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Home , Caulk, Workbench, Workbench (woodworking)

TOOL REVIEW: 9 Tables Under$ 300

TM To Improve Your Home Storage with Style! Cedar Garden Shed

Plus: ● Stack 'em Up Storage Bins

● Trouble-Free Pocket Doors

● 5 Energy-Saving Tune-Up Tips

www.WorkbenchMagazine.com No 267 September/October 2001 Contents

16 16 Cedar Garden Shed Why settle for oversized pre-fab when you can build the perfect-sized shed yourself from scratch? We’ll show you some construction techniques that can be used in all types of projects. 18 Modular Design . . . Basic makes building this shed simple. 20 Roofing Systems . . . Learn how to build rafters and install shingles. 22 Trim and Siding ...Pick up a few tips for applying cedar lap siding.

18 20 22

24 28 Easy Way Install a to Hang Trouble-Free Double Doors Pocket Door Hanging your own No room for a hinged doors is the way to go door? No problem. when you want to save We’ll show you how to money and get just the install a door that look you’re after for “disappears” into a your new shed. pocket in the wall.

24 28

2 ■ SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2001 TM

34 34 Router Table Review A router table doesn’t have to be expensive to get the job done. We tested nine models — all for less than $300. Find out which one takes the “top table” award. 40 Stackable Storage Bins A simple system of interlocking keys and notches makes these stacking storage bins as sturdy as they are versatile. 40

46 46 5 Energy-Saving Tune-Up Tips Practical ways to button-up your home and take the chill out of those winter energy bills.

DEPARTMENTS 54 5 Questions & 13 Answers In The Shop 8 51 Tips & Techniques Sources & 11 Resources Workbench 54 Interactive.com 8 Craftsmanship

WORKBENCH ■ SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2001 3 TM

VOLUME 57 NUMBER 5 EDITOR Tim Robertson SENIOR DESIGN EDITOR Jim Downing ASSOCIATE EDITORS Kevin Shoesmith Erich Lage ASSISTANT EDITORS Bill Link Mike Donovan CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Ellis Walentine ART DIRECTOR Robert L.Foss SR. ILLUSTRATOR/SPECIAL PROJECTS Kim Downing SENIOR ILLUSTRATORS Susan R.Jessen Mark S.Graves ILLUSTRATOR Robert McCammon CREATIVE DIRECTOR Ted Kralicek EDITOR’S NOTES SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER Crayola England CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER John Holtorf ou’re right,it’s an eyesore.But Now granted,our shed costs a bit PROJECT DEVELOPER Ken Munkel even a rusty metal shedpro- more than the metal sheds and barn- PROJECT DESIGNERS Chris Fitch & Craig Iseke vides much needed storage style sheds that are available at SHOP CRAFTSMEN Steve Curtis & Steve Johnson Y ELEC. PUB. DIRECTOR Douglas M.Lidster and protection for a lawnmower and many home centers.And unlike those PRE-PRESS IMAGE SPECS. Troy Clark garden .And with the right amount ready-to-assemble kits,building it is Minniette Johnson of tugging and pushing,it always seems more than a one-day job. PRESIDENT & PUBLISHER Donald B.Peschke like you can get the doors to lurch But I think you’ll agree,the three GROUP DIRECTOR - MARKETING AND SALES open or shut (at least most of the way). weekends and $900 it required to build Fritz Craiger(515)282-7000 ext.2300 GARDEN SHED.As crazy as it our shed were definitely worth the ADVERTISING SALES MANAGERS Mary K.Day(515)282-7000 ext.2200 sounds,a dilapidated old shed like the time and money.(We used cedar sid- George A.Clark(515)282-7000 ext.2201 one shown here actually turned out ing,but substituting another material ADVERTISING COORDINATOR be a great inspiration for the feature will reduce the cost considerably.) Nicolle Carter(515)282-7000 ext.2135 project in this issue — a Garden Shed. NEW FACE.Well,we’re growing (At one time,I actually had a similar again.Jim Downing has joined the shed to the one up above.) Workbenchteam as our Sr.Design

So when we set about designing Editor.Jim has been designing and WORKBENCH (ISSN 0043-8057) is published bimonthly (Jan., Mar., May, July, Sept., Nov.) by August Home Publishing Company, our Garden Shed,it only took a few building furniture and home improve- 2200 Grand Ave., Des Moines, IA 50312. minutes to put together a list of “must- ment projects for over 25 years.(He Workbench is a trademark of August Home Publishing. Copyright©2001 August Home Publishing Company. have”features — lots of storage,plenty even built his own sailboat.) He’ll be All rights reserved. Subscription rates: Single copy, $3.95. One-year subscription (6 issues), of headroom inside so there’s no need working on some special projects, $15.94; two-year sub., $27.95; three-year sub., $39.95. Canadian/Intl., add $10.00 per year. Periodicals postage paid at Des Moines, Iowa, and at addi- to hunch over to get a ,and a pair which I’ll be telling you more about in tional offices. “USPS/Perry-Judd’s Heartland Division automatable poly.” of full-size hinged doors that you can the next few issues.For now,let’s just Postmaster: Send address changes to Workbench, open and shut without a struggle. say we’re glad to have him aboard. PO Box 37272, Boone, IA 50037-0272. Printed in U.S.A. In addition to all of the practical Corporate Services: considerations,I wanted an attractive Corporate Vice Presidents: lookingshed,as well.If you check out Douglas L.Hicks,Mary R.Scheve • Controller: Robin Hutchinson • Senior Accountant: Laura Thomas • Accounts Payable: Mary Schultz the front cover of this issue,I think • Accounts Receivable: Margo Petrus • Production Director: George Chmielarz • Network Administrator: Cris Schwanebeck • New Media you’ll agree that’s exactly what we got. Manager: Gordon C.Gaippe • Web Site Art Director: Eugene Pedersen • E-Commerce Analyst: Carol Schoeppler • Web Site Content Manager: David Briggs • Sue M.Moe • Professional Development Dir.: Michal Sigel • Human Resources Ass’t.: Kirsten Koele • Office Manager: Noelle M.Carroll • Receptionist: Jeanne Johnson • HOW TO REACH US Mail/Delivery Clerk: Lou Webber • Circulation: Subscriber Services Director: Sandy Baum • Circulation Manager - New Editorial Questions: Subscriber Services: Business: Wayde Klingbeil • Multi-Media Promotions Manager: Rick WorkbenchCustomer Service Junkins • Renewal Manager: Paige Rogers • Billing & Collections WorkbenchMagazine Manager: Rebecca Cunningham • Marketing Analyst: Kris P.O.Box 842 Schlemmer • Assoc. Marketing Analyst: Paula M.DeMatteis • 2200 Grand Ave. Des Moines,IA 50304-9961 Promotions Analyst: Patrick A.Walsh • Creative Resources: Des Moines,IA 50312 Phone: (800) 311-3991 Associate Editor: Craig Ruegsegger • Assistant Editors: Joseph E. Irwin • Joel Hess • Art Director: Douglas A.Flint • Senior Graphic email:[email protected] Fax: (515) 283-0447 Designers: Chris Glowacki,Mark Hayes,Robin Dowdell • Graphic Designers: Vu Nguyen • Products Group: Operations Director: Bob Baker • Customer Service Manager: Jennie Enos • Warehouse On The Internet: Online:www.WorkbenchMagazine.com Supervisor: Nancy Johnson • Buyer: Linda Jones • Administrative www.WorkbenchMagazine.com • Access your account Assistant: Nancy Downey • Technical Service Representative: • Check on or make a subscription payment Johnny Audette • Customer Service Representatives: Anna Cox, Tammy Truckenbrod,Deborah Rich,April Revell,Valerie Jo Riley, Free Weekly • Change your mailing or email address Linda Stepp,Eddie Arthur • Warehouse Staff: Sylvia Carey,Sheryl Woodworking Tip: • Tell us if you’ve missed an issue Knox,Albert Voigt,Dustin Hess,Micheal Overbey • Woodsmith • Renew your subscription Store: Manager: Dave Larson • Assistant Manager: Tim Thelen • www.WoodworkingTips.com Sales Staff: Wendell Stone,Jim Barnett,Kathy Smith,Larry Morrison, Harold Cashman,Mark Johnson • Office Mgr.:Vicki Edwards

4WORKBENCH■ SEPTEMBER| OCTOBER2001 Questions & Answers

} Replacement starter Troubleshooting Fluorescent Lights < Replacement (older models). ballast The fluorescent light in my shop A starter-equipped fluorescent fix- for a starter- flickers quite a bit.And it buzzes ture is the oldest type.The starter type . Qconstantly.Can you tell me (shown at left) is a small aluminum what’s wrong? cylinder located near the sockets Dan Stromberg on one end.The starter provides a St.Joseph,MO high-voltage jolt to get the gas in the tube glowing. Most problems with fluores- IMPORTANT:Make sure the cent lights are caused by one power is turned off before checking Aof three things:a bad tube the starter.To remove a starter,give (or poor connection between the it a quarter-turn counterclockwise pins and sockets);a broken starter and pull it out.After replacing the (older models only);or a defective starter with a new one,restore { Replacement ballast ballast,which feeds current to the power and test the light. for a rapid-start fixture. sockets and tube. DEFECTIVE BALLAST.If a new BAD TUBE.Flickering is often starter isn’t the answer,or you have a the result of a tube that’s going bad newer fixture without a separate BallastGround STARTER-EQUIPPED FIXTURE or isn’t making good contact with starter (see Rapid-Start Fixtureat left), Terminal Electrical Feed the sockets on the ends of the fix- the culprit is almost surely the bal- ture.Start by rotating the tube to last.A bad ballast will produce a low, determine whether the pins on the steady buzzing sound,and tubes that end are making good contact with glow only at their ends. the sockets.You’ll also want to Ballasts can be easily replaced. make sure the pins are straight and Again,just make sure the power is the sockets aren’t broken.If the turned off.You’ll want to make a Cover Plate pins are bent,remove the tube and drawing of the wiring before dis- Starter Socket gently straighten any bent pins connecting the ballast,too.Take the with a pair of . ballast with you to buy an exact Sometimes it’s difficult to tell that replacement,then reconnect the Pins a tube is going bad just by looking wires according to your drawing. at it.As a final check,try replacing it It’s a good idea to compare Fluorescent Tube with a new one. prices before replacing a ballast.In BAD STARTER.If that doesn’t some cases,a low-cost shop light is fix the flickering,you might have often less expensive than buying a to replace the starter (if it has one). whole new ballast. Ground RAPID-START FIXTURE Terminal Electrical Feed Ballast S H A RE YO UR Q UES T IO NS ! If you have a question about woodworking or home improvement, write it Cover Plate down and mail it to WORKBENCH Q&A, 2200 Grand Ave., Des Moines, IA 50312. Please include your name, address and daytime phone number in case we Socket have any questions for you. You can also reach us via Fax at (515)283-2003 or by email message at Pins [email protected]. If we publish your Fluorescent question, we’ll send you one of our handsome Tube and fashionable Workbench caps.

5WORKBENCH■ SEPTEMBER| OCTOBER2001 Determining Lefthand vs. Righthand Door Swing

I’m shopping for prehung doors If you take a look at the LEFTHAND SWING.With that for a couple rooms in my home. drawings below, you’ll see a in mind, a door with a lefthand Q But I didn’t realize that pre- A quick reference to help you swing will have the doorknob on hung doors are sold as either lefthand determine which type of prehung the left, and it will swing open or righthand swings. I’m not sure which door to buy.The important thing to toward you. I need. Can you explain an easy way keep in mind as you’re shopping and RIGHTHAND SWING. On a to remember this? talking with a distributor is to visu- righthand swinging door, the door- Kim Washington alize the door after it is hung with knob will be on the right.Again, the Portland, OR the hinge pins facing toward you. door will swing toward you.

VIEW DOOR WITH THE HINGE PINS FACING TOWARD YOU.

LEFTHAND SWING

RIGHTHAND SWING

WORKBENCH ■ SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2001 6 Replacing a Broken Turned Every day, One of the turned spindles on up into the rail far enough for the experts at the back of my dining room lower end to clear the seat. Since the The Home Qchair broke. Is there any way I mortise in the top rail is underneath, Depot are can replace it without having to take the repair will be less noticeable. asked hundreds of the top rail, seat and other spindles REMOVE BROKEN SPINDLE. questions about completely apart? The first step is to remove the bro- home improvement — David Gergan ken spindle by gently twisting it to everything from flooring via the Internet break the glue seal inside both and to lighting mortises. If you’re careful enough, and lawn care. In this issue, The key to replacing a turned you should be able to remove the they talk about how easy it is to organize your closets. spindle without having to spindle without breaking it off Adismantle the entire chair is inside the bottom mortise. If it Question: Are those to create extra clearance in one of does happen to break off, you’ll prefabricated closet orga- the mortises.That will allow you to have to it out. nizer kits difficult to install? fit a new spindle into place between CREATE CLEARANCE. Next, the top rail and the seat without create the extra clearance needed in Answer: “Not really.” Most having to force it into place. the top mortise using a handheld closet organizer kits are made The best way to do this is to cut drill (Fig. 1).You’ll want to drill of either enameled steel, 1 1 1 an oversize mortise in the top rail. about a /4"- /2" deeper and /8" wider plastic-coated wire, , This way you can push the spindle than the original mortise, as shown or sometimes particleboard. in Figure 1a.This will create just Nearly all of them can be enough clearance for the tapered installed in less than a week- Hold chair firmly spindle to fit up into the mortise. end using basic tools. while out FITTING THE SPINDLE. To Although each closet sys- the mortise. install the new spindle, first apply tem will be slightly different, glue into both mortises. Next, push here are the steps involved in one end of the spindle into the a typical installation. upper mortise as far as possible Mark Shelf Locations on (Figs. 2 and 2a).Then fit the other the closet walls by measuring end into the mortise in the chair up from the floor and draw- seat (Fig. 2b).You can clean up any ing a level line for each shelf. glue with a damp cloth. Drill a series of holes to SECURING THE SPINDLE. To attach the shelf clips. Space Rail help secure the spindle, glue a cou- them according to the manu- ple of shims around it in the upper facturer’s instructions. Oversized Original mortise. Finish up by trimming the Fit Shelf Supports or, 1 Mortise Mortise shims (Fig. 2c) and sanding the repair with some kits, the shelves a. flush with the rail. themselves into the clips. Fasten Uprights to the front edges of the supports The oversized upper mortise or shelves. Be sure to check provides enough clearance to set the bottom in place them with a level to make SECOND: without forcing it. sure that they’re plumb before you tighten them per- Fit bottom manently in place. of spindle Cut the Shelving and FIRST: into seat Clothes Rods to the desired Push mortise. spindle length with a . You into upper can install mounting brackets mortise. on the side walls and fit the shelves and rods into place. a. b. Trim and sand flush. To learn more about closet organizer kits, check out Shim www.HomeDepot.com 2 c.

