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8/17/2019 Outdoor Projects - Summer 2004
1/76
COLLECTOR S EDITION
BACKYARD CLASSICS
You
CAN BUILD
Summer 4
42>
7447007245
S 99US 8 99CAN
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4 3 6 4: 2 R V
h lfm
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Build a backyard stru ture th t will be the envy of your neighborhood. Choose from eye-catching
garden footbridge arbor/bench octagon gazebo Colonial barn and more gre t designs
Rockier has all
the
deck-building hardware you need to get
the
job done right from stainless steel exterior screws to hidden deck
fastening system and deck bench brackets.
s u ~ s s
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8/17/2019 Outdoor Projects - Summer 2004
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Doge
7
lge
64
Doges48856
Doge
6
DClgel8
Summer
4
8
Woodworking for
the
Great Outdoors
By Chris Marshall
18
Oriental Redwood Arbor
By Stan Schmidt
Build a trellised classic for the yard.
26
Gardener s
Workstation
By
Stan Schmidt
Gardeners need workbenches too.
32
Portable Outdoor Chairs
By
Rick
l hite
Classic two piece nesting chairs.
38
Patio
Furniture Spruce up
By Michael Dresdner
Make sure your outdoor furniture lasts.
48
Spanish Cedar
Picnic Table
By
John English
Secrets to tackling a curved outdoor table.
56
Picnic
Table
Benches
By John English
Curved benches complete John s table.
59
Child s Adirondack Chair and Settee
ByJohn English
This h rmer converts from chairs to settee.
64
Victorian Birdhouse
ByLarry Stoiaken
Share some shop time with a youngster.
66
Portable Folding Bench
By John English
Light and portable: perfect for the big game.
73
Modular Bench with Planter
By Rick l hite
Define the deck and boost your seating.
76
Classic Croquet Set
By Ron Hampton
All you need is a lathe and a weekend.
Outdoor Projects
Summer 4 Outdoor Projects
5
8/17/2019 Outdoor Projects - Summer 2004
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SUMMER
4
woodworllersjournal.
com
LARRY N.
STOlAKEN Editor
ill
Chief
JOHN KELLIHER Art Director
ROB
JOHNSTONE Editor
JEFF JACOBSON Associate Art Director
JOANNA WERCH TAKES Associate Editor
STEVE HINDERAKER Photographer
J lN ROCKLERJACKSON
Pubtisher
JILL ARENS Ciretttalioll Director
KELLY ROSAAEN Cirettlalioll Assistant
SARAH M. GREER Advertising
Productioll Director
LISA
REJ IMAN Advertisillg Assistallt
JOE FAHEY
Production
Assistant
Special
Projects
Editor
CHRIS
MARSHALL
Contributing Editors
MICHAEL
DRESDNER JOHN ENGLISH
mCK WHITE MIKE McGLYNN
ADVERTISING
S LES
].F.
Van Gilder Company
P.O. BOX 802405, Dallas Texas 75380
DAVID BECKLER [email protected]
JIM
VAN
GILDER
Phone:
(972) 392-1892
Fax:
(972) 392-1893
SUBSCRIPTION INQUIRIES
800)
765-4119 or
www.woodworkersjournal.com
Write Woodworker sJournal, P.O. Box
56585, Boulder, CO 80322-6585. E-mail:
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address
changes. orgi(t subscriptions,
include
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name and
address
in
addition to your gift recipient's.
CK ISSUES REPRINTS
oodworker's Journal or Today's Woodworker -
Call:
800 610-0883
www.woodworkersjournal.com
Outdoor Projects
is published by RockIer
Press Inc., 4365Willow Dr., Medina, MN
55340. Single copy price, 5.99 (U.S.); 88.99
(Canada/other countries). Reproduction
without permission prohibited.
Printed in the USA.
WE SITE www woodworkersjournal com
©2 4 Rockier Press
Inc
Printed in USA
6
Summertime Projects
etween the baseball tournaments and lawn care, you may let a few
cobwebs gather in the shop these summer months. There s no
arguing that
summer
is
too
short
to
stay holed up inside. But the
o
days
are the perfect time
to dig into some fresh lumber and create a project or
two for the great outdoors. In this special Collector s Edition I've pulled
together some real classics that
will
add charm and grace to your outdoor
scene. I'm confident you'll find
a project or two that will beautify
your yard while offering enough
of a challenge to keep your
woodworking skills sharp.
To start your planning, Chris
Marshall boils down the best
choices for weather-resistant
lumber, glues, finishes and
hardware, starting on page
8.
your patio doesn't host as
many barbecues as it used to,
maybe John English's Spanish
cedar Picnic
Table
see
page 48
and
Benches see
page 56) will
renew your outdoor entertaining.
While you're at it add some
seating for those guests and a bit
of
greenery
with the
Modular Bench with Planter
on page 73. I'll be t the
kids would love their own pint-sized
Child s
Adirondack
Chairs,
and our
plans showyou how to convert them into a handy Settee
see
page 59).
Long evenings on the sidelines of the soccer field
will
be more enjoyable
if you build a couple of Rick White's Portable Outdoor
Chairs
see page 32
or the equally sturdy and comfortable Portable Folding Bench see page 66).
gardening is one of your many passions, we've got you covered. Stan
Schmidt's Gardener s
Workstation
on page
26
is designed to keep your
potting supplies and tools within easy reach.
your yard or garden is
missing a signature focal point, have a look at the
Redwood
Arbor on page
18.
Do you have curious kids around the shop just waiting for a chance to
build something, too? Th e Birdhouse on page 64 may be just the ticket to
start
passing on the craft
had a great time putting this one together
with my daughter years ago. And when
summer
finally draws to a close,
give it a proper send-off
on
Labor Day with a croquet tournament.
You can build Ron Hampton's
complete
Croquet
Set -
including balls - with
the plans on page 76.
Happy woodworking
Outdoor
Projects
Summer 2004
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R
299
Worldwide
Patent Pending
PCT GB 2l 253
Ideal for
cabinet
chair
and table
construction
the jig
is easy
and
quick
to use
with
any make of
router. Just one template set-up
is
required to
rout both
the
mortise and
tenon
for
perfect
fitting
joints. The
jig
can
produce
widths
of
tenons
from
3/16
to 1/2
and the timber positions can
be
adjusted for compound angle
joints. The reversible templates
enable
round or
square
end
tenons
to
be
routed and
h v
template apertures for
producing
accurate dowel joints.
4 11
8/17/2019 Outdoor Projects - Summer 2004
8/76
o o w o r k i n ~
for the reat
utdoors
hen
it
comes
to lumber glues ndfinishes few sm rt choices
on
the
front
end
will dd ye rs of
life
to
your exterior furniture
By Chris Marshall
Old growth redwood is now
protected
and can be
hard
to
find as lumber Recycled planks
from
old
barns
are
often the best source
for
this precious timber
for
outdoor use but it has a higher percentage
of
sapwood
than the lumber that came from its mammoth forebears
a hundred years ago. Old-growth redwood ranges
in
color from tobacco brown
to
deep crimson but
second-growth redwood is more typically a m x of
reddish heartwood and lighter sapwood. The wood is
fine-grained and surprisingly lightweight. Old-growth
lumber is often knot-free.
