Truck Rack - Wood Tools

Transcription

PUBTISHER
DonaldB. Peschke
Kll'CHENS.
THHN& n\i0Vl
EDIT0R
Tim Robertson
SENIOR
EDITORS
BillLink,DavidStone
ASS0CIATE
EDITORS
WyattMyers,Patricia
Garrington
ARTDIRECrOR
KimDowning
A5SISTANT
ARTDIRECTOR
KurtSchultz
SENIOR
GRAPHIC
DES16NER
DougAppleby
5ENl0R
ItLUSTRAT0R
ErichLage
SENIOR
WEBDESIGNER/ITTUSTRATOR
Matt Scott
C0NTRIBUTING
ILLUSTRATOR
JohnHartman
GRAPHIC
DESIGN
INTERN5
Shelley
Cronin,KatieRodemyer
CREATIVE
DIRECIOR
TedKralicek
SENIOR
PROJECT
DESIGNERS
JamesR,DoWnino,
KenMunkel,KentWelsh,ChrisFitch
PROJECI
DESIGNERS/BUltDERS
MikeDonovan,
JohnDoyle
SHOP
CRATTSMEN
SteveCurtis.SteveJohnson
ADVERTISING
SALES
MANAGERS
GeorgeA. Clark,MaryK. Day
ADVERTISING
PRODUCTI0N
C00RDINATOR
MinnietteJohnson
ADVERTISING
CoORDINAToR
Kelsey
Davis
( 515 ) 8 7 5 - 713 5
EDlTORlAt
DIRECIOR
TerryJ.Strohman
EXECUTIVE
ARTDIRECTOR
ToddLambirth
SENIOR
PH0T0GRAPHERS
CrayolaEngland,
DennisKennedy
ASSOCIATE
STYTE
DIRECTOR
Rebecca
Cunningham
MERCHANDISING
C00RDINATOR
Stefanie
Swanson
ELECIRONIC
IMAGE
SPECIAtIST
AllanRuhnke
.4L
-^ 7 1
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WOI\KBENCH
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l4lor(lrlr/t CustonrerService
PO. Box 8.12,
DesMoiles, IA 5030.+-9961
2
l4lortbcrrirMagazine
2200 GrandAve.
DesMoines,lA 50312
enrail:[email protected]
WORKBENCH
APRIL2OO7
rr.
7..*'..:-,-
- r lit%**
I
arL
itchens have changed. Okay, so thatt not exactly breakir-rgnews. BLlt sonretinles it's easy to overlook the extent
of that change. Recently, however, as I was going through
the Workbcncharchives,this sanrpling of covers renlindecl n1e of
the truly drlnratic evolution kitcher.rshave undergone - both in
tlreir appearanceand, lnore iurpoltantly, irr how they functior-r.
Our first kitchen renlodel was the no-frills version showr.rat left.
Note the dated "waterfill-edge" countertops and dark cabinetswith
slab-sryleplyrvood doors.The workflow of this kitchen has now
'50s
become dated,too.Just like nrany
kitchens,it was designedto
be largely a solitary workpiece, a one-wornan show,if you will.
Fast-forward to tl-rekitcher-r renrodel shown at center. I)ark is
out; bright is in. Kitchens got larger,anclmany incorporated central
work islands.Combine those improvenreutswirh built-in cooktops,
stackingovens,arndspaciollscourltertops,and thesekitchens made
preparing nrealseasier and more enjoyablethan ever - notjust for
the woman of the house,but the whole fanrily.
Todayt kitcher.rshave taken on an even broacler role.They still
satisfythe cookinq, cleaning, and storage requirements, of course,
but they've also become the place fol farnily urernbers to connect
and fiiends to socialize.Add to that the fact that many kitchens
act, in whole or in part, as a home office, and it's easy to see why
kitchens have become the hub of todayt busy homes.
To see how the kitchen Gatured in this issue (right) acconnrodates those assortedneeds,be sure to check out the series of
articles beginning on page 42.
50th AnniversarySpecials!
Kitchens:ThenI Now (page2)
5)-Year Cover Retrosp
ective (WorkbenchM agazine.com)
"Payinga pro to
installkitchen
cabinets
cancost
nearlyas much
asthe cabinets
themselves.
Basedon that,
our homeowner
quicklg
y ained
confidence
in his
problem-solving
sk i l l s . "
-page 54
High-Capacity
Truck Rack
your truck'scapacityand
lncreose
save5100soverstore-bought
models.
Thistruckracklooksgreotand hauls
anythingyou needfor workor play.
60
Decorative Display Niche
ONLINE
Workbench
Maoazine.com
Getevenmoreinformation
aboutthe projectsand
articles
in thisissue:
. FreeArticle:Installing
CrownMolding
. Full-Size
Patterns:
Truck
RackUprights
and
Display
NicheShelf
. SlideShows:Powder
Coating& Raised
Stenciling
. Bonus:Raised
Stenciling
Examples
4
Transform
an ordinaryroom with this
decorotivedisplaynrche.ltscurved
shelf,accentlighting,ond tile back
createo stunningt'ocalpoint.
66
Focus on Frames
projectsdon't have
Great-looking
to be complex.These"ort paper"
fromesreallydressup a wol[ ond
you can makethem in a day.
WORKBENCH
APRIL2OO7
76
Modern Kitchen Makeover
A modernkitchenisn'tjust theplaceyou
preporemeols-it's "mission
control"for
thefamily.Hereare the tips,insights,and
strategies
for your own kitchenmakeover.
42
Better Design, , ,
Better Kitchen 44
FloatingTile Floorr 50
Installing Kitchen Cabinets: _
Priblems & Solutionr 54
Kitchen Cabinet Organizers
your kitchenthisweekend
Organize
with 15 eosy-to-install,
remarkably
at't'ord
oble accesso
ries.
72
Powder-Coated
Hardware
Turncommonhardwareitems
into eye-catching
t'ittingswith a
powdercoating
simpleDIY
kit.
30
Easy Elegance with
Raised Stenciling
Dressup anysurfaceusing
a paint techniquethat adds
dromatictextureand style.
37
Flat, Flawless
Drywall Joints
Here'syour guideto getting
professional-quality results when
t'inishingdrywalljoints.
BO
Product Picks
A roundupof thebestnew
homeproducts:
t'romdust-free
"mud"
drywall
to WD-40
in a pen.
B4
The Tool Report
Elements of Style
Discover
box beams,a stylish
way to add classicarchitectural
detailtoyourhome.
94
8B
Garage Gear
lnstolla durablesnap-together
garagefloor in a t'ew hours.
92
6
WORKBENCH
APRIL2OO7
Over the Fence
B
Ask'W'orkbench
Strippaint fast, t'rxbangingpipes,
cut crownmoldina.and more.
10
Do-It-Yourself Tips
Greattips,including"helpers"
t'or
hangingdrywall,laddersafety,
and precisionmitercuts.
I6
Fast Florne Fixes
26
On-Site Solutions
32
ADD SOMEGREENTO YOURPROPERWWITH THESE
TreePlantingTips
The NationalArbor Day Foundationoffers a wealth of information and educational
programsto helpyou plant,preserve,and care for trees.
lanting a tree is one small
way anyonecan improve
both the environment and
the appearanceof their yard.And we
get reminded of that every spring,
thanksin large part to the effors of the
National Arbor Day Foundation.
But *ris organizationdoesa lot
more thanjust encourageus to plant a
tree on one day eachyear.It a.lsooffers
a wealth of educationalinformation
and prcgramsdesignedto help eventhe
leastgreen-thumbedfind success
with
their tree-planting efforts.Youcan learn
about the programsoffered and access
a huge amount of information just by
visitins ArborDav.ors.
Plant in the Right Place-One
exampleof this valuableinformation is
the tree-placementguide shown here.
Plant the right tree in the right place
Planttallertreesawayfrom overheadutilitylines
Tall trees
40' or taller
.<_
j0
_-__________r_.<_2.,
_->
Mediumtrees
40' or less
It servesasa great reminder that those
litde treesyou bring home will eventually grow large,and you need to take
that into considerationwhen you plant
them. Not only do theseguidelines
Small trees
25' or less
ensurea balanced-lookinglandscape,
they alsohelp prevent an all-toocommon tree planting error: Placing tall
or broadly spreadingtreestoo closeto
power lines.
COMPANIES
TEAM UP TO BUILD
Homesfor Vets
Members of our armed forcesprove their
bravery every day by serving our country in
combat zonesaround the world. But for some
of thesemen and women, even the bravery
neededon the battlefield cant compareto the
mettle they'll need to return home and rebuild
life after suffering amputation or paralysis.
Thankfirlly, an organizationcalledHomes for
OurTroops is dedicatedto building homes that are customized to suit disabledveterans.Theorganization,with the help
of its corporatepartners,hasworked on homesin 15 states.
Custom touchesin the home are incorporated in a
variety ofways dependingon the needsofthe veteran.
Some are obvious,such asproviding barrier-free entries,
accessiblekitchens and bathrooms,and open floor plans.
Others are lessobvious but equally important. For
example,homes for veteranswith prosthetic limbs are
8
WORKBENCH
APRIL2OO7
Homesfor OurTroopsbuiltthishomein Springhill,
Louisiana,
andfilledit with featuresto meetthe needsof SPCKyleBurleson,
who wasparalyzed
whileserving
with the U.5.Armyin lraq.
equipped with casementwindows that can be cranked
open easily.One home was ourfitted with a backup
generatorto keep the homeownert ventilator running if a
storm knocked out the home'spower.
To learn more about this organizationand how you can
help,visit HomesForOurTroops.org
or call 866-787-6677.
BENJAMINMOOREA POTTERY
BARNMAKE IT EASYTO
Pick PerfectPaint Colors
The Pottery Barn catalogis a great
placeto shop for home furnishings,
but for many folks it doesmore.
That'sbecausea largenumber of
peoplelook at the srylishroom scenes
shown on its pagesto get ideasfor
furnishing and decorating their own
rooms.The folks at Pottery Barn are
well aware of this. too. if fol no other
reason than the number of requests
they get for the nanresof the paint
colors usedin the scenes.
Thatt why Pottery Barn has
teamed up with Benjamin Moore to
make paint information available in
every catalog.With each room shown,
you'll find a small swatch of paint and
a listing of the Benjar.ninMoore paint
code for that color.
Ifthat's not enough, you can order
a fan deck ofthe colors for that catalog
online for $2, or simply pick one up at
your local Pottery Barn store.
