voruME58 NUMBER5 ' EDIIORTim Robertson SEl{lORDESIGI{ EDiIOR Jnn Downing ASSOGIATEED]TORS: Bill Link, Kevin Shoesmith,Erich Lage ARTDIREGI0R Robert L. Foss SR. |lfUilRAI(ffSPEHAL PR0IEGI'SKim Downing SEI{IORILIUSIRAIORS: SusanR.Jessen, Mark S.Craves ILUSINAIOR/GRAPHIC DSiIGNER RobertMcCamuron PROIECTCOORDII{ATOR Mike Donovan CREAflVEDIRECT0R Ted Kralicek EDITOR'S NOTES PR0IECTDEVEI0PER Ken Munkel SR. PROIECIDESIGNER KentWelsh been using the sanre old Next, he proceeded to show nle the PROTECIDESIGNERS Chris Fitch, Ryan Mimick I-'vc SllOPCRAFISME{ SteveCurtis, Steve sawhorsesfor years.They're beat handy storage tray built into the body Johnson I SEl{lORPHOTOGRAPHER Crayola England - just I up, and they're hearry and awkward of the sawhorse the ticket for WEBDESIGI{ER Kara Blessing to store. Even so, they're still sturdy keeping a circular saw, tape measure, EIEG.PUB. DIRECIOR Douglas M. Lidster enough to get the job done. So I just or speed square at arm's reach. PRE-PREi{i llllAGE SPECS. Troy Clark, Minniette continue lugging them around from By the time he d grabbed the hand- Johnson PR$lDEilT & PUBUSHERDonald B. Peschke one building prqect to the next. holds in the top and demonstrated that AI{DSALES Of course, I could build a new pair the sawhorse could be used as a tool GROUPDIRECTOR. MARKEI|NG Fritz Craiger (515)U75-7300 pro- tote, I was convinced. It was time to put of sawhorses.But it's one of those ADVERIISINGSAI-ES TIIANAGENS jects that always seems to get put on my old nags out to pasture and build a Mary K. l)ay (515)ti75-72(X) GeorgeA. Clark (515)U75-7100 the back burner. Recently though, pair of these new sawhorses. ADVEnmSTilGOooRlllilAroR something happened to change that. Well, the sawhorseshave worked out Nicolle Carter (515)875-7135 A NE\X/ BREED. It happened great. In fact, I'm so impressed by the project versatility of these new sawhorses that .t-!3. Audit Bureau when Chris Fitch, one of our tf I of Ckculations featured them as a project in this \-t designers here at Workbench,showed we've WOIWENCH 0SSN l)043-81)s7) is publidrcd binoDthly he d just built. issue,beginning on page 42. (Fcb.,April,June,Aug.,Oct..|)cc.) by Augus Houc hblilrurg CoDrPiny me a pair of sawhorses 220(l (;ild Ave.. l).s Monres, IA 50312. What intrigued me about these NE.W DEPARTMENT. Speaking of ,{,t'*lril, ir. ridennrk ofAusust Hon)e hblishnrs.(bPyriShr (o2(r(12 August Hon,c hblishnrH ConrP.uy sawhorses were the legs. They were new, we're starting a new department All righ$ r$erved. Subscipdon ratcs: Sn)glc copy$4.99. oDc-yeJr s'bs.riPtion (6 issu.s), splayed out like those on a traditional in this issue called TheWell-Built Home. t22;two yeirsut.,l33:thlee-yc.rsub.,$44.Crudirn/lnd,rddtl0 "systems" per ycrr. l'Lriodi.xls posoge prtrt rr l)es Monrc\. low.. sawhorse.But they weren't your rypi- Itt all about the various of a .ril.t rLlJtrr.rl,'0nt cal,Zx4legs. Instead, they were made of home - like the windows,wall fram- "USI,S/l,erry Juddls H(trdiDd l)ivisioD iutoDuhbl. poly" Po*ma*er: sctrd ddtss chitrFs to K'illil.r, metal tubing.To be more exact,lengths ing, or roofing - and how they re sap- l'jO tsox J7272. UooDe, IA 500.1711272 Prited in U.S.A. of thin-wall. electrical conduit. posedto function. Understanding how CorPonteServices: "So what's with the metal tubes?" I they work will make it easier to tackle AucusrHow, asked. Chris answeredby tipping one a home improvement project that z r+;#==++#i'"t fiffii:lllfijl;#fi - Schcvc,Clorlrol{ri Robin K. Hutchirrson,Srrmr,4aomtant: Lurt I. of the sawhorses on end, removing all involves one of these systems. Or, if Thonrrs,,4r.orraPn)adfu r Mrry J. Schultz,,4noartrRrtirab/r: Margo least l,eius, PtudutioilDirdotr C;eorgcChnliehrz, Sl,rtut Aiiltiilisonlot: Cris four legs, and then snapping them into you plan to hire a contractor, to at Schwanebeck,PC Mdir&ildr.c'l?.lrri@tril{obcrt D Cook, Ncil, M(din the metal clips underneath. know which questions to ask. Mar4gcr;Gordon C. Gaippc,Wth SilcAil Dirdotj Eultcnc Pcdcrsen, l4lb &tuu A(lilhittatu: Crrul Schoeppler lt{', Sitt Coiltut MqilWts: Before I could say a word about this David BrigBs,Suc M. Moc,Prolixioml Dulopnut Dinaor: Michal SiB€I,Hxrrdr R(r"trr..i.4rrirlrrti Kirscn Kocle, Ofift' MdrdX(r Noelle nifry storage system, Chris set the "leg- M. Crrrull, R.rqroilrti JernneJohnson, MaillDrlinry Cluk: Lot Webbcr . Circulation: Slirsrnfur SerurnrDirrtorr Srndy llaunt, Neu less" sawhorse on the floor and stepped 8!ri,rdi5 D@or:WAyde J. KJitgbeil, Muhi-Mulia PrcilotioilsMailaltr: its thick, wood top.Thanks to RickJunkins,Rucrr/ M,uagcr:l'aigc l\ogcr, ail/i'* & Colfutitws up onto Mrrrgrr: RebcccaCrnninghrnr, C''ir.ril,tn,Mr*rtir41,4rniy:t: Kris the wide footprint of the sawhorse,it Schlennilet/$d.id! Cirolariot Marktitt! Aua\,sr: l'ruh M. I)cMrrtcis, Ptoildit\B AilalN: lttttick A. Walsh . Creative Resourccs: ,4-,tro.idr proved to be a rock-solid stepstool. Edltor:Crrig Ruegegger,,4$irldxlE.lilo^iJoseph E. INin,Joel Hcss,,4d Dftrlofi Douglas A. Fliil, &]iliot Ctdphk Lrsi.gilt!: Chris Glowrcki, Mrrk Hrycs, Robin Fricnd, Craplrir Der(ru: Vu Nguyetr ' Products Grcup: Opuation Dircdor llob ttaket, Cilian( Ssuie Mara3r'r;Jcnnie Enos, Wathouv Supeilhor: Ntncy Johnson, &tlar Lind! Jotlcs,Adilfi tisodtiut SubscriptionQuestiont? Editoriol Questions? ,4$irrdrlr Nrncy Downey,'ftthnidl Sr'wie Rrpftsciltatiw: lohnny Selior Magazine Audetre, Cnvort? S.rurc'Ilau lladet:'lrnnny Tiltckenbrcd, WorkbenchCustomer Service Workbench Cteoilt( S(ili( Rcp$cn ctirdj Anna Cox, April Revell, Crstorrer Scruricr P.O.Box 842 2200 Grand Ave. R.?nxrxrdriw5rDeborrh Rich, ValcrieJoRiley, Eddie Arthf, Warhotv . DesMoines, IA 50304-9961 Des Moines, 1450312 St4fl: Sylvir Carey,Sheryl Knox Woodsmith Stote: Manqyr: Davc Larson,.4ssistart Maaa.gcr; Tim Thclen, SalesStq1fl: Wendell Stonc,Jin Phone:(800) 311-3991. email:[email protected] Barnett,MrrkJohnson, Gregory Kauzlarich. S/rippit\ aild Redcvitq: Online: www.WorkbenchMagazrne.com Lerry Morrison, Olcc Mara.qd:VickiEdwrrds
WORKBENCH tr OCTOBER 2OO2 WORKBENCH," October2002 FEATURES 16 Craftsman-StyleFireside Retreat Crcnttd R),r')).qatlrcrirt,q spot lty irrstallirr,qa dirccr-vt'rrt.lirq)1il(c,tlrur drcssit rtp rt,itltn tilc lu'artlt,dnd dn ookrtttttrtcl dnd surrotutd. 28 TileBasics Irollorpa.fi'rt, sirrrplc tilts mtd lnut'lllx' layirl,q,'r','rr,,,'t tilc likc n pro. 32 Kitchenlsland Cart &tild t rrrobilL'kitdrut tt,ttrkrcrttcrtlrnt llutds nll tlrc ri.qlt irlqrtdit'rrts:ndrrrublc tlorktt(irtr:, pl u rt 1t1t f' 51 r', ^q(', 0| td 0 (()t t t(' | | t p()rdr ), du i.qt . 42 Ihreein-OneSawhorses Htrt:'s tt ttt't'sntilt'ttctt, brct:d t.tf-.i,ltty'lrtl:sr'.llls rt t(ilrl//()nc,.i/'('l).\f()()/, dnd t0ol t0t('- dl irr ortc.
ToolReview: Miter Saw Stands Wt cotttpnrcci,qltt di[li'n'rrI .r'fttltd.s -\() )/()1, .(tr1 clroost'tln' ri.qlrtstrpport.li,r ),,utr potlcr rrtittr snr,. 56 "WindowShopping" Irtlt'tt ('tt('t'ltltitt,qlurtr ttt't'd to ktrotp abotrtruirrdorus bc.litrc )()r .q()slroppitr,g. DEPARTMENTS
Questions& Answers 4 Tips& Techniques10 Well-BuiltHome 64 Tools& Products70 Inthe Shop 74 -'-.rs.^ e 56 Craftsmanship88
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Do bristle brushesproduce a betterfnish means the bristles are tapered or, better yet, than the disposablefoam brushes?lf so, "flagged" at the ends. how do you know whetheryou're getting a With flagged tips, each bristle actually has good bristlebrush? several ends - sort of like split ends in Sammy Hanson hunran hair (seemargin at /ey'l.A brush with a Tipsfor UsingDouble-Sided Tape When routing multiple pieces,I usually attach a templateto adhere as well to rough surfaces as cloth tape. And fiberglass the workpiecewith carpet tape. But sometimesthe template tape, which is designed mainly for outdoor use,tends to tear shfts, ruining the workpiece. Any suggestions? out wood fibers when you separatethe workpieces. Carrett Lazarres MORE TAPE TIPS. For most projects, rwo or three 1"- Minneapolis, MN square pieces oftape are all you need. For large templates, you can crisscrossthe tape in an "X" across the center, too. After The kind of double-sidedtape you use makesa big you've taped the pieces together, itt important to apply pressure differencewhen routing with a template.Weuse cloth to create a strong bond. I usually tap the parts a Gw times with carpet tape in the Workbenehshop becauseit has a a rubber mallet.You can also clamp the tape joints for a few sec- strong bond, comes apart easily,and cleans up quickly. onds, then remove the clamps before you rout the pattern. Two other kinds of carpet tape you'll run across are plas- So what do you do if the tape holds too well? Flow lacquer tic tape and moisture-resistanr fiberglass tape. Although both thinner down the joint berween the rwo pieces to dissolve the of these tapes provide a strong bond, plastic tape doesnt adhesive.Then coax the pieces apart with a putty knife. w()l{KBENcH tr ocrouElp. 2002 HomemadeTack Gloth Recipe: A LittleDust fff the Top,Please Gl t So throughquite a few tackcloths to remouettust before I lfnishing. Is therean edsyway to makemy own? Beth Prost - Tillsa,OK I've been making rny own tack cloths for years with nothing more than mineral spirits and varnish. Start by wetting a piece of cheesecloth with the mineral spirits. (You can get cheesecloth at most woodworking storesor rlail-order it from severalwoodworking catalogs). Next, wring out the cheesecloth and drip a few drops of varnish on it.Work the varnish into the cheesecloth until the cloth Drop-dead gorgeous. is sticky enough to pick up dust (seePhoto above).It shouldn't, howeveq be so sticky Incredibly well built. that it leaves a residue when wiped across the wood. Use a piece of scrapstock to test. A pleasure to hold. I usually nrake several cloths at once, then store them in an airtight, resealable plastic bag to keep them from hardening. And available. YouHave (,) OUESTI()NS... WeHave ,''@ ANSWERS! I.nokingfor basichelpful hints or good common-sensesolutions to everyday woodworkingand home improvement problems?If so,send us yourbest ques tions.We're happy to sharethe tips, hicks, and greatwoodworking ideas weVe col- lectedover the years. HO\ryTOSEND YOTJR IITIER [email protected] Forums:www.forum.woodnelnet MailCarrier: Workbench Q&A, 2200Grand Ave., Des Moines, LA 50312 Pleaseinclude your name,address, and publishyour let ter,you'll receive IV.R.Grcn& Soxs Gutr.nRY 0o. HAND-CRAFTEDKNIVES SINCE1889 Find vour nearestCase dealer at w.wrcase.com or call 1-800-523-6350 'l The BestPlace to SayGood-Bye to Boy Over700 UglyBlotches DeltaTools Wltcttct,t'rI staittd pirrcprcjcct,I utd rtltrlitlt a blotclty-firrislt.Wltat catt I Online d()t() du()id tltis pntblcrrr? EltorrWatsttn at tlte loutestprices Orlirrd, MS guaranrcea,+ ,# Pir-re is often lcft urtttral ot' is p:rintcclbecrtusc it cart be stttbbot't't to stlin. Thc rc:tsctttis beclusc the amaron,c$m __=.-v*r-dt*Frl"*ii. por-csof thc rvoocl lltcrltntc fionr lllrge, opcn pol'cs to strrrll, clctrse ottes. Tllcse vurirttiotts nrttur:tlly aflect horv clccply a stuin is :tbsolbcclittto thc woocl.Artci trlost of thc tinrc, thc rcsr.rltis trgly blotchcs.Tl.rc ':ijl*-",,,, silnlc ciln bc slricl fbl chelly or tttltplc, :;tii(irri r,vhichl-r:rvc sitnilrtr pot'e prltterlls. r{'tii"' :ir+';:: trert the nrore clry spots.Tl'renwipe offall of the o To urinirriize blotchine, "li*' rvoocl flrst rvith l cotrclitioltcr (sotrte exccssliquid flor.n tl're r'vorkpiece. proclucts,rre c:rllccl st:rin cotrtlollcrs). The type of stritt youi'e rpplyine rrnd ili;-.,e Conclitioncr-s rvork Lry prc-filling the r,vl-richcorrclitioncr yor-r're usins rvill afFect opcn porcs so thcy u'olt't ltbsot'bcxccs- lrorv long you should writ belore st:ritrirlg. #36-255 Sonrc conclitiorrers(and stairt controllers) l 2" Oonporrd sive urttottnts of stltirt.This lllor'vs thc Mitet Stu, stlrinto pcllctr:ltc lttcl color tttorc cvcttly. will siry:Apply the st;tiu n-r-soort as po-s-sill/c Tir gct thc bcst rcsults rvitlt n staitt rvhilc thc woocl is still :r little wc't.Within conclitioncr, lpply it likc :rlt ot'ciinlry 30 niinutcs is oftcn reconttuettcieclto get co:rtof oil flnish.IJrtrsh or r'vipctltc cotl- rn cven cokrr. ()thcls rccortrtttertcllettittg clitioncr on libcrrrllyuntil :rll prrrtsof tl-rc thc conclitioncr cure firlly bcforc' yctttslltd r.voocl:rrc rvct. Lct the cottclitittttct' soltk :urclst:rin.Tl-re key is to follorv the rt-ranu- in :rnd kecl-rrpplyirre it urttil thcrc rrretltr t:rcturcrlsinstntctions clrefully. RestoreHardware the Not'So'HardWay Ll4tat is tlrc bcst udy t Product Informalion Number 173 w()r\KIIENcH fl n(lI()llElr 2002 Tips &lbchniques AdiustableShop-Made Arc Trying to bend a long, flexible strips and trace cord lock, then loop it through wvo holesin A An inexpensivecod lock an arc at the same time can be rricky.To make the oppositeend of the strip (Deuil b/.Finish allowsyou to easilyadjust it easier,I made an adjustable arc that "locks" up by feeding the string back through the the shapeof the arc. into any curved shape I want.The arc is made cord lock (InsetPhoto). ofa piece oflls" pegboard, a nylon string, and To adjust the arc, simply move the a cord lock that I bought at a fabric store. "looped" end ofthe string into a differentset First, cut the nylon string twice the length ofholes in the pegboardstrip (seeaboue). of the pegboard strip and tie it to one end Frank Sand (Detail a). Next, slip the string through the Lincoln,NE Geta Little Leverage 'Whenever I have to free up a frozen nut, I hook two wrenches together to gain extra leverage (seebelow). $I|AREYOURTIP$, IIO$& IDTAI The trick is safely interlocking the nvo wrenches.To do this, focus on the box ends of both wrenches.Fit the Do you havean originalshop or box end of the main wrench on the nut. Now hook the home improvementtip to share box end ofthe "leverage" wrench over the open end of with other Workbenchreaders? write downyour tip and the main wrench (seeDetail). Once the wrenches are Just mail it to: hooked together tighdy, exert pressure until the nut breaks free. WorkbenchTips & Techniques RussHarrison 2200 GrandAve. Des Moines.lA 50312 Downward t Atlanta,CA plessule Upward \:== plessure Pleaseinclude your name, address,and daytime phone t: "Leverage"wrench hooks This issue'sFeatured number.Or ifyou preGr,email overopen end of malnwrench Tip winner receives us at: this Craftsman 13- Editor@'Workbenchmag. com inch Benchtop Planer! 10 woRKBENcH tr oCTOBER 2OO2 SpadeBit Modification Occasionally, I need to drill a large, shallow hole.The job normally calls fqr a Forstner bit. The problem is these bits can be a little pricey. So, I converted an inexspen- sive spade bit into a shop-made version of a Forstner bit by grinding down the long tip (seePhoto at left). To do this, you'Il need a spadebit with "spurs" on the outer edge.The spurs will give you a clean hole. Start by removing the bulk of the material off the Spurs Grindand tip using your grinder.Then "dress" the tip with a file, (detail,lqft). Keep the new tip aligned with the center hole in the body of the bit for accu- rate holes. It's best to use the mod- ified bit in a drill pressto prevent the bit from wandering. MarkWalker St. Paul,MN DrillDepth Stop Rather than use manufactured stop collars.I nrakea sirttpleversion in my shop that helps keep the bit square to the board I'rn drilling into. I made nry stop from nvo piecesof wood glued together (seebelow).Then I drill a hole for the size bit needed at the drill press. To set the depth, place the bit loosely in the drill and slide the stop over thc bit. With the stop resting againstthe chuck, set the depth ofthe bit and tighten it (Detail below). Charles Diebel Incline Villate, NV "Furniture Medic furnishedthe tools neededto build my own business.With continuoustraining plus time-savingtools, products and processes,I mastered Deslreddepth of hole wood repair as well as on-site restoration.Their comprehensivebusiness support and software - and strong marketing materials- haveallowed me to grow my businessbeyond my expectations." Dopthstop Variety of customers includingoffices, hotels, restaurants, homeowners, ilil holdsblt movingand storagecompanies, and insurancecompanies squarEto Over 600 franchisesworldwide Recognizedas the #l brand for on-site furniture repair and restoration for a decade Division of The ServiceMasterCompany, ranked amongthe Fortune 500 Checkout our toolbox! Call l -800-RUN-YOURSor visit furnituremedicfranchise.com WrunNrflnnMmrc" Product Information Number 245 Flush-TrimRouter Jig Whenever I apply edgebarrdingto a ply- the baserests on at lcast two edgesat :r1l witl-r the router'.