Redwood is a softwood that s easy
to
mill with sharp
blades and bits but dull cutters produce splinters and
l t the grain. Be sure:to wear a mask when working
hotos courtesy alifornia
Redwood
Association
- - - - - - - -11 1;
Redwood
Redwood
is
still available
in
Western states but you won t
typically find it stocked in the lumberyard elsewhere
in the country. Tannins and natural oils in the wood
resist fungal decay and insect pests. Once prized as the
premier lumber for siding exterior furniture and deck
construction first-growth redwood is a rare commodity
these days with a premium price tag. What you re more
likely to find now is second-growth wood from younger
faster growing redwood trees. It s still a durable wood
Choosing
Outdoor tough
Lumber
Most furniture lumber can withstand a season
or
two
outdoors before rot takes hold
especially under a couple of coats
of primer and paint. However
a handful of lumber species have
natural tannins and extractives that
make them especially well suited
for exterior use with or without
a finish applied. Some are easy to
find regardless of where you
live
while others are
in
shorter supply
Here are your best options:
n advantage to outdoor furniture is that
on the whole it s easier to build than indoor
furniture. But even with easier construction
what s critical to the success of patio or yard
furniture is how it stands up to the elements
over time. Sunlight w ater damage and
insects can spell doom for outdoor projects
unless you make some preemptive material
decisions before you build. Choose wisely
and that Adirondack settee you make this
month for the kids
will
probably still be
around when they graduate high school.
Here s a s ho rt study on choosing outdoor
woods adhesives hardware and finishes so
you can get your project off on the right foot
and ensure that it
will live a long useful life
8
Outdoor
rojects
Summer 4
8/17/2019 Outdoor Projects - Summer 2004
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:Wood. froni t e n n i t e ~
and other insect Pests.
Quartersawn whiteoak is
dimension31ly
more s t a b l ~
- and mote·'
expensive - than flatsa.wn white oaK,but
either cut is
aU
excellent
cholc;e
for outtloor
projects. The, wood
f i b e r ~
are hard; so
they'll stand up well towe.ar all;d tear, hut
white oak isn't difficult to cut or shape
wit ). carbide bIts and
b l a d e ~ .
Be careful
'that the ,s tock you buy isn't red oak,
~ h i c h
lacks. thetyl6ses ,and won't fare
well
oUfsid,e.
bntique, reClaimed sinker cypresS' is .an
emerging lumber source y U
might
consider
for your outdoor projects.
Muc ).
of thIs wood
c,.omes[fom virgin timber logs dredged up,from
the 15Qtfom$.of lakes 'and rivers
The
logs sank
en route toIU1l1ber.mills a century or So ~ g o l arid
thew Jod may,be hundreds, upwards
fo.
a thousand,
.Years Qld.>Thickriesses
of4/4
or more aren't hard to
find in oversizedwidtns arid in lengths exceedil)g 8'.
hite ak
•White
o a k h a s b e ~ n u ~ e d
for c e n t p r i e ~ inthe'manufac
t u n ~
of
Wine
and whiskey barrels
in
part
because it
cpntail)s the pore-filling substance tyloses. $ince water
,doesn't peneJrate the pOfes, neither'doesfUnglls.
'Tannic acids in theo
8/17/2019 Outdoor Projects - Summer 2004
10/76
Mahogany
Mahogany is a general term that covers several species
of semi-exotic hardwoods, but the two most common
types are Honduras and American mahogany. American
mahogany comes from Central and South America or
Cuba, with the Cuban variety being most valuable and
rare. Honduras mahogany primary hails from South
Americaand iswidely available from managedplantations.
Avoid lauan or Philippine mahogany, which isn t actually
a true mahogany and won t withstand the elements like
Honduras or American varieties.
Among a laundry list of virtues, mahogany is a dense
lumber that cuts and planes like softwood and accepts
fasteners and finishes readily. Its density helps it resist
shrinking and warping - a real benefit for outdoor
applications where temperature and humidity levels
change dramatically. The huge size and rapid growth
rate of mahogany trees also make it easy to find both
wide and thick lumber. Grain pattern ranges from
straight and uniform to
interlocked, swirled or flaked.
Teak
A beautiful, dense and oily hard
wood, teak grows in Southeast
Asia, the East Indies and
now in both Latin
America and Africa.
Burmese teak is
most prized, but
be careful
to
shop from
suppliers
that sell
lumber
eak
Selecting
the
Right Hardware
ater is
a
common enemy
to
both the lumber you pick
for outdoor projects and the hardware that holds it together.
Fasteners that stand up best
to
the elements are those the
boatbuilders use: stainless steel bronze or solid brass. The
primary advantage
to
these three metals is corrosion
resistance. Both brass and stainless steel are softer metals
than typical hardened steel screws drill ing pilot holes
is
a
must especially if you re building with rock-hard white
oak
or
teak. Lubricate the screws with beeswax to make
driving them even easier.
r
tap the screw holes first with
a
harder screw then drive the softer fasteners home.
from managed plantations using
renewable growing methods.
Teak s limited availability and
steep import costs make it the
priciest of these outdoor lum
ber
options. I t s also the
heaviest choice.
the
board foot cost doesn t
dent your wallet, the
shipping charges
will
Teak contains high
concentrations of silica
so the lumber will dull
steel cutting tools
more rapidly than other
lumbers, but carbide cutters ahogany
hold up better. The natural
oils in teak can impair the bonding strength of some
adhesives. For optimal gluing strength, use epoxy or
polyurethane glue here.
ouglas ir or
Southern
Yellow Pine
Both .of these softwoods are relatively strong and
dimensionally stable, which is why they re commonly
used for larger framing lumber. Read the grade stamps
printed on the 2 x lOs and 2 x 12s at your home center
or lumberyard to be sure of what you re buying.
Although neither option
will
hold
up
as long as teak,
mahogany or white oak, they re still viable choices
for outdoor furniture when painted - and they re
affordable. Definitely choose one of these two woods
over less durable spruces, pines or firs for outdoor
applications.
Another cheap option for a painted project is to use
treated wood, which generally is either Douglas fir or
Southern yellow pine anyway
continues on page ...
Another option is
to
use coated
or
galvanized exterior
grade screws bolts and nails sold for deck building.
h
screws are made from hardened steel
to
resist stripping or
breakage and some styles have self-tapping auger tips and
heads. On soft lumber like cedar you may not even need
to
predrill before fastening.
h
downside
to
galvanized
hardware is that the coating sometimes reacts with acidic
woods like redwood
or
cedar and leaves black stains that
are tough
to
remove.
utdoor rojects Summer 4
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Dust
Collector
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2hp Commerciol
Hands down,
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p Tool:
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ec
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1 8 132 4 65
Circle
No.
PRODUCT INFORMATION form
Summer 4 Outdoor roje ts
ome online and exchange
tips opinions and ideas for all
your
woo working
projects.
Information specifically geared
for
women in the shop
Circle
No
on PRODUCT INFORMATION form
8/17/2019 Outdoor Projects - Summer 2004
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Exterior inishes that Weather the est or
ime
dhesives
that
Hold Tough
Rain
or
Shine
Several
varieties of
wood glue are formulated
to
stand
tough
against water
exposure
temperature extremes
and
degradation from sunlight. The most user-friendly options are yellow
PVA
wood
glues intended for exterior projects. itebond
and
the new itebond varieties
among others clean up with soap
and
water and have
good
bonding characteristics on a ll
but
the oiliest exterior lumbers.
fy ou re building with teak or other exotic woods with high oi l content polyurethane
glue
is a better choice.
t
cures
by
tak ing a s mall
amount of
moisture from the wood
or air and
c om bi ni ng with i t to form a
permanent
bond.
ost
formulations foam up
as
they cure so
clamping is essential to keep glue joints from separating. However Franklin International s
HiPURformer poly glue dis pens es from a heat gun similar to hot-melt glue without foaming
or expanding.