7 WORKBENCH ■ SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2001 Tips & Techniques

FEATURED TIP

Mounting Screw Trim Router Flush-trim Bit 1!/2 "-dia. !/4" Wing Nut Hole and Washer Base !/2" !/2" plywood, !/4 3!/2 " x 6" "-wide Slot, 1!/2 " long Mounting Screw, #/4 counterbored!/4 " "-wide, !/4 (see detail above) 1#/4" -dia. "- deep, Hole Centered !/4" Hole

&/8" #8 x 1!/2 " 4" #/4"-wide , Handle, Fh Woodscrews #/4 Flush-Trim !/4" deep 1"!/2 " plywood 2"!/2 !/8" I’ve been building several projects Notch using plywood lately, and that has meant applying a lot of solid-wood edgebanding. So much, in fact, that !/4" x 2 !/4 " I bought a trim router and a flush Carriage Bolt Waste trim bit especially to rout all the !/2 edgebanding flush with the face of " plywood, 8" x 8" the plywood. Panel Jig The only problem I was having was that the router would tip very easily as I tried to balance it on the narrow edgebanding. Each time it base with a carriage bolt, washer, To use the jig, let the base ride tipped, another piece of banding and wing nut. on the edgebanding and hold the (and the plywood it was glued to) Finally, the fence is rabbeted at fence firmly against the plywood as was ruined. My solution was to add the top to provide a recess for the you rout from left to right. an auxiliary base and a fence to the edgebanding. It also has a half-cir- John Samuelson router to make it less “tippy.” cle cutout at the top for bit clear- Tuscon,AZ I built the jig from — what else ance. It’s screwed to the handle — plywood. It has three parts: a with a couple of woodscrews in The Stanley Works awards $250 base, a handle, and a fence. countersunk pilot holes. in Stanley tools for the featured 1 The base has a 1 /2"-dia. hole To adjust the jig for trimming, tip in each issue. cut in it where the bit comes position the fence against a piece of This issue’s featured tip was through.There’s also a groove in plywood that is not edgebanded. submitted by John Samuelson of the underside of the base for the Then adjust the base until the Tuscon, Arizona. handle to set in and an adjustment bearing just makes contact with the slot (see the illustration, above). plywood. Now lock the fence in The handle is notched at the position by tightening the wing top inside corner to allow for bit nut.The jig is now set up to trim clearance. It’s connected to the the edgebanding perfectly.

8 WORKBENCH ■ SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2001 High-mounted Switch for Convenience & Safety

Some time ago I purchased a planer that had the switch mounted above the tool rather than underneath like most models.At first, it was difficult to get used to this unusual design. In time, though, I realized that the switch was much more convenient than reaching under the tool to turn it on and off. I also like that the switch is easy to get to if I have to turn the machine off quickly. I came to like the design so well that I built a similar switch for my router table. It’s actually just a vari- able speed switch that I mounted to 1 a /2" plywood arm (see photo and illustration). I fastened the arm to my router table fence with a spac- er block in between them.That way ble-faced tape to secure the bottom. To the switch moves with the fence but keep the cords out of the way, I is still set back out of the way. screwed them to the arm with a The switch I bought has a belt clip conduit hanger. on the back that I used to clip the Loyal Marsh switch to the arm.Then I used dou- Fritch,TX

Can’t-Miss Drywall Cutout Technique

One of the hardest parts of installing box onto the back of the cover plate. drywall is accurately cutting out the Then drive a screw through the openings for electrical boxes. plate at each corner of the outline My solution is is to use a tem- (Figs. 1 and 1a). Now attach the plate made with a plastic outlet plate to the electrical box. Set the cover plate. Make the template by drywall in position and press it SHARE YOUR TIPS, tracing the shape of the electrical against the screw points to make marks on the back of JIGS, AND IDEAS Cut out between the drywall. Screw points the marks made Finally, cut between facing out Do you have a unique way of doing by the screw points. the marks for a per- something? Just write down your tip fectly sized and posi- and mail it to: tioned cutout. Workbench Tips & Techniques B.J. McGinnis 2200 Grand Ave. Boyertown, PA Des Moines, IA 50312. Outlet Cover Please include your name, address, Template Self-tapping and daytime phone number. Screws If you prefer, e-mail us at: Drywall [email protected]

You’ll receive $75-$200 and a Electrical Workbench hat if we publish your tip. Push drywall Box onto screws. For a free woodworking tip every week via e-mail, go to Outlet Cover a. WoodworkingTips.com. 1 Template

WORKBENCH ■ SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2001 9 SET-UP

USING THE GAUGE

a. Fence Gauge

Set-up Gauge for Biscuit Routing

I suppose everyone knows that a router for biscuit cutting is easy. Start table-mounted router with a slot- by setting the bit height. Place the cutting bit is a great way to cut bis- gauge with the correct biscuit size cuit slots. But I wonder how many next to the bit.Then raise the bit woodworkers have an easy way to until the slot in the gauge just slides set up their router for perfect biscuit over it. Next, set the depth of cut by slots every time. bottoming out the bit in the slot and My trick is to use a set-up gauge locking the fence against the gauge. that I designed for this very purpose. To slot a workpiece, lay out the The gauge is just a board with three biscuit locations and push the stock biscuit slots cut in it. Each slot cor- into the bit until it stops against the responds to a biscuit size: #0, #10, fence (Detail a). For the larger biscuits and #20 (see the drawings above). (#10 and #20) — and depending There are three important ele- upon the diameter of the slot cutter ments of the gauge that make it — you may have to elongate the hole work. First, it should be the same slightly by feeding the stock right to thickness as the stock you’re going left after it’s bottomed out against the to biscuit joint. Second, the slots fence.You could take the time to set must be centered in the thickness of the up stop blocks for this, but I’ve always gauge.Third, each slot should be cut had good success by starting just slightly deeper than half the width of slightly off-center and then finishing its corresponding biscuit. (This the cut approximately the same dis- allows room for excess glue.) tance off-center on the other side. Once you’ve made a gauge to George Long those guidelines, setting up your Macon, MO

10 WORKBENCH ■ SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2001 WORKBENCHinteractive.com W HammerZone.com “Nails” Home Improvement

Home improvement is serious busi- for on his Web site: through the cable in the first place. ness, but that doesn’t mean you can’t www.HammerZone.com. Then he turns his mishap into a les- have a little fun with it.And that’s His techniques and advice are son for other DIY’ers before getting precisely what Bruce Maki strives sound, and that’s important. But he into the nuts-and-bolts of actually also does a great job of fixing the thing. blending the step-by- Personality aside, the site also has step details with wry one of the best collections of home humor. For instance, in improvement content I’ve ever seen. an article about repair- The articles are written in a friendly, ing a damaged power easy-to-read tone and leave you with cable, Bruce begins by the sense that you really could poking fun at himself accomplish what you set out to do for having drilled by just following Bruce’s lead.

JeffGreefWoodworking.com Offers Instruction and Inspiration

Even if you’ve never heard of Jeff Greef, you may be familiar with his work. He’s published over 100 articles in many popular woodworking and home improvement magazines. Take a quick look around Jeff’s site (www.JeffGreefWoodworking.com) and you’ll see why he’s such a popular DIY writer. His knack for design- ing and building attractive projects and then explaining how he did it comes through in every article. In the Projects section of the Web site, Jeff offers plans and how- to articles ranging from an elaborate rounded-glass display case to a corner shelf that can be built in a weekend. Each article includes several drawings and photographs that clarify different parts of the process. Projects are divided into three categories: Furniture plans, technique plans, and home improve- ment plans. The Techniques area is also excellent.There are only four articles in here, but they’re all good.Check out the article on building curved frames and you’ll see what I mean. My only complaint is that new content doesn’t show up very often.

11 WORKBENCH ■ SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2001 Home Energy Tune-Up Sites

I spent a lot of time online researching 5 Energy-Saving Tune-Up Tipson page 46 — looking for sites that offered relief from high energy costs. Not surprisingly, there are more home energy audit sites out there than you can shake a utility bill at.The ones that I found most helpful were those that gathered specific information about my energy consumption — such as the age of the house, appliance types, how many people live in the house, and so on — and then gave me a report comparing my energy costs to an “energy-efficient” home.They included recommendations for low- ering my monthly utility bills. In particular, I liked www.HomeEnergySaver.lbl.gov. number) to estimate your potential This site is a product of the U.S. savings based on the upgrades. Department of Energy and the U.S. Some other sources of home Environmental Protection Agency. energy information are the Web sites The Energy Advisor feature on this of local utility companies, many of site is the most complete online which also include online audit fea- energy audit I came across and is sim- tures.These are also the best place to ple to personalize.Also, after you’ve learn about local incentives for mak- completed the audit, you can research ing your home more energy effi- ways to improve energy efficiency in cient. Check your utility bill for a the site’s Energy Librarian or Make It Web address or call the company. Happen sections. Once you choose A couple of other good sites are: which improvements make the most • The Alliance to Save Energy sense for your home, you can revisit www.ASE.org your original audit (the site saves the • Energy Guide information and gives you a session www.EnergyGuide.com

WEB WISDOM

WD-40 So what does WD-40 stand for anyway? Well, here’s the official answer from the www.WD40.com history section: In 1953, a fledgling company called Rocket Chemical Company and its staff of three set out to create a line of rust-prevention solvents and degreasers for use in the aero- space industry, in a small lab in San Diego, Calif. It took them 40 attempts to get the water displacing formula worked out. But they must have been really good, because the original secret formula for WD-40 — which stands for Water Displacement perfected on the 40th try — is still in use today. Visit the site for more company history or to join the WD-40 Fan Club. No kidding, they have a fan club.

12 WORKBENCH ■ SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2001 In The Shop Gluing Up Wood Panels ANATOMY OF A BOARD Gluing up the solid wood panels for the Stackable Storage Bins Face Grain (page 40) isn’t a hard job.It’s just a GRAIN DIRECTION matter of sorting and shuffling End Grain boards to make a panel that looks Edge Grain ION CT RE DI good and is structurally sound. AIN GR

GRAIN PATTERN The first step is to look at the grain pattern.This is actually a surface boards reflection of what is going on inside Growth Rings No chip-outNO when CHIP have a wide the board (Anatomy of a Board). range of FACE GRAIN. This is the most colors and visible part of the panel you’re cre- END GRAIN DETAIL EDGE GRAIN DETAIL grain patterns ating. The goal here is to place to consider. boards with similar surface patterns Pick boards and colors next to each other (Face that are Grain Detail, below). will make for easy planing if it’s SAVE YOUR WORK. You’ve similar in END GRAIN. Looking at the required. Why? Because just like a created a puzzle out of a pile of color and ends of the boards will the feather, if you stroke it in the right boards that, if you’re not careful, will grain when growth rings (End Grain Detail, direction, it won’t ruffle, or in this disappear right in front of your eyes. gluing up. above).To keep the panel flat, you’ll case chip out (Edge Grain Detail). Before moving on to the next step, want to alternate the directions of To be honest, I place the edge mark the panel in a manner that will the growth rings as you match grain problem last in line of priorities help you remember how the boards boards (End View below). for several reasons. You can drive fit back together (Matching Boards). EDGE GRAIN. The next thing yourself crazy pondering the smallest PREPARING EDGES. Now that that you’ll want to consider is the of potential problems that could arise. you have all of your matching pan- edge grain direction.The idea here is If needed, I use a belt for flat- els marked for orientation, you can to have the edge grain of each board tening the panel, which won’t chip work on the boards individually.To running in the same direction.This out the surface of stubborn areas. ensure that you end up with a flat panel, the edges of the boards must be and smooth. FACE GRAIN DETAIL MATCHING BOARDS DRY RUN. A dry run serves as a wake-up call for several things. Do you have enough clamps? Is there a lot of bowing in your panels as you Grain patterns from one board tighten the clamps? This will be par- to the next tially solved by clamping in an over should flow. and under pattern, (Glue-Up). Also, it will remind you to have a wood mal- let on hand to “persuade” the boards Board orientation into alignment (Glue-Up, Detail b). reference marks GLUING UP. Now you’re ready for the real deal — gluing up the panel. Place clamps underneath the panels, and flip the boards on edge Alternate growth rings in each board to apply glue (Glue-Up, Detail a). to keep panel as flat as possible. END VIEW Once the glue is applied, spread it in a thin film. Next, lay the boards back in position. Now, set the

13WORKBENCH■ SEPTEMBER| OCTOBER2001 remaining clamps on top of the CLAMPING UP. It’s best to Once everything appears to be flat panel. Note: the clamps should be begin applying pressure from the and flush, you can add more pres- about 6" in from the ends, and no clamps at the center of the panel sure to the clamps. Be careful more than 12" apart across the rest and work your way out. Round one because too much clamping pres- of the panel (Glue-Up). of tightening should be fairly light. sure can starve the joints of glue and This way, if things begin to slide make for a weak spot. a. around, you can use your to I usually pull off the clamps in put them back in place.A neat trick about one hour, but I wait a full day Spread glue evenly for aligning shifting boards is to use before doing any further work on before setting a bar to hold them together. the panels. in place.

GLUE-UP 6"

Wax paper prevents glue from sticking b. to spacer

Before final tightening, 6" align boards with a mallet if needed. !/4" Spacers keep clamps raised above glue joints.

Bar clamp keeps 1!/2"" x 2 !/2 Temporary Spacers allow boards aligned. clamps to slide into position under stock.

14 WORKBENCH ■ SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2001 Using as Hole Plugs

Installing a wood plug is a handy supply store, shop-made plugs using the opening until it bottoms out on way of hiding screws and giving a a plug cutter in your drill press, or the screw.This will spread the glue project a more finished appearance. using dowels. I chose onto the plug and down into the The article on Stacking Storage hardwood (birch) dowels for this hole, which means less glue clean- Bins (page 40) is a perfect example. project. When stained, the birch up on the surface. Each hole is counterbored to dowels contrast with the lighter col- Cutting the plugs flush to the accept a wood plug that conceals ored pine sides. surface is a two-step process. First 1 the screw. After cutting enough /2"-long you’ll want to trim the plug with a There are several ways to plug dowels for the whole project, place hand as close to the surface as these holes — pre-made plugs several dabs of glue in the hole. possible. But you don’t want to bought at your local woodworking Then twist and press the into scratch the surface. So, a neat trick here is to use several pieces of mask- ing tape as a shield between the saw and the side of your project (Step 1). Finally, use a to remove the saw marks (Step 2).

Saw Masking Tape

Dowel Plug

Masking Tape applied to both sides of saw blade

Plug 1

To avoid scratching your project, use masking tape on a to raise the saw teeth above the surface.

Wood Block

Self-adhesive 2

Use a block of wood with self-adhesive sandpaper to sand the plug flush and smooth to the side of the bin.

15 WORKBENCH ■ SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2001 OUTDOOR

Garden Shed Not too big . . . not too small. If there’s a perfect-sized, do-it-yourself shed, this is it. Plus, the cedar siding makes it look great, too.

t’s hard to believe that a shed this yard. It’s four feet deep, 10 feet long stuff through a narrow opening. good-looking is so easy to build. — just the right size to set in the Not to mention that you won’t have IBut it is. In fact, you can proba- back of the yard or against a house. to duck down to get inside. bly build the entire shed — start to Even with its relatively small foot- But to be honest, a project like finish — in three or four weekends. print, there’s still lots of storage for a this shed offers a lot more than stor- As attractive as it is, what I like lawnmower, wheelbarrow, and gar- age. It’s also a good opportunity to even more about this shed is it den tools.And with full-size double try your hand at different construc- doesn’t take up much space in the doors, there’s no need to wrestle tion techniques.