(l used this baseto trans- wood case,I use a router rvith a flush-trir-n tinres,it nrrkesroutinq the edgebanding fer the hole locatior.rsto the new base.) bit to trinr the edgebanding. rrruclr easier (Fi,q.1). After drilling cour.rtcr-sunkholes in the Becausc the c'dge of the plywood is The width of the I/.1"harclboard b:rse new blse, I attachedit to the ronter. qr.ritenarrow, therelsalways :r danser that is slightly larser than the router base.(l Witl-r the nerv bme on, I pr-rta flush-trinr the ronter nrry tip, c:rusinqtl-re flus}r-trinr rtta,lerttine 7".) As lor rhe lcrrgrh,2-1"q:rvr' bit in nry router and wcnt lbont tliulning bit to gouge tl're edgebandine. nrc nrore than enoush for this prgect (Ba.v' the edgebrnding (Fiq.1/.Aftcr usine thejig I solvecl tl.risproblenr by nrakinu a Assunbly).At the oppositecncl of the base, a few tinres,you'll gct a fcel for g'r-ridinethe long auxiliary basefor nly routcr I attachcda wood dowel for a l-randle. lollter tloLlnd. tl.rirtspans thc widtl'r To attrch the ar.rxiliarybase, I strrted Dtut Pcarstttt of the crse. Sir-rce by r-cnrovinethe plastic brse that collrcs Borrldcr,CO BASE-aASSEMBLY #8x LVz"Fh woodscrew -Attach auxiliarybase to router fl/t withmachine screws Holefor routerbit 'i.s -?- -. - T'!'i : 'i. .r -,,; i l: l tlr ru t--ll -: tr-: ffiffi rr.'' irr ill:y [il(,i,, ) w' t's prL'tty obvious, right? ()ur solution wrs to crerte :l wilnl), A living roonl ls nlelnt ir-rviting,firesrcle lctreat that reflectcclthc to be lirt'rl in. IJut to be (lr:rftsnrar-rstyle of the house.To rccoln- w--?x 'livinq honest, sonrc loonrs jnst clon't plish thlt, r'vc:rclclccl :r pair of lcac'ledglrrss hl l'r:rvc'tl-r:rt rv:rr-nr, inviting fecl th:lt rn:lkcs winclorvs, a clirect-vent firepllce rvith l yolr wilnt to sit firl arvl'rile,re:rcl r good tile herrth,;rn oak n.urntel:ind surround, book, rnd rc'hx. rrncltr,vo built-in bookcrses. Tlt.rr rv.rrtltc..rrc [ol rlrc livirrg LEADED GLASS'WINDOWS. The roonr sholn in the lJclix' photo at left. first big inrpr"ovenrent w:rs to rephcc We tronsformedthis ordinory living It lookecl :rlright, but it lackecla focal the trll window with tr,vo lc:rcicd glass room into the worm, inviting retreot point tl'rat lvoulcl rc':rlly nrake r state- windows. Tl'ris is easicl than it sounds. shown obove - one projectot o time. nrent. So rve clecicleclto rrddone. The windolvs are installecl as scparate 16 !(/()llKBENCH i OCrTC)IiEI{ 2002 CHASE Electricalbox ChaseFraming TrimCap* for lantern (2x4s) WindowTrim (3/q"x !1/t" oakl (3/q"x 3" 0ak) WINDOW (31"x 24",glass size) ChaseTrim+ -\ Wall-mounted Lanterns Dwwall ,-lz" MANTEL Decorative AccentTile 3'LSquare Tiles BOOKCASE* ,/ *Plans projects '-z--/1,-/ forthe marked L2"-Square with anasterisk will appear CeramicFloor Tiles inthe December 2002 issue of Workbench. t--- n"oT'o'i';i'oo' tt )tttt r.rnits.Thcn ;l speciill lcaciccl-gl:rss nrrrkcsirrstelling the flrcplecc;r vcry OAK MANTEL. To corrrplctc insert is "clippecl" into thc winclorv "clo-rblt'" pnrjcct. thc instlllrrtion,rvc aciclcclrr nrlrntcl fi-anre.(Sourccs for thesc rvinclorvs, CERAMIC TILE. The frrcpl:rce rrncl :r fireplrrcc "sun'ounc1," both inserts,lnci the othcr itcurs uscclin sits on lr hclrth nrac'lcof 12"-scluru'c nr:rclc'of Llulrtcrsilwll lccl o;tk. this projcct arc listecl on pnue 2(r.) ccrurric tilcs. Sni:rller-tilcs (3"- Thanks to irn cxtrenrely sinrple GAS FIREPLACE. TI.rc rvin- stlrtlrrt')r'ovcr tllc lowcl 1t:rrtol' ,r clesign,b HEARTH& FIREPTACEASSEMBTY Backof 2x4Framing for fireplace ventforms a 12"-squareopening VentPipe NOTE: openingis centered 1" aboverear outlet in firebox Exteriorwall sheathlng Electricalbox (neededonly if blower optlonis installed) TzrrCementboard iro",) 13y4nxt1/ztt x Existinghardwood floor cut to fit) -"' 18 WORKBENCH tr OCTOBER 2OO2 feeds the fireplace. This is a job BORDER. The border is r.nade thati best left to a professional.Just of 3/+"-thick hardwood strips that be sure that the €jasline is located are rnitered to fit at the corners of insidc the chase that will be built the floor opening. Since this open- around the fireplace. ing is rough cut, the trick is getting a tight-fitting joint where the bor- HEARI}I der strips n)ect the floor. The fireplace sits on a ceramic tile To accor.nplish that, there'.s a health thatt surrounded on three small tongue on the outer edge of sides by a solid oak border. As tile each border piece (Bordar Detail). jobs go, the hearth is a fairly small The tongr"refits into a shallow rab- project - just ten 12"-square bet thatt cut in the rough edge of cernric floor tiles, as shown ir-rthe the floor. This creates a joint line A Tocut the openingfor the heorth,I usedo Hmrtlt Corrstnrrtiorrillustration. that virtually "disappears" when circulorsow with o speciolnoil-cutting blode. UNDERIAYMENT. To ensure a you install the border pieces. Moskingtope mokesit eosyto seeloyout lines. long-lasting installation, it's impor- Al1 that's needed to cut the rab- tant to have a solid underlayment bet in the floor is a handheld router for the tile. For this hearth, I used that's guided by a straightedge l/'/ ) n ( clrcnr.Doaru. r his is an (Fig. 2) Once thatt accomplished, .*1..,.r.r.1ystable rnaterial that resists rout the rabbet in each border nlovernent and moisture, making it piece to forr.n the tongue. Then ic'lealfor any floor tile installation. miter the border pieces to length RECESSED OPENING. For rnd inst:rlltherrr using construction this job, I wanted the surface of adhesiv."and finish nails the tile hearth to er.rd up flusl.r TILE INSTALLATION.With the with the existing hardwood floor. trim strips in place,it'.s time for the This nrcarrt cutting a recesscd fun part - installing the tiles.The opening irrto the floor for the cerar.nicfloor tiles I used are applied cenlentboard, surrounding wood to a cementboard underlayn-rent I Usingo shoightedgeto border, and the tile. thatt screwed to the subfloor. Note: guidethe router,cut o rob After laying out the opening, I To walk you through the process of bet in the floor.A shollow used a circular saw to cut through laying tiles, we've included a sepa- cut keepsthe bit sofely the hardwood floor (Fig. 1). Notice rate article on page 28. oboveony noils. that the depth of cut is adjusted to just barely graze the subfloor underneath (Fig 1a). This way, it leavesthe subfloor essentiallyintact. Also, don't worry if this cut isn't straight and true. Once the wood border around the opening is installed, you'll end up with a per- fectly straighr joint line (more about how that's done later). WORKBENCH tr OCTOBER 2OO2 1.9 -1 VENTOPENING controlled cut, it'.s best to use the Aftel conpletine the hearth, the ?x4 fi-arning :rsa guicle for thc blade. next step is to nr:rke the openrn{ TRIM SIDING.To nrrke tl'revent +l-* rl,- +1,--,,-1..--,,..,.. r\rr rlr! lrrLPrrrLl vlrrr. cap sit flrt asair.rstthe sheathing, Thc vcnt pipe plssesthroush l you'll havc'to trinr the sicling.I usccl I 2"-sclr.rrreopenine. It'.s centered the vent c:rp lls a tenrpl:rte to ntlrk on tl'refrrepl:rce, 1 " rrbort'the center the sicling(Fi4 1) and then triurrned oi tlrc lc:rr ourlet orr rlre tilcpl:rec. it witlr a circular sl.v (Fig 2.) ls shorvn on plsc 1ll. INSTALL FIREPLACE. Now it'.s Aticr' l:ryirrrlorrt tlrc opcrrirru just:r nruttelof inst:rllirrr-(tlrc fir'e- rrncl rcnrovir.re tl-rc clryrvrrll, fi-irnrc phcc rncl conncctinq tl-rcvcnt.The the opcninq r'vitlr2x-11s. I)epencline V'rrt Lrstnllotioriillustntion below or) thc' locntion of the r'vrll studs, sl'rows tl'rc' conrplc'tecl hook-up. usL' olrc of thc fi'anring lllc'thocls Noticc how tl'rclip of thc vcnt cirp shorvn bclrxv in l:rarrtirr.qOptiorrs. fits unrlcl the sidins to proctrcc a Tocreote o weotherprooffit, slipthe top lip of Tir conrplctt' thc openinu, you'll weirthcrploof instnllation. l3c snrc thevent cop underthe siding. After screwing it rrectl ttl r'ut tllr'()r,rs{llrlrc cxtelitlr' to apply high-tenrperltnre scalrurt in ploce,coulk oround the vent unit. slrc:rtlrirrq:rr rJ sidirrg.A rcciIr'tlc;rtirrq (inclucle'clr,vith the uuit) wl.ren s:lw colr)csin h:rnc'ly]rer-c.Tb rruke l conncctir)gthc pipc to the fireplace. Removesiding '-Trace location with a circular a. 2x4Framing, between studs Framingfor ,,- Drywall opening removed that's -----> located 1 between I wallstuds t2" I -J I Cuta l2"-square VENT Siding openingthough exterior lip of ventcap sheathingand siding INSTATTATION fits undersiding b. 2x4Framing Framing Cutwall stud for open- ing where wall stud is in line with opening t!ffiffi| Screwinterlor firestopto fiaming t!t!ffi| Drywallremoved Exteriorsheathing 20 wor\l{BENcH ! OcroBEr{ 2002 This frrcpllcc is sttt't'otrrtcleclby :t tabs or.r thc f-ireplacc (lttstallntiLttt ELECTRICAL. A1l thc electrical flool to-cciling, built-in cltclosttt'c Dctnil). Screwirts thc tlbs to thc lvork lbr the rcnrodeling prqect also callccl r chlse ((--/rri-scOttrrslntrtiott rv.rllsrrrtls rvill sr'rtrrerlrr' tirt'pl,rce. l-rrrsto bc rougl'reclin :rt this point. I.'iutt).Thc ch:rscis constructcclof Also, rtoticc' that the herclcr ilt TI.re firephce cotrics with a specirl ?r clinrcnsion lunrbcr :trrcl thctt t]rc front w:rll sitson lt plir of ntctal switch, n()t conncctccl to tl-re covclccl rvith cenrcntboltrcl :tltcl strrncloffi;xttrchecl to tl-re fircplace. l-ror-rsel'roldwiring, that tr-trIts the rlryu'lll. I uscclcctnetrtborrrd rvhcrc Thcsc stanclofli r.'lrsure proper r.rr.ritorr rrnd off and colitrols the I pl:rnrreclto instrll ccrrntic tilc'. clc:rr:rnccrrbove thc fireplacc. flanre. I nrountecl tl-risswitch to the llut covcring thc crrtilc ch:tsctvith GAS CONNECTION. Beforc encl wall of the chase. Also, tl're drywrll rvoulclrlso rvork flrtc. cuclosins the rvllls, yott'11rtccd to rviring for a blower (if your r'rnit h:rvc thc qas linc corrtrcctcclto thc lrls onc) hls to bc instlllecl trorv. BUILDTHE WATIS lirr'plrr,e.Tltttrnit I rrrst,rlledh.rtl ,r In :rclclition to the frrephce Thc fir'st stcp is to fl'ltrrc trvo ctrcl flcx-pipc :urcivllvc nlrcrclyrttlchccl, l'rook-u1-rs,I planned to ir-rstalltwo wulls lncl e tnrnt rv:tll fix' t'l-rcchltsc. which corrncct to tlre iarspipc. wrll lantc'rns lbove thc tnantcl. Tlrc lizlrirrg /)r'rrlilbclorv sltorvsthc clirrrcnsiortsfirr thc 'l l "-rviclc ti'c- pllcc' I usccl,but thcy clrt bc crtsily CHASECONSTRUCTION VIEW chrurqcdto suit your :lpplicrtion. NOTE: :r cotrplc of tr<>tcshcrc. l)l:ttt Top Plates (2x4s) Just lf youplan to add wall trim, Wall Studs(2x4s) thc rvrrll fl'rnrirtq so thc fiont w:tll stopcorner bead directly above it sits clircctly bdrittd thc rrr()trrttil)!l 3" Drywall Screw Comer - Electrical Boxes \ (Y2" pancake-style)\ for lighting ,, I NOTE: Headersits on top of fireolace' standoffs, Header Cornerbead Trimmer stopsat mantleheitht tight mounting switch tabs box to studs 72"Cementboard Fireplace Flreplace Whe (Doorsr6moved) Staples I I Trimmer Stud (2x4,length cut to fit) BottomPlate (2x4's) I s1/21-.- 42,+ e7z'-\ p1sn1 NOIE: I- wall Leveland plumb fireplace 6L' ..---' . _ beforebuilding chase FrontWall 22 WOI{KI]ENCII tr OCTOBEiI 2002 Tl.reyi-c rvirccl into sl.rallow (l/2") SHEET TILES. To specclup the "p:rncake-style"boxes. Hcrc rsain, installrtion, I usecl 3" tiles tl-rat:u-c .1 I'cl rccornnrcncl l-riting rn electri- held toeether on 2"-sclualcsheets cian fbr all the clcctricrl rvork. of plastic rvebbing. Snrrll drbs of ENCLOSE THE )YALLS. Oncc glr,rc bctwccn the tiles keep thenr tl're installation ]rasbccn approvccl lrorrrfirllirrc ofl tlrc slrcct. by l br-rilcling iuspcctor, you carl INSTALL TILES. With tilcs in "button up" thc rvrlls.Tir provide hlncl, you'rc rclcly to begin. The an unclcrllyr)rcnt fi)r tl-re tile, I step-by-stepscqucncc I useclto lay screr.vcc-lccuicntbolrrci to tlte flont out anc'lapply thc tiles is shown rvrll. Thc rcst of the chasc ls c()v- below. After the lc'lhcsrve cnres crccl rvith dryrvrrll,ancl tl-rc corncrs (about 24 houls). rcrlrove t]'reslue elc finishctl rvitl'rcorner bcucl. l.t'twt't'rrtlrt' tilcs rvitlr .r utility ()nc thine to tre lw:rrc of is thc knifc.Thcn srout the joints r,vitha lcnsth of thc corncr bc:rcl.As it'.s sanclcclqnrut. (Oncc again,refi'r t w()RKuENCtH tr oclTOllEl{ 2{)02 23 FHSP*ffiPIAffiffi S'LTKR{}UND f tls callecl't-fircplarc surround. lJut to The size of the stiles will vary be rnorc accurate,tl-ris oak surround depending upon your installation. :rctr-rrlly wmps :lrollnd the rira-sc, Here are some guidelines that will covering thc unfir-rishededges of the help yorr deterrrunetheir size. 'WIDTH. tile. It rlso sLrpportsthc oak mantcl. To determine the As you cln scein the illustration width, the idea is to rip the front below the fireplaccsurnrund con- stile to width so it overlaps the tile sistsof a curvccl front rail and two by'/r". (My front stile is 4" wide.) tall, L-shapcclstilc assenrblies.A set As for thc side stile, the width of three curved brackets sllpport clepcnclson whether you plan to thc nrlntel, lnd pre-nrade cove build thc bookcases.If so, rip the nrolcling5;cornplete the package. stilc 4rl2" wide so it will fit againsr the fnrnt of the bookcase (Cornar SflLE NSEMBTIE!; Dctail).lf not, a narrower stilelooks Thc first step is to nrake the two better. As yoll can see in the stile assenrblics.Each assernblycon- Surround Asscmhly illustration sists of x 'rl+"-rhick front (A) :rncl bcl<>w (and Plxtttt at lcrt), I ripped sidc stile (13)asscnrblcd with biscuits. thc sidc srilc 2rl1r' wide. & Thisouortersown red ook surroundis instqlled os o singleunit. lts simple design mokes it eosyto odd the surroundto o new or existingfireploce. SURROUNDASSEMBTY Mantel Notch mantel to fit (see aroundchase Page 4dFinish Nail e 6d Finish\ - ]{ail I Widthof sidestile if i bookcasesare installed I bookcases Border .