Two-part epoxy a third weatherproof adhesive is also a
good
option for bonding oily woods.
I t doesn t expand
as
i t cures
and
even fills gaps on misfitt ing joints.
Outdoor Projects Summer 4
continues on page 14 ...
Finish
Options
For an exterior finish
to
do its job it needs to slow down
the degradation of
UV
light form a water resistant seal
and offer at least some degree of protection from nicks
and scuffs.
So
your choices of finish amount to three
options: marine spar varnish a penetrating wood
preservative or a good coating
of exterior primer
and several coats
of paint.
Marine spar
varnish has made
its way into wood-
working from the
boatbuilding industry.
The best spar varnishes are
combinations of tung oil and
phenolic resin with a high
oil to resin content. The more
oil
the varnish contains the
more flexible the surface
film
remains as it polymerizes.
Your
choice
of
a spar
varnish should also
pores. Add oxygen and moderate temperature
to
the
equation and conditions are right for fungus and
mildew
to
grow Blue black stains on the surface are sure
signs that mold is setting in Moisture not only initiates
rot but further loosens the bond between the wood and
finish exposing more bare wood.
also attracts
termites and other wood boring insects.
R egardless
of which outdoor lumber you use the
ravages of sunlight and moisture
will
eventually have
their way in the end. Although this might be decades
from
now
the best way to extend the life of your patio
and yard furniture is
to
protect it with a tough surface
finish. The best finish
to
use depends on the particular
project your maintenance efforts over time and the
amount it
will
be exposed to the elements.
erry TerHark who lectures nationwide on wood
finishing says outdoor wood finishes face
two
major
natural challenges. Sunlight is an ever present enemy.
For paint and varnish finishes sunlight initially helps
the surface
film
polymerize and dry when it combines
with heat and air However polymerization continues
even after the finish dries and as the finish continues
to harden it eventually becomes brittle. Sunlight also
breaks down the line where thewood and finish
meet which loosens the adhesive bond
resulting
in
cracking and peeling.
Where sunlight leaves
off
moisture continues the
destructive work.
Water penetrates
under the coat-
ing of finish -
either through
the end grain
which is harder to
seal or through cracks
and openings left by
ultraviolet sunlight.
Once under the finish
water enters the wood
8/17/2019 Outdoor Projects - Summer 2004
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The
new
Laguna TS table saw is setting a
new
high
standard by w hi ch all others will be mea s-
ured. With all the features
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a traditional cabinet
saw the also comes with its own line
of bonus
Laguna features.
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un o
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8/17/2019 Outdoor Projects - Summer 2004
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Circle
o
on PRODUCT INFORMATION form
Circle NO.8 on PRODUCT INFORMATION form
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asy
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. C o p y r i g h t 2 0 0 4 5 h a d e T 5 ~ t e m l l C
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14
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15/76
II I
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II I
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18
on PRODUCT INFORMATION form)
For information about advertising
n
Woodworker s
Journal
magazine,
please contact David Beckler,
or
800-878-7137.
ADVER TISER S
INDEX
o
receive FREE information on any
of
the products or services shown
n
this issue, circle the appropriate reader
service number s) on the attached
PRODUCT INFORMATION CARD.
No. Advertiser Page
I Amana Tool
Corp
16
2
American
Sycamore 8 4
3
Franklin
International...
.4
4 General International... 16
5 Klockit
6 Laguna Tools 13
8
Laserkerr 14
16 Makita
US.A In c 8 3
7 MasterGoge
Corp
15
17
Oneida Air Systems Inc
9,10 R..ockler
Woodworking
e;
Hardware 2 3
16
R..ockler.com
71
R..outermania.com 71
II Shade Tree 14
12
ShopBot 17
13 Simp l Products 7 2
14
Trend
Machinery
e
Cutting
Tools,
Ltd
7
WomeninWoodworking.com
19
Woodline USA
In c 3 7
18 Woodmaster Tools 15
Woodworker s Journal... 37, 71
188 Woodworker s Journal eZine 71
www.woodworkersjournal.comladvertisinginfolindex.htm
Circle
NO
on PRODUCT INFORMATION form)
Summer 2 4 Outdoor roje ts
15
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em PRODUCT INFORMATION form
Outdoor rojects Summer 4
8/17/2019 Outdoor Projects - Summer 2004
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Outdoor
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Oriental R edwood rbor
an
element of
s Phistication
to
your
garden
or
yard
By
Stan Schmidt
T
he last tool I expected grab
center stage for this redwood
arbor was the radial arm
saw
which
lately h s taken a back se t to
motorized and portable compound
miter saws. But I quickly found out
that my trusty old radial arm was the
perfect power tool for cutting a lot of
dadoes on long pieces of wood.
So i
a radial arm saw is gathering dust in
a c or ne r of your shop wipe off the
cobwebs because you ll create
a mountain of
redwood garden mulch
building this Oriental-flavored arbor.
rbor is a multi-functional
structure.
t
can be the focal point
for your garden or an inviting lawn
centerpiece.
You
can use it to create
an entranceway accent a path or
frame a spectacular river view This
arbor equipped with a trellis m
two sides is ideal for displaying
a nd growing climbing roses
ivy
morning glories clematis or other
flowering vines.
The arbor was crafted entirely of
redwood including the screw hole
plugs. However I didn t splurge for
x ~ n s i v
clear all-heart redwood
which is kiln-dried and void of knots
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, on the graded faces. Instead, I used
air-dried construction heart redwood.
I did have to buy a
few
more pieces so
I could cut around some
of
the knots,
especially while making the fragile
trellises, but I was still money ahead.
Of course, if you live in or close to
California, the cost differences
between clear or construction
redwood may be smaller, but not
where I live
here
in Minnesota.
You also could substitute other
decay-resistant woods like cypress
or cedar instead of using redwood.
The arbor features an Oriental look
with shaped trellis rails, stretchers
and beams. Construction consists
of
mortise-and-tenon, half-lap, lap and
bridle joints. But the wedged tenons
that appear to hold the trellis rails to
the posts are just decorative touches.
Those rail tenons sticking through
the post mortises are really held in
place with stainless steel screws
hidden beneath redwood plugs.
Making wo Trellises
You could rip 28 lattice strips for the
two trellises and then cut the half-lap
dadoes on each strip, but there s an
easier and faster method - and one
that virtually eliminates tearout.
Figure 1: Make
the
lattice
strips gang style
from 1 8 boards
by
first
dadoing them
on
a radial arm saw with n indexing
key on
the
fence. Then rip the
wide
boards into
3/4 wide
lattice strips
on
the table saw.
umm r 2 4 Outdoor Projects
Cut three pieces of 1 x 8 redwood
to about 32 and two pieces to about
52 . These will be used to create the
lattice strips (pieces 1 and
2
and the
cleats (pieces 3 and 4). Rip the eight
cleats from these boards and set
them aside. Now rip a couple
of
strips
offone of the longer boards to create
some test pieces. Mount a 3/4 dado
set on your radial arm saw and set
the depth of cut to 3/8 . Cut dadoes
on the test pieces and adjust your
depth of cut until you achieve a perfect
half-lap joint. (Note: For safety,
clamp your pieces firmly to the saw s
table and use both hands to carefully
pull the saw forward.)
he first dado is cut 5 from one
end of each board (see the
Elevation
Drawings page 24, for
all
the dado
locations). Set up your saw s fence
with a 3/4 wide indexing key
to
cut
the second dado 4
1
4
from the first
dado (see
Figure
1). Now you can
proceed to cut the rest of the
dadoes. When they ve all been cut,
trim each board to final size, 5 from
the last dado. This way, if you re off
even the tiniest fraction, you ll still
end up with lattice strips that are
equally spaced, even after the cleats
are attached later. Now rip all your
lattice strips to size.
he
easy way to make
sure
you achieve a square lattice frame
is to st rt with a mounting board
(see Figure 2, above) that has been
squ red up on the table saw. I
used a flat piece of 3/4 plywood
approximately 21 x 41 . This allowed
me to glue and clamp the strips
in place, aligning one horizontal
strip and one vertical strip with
the respective edges of the mounting
board. I covered the board with
wax paper to make sure I didn t glue
the strips and the board together.
