotottoched A to fte post (right) svpportsnotchedboords.

Tosquore fir$ fooring boordto the he house,used conceptofo I the "squoring hiongle." bosed thefodhqto hil/s on ongle wilh o 3:4:5 rotiowill leld o perfuctlysquore onglein onecorner. 90o Stort loyingoutfwo "legs"of o hiby (one ondone3' homfhecomer ongle 4' of the porchf.lf the disbncebetween these pointsis 5', theboordis squore. Afterinstolling obouteverythreeor bur boords,meosure between lost the boordond the end of the porchot severol points olonghe boord.Themeos urcmenF should thesome. not,moke be lf o rqysmoll odiusfnrentfie nortbood. in
woRKBENcH tr.JuNn 2004

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firsiwo boords THIRD: Meosure fromlost-instolled boordto endof

deckot severolpoints fir ensureporollel instollotion

41

COLUMNS
4x4 Pressure-Treobd Post

Typically,4x4 pressure-treated posts are used to hold up a porch roof. They're strong enough for the job, but they just look skinny. One way to achieve a more proportional look is to wrap the posts with 3/+"-thick cedar boards.That is, to clarlthe posts. To clad the posts on this porch, I

used a three-step processthat involves cladding the lower posts, adding a decorative nrid-cap, and installing the upper cladding (see lllustrationat lert). Locking Rabbet Joints - The cladding is assembledwith locking rabbetjoints.This is a strong,durable joint that, when glued with exterior glue, standsup to the worst weather. (The technique for making locking rabbetjoints is explainedon page47.)

Siod wlflr lower Cladding

Essentially,the cladding is a "box" thatt built around the post. For easy assenrbly, built in two L-shaped it'.s sections that fit around the post. The size of this box is important. You don't want it to fit too tightly around the post. If the post nvists, the joints - strong asthey are - could "blow" apart.The solution is to build in a "fudge factor" - that is, a gap between the box and the post to accommodateposible post movement. Most of the cladding work is done in the shop. Using the dimensions shown in the Illustration below, go Lower Clodding x l3/q" 47/s"

36y2"1

Clodding
Piece

11/

r'1.

CONSTRUCTION

vtEw
42

Attoch with 8d golv. finish noils

wol{KtENCH

ft .yuNE 2004

ahead and rip the cladding pieces to width (47s" in my case)and crosscut rhem to Ierrglh (341/2").Next, cut the locking rabbetjoints, asexplained on page 47.Then, make each of the two L-shaped halvesby gluing rwo pieces ofcladding together. At this point, you're ready to transport the cladding to thejob site and install it.This is a simple, threestep process (Claddinga Post,page 42). Just a note here. To ensure that the porch railings wili align with each other once they're installed, the face of the post to which you attach the first L-shaped section ofcladding is important. This face is. in a sense. your "true north." The idea is to attach that first L-shaped section to that same relative face on each oost.

To shed water, the mid-caps are beveled on their upper face. Cutting to thesebevelsis easiest do if the midThe cap is completely assembled. problem is the nvo L-shaped secrions of the mid-cap have to fit around the post, so you can't actually assemble it until vou're at the iob site. The solution is to glue two pieces together to form the L-sections, and then temporarily join the two L-sections with screws. (Frg. 1, below).Be sure to keep the screws out ofthe path ofthe saw blade.But iust in case, iti best to use brass screws.That way, the blade won't get damaged if it accidentallynicks one of the screws. Now you can go ahead and make the bevel cuts on the table saw (Fig. 2). Of course, you'll need to disassen-rble mid-caps before installing the them on the posts (Fig.3).After fluing the halves together, simply toenail thenr to the post (Photo,page 40).

is that here, I routed a decorative chamfer on all four edges.This detail isn't added to the lower claddings becausetrim pieceswill cover those corners once the railings are installed.

MID.CAPASSEMBLY
Piece llth" x2Y4" x81/4"1

72"-wide morlise, 2Vt" deep

Add the tlld-Gcpc

To create a visual "break" between the upper and lower cladding, I added thick mid-caps to the posts.Each rrrid-cap is a frame nrade of 1l/2"Llke thick cedar (Mid- CapAssembly). the cladding,the idea is to make rlvoL-shapedsections, and then assemble them around the post. Once again,making mid-caps that would withstand the weather was high on my prioriry list. So this time, I used open morrise and tenon joints page48 to assemblethe mid-caps (see and detailat right),

ziii,,'iongL------./ frii;,!

Use#8 x 3/a" bross screws f,o hold holveslogether

Inctcll Upper Glcddlng

The final stageofconverring a porch post to a column is to install the upper cladding above the mid-cap. It's almost identical to the lower cladding: 3/+"-thick cedar, locking rabbet joints, and L-shaped sections that wrap the posts.The only diflerence

In orderto cutthebevels the on Oncethemidcop is ossembled, the tilt To instoll mid-cop, the remove screws the top foce of eoch mid-cop,tem- sow blodel0o. Then, ofterottoching toll to seporote intothe two L-shoped o it sections pororily ossemble two unglued fenceond feotherboord, the mokeo beveled ogoin.Thenopplyexterior glue,fit theseciointswith brossscrews. cuton oll fourfoces the mid-coo. of tionstogether, ond clompthe ioints.
lgonKBENCH tr tuNr 2004

43

A porch railing is required by most building codes. Therein lies a dilemma: How do you construct a protectivebarrier that looks and feels more like a friendly leaning rail? This cedar railing does that well. As you can seein the Photoat left, it hasa simple, straightforward design. Combined with some simple trim pieces,the railing integratesquite nicely with the porch columns.

Rclllng Borlcc
The Ilhstraionbelow providesa quick overview of the railing. Note how the upper and lower rails (2x4$ are connectedby 2x2 balusters.A 2x6 capprovidesthe crowning touch. Rails - Cut the rafu to length to match the distance between the columns.As a decorativedetail, I routed a 1/2" charnferin the bottom edgesofthe upper rail and top edges of the lower ran Qop RaiI Detail). Balusters-As for the balusters, it's just a matter of cutting them to length. Here, routing a 1/q" chamfer on all four edgsshelpsto "soften" the The top and look of the balusters. bottom endsofeach baluster fasare tened to the rails with a screw and

RAITING ASSEMBIY
BweledEdge Upper Clcdding RoilCop (172" 5" x length roil minusll4"l x of

Mid-Cop

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44

woRKBENcH

tr IUNE 2004

a nail. The screw makes for a solid connection, and the nail prevents

the balustersfror-nrotating. Rail Cap -Although it's irutalled after the trim blocks, there'sno reason the rail cap can't be made in advance. It's 71/2"shorter than the rail below form an L-shaped corner assembly it because the cap fits against a 3/-1" that coverseach corner ofthe column trim piece on each end.Wide bevels (lllustratiorr,belotuleft). It's assembled cut in the top face of the rail cap exactly the salne way as the post provide a comfortable hand rest cladding - with locking rabbetjoinrs (Photo,right). And grooves routed in (scc pa.qe 47).Thc rernaining pieces the bottom create a drip edge. are just blocks of wood attached to

part of the column.And second,they capture the ends of the railings, providing a solid connection with the colunrns (Railing Assentbly, page 44). All the trim pieces are nrade from 3/a"-thick cedar.Two of these pieces

lime for llim

Once the railings are constructed, it's time to install them on the porch. This is where the trin.r piecesI rnentioned earlier come into play. The trim pieces do two things. First, they add depth ro the lower

the colunrnsonc piece Jt il tinlc. The scqucncc attaching the trin-r of pieces is inrportant. It involves attaching the first Gw trinr pieces,and then using thenr to register the railing as you slide it into place (lllustration, Itclowri.qht). Add thc renrairring trirrr blocks to cor.npletethe job.

Afterinstolling toll ouxilioryfenceond feotho erboord,tilt the toblesow blode5" ond thenrip o wide bevelon bothedgesof the roil cop.