For more help with choosing paint
colors,you can visit PotteryBarn.conr
or BenjanrinM oore.conr.
WILDLIFE
rfirnGDrrnrn_
TURNYOURYARDINTO
A WILDLIFEHABITAT
Wide-open
expanses
of lushgreen
lawnlookrnviting
to somepeople.
Butto birds,squirrels,
andother
urbanwildlife,thesegreen-carpet
yardsofferlittlein the wayof habitat.
Butyoucanmakeyourlandscape
to wildlifebyfollowing
the
appealing
guidelines
Wildlife
of theNational
Federation's
Backyard
Wildlife
Habitatprogram.
Over70,000yards,
schoolgrounds,
andevencorporate
havebeencertified
campuses
so far.
wildTo learnmoreaboutbackyard
lifehabitats,
visitNWF.orglBackyard.
Everything you need to make your
house like new in one great kit.
The MumMnsrER
does thingsother power
tools cant. Sandinto corners and along
edges.Undercut a door jamb.Plungeinto
baseboard...right
through the nails.Remove
grout. Scrapepaint and linoleum.
-\
w
The RS Kit contains a MumMasren
636-2 variable speed tool plus:
. SandingPad . UniversalE-Cut blade
. HSSSegmentSawblade
. Carbide Grout blade . Scraperblade
. Carbide Rasp. Plasticcarryingcase
. Tool wrench, screwsand washers
. 5 each assortedsandpaper,
grits 60,80,
MADEIN GERMANY
For more information. a free brochure and
to see the complete line of MumMnsrrns
and accessoriesat a dealer near you call
l-800-441-9878 or visir us
El
ar www.feinus.com.
ft1V61
p o r v e r ebdy i n n o v a r i o n
ProductlnformationNumber288
\l9I
A $ K W r , i l j l i U i _l
i j j r,
CHOOSETHE RIGHT SAW TO
Miter Crown
t
Molding
{ }.: fue dccidedn installsomccrotunntolding,so I needto buy a
saw Onc salesmantold me I'd rrceda compoundmiter saw.Another
said I couldusca standardniter saw.Can yttu tell me wlich I rrced?
Jason Parker
Kansas City. MO
'l ,' To install crown nrolding,
you have to fit the pieces
tosether at the corners.This is usually done by mitering the
enc'ls.Andyou can use either a standardor a compound saw.
TI.re techniques for cutting crown are diflerent for each saw,
though, so you have to understand how each one works.
Miter Saw-On
a standardrniter saw the blade and
nlotor are mounted to a table that can be rotated to the
ieft or right. If the table is set in tl.renriddle, the blade cuts
straight acrossthe workpiece. Rotate the table,and the blade
cLrtsthe workpiece at an angle.This is a nriter cut.
Cornpound Miter Saw-A
compound miter saw
works the same way.But the blade assemblycan also be
tilted so that instead of corning down vertically,the blade
conres down at an angle.This is called a bevel cut.
Cutting Crown Molding-When
you cut a miter and
bevel together, this is called a cor.r.rpoundr-niter.And that's the
rype of cut needed for cutting the ends of crown molding.
The rotatingtable and a pivoting head on a compound
miter saw allow you to easilycut the compound miter
that's necessarywhere molding piecesmeet at a corner.
This is becausecrown molding sits at an angle between the
wall and ceiling.This is called the "spring angle,"and itis not
45".That nreansyou cant lay the molding flat on the niter
saw table,set the miter angle at 45o,and get an accuratecut.
'With
a standardmiter saw,the solurion is to stand the
nrolding on the saw table at its spring angle,as shown bclotulcft.
This works very well, but it's a little fussy to set up.
With a compound nriter saw,you rotate the table to the
proper miter angle,and then tilt the head to the corresponding
bevel angle.Then you can lay the nolding flat on the table
to nrake the correct compound-nriter cut (belowright).
For a complete guide to installing crown molding, check
out the iiee article at'WorkbenchMagazine.com.
Moldingsits
upsidedown on
saw table
at its "spring
angle"
Tiltsawblade
to 33.9'
bevelangle
Rotatetable to
45" miter angle
Rotatetable to
31.6"miterangle
HOwT0
SENDYOURQUESTTONS:
WEHAVE
ANSWERS!
Ernail: Ask@workbenchmag.
com
Include your full name, address,and daytime phone number. You'll
receivea free one-year subscription to Workbench (or o one-year
extension to your current subscription)if we publish your question.
10
WORKBENCH
APRIL2OO7
Forurns: forunrs.woodnet.net
Mail: AskWorkbench,2200 GrandAve.,
Des Moines.1l'50312
--t
-1DIIIIfTTNOV
ASTAINCOUD
DOIHAI1O
IT,S ALL IN A NAME WITH
SelectingCabinetDoors
{}.: I'ut slroppirtt-for
rtcu,kitrltut mbirrcts,
nrtdI'rtr a littleoucrruhclnrctl
b1,sl! 1l1g
clnirt's.Fttrirtstattrc,tltc dcsigttcrtttld rttcI ltad tlrn'c clrciccsitt dttor stylg5;-fr1ll-oucrla1,,
half-outrlay,nrtd irrsct.Wltdtdrc tltL'
diftircrrtcsbctn,ccrtthasctltn,c stylcs?
Kt'lly tu1at,,,,
ColoradoSprirrg-i,
CO
.'[ : (]onver-rtionnl
clbinets with firce
fi':unescan Llserny of tl-rcsc.
rypes of
doors.Ancl nrany nunut:rcturc'rswill
ofFercach type ou difTcrentcrbinet
nrodelsin their line. So the type of
cloor isjust palt of what cleternrines
thc appcnranceof tl-rccabirret.
Full-Overlay -Thc nrost
colllnlon rype of cabinetcloor is thc
full-overlay.With this rype, the cloor
i s : r c t u : r l llyu l q u ' t l r ; r r tr l r e o p c r r i r r qi r r
tl-recrbinct f:icc fi-lnrc.Tlrat n)c:rnsthc
cloor ovcrhps the openine on rrll sidcs,
and thc full thickness of thc door'
protrudes beyoncl tl.rcfi'nnie (top riglrt).
HalCOverlay - Halfiovcrlay
In justthreesteps-you
canchange
the look of your furniture:
siuulthecxisting
finiih
.@Hgttly
md clean.
d!ilDApptVthe OklMasters
WipingSrain
evenlyontothesurfacc
anddry hrush
thestainfor anevenappearancc.
with aplearfinishsuehas
@&ppnat
polytrcthane.
OldMastcrs
recommends
at leasttlree-coats
ftrroptimal.durability.
It won'tbe_lgng
beforeyou'llsay
T Can'tbelievea staincanllo-THAT!''
cloorsrrrcalso built larger thrn thc
oper-rir-re
ilr the cabinct fl'iunc'.IJut on
'.s
this typc oltcloor, tl-rere a rabbet cut
arc-rurtcl
the pclinrctcr of t]re door''s
insic'lef:rcc thlt fbrnrs :r lip.The cloor
still overlapsthc fl':rrrreopeninu, but
becrusc' tl'rc r:lbbctccl portion of tl-re
cloor fits within the opcninu in tl-rc
frrne, only a portion of the door's
tl.rickness(r-rsuallyhalf) plotrr.rdes
beyond tlre facc fnnte (uiddlc ridrt).
Inset-An
inset cloor is nracle
just slightly srtrallertl.ranthe openine
Cabinet
FaceFrame
Half-Overlay
Door
Partial
thickness
of door
is visible
in the clbinet fi'rrnre.Asa result,the
cloor fits into the opening in the
cabinet f.rce fi'anre so thrt the facc
of the door is flush with tl.refice
fi"une (6otlolr nclrr/. Inset doors lre
the le:ist conlnron in uranueictr.rred
cabinets.TIrey're also r.rsuallypriced
the higl'restof the three types.That's
becauseir-rsetdoors lnust be sized
preciselyto cl)surcr r'orrsistcnt,
good-looking gap between the door
and the f.rce fi'ame or-rall sides.
Product Information Number 202
Door coversportion
of faceframe.
InsetDoor
{ss{{
EASY-TO-INSTALL
FITTINGS
PUTAN ENDTO
Banging WaterPipes
'
WtL'rt rttlt11t4t11
11gttraclittt'-firtishes worn fiom rr-rbbing,which could create
u,ith
tntcr,
tlrc
Ludtcr
pipesbdtrc
:r lcak.Luckily.rhc solutiorris siruple.
fillirt,q
lotrdly.I'ru ctrrtccnrcd
tlnt tlris u,ill datnagc
You can buy inexpensive watertlrc pipcsor tlrc trracltinc.Wtat's
causirr,q hammer arrestorsat the home center
tltis,rurd is tlruc a y4y s6 rlltp it2
o r : r p p l i a r r cset o r c . T l r e sjeu s t s c r e w
JasorrMorrisorr
Aurt Arbor,MI
'
!
-,
This is crlled "wlrcl haurnrer"
or'"pipe shock." It I'rappc-ns
rvhen the
watc'r-shr.rtofT
valvesin tl-rervashins
ur:rchinc'close rapidly.The fl owing
rv,rtt'r'sllrrrrsirrto tlre vlrlvcs.clc;rtirrg
back pressnre:rnd a shock wrve inside
the pipc.s.Asa result,the pipes rattlcanclbang.
Aside fionr being annoying, the
bangine conld eventu:rllycausea pipe
to crlck, work loose at a joir-rt,or get
onto the rvrter supply spigots,and the
hoses for the washer screw onto the
arrestors (belou,).
Thc anestors wolk like a shock
absolber.The tall chunber has a piston
irrside that holds back a supply of
ail above it (lllrrstrntiorr).
The chanrber below the
piston fills up with rvater.
When the water flow
shuts dorvrr,b:rck pressure
r
r
ilte plstolt up,
PLrsnes
rbsorbins the shock :urcl
preventing the shock rvave
in thc' pipc'.
Spigot
Water-Supply
Hose
ONE HOT WAY TO
Strip Paint
andthetrim
Q: I'^ rEaintingtheexteriorof my old house,
and doorshavemanycoatsoJpaint. Suapingthemis dfficuh,
Is therea betterway?
andpaint stripperis slowand messy.
Matt Conrad
Batauia, IL
A: tt , best tool I've found for removing paint from exterior trim is a heat gun. Itt like a high-performance hair dryer
that heats the paint enough to partially melt it and loosen
its grip on the wood.Then you can scrapemultiple layers of
paint oft'easily with a putty L'xife (Photo).Thismakes a heat
gun fast and effective,but using one requires precautions.