Figure 2:
A
square piece of plywood makes
a good mounting
board to ensure that each
trellis
remains
square during assembly.
Cutting Mortise
and Tenon
Joints
This project requires two different
through mortise and tenon joints.
he first is centered on the posts
(pieces 5 and will hold the trellis
rails (pieces 6 . Start by laying out
the mortises on each post (see the
Detail Drawings on page 22 and the
Elevation Drawings on page 24 and
then, with a 3/4 Forstner bit in your
drill press, drill out as much waste as
you can. your bit isn t long enough
to go completely through the post,
remember
to
keep the same side
of
the post against your drill press
fence when you flip the post over.
This
way,
the bit
will
cut the mortise
evenly through from both sides.
Finish each mortise by squaring it
up with a sharp chisel.
The odds are good that you will
run
into some wet redwood while
cutting these mortises. Construction
heartwood is air dried, so the center
of a
4
x
4
post may not be entirely
dry. Two of myposts were noticeably
heavier than the other
two
- a good
clue that they weren t totally dried.
h t doesn t pose a construction
problem, but itmay mean itwill take
a little more effort and time squaring
up the mortises as you painstakingly
cut through some slightlywetwood.
You
also may have to resharpen your
chisels during the process.
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rellis
xploded
View
1 Horizontal Lattice Strips 18)
2 Vertical Lattice Strips 10)
3 Horizontal Cleats
(4)
4 Vertical Cleats
(4)
5 Posts
(4)
6 Rails
(4)
7 Wedges
(8)
8 Stretchers (2)
9 Stainless Steel Screws 88)
10 Stainless Steel Screws 88)
x x
3/4 x 3/4 x 30
3
/
3/4 x 3/4 x SOW
3/4 x 3/4 x
30%
3/4 x 3/4 x
50%
3'/2' x 3'/2' x 96
1'/2'
x
3'/2'
x 43
3
/
1 2 x1 x3
1'/2'
x 3'/2' x 65
8
x
2'/2'
Flathead
6 X
1 /4
Flathead
Before you cut the trellis rails to
length, notch the ends and drill the
mortises for the decorative wedges
see the Halfscale Patterns
on
the
facing page), simply because it s
easier and you don t have to worry
about tearout. The end corners of
each rail are notched with a 1
1
/2
diameter Forstner bit chucked
in
your drill press. Locate the point
of the bit on the corner of each end
to creat e the quarter-circle see
Figure 3 on page 22). Because
you re not cutting a
u
circle in
your wood, make sure you firmly
clamp the workpiece down so the bit
doesn t wander.
The wedge mortises are located
slightly into the post mortises
so
that the wedges pieces
7)
will
fit
tightly into their respective holes.
They are drilled out with a 2
Forstner bit, but you can square the
mortises with chisels once you ve
cut the tenons.
After the rails are notched and the
wedge mortises bored, it s time
to
cut the cheeks
on
the tenons see
the Elevation Drawings on page
24).
I s et the depth of cut on my radial
arm saw still set
up
with the dado
blade) for
3 8
•
I also clamped a stop
on
the saw s fence that would create
6 f2 long tenons. It s a good idea
to
cut tenons on some t est pieces to
make sure your setup is correct.
Also
note that the outer
3
of these
tenons
will
have
to
be sanded to
eliminate the dado blade marks.
So
sand your test pieces, too,
to
ensure
a tight fit.
After you ve cut the tenons, and
mape sure they
fit
their respective
post mortises, you can square up
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the mortises for the decorative
wedges with 1/2 and
1
chisels.
The decorative wedges are cut from
scrap redwood. Taper the wedges on
your disc sander (see
Halfscale
Patterns
previous page).
The final shaping of the trellis
rails as well as the shaping
of the
stretchers (pieces
8) is
done on the
band
saw.
Use the
Halfscale Patterns
to create a template I made mine
from some scrap 1/2 plywood).
Trace the outline of the template
onto the rails and stretchers and
cut them out on the band
saw.
An
oscillating spindle sander does a great
job of easily removing the band saw
marks. I also rounded over
all
the
edges with 100-grit sandpaper.
Making Stretchers
and Bridle Joints
The stretchers are attached
to
the
posts with
full
lap joints. In other
words, dadoes must be cut
in
the
posts (see the
Rail and Post Joint
Detail
at right, and the
Elevation
Drawings
on page 24 for the dado
sizes and locations), but none are
needed in the stretchers.
Rail n Post
oint etail
I used the same dado setup in my
radial arm
saw,
this time adjusting
the depth
of
cut for a
fz
deep dado.
I cut the dadoes in two matching
posts at the same time. I know I ve
said this before, but be extremely
careful during this process. Clamp
your workpieces securely to the
saw s table and operate the saw with
both hands. Watch out for knots in
the wood. A dado set
in
a radial arm
saw tends to grab and climb a knot
the saw is pulled forward too fast.
This could easily stall the saw, over-
load the motor, or even cause an
injury
you lose control of the dado.
I thought about using the radial
arm saw
to
cut the bridle joints
in
the tops of the posts (see the
Rail
and Post
Joint etail this page),
u
it seemed like an awfully
cumbersome setup.
You
could use
a circular saw and slowly nibble
away at each dado, but I think the
easiest and safest method is to
chop out the dadoes with a Forstner
bit and chisels (see
Figure 4). After
the open bridle mortises are cut, use
a miter saw
to
put a
27°
chamfer on
the top of each post, as shown on the
Rail and Post Joint Detail
Figure
3:
Before
you
cut
the
tenons
o
the
trellis
rails notch
each rail end
with
Forstner bit chucked your drill press
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Figure 4: Cut the mortises in the top of each
post
y
hogging
out
most
of the waste with
Forstner
bit
and
squaring up
with
sharp chisel.
Assembling
the Trellises
With
all
the joints on the posts cut,
it s time to start assembling each
trellis. You ll need plenty of room
for this process, either
on
the floor
or on a large bench. Begin by
mak-
ing sure the rails are oriented with
the notched sides facing away from
the trellis. Apply Titebond® II
weatherproof glue to each rail s
tenon and use the decorative wedges
to hold the rails
in
place. Drill 9/64
pilot holes and 3/8 counterbores
before driving the longer stainless
steel screws (pieces 9) through the
posts and rails to lock these parts.
The cleats that were ripped earlier
can now be fastened
to the posts and
rails. I didn t bother to measure the
cleats; instead, I marked each one
individually and cut the
45°
miters
with my miter
saw.
The horizontal
cleats are fastened to the outside
edges of the rails first (see the
Exploded
View page
20).