STEPl: Instoll two trim corner ossemblies (see Corner Assembly below)-

aTrimCorner

2: STEP Instoll upper lower ond

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NOTE: The for ioinery the

woRKITENCH

fl JUNE

2004

45

OPEN MORTISE &IENON

Theienon slipsinf,o on open-ended mortise, formingo strongmechonicol iointwith o lorgegluesurfoce

TOCKING RABBET JOINT

A tonguethofs formedby robbetingone piece fits into o groove in the motingpiece

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BAD\TEATHER
;r egarrd[ess where you live,building outdoor projectsthat of * wi$istand the weather can be a challenge.Theminute the ln terluleraturedropsbelow freeztng,thatfint rain or snow hib, $s or ndhlre nrrnsup the heat,yourwoodworking projecs are under attack from the elements. wood expandsand As contractswith changesin the weather,thesejoints often open up - or blow apart completely. At first, the problem is cosmetic. But if left alone,it leadsto bigger problems that compromise the structural integriry of the project. While you cant do much about the weather,you can build projectsthat last.The secretis to usejoinery that defies elements.Three the suchjoints (the very sameones we usedin our porch projecton page38) arepresented here. Specifically, they area locking rabbetjoint for the cladding on the posts, open mortise and tenon joint for the midan caps,and a scarfjoint for the fascia and skirt boards (Illustrution,left).Each thesejoints is explainedin detail of on the following pages. Of course, joint is going to standup to the weather no unlessyou use the right adhesive. See the Box below for three great options for holdingjoints together.

qll These threeodhesivEs help.r"ol" o weotherproof loint Iirebond lll foantrorJthe nqrrcst is oftring. lt driesfostiustlikepllor rvoodglue- plusil's wobrproof. Polyurethone glue fngrrt,tokes longer sel,ondfie glueexpcnds, tc TITEBOND III mokingcleonupmossy.But this WOOD GLUE exponsion gops in ioints,ond fills theendresult o superrhong is hold. Epolf Mit the gold stondord for ouldoorodhesives the only price.Foro lorge downside fie is 2-PARTEPOXY using epo4y oll he ioints on POTYURETHANE proiect, ADHESIVE is on expensive proposition. GtUE 46
woRKBENcH fl tuNn 2004

RABBET LOCKING JOINT Builder

On our front porch, we used locking rabbet joints to join the cladding that surrounds the 4x4 posts.As you can see in the Photobelow, there's a tongue on one piece that's formed by cutting a rabbet in the edge.This tongue fits into a groove cut in a mating piece. These interlocking parts form a strong mechanical joint. Plus, the large glue suface of the joint provides additional strength. Locking Rabbet Basics - The main goal when creating this joint is to have the tongue fit into the groove with a friction fit - not too tight, but not so loose that the mating pieces can move around. Also, the pieces that are joined together should fit flush with each other on the outside. Groove Setup - To accomplish these rwo things, I start by cutting the groove. (For the porch project on page 38. it's a l/a"-wide groove,3/s" deep.) For that size ofgroove, it's easy enough to mount the proper size of dado blade in the table saw The critical thing, however, is positioning the rip fence to cut this groove.That's because the fence determines the location of the inside shoulder ofthe groove.To get a flush-fitting joint, this shoulder has to be set in from the edge of the workpiece a distance that matches the thickness of the stock.The easiestway to do this is to use a scrap piece of the cladding material as a thickness gauge for setting the rip fence (seeFig. 1 below). Get in the Groove - With the Gnce set, cutting the groove is as easy as setting the workpiece face down on the table, butting it against the rip fence, and making a passover 'lo ensure that the groove is the blade (Fig 2) a consistent depth, I mounted a featherboard to my rip fence to hold the workpiece down on the table. Cut the groove in all four pieces before turning your attention to the rabbets. Rabbet Setup- Once the grooves are completed, the next step is to cut a rabbet in the opposite edge ofeach piece to form the tongue.You can use the same width dado blade as for the groove to make the rabbet. Only this time, attach an auxiliary fence to the table saw'srip fence,and set the dado blade so it just grazesthe side of this fence (Fig.,f. Here, the position of the fence in relation to the blade determines the length of the tongue, which should match the depthof the mating groove (in our case,3/g"). The other critical dimension here is the depthof cut,as it determines the thickness the of tongue. To get a good fit, run a test piece through the blade. Then test the fit of this tongue in one of the grooves you've already cut. Adjust the depth of cut accordingly, sneaking up on a perfect fit. Make the Rabbet - Once you have achieved a nice fit between the tongue and the groove, proceed with ! cutting the rabbets in all four pieces (Fig. 3) Again, use a featheri board to hold the workpiece down on thLe table

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woRKBENCH ft.yuNE 2004

MORTISE&TENON OPEN
Strength, durabiliry and ease of assembly - three reasons for using an open mortise and tenon joint to assemblethe mid-caps of the porch posts. Open Mortise & Tenon - Also known as a "slip" joint, it has an open-ended mortise on one piece that acceptsa tenon on the mating piece (Photo,below).Here again, these interlocking parts and the large glue suface they create form a strong, durablejoint. Layout - The first step in making an open lnortise and tenon is to lay out the joint.The mortise is laid out on one end of each piece, the tenon on the other. This goes quickly because the layout for the mortise is exactly the same as it is for the tenon. I divide the thickness of the workpiece into thirds and use a combination square to lay out the Lines(Fig. 1).

tcstering

ftlortises

It's best to cut the mortises first. This way, it's easier to nuke the tenons fit the mortises than vice vena.These morcontisesare fairly deep (21/a").So in order to make a safe, trolled cut, I use the band saw to cut both para of the joint. Fence Setup - For accuracy, you'll need to set up a fence.The location of this fence determines the width of the mortise.The idea here is to position the fence so the blade will cut to the insideof the layout bne (Fig. j).

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and

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< Interlocking portsond moke o lorge glue surfoce the open mortiseond lenon ioint o solidchoicefor midcops. o woy to cut the ossemblies A A bond sow provides controlled Plus, thesetwo L-shoped the Here,thefencedelermines widthof the wrop rightoroundo porchpostiustlike mortise. its is mortise, while o stopblockdeiermines depfh. o collor,so ossembly o snop.

flippingthe piece A Loyout the mortise ond tenon I Set the bond sow fence,ond A Cut both sidesof the morlise, cuts.Thenbockoff the fence,ond remove using o combinotionsquore. thenuseoneof themidcoppieces between os of to setthelocotion o stopblock. the middlewostesection shownobove. into Divide thickness thirds. the 48
woRKBENcH fl.JuNa 2004

skill
Then, when itt time to cut the tenons, you'll cut to the outsiileof the line, which should result in a snug fit. Stop Block - Another important consideration is the depthof rhe mortise.That's determined by a stop block thatt clamped to the fence. The depth of the mortise equals the width of the workpiece, so an easyway to set the stop block is to use one of the workpieces as a gauge (Fig. 2). Make the Mortise - With the fence and stop block in place, cut the mortise by holding the workpiece against the fence and running it through the blade until it contacts the stop block.Then, flip the workpiece over and make a second cut to establish both sides of the mortise (Fig 3). Flipping the workpiece between cuts this way ensures a oerfectlv centered mortise.

Builder

Mortise Qlsan-qu3 - The middle waste section of the mortise still needs to be removed.To do that, back offthe fence. and cut out the middle of the mortise as shown in Fig.3a on page 48.Then use a chisel to square up the bottom of the mortise (Fig. 3b).

lenon llps

I i

I
i

t
I

Now itt time to cut the mating tenons.You can usethe samefenceand stop block to establish tenon cheeks the that you usedfor the mortises. Rememberthough,this time you'll want to cut on the outside the layoutline. of Test Cut - fu simple asit sounds, canbe a tricky this piece cut to getjust right. So I recommendusinga scrap the samethicknessas the workpiece to test the tenon cuts.After cutting both cheeksof a tenon on this piece, cut the"test" tenon &ee.This scrap tenon makes key that a you canslideinto the mortiseto checkthe fit (Fig,4).Once you havethe setupjustright, lock the fencein placeand cut the cheeks the actualworkpiece (Fig.5). on Tenon Shoulders- The next step is to cut the shouldersof the tenon. To ensurea squarecut, use a miter gaugeon the band saw.Thelength of the tenons is crucialto a right-fitting open mortise and tenonjoint, so again, a stopblock to establish use where the shoulder will be cut.This time, clamp the stop block to an auxiliary fence attachedto the miter gauge(Photo left). at Once again,use one of the workpiecesto set the distance from the bladeto the stop block (Frg.6).Then, cut the shouldersby butting the end of the workpiece againstthe stop block and pushing it into the blade precise A Forsquore, tenonshoulders, o miter using the miter gauge.Cut into the shoulder until use gougeon the bond sow. Herethe stopblockdeter- reaching the tenon cheek, removing the waste piece. mines the length the fenon. of Then,flip the workpieceoverand cut the other shoulder.

t
FIRST tenon Cut freefromscrop piece

V/Norch foi
dustrelief 'sbP

A Cut o "tesl" tenonon o scrop A Once the setupis iustright,cut A Useo miter gougeto cutthe piece of stock,ond insertit into tenoncheeks themortise like sides, tenon A shoulders squore. stop the mortise checkthe fit. to flippingthe piecebetween cuts. block ensures precise cuts.
woRKBENCH Et.JuNn 2004

49

SCARFJOINTS
Occasionally,it would be nice to have a board "stretcher." The fascia and skirt boards on the porch, for example, are over 20 feet long.We couldnt buy boards that long, so we did the next best thing - we used a scarfjoint to make one long board from two shorter ones. Strong & Simple - Compared to many joins, a scarf joint is quite a bit simpler.The basic idea is to take two fullthickness boards and cut a bevel in the face of each one to form a thin "feather" of material on the end.When put together, these beveled faces create such a large glue surface that the result is an extremely strongjoint. Build,Then Cut - To make a scarfjoint, you'll need to build a simple jig (Box on page5|.This jig allows you to cut the beveled faces in the boards with a handheld router and 2 l/2" 5g6ight bit. The jig shown here is set up to create a scarfjoint with an 8:1 ratio. In other words, the board will have 8" ofglue suface for every 1" ofboard thickness. Adjust the Cutting Depth - After mounting the router to the sled, the first step is to adjust the depth of