\A WOI\KIJENCH ! OCTOI]ER 2OO2 LENGTH. The length of the Like the stiles, the rail is n.rade ROUT COVES.To create a dec- stiles also has to do with the tile from 3/+"-thick stock. It'.s12" wide, orative profile, rout a cove around installation on the surround. Here which r.near-rsyou'll need to edge- the inside edges of the surround again, the curved rail on the sur- glue two narrow boards together (Figs. 1 nrrd 1a). (Jsing the sarne round has to cover the top edgesof to ltet x wide enough rril. setup, l'out another cove on the the tiles. To accomplish that, I LAY OUT ARC. After cutting outside edg;eof the front stile,stop- crosscurrhe stiles541l:" lone.This the rail to final size,it's tin're to lay ping it 3" shy of rhe top. allowed the r:ril ,o o,rJ^p the tile out the xc (Curucd Frorft Rail).To FINAL GLUE-UP. Now you can about 11l:" rt the center ofthe arc. dllw a snrooth, consistcntlrc, I conrplete the asser-nblyby gluing BISCUIT JOINTS. After cuttir]q used a sirr.rpleidea for a drawing jig on the side stiles. the stiles to size,you can tllrn yoLlr that was sent in by one of our read- attention to the biscuit joir-rts.As ers. (Sccpagc 10.) BRACKETIi& MOTDING you can see, I cut the slots for the Now itt just a matter of cr.rtting All thati left on the surround is to biscuits in the cd.gcof the side stile and shaping the arc. A jie saw add the curved sllpport brackets arrd the back.faceof the front stile. n.rakesquick work of this job.Then lnd sonre cove rnolding. Orrce the slots are cut, insert the sand the edge smooth using a drurn SUPPORT BRACKETS. Like biscuits rnd dry clamp the stiles to sander chucked in the drill press. their nar.ue inrplies, the support check the fit of the joir.rts. Tl.re next step is to join the rail brackets (D) hold up the mantel. The dry-assembled stiles lnake to the front stiles. Hcrc rgair.r,it'.s The brackets are r.nade of 11/2"- it easy to deternrine the length of assembledrvith biscr-rits.Noticc the thick oak. (Or, you can also gLre up the curved front rail. To do tl.rat, location of the bottorrr slot (3" up two pieces of 3/q"-chick srock.) temporalily attach them to the instcadof 2" like the top).This pre- After laying out each bracket chase and nleasure the distance vcnts the blade on the plate joir.rer (BrackctDctail),cut it to shapeusing between the front stiles. fronr cutting through the curved a jig srw and sand the edge smooth. edge of the rail. DECORATIVE MOLDINGS. CURVEDFRONT RAIL Aftel cr-rttingthe slots,go ahead The r.rext step is to add strips of In adclitionto its stunning quarter- and gh.rethe curved r:ril and front cove nrolding (E) to the top edge sawn red o:rk, the fireplace sur- stiles toeether. But don't add the of the sr,rrround.These pre-made round is highlighted by the gracc- sidestiles yet.The next stcp is c:rsicr strips are cut to length to fit ful curve on the front rail. if you're working on r flat rsser.nbly. between the brackets and fastened with finish nails.Two short pieces of nrolding, nritered to fit around CURVEDFRONT RAIL the corners, complete the job. 55Vr"- INSTALL SURROUND. AlI i_ that's left is to install the surround, rs shown in the photo on page 24. T- I Start by positioning it around the t2y2" I- chase.Then, after checking the fit, pre-driil holes and nail through the -[ -L side stiles to secure the surround. 1x4Blocking raises surround off benchfor routerbit clearance woRKBENCH tr ocTOBER 2OO2 25 $tt $' ',. rlr.4,1a*. ii ra: i:l .irir": iq :&;.r i. :r :ti r{f; {t:.t:ir,}$*i r/:" For the crowning toucl'r on the wider lnd 1 lonser thln the lireplacesurround, I cappedit with sunound (with the br:rckets :rnd a thick oak rnirntel. nrolding attacl.red).Of course,both The mantel cor-rsistsof trvo lay- nreasurenlents 1'cpresent the -final ers of 'll+" plywood wr:rpped with size of tl-replnels.Yor-r'll want to cut wood edgirrg (MarrtclCortstnrctiott). tlrenrovcrsize fir'st.Thcrr. ,rftcr gltr- A long notch in thc back edgc of ing them togcthcl' or-ra-f7,lr sttrface, this panel fits around the cl.rase. rip urd crosscllt thert to final sizc. Notc that the mantel is EDGING. Thc next step is to desigr-redto overhang the surtottttcl covc'r thc exposed plies of tl.re by 1t/2" all the way around, rlitlr [,.rrrclrvitlr crlqirrq(G).Thcse edg- + Thefireploce surround is coppedwith o thick the eclgingattached. Since the edgJ- ine stlips :rlc sinrply nritered to fit ook montel.lt's held in plocewith construction ins is l/.+"-thick, this nrelns the rr.rd glued ir.rpl:tce. odhesiveso thereoren't ony visiblefosteners. plyr.vood p;rnels (F) will bc 3/+" NOTCH BACK EDGE. Now yoll cxn lay out and cttt the notcl-t in the back cdgc. It nccc'lsto bc dccp enor-rsh tl-rrt thc "elrs" MANTETCONSTRUCTION @ Edging-cutto fit lornrccl whcn cr,rtting tl're notch 1syo,'xLVz"l- end r.rpflusl-r with thc brck cclgc of tl.re sidc stile. To clctcrrttirtc the @ tnrtt- Panel -\ /t'r1qt/iof the notch, ccntet'thc ltyou agt/4r x6g" tel on tl-rcsurroutrcl, utrrk litrcs lt oak plywood) thc corncrs of the cl-rasc,ltrd thetr cr,rtthe notch, rs shown in Fig. 1. INSTALL MANTEL. When ir-rstrlling the nrmtel, thcre'.s uo nccd for ftstcncrs. Itis attached with constnlction rcll-rcsiveapplicd to thc top edgc of the surrottnc'land to the support brackets (sccplroto aboue). WHAT'S IN STORE?Well, that Mlter wraps up this part of our firesidc edgingto retreat. We'll show yor-r how to flt at corner r.r.rakethe built-ir.r bookcases and add the solid ork trinr irr the next issrreoi Wirkburch.rffi STEP2 fit6! Usinga routerwith a ffi$#yffifls {}$"$rri.: Y2"straight bit, trim notchto finalsize Fireploce Heat,N-Glo Windows o Direct-Vent Fireplace Andersen (Model SL-75OTR-C) . A\Y31 Awning Windows 888-743-288? As an option,Ieadedwinlow inserts www.heatnglow.com called Art GlrrssPanels are auailable. Ask for Frank LloydV/rigfu Colonade [ighting Art Ghss Pa'LeLs. STEP1 Arroyo Craftsman 651-264-5150 Usinga jig saw, . Wall Lantems(GB-9LSAC-BZ) www.andersenwindows.com roughcut notch 5t0-655-6503 iustoutside markedline www.craftsmanhome.com 26 WOI{KBEN(]H ! OCTOBER 2002 need,to htre a bro to Followi,ngthwe ensurean ..,-,1$ i I iiiti l' TileSupplies he two tiling pro- best, asshown below.To avoid end- jects featuredin our ing up with a skinny tile at the end One of the secretsto a suc- Craftsrnan-srylefire- of a course, lay out a test row of cessful tile installation is to side retreat (page 16) are fairly t:ies, without adhesive, to see how use the right adhesive, snrall in scale.l3ut the basic steps wide the last tile will be.You may grout, and sealer. required to produce an attractive, need to shift the guideline one way ADHESIVES. There are long-lastir-rginstallation are the sanle or the other the width of a half tile. two groups of adhesives: as drr1ltile project, reglardlessofsize. The illustration below shows sev- mastics for wall applications eral rypicrl situations,but just a noce and thin-set mortars for tlling LAYOUT GUIDELINES a.botrt outside corners. They're best floors. Note: Thin-set mor- One of the secrets to a profes- handled by starting at the corner and tars can also be used on sional-looking job is to lay out working to the inside corner. If the walls,as we did on the fire- guidelines to ensllre proper align- tiles wrap around the corner, dont place chase. nrent of the tiles. For nrost jobs, forget to allow for the thickness of To add flexibiiiry and perpendicr"rlar centerlines work the tile on the adjacentwall. bonding strength,use a latex additive. Sorle flexible mor- -\l centerof wa1-,- teverguideilne tars have latex already added. fr I GROUT. After applying the tiles, the joints are filled Start wall tiles fiom a levelline on wall and with grout. Use non-sanded workdown toward floor joints 1/s" o, grout to fill (orup to celllng) narrower. Sandedgrout is wsed for joints wider than 1/s" and most often on floors. Genterof floor Applywall tlles startlng from SEALER. Sealing the outsidecomels and woft grout lines prevents mildew towardlnslde comel and discoloration. TILE TIP: '\X/hen 0utsldecorner working with porous Applyfloor tlle fromcenter (unglazed) tiles, apply sealer of flooroutward to walls to the tiles before grouting. This will prevent the grout from staining the tile. 28 woRKBENCH tr OCTOBER 2OO2 %" Woodspacers SURFACEPREPARATIOT{ alongwall Sudace preparation isn't the most exciting part of a tile installation. But it is one of the most intpor- tant.To prevent the grout lines (or the tiles themselves)from cracking, Wall a solid underlayment is a must. FloorTile UNDERLAYMENT. The most for floor tiles is Tile Adhesive stableunderlayntent l/2" (Thin-setmortar) cementboard, as shown at left. Cementboard is securedto the sub- Mortar and Tape /2" Gementboard floor with thin-set mortar and joints mortar Fill with screws (F1g-s.1 and 2). (if edgeof cementboardis tapered, 172"Gementboard thentape is not neededfor iolnt) screwsinstalled 6" apart LAYINGTHE TITES Before laying the tiles, be sure to have the right adhesive,grout, and sealer on htnd. (Rqferto page28.) APPLY ADHESIVE. The tile is adhered with either nastic or thin- set mortar. Regardlessof the rype of adhesive,it's applied with a notched trowel, see nrargin. Be sure to fol- low thc trtanttfacturert reconlmen- dations on thc correct size notches. A Usethinset mortat b "$ue" the A Afterfalling the seamswith thin- lSegin spreading the adhesive at f2" cementboardto the subflool. setmoftar, embed fiberglass mesh the intersection of the two perpen- Thenfasten it with specialcement- tapein the "mud."Then sPread a dicular guidelines. Don't cover too boardscrews installed 6" aPart. thin layerof mortarover the tape. large an area(about 2'x 2'is about right). Press the first tile in place with a slight twisting motion. As you add more tiles, use plastic spac- ers to keep thenr aligr.red(Fig. 3). GROUT. After the adhesive cures (about 2 day$, fiIl the joint lines with grout (F,9. 4). Remove the excess with a damP sPonge, working diagonally acrossthe joint A Io applythe lir.resto avoid pulling out the €lrout. adhesive,push A Io ensurea goodbond, Press A Afterthe adhesivesets, the next Then make the final passesparallel it acrossthe eachtale into a bedof thin'setmor- stepis to fill theioint lines with to the joint lines (Fig. 5). The surfaceusing tar,using a slighttwisting motion. glout.Use a specialrubber float to remaining grout will fornt a hazY the smooth Plasticspacers keep tile aligned. plessthe lrout firmlyinto the ioint. filn-r that's ret.uoved by rubbing the edgeof a trowel tile with a soft, dry cloth. (FiEa).Then APPLY SEALER. The cured usethe notched grout needs protection from mois- edgeto create ture and dirt, which cause mold or furrows(Fig. b). mildew.That comes from brushing a sealerinto the grouted joints.Tiy to avoid getting sealer on the tile, and wipe offthe excessimmediately. CUTTING TILE. One final note. For some installations (like A Letthe groutsit for 10-15min' A Tilescan be cut to sizewith a our fireplace chase),you'Il need to utes,fhen wipeoff the excesswith "wet" saw.Some softer wall tiles cut the tiles. For best results,I rec- a sponge,ilnsing often. Make final canbe cut byscoring and break' ommend renting a "wet" saw, as passespalallel to theioint line. ing,or cutwith a rotarYtool. shown in Flg. 6. 30 woRKI]ENCH ! OCTOBEI\ 2OO2 KITCHENCART CONSTRUCTION vtEw Topshelf supports Cuttingboard top is gluedup from cuttingboard top (Sfierf stripsof hardmaple so dufable edge Assembtiespage 34) grainfaces up (TopAssenbly paSe 40) OverallDimensions: 32Y2"Wx22Y2"Dx35"T I Drawerconstructed withtongue and dadoioints (Drawel Assenbtypa$e 39) Falsefront hides drawer slides (DrcwerAssembly pa$e 39) Aluminumedging accents large,open shelves Full€rtensiondrawel (SfielfAssemblies paEe 34) slidesprovide access to backof drawer ShelfFrame Basefeatures sturdy legs madefiom aluminum angle (BaseAssenhly pate 36) rfixun- \/Extras CuttingDiagram 56- for KitchenCart S CuttangTongue andDado Joints Plasticlaminate with "corlugations" e[i',i:;'i:'.,* createsdurable, easy-to+lean shelves Wo*benchMagazine.com -o (see pa(e 78) Spacer Block 3" Swivelcasters with Tq"Washer lockingwheel and base A (3) ShelfCores (ptywood) 1/t"x 773/a"x273/t" t1o" (Twuway Locking Casters pa6fe36) B (6) ShelfFrame Frts. & Backs(mapte) y 1t12"x30" ,/ /'/A\ Qholf Frcmo aidoc ,-^^r^r 3/,1 v 1lt^n v )it provicics plcrrty of bcc:rusethe basccon- G(1) Back Rail lmapte) sl()riurcfbr applianccs sists of fbur iclcrrtical H(2) SideRails (mapte) '/i't4"z1o,iy{,,x x !9r/q"I91/a ,i lrncllrccc'ssorics. .-- lcgs rrrrclc of alu- | (2)MountingCleats (mapre). 71/8'ix25/8" x 791/4"I91/4 #10 x 1" Ph J (2) DrawerFront & Back(mapre) 1/2"r/,>"x31/2"x3r/c" x25"x25 As you can sL'cr SheetMetal Screw rutinunr rnele. (You'll K(2) DrawerSides (mapte) t/2" x31/2"x 781/2" '/z! thc crtrt is clcsisrtccl fird al"rnrinr.rnrlngle L (1) DrawerBottom (ptywood) x 18"x !5" M (1) FalseFront lmapte; 3/4"x315/$" x263/e" witl-r ln opcn, nret:rlbasc thrt su1-r :lt nrost honre centcrs.) N (1)CuttingBoard Top (mapte) 2" x22t/2"x32t/2" ports two llrr:c shelves.Ancl rr s]r:rl- Tir nrakc onc lce,:rll you haveto + Gluedup from four 3/a" blanks and planed to 1%"thick low clt'rrwc'rkeeps knives uncl other cio is cut the llunrinnnr lnqle to HARDWARE& SUPPIIES o (2)Formica "Corrugated" Plastic Laminate -cult7" x27" snrallitenrs rirrht rlt h:lncl. lcnqth on the tableslw. Make three o (2) 18"Full-Extension Drawer Slides w/Screws METAL BASE. ()kly, it sor.rrrcls nlore cuts and lside fronr . (4) 3" DoublelockingSwivel Casters o (94) 5/6" grert. Ancl I likc tl-rc #8 x StainlessSteel Screws cle'lrr,contcnr- clrilling r tbw l.roles tl.rc basc is c (24\#8 x 1" StainlessSteel Screws porury look of thc cart. But isn't it conrpletc. Note: To cnsurc' goocl . (14)#8 * 1t1r"Fh Woodscrews c cliftlcult to builcl rt ntt'tal base?Not resnlts,be sure to chcck out our (2I\ #8 x 1" FhWoodscrews o (16)#10 x 1" PhSheet Metal Screws w/1/a" Washers :rt irll. In farct,you'll bc anrrzccl lt tips for workinq with aluminunr c (2) #8 * 1t12"Ph Sheet Metal Screws w/fa" Washers liow easy it actually is. Th:rt's rngle ou pagles7(r and 77 . .83/4"Bat Pull (Pearl Nickel Finish) w/Screws w()llKlluNclt ! ()cI()tlEl\ 2002 33 I i SHETFASSEMBLIES Glueplastic laminate to ShelfCore plywoodcore with contact (1/2"x!73/4" x273/4"| cement(see page 78) - / Usetongue and groove #gxs/e" jointsto assemble LowerShelves StainlessSteel Screw frameto core ShelfFrame ShelfFrame - l3/c" xLY2" mitel to fit) (3/q"x lY2" - miter to fit) 'iN 21/s" Slq" NoTE:Miter frame pieces(B, C) and aluminumedging (D) to fit aroundcore (A) STARTWTM T}IE SHELVE!; to size.Thcn sct onc piecc rrsiclcfbr joints (S/rcf Cl|atkl)l Dctail). This I bcgan work on thc crrt by Iruking thc top shclL Now usit.tq cot.ttnct typc ofjoint nrrkes it crsy to rlisn thlcc sl-rclvcs.Thetwo lorncr shclvcs ccnrcnt, glne ovcrsizecl picccs of thc fi'.rrrrcwitlr thc core pit'ct's. providc storasc, while thc uppcr plastic hnrinate to thc othc'r two l)h-rs,it provides plcnty of uluc sur- slrelfsr,rpports tl.rc cutting boarcl top. core pieccs. For tips on workinq Ilce for l stror-rejoint. All threc shclvcsstlrt out :rs I/2"- witlr plastichurinrtcs, see pagc 7tl. St:rltby cuttilrr.rthc fi'rrrrrepicccs thick plywoocl corc picces. To Jnst l notc abor,rttl-rc phstic larn- (1,3,C) extr:r long. This rllorvs cxtra strcnqthcn thc shclvcsuncl to cover inltc I usccl.For a rttot-cconteltrp()- nr:rtcrialfor cutting thc uritcrcclcor- the plywood cclgcs,these core pieccs rlry look, itis r spcci:rllanrinatc witl.r ncrs. I also cut u cottplc extra fi'anrc arc wrlppccl with a hlrdwoocl frattte snrrll riclges in thc snrfacc thrtt picces for nr:rking tcst cnts. ar-rdpieccs of rluntinunr anqle. rcscnrble corlugntcd clrdbolrcl. lleforc yotr rctr"urllycut thc joilt- A A largehole Now, take a look at thc S/l'fi' Whcn applying thc litnrinrtc, p:ry cry, takc a look rt thc Grrc {i Frarnc in a hardboard Asv'nililicsrbovc ltrcl you'll scc otrc' closerrttcrttiotr to;rliurrirrg thc ritlgcs /)ctrlil lbovc. It sl"rowswhat youi'e rcuter basepro- thing thatis diffcrcnt :rbont thcsc p.rr'.rllclwrth thc lorrr-le.lgcs .rf thc sl'rooting firr a frarrre thrtls per- videsclearance shelves.Thc two lower shelvcs lre core picccs,ls shown on pauc 7fl. fectly flush with thc top surtircc of for a rabbetbit. cover-cclwith plastic llnrinltc so ADD THE FRAME. Aftcr trinr- thc lanrin:rtc.Tlrisis easyto clo if you tl'rey'recrsy to clean.The top shelf rrrinq thc lanrinatc flush with the Llsea cllt-to-fit techniquc. doesn't ncecl lanrinate bccausc it'.s ed14esof the corc pieces,thc ncxt MAKETHETONGIJES. Thc first coverecl by tl.re cr.rtting boarcl top. stcp is to add l rrritcrccl franrc. It stcp is to urakc' tlrc tottgllcs.This is 3/s" PLYWOOD CORES. To urakc cousists of 3/-1"-tl-rick'hlrdwood clone by xruting a rabbct llons thc shelves,start by cllttirlg three strips attached to the plywoocl core all for-rr eclges of the corc. I r.rseda l/:"-drick plywoocl cole (A) pieces pieces with tongue ancl qt-oove hanclhclcl router ancl a rabbet bit Setplastic lamlnate againstfence 34 w()l{KIIENCH tr ()crT()IJEll 2002 r Shelfis shownface down STEP 1: Dryassemble frame pieces to checkfit of miterjoints STEP 2: Removeone set of clamps,apply glue to edgesof framepieces (B) and core (A), thenclamp frame pieces in place STEP4: Usectamping btocks tokeep corners flat (wax paper preventsblocks from sticking) STEP 3: Removethe second setof clamps, apply glue to edgesand ends of frame pieces(C) and core (A), repositionthe pieces, and draw tightwith clamps (1iq. 1).This lccluilccl nraking a s1.rc- MITEII THE ENI)S. ()ncc thc AI)I) ALUMINUM EDGING. cial b:rscfirr rny routcl to ilccolrinro- gl'oovcslrc cilnc,:rll thrrtlslcfi bcfirrc Thcrcls just onc' nror-cthiug nt'eclecl cl:rtc tl-rc hrqc cli:rnrctcr of thc bit lusscurblingthc sl-rclvcsis to nritcr to conrplctc thc shclvcs.To crcate a (l\4nqqiltPlnttLt ott pa,qt-14) both e'nclsof clclr fi'rtnrcpiccc.Thcn clccor:rtivcacccnt ruouncl the cc'lgcs, Thc iclcrris to sct thc clcpth of thc clry cllrrrp tlrc tilnrc nrounclthc ply- thc shelvcs lrt wrappeci in llu- r':rbbct bit to lcnvc ;r I/-1"-thick woocl corc picccs to chcck thc fit of nrirrunrmi;lc.This edging (l)) sin in tonquc.Norv rout thc tongucs. tl-rcnritclccl conrcls. rr shlllow rabbct cut in tlrc bottonr CUT THE GROOVES. Altcr GLUE-UI] (lcttins :r soorl fit cclscs ft-'ttrr,' trir','r's- lirrtt .lrifiirr,' I \('r-c\vs. asshowrr in fiqrrnr 2 arrd2n. Be sulc I'-_ Thcrr t.rpc thc etlqirrL{irr sure ovet each to position thc hnrinntccl tncc of tl'rc clnrrrpcclsnr:rll blocks across cac]r placc,cil'ill pilot holcs fot-thc scrcws, miteredcornen colc :rqrinst tlrc fence. joirrt lirre (su:nrtrsitt nt ri,qltt). rrrcl nttach the edging (Fi,q 5) With thc' fencc set,nrake test cuts in a scrappiccc to chcck tl'rc fit.Thc sorl is rr f iction fit (not too tight) @ l-rctwccnthc' tongne :urcltcst ql"oove. Useself+entering Now itls tinrc to cut the qlooves blt to drlll pllotholes in the fi'anre pieces. Mrrke sLu'cto rrr.rrktlrc to| oi e.rch Ii':urrcl.ic,'.' :rrrd pllcc it rtrrilirtstthc lip ti'nr'c when you nr:rke the cLlt (Fia. 3). You'll rlso wxrlt to crlt thc groovc about l/1r," deeper to ailow for glue sqlreeze-olrt(Fi,q. 3a). w()r{KBENCr-.rtr ocTC)llEl\ 2002 35 BA!iEASSEMBLY 3/s"\ ::r_r qT Mounting | 3'/t' -tF,ll holesfor A\/w rails(H) '"lf Yl@ *8xs/s" Counterslnksfor #8 screws Screw IT #8x1" ",1+ Screw ll teg 'll 12"x2" x287/e" aluminumangle) l'i^' I t)+ I norr,ruo %" Washer 3" LockingCastel I spacerblock I \.