Then the
vertical cleats are fastened to
the posts so they line up with the
horizontal cleats. Attach these with
the shorter stainless steel screws
(pieces 10), countersunk just
enough
to
let the heads sit flush with
the surface. The lattice strips are
then screwed (but not glued) to
the
cleats, also with the shorter
flathead stainless steel screws.
Make sure you drill pilot holes for
Summer 4 Outdoor
Projects
everyone
of
these screws
to
prevent
splitting the lattice strips. The fragile
lattice assemblies aren t glued to
the cleats so they can be replaced
if necessary.
constructing
the
Canopy
Start the canopy by cutting the
beams, joists and top rails (pieces
11,
12
and 13) to the sizes listed in
the
Material List
page
25.
Clamp the
five beams together and layout the
dadoes (see the
Elevation
Drawings
page
24)
that will hold the top rails.
Gang cut 3/4 deep dadoes on the
radial arm
saw,
as shown
in
Figure
5
Set aside the
two
beams that
will
sit inside the bridle joints on the
posts. The other three beams
will
need half-lap joints on the bottom
edges to accept dadoes cut
in
the
joists. Clamp these three beams
together, layout the dadoes as
shown
in
the
Elevation Drawings
page 24, and the
Inside Beams
detail,
page
25,
and gang cut them
on
the
radial arm saw. Follow the same pro-
cedure to cut the corresponding
dadoes on the two joists.
Figure 6:
Once you have
everything built
and the arbor
posts
located
in
your favorite
garden or
lawn
spot ask
couple of
friends
to
help
you hoist the
canopy
into
place
o top of
the two trellises.
here s
one last shaping step
before the canopy can be assembled:
Cutting the curved shape on
the ends of the five beams. Make
a
Wooden
template from the Half-
scale Patterns on
page 21, and use
Figure
5:
The radial
arm saw
allows you
to
gang cut the
dadoes
in all five
beams
at
one
time.
Make
sure
you
clamp
the workpieces
and
use two
hands to
pull
the saw carriage.
the template to trace the pattern
onto each beam. Cut out the shape
on the band
saw.
(Note: I tried using
a jigsaw, thinking the
58
beams
would be too unwieldy to handle
on the band
saw,
bu t my jigsaw
created too much tearout
on
the soft
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3 1. 0
o
50 /4
23 1
3 {,
I
12 {,
Post
Side View)
1 1.
NOTE: he top rails pieces 13) require
no machining.
All of the dadoes on
the top of the beams
can be gang cut. ,
58
1 { . ~ { l
43 1
- - - - 4 r - - - - ~ ~ - - _ t - - - - - - _ _ _ . _ _ _ - - : - ; ; r -
Lower half-lap
joints are
only cut on
the three
inside beams.
leat
Location
Detail
Screw locations are only
required on the two outside beams.
Trellis Rail
op View)
43
3
/
Joist Side View)
1137 8 11137 8 1 1 r
1
I
I u
@ A - - - _ u _ ~ _ = _ _ = _ _ = _ - - - - r = _ i u
1
I
3 4 I
1 60
eam
Side View)
Horizontal Lattice Strip
Side View)
1)
I,
5 J ~ 4 I <
4 1
r- ~ t
U U
u-4 I
U U II
/4
30 /4
__
8 -
T
Vertical Lattice Strip
Side View)
r
5 1 r
4 1 1
r4 1 1
2
18
r 4 /4 1 r
5
i.J
50 /4
....__: \
ul__
u
__
\t 3/
redwood. I got a cleaner cut on
the band
saw.
Because redwoo}i is
so lightweight, I didn t have any
problems maneuvering the beams.)
Wrap up this shaping work with
a drum sander in your drill press to
eliminate the saw marks.
Now you can assemble the canopy.
Dry-fit all the pieces
to
make sure
everything goes together properly
and the assembly is square. Apply
glue to the half-laps connecting
the beams and joists as well as to
the dadoes
on
the beams that hold
the top rails. Drill pilot holes and
counterbores from the top for the
longer stainless steel screws. The
joists are anchored
to
the
two
outside
beams with additional screws driven
through the sides of the beams (see
the Exploded
iew
next page, for the
screw locations).
While the glue is drying, chuck
a 3/8 diameter tapered plug cutter
into your drill press soyou can create
enough redwood plugs (pieces 14)
to cover
all
the arbor s screw holes
except those connecting the lattice
strips and cleats. Install these plugs
on the canopy top with dabs of
Titebond II glue and, once the glue
dries, chisel and sand the plugs flush
to
th.e
workpieces.
Outdoor Projects
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2004
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M TERI L ST· NOPY
Beams (5)
x xL
1 /2 x 3 /2 x 58
nopy
xploded
iew
Joists (2)
3 Top Rails (6)
4 Screw Hole Plugs (88)
1 /2
x 3 /2 x 60
1 /2
X
5 8 x
75
3/8 Dia. redwood
Finishing
You
can apply various finishes to
redwood, including paint, penetrating
oil
and marine spar varnish. Or you
can let the redwood age naturally.
I opted for two
coats of General
Finishes Outdoor Oil which contains
UV and mildew prohibitors, using
cloth and a foam brush. Reapply
the finish annually
to
help retain the
redwood color.
8
1
11
/ 1
8
I
.L
@
i
1
3
/.
I
t
I..
19
I
Inside Beams
Side View)
previous page) while you supervise.
(After
all
what are friends
for? Now
you can attach the stretchers to the
posts with the longer stainless steel
screws, drilling pilot holes and coun
terbores as you did for all
the other
screws. Then screw the canopy to
the posts as shown on the Exploded
View
above. Complete the assembly
process by installing the rest of the
screw hole plugs and rounding off
all the sharp edges with sandpaper.
1
4
/, 1
1
/, 1\
r : : ~ . L . ; ; 4 i
Installing the rbor
The arbor can be set in concrete
or on concrete pads, but there s
an easier alternative - metal
anchors that you can
find
at
home improvement centers.
The installationprocess is simple:
Mark the precise location of
your arbor s posts and fit
a foot-long piece
of
scrap 4 x 4
into each anchor. With a sledge
hammer, drive the anchor until
the top end is near the ground.
When the tops of all
the anchors are
level, replace the scrap stock with
the arbor s post/trellis assemblies.
N
ow
you ll need at least one friend
and a couple of stepladders
to
finish
the assembly. First, place the
stretchers in their respective dadoes
and clamp them
to
the posts. With
the stepladders placed on solid
ground, have two friends heft the
canopy onto the posts (see Figure
6
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G }rdener s
Workst }tion
Whether you re
three-season g r ening junkie or
weekend dabbler this
workstation
is
sure
to
satisfy.
It
features
pull-out potting
tray
removable mixing
tub n
loads
ofshelf n storage space.
t n chmidt
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Figure 1: After you ve carefully marked
all your
workpieces,
cut
the
lap joints
o
the bench
legs
with
dado set
mounted
your table
saw.
top together
in
several
narrow assemblies, letting the glue
dry, then gluing and clamping them
together to make the full panel.
Otherwise, too many wet joints
will
make the top difficult
to
clamp
up,
resulting in shifting - and lots of
expletives I made my top from two
pieces of
lfz
wide oak sandwiched
around four pieces
of
3
1
2 stock.
Here s a technique I frequently
use to achieve flawless butt joints
without worrying
if
my jointer is set
precisely at 90 degrees. I cut my
stock
to
rough width and length,
then arrange the boards to alternate
the growth-ring patterns (see the
Exploded View above). Number the
boards so they stay in sequence and
mark alternate Pis
Away
from the
fence) and O s On the fence) along
the joint lines on the top face. With
each board s top face away from the
fence, joint the A edges. Then, with
each board s top face on the fence,
joint the
0
edges. This
way, if
your
A cuts are 9
you ll be guaranteed
that your 0 cuts
will
be
9
and
you ll end up with a nice flat top.