ATo cufo scorf ioinf,the router is mounted o to sled thot rides on o shop-built iig with bpered sides. Use o &,o" l/2" skoight bit or spirol bit to cut the wide, beveledfoces of fte ioint.

cut.To do this, place the router directly over the end of the base of the jig.Then, set the bit depth so it just grazes the edge of the base (Fig 1a). Even though the bit is set at maximum depth, I wouldnt recommend cutting the bevel in one pass.You'd have to "hog" offtoo much material, which would put a lot of stresson the bit. Instead, the idea is to make a series ofprogressively deeper passes produce a thin "feather" to of material on the end (Figs. l-j below). Make the First Cut - fb accomplish this, set the workpiece a few inches back from the end of the jig, and clamp it firmly in place. Make sure it's butted against

FIRSIClomp wo_rkpiece 3" obout

FIRSt Reposition workpiece obout

holfwoytoword end of iig 2

SECOND: o Cut deeper bevel on second poss

shollowbevelon foce of workpiece

Alignworkpiece flush withendof moke iig,then o finolposs

A Afterodiusting depthof cut the (Fig. Ia), clomp the workpiece in the iig. Thenmokeo series of posses routo shollowbevel. io

A Tc increose sizeof thebevel, the reposition workpiece the closer to the end of the iig ond mokeo second series posses. of

A Now olign the boordwith the end of theiig ond mokethefinol posses. produces "feother" This o of moteriol the beveled ot end.
woRKBENCH tr JUNE 2004

50

skill
one side of the jig to keep it square.Then set the router sled on top of the jig so the bit is over the exposed edge of the workpiece. Now turn the router on, and slowly slide the sled down the jig, and then back up. Repeat this processacross the entire width of the workpiece (see Frg. l).When you reach the opposite edge of the workpiece, the bit will actually cut into the side of the jig, but that's okay.You need to do this to completely clean up the edge. Finish the Cut - When you're finished, unclamp the workpiece, and slide it closer to the end of the jig (about half the distance).Then reclamp it, and repeat the process. The bit will cut deeper this tirne, creating a larger bevel (Fig.2) For the final pass,move the workpiece all the way to the end of the jig (Fig 3). ScarfJoint Glue-Up - Gluing a scarfjoint together presentsa couple ofchallenges. First, the beveled faces of the two pieces tend to slip against each other.Also, it can be difficult to keep the edgesaligned.An easyway to solve both problems is to build a simple L-shaped assemblyjig.The base of this jig provides a clamping surface for the workpiece. And a fence keeps the pieces aligned.To glue up the joint, simply follow the procedure outlined in Figures4 and 5 at right. Planer Trick - When the glue ses,there'sone optional step you can take to produce a super-smooth face where the scarfjoint comes together.That'.sto make a light pass through the thicknessplaner with the joined boards.

Builder

A Aftergluing up the moting focesof the scorfioint,o lightposson o thickness plonermokes the iointline olmost disop peor ilnsef/.

l" hole

Theiig used moke to scorfioints consisfs threedifof brenl porfs:o long plp'voodboselo hold he wo*piece,fwo bpered sides,ond o sledbr he rouler lhot "rides"on theongledsidesfseelhe lllusffiion ot rightl. Foro smoolh, ocurobcut, ifs imporlonl fie ftot bpered sidesore idenlicol. occomplish use To thot, gong the sides doublesidediope to tempororily bgefher. Then outthebper ondroughcut on hE loy it bondsow. Noc, lointb he loyoutlinelo produce o smocfh edge.Pull pics oporl,ondglueondscrew fie themb thebose. Thesledhol the rouferis mounbdto is equolly simpfe. o pieceol3/{ plywood lfs of witho couple qttoched he ends (llustrotionJ. o I o cfeots b Drill holebr bit cleqronca, oftoch rouler thesled ond fie ic by running mqchine screws through counterup lhe sunkholesin thesledond intohe roubr bose.
woRKBENCH D JUNE 2004

3V2" #6 counbrsunk shqnk holes NOTE: shown cut Jig will on 8"-long bevel every br 1" of boordthickness Side
Cleqt pftt x?/ln x7rrl

RoubrSled

3/t"

lo
51

T;--a)l:.a 4?T-'-.-t;7a
;;*'1"fu1

$a-

HOWWE
REMOVAL STOCK
like prompted test. this Lofty cloims oboutbelt-sonder performonce to Con q rondom-orbit sonderreollybe expected flottenon ponel,os shownot right? Turns o few uneven, imperfect out of these sonders up to thechollenge. ore for To putthesonders on equolfooting, sonded on we l0 minutes o 6Ogrit with discto remove much os We stockos possible. weighedthe ponelsbefore how ond ofterto meqsure muchstockwos removed (Photo, /eft/. Thiswos the firstindicotion these thot hovevoryingcoposonders bilities ond usoges.

' DUST COLTECTION

It con'tbe longbefore sonders comewith will wornings fromthe Surgeon Generol obout the heolth risks dust.In the meontime, of we needto look for sonders thot swollowtheir $, LEVET NOISE own dust,so we don'thoveto. Our meosure is Sonding dirty,hordwork.Does hove of this wos to sond solid-surfoce it moteriol to be loud, too? We meosured (which finedust) ond creotes very ond seewhich comoored loudness thesonders. sonders the of cleoned ofterthemselves. uo

TOOr CONTROT
Your sonderwonts to go in o circle, you wont it to go in o but stroight line.Theoutcome this of contest hoveo big impoct on will the quolityof your proiect.We tested norrow control sonding by boords seeif on erront to sonder wouldroundtheedges.

At 8O-GRIT: thisgrit,sonding swirls ore 12O-GRlt Swirlsore fewer,ond the 18O-GRII thispoint, thesonders By oll obvious, thefinish muddy. ond is Quite finishis cleorer, we we wouldn't hqd ochieved sotisfoctory but o finish. Most o bit moresonding necessory. is stophereif thiswere o proiect. modethegrodeot 1SO-grit.
WOI\KBENCH ! IUNE 2OO'tr

53

6" Random-Orbit Sanders:

These are all 6" random-orbit sanders, and they all have electric motors. Those are the only truths that apply to all of thesetools without exception. Beyond that, each tool distinguishes iself, for better or wone, in at leastone of the following categories.

SAME TN IUA]UIE ONUY

One dual random-orbit sander (Ridgid) lets you toggle between di{ferent orbit sizes.And while the company claims that this gives the sander more aggressivestock remova.l characteristics, feel it's more accuwe rate to consider this a finish sander (like the conventional ROS) with an extra measure of versatility becauseof the rwo orbit settings. For rapid stock removal, three sanders@osch, Makita, Festool) offer an eccentric, or direct-drive action, in addirion to the conventional ROS pattern (see page55for moreon this). connection, they both did a passable job of minimizing dust.And it's nice to have the option of a dust bag when a shop vacuum isn't convenient. As to whatt required to connect a sander to a vacuum, there are some telling differences: . The Festool sander requires a Festool hose because ofits oval port. . It's hard to get the Makita to work with any hose, as most hoses tend to slip offthe small dust port. . The Fein. Bosch. and PorterCable sandersfit best with their own brand ofhose, but can be adapted to others without much trouble. . DeWalt requires you to purchase an accessoryto connect its sander to a vacuum. . Only the Ridgid comes ready to connect to any standard 11/4" or 2" vacuum hose.

9cnding Aclion
Three types ofsanding action are represented\ theseswen sanden N*l.h single action only, dual-random orbit, and eccentric/ random orbit. The single-action sanders(PorterCable, DeWalt, Fein) are those we have conventionally thought of as random-orbit sanders(ROS).The discs of these sanders spin while simultaneously moving in an elliptical pattern. There is no means of affecting the size or pattern oforbit on these tools.

Dust Gollection
Most of thesesanders require shop a vacuumfor dustcontrol.TheDeWalt and the Ridgid, however, come equippedwith a dust collectionbag. Although not asefFective a vacuum as

Bosch
Virtues: Perfectly bolonced; Awesome stockremovol; Excellent finesonding; Flowless control. dust Vices: Not louderthonother sonders, quiteshrillby comporbut ison.Puttheeorplugs for sure. in Verdicil Only the Festool motches thissonder feoturefor-feoture on ond points. oll performonce And thisone costs obout$ I 00 less.

Festool
powerful, Virtues: Smooth, ond perfectly bolonced; Outstonding stockremovol ond finesonding. Vices: Requires Festool o hosefor dustcollection. Verdicf: Thisis os good os the Bosch everywoy. Only money in seporotethe two. And you'd neverregretthe extro expense.