-+ #10 x 1" Ph I flushagainst t. SheetMetal Screw \\ \_ttz, BUILDT}IE BASE cut, attach the same fence to the wflb* The open, metal base of the cart is miter gauge that you used for the formed by fastening four legs made edging (see page 76). As before, A Stainlesssteel of aluminum angle to the shelves knock any burrs offthe edgeswith scrervslavailable with stainless steel screws (see a file or sandpaper. at hardwarcstorcs Margin Photo). These metal legs MOUNTING HOLES. Once when fastening the legs to the rails and homecentersl contribute to the contemporary the edges are smoothed. the next that will be added later. complementthe look of this project. But beyond step is to lay out the locations of Tip: Pencil doesn't show up well aluminumangle appearance,the legs have a couPle the mounting holes for the screws on the aluminum.To make the lay- of the legs. more benefits. Namely, they're used to attach the legs to the out lines for the holes more visible, incredibly sturdy and easyto make. shelves.You'll need to lay out eight use a fine-tip permanent marker. CUT LEGS TO SIZE. Like the holes on both sidesof each leg (Leg Now it's just a matter of drilling edging on the shelves,the legs are Dctail). Six of these holes are used a countersunk shank hole at each sinrply cut to length on to attach tl-re legs to the shelves. location (Shank Hole Detail).Make the table saw To make The other two holes (the second sure to set the depth stoP on the a smooth, controlled set fronl the top) will be used drill press so the screw heads will sit flush with the face of the leg (Leg Mounting Detail). Next, to give the alunrinum a "brushed" metal look, I sandedeach Thesearen't your tun{rf-the-mill casters. For leg (and the aluminum edging) with starters,both the swiveland the largewheels ride a randonr-orbit sander (220-grit on ballbearings for smoothrolling and tuming. paper). Sanding the legs also removes Also,unlike othel casters that onlylock the any rough edges or tool marks left wheel,these casters feature a doublebrake from drilling. Finally, spray on a light system.As you can see in the photo,tiny teethlock coat of lacquer to keep off finger- the swivelbase when you ptess the leverdown. This prints and dirt. meansthe kitchencaft won't loll or accidentally swivelwhen you're working at it. ASSEMBTEI}IE BASE A Atoothedmechanism lets you SOURCE:Twoway locking casters (item #141051) The next step is to assemble the lock the swivelbase of the caster. areayailable from Woodcraft at 800.22$1153. base by fastening the legs to the shelves.A11 you need for this is a 36 WORKI]ENCH tr OCTOBER 2OO2 TOPSHETF NoTE:Attach allfour legs beforemoving 0nt0 tne l middleshelf Framing square lay top shelf face down Head sits flush with leg fllt worksuface (l used nry bench- exceptions. You'll need a way to top) and a couplc of clarrrps. keep the nriddle shelfspacedequally To prevcnt thc' basc frour rack- and parallelwith the top sl'relfwhile ing, it's best to asscnrble tl.rese attaching the legs. I used a spaccr MIDDTESHELF iloTE:Secure piecesone lee - and onc shclf- block in each corner to support the allfour legs to middleshelf rt a tilne. That w:ry you can also shelf (Middla Sfit'fi). Now secure the beforemoving nrake sure elch leq is squareto thc shelf to the leg; just like befbre. onto the shclf in both clirections before tsOTTOM SHELF. Finally, to bottomshelf drilling the pilot holes for the add the bottonr shelf, remove the ) scrcws in the sl-relves. spacersand turn the cart upright. TOP SHELF. To get started, lay Then position the shelf flush with the top shclf ficc down on the the bottonr of the legs and install worksurfrcc. Tl'ren fit the first leg the screws (tsottomShclfl. around or)e corner and lightly cllnrp:r fiJrrrirrqsqurre agairrstit MAKETHE CART MOBITE (t'-i,q.7 and'lbp Slrclf).Tap the leg One of the neatest thingp about into position, checkins it for this kitchcrr ishrtd clrt is its versl- square.Thentighten tl'reclrnrp. tility: rock-solid one nrinute, Now you're ready to instrll the nrobile the next. A pair of heavy- screws.One thing to keep in rrrind is duty, 3" swivel casterson the cor- tlre screwshave to pelletrate tua lay- ners ofthe basenrake this possible. crs of alunrinunr (leg and edging) To learn nrore about these, take a before entering the wood franre.So look at the'li.uo-WayIncking Casters startby drilling a sh:u'rkholc through sidebar on page 36. the alunrinunr edgingl, using the There's nothing tricky about holcs in the leg; as a guide (r''tg.7o) installing the casters.Just make sure Then conre back with a self-center- you position thenr close enough to ing bit rnd drill pilot holes into tl.re the edg;eso you can press the lock- fr;urre (Fi'q. 7b). Frntldy, drive in the ing levers with your foot - but not screwss() the headssit flush with the so close that they stick out and surfice of the leg (Fig 7) bunrp into things. If you take a look At this point, remove the clanrp, * the CastcrDetail on page 36, you'll position it or.rthe other side of the see how to position the casters- lcg, rnd ld.l thc renrrining two You'll rlso notice thcrc\ a I/4"- screws.Oncc you have thc first leg thick plywood block benveen the secured from both sides,repeat the base of each caster and the bottonr entire clanrpillll sequenceto attach shelf. The purpose of these spacer the other three legs. blocks (F) is to allow thc clstersto sit MIDDLE SHELF.Thc rcrrraining low enough so they swivel freely two shelves are attached to the legs without hitting the lip of the frame in a similar fashion,with a couple of that extends below the shelf. N0TE:Turn cart upright to attachbottom shelf w()t{KIJENCH tr ()C t OtJEr{ 2002 NoTE:Top shelf is cutaway for clarity SideRail (3/a"x4" xl91/q") DRAWERFRAME Orrr"/t-il MountingCleat A!iSEMBtY Fh l!1/6" x25/e" x191/a"| Woodscrews /+_-. Dlawer (see page 39) \ z€" \ #8 xs/e" Stainless Steel Sclews "rle@ NOTE:Prefinish rails and cleatsbefore assemblv FRAMEAN OPENIT{G shclf :rncl rtmch it to the leg; ancl With the bascrsscnrblccl, this prgcct shelf with scrcws.Now, cut tl'residc A This 834" bar is rcally sturtil)g t() tlkc sh:r1-rc.Now rails (H) to fit bctwccrr the front legp pull blendswell yoll cln tllnr yorlr attcr)tior) to thc rrnclthc blck reil ancl lttach tl'renr. with the contem- clrlwcr. lluilcling l cir:rwcr to fit an Al)l) MOUNTING CLEATS. In thc ;xrrt that nrounts to the cleat.To porarylook of existins opcnirrg is prctty stlnchrcl orclcr lirr thc clmwcr to opcn nncl lllow roonr for a f;rlsc front, set tl-re the cart. lt's construction. lJr,rt with thc opcu closc corrcctly, tlrc siclcrails tnr,rstbc slic'lcb:rck 3/+" frorll the front of thc availaHefi'om clesign of tl'ris blsc, thcre isn't ntt "built out" to proviclc clclrlncc ftrr clc.tr (Olcat Lr Slidt Ddail). Rocklerlitem opcning ftrr thc clrawcr - yct. You tl-rc nrctll clrawcr sliclcs.Tt> rcc()nl- #:164281at have to nrakc one. plish this, I aclclecll prir of nrounting BUITDA DRAIJVER 80r0r27gr-{441ol As you can sce abovc,thc opcn- clerts (l) that fit flush with thc lepp, Now itis tinrc to br.rild thc clrawer to rww.Rocklencom ing is firrr.uccl by thrcc harclwood rs showrr in l:igtrr 8. flt insiclc thc opcning. Thc clrawcr railslncl two clcrts.()ne rail errcloscs Elch cleat is gluccl up fronr tw 38 w()l{Kr}ENCH ! ocroBEIr 2002 DRAWERASSEMBTY DrawerBack llz" x3Vz"x25"1 l Cutgloove to accept th" -tnicxplywood botto m DrawerSide " x3lz" xL8Vz"l Cut7q" dado #8x 1" Centerbar pull to fit tongue Fh Woodscrew on false front 18" FalseFront Metal DlawerSlide l/2" x L8" x25"1 Gut7+" tongue 1s1a,,x 115/.15,, x 263/t,l SIDEVIEW JOINEI\Y. Thc tonglres arL' with screws (l)rnrcr Assatilily).Thc clrrwer witlr carpet trpc (l:i.q. l0). fornrecl by cuttinu rrrbbcts in tl-rc lalscfirnt is sizcclto lllow a l/1c" g:rp After hying olrt thc holc locrtions, encls of thc fiont rurcl brtck picccs. orr both enclsancl rn l/s" qap on top. drill holcs through thc lrlsc front Thcn to kccp thc clr:rwcr fknr Al)l) A PULL. ()ncc tlrc tirlsc fionr tl'reoutsicle of the cirlrwcr-. pulling aprl't, thcsc tonqucs "lock" fkrnt is cr.rt,tlre next stcp is to attach Thcn rcurove the' f:rlsc'fror-rt lncl irtto cl:rcftrcscut in thc sirics (lirrglrc r b:ir ptrll (src Margirr l)ltoto ott paqc drill clcrr:rnce l.roles tlrrough tl'rc L" Dndo 1)crnil).Note: For infirrnt:t- -18).An clsy wny to locrtc the holes drawcr front. Fin:rlly, pcrnlrnently tiorr orr cuttil)q tonguc nncl claclo fcrr tl're pullls rnounting scl-cwsls to attach thc lalse front (Drauu'r joints, clrcck olrt orlr on-line cxtms: position the f:rlsc front on tl're Assatftly) anclpull (Fi.q.10d). rvu rv.Wolk[.r't tt'It Ml!:.tzit rr'.t , rrt t lJcfirrc esscnrbling thc clrawer, you'll neeclto cut a qroove in eacl'r N0TE:Dry assemble drawer pieces to l/2" piece fbr a plywood bottolll checkfit, then glue up and clamp (L) (DrarucrCroouc Dtail). --Centersllde on widthof drawerslde While yor-rstill have easy rcccss, now is rrlso rr goocl tinrc to c'lrill lrr()unting l-rolcsin tl-rc clrawcr' lirr t]rc scrcwsth:rt will bc uscclto :rttrrch tlrc l1rlsc|ront (Dnwu'r Assuttltly). Alisnslide ftush ASSEMBLE THE DRAWER. a. with'irontof drawer Thc ncxt stcp is to asscnrblc tl-rc clr:rwer.Thckcy l'rereis to nrlke sure tl-re c'lrawcrlcnrains square lnd flat cluring gh-re-r-rp.A sinrple way to do FIRST: Positionthe false front flush with the bottom of thedrawer this is to clamp l frlnring square to andcentered horizontally the bencl'rtop.Thenbutt one corr)er (1/$"gaP both ends) of tl-redlawcr into tl-resclurrc :ls you tigl.rtcn tl.re chnrps (Fi,q 9) Once the clrawer is rssenrblecl, attach thc other halvesof the clnwc'r -c:=1 slides,as shown in Figrrrc9n.Just bc sure to screw into the slottecll-roles in caseyou need to adjust tl-reslicles. FALSE FRONT. Now it'.stinre to add the falsefront (M).This is a 3/.1"- (see thick piece of hardwood that Bar Pull Margfin Photo on pa$e 38) attaches to the front of the drawer WOI\KBEN(]H ! ()croBEr{ 2002 ?c) CUTTINGBOARD TOP ASSEMBTY I NoTE:Make cutting board top NoTE:Center too on cart BoardTop Cutting fromthree glued-up panels I l.t? 7r"ctrr.t"r)$tZ-t,, --'1>\ Ghamrer Topmade from 30 strips of 3/q"-thickhard maple gluedface to face *8xLVz" #8xLVz" PhSheet Metal Screw FhWoodscrew (backof top) (ftontof top) GUTTINGBOARD TOP DIVIDE & CONQUER. My tation of the strips.To avoid chipout Thc top of this kitchcn cilrt is :r hrge s.rlutiorrw.rs to tlrst qltrc r.tptltrcc when planing the panels,be sule to cr.rttingbo:rrcl. lt cotrsistsof rt t.tttnt- snrrrllcr pancls tl-rat wet:e narrow oilerrt e;rclrstrip so tlre gr:rirrrutts in bcr of sr>liclwoocl strips (30 to bc crrotrsh to run through the plane'r. thc sanreclircction (l'i9.11). "reld" the cxrct) illlrccl frrcc to fhcc, rts showrt Thcsc nlrt'orv plne'ls irrc thetr To tl-rc grain, look at :rbovc.This wily, thc nrorc clttrrblc gh-rcdtogcthcr to fbrnr thc wiclc tlcc of circlrstlip.Thc idcr is to ori- ccleegrlin of thc sn'ipsflccs up. top. C)f colrrsc,therc will still bc a ent thc strips so thc grain lines run Clh-ringup a buncl.r of sn'ipslikc fi:w snrlll riclges to snrtcl,but tl-r:rtis off the top ccige in the salne direc- tl-rispre'serrts rr chnllcnsc.Thc' strips a failly nranagcablejob. tion (-Vrorrrrilty tlrr'urn,,,Uc drrows in Fi,q. will shift r:p :utcl clown rr bit as RIP STI{IPS. The flrst step is to 11).It'.s also a goocl idea to nrark tl.re cl:urrping presslrreis appliecl,fbnn- lip 30 cxtn-long strips to widtlr top edgesolt tlre stlips.just irt clsc ing a scriesof snrrrllriclges. flonr l/+"-thick nrrrplc. I wlnted l tl-reyge't nrixed up as you work. Sirrce rlre top is 22t/2" widc, 2"-thick top, so I tippcd the strips GLUE-UP Now it'.stime to glue using l thickncss plar-rerto rcllrove 2lls" wicle,wl-rich gavenre roonr fbr up the narrow parrels.Thiscan get thc ridgcs prob.rblyistt't .ttt optiorr. planirrg rrd sandir.rg(Fit 11). hectic, so be sure to have all the And if you sand thcnr with a belt GRAIN ORIENTATION.As you pipe clar.npsand glue you're going sander, there\ alwetys a risk of preparc to glue up thc uarrow pan- to rreed on harrd. I used TitebondIl plrttirlg a deep gouec in tl.retop. cls.p.ry .lttel)tiol) to tltc qlrtirtot'icrt- to glue up the panels. NoIE:Label top edge of strips so you can N0TE:Long cauls (top and bottom) keep strips re-orientthem if theyget mixed up 2%" -:t"'y then olient boards \ NoTE:To create space for grain same so runsthe clamps,use 2x4's to raise assemblyoff the work surface 40 woItKBENCH n ()crotsEl{ 2002 Planepanels to 2" thick, Themain reason you finish any proiect is to protect taking light passes l,s thewood. But with this cart that comes in contact withfood, it's alsoimportant to usea food-safefin- ish.For a homemadefood-safe finish recipe, visit our on-line extras: wwwworkbeichM agazine.com Cutterhead a. Oneof myfavorite food-safe finishes is Behlen's \t SaladBowl Finish (available fiom Woodcraft,item \+ #08P15,80G225-1153). Before applying the finish, trt sandthe top smoothusing a progressionof finer iq grits(up grit). planewith the grain to 320 (Detail'a') Thenwipe on a thin, uniformcoat of finish with a lint-freecloth. Tir clistribLrte pl-cssul'c cverrly, GLUE UPTOII Orrce tl'replnels Allowsix hoursdrying thc iclenis to position thc clrnrpsin nre pl:rneclto flnrrl thickrrcss(2"), timebefore recoating. :ln ovcr ltncl-unticl llrr':lngcnrcnt, the ncxt step is to gltrc :rll three of Twocoats shouldbe ,."io,"",..,y","'rnr"o.o6*, *a"1* roA-fffk nbout (r" .lp.rrt fliq. 12l. t]renr toqethc'rto firlnr the cr.rttirrg plenty.Wait 72 hours -,# I'cl rrlso lccortuttcucl having rt bonrcl top. Thcsc prncls :trc lrtrgct' beforeusing the cart. ", ,4, fcu' scrrrppieces of woocl on hltncl (lnd hc:rvicr),btrt thc brsrc procc- Plan on renewing N' ,w to r.lscils crruls.Thcsccluls r,vil]bc clurc is thc srrrrre. ()rrly