Figure
2: The 45°
miters
o the
bo om aprons
are cut
o miter
saw. Nibble
at
the cut to
prevent
your saw from
flinging small
pieces
of oak across
the
room.
Arrange your benchtop boards
y
alternating the growth ring
patterns Number the boards
they stay
sequence
n
mark alternate s and s
along the joint lines for jointing
tight fitting edges
Building the
Benchtop
Start this project by making the
rather massive benchtop (piece 1).
f this is your first try at gluing
together a large tabletop, save your
self some headaches by gluing the
Summer
4
Outdoor Projects
T
his fine piece of outdoor
furniture says one thing loud
and clear: Style and grace aren t
always t victims of durability.
This gardener s workstation features
a removable mixing tub, a hidden
potting tray, lots
of room for storing
extra clay pots or even bags of
fertilizer, and room to hang plenty of
gardening utensils. It s also designed
and built to take whatever you and
Mother Nature can throw at
it. Even
if
you don t leave it outdoors, you ll
want your potting bench to stand up
to
humidity and bugs. Virtually all the
wood on ours
is
white oak, a good
choice for outdoor applications.
White oak s pores are filled with
tyloses, which gives the wood water
resistant properties. It also contains
tannic acids, which protect the wood
from insect and fungi attacks. There
are alternatives to white oak, of
course, like cedar, redwood, cypress,
Honduras mahogany, teak or even
pressure treated lumber. (For more
on choosing outdoor woods, see
page
8.
While tannic acid can be beneficial,
it also can cause problems.
Mix
tannic
acid, a little humidity and regular
steel screws and you ve got the
perfect recipe for unsightly stains.
That s why I opted for exterior-grade
screws, even where they re covered
with plugs. The outdoor factor also
dictated the use of Titebond®
II
weatherproof glue and spar varnish.
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Making the
egs and prons
Once you ve double-checked all
your markups, install a sharp dado
set on your table saw and set it at its
maximum width. Since white oak
has a tendency
to splinter easily,
I stuck masking tape over every
marked dado to minimize tearout.
After using some extra pieces of
stock to test your settings, cut
all
the
lap joints on the legs pieces 3 and 4
and aprons pieces 5 6 and
7 as
shown in
Figure
1 on page
27.
Stick with the dado set
to
cut the
wide notch on the top front apron
this will later accommodate t he
tops ofyour flowerpots), the notches
on two of the six slats pieces 8), the
tenon cheeks on the back boards
pieces 9 and 10 and the notches on
the fronts of the tray runners pieces
11).
Finish up with the dado s et by
cutting the grooves
in
the runners.
Move to your miter saw
to
shape
the mitered front apron and two side
aprons see Figure 2
on
page 27 as
well as the bevel
on
the tops of the
rear legs. The miter saw is also the
perfect tool for shaping the straight
edges on the corner brackets
pieces 12).To
make the six corner
brackets stronger, follow the grain
Figure 3: Cut three sides of the mixing tub hole
with your jigsaw, then screw a holding bracket
to the waste
piece
so it doesn t
pinch your
blade
while you cut the fourth side - or bruise your
big toe
when
it falls to the floor.
Standard biscuits aren t made for
exterior applications, so I opted
to
join the boards with white oak
splines pieces 2 . I used a dado set
on my table saw to cut the grooves
three inches short of each end and
finished up this step by gluing and
clamping the top.
The most difficult and time
consuming step in making a large
tabletop is flattening the glued-up
panel. I resolved this hassle a couple of
years ago by investing in a Performax
drum sander capable of surfacing
half of a 44
wide slab
in
one pass.
This machine is an immense time
saver. Alternatives include a belt
sander, a hand plane, or simply paying
a cabinet shop to flatten it for you on
their oversized sander.
t
shouldn t
cost much i you have the surfacing
done for you. I used
my
table saw
to
rip the panel to width and a circular
saw to cross cut to length.
With the benchtop finished, it s
time to cut all the other pieces
to
width and length according
t( )
the
Material List on the next page.
While you re at it cut some extra
pieces
to
use for testing during the
machining stages. Label everything
carefully and remember that there s
a left-hand and right-hand se t of
legs. All the details are presented
in
the
Pinup
Shop
rawings
starting on
page
39.
28
Figure
4:
Drill the 1
deep
counterbores in the
tops
and
bottoms of the
aprons
with a 3/8
countersink.
- -
: +
~ 3 8
Dia.
pattern shown on the
Pinup
Shop
rawings
Next, you ll need your band
saw
drum sander and router table. Use
your band saw and drum sander to
form the arc
on
the corner brackets.
Use your router table, equipped with
a
2
straight bit, to mill the
stopped groove
on
the inside faces
of
the rear legs. Also on your router
table make the stopped groove
on
the inside of the tray front piece 13
for housing the potting tray, as
shown on the
Pinup Shop rawings
Switch to a jigsaw
to
form the
notches at the rear of the benchtop,
which
allow
the top to wrap around
the rear legs. Even though the top is
2
thick, a good jigsaw equipped
with a sharp blade shouldn t be
overwhelmed cutting through white
oak. I also used the jigsaw to cut the
hole for the mixing tub piece 14).
Since you already have considerable
time and money invested in the
white oak top, purchase your tub
really just a plastic dishwashing
pan) and cut a test hole in scrap
before you tackle the white oak.
Aim
for a tight friction
fit.
T he hole in
my
top measured 11 11 x 13
, but
when I cut my test hole in some
scrap plywood, I discovered that the
tub lip wouldn t hide square corners.
In order
to
prevent the cutout
from dropping on your toes, cut
three sides and then attach a scrap
brace see
Figure
3 to the cutout
with a couple screws.
The
brace
will
also prevent the cutout from
pinching your jigsaw blade as you
cut the fourth side.
Now turn to your drill press,
equipped with a circle cutter,
to
form
the arcs on the
top
back board and the
tray front. Adjust the speed to
250
rpm and your cutter for a 3
diameter
circle. To eliminate tearout, clamp
your boards down securely, cut
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Projects Summer 4
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xploded
iew
MATERIAL LIST
1 Benchtop (1)
2 Benchtop Spl ines (5)
3 Front Legs (2)
4 Rear Legs (2)
5 Side Aprons (4)
6 Front & Rear Aprons (3)
7 Mitered Front Apron (1)
8 Shelf Slats (6)
9 Top Back Board (1)
10 Lower Back Boards (3)
Tray Runners (2)
Corner Brackets (6)
Summer 4 Outdoor
Projects
x xL
1 /2 X
22
/
x
44
1/4
x
3/4
x
38
1 1 x 2'/2' x 34 >
1
/
x 2'/2' x 50X
1
/4 x 2'/2' x 21
13/4 x 2'/2' x 38X
1 1 x 2
'
/2
x 40
3/4 x 5'/2' x 36
3/4 x 2 x 36
x 4'/8' x 19'/4'
1 x 3'/4' x 3 4
3 Tray Front (1)
4 Mixing Tub (1)
5
Potting Tray (1)
6 Shelf Stretcher (1)
7 Tool Hangers (3)
8 Tray Spacer (1)
9 Back Board Spacers (8)
Leg Caps (2)
Potting Tray Cleat (1)
Screw Hole Plugs (15)
3 Exterior-grade Screws (10)
Exterior-grade Screws (73)
x xL
3/4
X
5 /2 x 40
Plastic dishpan
3/4 x 15% x 19%
13/4
x 2'/2' x 17'/2'
1/4 x 2 Dowel
3/4 x 2lil x 17'/2'
1/2 x 1/2 x 1
1/4 x 13/.' x 2'/2'
3/4 x 3/4 x 13'/2'
3/8 Dia. white oak
6 x 1X
8 x 2'/2'
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Cutting
Tapers
in
Two Easy Steps
l
1--2 12
fp er
Cleat
2
t
:
t •
3
Cutting the tapers
on
the tray front and
the top back board
of
the potting bench
is
easy
w t
this simple
jig even though the
tray front is longer
than the top back
8
board. Cut the jig
and spacer from 3/4
birch plywood
as
shown
n
the drawing
at left using table and
jigsaws. Now
just
follow the two-step
process shown below.