First, the paint on an old home often contains lead.And
lead fumes are more harmful than lead dust. So you need to
wear a respirator when using a heat gun, not just ^ dust mask.
Second, the gun and the paint both get quite hot. So dont
touch either until they've cooled for a moment or tvvo.
Finally, you can char the paint or wood ifyou overheat it.
So keep a spray botde ofwater close by to cool things off.
of paint,allowing
A heatgunquicklysoftensmultiplelayers
themto peelup easilyin largestrips.Justbe sureto weara
paintthat maycontainlead.
respirator
whenremoving
Whatareyouwaitingfor?
Hove you hove been looking for o reoson to try Pocket-Screw
Joinery? lf so, the new R3 Kreg Jig@is it... Whether you're
building fine cobinetry or moking simple repoirs oround the house,
this full-feotured PocketHole Jig is the perfect tool for the iob!
Kreg Quolity. Amozing Volue. The R3 Kreg Jig@.
to
Quick odiustments
ioin r/2"-l-r/2"lhick
moteriol.
Wood chip relief holes
Secureto the
workpieceusingneorly mol<efor on eosier
drill-stroke.
ony style of clomp.
ProductlnformationNumber220
www.kregtool.com
800.447.8638
NO HELPER?
NO PROBLEM.
MAKEAN ADJUSTABLE
Dryvuall"Lifb"
l-renMatt
lJoh:rnof
Llrsinq,
Michiq:lrr,firuncl hinrsclf
lvithout rny hclp to hans
fbr thc top clcrrt,cut it ro flf,
rncl thcn lirstcn rvith scl'ews.
T]rc nrouuting urnr is
lrcxt. Itlsjust:r scrrrp?r.l
clr'yu,ull.
hc built ;r plil of
. r . l j u s t : r l r l t " ' l i l i tso" [ . e l r i i
scconclsct of h:rncls(Pltoto).
Erch lift cr.rrrsists
of
tw() p:lrts:ltn lcljr-rst:rblc
support :rnrllr rrrotrntrrrq
lrrrr (,'1-i.t11111l/1,
I icrr,/.TItc
rvith :r countcrborccl shrrnk
holc clrillcdin it to housc
thc crrrri:rgcbolt. Aficr'
instrrllinsthc bolt, fit thc
lucljtrstnrcnt
slot ()vcr it,
sr.rpp()rt
holclsthc shcct of
dlywrll. It :rlsoh;rsan :ruqlccl
adjLrsturcntslot that flts ovcr
n c:rrriascbolt irrstrllcclin
thc urountiuq llrn. WIrcn
you t:lp thc support to tltc
togcthcr rr,'it]r:r fi'nclcr
rl,rrsher
lncl u'irrg rrtrt.
Tir lrlng rrshcct of dlv.ulrrll.
star-tby clrunl.rinec:rchlifi to
lr rvallsnrd,-1,*j7:"
rlorvrr fiorn
the ceilirrg(Z:" rrrorcth:urtlrc
siclc,thc slot lcts it nrovc up,
rvl-ricl-r
r':riscsthc dryrvall.
Thc strirportis nracleup
rvirlth of :r shcct of clrvrvrrll).
,tl)(i tll('r) "\iluq
of two rvcc'lqc-shapec'l
llils
:tuclthrcc clcirts.Thettvo
sidc clcartsc()nltcct thc nils.
Tl-rcscclerts, rrsr,vcll;rsthe
top clcrrt th:rt flts bctu,ecu
thenr, cxtencl irbovc t]ic
u p p c r r . r i l . T I r i sf t > r r r r:sr l i p
thrrt prevents thc dry'"v:rll
fi'oni slipping off tl're
supports (ScttiortViL,ru).
Bcfore rrttechin{aany
clerrts,thoush, set the rrrils
on a flrt surfrcc, :incl spircc
B
16
111
'If
thcnr %" irpxrtto folnr thc
ldjustnrcnt slot.Norv cl:rnrp
thc siclcclcrrtsin plrrcc,:rncl
frrstenthcrrr lvit]r scrcrvs.As
1$
Clamping
two "lifts"to the wallstudsmakesit easyto support a sheetof drywall.Tapthe liftssideways
to raisethe
sheetto the ceiling,
freeingyourhandsto drivescrews.
tltt }),1;'1i
Aficr hfiirrg thc cft'yrvrrll
up
onto thc strirpolts.b:rck
ofFthc thc r,vir.rg
nut orr
( ) r ) cs u i r p o l t . T I r e nt l p t l r c
support lrsslrorvn:rbovcto
r . t i s et l t c s l r e e rt r p : r g . r i r r : t
TOPCLEAT
( h " x 1 1 / 2x" 1 1 " 1
T3"
_qtc!
\
fi- -*
sAs"x 41/2"
CarriageBolt
\*\
SIDECLEAT
e" Fender\
Washer /
Adjustment \ 5/rs"wing
Nut
\
Slot
€/s"Wide)
I
7s"counterbore,
72"deep
.Top
Cleat
Side
Cleat
Rail
Mounting
'Arm
P/4"x11/2" x61/4")
rr,r:
:i|:t;iixi,f:
*r:i*n
WORKBENCH
APRIL2OO7
scrc\vsto sccrlrctllc shcct.
#8 x 11/q"
Fh Woodscrew
@"*"^
MOUNTING
ARM
(11/2"
x 31/2"
x 12")
t h c c c i l i r r s . A tt h r r tp o i l t ,
r i g h t c n t h c r v i r r gr r u t o n
tlrrrtsrrpport,:rnri rcl'rclrt
tltc proccssfirr-thc sccond
support.Y(rrrcltrrrrrxl clnvr
Ernail: tips@wolkbenchnr:rs.
conr
Mail: WorkbenchTips & tchniques,
2200GrandAve.,Dc'sMoines,IA 50312
VISUALIZE
DESIGNWITH A
$imple Tape
Template
To help visualize how his br.rilt-in
enteltainnrent center rvoulclIoclk in
its desisnatcclsplce, l3ob Kell:rnd of
L a y i n go u t t h e
project directly on
t h e w a l l g i v e sa
good sense of
the finishedscale
of a project
St John ls,Newfouncllln d, Canaci:r,
hicl out thc project clircctly orr the
wrll usins paintcr'.sur:rskinqtape
tllltr.;rr,rtiort).
E.rclrstrip ()t tirpe reprcsentL'ciir slrclt,cliviclcr,clbinet top, or
lrrn of urolcling.
l-lob touts this tcchnicltrers :r slcalt
wily to "scc" thc projcct befolc you
builcl it to llct a rcirlisticscnseof scrle
lncl to hclp cstiurlrtcthc nrrteri:rls
rccl.rircclto builcl it.
Ancl, if lftcl cx:uuining thc
"teruplrrtc" yor-rdon't c:rrc fix tlrc
Painter'stape makes
layingout and
readjustingbig
projectseasy
tlcsisn, sinrply rcposition thc trpc to
crc:ite a pl:rn that bettel suits yrtur
neccls.Whcn yor.r'rcsatisf-ic.cl
with thc
c{esiqn,trlnsfcr thc clctlils to x papcr
plan thrt yolr crn builcl fi-onr while
in thc shop.
FoamCarving
I)cnrris Orch:rrcl of Milton,Vc.r"uront,fbuncl tl-ratcuttirtr-t
r.rpholstcry
fbanr was nrorc chlllcnginq tlran it sccnis.Hc
triccl v:rrious knives ancl saws,but lll left rough eclqesthat
wcre often visiblc evcn aftcr covcring the fo:rnr with fablic.
Whilc c:rrvins a holic-layturkey, howevcr, it occurrecl
to l)cnnis th:rt his clcctric crrviuq knifc' would be jr.rstthc
tickct to nrake quick. clerrncuts in the fo:rnr.
18
WORKBENCH
APRIL2OO7
FURNITUREFLOSS
KarenFowlerof Culver,
Oregon,makesa hobbyof
r e p a i r i nogl df u r n i t u r eO. n e
o f t h e p r i m a rcyh a l l e n g e
se
sh
facesin her pastimeis re-gluingveneerthat rsseparating
from itssubstrate.
Getting
e n o u g hg l u e
betweenthe looseveneer
andthe substrate
is often
difficult,andshehasbroken
off enoughpiecesof brittle
veneerto knowthat lifting
the thin material
to make
spaceis rarelythe answer
K a r e n 'sso l u t i o ni st o u s e
dentalflossto dragglue
i n t ot h e a r e ab e i n gr e p a i r e d .
Shefirstdipsthe flossinto
a p u d d l eo f g l u e ,a n dt h e n
u s e sa s e e s a w i nm
gotion
to spreadthe gluebetween
t h e v e n e ear n ds u b s t r a t e
Asidefromcleaningbetweenteeth,dentalfloss
isalsoa perfectwayto
spreadgluebetweenloose
veneeranda substrate
whenmakingrepairs.
AVOID"UPHEAVAT'BY CAULKING
Driveway Joints
Heavinq concrete - or
concrctc that seenrsto rise
up out ofthc eround every
Concrete
FIRST:CutV-notch
Slab
withutility
knife
r'vinter'- is ri cotttttton
problenr irr colder cliurates.
It\ ofterr cluscd by rv.rtt'r
r-urclernelththe concrete
fi-eezinsrnci pusl-ring
upw:rrclon the concrete shb.
To avoid this, Errl Lanrb
of Brainerd, Minnesota,
caulks explnsion joints to
rurakethenr watelproof. Hc'
SECOND:
Fillexpansion
jointwithcaulk
D a l eS i m so f L e e s b u r q .
Virginia,
foundthat the bestway to fine-tune
a pieceof rigid
foaminsulation
to fit intoa studcavrtvwasto usehishandheldpowerolaner.
Theplanerleaves
a cleanedgeon the foam(lnsetPhoto)and
allowsyouto makefineradjustments
thanyoucouldotherwise.
Beprepared
to cleanup a lot of foamshavings,
though.
usesl self-levelingcaulk
likeVulkcrn 2.{5.To get
c r r o r r g hc u u l k i n t o t h e j o i r r r .
flrst ctrt rV-shrped wedge
into thc cx1-xrnsion
urlterial
r.rsinqrr shrrp utility knifc.