16 WORKBENCH ■ SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2001 MAIN CONSTRUCTION VIEW Overall Dimensions: 4' Wide x 10' Long x 8'10" Tall

These architectural shingles Cedar mimic a tile roof, but install fascia as easily as three-tab singles.

Cedar door jambs Drip edge

!/2" plywood sheathing Cedar trim adds rigidity boards to the walls.

Cedar trim and lap siding give this shed a rustic look that suits any backyard. Decking made of#/4 " pressure-treated plywood to resist rot.

The base is built with Composite doors offer pressure-treated beauty, affordability, to protect against rot and durability. Learn and insect damage. how to “pre-hang” doors on page 24. A layer of 30-lb. A simple foundation of felt underneath the siding blocks on sand beds provides a solid, and the shingles helps to waterproof level surface for the shed to rest on. the entire structure.

MATERIALS LIST & SUPPLIES

BASE ROOFING SYSTEM TRIM & SIDING (All Cedar) 1 1 1 1 3 1 A(2)Rim Joists*1 /2" x 3 /2" x 120" N(2)End Rafters1 /2" x 3 /2" x 53" W(8)Trim Board /4" x 3 /2" x (see illus.) 1 1 1 1 3 1 1 B(9)Floor Joists*1 /2" x 3 /2" x 45" O(6)Common Rafters1 /2" x 3 /2" x 53" X(1)Door Casing (Top) /4" x 3 /2" x 71 /2" 3 1 1 1 3 1 1 CDecking* /4" ply. (1 /4sheets) P(2)Barge Rafters1 /2" x 3 /2" x 53" Y(2)Door Casing (Sides) /4" x 3 /2" x 79 /2" 1 1 WALLS Q(2)Fascia Boards1 /2" x 3 /2" x 123" Z6" Lap Siding187 sq. ft. of coverage 1 1 1 1 3 1 D(2)Top Plates (Fr./Bk. Wall)1 /2" x 3 /2" x 119" R(4)Rake Studs1 /2" x 3 /2" x custom length AA(1)Soffit /4" x 5" x 123 /2" 1 1 3 1 1 E(2)Top Plates (End Walls)1 /2" x 3 /2" x 40" S(2)Cedar Rake Boards /4" x 5 /2" x 55 /2" 1 1 3 1 F(2)Bottom Plates (Fr./Bk. Wall)1 /2" x 3 /2" x 119" T(2)Cedar Fascia /4" x 5 /2" x 125" SUPPLIES 1 1 3 1 G(2)Bottom Plates (End Walls)1 /2" x 3 /2" x 40" UCedar Trim Strips (4 strips) /4" x 1 /2" x 30 lin. ft. (8)Concrete Blocks4" x 8" x 16" 1 1 1 1 H(14)Wall Studs (Fr./End Walls)1 /2" x 3 /2" x 84 /2" VRoof Sheathing /2" ply. (2 sheets) Sand1" bed under each stone 1 1 1 I(10)Wall Studs (Bk. Wall)1 /2" x 3 /2" x 95 /4" ShimsAs needed 1 1 J(12)Blocking (Fr./Bk. Wall)1 /2" x 3 /2" x 16" 30# Felt213 sq. ft. (1 roll) 1 1 3 5 K(2)Trimmer Studs (Fr. Wall)1 /2" x 3 /2" x 81" Drip Edge /8" x 3 /8" x 144" 1 1 1 1 L(1)Header (w/ /2" ply. spacer)3 /2" x 3 /2" x 68 /4" Shingles2 bundles 1 MWall Sheathing /2" ply. (6 sheets) *Indicates pressure-treated material

WORKBENCH ■ SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2001 17 FRAMING CONSTRUCTION VIEW HEADER DETAIL CORNER DETAIL HARDWARE LIST Top D D Top Plate D !/2" Plate Blocking •16d Common Nails (galv.) 5 lbs. J •Splitless Siding Nails 5 lbs. Plywood Wall •8d Box Nails (galv.) 2 lbs. spacer L Studs 1 Top Plate •3 /2" Deck Screws 3 lbs. Header 1 H Interior E •1 /4" Roofing Nails (galv.) 5 lbs. Wall •Hurricane Ties` 12 I nailing 1 Stud •1 /2" Joist Hanger Nails 1 lb. surface 2x4’s K Trimmer Stud D Top Plate (Back wall) Cut to fit M M D Top Plate 4x8 sheet M (Front wall) Wall Sheathing Cut to fit M !/2" plywood, cut to fit

e

40"

M 95!/4 " 98!/4 "

M

Trimmer Wall I Stud Stud K 84!/2 " 87!/2 " Decking C #/4" plywood, Wall Waste cut to fit Stud H H J 4" x 8" x 16" Blocking Bottom Concrete F Plate Block

H C Decking Wall #/4" x 4 ft. x 8 ft. End Stud pressure-treated WallCL Front plywood B Wall 16" Floor G 16" 120" Joist C Bottom Plate 16" Shim Decking 45" A !/2" 48" Rim Setback WALL SETBACK DETAIL Joist Shim

BACK WALL STUD SPACING DETAIL FRONT WALL STUD SPACING DETAIL 4"!/2 CL 119" 59!/2 "

15" 16" 16" 16" 16" 16" 15" 33#/8 " 33#/8 " 4"!/2 4"!/2 119"

18 WORKBENCH ■ SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2001 Chances are you’ve got a spot in Level the base in both directions mind for your shed that’s already and tap shims in close to level. Just the same, it pays wherever needed. to take the time to level the site with a few concrete blocks. You may have to dig the stones in at the high spots. At the very A least, you should cut the sod out and Rim Joist set the blocks on a bed of sand.

BUILDING THE BASE B Floor Joist Cut away the sod The best work space for building and set concrete the base (and eventually the walls) is blocks on sand beds a flat area such as a driveway. It’s for the shed’s foundation. much easier to keep the boards flush 1 and square here than on the lawn. The base is made up of a 2x4 between two studs. Butting the end a partial sheet at each end. Here 3 frame with a /4" plywood “skin.” To wall against this grouping of 2x4’s again, the plywood helps square up protect it against water and insects, I creates a nailing surface in the cor- the walls. used pressure-treated material. ner.This way,you’ll be able to apply As for the front wall, I attached a Start building the base by cutting sheet material to the inside the walls full sheet on each end and then cut the rim joists (A) to length (Framing if you want. away the waste inside the door Construction View). Then lay out the Just a note about the stud spacing opening with a jig saw.That left just locations of the floor joists (B) and in the back wall.They’re spaced 16" a small section of the header that I the base together — two nails at on center except on each end where covered with a scrap piece. each joint should do it . they’re 15" apart (Back Wall Stud Spacing The next step is to cover the base Detail).The wall is designed this way RAISING THE WALLS with the plywood decking (C). If so the studs line up with the rafters. Now it’s time to raise the walls into your base is slightly out of square, it’s As for the front wall, pay close position.This is when the shed really no big deal.The decking should square attention to the three studs on each starts to take shape. things up when it’s nailed down. side of the doorway (Front Wall Stud Raise the back wall first, fasten it Finally, move the base onto the Spacing Detail).These studs provide a to the floor panels with deck screws, stones and, if necessary, level it with nailing surface for the siding and and then use 2x4 braces to hold it shims, as shown in Figure 1. trim. Also, the inside stud in each plumb (see photo below). After set- group — the trimmer stud (K) — is ting an end wall in place, screw it to FRAMING THE WALLS shorter than the others to provide the back wall, and then continue As you begin framing the walls, there support for the header. working your way around the shed. are a few things to take note of. Speaking of the header (L), it sup- First, the back wall is taller than ports the weight of the roof so the wall the front and end walls (Framing won’t sag,which would cause the doors Construction View). This height differ- to bind. The header is made up of 1 ence creates the slope of the roof. two 2x4’s set on edge with a /2" ply- Regardless of the height, each wood spacer between (Header Detail). wall is made up of a top (D, E) and bottom plate (F, G) which are con- SHEATHING nected with studs (H, I). At this point, you could put up the Another thing to note is that the walls. But rather than wrestling with plates for the front and back wall are the plywood sheathing that covers 1" shorter than the overall length of them while the walls are upright, it’s 1 the base. That’s because the /2" easier to do it with the walls flat on sheathing on each end wall will fit the ground. (Leave the end walls against the end stud on the front and uncovered for now so you can move back wall (Wall Setback Detail). in and out of the shed more easily.) If you take a look at the Corner Covering the back wall with the 1 Detail, you can see that each end of /2" plywood sheathing (M) is pretty A couple of diagonal braces hold the back wall plumb as the front and back wall is made up of straightforward — one full sheet of you set the end and front walls into position. The walls are 2x4 blocking (J) that’s sandwiched plywood centered on the wall, then fastened to the floor and to each other with 3" deck screws.

WORKBENCH ■ SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2001 19 ROOF DETAIL ROOF CONSTRUCTION VIEW Caulk between the shingles and the drip edge to keep water out.

Shingles

Cut to fit

Fascia V Q Metal 30-lb. Builder’s Felt Board U Roof Sheathing Drip Edge !/2 Cedar Trim Strip " x 4-ft. x 8-ft. Common Rafters O Metal Drip plywood Edge M Wall Sheathing Cedar P Barge Rafter T Fascia

R Rake U Studs Cedar Trim Strip N Drip Edge End Metal Rafter Drip Edge U Cedar Trim Strip M M

Cedar Rake Board S

RAKE STUD DETAIL ROOFING SYSTEM DETAIL SHINGLE DETAIL 30-lb. Felt First course begins with a full shingle. Shingles Rake N Hurricane Studs Tie R S V Metal Starter P Q Drip T Course !/2 Edge N (" shingle)

SIMPLE SHED ROOF The roofing systemof this shed- RAFTER ASSEMBLY All roofers will tell you:“It’s not a style roof has a single,sloping face There are 10 rafters altogether — two roof.It’s a roofing system.”And that’s made up of a 2x4 rafter assem- end rafters (N),six common rafters 1 they’d be right.It’s best to think of bly, /2" plywood sheathing covered (O),and two barge rafters (P) (Rafter everything above the walls as part of with felt,and shingles (Roof Assembly).To “tie”the assembly the roofing system. Construction View). together,these rafters are connected to a pair of long fascia boards (Q). O CommonRafters Notice that there’s a bird’s- RAFTER ASSEMBLY mouth notch at both ends of all the 2x4Fascia rafters except the barge rafters.These 16" 16" Boards 2" 18#/4" Q notches allow the rafters to fit over the top plates on the walls. To ensure a good fit,it’s best to check one rafter before cutting the others.The drawing on page 21 will guide you through this process. Start P N 16dNails with an extra-long 2x4 (about 60") BargeRafter EndRafter123" and then trim it to length after you cut and fit the bird’s mouths. Fascia Q Board 20WORKBENCH■ SEPTEMBER| OCTOBER2001 Once you’re satisfied with the test REAR BIRD’S MOUTH DETAIL FRONT BIRD’S MOUTH DETAIL fit,use your “pattern”rafter to lay out the rest.Then cut the bird’s-mouths Waste Roof pitch = 3/12 in each rafter. 2"!/2 2"!/2 If you take another look at the 2"#/4 Positioning 90° Line Roof Construction View,you’ll see 90° Waste where each of the rafters is located Positioning on the roof.To create a nailing sur- Line 4"#/16 face for a wedge-shaped piece of wall Back Wall Top Plate Front Wall Top Plate sheathing (M),set the two end rafters flush with the outside of the wall. Each of these rafters is supported by STEP 3: STEP 1: Lay out STEP 4: Cut Trace the the Positioning Lines bird's mouths, two short rake studs (R) that are bird’s mouths onto while still on then trim waste notched to fit. the board. the ground. from each end The next step is to install the of rafter. (see common rafters (O).They’re held in Details above) place with a metal bracket called a hurricane tie(available at most home Positioning centers).Just set each rafter directly Line drawn over a wall stud and secure it to the in Step 1 tie with joist hanger nails. STEP 2: Set board against Before going any further,you’ll the ends of the walls need to nail the long fascia boards as shown in the Details above. (Q) to the ends of the rafters.The wedge-shaped pieces of wall sheath- ing are added next.Then install the edge to the frontand backtrim strips begins with a shingle that’s 6" shorter. two barge rafters,one on each end, (U) only.(The drip edges at each The third course begins with a shin- nailing them to the fascia boards and end of the roof will go on topof the gle that’s 12" shorter,and so on. “sandwiching”the sheathing between. starter course of shingles.) Continue that pattern through Next,cover the sheathing with the sixth course where you’ll start CEDAR TRIM & ROOF SHEATHING felt,overlapping each course by 4" with a 6"-long shingle.At the sev- With the roof structure in place,it’s and stapling it about every 12". enth course,start over with a full time to add cedar trim pieces and the Now you’re ready to install the shingle and repeat the pattern to the sheathing and shingles for the roof. starter courseof shingles.This is a row top of the roof. 3 TRIM.I used /4"-thick cedar of shingles cut lengthwise and Let the shingles hang over the far for all the trim pieces.The first step installed upside down at the eave end of the roof until you’ve finished is to nail a rake board (S) to the (Shingle Detail).They’re installed this all the courses.Then trim them with barge rafters on each end of the roof way so the wind seal (that line of a razor knife,using the drip edge as and a long fascia board (T) across sticky,tar-like stuff) is down.This way, a guide. the front.Note:The cedar fascia it will seal the first course of shingles Finally,caulk between the top row board is nailed directly to the 2x4 that are laid on top. of shingles and the drip edge,as fascia board installed earlier. To do this,overhang the eave by shown in Roof CaulkDetail (page 20). 1 1 All that’s needed to complete the /2" and leave a /16" space between trim is to add trim strips (U) all the each shingle.Then nail the starter way around the roof.These are just shingles according to the manufac- narrow pieces of cedar that keep turer’s recommendations. water away from the fascia board. After adding the remaining two SHEATHING.Now you’re ready drip edges (on the ends of the roof), to add the roof sheathing.Like the the shingling should go quickly. 1 walls,the sheathing is /2" plywood The idea here is to stagger the that’s cut to fit flush with the trim seams from one course of shingles to strip and then nailed in place. the next.To do this,each course is started with a progressively shorter SPEAKING OF RAIN shingle.For instance,the first course Making the roof watertight requires (installed directly over the starter Staggering the seams in between courses is part of mak- installing drip edges,felt,and shin- course) begins with a full-length ing a roof watertight. Run a staggered pattern of shin- gles.Start by attaching a metal drip shingle (36" long).The next course gles to the peak before shingling the length of the roof.

WORKBENCH ■ SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2001 21 SIDING, TRIM, & DOOR INSTALLATION SOFFIT DETAIL

STEP 6: Install the soffit. Notch to fit around trim.

AA Soffit

X Cedar Door Casing CORNER DETAIL (Top)

Z 4" reveal

Starter Strip Y Cedar Door Casing (Side) STEP 1: Cedar Cover the shed walls with Lap SidingZ 30-lb. felt. Overlap the felt Z courses by 4" and M it every 12". STEP 2: Build and install the double doors according STEP 4: to the instructions on page 24. Install the starter strip. Position it to extend STEP 5: #/4"below the wall sheathing. STEP 3: Install the siding with a 4" reveal. Use the jigs W Trim the corners of shown on the next page to position the siding Cedar Trim Board the shed and the door in cedar. and to match the angle of the rake.