Step 1:
With your fence set
at 10 cut one end of the
tray front. Now flip the
workpiece and cut
the
other end.
Step 2: Screw the 2
spacer and the cleat to the
tapering iig and
cut
one
end of your top
back
board. Flip your workpiece
and cut the other end.
halfway through and ilip them over
to finish the cut. A circle cutter
forms a clean circle requiring little
sanding, but
i f
you don t have one,
you could use a jigsaw and clean up
with a drum sander.
I also used the circle cutter for the
holes
in
the potting tray (piece 15).
Again, check your flowerpot sizes
before you cut the holes. I have
4
and
6
standard clay pots, requiring
3
7
/8
and 5
1
/4
holes, respectively.
No
matter what size pots you buy, aim
for a loose friction
fit.
Arrange them
in
a pattern that
will
allow you
to
remove a pot full ofsoil and fertilizer
easily, even if you re wearing damp
and dirty gardening gloves.
Accounting for Wood Movement
A unique feature designed into this
potting bench is the way it handles
wood movement. Basically, it consists
of matching 1
deep counterbores
that allow the wide, thick benchtop
to
shiftwith the seasons (seeFigure 4
on page 28).
n
additional benefit of
this design is that it allows you to
use shorter exterior-grade screws
that are only 2
1
2
long.
Mark the screw hole locations on
the aprons and the shelf stretcher
(piece
16)
as indicated on the
Pinup
Shop Drawings.
With a 9/64 bit
in
your drill press and a fence set 7/8
from center, drill all theway through
the aprons. Now switch
to
a 3/8
countersink and set your depth stop
to
form a 1 deep counterbore. Drill
the holes on one edge of an apron
and ilip your workpiece
to
drill the
matching holes, using the 9/64
pilot hole as a guide. Follow the
same procedures on the rest of the
aprons and the stretcher. Finish up
on the drill press by cutting holes for
the tool hangers (pieces 17) at a 5°
angle on the top back board.
Putting the Pieces Together
With all this machining work behind
you, it s time for some assembly.
Dry-assemble and clamp the legs
and aprons, making sure everything
fits precisely and the full framework
is square. Once you re satisfied, drill
1/8 pilot holes and 3/8 counter
bores where they are marked on the
Exploded View page 29.
Now unclamp the dry assembly
and call a buddy who can supply
a couple of extra hands. Brush on
Titebond®
II
glue, then reclamp and
screw the pieces together, again
making sure that everything remains
square. Note: For final assembly,
I recommend square-drive screws.
Once you use them, you ll be sorely
tempted to throwaway every slotted
or Phillips screw you ever see. You ll
need a square drive bit, but these
are worth every penny, simply
because square drive screws seldom,
if ever, slip.
Once this assembly dries, glue and
screw the tray spacer (piece
18)
in
place and attach the tray runners
(see the
Pinup Shop Drawings .
N
ow
tip the bench on its back to
tackle the top and shelf. Clamp the
top
in
place and use an
awl to
mark
the locations of the screw holes (see
Figure 5).
Remove the top and drill
the 1/8 pilot holes 1
deep, then
reposition the top and screw it in
place. Follow the same procedure
with the shelf slats, but first sand
a roundover on the top edges.
I attached the
two
notched shelf
slats first, and followed with the
other four slats spaced an equal
distance apart. Slip scrap spacers
in
between the shelf slats
if
this
helps, or tack the boards
in
place
with hot-melt glue to hold them
while you drive the screws.
As
long
as you have the bench on its back,
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Figure 5: With
the
top
firmly clamped to
the
aprons
drop the
bench on its back and
mark
the locations of the
pilot
holes
with
an awl
now is a good time
to
glue and screw
the corner brackets in place, too.
Return the bench to an upright
position and glue the spacers
(pieces 19 and back boards - but
not the top back board - in place.
Dry-fit the top board just to make
sure the taper you ve marked on the
board meets the top of the bevels
you ve already cut on the rear legs.
Making
the
op
Back
Board
and
Splitting the
Tray Front
The tapering jig that s described
in
the
sidebar
on the previous page is
different than most jigs because it
will
cut the same taper on boards of
different lengths. With this project,
I wanted the arcs and tapers to
match, even though the top back
board is four inches shorter than the
tray front.
Cut the taper on the top back
board using the tapering jig and glue
it in place. The tool hangers are
glued in place along with the leg
caps (pieces 20), which protect
the end grain of the rear legs from
moisture and cover the grooves cut
for the back board tenons.
Cut the tray front in half. Screw
but don t glue - the left half
to
the
potting tray, using the tray cleat
(piece
21
and 1
1
4
exterior-grade
screws. I didn t glue the plywood
tray in place so I could easilyreplace
umm r 4 OutdoorProjects
it when needed in a couple years.
S lide this half into the tray runners
and then glue and screw the right
half to the front apron from behind,
making sure it lines up with the left
half covering the potting
tray.
Finishing
p
I cut my
own
3/8 diameter screw
hole plugs (pieces
22
from white
oak using a tapered plug cutter (see
Figure
6 . Glue the plugs in the
screw holes on the front and side
surfaces and use a sharp chisel
to
pare them evenwith the surrounding
wood.
Figure 6: You
can
cut your
own screw
hole
plugs
with
3 8
plug
cutter
in your
drill
press Cut
the
plugs
loose by
resawing to
3 8
on your band saw
I sanded with
80- 120-
and 180-grit
sandpaper before applying two
coats of McCloskey s Satin Spar
Marine Varnish, sanding lightly with
180-grit paper between coats.
Once the varnish dries, your
workstation
will
be ready for many
seasons of green thumbing to come.
When the varnish takes a hazy cast,
just sand lightly and recoat.
_ / ~
@
0
®
®
t
_
®
®
®
CD
®-
®
P
ardener s
Workstation ,
Front view
__._----
®
0
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Portable utdoor hoirs
ick hite
Fun to make
comfortable
to
sit
in
n surprisingly lightweight
these out oor chairs will be welcome ition to your
backyard.
Made
from
white
oak
they ll provi e
years
ofservice.
Outdoor roje ts Summer 4
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Getting
Started:
Pair
of Templates
I wanted
to
make a
few
of these
chairs, and the thought ofmaking all
the curved side pieces one at
a time was out of the question.