Mclkitq
Virtues: Accepts six-hole ond ninehole sonding,discs; modes Duol foroggressive finesonding. or poorly Vices: Ourtest modelwos to bolonced difficult conirol. ond Dust collection leost wos effective. Verdicil Weweredisoppointed withourtest becouse overooe tool of dust control poorbolonce. ond

www.Boschloob.com 877-267-2499

www.Fesfool-USA.com

888-332-8600

www.tlokilo.com 800-462-5482
woRKBENcH ! JUNE 2004

54

vs. RANDOM-ORBIT ECCENTRIC

A relotively new wrinkle in is rondom-orbit sonders duolThe mode functionolity. ideois lrc slock removol offer oggressive in obllities the ond fin+sonding some sonder. The Mokito, oll sonders Bosch, ond Festool hovethisfeoture. coupleconvenThese sonders tionol orbit qctionin one mode octionin the with on eccenhic mode. second In rondomorbitmode,these three frcols operole likeoll the iust o$ers in the test.Thot is, the sondingpod spinswhile olso movingin on ellipticolorbit (obove This theoction thot lefiJ. is sonders hoseomedrondornorbit for o repulotion beingexcellent sonders. finishing Theeccentric modeis ollobout The stcck removol. podstillspins, but the ellipticol potfern is reploced o lineolbockondby (lehJ. Thisis o forth movemenr directdrivemode,whichsimply the meons podwon'tdoll under pressure. is Thus, stockremovol morelikefiot of o belt*onder.

RANDOA'IORBIT
Mokito, AWe preferthe lever{ype(Bosch, Festool) chongerto switchsonding modes (Photo, over Ridgid'sbutton/Phofo,bottoml. fopl

OF SIZE ORBIT?
Virtues: Goodprice; Duolorbits finish moke o versotile sonder; it Dust control excellent thebog is with ondeven better o vocuum. with requires o Vices: Slight wobble gripot times. firm is comVendicil This on offordoble, plete pockoge versotility with beyond finish singlemode sonders. the cleorlyshows sizeof Thissimple experiment o sonder's orbit. A smolldot morkedon the o disc becomes circlewhenthe sonding sonderis runningot ils slowest of Thediometer the speed. c the circleequols orbitsize here of thesonder. Shown t' is the5mmFestoolorbit.

www.Ridgid.com 800-474-3443
woRKBENcH n;uNr 2004

Body lYpe
Most of these sanders evolved from right-angle grinders, and that heritage is clear in their barrel-grip style bodies. The one exception in this group is the Ridgid, which is an inlinestyle sander, with the motor mounted directly above the sanding pad. Beyond the aestheticdifferences, inline sandersgenerally arent aspow-

An integral palm grip on top of the sanderis a much better place for that "other" hand. Of the rightangle sanders,all but the Fein have this comfort feature. An even better design is Ridgidi sander, which has a molded palm grip and aJront-mounted handle.The palm grip,just as with those on the right-angle sanders,offers a com-

A A m o l d e dp o l m g r i p directlyover the s o n d i n g i s co f f e r s d more comfort ond bettercont r o l t h o no s i d e h o n d l eT h e . p o l mg r i p o l s o dompens vibrotion from the sonder.

erful as the right-angle variery so fortable, effective hold directly over they aren't well-suited to aggressrve the sanding disc.This hand position stock removal. helps you apply consistent pressure On the other hand, inline sanders over the full area ofthe sanding disc. usualiy offer up less vibration and Where Ridgid went one step furnoise than their right-angle brethren, ther is with their front-mounted making them excellent for extended handle.This simple variation on the fine sanding. Such was our experiside handle makes a lot of sense. ence in corrparing the Ridgid to First, the shape of the handle is the right-angle sandersin this test. much more ergonomic than the

Hondhold
Another throwback to the right-angle genesis ofthese sanders their side are handles.Quite &ankly,thesehave little worth in a woodworkir-rg shop.

cylindrical rypes on other sanders. Second, its location - direcdy in-line with the main grip - keeps the downward pressure centered on the sanding disc, instead of to one side or the other aswith the side handles.

Porfer-Cqble
Virtues: Competitive price; Effective control; dust Not much quieter thonothers, less "whiny." but Vices: Moderote wobblethot's di[ ficuhto control lowerspeeds; ot Dust hoseinterferes borrelgrip. with Verdic* Thisis o bosicsonder thot's quitecopoble o finefinish. of Portner witho qood beltsonder this if you olsowontfostitockremovol. www.Porler-(oble.com 800-487-8665 56

DeWqlr
Virtues: Lowprice;Well-bolonced (nowobble);Excellent control dust with thebog, flowless control dust with o vqcuum connection. Vices: Hoseconnector soldos is on occessory. Vendict Thisisthebest sinolemode finish sonder thegroup.lt'ieffective, in offordoble, o pTeosure use. ond ro Don'texpect much stock for removol.

Fein
Virtues: Well-bolonced; Powerful; Dust free. Vices: Relotively expensive comporedto theduol-mode, vorioble speedsonders competes it ogoinst. Verdich Onceon industry stondord,thissonder now o [ittle is the behind curvein terms performof onceond feotures. lowerpriceor A morebells ond whistles in order. ore

www.DeWolt.com 800-433-9258

www.teinuS.com 800-441-9878
wonKBENCH ! JUNE 2004

This made a noticeable difference in the way this sander performed on narrow stock when the tools were prone to some sideways tipping an)'vvay'

Finol Recommendqtions
Editor'sChoice
BOSCH
bp |okEs honors Bosch with o sqnder lhot's enoughfor oggressive ponels uneven fofiening enough but $ill delicote br finolsonding. A foirly reosonoble price, befter vocuum ond compotibility, greobr ovoilobility give the q odvontoge Bosch slight overilsonlyequolin this bst, he Fe$ool.

Speed Control
Although there seems to be no agreement about where to locate the variable-speed switch on a sander - some models have it on the side of the barrel, others have it way on the back, while one has it mounted up ftont - it's clear that most manufacturen consider speed control to be a worthwhile feature.And we agree,parricularly during aggressivesanding with coarse grits. Being able to slow the tool down adds a great deal of control and lessensthe likelihood of careening off line and damaging a surface. In this group, only the Fein lacks variable-speed control'

With V lt'soll oboutthe poperwork' only theirpoper sonder, the Festool willwork.Mokito,on the otherhond, stonoccepts six-hole \ dord poPeror the proprietory voriety nine-hole by invented Festool.

Top Vqlue
RIDGID
We con'l ogree with thot Rifrid'scloim oggms sivEstockremovolis o of beneftt thEirduol-orbit sonder.But we wholehis endorse os heortedly on ofbrdoble,eftctive, ft sonder wilh dustfreenish on edro bit of rrersotility. And the neor-perfect it moke oll fie ergornmics moreothodive.

woRKBENcH

!.JuNr

2004

57

Construction Detoils
OverallDimensions: W D 521lz', x2S1lz,, x 61,,H

Cedor Finiols top off legposts Reorleg SidePonel Upper Shelf holds smoll pots tools ond

profiles Cedor slots curved ond on bock.ond ponels side creote

o clossic coffogelook

Circulqr Cubuts in side bock ond ponels odd

decorotive

ComerBlocks
usedto

up fromes

#7 x ls/s" Sbel Trim-Heod &rcw

Composib Decking qn creofes extremely duroble, weotherproof surfoce on bofiom shelf benchtop ond

ftrews 1---PockefHole r secure bottom shelf ondtrrpof bench legs ore 4x4 posts thotfit intonohhes SidePonel in outer corners of fromes

.itv' ii Iess(

cedarbecause resists it rot,And I useda composite decking material for the benchtop and lower shelf.This type of decking, made old up ofplastic and wood, is an extremelydurablematerial Thaicerainly wont happento this potting bench (see that will stand up to extremesof weather.Equally Photoat left).With its gracefully curved side and back important, it cleansup easily, making the benchtop a panels,it has a rustic charm that's reminiscent of a perfect worksudace for a potting bench. country cottage,making it an extremely attractive Fasteners & Finish - Of course,even weatherfixture in the garden.And the best part is you dont resistant materials will be spoiledif the fasteners corrode haveto worry about rain, snow,and sun damagingthe or rust.So I usedgalvanized and stainless-steel fasteners bench.Like a perennial plant, it will withstand the to assemble componentsof the bench. the weather and continue to look great from year to year. No-Finish Finish -Just a note about the finish. 'With Built to Last - The key to this longevity is the theseweather-resistant materials, there'sno need weather-resistant materialsused in constructing the to apply a finish. Over time, the bench will develop a bench.The largepanelsand thick leg postsaremade of beautifirl silver-gray color that complementsthe garden.
woRKBENcH ! yuNE 2004

ner will tell you that a good potting bench is to keeping a gardenlooking its best.Usually it's a stricdy utilitarian item that getsstuck in an

59

start with a sturdy

STRUCTURE
basrc It'sno wonder thispotting benchis sosturdy.The connected 2x4 by structureconsists offour thick posts frames that supportthe top ofthe bench andthe bottom shelf (see Photo right). at Build the Frames - Each frame consists two of (A), four rails @), and four triangular long stretchers and corner blocks (C), asshownbelow.Thestretchers railsaresimply crosscut length frorrr cedar2x4s.And to you canget eachcornerblock froma4x4 by making BlockCuttingDiagram). nvo 45o miter cuts (Corner The corner blocks will be used to squareup the frame, itt important that the miter cuts areaccurate. so A circularsawand a simplecutting guide make that a page snap(see 26).After cutting the corner blocksto size, Detail). drill mounting holesin eachone (Corner Block PocketJoinery - For speed and ease ofassembly, I usedpocket-hole screwsto assemble frames. the This requiresusing ajig asa guide when drilling the angledpocket holes(see onpage61). Box One thing to note is that only the tlvo middle rails height are attachedto the stretchers with pocket screws. correct while (The end railswill be attacheddirectly to the corner securing legswith log the blocks.)So go aheadand drill the pocket holesin the screws(lnset PhotQ.