KNOW WHEN TO ASK FOR HELP cut out after you’ve stapled the felt CEDAR SIDING. With the trim Up to this point,you’ve probably to the sheathing. done, you can start on the cedar sid- been able to manage everything on CEDAR TRIM. There’s nothing ing. Installing cedar siding (Z) is your own.But now it’s time to get tricky about installing the cedar trim much like installing any other lap sid- some help.You’ll definitely need a board (W) at the corners of the shed. ing with a couple notable exceptions. hand to install the doors.(That Stain or the pieces first, and First, it may not be immediatley entire process is explained in detail then install them, starting on the end obvious which “face” of the siding is on page 24.) walls.That way the trim on the front supposed to be showing.The siding I And while you’ve got someone, and back walls will hide the edge used had a rough face and a smooth you may as well ask for some help to grain of those first pieces you put up. face. My first inclination was that the wrap the shed in felt (as an extra The bottom of the trim should rough face should be showing just 3 vapor barrier) before hanging the extend /4" below the wall sheathing like with the cedar trim. cedar trim and siding. (to cover the edges of the decking). After a closer look (and a quick Start at the bottom of the shed At the top of the shed, the cedar read of the manufacturer’s instruc- and work up, letting each course of boards butt against the rafters. tions), I discovered that rough or felt overlap the previous one by 4". When you install the cedar door smooth had nothing to do with it. You can also allow the felt to cover casing (X,Y), be sure to leave a slight What I needed to be sure of was 3 the door opening for now. It can be reveal (about /16") at the door jamb. that the beveled face of the siding was

22 WORKBENCH ■ SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2001 HANDY SIDING JIGS

against the bottom edge of a piece of The upper leg matches siding that’s nailed to the wall (Fig. 1). the angle of the rake. Then by resting the next piece of siding on the top edge of the jig it will be 4" automatically positioned with a perfect Set the lower leg parallel to 4" the trim board. 4" reveal. The length of the jig (8") also helps Cleat 2 Starter Strip to hold each piece of siding parallel. This way, you can have one free hand for nailing. 1 ANGLE-MATCHING JIG This second “jig” is actually more of a Installing siding is a three-handed marking tool. In fact, it works a lot Siding operation at best. Even short pieces like an adjustable square for transfer- can be a lot to handle when trying to ring an angle from one workpiece to 3 Make sure the lower leg hold them perfectly parallel while nail- another. of the jig is parallel to the end ing them in place. I made my jig with a couple of of the siding as you mark the What I found that worked well is to straight 1x2’s. To match the angle of angle of the rake. make the jigs shown here. the rake, I held the boards in position as shown in Figure 2 and screwed them ALIGNMENT JIG together to match the roof pitch. 3 3 This jig is a /4" x 4 /4" x 8" piece of Then I used the jig to transfer the 3 scrap with a /4"-wide cleat glued to angle onto the siding pieces that cov- the back. To use the jig, butt the cleat ered the rake (Fig. 3).

showing. That placed the flat side hard way.) Drilling pilot holes for the (that’s the one without the latch). against the shed wall, which pre- nails is the only way to avoid this. Drill a hole in the head jamb and sented a problem. The Alignment Jig, above, is a great the floor to receive the bolts. For siding to shed water as effi- help in trying to hold the siding in Lastly is some type of a stop to ciently as possible, its bottom edge place while nailing it. The Angle- keep the doors from swinging too needs to be “tipped” away from the Matching Jig comes in handy at the wide. I used a spring-tensioned chain structure. With the flat face of the top of the wall. stop on each door. These unhook siding against the wall, the angle of When all the siding is installed, easily to let the doors swing to their the lowest piece of siding wouldn’t nail the soffit (AA) underneath the full-open position. be enough to keep rain from wick- rafters (Soffit Detail). Note: You’ll ing up between the siding and the need to notch the soffit to go around wall sheathing. The solution was to the corner trim. install a starter strip underneath the Finally, apply caulk where the first piece of siding to establish the siding meets the trim.Then paint or proper angle. stain the siding to your tastes. I I made the starter strips by ripping applied a clear sealer to protect the 1 1 /2"-wide bands from the top (thin) siding from the elements without edge of a few pieces of siding (Step 4 changing its natural color. in the Siding,Trim, and Door Installation drawing). I nailed those on all the way CLOSING DETAILS around the shed before continuing There are a couple more pieces of the siding vertically up each wall. hardware that you should install to One other important note about help keep the doors under control. Protect yourself and your shed from doors that swing open cedar siding is that it splits easily First are barrel bolts at the top unexpectedly by installing barrel bolts in the fixed door and when you nail it. (I found out the and bottom of the “fixed” door securing both doors with a spring-tensioned chain.

WORKBENCH ■ SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2001 23 Tips & Techniques: Hanging Double Doors Hang-’em-yourself doors have it all over pre-hungs when it comes to price and getting just the look you want.

here were a lot of choices to GAP DETAIL (TOP) GAP DETAIL (BOTTOM) consider when I went shop- Tping for doors to go in the !/8" Head Jamb Garden Shed. One choice was to buy Side Jamb Bottom of Door whatever pre-hung exterior doors !/4" the local home center had in stock. That option was expensive and lim- Side Jamb Top of Door Floor ited my selection of finishes. Another choice was to special order a set of pre-hung composite doors. DOOR CONSTRUCTION VIEW Since I could stain or paint these as I pleased, the “limited finish” prob- #/4" Dado, #/8 " deep Head Jamb lem was solved. But they were still Door Stop very expensive, and I’d have to wait HINGE DETAIL weeks for them to be shipped in. Ultimately,I decided to save time The hinge gap #/4" is the space Dado, and money (and get just the look I between the #/8" wanted) by buying two composite hinge leaves. deep door slabs and building the jamb assembly myself. Because slab doors Side Jamb come without a jamb assembly and there aren’t any holes drilled for the lockset, or mortises for the hinges, 1 Hinge they can cost as little as /3 of the Mortise same type doors bought pre-hung. The little bit of extra work I had to do was well worth the savings. Hinge MAKING THE JAMB PIECES Door The jamb assembly is the U-shaped Stop framework that the doors are hinged to. It gets nailed into the shed framing to mount the doors. I used 1x4 cedar to build the jamb assembly so that it would match the look of the shed. To get started making the jamb Door Stop pieces, there are a few measurements Side Jamb NOTE: Jambs and Door Stops you’ll need to know. First is the Door Mortise 3 are made of /4"-thick cedar. height of the rough opening. That

24 WORKBENCH ■ SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2001 TEMPLATE DIMENSIONS HINGE MORTISE JIG a. !/2" Straight %/8" Guide 6"to centerline Bit Bushing oftemplate

CL Mortise Fence Side Jamb Fence Template Set bit depth to hinge leaf thickness.

Template Fence

Hinge width plus 6"to centerline oftemplate Hinge length plus wall thickness of guide bushing plus guide bushing wall CL thickness times two. thickness of fence. Fencelength dimension,minus about 1/ " for side jambs.To lay out the location of equalsdoorheight 4 plus!/8". shimming,is the length to cut the those dadoes, measure from the bot- side jamb pieces. tom of the jamb sides the height of 3 The next thing you need to know the door plus /8".That allows for a shows how to figure the proper size 1 is the size of the doors.It pays to /8" gap at the top of the door and a to cut these. 1 measure them rather than accept the /4" gap at the bottom.Then cut the The final thing is the position of 3 manufacturer’s claim.My 3'6"-wide dadoes /8" deep. the templates on the fence. The 1 and 6'8"-tall doors were about /4" templates must be precisely the smaller than that in both directions. ROUTING HINGE MORTISES same distance from the ends of the The last number you need to The next step in getting the jamb fence (I nailed my templates 6" in find before you can begin building pieces ready for assembly is to mor- from each end, as shown above). the door frame is the hinge gap (see tise the side jambs for the hinges. The Jig Alignment drawings Hinge Detail on the previous page). And while you’re at it, you may as below show how to position the jig Now, with those dimensions still well mortise the doors, too. on each workpiece. Notice that to fresh in your mind, you can figure The one thing to watch for rout the jamb pieces, the fence rests the length of the head jamb by when routing these mortises is that against the outside edge of the jamb adding together: they line up perfectly from the door and the end of the fence lines up • The total width of the two doors to the jamb. I accomplished this with the bottom shoulder of the dado. • The hinge gaps with a jig and a handheld router When routing the doors, the 1 • /8" for the gap between the doors equipped with a straight bit and a fence must be positioned against the 3 • /4" to go into the dadoes guide bushing (Detail a, above). outside face of the door and with the Cut the head jamb to length and There are three things that deter- top of the door. lay it aside while you work on the mine the accuracy of the jig. The As you rout the mortises, be care- side jambs. first is the length of the fence — it ful that the router doesn’t tip into the 1 has to be exactly /8" longer than the template as you move from one end DADOING THE SIDE JAMBS double doors. to the other. Now remove the hinge Take a close look at the Door The second is the size of the pins and install a hinge leaf in each Construction View and you’ll see that opening in the mortise templates. mortise. Use two short screws that the head jamb is dadoed into the The Template Dimensioning drawing came with the hinges in each leaf.

JIG ALIGNMENT: JAMBS JIG ALIGNMENT: DOORS Jamb

Fence Door

Align thetop end of Align thebottom end of the fence with the bottom the fence with the bottom shoulder of the dado. end of the door. Fence

WORKBENCH■ SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER2001 25 DOOR STOP DETAIL Corner Block To square up jamb assembly, Door shift it so diagonal Jambs Stops measurements are equal. Bottom Strap Corner Block Top Block Thickness of door

Spacer Blocks DOORS & JAMB ASSEMBLY Bottom Strap

Before getting into the actual assem- and bracing — bly of the door jambs, I want to together in the first share a quick note about the nature place. I’ll tell you right of pre-hung doors.And that is, com- now, it’s a bit of a wrestling pared to even medium-weight doors match. But with patience and a like the composite slabs I used, the good plan, it’s one you can win. Detail).Take a minute now to square jamb assembly is a pretty fragile the frame before adding the brac- structure.That’s why all that bracing DOOR ASSEMBLY PLAN ing. Measure diagonally from cor- shown in the illustration above is so Start by assembling the jamb pieces ner to corner (shown above) and important. It keeps the door from with the hinges facing down.Drive shift the frame until it’s square. racking or twisting too badly until it two woodscrews through each side Next, attach the corner blocks gets mounted in the opening. jamb and into the head jamb. and bottom strap (with a spacer The challenge then is getting all Next, cut the door stops to fit and block attached, as shown in the those pieces — doors, jambs, stops, nail them to the jambs (Door Stop illustration above).

KNOB & LATCH INSTALLATION

1 Lock sets generally include templates and Notice that the 2 /8" hole is drilled from both instructions for drilling new doors. Figure 1 directions. That’s to avoid tearout that could hap- shows using a template to lay out the center of pen by drilling all the way through from one side. 1 the 2 /8" hole for the handle and the 1"-dia. hole After both holes are drilled, center the strike 1 for the latch. Drill a /8" plate over the 1" hole and trace pilot hole at both of a. its shape onto the door. Then these marks. Now drill a mortise in the door Drilling the holes as shown in from opposite edge so the strike plate seats Figure 2 and Detail a. directions will flush (Fig. 3). reduce tearout.

Mark the location for!/8 " pilot holes. Use a chisel to create a mortise for the strike plate. 2"!/8 Hole Saw

1" Spade Bit 1 Paper Template 2 3

26 WORKBENCH ■ SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2001 SETTING THE DOORS IN DOOR INSTALLATION This is where the wrestling I men- Add spacer blocks tioned earlier comes in.Now that over top the head jamb. the frame is assembled and most of the bracing is in place,the frame needs to be turned over so the Rough Opening hinges are facing up. One quick side note here:If you haven’t installed the lock sets in the doors yet,now is a good time to do that before setting them into the Shim behind frame.Most lock sets come with each hinge. templates and instructions for instal- lation,but I’ve added a few notes on the bottom of the previous page to clarify the process a bit. Now lay the doors into the frame one at a time, letting them rest on the stops and the spacer block while you replace the hinge pins. When both doors are in and pinned, attach another strap across the doors near the bottom and a block at the top. These final pieces will hold the doors closed as you move and install them (see Door Installation, at right).

INSTALLING THE DOORS In a perfect world, pre-hung doors would set into rough openings plumb, square, and snug, and you’d Shim underneath the jamb just need to drive a few screws to call if one door is lower than the other. it done. In the real world, rough openings are rarely square and plumb, so they’re intentionally made larger than the doors to allow for shim- ming. Of course, figuring out where underneath the jamb of the door and how much to shim is the tricky that is low. That will usually Wall Sheathing 3"!/2 part. Here’s the method that’s always straighten out the gap between the Trimmer Fh Woodscrew worked for me. doors, too, though you may have to Shim Stud First, set the doors into the rough fine-tune the gap a bit by shimming opening with the jamb edges a little more or less in spots. Shim aligned flush with the wall sheathing The shims should be placed and hold them snug with a couple of directly behind the hinges as shown Side Jamb temporary shims on both sides of above. Each hinge should have at a. Door Stop Door 1 the door. These should hold the least one 3 /2"-long screw that goes doors just tight enough that you can through the shims and into the remove the bottom strap and the framing (Detail a). Door Header Head Jamb block from the outside of the doors. Now install spacer blocks over Now take a look at the gap the head jamb, as shown in Detail b. between the doors.The tops of the Then remove the last of the bracing. doors should line up perfectly, and The final test, naturally, is to open !/2 the gap between them should be and close the doors a few times to Spacer Blocks 3" Fh Woodscrew consistent from top to bottom. check their swing. Both doors should Doors If the doors don’t line up at the move freely without binding any- top, this can be fixed by shimming where in the opening. b.

WORKBENCH■ SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER2001 27 HOME IMPROVEMENT Install a Trouble-Free Pocket Door No room for a hinged door? No problem. Instead, hang a door that “disappears” conveniently into a pocket inside the wall.

ow you see it . . . now you don’t.That’s the beauty of a Npocket door. Want to hide dirty dishes from guests after a big Thanksgiving dinner? Easy. Pull the door shut. When you’re ready to mingle again, just slide the door into a convenient “pocket” in the wall. Another benefit of a pocket door is that it can be installed in places where there isn’t room for a tradi- tional hinged door.This makes them perfect for half-baths, walk-in closets, and small bedrooms. With all of these benefits, why do pocket doors get such a bad rap? Probably because older doors had a bad habit of jumping off track and getting stuck.They could also be dif- ficult to repair and install. Maybe this explains why a friend of mine had put up with the accor- dion-style door shown in the ‘Before’ photo below for so long. Luckily, I was able to convince her that today’s pocket doors are much more reliable than the older units. The reason has to do with a steel-rein- forced “cage” that’s formed inside the wall opening and the hardware used to hang the door. It’s best to buy the cage and hard- ware as a kit. A pocket door kit is pretty straightfor- ward to install. Just make sure you get one that’s “univer- BEFORE sal,” which means it

28 WORKBENCH ■ SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2001 BRACKET DETAIL ANATOMY OF A POCKET DOOR ROLLER DETAIL

Roller Cripple Studs fill in space above the Header. Door Hanger Plate 2x6 Header prevents sagging, which could cause door to bind. Casing gives the pocket door Metal Track opening a guides door finished look. along the opening.