.-
r
,il
f
t
L
I ;r
.F"nJF,ll
ll
t
ta
T o r e c e i v e v o u r l e b a t e . i u s t s e n d t h i s ( o u o o n w i t h v o u r n a m e . a d d r poshso n p n u m b p r
I
from
thiboxandacopv:?i"1?[lfrfi::13i,::Jiji::1,:5i3,lxll;::":1'3]""'uPc
F
IUlAtL-lN
.rrt r.-
REBATE
-
O*toi."j.f
DOCtOf mOdel
excepi 300 & 3s0x
On any Dfill
PLANE.TO.FIT
RIGIDFOAM
[eDa.fe_LOOe
Rebate Code
WB
ProductInformation
Number275
i;tt'flfi:l"'fis::il?Hil'rmonrne
ie$e'i1!i[:ii:"':"'
orcall1-800-741-1365
euqerqr'
Douglas,
^'
Az oJoJJ8565s.1105
| ruJ
qr ldrr r-ouu-'$ r' rror
30'2a0T
Rebatecannatbercmbined
f,ii':":l:il!::1,::,i:;'f:il2:!,',!i"1-Apr
BRUSHSAVER
TRIANGULATEFORA SAFE
Holdarmsparallel
with ground
Ladder Angle
Marcus Clewett ofTempe, Arizona,
spendsa lot of time going up and
down a ladder while working on his
home. So he knows that properly
setting a ladder up can be the difference between an uneventful climb or
lms evenwith
top of rung
a nasry fall.
One of the most critical elements
of ladder saGty is setting the ladder at
the proper angle. Many ladders have
alignrnent guides printed on the side
to help you position the ladder. But if
the guide is rnissing or obscured, you
can always check the angle by placing
your toes against the ladder rails and
stretching out your arn1s,so they are
parallel to the ground (Illustration).If
Toestouching
ladderbase
your pahls can rest on top ofa rung,
the ladder is at a safe angle.
Haveyou evernoticed
how painttendsto wick
andclog
up the bristles
nearthe ferrulewhen
usinga paintbrush
for a longperiodof
Briggs,
of
time?Stanley
Vancouver,
Washington,
did.And afterhaving
to throw awayseveral
brushesprematurely
cleaning
that
because
paintout of the bristles
wasnearlyimpossible,
he discovered
that
simplyby dippinga
brushinto the appropriatesolventbepre
painting(waterfor latex
paint,mineral
spirits
it made
for oil-based),
much
easier
cleanup
the
and extended lifeof
hisbrushes.
'lr[lNlf#f,hoprt
this POWERMATIC
I ll
yourchancetol f,f
t
A value of over $S,000!
Now you can get from Rockler the same great Powermatic
tools the pros use.PLUS,enter for your chanceto win one of 4
Powermatic workshops!
Enter daily online at
www.rockler.com/oowermat:G
or visit
near you.
To call the store nearest you, dial l -877-ROCKLER
s|*9.95"L"**,
Create with Confidence"
Product Intormation Number 214
Code731
PERFECT-FITTING
TRIM WITH
r
-l
Mlter uaw
Blade Stop
While instalhng neu' trim throushotrt
his l-rouse,Tonr
Ericson of I)enver,
Cololado, found that he often h:rd to
trinr a tir.rylnount olFthe lenglh of :r
rvolkpiccc to nuke ir fit pe#i.ctly.
After several fmstrating occrlrrencesof cutting offjust a bit
too nruch with his nritel sarv,he
found that tlre best way to "sneak
up" on thc' cut was to use the saw
b l l d e i t s c l i ; r s: l " s t ( ) 1 . "t o p o s i t r o r r
the workpiece.
Witl.r the cuttins heaciitr the
"down" position rrnd the saw
not running, bLrttthe enc-lof tlre
work;riece rgrir-rstthe /rorlyof tl.rc
bladc'(not the tecth),:rsin Fiq. /.
Thcn hold tl.repiece in posrtror.r,
lrd raiscthc blrdc. Now porver up
thc slv rncl nukc thc cut /Fig. 2)
to renrovejust a slivcr of ntatcrill.
ZAR ULTRA
Mox comesin quart and gollonsizes.
It is ovailablein gloss,semi-gloss
and satin sheens.
ULTRAMax is an environmentallysafe,revolutionary
dual drying polyurethane.ltdries by coalescing& oxygen
cross-linking
for a harder"throughcure."
r Self-leveling,
smoothfinish
r ldealfor floors,cabinets.
furnitureand woodwork
r Outstanding
wearand durability
. Superfastdrying-lowodor formula
r Exotichardwoodsapproved
YEARS
For more information and a dealer near you
call 1-800-272-3235or visit us at www.ugl.com.
SASTi]liili
GETTHE MOSTFROMYOUR
WaterHeater
f;nsttre;rn ;rder;ua{r,r;up;rIy*{ h;ilt
iruatelr;lnd mal<eyoulrwat*r henter
rn$r'**ffici*nt by rl*aninq i{,r**lul,rrly"
T h e p r o c e ssi s q u i ck a n d si rn p l e"
pfOhlem
i Your untcy
lrcater,
tulrichuscdtoput ttut crtouglr
Irot watcrto handlca rcuplco_flongshowcrs,
a ktadttf laundry,
attdrnore
ntnp,irrst
catr't
kccp
up
witlr
demnnd,
But thetuater
,
lrcatcrisn't thatold,andslrculdn'trrcedto bercplaced.
i$#luti0n: Therek
usually nothing wrong
with a water heatel that
no lonser keepsup. Itjust
rrr'edsto be clcarredto ger
lid of sediment that builds
u p i n t h c t . r n k . T h i ss e d i nrent reclucescapaciry and
ruakesthe water heater less
efficient.To see why, you
first rreed to understand
how f, w:rter hcater works.
A water heater is
rerlly just a big tank in an
insuhted shell.A burner (in
,r grs-fired heltcr') wrrrurs
the wrter to a specified
tenrper2rturc(Ill ustration).
Becausethe wrter sits
minerals :rnd other solids
in the water have ample
tilre to settle and collect at
the bottorl.r of the tank.As
this sediment builds up, it
reducestrnk capacity.
The sedinrentalso
creatc'sa barrier between
the water in the tank and
tl.reburner below. That
nreansthe burner has to
in the tank until needed,
Draining
the Tank
the Box at left.
Ifthcrei no floor drain
near the water heater,you
/ Closewatersupplyvalve
/ Openthe hot waterhandle
on a faucet
/ Draintankuntilwaterruns
clear,then closedrainvalve
/ Closethe openfaucet
/ Turnthe watersupplyon
/ Go backto faucetand
run hot wateruntilallair
is purged
/ Resetthermostaton heater
26
ColdWater
lnlet
run longer to heat the
water, which has a big
impact on utiliry bills.
Getting rid of the sediment is easy,though. Every
six months, you simply
need to drain offthe water
and sedinrent (Plxtnt).The
procedures are detailed in
/ Turnthermostatto "pilot"
To keepyourwaterheaterrunningefficiently,
drainsedimentfrom the tank regularly.
Drainthe tank untilyou've
removedabout5 gallonsor any milkycolordisappears.
can simply use a bucket, or
hook r"rpa hose to the valve
and direct it to a drain.
Either way,just be careful.
The water will be very hot.
By the way, the drain
valve on nrost water heaters
is plastic,and it can crack if
you ovcltishren it. But this is
casyto get lrotrnd.Just drrin
the tank corrrpletelyone tirrre
and install a qualiry valve like
the one shown in the Phottt.
WORKBENCH
APRIL2OO7
Pressure/
Temperature
Valve
Temperature
ControlKnob
Thermostat
Drain
Valve
MAKEA PROPER
PATCHFORA SEAMLESS
Drywall Repair
pfOblemiYou
justfound out tuto thingsthe hard way:
Door stopsare important,and a doorknobcanpunch a hole right
throughdrypall with surprisingease.Nout you needto patclr
that hole,so it won't be noticeable.
Solutioni
A doorknob
can punch a remarkably clean-looking hole,
but chances are the
surrounding drywall will be
cracked and weakened.
So the first thing to do
is cut out the areausing
a drywall saw to make a
6"-square opening. This
should remove the damaged
dr1.wall. Plus, it's much
easierto cut a squarepatch
than a round one.
Next, fit a couple of
scrapsinto the the opening,
and drive screws through
the drywall into the scraps
to secure them so they span
the opening (Illustration).
Now cut a piece of drywall
to fit, and then screw it to
the scraps.
Screwscrap
blockto wall
i Screw patch to
scrapblock
Cutdrywall
patchto fit
i
(t I
Now you can tape and
fill the seamsusing the tips
on pages80 and 81. Spray
on a bit of texture, and
you're ready to paint.
Mesh
Drywall
Tape
Applyjoint
compound
in layersto
covertape
fen
sTArns
Precision
Floating
Stairs
Precision
Spiral
cusro,it
Steel
Aluminum
Stainless
-
Oak, Chcry, Mrplc
or Mrhogr[y
Hrndnllr & Trcadr
All Wood
with steel
structare inside
EconoSeries
stockkits
ProductInformation
Number248
Mylen Strirs Inc. - Strir maken for over50yerrs.
710WashlngtonSt , Peeksklll,NY 10566
wwwury{r$im FactoryShowmomMon-Frl 9-6,Srt 9-l
A
A FEWSIMPLEFIXESENSURE
ProperlyTunedDoor
Placedollar
bill underdoor
to checkgap
I 'l:
", Tlrcrc'sa wp rtndcr ytttrrtxttrior door tltdt
urt-fi'cl it attytilllp 1t1111'vg
a//orls-sotttrrcltdir tltnttrylrtltdt 1,trrr
tlu' dir is nbortttltt
rltrl drn,qs,
5/1r-sc
61r Arrd bcmttst'tltc door-sag.s
rtt't'dto trrtrt'rrlt
tlrt' door tasil1,.\1t11
tlt(lt,qctstltntrr,qlt
otrl1,711i,,.,
ad,itrsttttcttts.
obvittrrs
tltt,dttor,btrt tltcrcarctt'ttu11,
:
' ,r .
The splce
tulrclerthc door is a notorious spot for :rir inflltration.
Tlunkfully, tn:rny doors hrvc
:rn rrdjustabletl.rresholdfor
aclrieving :r tight seal(lllrrstrariol). But first yor,rncccl to
tiqlrten tl.rec'loorhinges.
Start by nraking sttrc thc'
screwsth:rt attach the hinges
to the cloor are tight.Then
chcck the scrcrvsthat nttach
the l.ringesto the cloorjantb.