herc, yotr'll thefinish with an addi- \,u ,*r;,,_.":"o" usctl to kccp thc strips rrt thr' cncls ncccl longcr c:tulsto cxtcttcl ltcnrss tional coat or two of thc prrnclsrrligrrccl cltrring eluc- thc rviclth of thc prrncl. abouttwice a year. W Lrp (lllore rrbout tlr:rt htcr').Just bc SAND & TRIM TO LENGTH. sul'c to wllx thc cluls to prcvcnt Aftcl gluing up thc tlrrcc panels, sluc fl'orrr:rclhcrirrg to thellr. you'll probrbly cncl up r,vith soutc ATTACH TOP. Aficr applyiug l Nor'v, to uluc up cilch piuicl, srrr:rllriclqcs lt thc joint lirrcs.S:urd frnish (-sccsidcbar nltol,r'), the tinnl stcp brush ghrc olr thc lrratir)ghces of thcsc snrooth rvitlr :r r:rrrclorrrortlit is to :rtt:rcl-rthc cr.rttingbolu'cl top. :rllrlre stlips. Apply .l:rrrrpir)r{prcs- sunclcruncl I ()()-grit s:rnclp:tpct'. Since the top is solirl wootl, it surc slowly, strlrtinq rlt thc ccntcr Ncxt, you'll wlut t() trinr tl-rctop rvill cxprrrrcl rrrrcl contnct rvith 'h> rrncl r'volking yorlr wrly out. Thcll to lcngth. If you tuln to prrec 7.1, chnnges irr l"rurrriclity. rllorv fil' clanrp tl-rc crrulsrrcross thc top rurcl you'll f.incl :r sinrplc tcchnicprc fil' tl-risrvoocl nlovclllclrt, tl'refiont ccllac bottonr of thc p:urcl. cloing this on thc t:iblc silw. of thc to1'ris flxccl.Thc brrck of thc PLANE TO THICKNESS. At CHAMFEI\S. Tir cnsc thc sharp !op, horvcvcr,is rrllorvcclto "f1o:rt"by this point, youi'c lclcly to pllnc the eclgcs,I ll)utL'Llrur l/s" c]rltnrfi'r'on rusinq ovcrsizc ('/+") screw holes pancls srrrooth.Acljust thc pllncr the corrrcrs. Noticc lrorv scmp (NIor r t t til r.qDctdi I ). firr u lcr1, liqht cut (l/.r:"). Thctr, bkrcks clarrrpc'clto the top prevent You'll ncccl to rcnlovc thc rnicl- rftcr cl-rcckinq thc snin clircction, the router t.iorn tipping rurclchip- cilc sl'rclfto nrrrkeroonr fbr rttirching fi'ccl e:rch purcl throuuh thc plrrncr' ping the corncrs /liig. /l,). Now dre top, as c'xplrrineclbekrw. ()r-rce so itls cuttirrg ri,itlr the cl-rrrnrtcrtl-re long thc' top is in pl:rcc,reattrch thc shclf r rr.l.: gr':rrn/,li'q.r. I-1 ad l-)n). eclges(1ig /5). Jr)(l y()u fc fcir(ly to lull.'l!l!l Scrapblocks keeprouter fromtipping A After predrillingall the holes{back two oversizel, centerthe cart on the top and attachit with screws. w()l{Kl}ENcH Lt ()cr()llF.l{ lo02 41 ® KITCHEN ISLAND CART Issue 273 Volume 58 Number 5 Sept/Oct 2002 MATERIALS LIST CUTTING DIAGRAM Page 1 of 2 Copyright 2005, August Home Publishing Company. All Rights Reserved. ® KITCHEN ISLAND CART Issue 273 Volume 58 Number 5 Sept/Oct 2002 Page 2 of 2 Copyright 2005, August Home Publishing Company. All Rights Reserved. Three-in-one Ses Forget about one-tri,ckponies. This sure-footedsteed i,s a saushorse,stepstool, and tool tote - all in one. ight out ofthe gate,you can seethis surprised how easy they are to make front is no ordinary sawhorse. From its conlllloll electricalconduit. large worksuface that has plenry of Even with the legs stored, this sawhorse room for clalnping, to the spacious tool can still pull its weight ald support yours as storage tray underneath, this is one a stepstool (PhotoA, pagc 43). And with a versatile sawhorse. handhold cut right into the top, leading this And take a look at those metal legs. pony fror.r.rone place to another is a sinrple They re strong as a Clydesdale when one-handed operation (PlrotoB). locked into the sawhorse. lJut Best of all, you can build a whole stable when itis time to saddle up and of these sawhorses in just a weekendt ride into the sunset,the legs can work.All that'.srequirecl are some cornmon be removed for casy storage materials, a few basic tools, and a bit of (htsct Plnto). Ancl you'll be horse sense. > The removable legsstore under the sawhorse. 'li, tc? .-]::''::';' .\._i*._ -* < Thissawhorce doublesas a SAWHORSE handystepstool. r12" A(4) EndCap Panels lptyy v 147/16"x 12" Its large, sturdy B(4) lnnerLeg Guides (rir) 310"'1 ]'rlru" x 913/ro" worksurfaceand 310"'1 C(4) OuterLeg cuides (rir) ]1r1ru"x I271rc" no-slipfeet (rir) D(2) FillerBlocks 131rc"x21/2. x7r3/rc" crcatea stable E(2)rraySides (tio 314"x 4" x 35%" platform F(l)Tray Bottom(pry) r1r"a t3lls" x3tt/q" while G(1) KeeperBlock (rir) 31a"x2" x l311/rc" youwork. H(1)Top(rir) 1tl2"x 10x 38" | (4) Legs (etectricatconduit) 1" x 30u I{ARDWARE r < With the 14)|16. T-nuts . (4)"/rc"x 1" StarKnobs legstucked . (4) SpringClips with Screws undemeath,a . (4) RubberLeg Tips o (6) #8 x 3""FhWoodscrews shallowtray and o(L2)#8 x 1,'/q"Fh Woodscrews built-inhandhold . (4) RubberFeet tum these sawhorcesinto ercat tool totes, CONSTRUGTIONVIEW OverallDimensions: 38"W x 23"Dx 33r/2"H #g x 3",.---'-=-Y FhWoodscrew H TT Handholdprovides Douglasfh top comfortablegrlp provldesa large workarea and ,s clamplngsurface Ocuttlng Dlaglam for Sawhorse wut!9!qi!!!qg!d!!9j99O Star Knob\ Endcaps, bottom, ) andsides form ./ shallowtray for tools 0@-- s@-- I @i:>= \ #8 x 1/n" FltWoodscrew lnner LegGulde LegGuides trap ,rr,rm condultinside KeeperBlock secureopposlte endcaps holdsone end of endsof legs legswhen they're storedundelneath Rubberlips preventlegs fiom Electricalconduit scratchinginterior floors makesfor sturdy, easy-to-buildlegs woRKBENcH ! OCToBER 2OO2 43 ENDCAP ASSEMBLY VIEW -l @ l----8' 0uter FillerBlock LegGuide 1s1r"tta 2t/2,' x 713/.rc 7/.rc,,1 1t1o',a 1'r'r45',x L2 -/16 7+"-wide T-nut Grooves, lq" deep s/ra"xl" StarKnob t47Ae"-l l=-6%6" + lz" Dado, Ve"ileep T lnner teg 2Y2" leg Guide (1" x 3o"-long I 1s/a"a !'t1/16"x 913/'rc"1 conduit) I 'l l-13/$t- ENDCAP OVERVIEW here as guiclelinesrncl use the cot't- the sidesof these panelsare cut :rt The hcart :rnd sonl of this c'luit itself rs a tnle uteasure fbr m ansle. I laid out the arrgled sidcs s:rwhorse is a pair of wcc'lqe- establishir-rethe clistar-rcebetwecn on rn extril-wide (16") blank tl.rat'.s shaped encl caps (End Cap the lcg guides. clrt to .r frnll lcngth of 12" (End Asst:rttblyL/rcrry'. These encl caps Wlrcrr tlre s:rwholsc is ,tsscrtt- Cap Elcvation). actullly consist of severrl blecl, each leg is "locked" in its The best wly I foulrcl to trtake qlE, 'rt --- chnnrtel by tightening ir threaded the angled cuts is witl.r a table saw 2 oitt'cs(--e-. tltlt, 6lt,'c lssetltblctl. tn fll play alr nlportant p:rrt 1lt every knob intt; a T-nnt ('l:nut Dctdil). using l nriter gar.rgear-rd an auxililry ---_ f.'rturca - of a-l thc srtwhorsc' .- -t----- Another inrportlnt lunction of fcnce (Frg 1). tsy ntaking a kerf in First, erch end clp l-rasa set of tl.reend crps is to support the ply- the fence,:rnd then :rligning the lay- A T-nutsand four rvoocl blocks inside it (leg wood tray bottonr of the sawhorse. out lines on the blank with the kerf, thrcadedknobs guicles)that fbn'n a couplc of chalr- This picce. llorrg witlr tlre tr;ry cutting identicrl panelsis a sn:rp. holdthe legs nels for the nretal legs.For strenllth sides,fornr the storage lrea insicle GROOVES FOR GUIDES. Thc tiglttlyinside the ancl stability, it's inrportar.rt tl"rrt the body of the sawhorse. ncxt stcp is to cut lour groovesirt endcap6. these channcls are sized so the legs END CAP PANELS. E:rch end the insideface of eachpiece (Fiq.2 sliclein withor,rt any slop. clp is enclosed with two par-rcls(A) dnd Drrd Cnp Elcuation). Thesc l/2" With that in nrind, you'll want nr:ic-leof plywoocl. As you cl't qrooves rccept the tonsues that will to use the lnersllrclnents provicled see irr tl're llnd Cap Assrntbly Viuu, be cut later on thc leg gr,rides. L6"'fllde 2-- blankcut 44 wc)l{KBENCH u ocr()BEl{ 2002 Tigfitenthe hexnut to drawthe T- nut into the inside lace ---+ T-nutsin each end cap accept So you'llneed to dfill a shallow Sincethe T-nutswill be inac- threaded knobs that tighten counterborefor eachT-nut (FiS. A). cessibleonce the end capsare againstthe legsof the sawhorse Next,to acceptthe barel of assembled,I wantedto make and"lock" them in place. the T-nut,drill a 5/re"hole. fhen surethey wouldn't loosen up over fhe T-nutshave to be flush(or flip the panelover and draw the time.So I coveredthe outerrim slightlybelow) the surfaceof the T-nutinto the plywoodusing a of the flangeon eachT-nut with end cap panels.0therwise, the bolt, nut, and washer(Fig. B). epoxy(FiS. C). Note: Be careful legswill catchon the nutswhen Thewasher prevents the wrench not to let the epoxyrun into the youslip theminto the endcaps. frommarring the surface. threadsof theT-nut. Now, to irvoiclscttils thc picccs olrt('rsuiclcs run thc' full height of top, ancl thcy nct rs a stop fbr tl-rc nrixccl up, set thc prrncls:rsiclc in thc crrcl crtps,'"vhilc thc irilcl lcgs.Thesc picccs alc nritcrccl tcr pairs. Thcn takc onc plrcl fi-oni gr-riclcs"clcacl-cncl" nt thc bottonr rutntchthe anglc of thc lcs slriclcs each pail rrncl cut l clncloin thc of a flllc'rblock. (l;illcr l3ltt& Dttail). irr-sirit'f:ice' to holcl tl're tr:ry bottour To nrake the lcg ur-riclcs(13 ancl (btd Cnp Hlt:vatiott). C), st:rlt with ln extr:r-lons blank ASSEMBTINGTHE END CAPS Ncxt, instlll thc T-nuts in those o[ r/-1"-thick stock tl'rat'.srippccl to At tl'rispoint, it'.sjust a nrattcr of s:lnlc par-rcls.TIre proccss fbr wiclth. Now, cut l r:rbbct in both gluing up the cncl caps. instrllirrr:the T-nuts is cxpl:rirredin cclscs of thc blrnk to fornr tl-rc St.rrt by qluirrr{thc orrtcr lcg 'lJrrtrt thc lrrstallatiorrsiclcblr abovc. tonqu('srlr;rt tlt irrto tlrc qrt't>vcsirr gr.riclcs(tl.rc' lons oncs) into thc tlrc crrcl c:rp pancls (tsi.q.s.-l drrd 3a). outside lgooves in onc of thc crrcl tEGGUIDES & FIttERBLOCKS Aftcl thc mbbcts are cllt, the rrcxt cap pancls.Ncxt, sluc itncl cllnrp At this point, thc plywoocl pancls stc'p is to cnt thc lcg guicles to the filler block bctwcen thc quicles. shoulcl bc sittinq in pairs witl.r thc lcnqt]r. Notice' thrrt thc euclsof c:rcl"r Now slr,rethe short leg guiclcsinto epoxy cttrittu gtt the T:puts. Thltt lcg guiclc rre bc'vclcr1.I clicl this on thc insiclc qr()oves irr tl're errcl cap. nrcurs youi'e'relcly to rrraketl-re lee thc-trble saw with thc bhclc tilteci to Finally,glue the renrlininq end clp $rides rrnclfiller blocks. 15' (/iqs. I dnd 4a). p:utcl to thc .rsserrbly.Cl:rrrrp thc LEG GUIDES. Notice that therc- FILLER IILOCKS. The' next cntire assenrblytoeetl-rcr whilc tl-re ilre two diilercnt lensths of lcg stcp is to nraken fillel block (l)) fbr gh-reci'ies, irssl-rown below. quiclesin erch errd clp.Thc rclsou each enclclp.Thc fillcl blocks pr-o- lbr thc clifterent lcnsths is tl.r:rtthc viclc r rrrouuting sr.rr[rccfbl the NoTE:Outer leg guides andfiller blocks are flush withend cap panels Auxiliary a. whenassembled. w()l{Kl}ENcH fl ()cT()l}El{ 2{)02 45 SAWHORSEBODY ASSEMBTY VIEW Handhold @ (See Top (172"x10"x38") Rout7e,, l:::::- roundoveront'l -l CutL" ] Z^ top andbottom 6--l-_1, radiuson edgesof (___-_J_,' all corners RabbetEnds x 3/e"deep) RubberFoot tegs (1"1.Di,x 30"- long electricalconduit) KeeperBlock Spring tffi:l ctip tul-r/ Q ) (seedetait @ for dimensions) Wt n L"-dia. Electrical SAWHORSEBODY fionr r 2x12. lJcsiclcsbeirre I wide, Now you can rip the tmy sicles 7 Conduit 1- Rubberfips Now that the eucl clps sturcly worksurf ncc, tl-ris top also to flnrl wiclth. lltrt in orcler to lrc assenibled,yolr cllr proviciesa I'rrndy cll-r-rpinu snrf,rcc. nratch tl-rc rnslc of thc' c'ncl caps, gct to rvork on thc thesc'uced to be bcpry'rippecl.To clo bocly of thc sirwl'rorsc BUITDINGTHE BODY this, tilt thc snw blacleto l5o rncl (Srrrry'ronscl3ody,\55u111,1y Thc placc to bcein working on rip onc cclgc.Thcu trlrll thc lroard Vi01t). Thc bocly starts tlrc body is with the tray siclcs(E). edge-for-eclge so it looks likc thc with thc two cnci crps,a Thcse pieces arrenraclc flonr solicl settrpshcrwrr in Fiqrrn'-s6 mrd 6a l:tcl 'I plywoocl tray bottonr, flr, and althougl.r thcy look prctty lip thc othcr edse. Spring J cSt:r' rutcl two solid-wood blsic, thclc rrre scverll steps to The flnll stcp in nrakins tl.rc' Clip siclc's.Thcse pieces fbrnr nrrking theur. trry sidcs is to cut a llroovc in thenr A Theelectrical the tool trlry in tl'resawhorsc'. Filst. crrt tlrr'pieces to lerrstlr to holc'l tl.rc trly bottorrr. This conduit,spring Then, nrounteclunclernerth the rnd rip thcnr (r" wicle. (You'll rip groove llso nccc'lsto be cut lt 15" clips,rubber sawhorse'is a kecper block (C) and thcnr to flnishecl width latcr.) to nrltch tl-rcshapc of thc enclcaps. feet, and rubber sprinu clips for storir.rstl.re lcss. Nc'xt, cut a wide rabbet in tl-rccncls The only difle'rence is this tirrrc tips usedfor the Thc flnal piccc of tlre sawhorse of cacl-rtrly siclcto fit over tl-rccnd youi'e nrlking thc cut with a rhclo sawhorsearc all bocly is a solicl-wooc1top tl.rlt's cut crps /Fiq-i.-l and 5a). blade (iiiq.s.7 nnd 7n). This is nn itemsyou can find at anyhard- warc storc of homecerilen 46 w()llKuENCH t-t ()cT()lrEt{ 2002 Keeperblock is *9xVz" #8 x 1%'\ glued Fh Woodscrew\ and clamped Sheetmetal 1 to the sawhorsebody S.tt . . f unusual operation, but because the tray bottom. And while the body is sawhorse.Once the angle is so slight and the groove is upside down, mount a rubber foot handhold is complete, attach the top so shallow,it's safe and easy to do. at each corner of the sawhorse. to the sawhorse with woodscrews in The next piece of the body is These rubber feet keep the countersunk shank holes. the tray bottonr (F). Cut this piece sawhorse from scratching the floor to size,again bevel ripping it at 15o. when you use it as a stepstool,and GEI SOMELEGS UNDER IT Now you can assernble the they also make it slip-proof. The metal legs (l) on this sawhorse pieces of the body. Start by gluing (made from standardelectrical con- the tmy bottor.n into the dado in SADDTEYOUR SAWHORSE duit) are strong,but still lightweight the end caps.Then glue and screw The top of a sawhorse takesa beat- and easy to store. the tray sides to the end caps. ing. So I cut the top (H) from a Making the legs is as simple as Douglas fir 2x12 to make it sturdy. cutting them to length with a tube A An ordinary tEG STORAGE Then I attached it with wood- cvtter (Margin Phont). A hacksaw tube cutter makes With the body asser.nbled,it's easy screws (no glue) so it's easy to will also work, though you'll need quick,clean cuts to turn the space underneath the replace when it gets beat up. to file the rough edges. Now shoe in the l"-dia. con- tray botton-r into storage for the To nrake the sawhorsetop. cut it your sawhorse by sliding a rubber duit usedto make legs. All it takes is a shop-r.nade to length and rip it to width. Then tip over the end of each metal leg. the sawhorselegs. keeper block (G) and a few ordi- cut a 1" radius at each corner ofthe Finally,slip the conduit legs into nary spring clips. top with a jig saw. the end caps and tighten the star The keeper block is a piece of The next step is to cut the hand- knobs to lock the legs in place.As 34"-thick fir with holes drilled in it holds in the top (Handhold Detail). a final touch, I applied a liberal for the legs. To r.nake the keeper Lay out the handholds on the board coat of penetrating oil to the top block. rip it to width and nriter it to and drill starter holes. Then cut for protection. U length. Then drill four holes in the benveen the holes with a jig saw block for the legs (Kceper Block (Fig. 10). Now file and sand the Dctail). Finally, glue and clamp the cutouts smooth and round over all block to one of the end caps(Fig 9) the edges (Fig. 11). Easing the edges To support the other end ofthe this way keeps them from digging legs, attach four spring clips to the into vour hand when vou lift the bottomedges _,-' woRKBENcH tr oCToDER 2OO2 47 ® SAWHORSE Issue 273 Volume 58 Number 5 October 2002 MATERIALS LIST SAWHORSE HARDWARE 1 7 5 A (4) End Cap Panels (ply) /2" x 14 /16" x 12" • (4) /16" T-nuts 3 11 13 5 B (4) Inner Leg Guides (fir) /4" x 1 /16" x 9 /16" • (4) /16" x 1" Star Knobs 3 11 7 C (4) Outer Leg Guides (fir) /4" x 1 /16" x 12 /16" • (4) Spring Clips with Screws 3 1 13 • (4) Rubber Leg Tips D(2) Filler Blocks (fir) 1 /16" x 2 /2" x 7 /16" 3 1 • (6) #8 x 3" Fh Woodscrews E (2) Tray Sides (fir) /4" x 4" x 35 /8" 1 1 1 1 •(12)#8 x 1 /4" Fh Woodscrews F (1) Tray Bottom (ply) /2" x 13 /8" x 31 /4" 3 11 • (4) Rubber Feet G(1) Keeper Block (fir) /4" x 2" x 13 /16" 1 H(1) Top (fir) 1 /2" x 10 x 38" I (4) Legs (electrical conduit) 1" x 30" CUTTING DIAGRAM 48"" x-48 !