Trimmer Stud supports the Header. Side Jamb It also provides provides a solid a mounting surface surface for the for the Track. leading edge of the door to close against.

Edge and Face NOTE: Purchase Spacer Pull lets you open your door separate shims out the and close the door from the kit. Any door Rubber Bumper. from either side. — hollow or solid, flat Any Door up to or paneled — will work Rubber Bumper 1#/8 "-thick will for a pocket door cushions the blow work for a pocket door. as long as it’s 1" from the door hitting 3 the Trimmer Stud. to 1 /8" thick. SPLIT STUD DETAIL King Stud Finished Drywall creates a Floor nailing surface for the drywall.

Metal-Wrapped "Split" Studs allow the door to slide in and out. Door will work with any standard 6'8" Floor Bracket Split door that’s 24"-36" wide.I used a anchors Studs. Studs kit manufactured by Stanley (PDFC 150N Series) that’s shown at right. (For information about kit manu- To add rigidity,two pairs of metal- POCKET DOOR KIT facturers,turn to page 53). wrapped studs (an inner and outer pair) form a “split” — the pocket HOW A POCKET DOOR WORKS opening — that lets the door slide in If you take a look above, you’ll see and out (Split Stud Detail).These split how the pocket is formed inside the studs are nailed to the wood housing wall opening.You’ll also notice how of the track and are anchored to the the door is hung. floor by metal brackets. At the top of the door opening, a To help keep the door aligned as it metal track with a wood housing slides into the pocket, two adjustable runs between a couple of trimmer plastic guides are fastened to the first studs (Bracket Detail).This track guides two outer split studs. Finally,a rubber To make it easy to install a pocket door, a univeral a roller unit that’s attached to a bumper attached to a spacer block kit comes with all the hardware and framing you hanger plate on top of the door cushions the door at the back end of need to create the cage and hang the door. (Roller Detail). the pocket.

WORKBENCH■ SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER200129 FRAMING VIEW the width, multiply the door width 1 Double Top Plate by two and add 1 /4". (This takes into account the combined thickness of the door jambs and a rubber bumper HEADER DETAIL that will serve as a stop for the door.) 1 Cripple Stud Then add 1 /2" to that dimension. !/2" Spacer Later, this will create a nailing surface 2x6 Header for the drywall (Drywall Detail).As for 2x6 the height, remove the drywall clear to the ceiling. STUD DETAIL Now you can get to work cutting the opening for the pocket and 85" removing the existing studs and Top Plate header with a . King Stud FRAMING THE OPENING Trimmer Stud With the studs and old header out of the way, it’s time to frame the open- ing for the pocket door. As with any door, the framing transfers the weight DRYWALL DETAIL above it down to the floor.This will NOTE: For safety, shut off keep the pocket door from binding. all electricity to the room If you look at the Framing View at King Drywall King where you’re working left, you’ll see there’s a long king stud Stud Stud before cutting into on each side of the opening that’s the wall. toenailed to the top plate and floor plate. Then a shorter trimmer stud is Trimmer Trimmer nailed to each king stud (Stud Detail). Stud Stud Together, these two pairs of studs 1 61!/4 " support the header — 2x6’s with /2" Drywall spacers between (Header Detail). Floor Plate To complete the framing, screw The first step in installing a pocket the header in place, as shown in Photo door is to create a rough opening in ‘A’ at left. Finally, toenail a few short the wall.This opening is framed with cripple studs above the header. 2x’s to support the weight above it. INSTALLING THE METAL CAGE After plumbing ASSESSING THE SITE At this point, it’s time to install the the king studs Before you get started, it’s important pocket door cage. It consists of a track and trimmer to assess whether there are any hid- that spans the opening and two pairs studs, screw the den obstacles inside the wall. of metal-wrapped “split” studs header in place. Usually, an electrical outlet or (Installing the Cage). switch can be moved or removed HANG THE TRACK. The key to entirely. But other problems may not a smooth-sliding pocket door is the be as obvious. For example, if a wall is metal track that guides the door.The shared with a bathroom or kitchen, it track is attached to a wood housing could conceal plumbing pipes.And a with a bracket on each end (one is wall vent may indicate furnace - preattached; the other is unattached). work inside. Both of these can be There are two things to do before time consuming and expensive to hanging the track. First, cut the wood move, so you may want to reconsider housing to length to match the width adding a pocket door in that location. of the door. (The most common widths are marked on the housing.) SIZING THE OPENING The second thing is to remove part of After completing your assessment of the metal track to provide clearance A the wall, the next step is to determine for the unattached end bracket on the the size of the opening. To establish pocket side of the track.

30 WORKBENCH ■ SEPTEMBER |OCTOBER 2001 INSTALLING THE CAGE END BRACKET DETAIL

A Cut away for clarity B Cut End Trimmer 80!/8 " Wood Housing Bracket Stud Check that the metal track for the to match width pocket door is level before fastening it of door. permanently to the trimmer studs. SPLIT STUD DETAIL Remove 2" of C the Track Pilot Housing to fit Hole End Bracket. Plumb Studs Inner Outer flush with Split Split Studs the Track Studs Housing.

Split Studs fit over prongs of Floor Bracket. Stud

Metal Also, make sure the metal-wrapped Anchoring Bracket studs are plumb before screwing the metal anchoring bracket to the floor.

The important thing when hang- track (Split Stud Detail). The bottom To avoid knocking the track out of ing the track is that it’s level and flush ends slip over the prongs of a metal alignment, it’s best to drill pilot holes with the outside of the opening.This floor bracket.This creates a consistent before nailing the studs to the hous- may take some fiddling. I found it opening for the door. ing. Also, be sure to check the studs works best to permanently fasten the Just a couple of things to keep in for plumb before securing the floor preattached bracket (Bracket Detail) to mind when installing the split studs. bracket (Photo ‘C’). the trimmer stud. Then clamp the unattached bracket to the other end of the housing and temporarily tack it TRACK ALIGNMENT TIPS in position (see sidebar at right). Now go ahead and level the track (Photo ‘B’,above).Finally,check to see that it’s flush with the opening and Header header (Fig. b at right) before nailing the end bracket in place. INSTALL “SPLIT” STUDS. With Nailing slot Wood for tacking the track in place, it’s time to install Housing in place. the metal-wrapped “split” studs — Cut away Wood two at the outer end of the pocket for clarity a.Housing Scrap b. and two near the middle. Like their name implies, each pair of studs is Temporarily clamp the unattached Use a scrap block to align the “split”apart.The top ends of the studs end bracket to the housing and track housing flush with the are nailed to opposite sides of the tack it in place to level the track. header and pocket opening.

WORKBENCH ■ SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2001 31 INSTALLING THE DOOR means of a two-part assembly. A HANGER PLATES. When While you still have easy access to metal hanger plate is attached near mounting the hanger plates, make the pocket, it’s a good time to install each corner of the door (Hanger sure the screws are long enough to the door and check to make sure it Detail, below). This plate fits onto a get a solid “bite.” (I used 2"-long slides smoothly without binding.The heavy-duty roller that rides back and woodscrews.) Also, they’ll hold better door is connected to the track by forth in the track. if you locate the plate so the screws go into the edge grain of the door rail instead of the end grain of the stile. HANGER DETAIL HANGING THE DOOR DOOR PULL. The next step is Track to install the door pull. It has a fin- Roller ger recess on each side and a flipper in the edge, which makes it easy to pull the door out or slide it shut. Hanger The pull fits into a large notch cut Plate in the edge of the door (Pull Detail). HANG THE DOOR. Once the 1" pull is installed, the big moment has Side arrived — hanging the door. Start by of door PULL DETAIL sliding the rollers into the track.Then Pull Edge lift the door until the hanger plates of Door “capture” the posts on the rollers. You’ll hear a click when this happens. That’s the built-in mechanism that “locks” the roller onto the plate. 1"#/4 x 2" !/4 This locking mechanism is easy to Notch release if you ever need to repair the Door door. In fact, you’ll have to remove it to complete the door installation. But for now, just slide the door back and forth a few times, (Photo ‘D’ below). If the door rubs on the split GUIDE DETAIL studs, don’t worry.A couple of plastic Rubber guides will take care of that later. Bumper RUBBER BUMPER. While the door is still on the track, it’s a good Spacer 1" Drywall time to add the rubber bumper that Screw comes with the kit. By attaching the bumper to the trimmer stud at the back of the pocket, it acts as a stop Guides Split Jambs Door removed for the door (Bumper Detail). for clarity The goal here is simple. When the back (inside) edge of the door

NOTE: Make sure the door is sealed on all sides — including the bottom — to protect against moisture.

BUMPER DETAIL Trimmer Bumper Stud Open door so it's (positioned flush with scrap. slightly D above center Custom- of pocket) It’s best to test the door slide while you Thickness Scrap matches Spacer thickness of jamb. can still see what’s happening before covering the pocket with drywall.

32 WORKBENCH ■ SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2001 contacts the stop, the outside edge JAMB ASSEMBLY AND TRIM should be flush with the door jamb Casing that will be added later.This requires SPLIT JAMB DETAIL SOLID JAMB DETAIL making a shim to “build out” the Split Top bumper to the correct distance. Jambs A handy way to accomplish this is to use a scrap piece that matches Split Top Jambs the thickness of the door jamb as a Split Side Solid gauge (Bumper Detail). Hold it Jambs Side Casing against one of the split studs and Jamb Split open the door so it’s flush with the Side Jambs scrap. The distance between the door and the trimmer stud (minus the length of the bumper) equals SHIM DETAIL the thickness of the shim. NOTE: It’s important to GUIDES. Now it’s time to add plumb the solid side jamb Solid so that you can adjust the the plastic guides that keep the Side Jamb lower part of the door aligned.After door (see sidebar below) Use shims removing the door, the guides are to both close properly and to plumb the Solid mounted directly to the split studs rest flush with the split Side Jamb. (Guide Detail, left). Once the door is jambs when pushed into rehung, the guides can be adjusted the pocket. close to (but not touching) it. This keeps the lower part of the door from swinging and rubbing against MARKING DETAIL the split studs. Casing Door BUTTONING UP MAINTENANCE TIP: 1" At this point, it’s time to “button up” Baseboard Spray the track with Split Jamb Finish the opening. This involves hanging lubricant periodically Nailing Slot Nail the drywall, installing a door jamb, to keep the door and adding some trim pieces. rolling freely. DRYWALL. When hanging the Casing drywall, just remember, you don’t want any screws sticking into the pocket. All that’s needed to attach the drywall to the split studs is 1"- assembly against the sides of the FINAL ADJUSTMENTS long screws. It’s also a good idea to opening and use shims to plumb the mark the locations of the nailing solid jamb (Shim Detail). Then tack With the jamb assembly in place, you may need to slots in the split studs on the drywall it in place with finish nails. adjust the door height so it doesn’t scrape on the (Marking Detail, right). This will TRIM. Once the jamb assembly floor, or to raise or lower an end so that the door make it easy to see where to nail the is nailed into place, you can add the fits flush with the solid jamb. This can be done by door jamb that’s added next. trim pieces. The casing is nailed to screwing the post on the roller in or out with a JAMB ASSEMBLY.The door jamb the door jamb. But it’s best to glue on special included with the kit. is built as a separate, U-shaped assem- the baseboard with construction bly (Jamb Assembly and Trim).To allow adhesive. This way, you won’t have the door to slide, there’s a two-part to worry about nails sticking into “split” jamb on the pocket side of the the pocket. door opening and also across the top FINAL ADJUSTMENTS. All (Split Jamb Detail).The single jamb on that’s left is to rehang the door and the opposite side is a solid strip of make any final adjustments that wood (Solid Jamb Detail). might be needed. Turn nut As you can see in the drawings As you can see in the sidebar at to level door. above, the jamb is assembled with right, a nut and threaded post on the Solid rabbet joints and nails. This means roller — plus a special wrench — Jamb it’s going to be a bit wobbly until make adjusting the height and level- you install it.To do this, fit the jamb ing the door a snap.

WORKBENCH ■ SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2001 33 TOOL TEST Router Table Review A router table converts your router into a precision woodworking tool. Which one is best for you? We test nine models under $300 to find out.

34 WORKBENCH ■ SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2001 router is probably the most TOP. A router table top needs to inserts for added support close to versatile and accurate wood- be very flat for the most demanding the bit. Phenolic baseplates resist Aworking machine in your work, where slight variations could sagging better than acrylic ones, but shop. To make the most of it, how- change the angle of the workpiece or you can’t see through them. ever, you need the right router table. the depth of cut. Overall, the tables in BENCHTOP/FLOOR-MODEL. This indispensible shop fixture this test scored high in flatness. The word “benchtop” is a bit mislead- opens up a world of possibilities for The size of top is also important. ing. For safety and comfort, a joinery, grooves, , panel rais- Larger tops provide more support, benchtop table should be mounted ing and edge- operations. but for most operations, smaller tops on a stand with the top surface at A router table doesn’t have to be work just fine. workbench height. Benchtop tables expensive or overly fancy to get the FENCE. A good router table will are more portable than floor-models, job done. It can be as simple as a have an easily adjustable fence with but they don’t have the unlimited piece of plywood with a notched features such as a dust collection port, router height clearance that full- board for a fence. In fact, many a bit guard, and an array of hold- height tables do. If you plan to use a woodworkers build their own. The downs, shims, and stops. large plunge router in your table, reason to buy a commercial table is We prefer fences that clamp to the make sure there’s enough headroom. for the accuracy and conveniences edges of the table top rather than Some of the benchtop tables had manufacturers build into them. In attach by bolts through slots.They’re enclosed stands.These cut the noise this tool review,we tested nine router easier to remove, and there aren’t any by a few decibels, but the enclosed tables for the budget-minded wood- sharp edges to “catch” a workpiece. space can lead to overheating prob- worker — all priced under $300. BASEPLATE. Many commercial lems. We suggest installing an addi- router tables have a drop-in router tional dust port in the enclosed stand WHAT’S IMPORTANT baseplate that fits into a rabbeted to keep air circulating through it. All router tables aren’t created equal. recess in the top. Baseplates make FEATURES. Many router table We found some significant differ- bit-changing easier, especially if manufacturers offer quite an array ences in several key aspects.We’ll talk you’re using a plunge router in your of optional accessories that you can about those in a minute when we get table. They also make it easier to use to customize your table. If the to the individual table reviews. But mount and remove the router. models shown here don’t have every overall, here are a few things to con- Most of the baseplates on our feature you want, check with the sider when buying a router table. test models came with concentric manufacturer for available options.

TWO INNOVATIONS THAT BREAK THE MOLD Router tables have come a long way Veritas router table. Underneath the table JOINTING. Although several of the since they first started to appear in is a unique clamping mechanism that router tables could be set up to joint woodworking shops. With two of the lets you mount the router (or remove it the edge of a board, one model in par- models tested, we found features that from the table) in a matter of seconds ticular had a terrific new twist. But definitely broke the mold. (Photo a. below). And don’t worry if you before getting to that, here’s a quick MOUNTING THE ROUTER. One of the have a router with an irregular-shaped overview of jointing on a router table. most innovative ideas is the method base. This quick-change clamp can be The idea is to mount a straight bit in that’s used to mount the router to the adjusted to fit any router base. the router and then, with the edge of the board riding against the fence, make a pass. To provide support for the workpiece after the material has been removed, the outfeed part of the fence has to be shimmed out a bit. To accomplish this, the fence on the router table has two aluminum bars that are used a. b. to shim the fence (Photo b.). By placing the bars in a different A unique, quick-clamp mechanism on the Veritas router For jointing, two aluminum bars are pair of fence slots, you can table lets you mount or remove the router in seconds. used to shim the Bench Dog fence. change the amount of offset.