At leastone scl'cwrn each
I'rirrgcsl.rouldbe a lor.rgone
thrt passesthrough the jantb
close the cloor'.Yousl-ror.rlcl
be able to pr-rllthe bills out
with nroderlte lcsistance.
If thc'y slide out easily,tlu n
the screr,vsin tlre face of the
tl-lesholclto miseit.You nr:ry
ar.rdinto thc rvrll stud (Hirqgc
Dctnil).If none is, rcplaceoue
of thc existinq sct'ewsin each hlvc to r-epelt this scveral
lrirrgewith t#12 x 3" scr-cw tiuresto get the riglrt fit.
Now you can ldjust
the tl.rresholcl.Toclo tl.ris,
lay a couplc of clollarbills
on the threshold.and then
Product lnformation Number 183
.1
G R E A T - L O O K I N GD, U R A B L EF I N I S H E SW I T H A H O M E
Powder Coater
W h c r r i t c o r ) l c st ( ) t l r c s s i r rugp h i n g c s .
h:rrrdlcs.
.rnd other lrlu-tlnlrlc :r:-ourrtl
t l t c h o n t e .| r r i r r tt s o t - t c rtrl t c c h o i c c .
I l u t p : r i r r t r r rrqr r e t l li s p r o L r l c r r r : r t i c .
F i | s t , r l l t. t . t ( ) | g l tt ( r - l ( ' l. l ( ( ) t ) \ i \ t c n f l v s r n o o t l rf l n i s l t .l ) . r i n tr r l s ol t , r s: r
tctttlcnct,t() run ilr(l dr-ip,lrrd it rsn't
vcrv rlullrble.Non thcrcls:r bcftcr
ltltcnrlrtir.ct<tplri111- p.rn rlcl r'olrtitrq.
:rsit sourrcls.
-fLrst
l.rrxvtlcr'
co:ltlilq is :t prol'r'\5 1]111
r'()rsists
ot-spr.l'irrq:r
colorctl pon tlc:-onto
r r e t r r .i r n t lt l t e r rb : r k i r r g
it to :r thrr:rbicfinislt.
W l r . r tr n . r k e ist r i o r k i s r r
sntlll elt'ctrir':rl
t'lt.rr-qe
tlr;rt
i{ets:t||lietl to tlte rttctrtl.so tll:tt
thc pon dcr strckslikc strrtrcclrtrq.
Hcltt firrrr iln ()\'ct)t'ltrscstlre
pon,clcrto "rrrclt."('l-lrist:rn bc .r strrn-
tl:trtl ovctr or' ,rn ine r|crrsrve to,tstct'
(,\L't)
. i r r r t , l , , r rl ')rl . l t ) , , 1L)r . i I ] !i t l i , r
l , ' , ' , 1 . 1f l t r ' I i . \ t r l ti \ ( ( ) l ) \ r \ t ( . I |(t..\ ! . r r
c o k r r : r n t l . r i r r r r s l t J r : r r lns t o l c c l r i p , r r r t tl . r t l t . - t i . s r . r . tr lrtr.tr r r1 r . r i r r t .
I t ^ r ' t l c r c O l t t t r r q\ \ , s t c l l ) \ t r s c t l t o [ r c
t l r t t t c e x l l c t l s i V c .l t L t t r e r ' e l lt l t t l V l r n c c s
huvc :rllrxvr'tl| )lYcrs to t'rcute tlrerr
o \ \ I l ( ' ) . l t i l l { \t t . i i l q . r t tI I t (\ l \ r . n \ t \ ! '
porvrlcr-t'olrttrtqtool fiorrI (lr:rftsrnlrn
( I I r o r o , l t t I o t t , ) . 'ift c p o u d c l s t l ) i l f c i l r l
b c t r s e t l u i r h t l r i s t o o l . r r - e. n ' : r i l . r [ r l ci n
r rr l ur v r l i f l i ' r c r r t c o l o r s . t e r f r n ' e s .l r rr t l
slrecrrs /.\iriry'r,i
r, lx'lp11,si,pl
111. ( .t':tfisrr t.l I
oflcrs lO tiitlt t'cltt t o]ors on t]tcit'
n c b s i t c ( ( . r ' r r t i sr rrr r r r . c orrt ) . : r n r l t l r e r c : r r t '
t l o z e r r so i f o u ' d e r s
l n : r i l : r l r l ef i o r r o t l r t ' r
s u p p l r e r s( s r r c J.tr s( ) r r s n e l l l ) l ; r t i r r g . c o r r r ) .
Clean It-
lle tirre tlrc pou tlcr
c r r n l r c : r p p l i c t l ,i t ' s c l r t i t ' e l t i r r r t x r r r
rcnro\/c ,llly nrst. dirt, or-prc-:rpplicd
HOMEPOWDER-COATING
KIT
Powdercoatrngat home
i s p o s s i b lt eh a n k st o t h i s
S190 kit from Craftsman,
plusa special
colored
powder.
.*.1
*
\ -r
l[-i
I,
\'
30
W O R K B E N CAH
P R I L2 O O 7
finisl-ron the hl'c|varc.Thc bcst rv:tv
t o J o r h . r ti \ t ( ) \ o , r kt l t c f . i t ' t r ' i r t
Lrcquel thinrtcl ovcrliight.Thetr sclub
it rvith :r u'ile blistle blush to qet
dorvn to brirc nictrrl (l:i.g.l).
Charge It-To
rlct tl.rc;rorvclc'r
you neecltcr
to cling tci thc h:rrclrv:rrc,
:rppl,vru'rc'lectric:rlchlr-rc to it.With
thc (lrrrftsrrnnsvstcnr,thts rs rtccotti
rvire thlt lr.rns
plisheclr.r'ithrr gr-or.rncl
fronr thc pou'el prrck of thc' tool anr'l
gcts clippccl fo thc hlrclr'vrtt-e.
If yor.ru'lnt to co.rt nrultiplc
plrts, jr.rstcor)l)cct thc qxruncl rvilc
t ( ) , l n ) ( ' t . r tl r , l \ ' .t l l ( r r ' l r ) ', l r , r l g i r r {t l t c
c n t i r c s u l t i l c c . T h e ns c t r r l l t h e i t c r r r s
to bc cc'ntcclon it. lt's :tlso:t qoocl
the cartridge
fromthe tool,
1l Toget the powderto adhereproperly, 2l Remove
using and loadit with the coloredpowder.
scruballthefinishoff the hardware
Any powderthat'snot usedis reusable.
lacquer
thinneranda wirebrush.
iclclrto corrcf thc tr';rvrvith :tlutttilttttil
firil, so vou cun lcr,lscit. Ancl this rv:ry,
thc tlrry rvor]'t gct porvclcr-corttccl,
u,hiclr cor.rlclintcrfc'r'cu,ith thc
clcctr-ic:rlclrrrrqc.
IJc lrvlrrc thlrt t>rrccvou c()llt tl)c
purts,thc ;rorvclcru'ill gct knockccl ofi
thc trrrv
if you touch thcrn,so h:rrrcllc
c:rrefirlly.If you clo touch u pilrt, thouqh,
just rccorrtthc rrrcrryoLrtouclrccl.
If you h:rvcllnv piu'tsth:tt volt rv:ttrt
to lc:rvcur)c()iltccl(strchlrs()r) t]rc (lool'
h:u'tlrvurc()n p:lgc 30), vou'll ncccl t<r
3l Aftercharging
the tray,spraythe
powderacrossthe piecesuntilthey're
rnmnlotolrr
cnrrorod
wrip thcilr rvith :r s;'rcci:rl
hiuh tcrrrpcr:rtu|c ni:rskingtrpc.This tepc is :rr'rtil:tblc
flrrc rrristonto tl)c hartlu':rrc(l:i,q..11.
tnln :ury pou,cicr-co:rtinqsupplicr.
I{ecp sprrryirruur)til rl)c lrrrrclu,:rrc
is
;rppl1,tlrc porvclcr'
Coat It-Tir
coirting, stllrt bv lolrdirrg thc t'cutor,:tblc corrrplctclycoiltccl,ltrtcl lurv lrclclitiolr:rl
c:rrtriclqcof thc tool rvith porvclct|( )\\'rlerslre.lit ttf tlrr' itt t't.rr'e.
//-'ig.2).Then rcconrcct thc c:rrtric'lsc,
:rrrclpressthc triqqcl' to lclcusc :t
Bake It-Ti)
curc thc l.rtxvclcr',
sct thc ovcr) (usurrllv:rt :rrorurcl-l(X)o
4l Bakethe hardwareat the desiredtime
and temperatureto get the powder to
melt and fuse to the metal.
firr ,0 to 30 rrrinutcs),rncl calcfirlly
plrrcc thc tlly insiclc.As thc por'vcler
"b:rkcs,"you'll scc it ulaciu:rllynrclt
:r snrooth coatinq (l:i.q.1).
to pr'<rrlucc
Aftcl bukirrg,.yust
:rlkrw t]rc h:rrch,vl'e
tEfl
t . r ' r r o l . . r r t ri tl ' r t - , ' , t r lryo t r r . .
POWDER.COATI
NGOPTIONS
COLORFUL
,
\#
A numberof classic
and
antiquecolorsand sheens
areavailable,
suchasthis
glossyPearlescent
White.
Redfinish
A Transparent
allowsa hintof the brassbeneathto showthroughthe
vividcolor.
a
GoldVeinpowderproduces
crackled,
texturedfinishwith
hintsof goldfleckmixedwith
glossyblack.
Anothereye-catching
finish
is Sparkling
GrannySmith
Itsboldgreencoloris
enhanced
with silverflecks.
www.WorkbenchMagazine.com
31
NO-FAILAPPROACHTO
Removins
Waste
Piece
aWall Stfd
Don't let wall studsdictatewhere a built-in
fikethe displayniche(pg. 66)goes.lf one'sin
the way, removeit and reinforcethe opening.
i I Lay out the location of the niche on the wall.
2] Cut an opening in the drywall 3" taller and 6" wider
than the niche using a utiliry knife (Illustratiort,top right).
3 | Set your circular saw for a full-depth cut. Cut
carefully acrossthe stud near the top and
bottonr of the opening (Photo,above).
4l Use a hand saw to complete each cut (lnset).
5J Carefully pull the stud free. Note: This
may pull some screws through the dr)'wall on
the backside of the stud.You'll need to patch
these holes with joint compound.
6l Cut 2x4 "header" and "sill" pieces to fit
between the studs adjacent to the opening.
Screw them to the two exposed ends of the
cut-offstud, and to the adjacent studs with
pocket screws (Illustration, bottom right).