BTOCK CORNER CUITING DIAGRAM

FRAMEASSE'YTBLY
En 2Vz" Pockel Screw Pocketholes O I CorneiBlocks

l3W x3th"x7i'l

Shehher

27y''Golvonized

llVl'x3Vz" x45W'l
NOTE:All frome pieces ore mode of cedor

x31/2" l8%") x 11Y2" POCKET HOLETAYOUT

in NOIE:Drillfieseholes 4 roilonly middle Middle Roil

woRKBENCH

fl luNr

2004

ends of the middle rails.While you're at it, drill pocket holes in aII the rails and both stretchersfor mounting the benchtop and lower shelf. This way,no fastenen will be exposedon thesesufaces. Assemble the Frames - After drilling the pocket holes, the next step is to assemblethe frames. Start by gluing and screwing the corner blocks to the stretchers and end ralls (Mounting Defail).Note how this createsa notch in the outer corners to hold the legs.Then fit the middle rai-ls into place and fasten them with pocket screws. Add the Legs - At this point, you can turn your attention to the legs.The tall rear legs (D) and shorter front legs (E) are simply cut to length from cedar 4x4s (see Illustration ight).The at circular saw cutting gurde (page26) cornes in handy here, as well. The legs fit into the notches in the outer corners of the &ame, and they're held in place with lag screwsthat passthrough the holes in the corner blocks. The tricky part is holding the frames at the proper height while you install the lag screws. Using scrap pieces asshown in the Photoon page 60 makes this an easy one-person job. Middle Shelf Suppolfs \61717 that's all left is to add a couple of 2x4 supports (F) for a middle shelf. Here again, drill pocket holes for attaching these suppors to the legs,and asbefore, for mounting the benchtop and botton.r shelf. Assembledlower Frome

Front Leg

l34'x3Wx40"l

In o pockeFhole oren'tdriven > Thispocket-hole ioint, the screws iig monufoc"slroighf'through workpiece they're ol o (theRocket), the set l5' ongle.Thismeons screw lhe enfers foced tured by the KregTool fhe piece. Compony, includes o onepieceond the dge of fie moting To guidehe drill bit so it drillso holeot exoctly foce clomp,31t" "step" 15", I use pocket*role {Phoftrs, o righfl.Like most drill bit, depthcollor, iig pocketioleiigs,it hoso speciol bit, "slep"drill bil thot o 6" squore-drive mokes ovolcounbrbre {o holdtheheodof the ond pocketscrews. on scred ondfie shonk holein oneoperotion. Thenicethingoboutthisiig is it hoso spocer (shown frrlowllhotensures fie exiting $ot is screw rough| cen|erd on thethickness 2x stock. of Thol mokes ideol(orthe?:,A it pieces fie bench. frome of

wor{KBENCH

JUNE

2004

deck it out &

DRESS UP IT
With the "skeleton" of the bench conrpleted, it'.stine to add thc "skin." That is, the decking for the benchtop and shelvesand the cedar side and back panels (see Illustrationbclou). port for the bottorn shelf, but the nriddle shclf is only sr"rpported the at ends.So for it, I used cedar decking which can spanthe opening without seggine. spcci:rlly ith thc lightw e weight itenrs likely to go on this shelf. l{ep;.rrc'liess the type of decking, of iti installedthe sarneway.Notch the front and back boards to fit around the legs (Notclt Dctails).Tl.ren space tl're boards evenly, and attach with pocket screws (1)orfrcl Srruu l)ctail). the curved profiles on top of each panel,the decorativecircular cutouts, and the wide notch in the botton.r edge (PanelAssembly). Each panel is built like a picket lence.The "pickets" are 3/+"-thick ccdar slats(l) ripped 4114"wide.To srve nrrterirl, itls best to use vrrying lengths of slats.(Note how the top ends of the slatsare staggered./ Thc slats arc evenly spacc'dand assenrbled into a pancl using temporary cleats(Fiq.1).Locatethe cleaLs as shown in the Pancl Asscmbly. Later, they'll be used to hold the panelsin position when attaching the individr-ralsl:rtsto the bench (sr:cFig.3). llut flrst, vou'll need to lay out tl're shape of the panels.A tenrplate

Decking: f\ro $pes

I used two types of decking: a conrposite nrrterial for tl'rebenchtop and bottorn shelf (G) arrdcedrr decking for the nriddle shelf (H).Why not Lrse the sanredecking in botlr places? First of all, conipositedecking is easy to clerrr, so it's icle:rlfor the benchtop, which will get potting soil dunrped on it. It nrakessensefor the shelves, too.The only problenr is it sagsif not properly supportecl. J'hc lower fi"lnre proviclesthe nceclecl sup-

Side& Bock Panels

Once the dcckins is installccl, the sidesand back of the bcnch can be encloseclwith ceclarpanels.These panels lrc functional, br,rt I wantecl to clress thcnr up a bit, too. Hence

c coP
l3/t"x4Vt" x4th"l

so.t P9*tstot,

uppPsur
(1"x 572"x $t/r"l \

3y6',x2',

l3/l'x{Vz" x -vorioble lengths)

4)t

-"f
-

Notch shelf oround leg

/-

6u
I-

.:1(

Bock Ponel Cleot xllztt x l3/4tt

45h"1

#7 x ls/s" Stoinless Scel TrimHeodScrews

Temporory Cleot (remove ofier ponel inslollotion)

DECKING & PANELS

62

Bonom Shelf x48Vt"l llVg"x5Y2"

2Vz"Pockel Screw

Side PonelSlots (3h"x 4th" x vorious lengthsf

PANET ASSEMBTY

provides a quick, accurate way to do tlis (see page24).Then cut the panels to shape using a jig saw (Fig. 2) and install the panels, as shown rn Fig. 3. Once the panelsare in position, screw the slatsto the upper and lower frames and the middle shelfsuppors. Final Details - At this point, there are just a few final details to take care of.To keep the slats from rwisting, I attached a permanent cleat (f) to the back panel. I also added a small upper shelf (K). It's notched to fit around the legs and screwed to the back slats.Finally, I added square caps (L) and round finials to the legs.

A Toossemble ponels, the usel,/4"-thick blocks to A Afterloyingout theorcson the spocetheslots evenly. Thenclompocross ponel ponels(seepoge 24), useo iig the ond ottoch temporory cleots keeptheslots to oligned. sow to cut themto shope.

fffiffiffiffiffiffi** A Stretchers
B Roik
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Benchfop & Botlom Shelf liliddle$elf Side Bock Slols & Ponel Bock 06of Ponel

2
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484" 48yi'

(edor 2x4s (edor 2x4s (edor 4x4s (edor 4x4s (edor 4x4s (edor 2x4s
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sv',
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rw

(edor Derking 60" (rsh.) (edor

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48y4"

Upper Shelf (op

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A Setthe ponelsin ploceso the cleofsreston the benchtop ond boitomshelf. Thenscrewtheslols to the upper ond lower fromes ond remove cleots. the
Potling Bemh Cutting Diogrom

ui'

4W

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. ( 8 13 " x 6 " L o g S c r e w s tl129l )t /2" Poclet-Hole Screws(coorse threodl .(6Ql #7 x l s/a" Stoinless SteelTrimheod Screwi

.(161 21/z' DeckScrews (Golvonizedl ol2l 3t/2"-dio.CedorFiniols

Workbenchlihmahe.com

woRKBENCH

!.JuNr

2004

63

ARTISTRY ARCHITECTURAT
Awarding fint place to this elegant redwood deck was an easy choice. Designedby owner SeanHudelson

ofEnglewood, CO, andbuilt by Rondi Lambeth ofParker, CO, this deck is remarkable for its curved architecturalelements. In particular, note the graceful sweepof the built-in benches(Photo, ARCHED RAMRS belowleft),the curved railings with orecutfrom2xl2s balustenmadeof powder-coatedalubeluu right), and minum pipe (Photo, CURVED ARTT SUPPORT the arched canopiesthat cover the consistr grilling areaand entry to the house. 5ril'.fiick, of six CANOPY 3%"-wide COVER Canopy Details -The canopies lominohdships is modeup of arewithout a doubt, the most unique 2x2 crosspieces ight). Gatureof this deck (Illustrations, bpped wilh 3/s"thickplexiglos The main stmctural support for each canopy is provided by a pair oftall POSTDETAIT postsmade up of four interlocking 2x4s (PostDetaiI) and four gently curving raftersthat are cut to shape from 2xL2s. A couple ofcurved supportarms endsofthe hold up the cantilevered armsaremadeby cutrafters.These ring thin stripsofredwood and then gluing and clamping them around a bending form. BAIUSTERS To provide shadeand shelter,the ore l" powder-cqbd--'z raftersaretoppedwi*r 2l crospieces oluminum pipe, spoced4" oporl and a sheetof3la'-thick Plexiglas screws. attachedwith self-sealing

PLEXIGtAS TOP

w.