WORKBENCH ■ SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2001 35 VERITAS At A Glance: Everything about this table is intelli- router.Three cam-shaped table inserts Price: $269 gently designed. A unique router- drop easily into the table opening and Table Size: 24" x 16" mounting clamp system makes it easy are tightened with a spanner wrench. Under Table to mount any There isn’t a miter gauge slot. Clearance: 16" router The double-decker split fences are Top: Steel quickly movable and feature a - Weight: 40 lbs. and firmly style gauge to set positions within Virtues: Sturdy and accurate; without .001". You’ll need some tools to unique router mount; micrometer removing the make adjustments, but Veritas has positioner; instructional video. baseplate. The included a nifty 4-in-1 tool to help. Vices: Blade guard and dust smooth steel Options include hold-downs, a chute not included; fence top tilts up for right-angle fence for cross-feed requires tools to adjust. bit changing routing, a magnetic dust collection Verdict: An innovative, very and flips over chute, a pin router attachment, and user-friendly table; our unani- mous choice for best in test. to mount the blade guards.

WOODHAVEN BENCHTOP At A Glance: Woodhaven’s design expertise and leveling system. You can have the Price: $290 7 attention to detail are evident in this plate pre-drilled for almost any router Table Size: 23 /8" x 19" Under Table benchtop router table.Although at no additional charge. 7 it took 21/ hours to The fence clamps comfortably to Clearance: 14 /16" 2 Top: Laminate on MDF assemble, it was the table top. This makes it easy to Weight: 52 lbs. worth the time. remove, and it’s free of slots. Extruded The table is fence channels accept Woodhaven’s Virtues: Excellent fit and finish; solid as a rock, many optional accessories. unique snap-in insert rings; slick with a great On the minus side, the top fence system. fence, a dead- vibrates when the router is running, Vices: Need to adjust fence; top vibrates; no flat table, a phe- although not enough to affect accu- dust port in cabinet. nolic baseplate racy.We also would have preferred to Verdict: A solid, well-made with snap-in see a dust collection port in the product with all the bases cov- insert rings, and enclosed base, but it’s easy enough ered; plenty of add-ons available. a superior plate- to install one yourself.

BENCHDOG RT100 At A Glance: 3 Compact and solid, this benchtop Our test model had a /8"-thick, Price: $199 table comes with a lot of standard clear acrylic baseplate with a 2" hole. 3 Table Size: 22" x 15 /4" bells and whistles. Some of these Interchangeable insert rings aren’t Under Table 3 include a beefy T-slot/miter-gauge available. For different-sized open- Clearance: 12 /4" extrusion, a dead- ings, you’ll need separate baseplates. Top: Laminate on MDF flat fence that’s The split-fence adjustment knobs Weight: 35 lbs. perfectly square, were cramped, but the main knobs Virtues: Flat, solid and nicely and an enclosed that secure the fence to the table were made; excellent fence and miter stand. The miter accessible and comfortable. gauge extrusions. gauge slot is Besides the solid construction Vices: Minimal router headroom; adjustable with and the full-featured fence, we were fence knobs crowded; no dust port set screws that especially impressed with the clever in cabinet. take up any slop aluminum jointing shims.These off- Verdict: Best value in test, with in the fit of the set the outfeed fence quickly and all the features needed in a com- miter gauge’s bar. positively for jointing. pact and affordable package.

36 WORKBENCH ■ SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2001 ROCKLER At A Glance: Price: $273 This floor-model table has a full-size T-slots in the front for a blade shield 3 Table Size: 31 /4" x 24" top and all the important features.We and an optional Under Table tested it with a solid stand.A pine featherboard and 1 Clearance: 35 /2" stand and a metal leg set are also avail- . Top: Laminate on MDF able.The top has an aluminum miter A drop-in alu- 3 Weight: 42 lbs. (w/stand) gauge slot that accepts a standard /8" minum baseplate is 3 Virtues: Full-height; large table x /4" miter gauge bar. Rockler offers flat and rigid, but it surface; sturdy base, convenient an optional wooden featherboard vibrates and whines. fence adjustments. that locks in the slot with a twist of a The hole in the plas- Vices: Featherboard hold-down plastic knob. tic template-guide only works for material up to The fence — a simple, straight insert ring was off- 3 1 /4" thick. aluminum angle extrusion — center by about /32." Verdict: A sturdy, full-featured attaches to the top with carriage This was a big draw- and workman-like table that is bolts and large, comfortable knobs. back for template nicely designed and easy to use. It has two movable subfences with routing accuracy.

EAGLE RT2000 At A Glance: Price: $220 Eagle America’s entry-level table cord. The fence clamps to the sides 1 Table Size: 24" x 19 /8" includes all the basic features you of the table for fast removal. Under Table need. It also has the longest fence of The extruded aluminum fence is Clearance: 13" the benchtop models tested. fitted with MDF subfences and a Top: Laminate on MDF The edges of the RT 2000’s top dust collection port. The subfences Weight: 41 lbs. are edge-banded with laminate, so are slotted to accept Virtues: Solid cabinet with they weren’t as user-friendly as others Eagle’s wide enclosed base that cuts noise; with vinyl T-. Apart from a selection of long fence. dip near the miter gauge slot, the top featherboards, Vices: Sharp edges and corners was flat and solid. A $20 baseplate stops and guards. on top; limited router headroom. with four insert rings is available. High-rise subfences Verdict: A solid, compact router The enclosed cabinet can be fit- are also available for table with a square, straight fence ted with an optional dust-collection panel-raising and and a catalog full of options. pickup. You also have to drill the edge-grooving exit hole for your router’s power operations.

CRAFTSMAN 26464 At A Glance: This latest router table from the floor-model version. Reversing Price: $299 1 Table Size: 27" x 18" Craftsman is a full-featured benchtop the outfeed fence offsets it /16" for Under Table model.We tested it with an optional jointing operations. 1 Clearance: 14 /8" steel floor stand. The cast aluminum The heavy-duty, clear, Top: -Cast Aluminum top is coated with a clear anti-friction plastic bit guard enhances Weight: 52 lbs. finish to prevent marring. A drop-in dust collection and keeps baseplate, drilled to fit all 1997 and hands away from the bit. It Virtues: Sturdy; good plate-lev- eling system; versatile fence; later Craftsman routers, comes with can be flipped out of the way safety switch. three plastic insert rings. For other for miter-gauge operations Vices: Ribbed table surface isn’t routers, you’ll need the optional uni- and taller workpieces. user-friendly; insert rings don’t sit versal baseplate. This table comes with a flush. Accuracy could be better. The three-piece aluminum fence standard two-outlet safety Verdict: A solid, feature-packed is easy to adjust and has T-tracks for switch, so you can turn on table that can serve as a bench- mounting a large, plastic feather- the router and a shop vac- top or floor model. board, which comes standard with uum simultaneously.

WORKBENCH ■ SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2001 37 WOODSTOCK REBEL At A Glance: The Rebel is a lightweight aluminum suggest a one-piece subfence to Price: $188 benchtop router table with a sturdy, solve this problem. Table Size: 24" x 18" bolt-together, cast aluminum stand. We had to drill the holes in the Under Table The table is flat, the split fences are aluminum baseplate to mount our Clearance: 17" square to it, and router, but Woodstock offers cus- Top: Cast Aluminum the lock-down tom-drilled plates for an extra charge. Weight: 35 lbs. 1 knobs can be We had to remove about /32" from Virtues: Rock-solid yet light- accessed easily. the plastic insert ring’s flange so it weight; flat table surface; rigid But it’s tedious would sit flush with the table. aluminum baseplate. to adjust both The overarm blade guard doubles Vices: Separate fences tedious fence sections for dust pick-up. But it isn’t very to adjust, blade guard not always each time we effective for either purpose when the usable. changed the fences are close to the bit. It also Verdict: A solid and accurately position of the requires a 3"-dia. flexible hose and machined table, without many fence. So we’d clamp to connect to the opening. frills or accessories.

JESADA At A Glance: This is Jesada’s only router table for The leg set included consists of Price: $240 under $300. It’s a floor-model table two rather flimsy sheet-metal leg 5 Table Size: 31 /8" x 24" with a full-size top, a simple extruded units that require a plywood shelf Under Table 11 aluminum fence, and rails for stability. Once braced, Clearance: 22 /16" and a sturdy drop- the table is quite rigid. Top:Laminate on MDF in baseplate that You’ll need to rout slots in the Weight: 46 lbs. must be drilled to table top to attach the fence.This isn’t 3 Virtues: Large, floor-model accommodate your difficult, but you’ll need a /8" straight table with a straight fence. router. The baseplate bit and edge guide (no instructions or Vices: Top has no slots; legs comes standard with dimensions included). must be braced; no provision for two nested insert We had mixed feelings about the split fence. rings, but the outer cam-lock levers that held the fence in Verdict: A full-size, no-frills ring stands about place.They hold securely enough, but router table with a large top. But .010" proud of the their sharp edges and corners make few accessories are available. plate surface. them uncomfortable to operate.

PORTER-CABLE 698 At A Glance: This small benchtop table has some plunge routers unless you mount the Price: $149 good features — easy assembly and a table on a stand or cutout table. 3 3 Table Size: 19 /4" x 16 /4" remote router switch. But overall, we The flat table top came equipped Under Table were disappointed with a miter gauge, but the sharp 3 Clearance: 13 /8" with its design grooves are intrusive. Also, the steel Top: Cast Aluminum and operation. insert ring sits about .025" below Weight: 26 lbs. The cast alu- the table surface, so your work tends Light and portable; minum top is to catch on the edge of the opening. Virtues: easy to assemble; has remote pre-drilled to The two-piece fence design router switch. accept all Porter- means you have to adjust each fence Vices: Fence not square to Cable routers, independently every time.The fences table; blade guard and dual but there isn’t were straight but weren’t square to fences awkward. enough clear- the table.And the blade guard on the Verdict: The least-expensive ance underneath right fence casting was awkward to and least-impressive table tested. 1 for their 3 /4 HP use and remove.

38 WORKBENCH ■ SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2001 Final Recommendations Most of our test models excelled in Though it didn’t have a drop-in base- some areas and fell short in others. plate, the router clamp is more con- VERITAS ROUTER That’s why we suggest you base venient and sturdier. One thing miss- TABLE SYSTEM your final decision on the features ing on the standard Veritas model that are most important to you. was a dust chute, but they offer a The first thing to consider is the great one with a magnetic base that router you plan to use in your table. can be used on other machines, too. If your only router is a 3 HP plunge Close behind the Veritas were the router, you may find that it won’t fit Woodhaven and Bench Dog tables, comfortably in a short benchtop table with their enclosed stands and wide RKBE O NC W H such as the Bench Dog or the Eagle. range of optional fence accessories. ®

A

The Porter Cable table accepts only The Woodhaven scored slightly W A R Porter Cable routers. If you want to higher because of its more ample D Y IT E O L D F Q UA be able to stow your router table headroom, snap-in ring system and IT OR under a bench or toss it in the truck, unbroken table surface. The Bench ’S CHOICE choose a benchtop model. Dog won our Top Value award Accuracy, ease-of-use and because of its excellent performance BENCH DOG PRO TOP optional accessories are also impor- at a very reasonable price. PORTABLE RT100 tant. With only minor exceptions (noted in the individual write-ups), GOOD TABLES THAT FELL SHORT all the tables were accurate enough The Rockler, Eagle America, and for normal routing chores.We liked Craftsman tables also earned the drop-in baseplates of the respectable ratings. Of the three, the Woodhaven, Bench Dog, Eagle, Craftsman had the most standard ® RKBE Jesada, and Rockler tables. We also features, including the only dual- O NC W H preferred the easy-to-remove fences outlet switch in the test. But the ® A

W of the Woodhaven, Eagle, and Veritas Eagle America and Rockler tables A R D Y models. The Bench Dog had the offer more optional accessories. O IT F Q UAL T most comfortable fence knobs. We liked Rockler’s larger table, OP VALUE Because these are entry-level open stand and sturdy aluminum R E tables, it pays to look ahead to other baseplate.The Craftsman’s ribbed alu- accessories you might want to add minum table surface wasn’t as user- later. It’s hard to beat Veritas’ exten- friendly as a laminate-surfaced top. SOOUND FF sive line of nifty add-ons; although ON-LINE Eagle, Woodhaven and Bench Dog ROUNDING OUT OUR LIST Here’s your chance to tell us what you also offer plenty of options. The Woodstock Rebel and the Porter think about this router table test. Do you Cable table both lost points for their TOP PICKS independently adjustable fences. agree or disagree? How helpful was this The Veritas table earned our Editor’s The Jesada model we tested had review? Even share your own experience Choice award because of its innovative the virtue of being a floor model, but with these (or other) router tables. We want features: the solid-steel tilting top, the it didn’t offer as many features as our your feedback. Just go to the Tool Reviews unique router clamp, the clever insert top picks. The uneven baseplate was page at www.WorkbenchMagazine.com rings, and the slick fence system. also a drawback.

HOW TO CONTACT THE MANUFACTURERS Veritas ………………800-871-8158 Rockler ………………800-279-4441 Woodstock Int. …… 800-840-8420 www.LeeValley.com www.Rockler.com www.WoodstockInternational.com

Woodhaven …………800-344-6657 Eagle America ………800-872-2511 Jesada …………………800-531-5559 www.Woodhaven.com www.Eagle-America.com www.Jesada.com

Bench Dog …………800-786-8902 Craftsman ……………800-349-4358 Porter Cable …………800-487-8665 www.BenchDog.com www.Sears.com www.PorterCable.com

WORKBENCH ■ SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2001 39 WOODWORKING Stacking Storage Bins Stack ’em up for storage.Then reconfigure the bins if your storage needs change.The secret is a unique system of interlocking parts.

here’s no doubtthat these bins isn’t how much stuff they hold. back. Plus, it lets you reconfigure open-front pinestorage bins It’s how they stack together. the bins if your storage needs change. Twill come in handy.Put KEY & NOTCH. To see what I TWO BIN SIZES.Another thing them in a kid’s room to get a handle mean, take a look at the inset photo you’ll notice is there are two differ- on the clutter,as shown below.Or below. There’s a wood key on each ent sizes of bins. A large lower unit build them from Medium-Density side that fits into a corresponding provides a sturdy base to keep the Fiberboard (MDF)and use them for notch.This interlocking system of keys stack of bins from tipping. The utility bins (see page 45).But the and notches prevents the bins from smaller, upper units stack on top. most intriguing thing about these moving from side-to-side or front-to- Once you decide how many bins of each you want, building them is almost as easy as stacking them together. That’s because there are a number of identical parts. TEMPLATE ROUTING. To make these parts quickly and efficiently,I used an old production technique. It involves using a template and a router with a pattern bit to cut pieces to shape.