/2" Plywood A A A A 1!/2"x 11 !/2" - 48 " One Board D F H #/4"x 5- !/2" 96" Two Boards G C C C C B B B B E E Page 1 of 1 Copyright 2006, August Home Publishing Company. All Rights Reserved. L Tot too long ago, I built a with several spacer blocks to raise my mind, I set out to evaluatethese | \ | wood privacy fence them to the level ofthe saw table. standsbased on their stabiliry stock I \ around my backyard. As Needless to say,setting up the support, mobiliry and extra fea- you can imagine, r-ny nriter saw was saw was a prqect in itself. And tures. The stands were also judged one of the most important tools since a privacy fence isn't a one- on their overall qualiry of con- during this project. Between chop- day job, I got to repeat the process struction and. of course.price. ping fence posts to length, cutting for three days in a row. One of the nrost interesting dog ears on the cedar slats, and things that came out of this corr- rr.raking support wedges for the A BETTERSOTUTION parison is how very dillerent these framework, the old rniter saw was Well, despite the makeshift nriter stands are from one another. Each getting quite a workout. saw stand, the fence turned out manufacturer has its own idea of Because of its crucial role, the great. But I d barely driven the last how to bcscacconrnrodate a mitcr saw occupied a place of some screw when I got word we d be saw. To get an idea of the difTer'- esteenr,directly irr the center ofthe doing a review of real rniter saw ences, take a look at the Featuras yard. No further from one section stands.Youknow the kind I mean. Cornp ar i so n Ch art below. of fence than any other, but also They're built with sturdy metal And because these standsare so not any closer. frarnes that fold down so you can different, we didn't try to choose a The saw was planted firr.nly on rnove them easily and they have "one-size-fits-all, best-of-class" the most stable sawhorse I own. features like built-in stock sup- stand. Instead, we rnatched each Then, to brace the long boards I ports, stop blocks, and cord wraps. standto a particularscenario where was cutting, I had four rnore In other words, they're everything it would serve best.Those recom- sawhorsesset up as stock supports that a group of sawhorsesis not. mendations can be found in the - two on e:rch side of the saw So, with nry fence project fresh in individual write-ups. Price s199 s230 s230 s249 s170 s576'r $380 s205 0pen 25"x96uP7"35"x108"x29"33"x150"x29"34"x93'x32"36"xl14'x27'36"x144"x27"35"x156")e8'19"x104"x15" Size Weight 78 lbs. 66lbs. 35lbs. 30lbs. 56 lbs. 72 lbs. 60 lbs. 40 lbs. Vo saw Stock 8ft. 9 ft. Support 16 ft. 8 ft. 10 ft. t2 tt. 13 ft. 10 ft. Stop Blocks No Yes Yes Yes No 0ptlonal No No Scale l{o No No No No 0ptional No No Wheels L2" 13" None None None 10" 10u None Cord Wrao ilo Yes No No No No No No Hold- No Yes No No No No No No Down Fence No Yes No No No 0ptional No No Table No Yes No No No 0ptional No No optionalsupport wing and stop system.Base unit retailsfor $346. WOI\KBENCH ! OCTOBER 2OO2 49 This miter saw stand is a brand in the way. And once you've provides some lift assistance (see new product from Ridgid, though reached your destination, you've photo in margin).The shock also considering the outstanding qual- got a couple of choices of how to helps prevent the stand from slam- iry of this unit, you'd think they d use the stand. ming closed when you fold the been building them for years. If you've got a few short pieces stand down. This stand came out of the box to cut, you can just set the stand When working with long 90 percent ready for work.All I had flat on the ground. A short pair of boards, the stock supports can be to do was attach the wheels, connect legs on the end of the stand oppo- extended out to an overall length the stock supports, and mount the site the wheels holds the unit level. of8 feet. miter saw in pre-drilled holes. (For And when the stand is folded When the work is done, the saw other than Ridgid saws,you'll need down, the stock support rollers are knocks down to roughly the size of to drill mounting holes.) It took less still usable. a two-wheel dolly, and it can be than 15 minutes to assemble the For nrore involved projects. stored vertically in a corner of the stand and head to the job site. expanding the MS-LIV is a breeze. garage or shop. And speaking of the job site,the Just fold down the legs opposite Considering the ease of setup, Ridgid stand adapts well to any the wheels. Then fold down the rugged construction, useful fea- environment. First off, the large wheels themselves. tures, adaptabiliry and portability wheels make it easyto pull A nice feature here is a of this stand. I can't irnaginc any- over rough terrain, curbs, hydraulicshock under the one who wouldn't be thrilled with stairs,or whateverelse gets saw table that actually it all for under $2(X). A A hydraulic shockattached to the frame of the Rideld MS-UVliefitens < Thisstand moves easily and the loadduring unfoldsquickly into a study unit setup. with up to 8 feet of stock support. Here'sa good miter sawstand for a required with the DeWalt miter you'll no doubt want to cut some busyDIY'er. Don't have time for saw stand. Plan on moving around lumber. That's when you'll appreci- assembly? There's very little your job site quite a bit? This 35- ate the 16 feet of stock support lb. unit is an easyone-handed carry offered by the extendable beams. thanks to the built-in handle (see Each support also has a flip-up stop Photosat right).Lnd when the work that makes repetitive cuts quick and is done, remove the ex ct (seePhoto at left). saw from the stand Another useful feature of this with the quick- stand is that the saw can be posi- release levers, fold tioned anylvhere along the main the legs up under beam. That's accomplished with the stand, and quick-release mounts that attach to youte ready to go. the base of the saw.By squeezing a Of course, in lever on each of the mounts, you befiveen the set- can slide the saw along the beam to ting up and reposition it or remove it from the A Thestock supports double as knocking down, stand altogether. rl; stop blocks on the lleWalt. 50 I WORKlJENCH tr OCTOBER 2OO2 Delta's miter saw stand strikes an And an aluminum stop block comes The trade-off for this ingenious excellent balance between being in handy lor rrraking repetitive cuts. stand is that it's a bit comolicated loaded with features and still being Another thoughtful feature, to assembleand use. collapsible and portable. which we found only on this stand, It took me nearly three hours to It has fully adjustable roller is a cord wrap. Considering that unpack and assemblethe unit.And stock supports, an aluminum fc'nce this stand is designed to be stored once it was together, I suffered a and table extension with a stop with the saw attached, iti nice to couple of knocked shins and block, stock hold-down, on-board have a place to wrap the cord. Even pinched fingers before I learned cord wrap with quick release,and better, you don't have to unwrap the intricacies of setting the stand large all-terrain wheels for maneu- the cord when you're ready to use up while staying out of the way of vering on rough job sites. it. Simply rotate the retainer out of all the moving parts. The stock supports are particu- the way and pull the cord off for Overall, this stand has excellent larly in.rpressive.They can be service (sccPhoto belou',right). features,a reasonable price (about adjusted quickly for height by slid- Even with all the featureson this $230), and superior constructlon. ing the rollcr up or down and for unit, the stand still folds down into As long as you've got the lerrgthby hookirrg ar) anlr in orre a relatively conrpact size for trans- patience to assembleit and learn its of three cliflerent positions. portation and stora€ie.Andwhen it's luannerisms,you'll have a miter saw A A cushioned Thc alurninum table and fence folded, rnoving the stand around is stand adaptable handgrip takes extension, although srnall,is helpful easythanks to the large wheels and [o any proJecr the painout of for squaring workpieces to thc saw. foanr padded handle (Maroin Plutto). you take on. movingthis standarcund the iob site. A lt's hard to believethat all the fea- A The rclhr supports A An on-boad cod wrap turcs on the lhlla standcan be con- adiustrapidly to hold all storcsthe cod neaily densedinto sucha smallpackage. lengthsof boad. and rcleasesit instanUy. Because the saw can be reposi- fast favorite of our Workbenchoro- tioned anylvhere along the beam, it ject coordinator. allows more flexibility for tailoring He spends lots of time running the rniter saw to a particular task. befiveen projects, rying up loose For instance, with the saw posi- ends.The last thing he wants to do tioned all the way to the right end is waste time setting up tools to of the bean'r,the stand has over12 complete just a few details.He has feet of stock support to the left of reported that lifting this stand in the saw.Then you can position the and out of the truck is no problem, right stock support and stop block and the quick setup and knock- A The DeWaft'sliehtweigtrt construction and built-in for making repetitive cuts from a down lets him spend more time handleleave one handfree fiorcarying the miter sawas few inches in length to nearly 5-ft. working and less time assembling. you movefrom placeto place. long.With the saw centered on the The stand is competitively priced beam, there's 8 feet of stoc\ support at around $230. And despite having < The saw mounts have on both sides of the saw. fewer features than other stands in quick-releaselevers for Because of its simple but capa- this price range, iti a good invest- rapidlyrepositioning the saw ble design, this stand became the ment for the DIY'er on the move. on the beam. woRKI]ENCH D oCToBER 2OO2 51 There are three words to describe cylindrical stock suports on each mounting brackets with a crank Milwaukee's Heavy-Duty Work side of the saw. handle (seePhoto at leJt). Center - simple, rugged, afford- The stock supports are designed For storage, the saw comes off able. It's a good combination for to be set at a specific height and using the same crank handles.Then anyonewho just wants to get some left alone. That should only be a the legs of the stand fold under- work done without beingbothered problem if you plan on using more neath the body (seePhoto below). by a lot of setup. than one saw with the stand.The The heavy-duty steel construc- A Handcranks This stand is essentiallya galva- supports extend to give the stand a tion of this stand makes it a chore lock and unlock nized steel sawhorse with two wingspan ofjust under 10 feet. to move. Particularly when you the sawfior To make the rnost out of the consider you have to make a sec- rclocationor stock support capacity, the miter ond trip for the saw or carry each rcmovd. saw can be positioned anywhere piece with one hand. along the length of the beam. This This unit is best suited to some- is done by one who wants a rugged stand with- loosening the out paying much money ($170). < Althougfithe Milwaukeeis compact whenfolded, it's quite heaw. Youmay watrt to make a secondtrip to get the miter saw. tacRac's TracMaster miter saw One of the legs telescopes to option if you want supports on both stand is a no-nonsense stand with help level the stand on uneven sides of the saw.The stock support just enough features to make it ground (seePhoto below,left). also has a flip-up work stop for mak- helpful for most cuts. Setting this stand up or knock- ing repetitive cuts. The TiacMaster is a lighrweight ing it down is lightning fast thanks With the stock support fully aluminum stand with a sliding saw to push-button leg locks that extended and the nriter saw posi- mount made of MDF The stand is release the legs to splay out and tioned at the opposite end of the supported by aluminum legs that are support the stand, or tuck under- beam, the stand has 8 feet of stock capped with rubber feet. neath the main beam for storage. support capacity. The stand comes pre-assembled In general, this stand is light on with a single stock support on the featuresbut heavy on convenience left-hand side. Instructions are and portabiliry. The price is a bit included for mounting the support high (around $250), considering on the right side,ifyou choose. other, similarly priced stands have Also, an additional stock sup- more features.But itt still a decent a port is available as an stand that will earn its keeo. r* r.T I < Wth the legs / foldedunder and > An adiustable the sawlrmovd, / leg allowsthe the TracMasteris / TracMaster compactand to adapt to ligfttweigttt.lt sets /t uneventerain. backup in iust a few seconds. { 52 WOI{KI]ENCH tr OC]TOI]ER 2OO2 This stand, shown here with an saw thati supported by two folding wing and stop system, as we did. optional support wing and stop legs.One ieg sits on a pair of 10" These options add quite a bit to system, is an all-inclusive stand pneumatic tires. These same legs the setup rirne and tttake trtoving that's definitely at honre in a shop. have adjustable levelers for setting the stand a prety good workout But on a job site it becot.nesa bit the stand up on uneven ground. (sccPIrcto belou). much to move because of its t-uas- Also included in the base pack- However, once the stand is in sive size and elaborate set-up and age are two roller work supports place and ready for action, these knockdown procedures. that give the star-rdan overall stock options pay offin usabiliry. The basic stand consists of a c:rpacityof 12 feet. For a job site saw,the basic stand fixed mounting suface for a nriter The basic stand folds into an is a decent, though pricey, choice easy-to-roll, two-wheel cart that ($346 before options). With the A Dualscales and dual stop blocks lets you leave the saw u.tounted. support wir]g and stop systelll makethe Rousseaueasily adaptable Moving the stand becot-ues added, this stand beconres l bit too to a widerange of boardlengths. more difficult when cunrbersor-neif yor.r phn to lttove you add the support the srw fi'equently. { Thebasic standfolds down,with the sawmountd, into a mobile cad. Thesupport andstop options arcabitofa burdento move. The straightforward design Strarrgely enoueh, they've Standrite'.s r"rnique nriter saw underneathcach stock support and setup of the Tiojan nriter priced this urrit :rsthough it stlnd folds irtto rt large suit- was a bit flinrsy, Finrlly, thcre saw stancl nrake it an appeal- were overflowir-rg with extras case-like confi guratior.rduring are no extra features. ing choice for a nriter saw ($36t)).So, in a nutshell,you downtinre, and then deploys Cor.rsiderir.rgthe price tlg that needsto be truly mobile. have to pay nlore and get less into a long stancl with large on this stand ($205), itls hrrcl A good applicrtion would be if this is your choice. stock support sufices when to reconulend it. when you'rc nrovitrg fronr the work begins. room to roonl installing { A simple Whilc this stand is cer- r.noldinEl,for exar.nple. and com- trinly capable,it didn't ilupress Thele are no extras on this pact design nrc for severalreasons. unit. It deliver-sjust what you maynot be Setting the stand up is more need to make your cuts and enoughto difiicult than most. A1so, the llrove on - a stc:rdy pl:rt- iustifythe saw needs to be shinrnred to fonrr, I3 fcet of stock srrp- higt pdceol nratch the stock support port, and a collapsible ur.rit the Troian. height and the single leg A Easyto carry, hardto that rolls on