POSTS formedby four 2x4s inbrlocking bee PostDetaill

CANOPY & RAILINGDETAIT

A {
I

t I
A Kudosfor Curyed,Built-lnBenches A RoilingsHighlightRedwood& Merol
integroted thecurved To occentthe redwoodroilingond to keepfinishing into Built-in benches lostefully ore $e ore to with internol ond moinfenonce o minimum, bolusters shopeof the deck. Redwoodplonters pipe. powdercooled oluminum definethe endsof the benches. modeof I " dripirrigotionsyslems
woRKBENcH Ll ruNE 2004

65

-1

COMPACT CTASSIC
As the sayinggoes, bigger isnt always bbtter. And this redwood deck. designed and built by Thomas Gabrielli, Ralph Smith, and Bob Coombs of San Diego, CA, proves the point.Tucked into a smallbackyard, it makes eficient use of every squareinch of space. That, plus its attentionto deail (no visiblefasteners, recessed lighting in railings and steps, and copperpost caps), earnsthis compact deck second-place honors. But in spite ofits relativelysmall size,this deck "works big." Trafiic flows smoothly from the house to the deck, and then down the wide stepsto the yard.An octagonalarea surroundedby a railing providesan intimate place to visit awayfrom the activity on the main part of the deck. And built-in seats provide yet another conversationspot. Contoured Seating - These benches aren't your rypical flatbottom, flat-back seats they're antoutedfor cornfortablesitang (Inset Photo). Note the curved side rails and back supports, which are modeled after Adirondack-srylefurniture (Illustrdion,elua).Compound miters, b cut in the endsof the seatslats(2x4s set on edge),produce a perfect fit where they meet in the corner.And each of the 2x2 back slatsis individuallv scribed and cut to fit.

{ ConiourcdComfiorr
Curved sideroilsond bock supports creotethe form for thegently contoured slots, seof providing comfortoble seoting in thiscorner bench.

CONTOUR.ED BENCH EXPTODED VIEW

BACK stATS (2x231
SEAT STATS (2x4d GONTOURED BACK&BENCH prwide coffirtoble seqling

A Corner Crcftsmonship
APRON (2x61 66
Nokhed4x4s holdt-shoped sideossenibly SIDERAII.& BACKSUPPORTS modeled oher Adirondock-style furniture FACINGAPRON hidesscrewheods

Compoundmitersond scribed ioinlsresultin o perfectfit where the seol slob meetin lhe corner.
woRKBENcH El.JuNr 2004

[Jil BAN SIT&WAY

A conrplete renrodel of a Victorian nransiorrinfluenced the desigr ofthis redwood deck.The house was redone nrotif; a then.rethat'.s with aJapanese echoed by a colorful nrural overlooking this urban getaway. This cleck was ciesignecl and built by l\yan Farrell,John Ronradis, and Audrey Brandt of Mill Valley, CA. It'.s accessedby stairs leading frorn the house down to a secludedcourtyard (Photos, bclow). Here, the main

wtiw g.t

cleck lies at the basc of a wide terracc level, surrounded on two sic'les by built-in benches. Privary Fence &tellis - A privacy fence topped with a trellis scrccns the cleck fronr the street. In keeping with thc aestheticsof the deck, the priv:rcy fence and trellis rre all about function and forrr. For practical purposcs,the fence posts run "long," serving irskey structural conrponcnts of thc trellis (Illustration, r(/rt). Attachcd to these

posts are 4x4 crossmeurbersand 2x(r stretchers, which in trirn support an open grid nrade up of2x4s and 2x2s. For the privacy fence, overlapping 1x6s create a strong senseofdepth. Applying long,vertical stripsof wood the architectural iook and accenfuates Gel of the'fence. fRELLIS GRID formedby crisscrossing 2x stock

PRIVACY FENCE & TREtt!S

I 3

<A Study in Stqirs

the Mode of cleor heortwood, feoture enclosed redwoodstoirs r i s e r s , o l d e dh o n d r o i l so n d m , itti tight-f ng ioinery.
w(.)lKIltN(:ll n JUNL lO()J

PRIVACY FENCE ochieves o sense of depththrough overlopping lx6s ond toll verticolstrips

"i. sF!|.!i*#tr{.4!|lititlltli

STORAGE KITCHEN
hen it comes to the kitchen, you can never have too n-ruchstorage.But after every availablecabinet, drawer, and scrap of countertop spaceis crammed with pots, one simple question renrains: pans,dishes, and utensils, where do you find nrore space? This qr.restionkicked offa recent Workberrlrproject designers'nreetini,and the solution our designers canre Lrp with was ingenious - create lnore storage the cabinets. space ilnderneath by trtilizing t1.re Trays - In this kitchen, we've Drop-Down mounted four storagetrays in that under-cabinet space. These trayspull open like regular drawers,but then they dropdotunat an angle and lock in place,putting spices, kr-rives, yoLlr favorite recipe right at hand. or -Ib seehow this wor*s, take a look How It'Works atthe Illustratiorbelow. Notice that therei a plastic shelf shelfsupsuppolt mounted in eachside ofthe cray.These ports slide in gnrovescut in the railsthat enclosethe urut. When you pull the tray all the way out, the shelf sr"rpports pivot, allowing the tray to tilt down. xn option, you can add Custom Storage -,\5 dividers that organize the space inside the trays for pages74-7 6). spices,knives, and other ttems (see

spocein your no lf you thinkthere's morestoroge - think koyspullout unique ogoin.These kitchen ond then"drop down" of on ongleto likedrowers close hond. ot knives, otheritems ond keepspices,

wollKBENcH

fl .'JuNr 2004

69

ConstructionDetqils
Overall Dimensions: W x 12" D x 25le" 18" H

@
Mounting Plob ottoches underside to of cobinet

Kikhen obinet

Roil

Groove occepts shelfsupports in troy sides, enobling thetroy to slide& tilt down

@
Roils
enclose sides troy ond i of let it glide in ond out Troy Bock

Aluminum Supporh Troy creote thoiholds lip troy

(seeFront Sxtion View)

Sf,oroge Troys slideout,then drop down ot on ongle

Dividers ore usedto customize troys for spices knives or (seepoge 74)

FolseFront covers endsof troy sides

rc

TWIMocriol

Port

o(18)#6 x l " FhWoodscrews r(6) #6 x 3/a,'DrywollScrews '1613/a" Brods o(3)12" lenqths 1l/r6"-wide of Piono Hinqe .(2) Low-Prolile ShelfSupports (ompodmenl Divider - Low-Profib qvoiloble Shelf Supports from l#22286l.ore Rockler 800-279-444'l www.Rockler.com ot or

\)Btras

" 5xurl-

Our Inireroctive MoteriolsListoi WorkbenchMooozine.com mokesit eosyt9 sizethese troyr fo@he dimensions yourcobinets creote custom of to o moteriols list.