7] Cut two "trimrner" pieces to fit between
the header and sill. Screw them in place with
pocket screws on either side of where the
display niche will be mounted.
El Install the display niche (page68).-Ihen
patch in drywall, and mud and tape the dr)'wall
joints to create a smooth, flat suface around
the niche. (For more on this, seepage 80.)
32
woRKBENcH
ApRrLzooT
2Tz"Pocket
Screw
E(.
il
Ttil
L]
U
h
Drywall '
tr
addeasy
elegance
uuith
aint and glaze ere a great way
to add color to an otherwise
ordinarv piece of furniture.
This sideboardis a perfect example.
But you alsocan take it a step
further and add a simplemotif like
this pear design.
This is possiblewith a unique
faux-finishing product known as
Wood lcing, a creamy,water-based
productwith the consistency(and
look) ofpeanut butter.By applying
the icing over stencilsthat are
attachedto the piece,you can create
the decorativedetailsyou seehere.
This pear designrequiresthree
stencils:a grid stencilto createa backdrop,and wvo overlappingstencilsfor
the pears.(Seethe Buyer'sCuideon
page40 for sourcesofstencilsand
suppliesyou'll needfor this and other
Wood Icing projects.)
Paint Base Coat-The first step
of this,or any'Woodlcing project,
is to apply a basecoat of paint.We
sandedthe sideboardfirst with 220grit sandpaperand then brushed on
a coat of the white basepaint that's
includedwith theWood Icing kit.
Optional Crackle-After the
paint dries,you may chooseto add a
"fissuremedium," or crackle medium,
asitt sometimescalled (Fig.1). (This
product is alsoincluded with the
Wood Icing kit.) It causes
the icing
to developsmall cracksand fissures,
producing an antique look.
Background Grid-Once the
crackle skinsover (in about an hour),
it's time to use the grid stencil to
createthe background design.Todo
that, first spreadon the Wood Icing
(Fig.2). Now lightly mist the icing
with a spraybottle of water to prevent
the grid from sticking.Next, pressthe
grid into the wet icing (Fig.3),and
carefullylift it offto leavethe grid
pattern behind (Fig.q. Let the icing
dry overnight, and then sandit lighdy
with a 220-grit sandingblock to
remove any imperfections.
start with a base,add a grid
':. lLF-:
!)
":
appearance, 2l Usea puttyknifeto applya thin
1l lf youwanta "crackled"
roll"fissure
medium"ontothedoorpanel. (7s) layerof Woodlcing.Youcanleave
Thiswillcause
cracks
to formintheicing. someof the ridgesto add interest.
design,
3l To imprintthe background
usethe puttyknifeto pressthe grid
stencilintothe icing.
peelup the stencil,
and
4l Carefully
removeit fromthe doorpanel.Letthe
icingdry overnight
beforeproceeding.
urww.WorkbenchMagazine.com
39
PAINT
POWER:
make the pear motif
With thc qnrl prrttcr-nconrpletc. l,orr
clllr qct st:rftccl()n tlrc pc:r| ntofrf-.It's
crc.rtcclNitlt tNo ovcrlrtppitrgstcrrcils
t i r r r tc o r r r ct o g c t h c l 'j t r . r s c t . T l t c t l l s t
f()sitioncd thc stcncilso thc pclr
rlcsiqrru':tsccntcr-ccl
oll tltc (ioor
prrncl:rrrrlthcn t:rpcdit irr plucc.TJtc
t , t l l rl'l t i ' \ ' r ' l ) tt l\t t s l t ' r r r 'tri Ir r r r. l r i l i i r r q
stcncil cfclrtcsthc pg11-..,.
stclil. illtd
lcrrvcs/1Iitrtur,
/tli). :rnd thc scconti :rtlls
:rxrurrtl.n'hich uoulrl luirr tlrc rlcsiqn.
I t ' sl r l s or n r p o l t l r n tt o t r l n s f c l t l t c
rcqtstr:ttiorrrrril'ks(tirunrl ()n lltost
ovcrlrrppirruI c:r'cs /1)/rirttr,
/rr'/rri
rr.
Mirror Images- ()rrc othcr
rrrLrltr-lrn'cr
stcrrcils)to thc r'loor.
i rrrport:rrrtr)()tc.ll)()utf ltrsp11'1i1'11111-Tlt.tt n:rr,,vou'll bc rrlrlcto loc;rtc f]tc
p n r j c c t : W cn e r r t c c tl h c r r r o t i t io n t h c
r r ' rt r i l r l s t C t t r ' i. lr r ' tr t t - . t t r ' l r .
rloors to bc rrrir-nr irrrltqcs.Th:ltls
c:ls1ly
Not' Ioul'c i-cuclvto rrpplt'thc
5 ] r . 1 : c , rr n i r ' 1 o : , p r i l , t c l . irl t i r r1 . r y l r
t t t r t l o \ / i , l i i l r , , , i { | r | 1 . l i t , , t i l i ( . t (i l l ( l
: r c c o r r r p l i s h cbcvl f l i p p i n ut l t c s t c r r c r l s
f i r r r r ro r r c c k r o lt o t l t c r r e r t .( ) i c o t r r s e .
v o u ' l l n ec c l t o n r : r k c\ u r c t h c s t c t r c i l s
.u'coricntcrl corrc(-tlvto st.ll'tofi. For'
t J r i sp n r j c c t ,t l r . r tr r r c : r npt o s i t i o r l i r r tgl r c
pcilr stcnrsso tlrcv poirrtcil in tonlrnl
l c , l V i " . o l l r { , i ) l t l r ( r r ( l a l r , . , , i r l r( t l ) i ) l t i ,l,( )
tlrc siclclro:rrdls
(llroto,pa,gt.)ll).
tlr-rru,crs
Attach the First Stencil-Witir
t l r l r rr r r t t t i : r d q
, o l t l r c r r .t rl r r t sl c t t l t c
, r ( l ( i( 1 ( , 1 ) l l t , l t ti l1 i \ i 1r r. ,
f l r s ts t c r r c rol r ) o r ) eo i t l r c d o o r s . W e
ol
.l c,lili' A|] ytrLi\'r,oili\iollr \,'\r,r!'{l(ri)st,
W<rotlIcinq. As rorr c;ut sce irr 1:ig.
. i . t h r s r s . j L r sl itk c i c i n g r r c u k c .U s e r r
k n i t c t o s p l c : r dt l t c i r ' i r r g : l c n r sfsl r c
s t e r r c i lt,r l l i n q i r r t l t c c r r t o t r t sH. c r c
ltqrlin.rlon't n orr\' ;rbout qcttlnq it
r r b s o l r r t c lst n r o < > t lIr{.r d c c s. r r r dr i p p l c s
rur'ltl
tcrtrrle to tlrc dcsiqtr.
( ) r r c c t h . r t ' sd o n e, c . r r c f i r l l v
r c l l r ( ) \ ' ct h c s t c n c i l 1 / : i g 6. , ) . V t t rr r r ; r 1 ,
n o t i c e u t c r i l o r - r q l cr r l q c sl t n t r r n t lt l t c
c l c s i g r tb, r r t d o n ' t u o r l r , . J u s t l c t t l t c
i c i r r u d r - , vo v c r n i q h t .r r r r l t h c n r r s c
2 2 {) - g r i ; s : r r r t l p r r l .troc r"-k n o c k r l o n n "
BU Y E R ' G
5 U ID E
tlrc rough cilqcs.
Second Stencil-Non
itls.justrr
t t t : r t t cor i p o s i t i o n t n qt h c s c c o n t sl t c n c i l
ott tlrc door .r:rd:titlirrq trrorcWootl
Icirrst() conrplctctlrc rtrotif 1,li'g,
7/.
Second Door-Whcr)
\ , ( ) uq c t
r - c ; r t i tvo r c p c 1 61 l 1 gp r o c e s s( ) l r t h c
s c r ' o r r tdl o o r , r e n r c l r L r c lt o H i p t l r c
s t en c i l s .A n d r l o t r ' t f i ) r g c f t o c l r : r r rt h c
i r i r t q r t f i t l t L . t l t t t t l . l \ ( ' l i r r (\' ( ) 1 1 \ ( '
tlrcrnlrq:rirr.
6 ] O r r ri , v t - r Ll tr , r i ' t , r l - r l t l i r ' , 1
i i r i t ( i l . l , l r l r ' l t r l r l l r i , . , l r , r r Ii
I I r r , i rt l i l i r l r r n q r l t y .
\4
\t)
'
"4
1 i ,i
40
ll
l r : , i ' t i r t , i ( , ! 1 , , { r ' i (i i) | l l . l i ( S
o t r l l t . : ' , i t i t l l s i . r .L; ' l t , , i r ,
.lr',..)r',,r,{r
f . i r r , ' , c c o r sr cl (l . l c r i .I l l e r r r
. r l r p l yi l r c t c l r qa r r r p
l r : el o
i l r r : , , I r ,t . rj lL t : l. r : l' r l f o r i r
W O R K B E N CAH
P R I L2 O O 7
highlight with color
A [crv firr:rltou('he\- l':rirrt.Sllzt'.;rnd.
if vor.rrvlr-rt,sonie gilt clcrrnr-:rt'e lll
th:it\ needed to contplcte youl r:rise'dstcncilnr:rsterpiecc.
st:rrtecl
Start with Paint-We
by printing thc cloor prrnelswitl.r tl.re
snnrebasc color paint usccion the
sicleboard.Weclic'lthis so the ql;rze,
:rt'eIrt, rvo tt I cl h :ive
r,vl'ri c h i s sen.ti -tnt n s1-r
I h c s : t t t t c" o l d - r i t , r - I , 1e"t l c r ' ti l c r ( x s
the cutire piece of firr-nitulc.Stult bv
brrrshinetl.rc'door' (l;i.q.8),:tttclfhcrr
srvitch to r snirrlllollcl to stttooth thc
p:rint befolc :rpplying thc glirzc.