Instead, I constructed a couple of
hether you re sitting around
. a warm fire after a day
in
the boat, cooling your heels at camp
after chasing upland game, or just
leaning backand soaking
up
a couple
of cold ones after you mow the lawn,
it s nice to have a comfortable place
to take a load off. hese slide
together outdoor chairs are not
a new idea; in fact, the inspiration for
this updated white oak version was
rolled out 20 years ago in the
May/June
1984
issue of the Journal
I did spruce up the design a bit
(with some help from my cohorts
here at
Woodworker s
Journal by
making them more compact when
they are nested together for storage.
We also added a
few
strategically
placed cleats, to eliminate the
chance of racking.
I chose white oak for building
these chairs because it s so durable
and because these chairs really don t
eat up a lot of material - there are
only about 12 board feet in each one.
I raided my scrap bin for some of
it.
At a little over 3 a board
foot,
these
chairs come
in
at a very reasonable
price. Spanish cedar or cypress
would also work well.
With your perfectly-
sized
templates
complete transfer
the shapes
onto
the
seat
and
backrest
stock
Then band
saw
the
pieces
to shape
keeping
just
outside
the pen il lines
perfectly-sized templates (see the
Seat and ackrest Sides Drawing
on page 34 and traced around them
to
layout a series of paired seat
and backrest sides (pieces 1 and 2
on my hardwood stock. hen
I carefully cut these pieces to shape
on
the band saw (see Photo above),
staying just a hair outside of the
pencil line. I used double-sided
carpet tape
to
attach the templates
to
the stock for template routing and
added three small brads - just
for insurance. With a 1/2 flush
trimming, bearing-guided router bit
mounted
in
my router table, I was
Cleaning up your
edges
on
spindle sander
takes just
few minutes
n
of the nice
things
about template routing
is that it
leaves
just few
machining marks that are
snap to
remove
8/17/2019 Outdoor Projects - Summer 2004
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3/4 x 2 x 17
8
x x
3/4 x 6
'
/2 x 41
1/2 x 1
'
/2 x 18
/ 6
3/4 x
6
/2 x 44
3/4
x
2
x
18
/ 6
1/2 x 1
'
/2 x 17%
hamfer
Detail
End
iew
Seat Side
Slat
n
Cleat Locations
-J
1
'
/2 f
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Guide
to
Template
Routing
Step 2: A ach the template to the stock with
double-sided carpet tape.
The author also used
three small brads driven through the
template
to ensure that they
were
firmly secured to the
hardwood.
Router Bits
and
n
Grain:
Deadly
Combo
35
Split woo
Step 3: Great care
must be
used
when
routing around
the ends
of
template.
The end
grain is susceptible to
fracturing as shown in
the illustration below)
and rushing cut
can
ruin
your
piece.
Step
1:
Begin the template
routing sequence
by
using your
template
to
trace the
shape of
the
piece
onto the hardwood
stock.
Step
to
the
band saw
and
cut out the piece, staying just
outside the layout line.
A flush-trimming, bearing-guided router bit follows the shape of the
template exactly But using such a bit to cut across end grain can
lead to big trouble. Limiting the depth of the cut y first trimming
close to the layout line (thus reducing the
penetration of the cutter s blade) will
greatly reduce your chance
of splitting the wood.
contributing editorMike McGlynn once said, Template routing is
a
great
way to ensure multiple pieces are identically shaped. It s also a great way
to
destroy parts nd injure yourself if you are not careful.
Here are four rules you should always follow:
Leave
a
bare 1 16 of stock
to
mill off
Keep your hands well away from the cutter.
3 Attach your template firmly
to
the stock.
Be keenly aware of the bit s rotation before you begin trimming.
One final caution: Template routing t each end of
a
piece (across the end
grain) must be done slowly and with the utmost care. Rick ruined one of his
side pieces before he got the hang of this aspect of the task. We suggest you
make a test run on scrap before you move to the real thing.
Summer 4 Outdoor Projects
Moving to
the Seat
and Back
Slats
The seat and back slats (pieces 3
and 4 have the same thickness and
width, but differ in length.
Rip
a sufficient quantity of slat stock and
then cut them to their appropriate
lengths. Again, i like me you are
making more than one chair, set up
and cut them in groups. (Maybe
even make one or two extra in case
of a machining error
not that I ve
ever had that sort of problem )
Next, I drilled counterbored holes
centered at each end of the slats
(one setup works for both types of
slats). Later these holes will be
plugged to hide the screws.
As long as you are ripping and
drilling, go ahead and make the seat
and backrest cleats (pieces 5 and 6
from 3 4 stock. The cle ats are
ready
to
rout. (For tips on template
routing, see the sidebar at right.)
The
only problem I had with this
whole project was when I first
attempted to trim a rounded end of
a seat side. With my template firmly
in place, I started
to
trim across the
grain at the end of the part. In the
blink of an eye the bit caught and
shattered the stock.
t
was like the
wood exploded My second and
third attempts (on scrap wood)
ended in the same dramatic fashion.
After a little more experimenting, I
came up with a successful technique
for this task. The key is to band saw
your stock, particularly at the ends,
so that you leave just the barest bit
to
be trimmed awayby the flush-trim
cutter. Equally important, go slow
and hang on tight your bit creates
a bit of a burn on the ends, don t
worry, it sands off easily. I sanded
the edges on a oscillating spindle
sander.
Go ahead and make all the
shaped parts at one time.
8/17/2019 Outdoor Projects - Summer 2004
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Drilling
the
ounter ored screw
holes
both
the
slats
and
the
cleats gets
you
ready for
the final
assembly step
Outdoor roje ts Summer 4
exterior grade polyurethane or spar
varnish would also look great on
these white oak beauties, but it
would scratch and chip with the use
I had
in
mind for them. I like the oil
for many reasons: it s easy to get into
nooks and crannies formed by the
slats and cleats, it looks great and,
most important
to
me, it s simple
to touch up and renew. You will need
to reapply the finish on any piece
of outdoor furniture, and
oil
is the
easiest way to go, in my opinion.
A good cleaning and then a quick
rubdown with a coat
of oil,
and your
chairs
will
be ready for another
season of outdoor adventures.
Whether that would include a trip
to the BoundaryWaters Canoe Area
or setting them
up in
your outdoor
BrewArea, is entirely
up
to you.
Finishing
and
Upkeep
I considered a
few
finishing options
for my chairs but settled on an easily
applied outdoor oil finish. I think
an
you place the
final
seat slat, use the
spacer again
to
locate the seat cleat.
Make sure you square up the
assembly before you drive in these
screws. Simple as pie.
When you ve placed the
last back slat, you need
to go to the
Elevation
Drawings once more to
locate positions for the two
backrest cleats.
Plug the screw holes with
white oak dowels (you
should use a water-resistant
glue to make sure they stay
put), and after the glue
cures, sand each
of the chair
ssem l ies
thoroughly. You
are almost ready
to sit back and make yourself
comfortable.
wider than the slats and have two
screws
in
each end. They keeps the
backrest and seat assemblies from
racking, although their main
func-
tion is locking the chair securely
in
each of the various seat positions
possible with this design. Cut them
to size and bore the screw holes.
Now grab the slats and cleats and
move over to your router table.
Chuck a chamfering bit
in
the router
and get busy easing the edges of the
combined slats and cleats.
And
i
you happen
to
be unlucky and
machine thewrong side of one of the
slats, don t worry; remember you
made extra ... I wish I had.)
Putting
it llTogether
you have two drill/drivers, get
them ready. First make a 7/8 x 7/8
20 spacer. Start attaching the seat
and back slats as shown in the
Elevation Drawings on page 34, and
use the spacer to locate each
successive slat. Drill a pilot hole with
the first drill and then drive the
screw home with the second. When
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