woRKuENCH

ft.yuna

2004

the building

RAIL ASSEMBLY
What makes the unique "pull out, drop down" feature of these storage trays possible is the rail assembly.It! made up of6ve parts: rwo hardwood rails that enclose the sidesof the unit. rwo aluminum tray supports, and a hardboard mounting plate. Sizing the Rail Assembly - When the sizing the assembly, outside facesof the rails should sit flush with the sidesof the cabinet. My cabinetswere 18" wide, so the rail assembly matches that width. As for depth. you'll wanr ro make ir l/2" shorter (front to back) than the depth ofthe cabinet.This will allow for a l/2"-thick false front that's added later. Making Rails - The rails (A) are piecesof %"-thick haridwoodthat are ripped to width and cut to length on the table sawTo acceptthe shelfsupports,you'Il need to cut a centered groove in the inside face of each rail. A passon the table saw is all that's needed to accomplish this. Of course,the tray would just pull out ofthese open-ended grooves.So I glued in a hardwood filler strip (B) to create a "stopped" groove. The next step is to cut a rabbet in the top and bottom edge of each rail. The rabbetsin the top edgeshold a mounting plate that's added next.The bottom rabbets accept the aluminum tray supports. Plate - The mountng Mounting plate (C) is a piece of 1/s" hardboard that connects the rails. It will also be used to attach the storage tray unit to the cabinet. For easy assembly later, it's best to drill Detail). mounting holes now (RailAssembly .lUhile you re at it, drill holes for attaching the mounting plate to the rails. Tiay Supports - The next step is to add the tvvo metal tray supports (D).These are pieces of aluminum bar stock that form a lip to hold the tray. (Aluminum bar stock is available at most home centers.) Cut the tray supports to length with a hacksaw,and then drill countersunk shank holes, which will be used to attach them to the rails. Next, use a sanding block to round the front end of each support. This will prevent the sharp edges of the metal from digging into the tray when ith open. Putting It Together - Now it's time to put the rail assembly together. To do this, clamp the mouncing plate benveen the rails. Using the countersunk holes as guides, drill pilot holes in the rails, and attach the mounting plate with screws. Before you attach the tray supports, there's one thing to be aware of.To allow the tray to tilt down at the proper angle, the supports must be set back from the Detail). front end of each ral, (RailAssembly

RAILASSEMBTY
Mounting holes to otlochunit to cobinet (see Roil Assembly Deraill

#6x l" Fh Woodscrew hole, 7s2"shonk

counl,ersunk

1I
I
7s"-wide 9roove, 5/o"deep
t

l5/gz"

Ye" I \.....Roil x l/2"x27/16" ll7z"l

3/e"robbel, 7e" deep NOTE: Round front end of troy support lShz"

ftt'. #6il"Fh Woodscrew

L
71

TroySupport x3/t" x95/s"l ofum. fl/g"

woRKBENcH

Lt.yunr

2004

the ossembling

TRAYS STORAGE
With the rail assembliescomplete, you can turn your attention to the trays that fit inside them. Tiay Size - The trays are l/16" narrower than the distance berween the rails.This leavesclearance for the of1ls" dadoesin the inside facesofall four tray pieces.These dadoes will hold the dividers that organize the rays (page74).Each dado only requires a single passover the table saw blade. The last step is adding al/eu hardboard bottom (H) to the tray. Itt just cut to fit and then glued and nailed with small brads. False Fronts _ Before ll5galling the trays, there's one last thing to do. That's to make a false front (l) for each tray.The false front is ripped wider than the front of the tray.This way, it forms a lip underneath for pulling the tray out. As a decorative touch, you might want to rout a profile along the bottom edge to match your cabinets.(l used a1/a" beadingbit.) Then trim the false fronts to length and install them as shown on page 73. Matching the Finish - One {inal note. You'll want to finish the false fronts and exposed tray sides to match the existing cabinets. I just took a cabinet door to a local paint store and had them prepare a finish that matched. Once that's done, the top rear trays to slide smoothly in and out. corner of each tray side needs some Make the Tiray - Each tray is a attention. Start by laying out and box made of 1/2"-thick hardwood drilling a hole for a shelf support in that'sassembied with rabbetjoints and each piece (SideDetail). screws. After planing the stock to The next step is to cut a 45o miter thickness, rip and crosscut the tray in that same corner.This miter allows sides (E), front (F), and back (G) to the trays to tilt down and rest at the size on the table saw (TiayAssembly). proper angle.To end up with identical The front and back fit into rabbets pieces,it's a good idea to join them cut in both ends of each side.It rnay together with double-sided tape.Then seem like these rabbets are deeper miter the corners using a table saw or than usual (3/s" deep in l/2"-thick miter saw.To finish up, I sanded a stock), but the extra depth lets you radius to soften the sharp corners. install screwsto hold the tray together Tray Assembly - The tray is (RabbetDetaik). held together with glue and screws. In addition to As always, dry assemble the pieces the rabbets,you'Il to check the fit and make sure the need to cut a series tray is square when you glue it up.

TRAYASSE'VIBIY
#6xl"Fh -Woodscrews

7rz"shonkholes, countersunk

59A0"-4

27Ac"

( q

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TroySide
Cut NOTE: dodoes '\....on frontwith some spocing on bock os

lowProfile Shelf Support

SIDEDETAII.

Troy Side \ (/z"x2xll7z"l

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U4"
beod FolseFronl I/2" x25/a"x lV/s"l NOTE:Attoch forse fronlsofter lroys ore instolled undercobinets

TroyFront l/2" x2" x l6l%a"l

72

woRKBENcH

E JUNE

2004

TRAY
Given the "drop-down" design of the trays, there are r\,vo things to keep in mind when mounting them under the cabines. First, to allow the trays to tilt all the way down,you'll need to clip one ofthe"wings" above). offeach shelf support (Photo, Second, the storage tray and rail assembly must be installed asa single unit. Ifyou were to attach the rail assemblyfirst,you wouldnt be able to insert the tray from the front. (The filler strips in the grooves in the rails would prevent it.) So slide the tray into the opening in back of the rail assembly (F(. 1).Then attach the encire unit, as shown in Fig.2 and add the falsefront (Figs.j and 4).

fr

the the clip one "wing" A Next,oligntheunitunder cobinet ATo instoll troys, the ond clompit in ploce.Now pullout Theninstoll support. off eochshelf the plote supports ond slidethe troy into the the troy to occess mounting the openingin bock of the roil ossembly. ond screw unitin ploce.

on A Finolly, olign the folsefronts the troyswith doublesidedtope (Fig.3). through screws Attoch themby running the troy frontond into the folsefront.

for cobinets o fot bottnm mounting hod Our kirchen A o will thehoys. cobinetwith focehome,however, underneoth hove onyrherefromo 1/2"b I " recess (lllustrotion, right).You'll needto fill this recess the beforemounling hoy. To do this,screwo plyof Nole: woodfillerpod intothebose thecobinet. it frc Youmoyneed odd spocers moke fit fushwith to the boftom thefocefrome. of Oncethe fillerond ore spocers otioched, mount troy to the fie the cobinet some woy osbebre-bydrMng the screws through up plote ond mounting into the filler pod (Mounting Detoill.
#6 Fh Screw #6x3h" Fh Woodscrew

Recess Foce undemeoth

wol{KBENCH

D.JuNa

2004

73

OPTIONS
-..er*!*FqGsq!+r

II

#ry.
AThesetroysore hondy for disployingo touch-screen toblel computeror storingo cutting boord (left troy). Qther options include spicerock,kniferock,or book holder. o

SPICE RACK
Add a few extra parts, and you can convert a tray into a handy spice rack. The rack can be divided into anywhere from rwo to 12 compartments, depending on the size and number of spice containers you want to store. Tlay Divider - The key component of the spice rack is a tray divider (J) that separatesthe tray into rwo main compartments.This divider has stub tenons cut on the ends to fit the dadoes that were cut in the tray sides earlier (TbnonDetail).lt also has two dadoes cut in each face to accept a pair of smaller dividers that further compartmentalize the tray. Compartment Dividers - These smaller dividers (K) are hardwood blocks that separarethe tray into six equal-sized compartments. Here again, they have stub tenons cut on the ends to fit the dadoesin the large divider and the tray front and back. Hardboard Slats - Notice that these comparrment dividers also have centered dadoes cur in both faces (SpiceRackParts).These dadoesaccept optional hardboard slas (L) that further divide the comparrments. Ifyou want to use your spice rack to hold taller,4" spice contarners, leave the slatsout.To store the shorter, 2" ones, add the slats,and each section will accommodate two rows of spice containers.

/t -

--o

Slots

J
Vs"xYg" sfub bnons, centered end on

xl7s"x53/6") ,1

Comportment Dividers l/2" xlVs" a5t1."1

I-,r" I yr" vs' |l+27/$"+ll-Zrtr" ys, 11

74

woRKBENCH

tr iuNr

2004

_l

KNIFERACK
Another option is to con\rel't a tr:lv into a knife mck.This rack h:rstrvo C)ne fbr snullet"steak conrp:u'tlnents: knivcs:rncl the otl-rcr tbl largct kitchen knives. Tiay Divider - Ihc' consfllrction of this knife r:rck is sinrillt" to th:rt of tl're spicc r:tck.A trl,v clividcr (M) scplrrtes tl'rc tll,v into trvo conrHclc rtqain,this divic'ler p:rrtnle'nts. lrrs stub tcn()ns cLlt on the enclsto flt Arrcl :rs in tl-reclacloc's thc trry sicles. :lrc befbre, tlvo clrtcloes cut in c:rch flcc of thc clividcr.()nlv this tirrte, rcccpt kniti' holclcrs. tlrcsc claclocs -fhc krrifc Knif-c Holdcrs I/:"-rhick blocks holclcrs(N, ()) urc rvitlr slots cut in thc top cclqc. N o t i c c t h r t t h c s i z cr t n c l o c u t i o t t

on varics clepenclilrg the knives tl-rcv Krrl/i' Rnrk Pnts bclorr). rvill Irolcl 1-scc Small Knife Block - In rdclitior-r thc nvo surallknifc holclers,:i to snrrll knifc block (l)) nestlcdberu,eetr t'hcnrleuclscxtl'u srlpport to thc stcrk i . k r r i v e r .; 1 l 1 ; 1s i r q l ' ( ) ( ) v ( ( ' t l t i l ) i t \ flrcc to holcl thc blrrcles. Knifc Handle lllocks - The hst p:rrtsoithc rrrckrt'c'firtu'knile hrndle blocks (Q). As thcir n:ttrteirrrplies, tl'reysuppolt the knifc handles. ()ncc rll these Put ItTogetherpicccs:rr-e cut,jrlst slip thcnr into thc Ittrke thc tray.(No gluc'necclccl.)Tir tl)e rrrostcfllcicnt usc of thc sprlcc, of h:urcllcs lncl blaclcs t]re stclk knivcs this,siniply :rltern:rtc.Tir :tcconrplish knifc lrolclclsin onc' of tl'rcsrrr:rll l14r r-el:rtion thc othcr one,so thc slots t()

o f t l - r cs l o t s o n t h c k r r i f c h o l c l c - r s in c:rch onc ltlc oflict.