Add Glaze-Non
voui'c t'crttlv
i r r ' t r r. i J ' r r l . \ ' 1 l r
i
l i t a i - r , l \ i ' f | ] . rA
r 1 . . , : i t , (j r ( r v t ( r r 5
9 l \ ' l r : . t r l , t t l : l r ' l l i l t ' t l l . t : r t ' r , t ' tIi llrl , l t t
I , r r t l t G t t , i ' r ta . i i ) r . r r t i, r i l c ji l ! r . ' . ll l r t t s l l
i o c l . t i ,r ti r i ,r . r l t \ 1 1 ii il i\ , ( . tl l t r , t r t l i t t , , i l O ( ) r
to :rclclthc glrrzc.Wc r.rseclthe nvo
AclunGllzc proclnctsshorvrrirr thc
htycr's ()rridcon pitsc -10.Aftcrr r r i r i r r gt l t e r t tt o r l . ' r l t . t i r t t l t t p r ' ( ) [ ) ( ' r '
r:rtio,blush the gl:rzconto thc tkrot'
(ljrq'.9/.Thcn srvitch to cl.rccscclotlt
to renrove sonrc of tlrc gllzc, rts
shorvn in ljig.r.10 €. 11.
flnrtl tlctrril
Gilt Cream-OIrc
vou rrrly wlrt to tly is to highlight
thc cclgcsof thc pcrrs r.r'ithnrct:rllic
gilt crcrurr(l)lroto,
pnqc.l f . This rrclds
:r hirrr of sold color',nrcl it ct'catcsthc
.rrountl thc cdscs
illusion of shrrclorvs
oithe pcrrrs,acldinsfirrthcr clepth to
tl-rcclcsiqn.
Tb apply thc gilt crcrrnr,stru'tbv
ptrttinu l snrrrllcllb oiit ou y()ur'
flnqer'.Thcnjr,rstlr.rbit rrlongthc
tH
r',lr1errrl-tlrr' pr'.u'\:lnrl lc.rve*.
1 I . j l u ; i t . t i . . il 'l r ! ' i r L rl ' ' ' .
. r , , , i 1 . , , 1 r . . 1i i:rii l t i r r C i . t i t , t
I t . L 'i t l i r j r t t ' l r - t f i , r a , '
THEOPTIONS
EXPLORE
41
better
KITCHEN
Oldappliances,
datedcabinets,
andcrumbling
countertops
maybe
why you'vechosento remodelyour
kitchen,but how you remodelyour
kitchenis a questionof design.
To trulyremodelyourkitchenis
to reshape
the spaceto conformto
the wayyou live.And to do that,
youwill needa plan.
WORKBENCH
APRIL2OO7
t r#
q
,f.
%"
DESIGNERS
44
woRKBENcH
ApRtL2oo7
laborate, form:rl nrealsare occasionally pr-epared
hele. Modest nreals ar-eregularly preparcd nrrrl
eatenherc. Friends gather here for coffee and
convers:rtion.Thisis wher-ethe n'railsets sorted,
the phone gets answered,and the bills get p.rid.
And if you know wherc to look, you can find l}rrd-Aids,
pain relievers,and other of lifet rer.nediesinside one of the
cabinets.It is the figur-ativeand literai center of this hone.
It is the kitchen.This kitchen belongs to Scott and Nancy
Schroeder,ofAdel, Iowa, and itt newly rer.uodeled.
kitchen that nreets the
Consult a Professional *A
unique r.reedsof a busy fanrily as well as this one does is no
accident.Iti the product ofgood design.And good desirn
is, morc often than not, the prrcduct of a good desigrer.
TI.re Scl.rroeders
connected with kitchen designer
Marcine Car.neronthrough Col.rsolidatedKitchens
& Fireplacesin Ulbar.rdale,Iowa. I)uring r seriesof
nreetings,both in the home rnd at the courprny's
showroour, M:rrcine helped the-couple prioritize tl.reir
wish list rnd identify which wishes would be fulfilled,
w}rich would require sonle conrproruise,and which
just couldn't be acconrplishedwithin the sc:rleand
budget ofthis project.
As you might expect,nrarryof the Schroeders'wishes
were easyto fulfill, likc a casualdining arca,a way to
ThisChinahutchwastoo
smallfor thisspaceand
generally
seemed
to
get lostin the room.
and a fanrily or'gnizational
clisplaytheir prized dir.urer-w:rrc,
cc'nter.Other, more courplicateditent, such asrenlovlng
the bulkheads ar-rdcreating a doorway benveen the
kitchen and front roon.r,r'equired the help of a contnctor.
course, srantirlq wishcs is
Break the Rules-Of
just one job of a designer.Anotheriurportant role is to
find the balance between conventional wisdor.l and the
wants and needs of the homeowner.
A great exanrple of that is the location of the sink in this
kitchen-it
renrainsr-rnchanged6"om the old kitchen.This
despite the fact that it violates the "wolk triansle" rule of
kitchen desigu (which dictatesthe locations and distances
between the sink, ranse,and lefrigerator) and ierroresthe
tradition of locatir-rgtl.resink in firont of a winclow.
However, it was impoltant to Nancy to leave the
sink where it w:ls to nraintain a visual connectiorl to
at the sink, Nlncy can
the family room.Wl'rile star.rdinq
still interact with Scott at I'risdesk, watch television, or'
enjoy the fire burnirrs in the fireplace.
Of course,your wish list won't be the sltue :rsthe
Schroeders',and yor-rrkitchen won't incluc-lethe saure
challenees.But by taking ir look rt l.row the desigr.rer
and honreowner colllbor-ated on five key areasof the
this kitchen (detailedovcr the next lbur pages),you'll
get a senseof wl-rat a designer can brinll to yoLlr proJcct.
Thediningtable
thisspace
dominated
and blockedtrafficflow
throughthe area.
NEW FLOOR PLAN
A creativearrayof
cabinets
turnedthis
areaintoa familyhub.
FrontRoom
Thefront roomwas
disconnected
from
the restof the house
Thefamilyrarely
usedthisspace.
Thenew peninsula
is perfect
for casualdiningand
createsa smoothpathway
intothe familyroom.
/
Theold
penrnsura
didn'toffer
a placeto sit
andeat.lt only
servedto
obstruct
trafficflow
OLD FLOORPLAN
With the bulkheadremoved,largercabinets
couldbe installedto triplethe storagespace
Thisincludedthe additionof a new pantrv.
45
O-TIERED
DINING
eat-in kitchen was a must-have
fclthe Schroeders.Theyknew that
t of their mealswould be quick
ar! casual,so using the dining room
would be overkill.The peninsulais
the perfect solution. Its adjacencyto
the refrigerator,range,microwave,and
workspacemakesit the ided place
to prepareand enjoy a quick meal or
snack (Photo,right).
A lessobvious benefit ofthe
peninsulais the way it funnels traffic
from the front entry hallway,past
the kitchen, and into the family
room (FloorPIan,page45l.And since
theseare the main living spacesin
the home, having them so logically
connectedmakesmoving around the
housevery efiicient and comfortable
for the family.
It alsobecamemuch easierto move
betweenthe kitchen and the formal
dining room (formerlyan under-used,
undefined"fiont rcom") thanls to a
new openinginsalledby fte Schroeden'
conbactor(PhoAbelow).This
accommodatesmore elaboratedining andis an
excellentexampleofhow good kitchen
designcanimpact the entirehome.
WORKBENCH
APRIT2OO7
|\
I
l(,
.l,ll,l('i-'ii( \
.l
-.,
.1 r,l;irl*.
l;i'
ii)
.,
I
i,ir..li,.ii
,"r.'ll'irl,'l''rlili
i
i:li\;\
:.
I
1 .1 t r i
TRI E-CAPACIryCABINETS
ing rhe bulkheads(ajob the
roedersleft to their contractor)
ened up spacefor 36"-tall wall
cabinets (rather than the 24"-tall
that were there before). It also
allowed Marcine to include fivo floorto-ceiling pantries in the kitchen: one
for canned and dry goods storage,the
other as part of the family hub.All told,
the available storage space more than
trioled that of the old kitchen.
CREATIVELY
storage space1sone uDng; orgais something else altogether.
Forrultely, the cabinetstheyselected
istokrafthaveseveralorsanioptions available,including
drawer dividers, slide-out trays,and lazy
Susansto maxinrize the space.
Of course,you can also choose
from a huge selection ofadd-on
organizers that are readily available on
store shelves (seepage 72for more).
wranar.WorkbenchMagazine.com
47
AMILY HUB
ly the most unique featureof
chen is the "family hub" (Photo,
iarea waspreviouslyoccupied
by alhina hutch,which wasneither
the BEstuseofthe spacenor the best
location for the hutch. So the hutch
was moved into the dining roorn, and
the family hub took shape.
The hub is really a variation on
the mini offrce thati now common in
modern kitchens.There's no desk and
no computeg but this is still the home's
nerve center.And it was easily accomplished using ordinary kitchen cabinets.
An "appliance garage" is the perfect
place to centralize the home phone,
along with cell phones and chargers.
It lets you store them out of sight to
avoid visual clttter (Photo,below).
Inside a full-height pantry, Nancy
usesbasketsto sort mail and other
personal items for the family.
And, fittingly, a bank of apothecary
drawers serves as a family-health
and first-aid station with vitamins,
bandages,aspirins,and other comforts.
48
WORKBENCH
APRIT2OO7
ENHANCEDLIGHTING
with removing bulkheads
and
ing in a new doorway,the
ers enlisted their contractor
new lighting in the kitchen.
fwas actuallyat the urging offriends
who e4presedregretat not addingmore
lighs during their ovrn kitchen remodel.
To spareScott and Nancy the same
their conffactoradded
disappointment,
recessed
lightsin the ceiling,puck
lightsunderneaththe wall cabinets,
and pendantlights abovethe peninsula.