THREE TEMPLATES Altogether, there are three templates: one for the sides of the upper bin, one for the sides of the lower bin, and a third for the fronts of both units (3 Templates). Note: The fronts of the bins are different in size, but the long, shallow notch in each piece is identical. So you can use the front tem- plate when routing the notch in each of the front pieces. I’d recommend 1 using a /4" hard- board for the tem- plates. It machines well and produces a nice, smooth edge

40WORKBENCH■ SEPTEMBER| OCTOBER2001 for the bearing of the router bit to ride against. This way, you won’t 1" Forstner Bit have to worry about any irregulari- ties in the template being trans- ferred to the workpiece. LAY OUT TEMPLATES.When it comes to laying out the templates, all three of them will fit on a quarter sheet of hardboard. The important Hardboard Pattern Bit thing here is to make sure that the Workbench critical parts — the key and notch — 1 2 Straightedge align with each other. This way, the Hardboard bins should stack together just right a. Waste when they’re completed. 3 TEMPLATES An easy way to accomplish this is 9!/4" !/2 to lay out one side template directly 2 " !/2" above the other (3 Templates). Using RADIUS DETAIL the “factory” edge of the hardboard KEY as the back edge of these side tem- #/8" 1#/4 1#/4 " " !/4" Radius plates will also help. Notch While you’re at it, lay out and drill UPPER BIN 3" 11&/8" 1 the /4" holes that form the radius of SIDE TEMPLATE 2#/4" the inside corners of each key and R=!/2" 2!/4" 1 notch (Radius Detail).There’s also a /2" Key radius where the bin tilts out, which !/4" Radius means drilling a 1" hole (Fig. 1). 1#/4" NOTCH 1#/4" #/8 4" CUT TO SHAPE.Now,you’re 3 " ready to begin cutting the templates NOTE: Drill !/8" pilot holes for all screw locations. to shape. It works well to rough cut 2!/2" !/2" 2!/2" them first with a jig saw,staying about !/2" 1 /8" outside the layout lines.Then, to remove the rest of the waste material KEY (and to create smooth, straight edges), #/8" 1#/4" 1#/4" I used the trick shown in Figure 2. SCALE Start by clamping a straight wood 9!/4" 1 SQUARE=1" fence along one of the layout lines. Then use this straightedge to guide a pattern bit mounted in a handheld %/8" router (Fig. 2a).As the bearing on the LOWER BIN 18!/2" bit rides against the straightedge, the SIDE TEMPLATE cutting edge trims the template pre- cisely on the layout line. Work your 1" way around the panel, moving the straightedge as needed. NOTE: Drill !/8" pilot holes There are two things left to do to for all screw locations. 6"#/4 complete the templates. First, and sand the curved, outside corners of the 2" key to shape. Now is a good time to set two of the templates together and 1#/4" make sure they fit. If needed, sand lightly to adjust the fit. 3"!/2 !/4 3"!/2 The second thing is to drill pilot " Radius holes in the templates that will be used 1"!/4 to mark screw locations on the sides 4" of the bins. Looking ahead, these holes FRONT TEMPLATE !/2" Radius will do double duty,providing a way to attach the templates to the sides. 23!/2 "

WORKBENCH ■ SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2001 41 !/4" UPPER BIN CONSTRUCTION Roundover !/4" Top Beaded B MATERIALS LIST Plywood E (for one upper bin) A UPPER BIN Side 3 1 7 A (2) Sides /4" x 12 /4" x 11 /8" (Pine) 3 7 1 !/4 B (1) Top /4" x 8 /8" x 23 /2" (Pine) " 3 7 1 C (1) Bottom /4" x 8 /8" x 23 /2" (Pine) Roundover 3 7 1 D (1) Front /4" x 5 /16" x 23 /2" (Pine) 1 3 E (1) Back /4" x 10 /8" x 24" Beaded Ply Connector HARDWARE Bolt Holes 3 (1) Birch Dowel /8" x 36" A C 1 lb. #8 x 2" Woodscrews Side Bottom

!/4"Roundover

37° 2" RABBET DETAIL D BEVEL DETAIL ROUNDOVER DETAIL Woodscrews Front Fence Fence A B C Waste A B C C D 37º

Adjustable !/4"Roundover Bit Rabbeting Bit

BIN BASICS matically locate the holes used when This works fine for the long, With the templates complete,turn screwing the bin together. straight cuts. But there’s a problem your attention to the storage bins.I REMOVE WASTE. With the tem- where the sides comes to a point, and started by making three upper bins plate in place, use a band saw (or jig also near the outside corners of the 3 from /4"-thick stock (pine) like the saw) to remove the bulk of the waste key and notch. In these areas, the bit one shown above. (Fig. 3). Be careful not to cut into the may tear out the end grain fibers. If you use solid wood,you’ll need edge of the template.I make it a point To prevent this, I backrouted in 1 to edge-glue several boards to make to stay at least /8" away from the the opposite direction (left to right). panels wide enough for the sides (A). edge. This leaves a small amount of Safety Note:To prevent the bit from We’ve provided some tips for gluing waste that can be removed easily. “grabbing” the workpiece out of up smooth,flat panels on page 13. ROUT SIDES TO SHAPE. Now your hands, get a firm grip and ATTACH TEMPLATE. The next it’s time to rout the side to shape.The backrout only in these areas. step is to screw the template for the idea here is to use a flush trim bit After routing the first side (A), upper bin sides to one of the glued- mounted in a router table (Fig. 4). remove the template, attach it to up panels. Use the pilot holes in the After adjusting the height of the bit another glued-up panel, and then template to locate the screws. As for so the bearing rides against the tem- just repeat the process. Remember, the screw holes in the panel, don’t plate (Fig. 4a), rout the sides, moving there’s no need to worry about the worry about them.Later,they’ll auto- the workpiece from right to left. screw holes in the sides. They mark

a. Template Upper Bin Flush Side Template Trim Panel Bit

Template

Leave !/8 " waste Glued-up Glued-up 3 Panel 4 Panel

42WORKBENCH■ SEPTEMBER| OCTOBER2001 #/8" Brad Point Bit Front Template

Back Stop End Stop

CL Remove waste 1!/2" Connector Bolt Hole Front Top & Bottom Attach Template to workpiece with carpet tape. 5 Backer Board 6 the locations of the screws that hold BIN FRONT.With most of the same template routing technique to the bins together. work on the bin completed,it’s time cut it to final shape (Fig.6). I didn’t want these screws to show to concentrate on the front (D).To BEADBOARD BACK.You’re when the bin was assembled.So I provide easy access,the front is tilted almost ready to assemble the bin.But drilled a at each hole out.Plus,there’s a long,shallow first,you’ll need to make a back (E).I 1 location to hold a wood plug that notch in the top edge. used a /4" beadboard panel to create will eventually cover the screw head. If you look at the Glue-Up Detail an old-fashioned look,but plywood Next,I routed a roundover on below,you can see that the front will would work fine,too. the front edge of each side (Roundover fit against the beveled edge of the ASSEMBLE THE BINS.Finally,it’s Detail).This eases the sharp edges, bottom piece.To create a flat-bot- time to glue and screw the bins plus it creates a decorative touch. tomed bin,this requires cutting together.The assembly sequence To complete each side,you’ll need another bevel,this time on the lower shown below worked great for me. to rout a shallow rabbet in the back edge of the front piece.Here again, Just a quick note — installing the edge (Rabbet Detail).Later,this rabbet ripping a 37° bevel should produce a screws will “clamp”the bins together. will hold the back (E) of the bin.Be tight-fitting joint. The band clamps are used onlyto aware that the sides are mirrorimages The next step is to cut the long draw the glue joint together between of each other,so don’t accidentally notch in the top edge of the front the front and bottom of the bin. rout the wrong face. piece.This is where the thirdtemplate Once the glue dries,it’s just a TOP&BOTTOM.Now you’re comes in.Attach this template to the matter of installing wood plugs to ready to add the top (B) and bottom front with carpet tape and rough out cover the screws.For some tips on 7 (C).These pieces are 8 /8" wide,so the notch as before.Then use the this,turn to page 15. just as before,start by edge gluing a 3 wood panel from /4"-thick boards. GLUE-UP DETAIL As with the sides,you’ll need to ASSEMBLY SEQUENCE rout a rabbet in the backedge to hold Glue this the back of the bin.But the front joint edges of these panels are different. Clamp pressure Top Here again,the exposed front D edge of the top is rounded over.But C in order to fit against the tilted front of the bin,the front edge of the bot- tom panel is beveled at a 37° angle (Upper Bin Construction,Bevel Detail). Side All that’s left to complete the top Band Clamps and bottom is to drill a couple of Side holes in each piece.These holes Bottom accept bolts that will be used to hold the bins together.To make it easy to stack the bins in any combination,it’s STEP 1: important that the holes align.So I Glue and screw used a simple alignment jig shown in Sides to Top STEP 2: Glue on and Bottom. Figure 5to accurately position the Front (Glue-up Detail) workpieces when drilling the holes. Front then screw and clamp it in place.

WORKBENCH ■ SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2001 43 LOWER BIN CONSTRUCTION VIEW PLUG DETAIL Top !/4" !/4" Beaded G Plywood Connector J Bolt Holes #/8" Birch FRONT VIEW !/4" Plug Roundover

Side F Use Front Template and pattern bit when routing notch Side F H Bottom !/4" Roundover

I TOP VIEW Front 1" Brad NOTE: All pieces except the Back !/4" Back 2" Woodscrews 3 are made from /4"-thick stock.

BACK PANEL DETAIL Side

BUILD THE LOWER BIN items).To provide easy access to CONSTRUCTION DETAILS The lower bin is designed what’s inside,the opening of the bin Like the upper bin, the lower bin and constructed very simi- is also larger.This is accomplished by consists of two sides (F) connected by lar to the upper bins — tapering the sides all the way from the a top (G), bottom (H), and front (I), an open pine box with top to the front of the bin. (Construction View). And here again, a 1 a beadboard back.But If you take a look at the /4" beadboard back (J) fits into a rab- there are some differ- Construction Viewabove,you’ll bet in back of the bin (Back Detail). ences between the upper notice another difference between As before, a key in the top of each bins and the lower bin that the upper and lower bin.The front side fits into a corresponding notch in are worth noting. of the lower bin sits straight up and an upper bin. Since the base won’t be SIZE.First,the lower bin down instead of at an angle like the stacked on top of another bin, there’s is wider (from front to back) upper bins.This prevents it from no need to notch the bottom edge. than the upper bins.This cre- sticking too far into the room. But don’t forget to drill pilot holes in After stacking up ates a larger footprint,which the top (G) for the connector bolts the bins, installing gives the stack of bins more TRUSTY TEMPLATES that hold the bins together. connector bolts stability to keep it from tip- Here again,it’s important that the ASSEMBLY. The assembly of the “locks” them ping.The lower bin is also side pieces of the lower bin are lower bin goes fairly quickly. Just securely in place. taller than the upper bins,so it identical to one another.An easy glue and screw it together, and then holds more stuff (or larger way to get accurate results is to use add wood plugs, as shown in the the same template routing tech- Plug Detail above. nique as before.Only this time,be CONNECTOR BOLTS. To hold MATERIALS LIST sure to use the Side Template for the the bins together, I used a special fas- (for one lower bin) lower bin shown on page 41. tener called a connector bolt. As you can As for the front (I) of the lower see in the margin,it’s a bolt that passes LOWER BIN 3 7 1 bin, it’s taller than the front on the through the holes in the bins and a T- F (2) Sides /4" x 15 /8" x 18 /2" (Pine) 3 7 1 G (1) Top /4" x 8 /8" x 23 /2" (Pine) upper bins. But the notch is the same nut that tightens on the end of it.This 3 1 1 H (1) Bottom /4" x 15 /8" x 23 /2" (Pine) size and shape, which means you can secures the bins and leaves a virtually 3 5 1 I (1) Front /4" x 6 /8" x 23 /2" (Pine) 1 use the same Front Template when flat surface inside. (Connector bolts J (1) Back /4" x 17" x 24" Beaded Ply. routing it to shape. are available at most home centers).

44WORKBENCH■ SEPTEMBER| OCTOBER2001 STAINING & FINISHING PINE as deeply.But it colors more evenly. A project isn’t finished until it’s fin- This means there’s less blotching. ished. But since these Storage Bins Many manufacturers make wood are made of pine, staining and fin- conditioners. (They’re also called ishing them can be a challenge. stain controllers.) I used a product The problem is that the pores of called Pre-Stain Wood Conditioner, the wood alternate from large, open which is manufactured by Minwax pores to small, dense ones.These vari- (See photo at right). ations affect the way a stain is There’s nothing mysterious absorbed into the wood. Most of the about wood conditioner. It’s applied time, the result is ugly blotches. just like an ordinary coat of oil fin- That’s why projects made of pine ish. Wipe (or brush) on the condi- are often finished without a stain. tioner liberally, and let it soak in Or, they’re just painted. But for before wiping off the excess. Then these bins, I wanted to create that be sure to apply the stain right away warm look of aged pine — without — before the wood conditioner has waiting for it to develop naturally. dried completely. To avoid blotching, treat pine with a wood conditioner first. Using a honey-colored stain STAINING. As a rule, I use After wiping off excess conditioner — and before it dries — turned out to be just the ticket. But lighter-colored stains on a project brush on Polyshades, a combination stain and finish. to avoid blotches, I first treated the made of pine. They don’t seem to wood with a conditioner. highlight the dents, torn wood fibers, I took a shortcut.To save time, I used WOOD CONDITIONER. The or swirl marks from sanding as much a product called Polyshades that type of wood conditioner I used is a as dark-colored stains. combines a honey-colored stain and thinned-down oil that penetrates all FINISHING. With most oil-based a polyurethane finish. You can find the pores of the wood. So when the stains, you usually have to wait about Polyshades at most home centers and stain is applied, it doesn’t penetrate 24 hours before applying a finish.But hardware stores.

STACKING UTILITY BINS 2" Woodscrew These stacking storage bins are ideal for a utility area such as a garage. Plus, they’re inexpensive and can be built quickly. Stainless 3 The bins shown here are made of /4" Medium-Density Steel Fiberboard (MDF). Like any sheet material, MDF provides a Finish Washer ready-made supply of wide panels. And it produces a clean, crisp edge when routed. All it takes is a single sheet of MDF (about $19) to make a lower bin and three upper bins (Cutting Diagram). Here again, the bins are glued and screwed together. As you can see in the detail above, finish washers provide a decorative touch.