rilililr

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Flip knife NOTE: onesmoll to holderin relotion the the otherto offset slots

@
Smoll Knife Holder * slots, Ye"-wide 7/e"deep lorge KnifeHolder l/2" xlVs" xSt/a"l
tlt' xt/8,, stub tenons, ' cenlered on end

./

SmollKnifeBlock l/2" x 5" x 415lro")

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.luNF 2o0-l

75

COOKBOOK HOTDER

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=

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o oo

Another nifry way to accessorizeone of these storage trays is to add a fold-out cookbook holder.With the tray open, you can tilt the book holder up to hold a cookbook, magazine, or loose-leaf recipe.A Plexiglas cover preventsgreasefrom splattering on your cookbook, and it holds the book open to the correct page. Back Panel - The cookbook rests against a back panel (R).lt's a solid-wood panel that's made by edgegluing pieces of 1/2"-thick hardwood.To make it easy to lift the cookbook holder out ofthe tray,cut a 1"-dia. finger hole near the top edge ofthe back panel.Then round the top corners ofthe panel. Panel Support - The panel support (S) props the back panel at an angle that makes the cookbook easyto read.All thatt needed to accomplish that is to rip a 40o bevel on the bottorn edge ofthe panel support. Book Rest - The last piece of this accessoryis a book rest (T).lt's a piece of l/2" hardwood with a groove cut in it to hold a Plexiglasbook cover (U). Here again, round the corners ofthe book rest. Assembly - With all these cuts made, you should now be ready to assemblethe book holder and attach it to the tray.This is done with three 12"-long piano hinges, which connect the pieces to one another (ree FotdingDetail belo@.W

R = l"
Book Cover

groove, 7s"-wide

Book Resl l/2" x2 x14Vz"l

R=|"

ll/0" x12"

rond9rpporr
l/2"x43/g"x13"1 40'bevel

y116,,x 12" PionoHinge

lVott x l2tl

7a"-widegroove, %" deep

NOTE:To storethe book holdeaploce Plexiglos coverbetweenbook restond bock ponel, then fold down the holder

76

woRKTJENCH

U JUNE

2004

ffiPRODUCTS

**TOOISr,ruuffiil
telescoping lqdder

TRAVETS TIGHT
Even when collapsedto their smallestsize,most extensionladden are unwieldy and dificult to store and transport.That's not the casewith the Xtend & Climb ladder,however.With its telescoping desigr, this ladder is a compact30u tall when closed, yet it extendsto 721/z feet - the sameasa rypical 16-ft. extensionladder. The Xtend & Climb ($199.95 plus $49.95for the carrying case)can be extendedin one-foot increments, locks securelyat each position, and providessurprisingly sturdy support asyou climb. It is made of aluminum alloy and weighs 25 lbs. It is available Hirschfield'sDecorating Centers, at andTirreValue,Ace, Do-It-Best hardware and srores. and can alsobe purchased www.Tiuevalue.com at wwwTarget.com and www. Getladder.com

ATheExtend Climblodder, & whichextends 121/ztt.ond fo closes 30u,is eosyto store. lo

microqdiusloble

MARKING GAUGE
A few yearsago,LeeValley&Veritas unveileda greatnew marking gauge thatfeatured aruzorsharp diskfor scoring precise, clearly visible lines on a workpiece. Their latest offering doesthat andmore.With incremenb etchedinto the shaftofthe marking gauge,setting the distance from the disk to the fence hasnever been easier.To "tweak" the position ofthe fence,yousimplyusethe builtin micro-a{uster to "dial in" the correct setting.Tightenthe knurled lock knob,andyou'rereadyto go to work. The marking gauge,which sells for $32.95,isavailable fiom keValley &Veritas at 61,3-596-0350. visit or www.LeeVallev.com

Prcfile Sqnder

Sonding especiolly is difficult uneven on surfoces molding. VorioPro like The profile sonder, however,($49.951mqkes quickwork of these tosks. < Groduoted Justpress tool ogoinst he morkings its fie workpiece,ond ils on (thinsheets shoft theobility ond to of "lomellos" hondle microodiustmentsplostic)will conbrmtrc fte moke morking this gouge o shope. Tighten wing the perfect for precise tool loyout. nd to lockthe sqnderin thot shope,thenottoch sondpoper. Avoiloble ot ityTools.com www.BridgeC

or 80O2533332.

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the bygone of the era

CABINETMAKER
John Olson
ere atlorlebench, we consider most ho gets to work with tools

t
farm, schoolhouse, blacksmith shop, and an entire village called Walnut Hill, dl as it would have looked in 1875.Asthe cabinetrnaker,Johnt rcle in this community is to educatevisitors by creating cabinetry and furniture *re way it wasmadeback then. In that era,John likely would havemadea decentliving at his cra.ft. As pioneers moved westward onto the open prairie after the CivilWar, they neededto establish themselves in new homes.John's skills asa carpenter and a cabinetmakerwere in high demand.Cabinetrnakenearned g3 or more a day- a healthy sum for a tradesman the time. at Tools of theTime-Perhaps as interesting as the era in which John practices craftarethe tools he uses. his ThisJ.Manton & Co."Hand & Foot just Saw"(Photo,bebw)hed arrivedin shops 1875.It is operated a footby by powered treadle to keep the blade running at 1,200 RPM. For an indepth look at the tools and techniques John usesin his 1875 cabinetnaking shop,see page96.

br a fng exfremelylucky. So you can irfgine how we feel about a guy whose job is to use tools the way they were used 130 yearsago. LiG in 1875 - This is the enviable position ofJohn Olson, cabinetmaker at Living History Farmsin Urbandale, Iowa.Since 1970,the mission ofthe Farmshasbeen to portray prairie life from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.They uphold that mission by operating a working

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planes treadles: &

A project inJohnt shop starb out the sameway it doesin a modern wood shop- workpiecesare cut to size, and then square, smooth edgesare producedwith ajointer and planer. Planes forAll Purposes- Only Johnt jointer and planer are not the large, noisy machines we're used to today Cabinetrnakenofthe pastused a seriesof four dilferent planes to thickness smooth a workpiece:a and scrubplane, trying plane,jointerplane, and smoothplane. Here,Johnrelieson ajointer plane (lop Photo)tosmooth the rough edgeofa workpiece. Cutting Material - Most crosscuts and rip cuts were made with hand saws,butifyou were fortunate enough to afford a $50 treadletable

building 1875 in
sawyou would haveusedthat irutead (Photo, 9 4).These page foot-operated tools typically were only affordable for cabinetshops with 12 employees or more.The'Jig" sawshown below is another exampleof such a tool. LifeWithout Routers - Tireadle shaper ableswerejust becomingavailablein 1875,and the first router was still 30 yearsaway.So cabinetrnakers reliedon othermeansto produceprofiles and joinery. Here,John shows how he makesa roundoverand dovetail joints (Photos, andlunr ight). ight 'Wood'Workout - John jokes that cabinetrnakers their exercise got fom all these hand- andfoot-powered tools.But a well-craftedproject was rIalwap worth it,just asit is today.

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A Plones hondled mony shop tosks in 1825.Here, odiusts o John plone (obove) rounds ond on iointer edgewitho hollowplone(belowJ.

> Bypumping hisfootup ond downon the treodle, John couses orm the of this"1ig" sow to produce o cutting motion likeo scroll sow.Likeits modern equivolent, sow this excels ot moking fretwork qnddecorotive cutouts.

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A Routers, dovetoilbits,ond dovetoiliigs didn't exist in 1875, so cobinetmokers reliedon moretroditionol methods creotingdovetqilioints.First, for John loysout the dovetoilpinswith o pencilond cutsthe sidesof ihemwith o hond sow. Then,he removes wosre the betweenthemusingo chisel(Photo obove).

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