pnellmatic tlres. set up, and expensive,Not the bestchoice. wol{KBENcH tr ocroBEl{ 2002 kdow Shopping Thinking abowtbuying new windowsfor your home?Knowing the answers to the mostcommonly asked qwestions will saueyou time and money. ^^. r.r n sclulre-foot basis, win- To help you with your "window honre center can :lnswer questiotts I I clows al'e anlong the nrost shoppine," wc' tnlked to inclustry about winclows lncl evc-noffbr sotrrc \-., v.lr.ilDrcrcrl cstlltc tr your' experts to put bscthcr tl'risarticle.Thc guidancein r-natchingthe winclows to horne.Thrt'.s wl.ry,wl.ren shoppir-rgfor window pros told Llsthirt lnost of their your install:rtion. Br-rt oftcn that's r-cplrrccrucntwitrdows, itt essential custonrers' collccnrs coulcl be boiled where the involvetnetttetrcls. thrrt you takc tl-re tinre to evaluate down to a filw basic questiolrs.Wc'vc Also, the windows solcl irt lrottrc whlt you rtced rrndwhat yoll want presented thosc clttc'stions,along with cerlters lrrc l:rrgely nrcurtt to bc - fronr y()rlr new windows. Tl-rcrr the best profcssior-ralallswers wc conlcl installcd irt startclnrd-sizcopct.rtttgs you'll hrrvcto considcr all the options find, over the next lew pages. thrt recluirelittle or rto tttocliflcntiotr. rvrihblc to clecidc how to best fill (Horrrc ccnters will orclcr cust()ni those ncccls:rncl wants. Are the windows at "witrdt>w winclows,though.) l{ight off the b:rt, onc of the big . stores" bettcr than those at Honrecenter winckrws :rrc gcncralll, rlecisiirns is wl'rether to buy t rtplatL'- honrcccntcrs? of goocl cltr:rlityrncl c:tn ofte'n bc 1tr.rr- rricrrrwinclow, or t tpindtm'rcpllce- chlsccl :rt blrg:rin priccs. Thcsc rtrc u rrrent.I know it sounclsr bit confus- Thc biggest diflcrencc'istr't :ttr soocl choicc fbr ltt aclvrncccll)lY'cr. A _J irrg, but itls rcllly prctty siniplc. Tir -(A.oissr-rc of cyurrlity.It hls nrorc to Mlnuft cturcr''.swinckrw storcs tetrcl hclp clerr thirrgsr-rp, takc r look lt thc clo with thc scrviccsthat urc :rv:rilablc. bc nrore full-servicc.Tl-rccnrployccs rt siclebarsl-rown below A knowleclgeable cnploycc lt a thcsc stor-cs :rre winclow spccirrlists. Continuedon page 58 The biggest differencebetween thesetwo $pes of windowsis how they'reinstalled. REPLACEMENTWINIDW. AISO called an "inselt" 01 "pocket" replacement,this type of window fits into the existinglrame (Photo A). Thismeans there's no needto removeinterior casing and there's verylittle wolk on the exterior. A replacementwindow is idealif youwant to upgradea windowwitlt- outchanging its sizeor location. WINDOWREPLACEMENT. lf you wantto enlargethe sizeof a win- dow,or get a differents$le of win- dow,you're looking at a window repfacement(Photo B). A windowreplacement requires removingthe existingwindow down to the roughfiaming to installthe newwindow. WORKBENCH D OCTOBER 2OO2 ri'. I t Thev will often conre to vour' honie nnclnrcilsrrrc thc o;rcn irrqsto cnsrlrethc bcst posst- blc- flt fix- youl" instlllltion. In f.t('t,s()t)lr' of'tltt sr' rtorr': tllJisl ,rtt insr.tllirrqtltt' rrirt.lon: lirt' you. Althou*lr :r nrorc costlv A Slider Window nrlrtc, rvittclc)w st()rcs :lrc :l \r.lr-(\v,r) t() q('t .t rltl.llitv \\ lll- dorv instrrlllrion. A Double-hungWindow ^^. l)o I havc to nsc thc p . sarnc stylc of witttlt.tw thlt's :rlrt':rtlyilr rtty ltttttst'? = := A N()t ilt ell. fhclc :ue : a Aolots of rvirrckxv stvlcs i to clroosc fnrrrr. Ancl clc'lt - t \t) l(' lt.rr itr ()\\il ur)i(lr.r(' ,i \t r('r)qt Ils :1il(l\\ L'.rkr)L\\L'\. A Awning Window A CasementWindow d l)OUIILE-HUNG. Thc tr':rclitiorrll stylrrru of tltcsc u'ittrLxvs Sccontl,u'hcn opcrtcrl lll thc u'rn', IIcre lglin, tltese rr"itttlorr'sslroultl contirrucs to ttt:tkt'tltctD lt poPtrler- :l c:lscrllcntu'irrtlon' lt:rs tu ice tlrc rrot bc instllletl u lrcrc lt pr()trurling choicc. l'lrcy otlcr tlcccnt vcntil:rtiort "brcezc" t'ltput'itt' of- l tlort[rlc lrtrrrq slslr rrtiglrt bc rt problcttt cltrring rvulrrr rrrorttltsby lorvcrirrs thc rvirttirxvtlrc s:ttttcsizc. Firr:rllr'.c:rsc SLII)EIl. lltese nrttkxvs lr:tvc :t top 51511,;rllou,ing tlrc hot uir rte:tr tlrc rrrcntu,irrtlor\js llrc nl()rc:rirtiglrt tlr:rrr t'ouplc of bcrrctits. liir-st. tltct, tkrrr't ccilirrq t() cscirpc. doLrblchLrng stvlc n'irtrlou.s. "irrv:rtlc" othcr sprrt'cs lrkc clrscrrtcrtts Evcrr so, tlor.rblc huttr-Jsotlcr less ()nc lirrrit;rtiorroicuscrrrcrtts is tlrltt :rntl :ru,nirrqs.St'r-orrrl, tlrct, otlcr rrrorc totill vclrtil:rtion tlt:rrt rttorc rnoclcrn thcv crrrr't bc irrstrrllcrl:rrrvn'ltcr-c :r flcribili$ in contigrrr;rtiorttltun otlrcr rvirrrkxv stvlcs. Antl tlre obstnrctcrl pr'()tnr(linqs;rslr rrriqlrt qct ir) tl)c \\':ry stvlcs.(Strclr :rslrrtvirtq lrotlr srtslrr'spur- vrcu,clr.rsctl bv tlrc s:tslt fl'ltrrrcsis (rrcxtto:r tlr'ivcrr,:rv,firr instlrrce). ti:rllvopcrr). ln()tl)cr tlrrrrg to cortsitlct-. AWNINC;.Tlrc biq lrlvutttuscoi:ttt Hott't'tr't, rlrtlcrr rrrllil li,ttr ,ttt (IASEMENT. ( l:rsr:rrrcrrtu,'inckxvs luu"rrirrgu,rrtlorv is th;rt you curt lt:rvc obstltrctctl vicn' lrrcl less ventil:rtron illc thc le;rclirrLIclroicc irt rtcrv lrorttcs, if opcrrtlurirrq r:rirrv u,c:rthcr n,itlr lit- u,ltclt cotttp;trctl to (-,lsenlcl)t rlt)d tor scvcr:rl rc:rs()ns. First, is e:tsc of tlc t'h:rnccoi rrtoistureqcttinq irr thc .rn'rrirrqst1'1",. t,,U,r,t,. opctlti()l). Sirrrply crrrnk the u,irttlovn hor,rsc.Thcsc u,irttlorvs :rlso oficr Fin:rllr: firr :t look :lt ()tlrcr itttpor- ()pcl) t() thc ilr)i()r.ultv()r.r wlnt. \Wlrcll crccllcrrt vcntiluti()r).rrttl :tn uttob- t:lnt c()nsi(lenrtiorts u'ltcn sclccting :r tlre r'vclrther clr:urqcs,crlnk it closctl. stn.rcfcdvic\\'. u'irrdou' stvlc. scc tlrc siclcbrrrbckxv Continuedon page60 I A Thecranking mechanism of any A Whenfully open, a casementwindow A Tryout the tilt-in featuresof dou- windowshould move smoothly in the needsenough frame clearance to allow ble-hungwindows. Smooth operation full rangeof the windowoperation. for exteriorwindow cleaning. is the sign of a qualitywindow. WOI\KI]ENCH I OCTOBER 2OO2 .A. What's the dilll'rence Alunrir.runr rrbsi>rbsir-npact bet- wirrdow. tt'r th:rn vinyl (rlr-rrninunr n1:ly \f .lr",*"en a w..d 'c-lad" ,r wirrdow' and a solid ,1,'rrr.l.rrt r invl rvill lrrc.rk).Not vinyl window? thrrt youi'c soins to bc knockinq thc slshes lrouncl, br,rt thc'rc erc Thc sl-rort iu)swer is thet sonre environn)cnts rvherc this A Aowoocl winclows rrrejust tlt:tt r'oulrllrt' intl)()rt.lr)t. Alulrrirrrrrrr i: - solici woorl. A cl:tcl r'vittclorvhas rlso rv;rilablc rrr .r u,icler rrray of lu rvoocl corc thatls coverccl by un colors rncl tentls to st:rnclup to rluniinunr or vinyl skin, or' sunlight r'vithout trrclirrq. "cllclcling." Vinyl rvittcftxvs :lre Vinyl-cllcl rvirtrloln's :rlso hlvc nrrrclcof solicl,extruclecl vinvl. s()llle l)()\itiVc rlt.t.tl)ti('\.Frtt' itt.l.tltt'e. Aqeiu, thcsc'rvinrlor'v types h;rvc they tencl to bc slightlv rnorc their owrr uniquc strer)gths allLi cneluy-clficier)t thrln :rlunrirturtt. wcekncsscs.Herc's sorrreinfbrrtta- Ancl :rll thc sclnrs in thc r,irrvlrtrc A Woodwindows offer the ultimatein finish tion on cach tvpe. "r'vclclcd",so tlrcrclslittlc ch;rncctirr flexibility.But of thesethree versions,they WOOD WINI)OWS. For rrscs, wirter t() lactprlst thc cllclclirrqto tltc also r€quirethe mostmaintenance, thc rrraiu rttltcrill trscclfirr rvinciow woocl saslttutrlentc:ttlr. constnrctiort hlts bectt rvoocl (1*orrr VINYL WINDOWS. Alttottq ,l). Woocl rcrrnius r rvor-tl-rwhilc thc "r'vooci frcc" r'virtclou'cltoiccs, choicc bccltrsc it otlers nl()rc con- wirrclorvs rrracic of solid vrnvl tl()l ()ver tlrc tinrrl look oncc thc cxtrtrsronshlrvc lr lclcl irr t]rc c.rtc winclor,vis rrrst:rlleclirr vour house. uory (,1)/roftr(.'). Thc clorvnsiclcto rvooclwinckxvs Solid virrl,l n,irrciorvsurc cr)crqv is thlrt, corrrl'rlrrcclto rrrorc nroclcrrr cfllcient :rrtcl:trc virttrrrll,vttt:titrtc- ni;rtcri;rls,thcy ulc hiqh rrrrlintc rranccflce, botlr irrsidc:tttd outsidc. nrrncc.W 9 Arrow replesents - hot or cold air escaping (interior) Double-glazedpane Double-glazed A Vinylwindows lextruded membersl require Double-glazed pane with low-e panewith low-e no maintenanceon eitherside of the window. andalgon gas Interiorfinishing options are limited,though. WORKI]ENCH D OCTOBER 2OO2 of an efficient window. Both of these options are availablein "double-glazed" windows. Double-glazed is window jargon for a window that has two- piecesofglass. LOIX/-EMISSIVITY. Low-e nreans low errrissiviry.ALor,v-e coating is a vir- tually invisible metal coating on the inside facesof the glass.In short Low-e helps improve heating and cooling per- fornrance by reflecting interior condi- tions back into your home. Also, Low- e filters the infrared iigl'rt that causes (Doublc- fading in interior decor SOTAR Clazing Options on pagc 60). HEATGAIN ARGON. Argon is a gas that's put U.FACTOR between the panes of glassin a dou- NORTH(Blue) .35or Below Upto1 ble-glazed windowThis sas slows the transGr of heat or cold from outside CENTRAL(Yellow) .40or Below .55or Below better than a regular "dead-air" space. SOUTH(Red) .75or Below .40or Below As well as adding to energy efh- ciency, Low-e and argon have the added benefit of reducing condensa- The NFRC is a non-profit group NFRCLABET tion on window surlaces. of orsanizatior-rsir-rvolved with win- World'sBest dows, such as window manufucturers, WindowCo. Speaking of energ,v efficiencv. rrchitects.,rndqoverntttent lgettcrcs. millonnium2000+ casomonl 6 CPD'000r-000 hcard that what qualifies NFRCi prinrary rttission is to VnytChd WoodFline. Double.ourig,0.5 C!! \.I've-"e'ncrgy Arqonlilbd,Lov^e.0 04 + Sohr CoiltolCorln0s as efficicnt" changes measure, conrpare, and report the depending on where you live? energy perfortnatrce of windows, . doors, and skylights (NFRC labcl). troqysin$ $lldop.dol|out$eilic clifralo,b0ildin0, antl u$ . fot moEinlormalion aboul liL DmdEl.conbcl tha nanulduff al is correct. A window is rated in four cate- lphomnumbd aid/or mb ritel n That absolutely . tornomInlomsllonaboul llfn0, rltll [mC'36t llbal|il.nft.0q -{a.o What makes for an energy-efE- gories. The two categories that apply cient window in Arizona wouldn't directiy to resiclentialwindows are (J- H*.58 i* .3 nrake tl-regrade ir-rMinnesota. factor and Solar Heirt Gain (SHGC). kouhduffgirob6 M lK nlimc$lorm m 4pli6& Nlm Fdil6ld ffitdft4 Unfortunately, the standards of Coeflicient utoh tsdd mc0 tsdomama. [tRC dim dc dd0imid lof a htd d ol 6frrcnmmbl Mfu NMSmil[ sdd sftt window e{hciency can be very con- U-FACTOR. U-factol llte:lsures fusing. But, you can take confort th:rt how well a prodr"rct prevents heat the people who sell windows are well frorrr escrping.U-Flctor r:ltillrrsgen- aware of what fits best in your clir-r'rate. erally fall between 0.20 and 1.20.The AndersenWindows (lf they aren't, shop elsewhere.) lower the (J-value, the greater r win- andersencorp.com One of the referencesthat window dow\ resistanceto heat flow and the 8004264261. retailers use, and that's easy to under- better its insulatingvalue. MarvinWindows stand, is the Energy Star label. SHGC. The Solar Heat Gain r_n4Jvi!.com ENERGY STAR. The Energy Star Coetlcient (SHGC) nreasures how 888-537-8266 label is a voluntary labeling prograrlr well a product blocks heat caused by that covers all sorrs olt ertergy con- sur-rlight.SHGC is expressedas a nunl- PellaWindows pella:com suming products. The label for win- ber benveen 0 and 1. The lower the 800-547-3552 dows is a simple chart of the United nurrrber,the lesssohr hear ir trrnsttrits. States divided into three regions The chart below the energy star SimontonWindows (Energy Stdr ntap, aboue). n-rap gives you the numbers that are simonto!:!.cgm 'While the EPA adninisters the ideal for your area. Even so, windows 800-746-6686 Energy Star prograrl, the researchand approved for the same region can still WeatherShield Windows program come from vary grcatly in qualiry so it pays to standardsfor the weethelshield:cqm the National Fenestration Rating make a thorough cor-nparison before tEil 800-222-2995 Council (NFRC). making your final decision. V/ORKBENCH ! OCTOBER- 2OO2 Wbll-Built Florne WindowAnatomy Cripplestud Housewrap s long as the windor'vs in Header (2x6 with Exteriorsheathing your honre are doing therr t/z" plywood j"b - openine and closins between) with easear.rd provicling a weather- proof barrier - you probably lnteriol casing dor-r'tgive thenr rnuch thought. But if r window l':rils.it gets yonr rttention in a hr-rn'y.Many tinresyou seeonly the problenr - Flexiblewindow wrter pr-rddlinqon the sill or r sash flashingover nailingfin rlrrrtsticks - Irut rro obvious cnusc. This hrppcns becruse there is nrore to l r.vinclo'uvthan nreets the eye.To understancl wl-ry n wir-rdow isn't working likc it should,it helps to krrow whrrt l lrc.rlthy.rvcrthcr- tight winclow looks likc. To see that, yor"r neecl to pccl back the layers of your house ti'r expose the unseen elements of rl window that aflect its perfomrance (WindoruArratont)t at l4i). Illmmer stud A FEWFRAMING FACTS Thc winclor'v is instrllecl in n rough opcnin{ fonned by the fi'anring of the hor"rse.The fi-anring carries the weight of the house (roof, walls, and floors) dowr-r to tl-re founda- tior-r.To ensure that tl-re winclow operrtes properly, this weisht, or "load," I-r:rsto be detoured around the roueh openinu in the franrine. Flexible flashing HEADER. That's where the heaclerconres in. A header leclis- Rabbetcasing tributes the load fronr above the to accept openine, to the sides,irnd down l nailingfin pair of trinmer studs to the foun- Apron datior-r(litcrior Detail, pqqc 66). The trimmer stnds need help crrryinp5 the load. So they're nailed HouseWrap to a king stud, which runs the full Double height of the wall.Tying the herder, bottom plate trir-nnrer, and king stud tosether (2x4's) provides the strength that's needed wrap to prevent the weight of the house fior-n crushing the window. Exteriorsheathing The weiglrt of the window also has to be supported. That'.s the job of the sill and the cripple stlrds.The sill, which consists of 64 wOI{KIJEN(]H tr O(]TOBEIT 2002 either a single or double plate, SUPFORMNGCAST Obviously, you want to keep directs the weight of the window Although the window and wall this weatherproof membrane intact. down the cripple studs. framing are the stars of the show, So be careful not to pierce the theret also a supporting cast that's nailing fins when adding the exte- IHEWNDOW critical to a windowt ability to rior casing. The window itself has three main keep out moisture. components: sashes, frames, and DzuP CAP. One often over- SNUGSEAUi nailing fins. looked player is a metal drip cap. Water isn't the only culprit that The sashes,or operating parts of This piece of rigid flashing fits can cause problems. Air leakage the window, are contained in the underneath the siding and covers affects a windowt energy perfor- window frame. This frame is the top edge of the head casing mance. This can be cold o/ warm - secured inside the rough opening (Win dou,Anatomy ). When properly air leaking in or out. by nailing through the fins into the installed, the drip cap prevents any CAULKING. To seal these gaps, house framing. moisture from driving in behind caulking is applied to the back of The space berween the window the siding and exterior casing. the nailing fin, before the window and the wall framing allows for FLEXIBLE FLASHING.The sec- is installed.The seam berween the fine-tuning a window so it's level ond line of defenseagainst nroisture exterior casing and the siding also and plumb. This is accomplished is a thin, sticky tape called flexible needs to be caulked. with shims. window flashing.The first piece is INSULATION. Finally, it's SHIMS. To ensure that the installed over the sl[, beforethe win- important that the space befween sashesoperate smoothly, shims are dow is installed (Exterior Detail). the window frame and the wall placed under the jambs (the verti- Then, once the window is in framing is properly insulated.This cal pieces of the window frame) place, the side nailing fins are cov- calls for either fiberglass insulation on the sill. It's also important to ered, followed by the top fin. packed loosely in the space, or shim between the window and the Flashing in this manner wicks spray foam thatt specially manu- trimmer studs. moisfure away from the nailing fins. factured for window installations. 