3 CUTTING DIAGRAM ( /4" MDF 49" x 97")

Upper Bin Lower Side Upper Bin Bin Side

Top Top Top Front Front Front Upper Side Bin Side Upper Upper Bin Bin Side Side

om Upper Lower Bin

Bottom

Bottom Bottom Bin Side

Lower Bin Top

Lower Bin Front Side

Lower Bin Bott

WORKBENCH ■ SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2001 45 AROUNDTHEHOUSE Energy-Saving 5Tune-Up Tips Five simple tips guaranteed to take the chill out of your energy bill.

fter last year’s rise in energy weekend and still have time to out to fill the gap,stopping air from prices,it’s a good idea to watch your favorite football game. coming through. Aprepare for whatever winter NEWER DOORS.Most new might throw at you this year.Here Dealing with doors have a handy way of sealing are five simple tips you can use to air leaks — built-in weatherstrip- button up your home andsave 1 Drafty Doors ping that fits directly into the jambs money on energy bills in the process. One of the biggest culprits when it and header.But over time,even this What’s more,implementing these comes to high energy bills are weatherstripping may begin to energy-saving measures won’t chew drafty doors. wear.And it’s fairly specialized,so it up a lot of time.In fact,you can OLDERDOORS.Many older may be difficult to find. probably knock them out in a doors have a flexible rubber gasket That’s when the reliable old in the threshold that seals out air weatherstripping products that are (Detail a,below).If it gets brittle or available at most hardware stores tears,the gasket will let air enter in. and home centers come in handy. When it’s time to replace it,be sure (We’ve shown three different types to bring the old one along so you can in the margin on page 47.) get the same style and size of gasket. ADJUST THRESHOLD. Another WEATHERSTRIPPING.The plus of the newer style doors is that b. door threshold isn’t the only potential they usually have an adjustable Copper air leak.Don’t forget to inspect the threshold. Simply turning an adjust- V-strip weatherstripping on the door jamb. ment screw raises or lowers the Weather- Adhesive-backed foam and vinyl threshold to fit against the bottom stripping weatherstripping are tempting to of the door (Fig. 1). install,but they wear quickly.For a Start at the hinge side of the more permanent fix,I prefer spring- door and work your way across. metal “V”strips made of copper You’ll know the adjustment is right (Detail b).The copper is flexible,so when you can pull a dollar bill when the window or door closes between the door and threshold against it,the sides of the “V”push with firm resistance (Fig. 1a).

a. Replace rubber gasket when worn.

a. 1

46WORKBENCH■ SEPTEMBER| OCTOBER2001 a. Weatherstrip meets the window sill (Detail b).All Base of 2 Windows that’s needed here is to apply the V- Upper Sash On short,winter days,it’s nice to let strip so the open side of the ‘V’is in as much sunshine as you can.What pointing toward the outside. Upper Sash you don’twant to do is let in cold The last place to install strips of air.That means plugging all the nooks weatherstripping is the track and crannies around your windows between the sash and the window where air can leak in or out. jamb (Detail c).They don’t have to b. V-strip opens The drawing at left shows the extend the full length of the jamb. toward areas in a double-hungwindow Just cut two strips the same length as outside. where chilly air is likely to creep the sash height for each side.Then inside your home.But allwindow raise the lower sash as high as possi- Lower Sash styles — awning,casement,and hor- ble,tack the strips in place,and Lower Sash izontal sliders — have their own gently pry the ‘V’open.After lower- “weak links.” ing the upper sash,that strip is c. Regardless of what style of win- applied the same way. Pry V-strip dows you have,the solution is the METAL JAMBS.Of course,all open with same — inspect the weatherstripping this assumes you have wood jambs, screwdriver. and replace it if necessary.The three not metal ones like those that were Upper types of weatherstripping shown in popular during the ’50s.Since you Sash the margin at left are just a sample of can’t tack weatherstripping to these Lower what’s available.We used the copper jambs,the best alternative is to seal Sash V-strips for this illustration. the entire window. So where shouldyou install the SHRINK-FIT PLASTIC.One of weatherstripping? With a double- the easiest ways to seal the entire hung window,there are three window is to “wrap”it in shrink-fit important areas. plastic,as shown in Figure 2. COPPER The first place is where the two Although there are several brands V-STRIP sashes meet when the window is available,the basic idea is the same. closed.Notice in Detail athat the V- Tape the plastic all the way around, strip is tacked to the inner edge of and then use a hair dryer to the base on the upper sash.This way, “shrink”it so it draws tightly across RUBBER when the window is closed,the V- the window. strip pushes against both sashes and Just a reminder here.Don’t get keeps air out. carried away and seal every window Another place that needs attention in the house.You’ll still want to have MOLDED 2 is where the bottom of the inside sash some ventilation. SELF-ADHESIVE REMOVABLE “CORD” CAULKING One of the most intriguing new products I’ve seen for sealing drafty windows is this remov- Unlike caulk, able “cord” caulking. (It also fixes rattles.) cord caulking Use can be installed to press cord in place. The flexible cord is simply cut to length and even when the pressed into a gap with a putty knife. In the window is cold. spring, just pull it out and save it for future use. If the diameter of the cord is too big around (it’s about the size of a 16d nail), you can peel off strings to fill smaller gaps. When working with the cord, it feels a bit sticky, almost as if it’s been waxed. But it won’t damage the wood surfaces of the win- dow or jamb. And there’s no clean-up required. (For sources, refer to page 51.)

47WORKBENCH■ SEPTEMBER| OCTOBER2001 Use expanding foam 3 4 to seal the big holes. Once this is dry, caulk and paint will finish it off. Cut insulation to fit between joists and rim joist.

Floor Joist Flexible tube on caulk gun Rim Joist allows you to get Floor Joist into tight areas. a. Sill Plate Caulk a. b.

Sealing One thing you can do to seal this the cavities. This is just a matter of area is apply two beads of caulk — one cutting a batt of insulation to match 3 Air Leaks at the joint line of the rim joist and the height of the rim joist and then There are all sorts of entry points for sill plate, and the other where the sill tucking it in place (Fig. 3). wind and weather around the foun- plate meets the foundation (Fig. 3a). EXTERIOR OPENINGS. Often, dation of your home. Often, they go There’s only one problem.In such the exterior of a house is an open unnoticed because they’re not in a cramped area, it’s hard to hold the invitation to air leaks.A typical entry the main living area. tube of caulk at the proper angle to point is where the air conditioning BASEMENT BREEZE. The lay down a tidy bead. So to avoid lines enter the house (Fig. 4).But basement is a good example — making a mess, I slip flexible tubing check every point where there’s a especially the cavities between the over the nozzle on the caulking clearance hole for a cable or phone rim joist, floor joist, and sill plate tube (Fig. 3b). This makes it easy to line, gas pipe, or electrical conduit. (Fig.3).This is where the foundation apply caulk right where I want. It only takes a minute to fill these Installing foam of the house stops and the framing Once that’s accomplished, there’s openings — just spray expanding gaskets behind starts,and it’s usually under-insulated. one more thing to do — insulate foam into the hole (Fig.4). Once the electrical cover foam cures, top it off with paintable plates is a caulking for a tidy finish (Fig. 4a). small thing. NOTE: Install a rope in your FIREPLACE. One final source to But it can save foam board. This makes it check for air leaks is the fireplace. easier to remove and serves as much as 2% Damper Although it’s nice on a cool, autumn in heating costs. to remind you that it's still night, a fireplace is one of the weak- in the fireplace. est links in the energy conservation chain. That’s because all that stands between the warmth of your home Foam Board and the cold, outside air is a cast iron plate called a damper (Fig. 5). Rope for A damper is designed to control removing airflow while a fire is burning, but it foam board. does little to prevent heat from escap- ing your house when the fire is out. Adding glass doors to your fire- place makes a big improvement.Also, cut a sheet of 2" rigid foam insula- tion to fit the upper section of your firebox. To make the foam easy to Install glass doors remove (and to act as a reminder it’s 5 to help prevent heat loss. still in the fireplace), it’s a good idea to install a rope in the foam.

48 WORKBENCH ■ SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2001 Check Your 4 Furnace

A blue flame is the sign of a well-tuned furnace.

6

Changing the furnace filter monthly saves money and prolongs the life A yellow, lazy-campfire flame of the furnace. means it’s time for a tune-up.

FURNACE FILTER. One of the simplest things you can do to keep your furnace in tiptop shape is change the filter monthly (Fig. 6). It will operate more efficiently and more safely. A local service repair person told me that 31 percent of the calls that they receive are related to the filter. In short, a dirty air filter can wreak havoc on the best furnaces money can buy. That’s because when the filter is dirty,less air passes through the furnace.This causes the heat exchanger to overheat.When the furnace senses this, it will shut down momentarily to cool off. This tripping on and off is called “limiting out,” and the furnace ends up not heating as well as it should. TUNE-UP. But your furnace may need more than a filter.To find out, look inside the furnace window while it’s running.The color of the flame will tell you if a tune-up is needed, as shown in the photos above. Even if there isn’t a visible problem, it’s a good idea to have your heating system checked by a professional once a year.The list below shows you what a reputable heat- ing and cooling contractor checks for when Furnace Tune-Up inspecting a fur- Checklist nace.A tune-up Here’s a checklist of the tune-up costs about $85 procedures followed by most reputable dollars, or less cooling and heating contractors: with some of the “early ❏✔Clean pilot ignition assembly, bird” specials burners, and heat exchanger. that are ❏✔Check the “firing rate” of the gas offered. pressure to your furnace. ❏✔Examine electrical connections. ❏✔Test for proper ventilation. ❏✔Check the amperage drawn by the blower motor.

49 WORKBENCH ■ SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2001 Maintaining flexible metal piping. The benefit of don’t forget to insulate the hot this type of vent is it reclaims some of water pipes. 5 Appliances the heat and humidity that’s needed REFRIGERATOR. Finally, it’s Appliances can be an energy “hog”. in the winter. Safety Note: Don’t use worth vacuuming the coils on your But some minor modifications and this system with a gas dryer. refrigerator at least twice a year (Fig. maintenance are all that’s needed to WATER HEATER. I’d also rec- 9). And greasing the seams of the chip away at high power bills. ommend putting an insulated magnetic door gaskets with petro- DRYER VENT. One easy way to “blanket” around your water heater leum jelly ensures a tight seal. save energy is to install a dryer vent. to provide a buffer from cool, base- Figure 7 shows an in-line vent with ment air (Fig. 8).While you’re at it, NOTE: Use vent with electric dryers only.

Flexible metal dryer piping

7

To reclaim heat and humidity from your clothes dryer, install flexible metal pip- ing and a dryer vent heat recycler.

8

Wrapping your water heater and insu- lating outfeed lines saves energy and reduces the number of heating cycles.

Clean and grease seams.

Coils can be reached by removing grill on the 9 front of your refrigerator.

Cleaning the coils and greasing the door gaskets twice a year keeps your refrigerator operating smoothly.

50 WORKBENCH ■ SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2001 Sources & Resources

Garden Shed Components —page 16

RAFTER TIES The shed roof rafters are connected to the walls Hurricane Rafter Ties with H1 – Seismic and Hurricane Rafter/Truss SKU# 461938 Ties.These ties are manufactured by Simpson Strong Tie and are available online and in stores from Home Depot: SKU #461938

SIDING 1 We chose /2" × 6",A-and-better, beveled cedar lap siding distributed by Mid-America Cedar (MAC).To find a MAC dealer near you, visit their 1 Web site or call their toll-free number (see below). /2" x 6" Cedar Lap SHINGLES Siding Owens Corning’s Architectural Series Shingles offered just the look we wanted to cap the shed roof.We used Oakridge 25 shingles in Estate Gray. Visit the Owens Corning Web site or call their customer line to learn more about their products or to locate a dealer near you.

DOORS Oakridge 25 Alterna Exterior Doors (a Jeld-Wen company) Shingles in 32" composite door, makes the 32" insulated six-panel composite doors Estate Gray SKU# 202979 we used for our shed.Visit their Web site to locate dealers in your area. Home Depot……………………………………………………………………………………770 - 433 - 8211 www.HomeDepot.com Mid-America Cedar …………………………………………………………………………800 - 328 - 1403 www.MidAmericaCedar.com Owen’s Corning ………………………………………………………………………………800 - 438 - 7465 www.OwensCorning.com Jeld-Wen ………………………………………………………………………………………425 - 259 - 9292 (maker of Alterna Exterior Doors) www.Jeld-Wen.com

Cord Caulk —page 47

Cord Caulk is a great alternative to cord is actually a series of strands that tube caulk to seal older windows. Not can be separated to create smaller cords only does it block drafts, but it also for stuffing into tight areas. Contact helps quiet rattles. It’s available from Lee Valley Tools for more information. Lee Valley Tools in two colors. Each SKU #99W39.4B

Lee Valley ………………………………………………800 - 871 - 8158 www.LeeValley.com

51WORKBENCH■ SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER2001 Stacking Storage Bins: Bit and Hardware —page 40

Pattern routing is a great way to from Jesada,The Woodsmith Store make several identical pieces like or Rockler Woodworking. those in the Stacking Storage Bins. For the hardware to connect all And a good quality bearing- those newly-routed parts,log on to guided bit makes the the Home Depot Web site or process all the visit a local store.Rockler easier.Look Woodworking and 1 /2" Pattern Bit for carbide McFeely’s also carry many sim- #8 x 2" Spax Screws & edged bits ilar connectors. #8 Finishing Washers

Home Depot……………………………………770- 433 -8211 www.HomeDepot.com Rockler Woodworking ………………………800 -279 -4441 www.Rockler.com McFeely’s………………………………………800-443-7937 www.McFeelys.com The Woodsmith Store…………………………800-835-5084 www.WoodsmithStore.com

1 Jesada……………………………………………800-531-5559 /4" x 12MM Bronze Cap Nuts & 1 www.Jesada.com /4" - 20 x 40MM Connecting Bolts

52 WORKBENCH ■ SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2001 Pocket Door Installation —page 28 FEEDBACK AND There are several manufacturers that the L.E.Johnson Products 1500,the offer quality pocket door framing Sterling 1630,and the kit we used FOLLOW-UP and hardware kits.Although some — Stanley PDFC 150N Series — kits fit only specific- are universal.These kits can be sized SORRY, WRONG NUMBER size doors,most, for any door up to 3 ft.wide. including Most of the kit companies also On page 48 of the sell handles for pocket doors.You July/August issue,we can also find pocket door handles listed an incorrect at most home centers,lumberyards phone number and hardware stores. to contact When it comes to doors,we McFeeley’s to chose a hollow-core Craftmaster find the new Door Design by .You can nylon composite call the number below for the vertical toggle clamps from name of the nearest supplier. De-Sta-Co.The correct number is 800 - 443 - 7937. The Stanley Works ……………………………800 - 782 - 6539 The clamps are also avail- www.Stanley.com able through McFeely’s online L.E. Johnson Products ………………………800 - 837 - 5664 store at www.McFeely’s.com. www.JohnsonHardware.com For more information on the clamps,visit De-Sta-Co’s Sterling …………………………………………800 - 367 - 5726 site at www.DeStaCo.com. www.JohnSterling.com Craftmaster by Masonite ……………………800 - 405 - 2233 www.Masonite.com

53 WORKBENCH ■ SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2001 CRAFTSMANSHIP Heavy-Duty Mortising his early Barnes mortising machine is a perfect exam- Tple of 19th and early 20th century foot-powered tools. The cast-iron frame of this heavy- duty provides stability and guarantees it will last a lifetime.And like so many other cast-iron tools of the time, the frame bears colorful handpainted pinstriping, decorative patterns, and even sculptured feet. To use this mortising machine, a bit is lowered into a board by step- ping on a spring-loaded foot pedal. Two adjustable rods keep the board from lifting as the bit is withdrawn (see the photograph below).To take each additional bite, the board is simply slid along the fence. In order to cut a square edge on both ends of the mortise, a handle on top of the shaft rotates a beveled bit. To see this old-time mortiser in action, visit our Web site at WorkbenchMagazine.com

Mortiser courtesy of Workbench reader John Trier 54