66 woRKBENcH tr oCToBER 2OO2 \I Tools & Products Ridgid'sNew Full-Featurcd 15" Ddll Prcss Ridgidt new 15" drill press (r.nodel DP1550) is loaded with features that are most welcol-l1ein any woodworking shop. First, the drill pressis ambidextrous, even if lrost woodworkers aren't. The three-spoke lever can be mounted on either side of the tool to match your dominant hand. Second, a built-in light ill"rnrinatesthe table without having one of those flexible lights hanging offthe side of the nrachirre.A standard 60-watt bulb offered plenry of light A Ridgidcreated clamping space on when I used the drill press. the perimeterof the tableby moving Another convenient feature is a storasc the supportfins in frumthe edges. tray mounted on the column with holes sized for the most colnmon drill bits. There'.sllso Another nice ferture of this drill pressis a onboard storage for the chuck key. cast-iron table that acconrrrrodrtesquick, easy The drill press is powercd by r l/2 hp clanrpine (scc Plutttt c[our). Thrt's acconl- induction motor, which provided plenty of plished by positioning the snpport fi11s power as I drilled large holes in hard uraplc, (which give a cast-iron table its strenetl.r) cherry, and oak. Even better, the 12-speed rway fronr the outside eclgesof the table.This belt-drive system allows you to adjust thc createsjust enough of r "lip" for clamping. speedof the drill pressbetween 250 to 3,100 The l)P1550 drill presssells fbr under RPM for drilling hardwood, softwoocl, $4(X)at Home l)epot storcsrnd conres plastic,or nretal. with l{idgidt lifetirrrewarranry. RyobiGodless Miter SadDrill Gombo 'We Ryobi has just unveiled a "nrust- The nriter saw wcighs only 21 reviewed Lar.nello's C2 joiner have" cordless combo kit for the pouncls,so this is a saw you cln take Classic plate in the issue of Workbench. serious DIY'er. This 18-volt kit to the work, insteadof vice-versa. July/August The joiner impressedus ashav- includes an 8ll.1" compound miter The saw will crosscutdinrensior-r ing the best fit and finish saw a l/2" drill driver, and an unbe- lun.rber up to a 2x6, but what it'.s anlong the seven toois we lievably low price tag. really designedfor is trir.n work.The tested. The C2 took second saw is capable of nraking 45o conr- place based on its outstanding pound cuts in stock as wide as qualiry ofconstruction, easeof 51/2" and cutting crown use,and smooth operation. molding up to 45l*" wide. (Jnfortunately, the price of The drill/drivcr Gatures the C2 was incorrectly listed two levels for lining r.rp the as $599.The correct price for drill at 90", a nragnetic tray this plate joiner is $340. for holding screws and bits, a www.Lamello.corn 24-position clutch, and a 781-585-4364 keyless chuck. The kit also conres with two bltteries, r one-hour charger,and a casefor the drill.The kit is availableat Home Depot for under $200. q&s wor\KBENCH ! OCTOIiER 2002 Bi-FocalSafety Glasses 'Wizard Industries new Shop Specshave all the featuresof a qual- (- iry pair ofsafery glasses- large,irrpact-resistant lenses,integrated fr' side shields,and adjustabletemples ro tailor the fit. P1us,they have a4 /^, the added benefit of a r.nagnifying lens. (Magnification ranges fiom *'l .0 to +3.0.) (i Shop Specs are available through severalretailers and wood- > Bi-focallenses make it easyto shift working suppliers,or you can order direct fiom the company. Call your gazefrcm the fine print of a 8uU-346-3826 or visit www.'WizardDetectors.com to order the prciect plan to the actualworkpiece. ..1-- specs.Expect to pay between $19.95 and $24.95 per pair. Tangfe-fleeGod Reel The Wonder Winder Cord Reel fror-n Green Leaf Inc. is the best way I've seen to tanle a long extension cord. The reel mounts on the wall and can POWER store up to 150 feet of 16-ga. extension From top to bo{ilom cord. My Wondcr'Wirrder h:rsbeen suc- Combine the striking force ot a hammer with cessfully r.nanagir.rea 1(X)-ft., 14-ga. the holding strength of a staple, and, "BAM" you have a powerful tool that does a wide extension cord for abor,rtsix nronths now. range of easily, quickly, and protessionally! lobs Whenever I need the cold, I sinrply grab All Sieel Conrlruction the end of it lrd start walkir.rg.The reel Cu3hioned Wrap-Around Ergonomic llon-slip Grip fccds the cord smoothly and flawlessly. Patented Jam-Pruf ilechanism Carbon Hardened Steel Working Prrt Wl-ren the work is done, depressthe Rear Load 2 tull stripr ot ABROW .o5o wire tensioning lever and tLrrn the handle to dapfeE in 3 sizes! 5/16", 3lBn, & 112" coil thc cold into the hanging basket. The HT50Pis the ideal tool for installing roofing felt, securing metal lathe, The Woncler Winder is available carpet pads, boxcar linings, directly fronr tl-re rrrannlhcturer, Green and so much more, Lerf Inc., at www.grnleafinc.con-r or by calling il00-654-9U0U.One reel and two nlountins brackets sell for $24.95. fherc ,a at Ameri@n-made AnnOW tlammer Tackar for every laak, HT3Oil Shoots heavy duty thin wire tor all sorts of labeling and tagging iobs. HT65rr The choice of pros. Drives .062 exlra heavy duty wire staples tor crate building and subflooring installations. You will find the complete line of AnROW precision built tools at your nearby Home imprcvement Centeri Lumber Yard,and Hardware Retailer Arow Fastoner Co, Inc, 271 Mayhill SU@t $ddk Brook, Nsw Jsrsoy 07ffi CANADA: Jad6l Dlslrlbuiors. Inc.. ffi Mehoolitan Blvd. East Monh.l. Oud6c HIP lxg UNITEO KINGDOM: Arow Fastene. {U.K.) Ltd., 14 Aarclay Boad Crcydon, Surey CRO 1JN ww.arrcdsdener.com A TheWonder Wnder will storc 150 feet of lGgauge cod, l(X) feet of l'l-gauge cord, or 75 feet of l2-gaugecord. I In thc Shop TableSaw Technique - Grcsscutting Wide Panels One of the challenges in making the large cutting board It only takes a minute to lay out the cut lines.With top for the kitchen cart (page 42) was getting a clean, the panei turned upside down, mark these lines 32t /2" square cut when trimrning it to length. apart - the length of the cutting board top (Fig, 1). My usual methods just wouldn't work.The glued-up The next step is to mark the two lines used to posi- panel was too wide for a crosscut sled on the table saw. tion the runner. The idea here is simple. The runner And crosscutting the 2"-thick hard maple panel with a should be located the same distance from the cut line circular saw and a guide would have left a rough cut. as the saw blade is fror.n the rniter gauge slot (Fig. 2a). The solution was to use the panel itself as a cross- After measuring this distance on your saw,lay out cut sled.To do this, I attached a runner to the panel that the two "positioning" lines so they're square to the slides in the miter gauge slot. The runner guides the edge of the panel (Fig. 1).Then align the runner with top through the blade, producing a clean, square cut. one of the lines and screw it in place. Don't worry MAKE A RLINNER.To make this work, the goal is about the screw holes.They won't show once the top to get a smooth, sliding fit between the runner and the is attached to the cart. miter gauge slot. If the runner is too tight, it will bind in OUTFEED SUPPORT.TheTe's one last thing to do the slot and keep the top from sliding freely acrossthe before cutting the panel to size.That'.s to add an out- table saw.Too loose, and it affectsthe accuracy of the cut. feed support to "catch" the panel when it comes off 'With that in mind, rip a r/3"-thick srrip of hard- the table saw.Justbe sure to locate the support so the wood to width to fit the slot.As for length, it's best to runner won't hit it when it exits the miter gauge slot. cut the strip longerthan the width of the panel so it TRIM THE ENDS. Now youie ready to trim the extends an inch or so on both sides.This will nrake it ends of the panel. To do this, flip it over and fit the easy to position the runner in the miter gauge slot. runner into the r-niter gauge slot. Then turn on the ATTACH RUNNER.The next step is to attach the saw,and push the panel through the saw blade (Fig.2). runner.This requires laying out /r/o setsof lines: a pair To trin-r the other end, renrove the runner and of cut lines near the ends of the panel and two addi- reposition it on the second line. Then just repeat the tional lines that will be used to oosition the runner. process,using the sanremiter gauge slot. 74 WOI\KI]ENCH tr OCTOBER 2OO2 "Ghatter-Free"Guts in Aluminum Using aluminum angle for the shelf the light-gauge aluminum angle other leg to the face, it produces a edging and legs ofthe kitchen cart tends to ilatter (vlbrate up and smooth, chatter-free cut (Fig. 1). (page 32) creates a conten-rporary down) during the cut. As I mentioned. the fence is quite look. And since aluminum is fairly HOLD-DOWN. To prevent that, thick. Itt made up of two blocks: a "soft," it can be cut on the table I mounted a thick fence to the miter 2x4 and a 1x4 screwed to the miter saw with a carbide-tipped saw blade. gauge that acts as a hold-down (Frg gauge.This way, it accomodatesthe (l recommend a crosscutblade.) 1a). Notice that the fence is 1/s" 2" x 2" aluminum angle used for 3/4tt 3/1" As usual, itt best to attach an aboucthe saw table - the thickness the legs, as well as the x auxiliary Gnce to of the aluminum angle. By slipping angle that servesas the shelfedging. the miter gauge to one leg of the 2x4- a' provide support for angle under the the workpiece. But fence, and then even with a fence, clamping the Tocut the mitelsaccurately, start byrotating the mitergauge to 45oand cut a ked in thefence (FrE.a). Then align the layoutmark on the work- piece (Fig. l{oIE: Wearsafety withthe ked andmake the cut b). glasseswhen cutting aluminum Clampthls legof alumlnum It'slhe llforld'r0nly lordless Brnd lluiler Ihut'rflsr PnEumutit. Cordless.Pneumatic. Ournew cordless brad nailer gives you the option of both, usingexclusive IPS fechnologJM (win Power Source Systen).lt's cordless, thanksto a mini-compressorpowered byour rechargeable, interchangeable12-voltbattery. lt\ also pneumatic, coudesyofa 1/4"valve that allows pu touse it withtraditional compressors.Toget one of your own, visit your Porter-Cable dealer or call 1-800-487-8665 (519-836-2840inCa nadd. A BetterBit for DrillingGountercinks It's easyto drill the mounting holes ting edge. Since there's only one in the aluminum angleused for the cutting edge, the bit makes a clean, kitchen cart.All you need is a wvist shearing cut that removes a contin- bit. The tricky part is drilling the uous curl instead of a bunch of countersinksfor the screw heads. chips, much like a hand plane. The To allow the screw head to seat result is an incredibly smooth fully, the countersink must be countersink, as shown below. smooth and even - all the way SOURCES.Weldon countersink around.That's not easyto accom- bits are available in a variety of plish with most of the countersink sizes.For the kitchen cart, I used a bits I ve used.They tend to leavea bit that drills countersinks for #8 rough, uneven surface.As a result, screws. It can be ordered either the screw head is likely to stick up from Woodcra ft (800 -225 - 1 153) or above the suface of the metal. or Lee Valley Tools (800-87 1-81 58). sit crookedin the countersink. SPECIAL BIT. That wasn't the { Ihe single factory-finished appearanceI was cutting edgpof after.So I purchaseda bit manufac- a Weldonbit tured by the Weldon company crcatesa clean that'sspecially designed for drilling countersinkwith countersinksin metal (photoat left). a snrodt sudace. As you can see,there's an angled hole through the middle of this bit. The point where the hole exits the side of the bit forms a sinele cut- It'rlhellforld'E 0nly Pneumutk Brud lluiler flso llrdlgss. Pneumatic.Cordless. 0ur new cordless brad nailer gives you the option ofboth, using uclusiue IPS lechnologltM (fwin Power Source System). It'spneumatic, courtesy ofa l/4"valve that allows you to use tt with haditional compressors.lt'salm cordless, thanks to a mini-compressorpowered byour rechargeable,interchangeable 12-volt battery. Toget one of pur own,visitpur Porter-Cabledealer orcall 1-800-487-8665 (519-836-2844 inCanadd. Wodringwith Plastic Laminate Plasticlaminate creates a durable,easy-to-clean - suface just the ticketfor theshelues of the kitchen cartfeatured on page32. We usedlaminate with small "ribs" that look like corrugatedcardboard, as shownhere. The tips belowwill help youget great-looking results. ROUTTO ROUGH SIZE The first step is to cut the plastic laminate to rough size.As a rule, I allow at least 1/2"overlap all around the core piece, which in r-ny case Bottomof r/2" was plywood.This way, there's Provldesupport lamlnateblank nearcut llne little risk of misaligning the lar.ni- nate on the core piece. Since the sheet of plastic lami- nate I was working with was quite large (48" x 96"), it would have been awkward to cut it on the table saw So I cut it to ror"rghsize using a handheld router equipped with a straight bit and guided by a long, wood Note: I laid the sheet upside down to make it easy to straightedge,as shown in Fiq. 1. seethe layout line on the back. To provide clearance for the bit, lay the sheet of Before lcutir.rg,check that the clamps are tight.You laminate on srlpport blocks to raiseit offthe bench. It'.s dont want the straightedse, or the lar.nir-rate,to shift dur- ir-nportant to support the lanrinate on each side of the ing the cut. Now turll on the rollter, set the baseagainst cut, as well. Otherwise, the edge could chip or crack. thc straightedge, and ront ir.r a left-to-right direction. ALIGNMENTTIP The "corrugated" plasticlaminate I used presented an ir-rterestingchal- lenge when aligning it with the plywood core piece.The small ribs that ran the length ofthe sheethad to align with the long edges of the core piece. Otherwise, it would A Toget a clean, make the lanrinate look crooked. smoothedge Aligning the laminate would be whentrimming easy except for one thing. The the laminate, contact cenent used to adhere the Buttthe "factoryedge" of laminate usea flush-trim laminate to the core piece bonds up againstcleats screwed to plyrvood bit and a hand- instantly.This nreans that the lami- coreto ensureflush attachment held routen nate has to be perfectly aligned as you pressit lgainsr rhe core piece. The best way I found to accor.nplishthat is to con- Start by brushing contact cenlent on the adjoining centrate on rligning orrc edge oniy of the hnrinace surfaces.Then let the cement "dry."You can tell when with the core piece.The other three edges overlap the it'.s ready when the sheen changes from glossy to core piece as usual. (They'll be trimmed flr.rshlater.) matte. It should also be slighdy tacky to the touch. To ensure proper alignment, I screwed a couple of Next, lay dowels acrossthe core piecesto use asspac- wood cleats to the core piece (Fig. 2).The cleats stick ers.They raise the lanrinate above the core piece, which up above the suface of the core. So by setting the "fac- prevents it fiom bonding before it's properly positioned. tory" edge of the lar.ninateagainst the cleats,it auto- Noq simply butt the factory edge of the laminate matically aligns it flush with the edge of the core piece. against the cleats.Press that edge down tight so it bonds Aside from the alignment issue,adhering the larn- to the core piece.Then slowly remove the dowels (start- inate to the core piece is the same as usual. ing with the nearest one), applying pressure as you go. 78 wollKlrENCH tr ocroBER 2002 '.1 ttt