Dimmer switcheslet the homeowners
control how brighdy, or intimately,the
kitchen is lit at any given time.]I-
Writtenby Bill Link, illustratedby
Kim Downing
B U Y E R 'G
SU I D E :
KITCHENDESIGNSERVICE
consolidated Kitchens I Fireplaces
800.888.2667
CKFCO.com
KITCHENCABINETS
Arlstokraft
812.482.2527
Aristokraft.com
COUNTERTOPS
wilsonart lnternational
800.433.3222
Wilsonart.com
APPLIANCES
LG Electronics
800.243.0000
LGE.com
SINK A FAUCET
Moen
800.289.6535
Moen.com
TILE FLOOR
Edge Flooring
800.222.6828
EdoeFloorino.com
PENINSUI.A
LEGS
Osborne Wood Products
800.849.8876
BuvKitchenLegs2.com
www.Workbench
Ma gazine.com
49
t{
Wt}
ff
\,
I
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{
tt
FloatingFloorTile
1
I
I
nstlllirrgrr tilc flxl' is :r siznblcurrclcrtrrking. it rrlsorrrcunsrro tintc pl'cssr.uc
to l:ty tilcs bclorc thc
Ancl oul lronrcou'ncrs,lvith rhcir linritccl
:rclhcsivc
sctsup. M:rybc nrorr,'rrrc:rrriugftrl,
tlrough,is
crpcricncc :rnribusy lifc'stylc,
wcrcn't sure
th:rt :r flo:rtingfloor lctsvou rvork in short burstsif
it n'rrsrrjob thcy coulcltrrkeon. A "flo;rtinq"
th:rtlsrvhrrtvoLrrschcclr.rle
clentrurtls.
lf wru only h:rvc
tilc lloor, though, nrcrrnt this pr-crject'"vls r,vc'll
:t couple' hours crrchniql'rt to rvork on the floor, you
u,itlrin thc r:rnscof tlris frrnrilvlsabilitics.
c'lon'tlosetiurc nrixinq thinsc'tbr'file you can lay
If youi-c not funrili:rrrvith :r fltuting floor, it\
tile,:rnc'lthcrclsno clc:uttp rrt thc cncl oithc night
sinrplv I firrrsltcclllool thnt isn't rrttachcclto tltc
r v l t e r vt t r u l i ' n ' , r ( l yt ( ) e . r l il t , 1 r i t s .
srrLrfloor(-rt'r'7'/rc
I:Iontitr,q"Ed,qc,"p,ryc5I).
C)f course,it's :rlsorvor-thntcntioninq thrrt
In thc' crse of tilc, tlnt lllerlltslto ntasticor
flortinq flools crn be installcclclirectlyon top of
thinsc't:rc'lhcsivc.The
:rrlvlnt:tgcsof that :lle nlilny
existinq vinyl or linolcunr flooring, rvhich cln
Filst, no nrlstic or-thinsct nreansrro sticky uress.
Ancl slve l lot of rvork telring or.rtolcl lloor coverinq
50
WORKBENCH
APRIL2OO7
_l
THE FLOATING"EDGE"
floors,or floorsthat are
Floating
or glued
not nailed,screwed,
arenothing
to the subfloor,
floorshavebeen
new.Laminate
installed
thisway for decades.
Butonlyin the lastthreeyears
for
hastile beenavailable
floatinginstallations.
EdgeFlooringledthe way
with theirsystemof interl o c k i n gt i l e " p a n e l s .E" a c h
panelconsists
of two granite
tilesadheredto a
or porcelain
backerboard.Thebackerboard
is madefrom engineered
l u m b e sr i m i l atro h a r d board.The panelslock
togetherwith tongue
and grooveconnections
(Photos,below).
Twootherkeycomponents
in the systemareflexiblegrout
underlayment
anda rubberized
(CutawayView,below).lhese
combineto allowthe floorsystem
to flex,bend,andmove.This
isvirtuallyimpercepmovement
tibleasyouwalkon thetile,but
makesit lesslikelythat the tileor
groutwill crackfrom heavytraffic
shifting
and
or fromthenatural
settlingthat occursin
a l lb u i l d i n g s .
:-
.zt-
\--rr'-
/r'-r
Thetongueandgrooveconnections
serveashingesto let
thetileflexwithoutbreaking.
A l l o i t l r ; r t r r o t u i t h s t : u r t l i r rrgr r. s t i l l l i n:gl
tirolproof-.
Artd
Holtirrq tilc tlool is rrot rrer'ess:r-ill
itlr
Ir]gc
Floorittg's
\\'c c:ln't conrplctclVlgrce \\
f;tstcr-tlt:trt
lrsscr-tion
th:rt this svstentis i-t'rr.trkrtl.lv
firr
lt qrcrttcoln'crrtior:rltilc. llut it tkrer lt.rke
l o o k i r r gt l o o l u i t h o u t : r l o t o t ' t l r e h r t s s lrer t t ctlt t c s s
of lr nrorc tr:rditrorrlrl
tilc floor rnst.rll:ttiorl.
Tlrc ncrt t\\() pxgcsprxitlc lur ovct'r'icn oioutu,ill
irtst:tll:ttion
floetinqtilc llool insfrrllrrtion.VrLrr
ccrtlinlv ditlcl tionr ours.but this shoultl provirlc
I
l
wood backer
Engineered
e hile
boarda
s r ed u r a b l w
m a i n t a i n i nsgo m ef l e x i b i l i t y
Underlayment
Rubberized
Tapeat
Joints
Subfloor
rrn iclcrroitltc stcpsirtr"olvctlto hclp xru clccidc'ii
:r flo:rtinq tilc floor is thc' richt choicc firt't'ott.
51
Plan,Prep,I Install
Any floor installation, whether fixed or floating, wood
or tile, requires a floor plan. Some key functions of floor
planning are to select a starting point, determine a pattern,
First Course-With
the front door (A) as thc srarring
point, we extended our first dry course down the hallway
and to the far wall (B).'We learned rwo things by doing
and avoid courses that end in very small slivers of tile.
The easiestway to create a plan is to work literally
right on the floor. Simply lay out nvo dry courses of tile
(one lengthwise, one widthwise in the room) ro see how
this. First, we'd need to start with a half-width tile at the
door to avoid having a very narrow course along the
opposite wall.This would have been especiallynoticeable
in the doorway (C) between the kitchen and the family
the tile will fit between fixed points (seelllustration).
To get started,you need to decide
room, another important focal point in this r-oom.
Second, we establishedthat
centering tiles down the length of the
hallway (rather than centering a grour
line) would create the most attractive
what areaof the room yov arc ffiost
concerned with having a s).mmetrical
tile pattern in. I know you want the
entire room to be perfecdy balanced,
but that can be very difiicult, ifnot
impossible to achieve.
The trick is to focus on the
areaswhere the tile arrangement
is most noticeable, like the front
entry hallway in this house. If the
tile in this hallway looks bad, itt
the first thing people will notice
when they walk in the door.
STEP1
Choosea startingpoint basedon which
areaof the room requiresthe bestlookinginstallation.
We chosethe front
door,so we couldestablish
a balanced
installation
down the longfront entry
hallway-an importantfirst impression
to anyonecomingthroughthe door.
STEP2
Layout the first courseof tile from your
startingpoint (A)to the farthestwall or
stoppingpoint(B).Noticehow we hadto
staggerthisdry courseto get aroundthe
kneewall and stairs.
Thiscoursehelpedus determinethat
we neededto cut the first tile (nearthe
front door) to avoidsmalltileson the
oppositewall.
STEP3
Layout a secondcourseof tile, perpendicularto the first.to checkthe fit in the
other direction(betweenpoints Eand
F).In this kitchen,the lasttile at each
end of this coursewould haveto be cut.
Fortunately,thesetileswere largeenough
that they still lookedattractive.
52
WORKBENCH
APRIL2OO7
pattern in this area (D).
Second Course-Now
with the
dry hallway course still laid out, we
ran a second course perpendicular to
this one.
As luck would have it, the tile
ended nicely at both ends ofthe
room (E and F).We would still have
to cut tiles at the ends ofthese runs,
but we wouldn't be cutting any
slivers.Had it not worked out this well, we would've had
to reconsidercentering the tile in the hallway.
That really is the nature of a floor plan. In order for the
tile to look perGct in one area,another areamay haveto
suffer.But aslong asyou plan carefirlly and look for compromises,you should be able to createa balancedinstallation,and
that alwayslooks better than perGction in any singlearea.
Floor Prep-After planning comesfloor prep.You'll
need a relativelyflat and sound floor to install the new
tile on top of.As I mentioned before,there'sno need to
remove old vinyl or linoleum flooring.You canjust install
the floating floor right over the top of it. However, our
existing vinyl floor did presentone problem that we had
to deal with before we could install the new tile.
'W'hen
we removed the old kitchen cabinets,we
uncoveredbare floor. There was no vinyl flooring in
theseareas,and the new cabinetsweren't being installed
in the samelocations.Wehad to filI thesespots,so they
were level with the rest of the floor.We accomplished
that by filling these areaswith inexpensive,peel-and-stick
vinyl tiles that we purchasedat a home center for this
very purpose (Fig.1, aboue).
One final detail we addedbefore beginning the tile
installationwas to install 3/+"-thickplywood platforms
way,we
for the new cabinetsto sit on (Fig.2, above).This
could install tile right up to where the cabinetswould
be without having the cabinetsin the way. And since a
floating floor isnt meant to havecabinetsmounted on top
of it, the platforms solvedthat problem, aswell.This also
elevatedthe cabinetsto the sameheight asthe new floor.
:}F
vry'i:
'.\ I
1] Self-adhesive
vinyltileswere
a simpleway to fill the footprintsleft by the old cabinets.
2] With carefulmeasurement
andcutting,we builtplatformsfor the new cabinets.
here,our tile installationwas
Installation-From
largely by the book.The seriesof Photos,below,showsthe
basicstepsof the installation.For a more detailed overview, you can visit EdgeFlooring.com to download the
complete manual and watch videos of tile being installed.
All told, it took us three dap, or about twenty-four working
hours,to install250 squarefeet of tile-a little slowerthan
Edge Flooring would haveyou believe,but not unreasonable.
And itt worth noting that not all of our tile panels
clicked togethereffordessly.Afew ofthem had to be
"persuaded"with a mallet and a tappingblock.
Nonetheless,when our floor was complete,we werent
lT
exactly walking on air, but we were certainly floatingl
-Written by Bill Link,illustratedby Kim Downing
3] Rollout the rubberized
foil side
underlayment,
down,andtapethe seams.
4] Usea tile panelas a guide
asyou cut doorjambs,so
the tilecanfit underneath.
5] Cuttile usingyourcircular
sawor jig sawequippedwith
bladesfrom EdgeFlooring
6l lt's importantto stagger
the panelsasyou installthem
to avoida continuous
seam.
in the
7] Installtransitions
doorways.Usethe ones
provided,or makeyourown.
8l ApplyEdgeFlooringgrout
usinga caulkgun or from
oressurized
cans.
9] Usea spongefloat to level
the groutandensureallof the
jointsarecompletely
filled.
groutwith
101€leanup excess
a dampspongeandspecial
wipesfrom EdgeFlooring.
w
:
W
li
li
tl
itir'
tr.B.-
H' q il
F.rt
-;y
I N S T A L L I N GK I T C H E NC A B I N E T S :
l'
PROBLEMS
&
I
SOLUTIONS
[]el,v[][v projr..'tscan match new kitchen cabinets for
Here'sa guide to installingthem.
";avirlqsand ";.,*tisfaatron
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t r L l ] L i 1 11 1 1 l 1 , n l ( r \ l t ( ) l | | l ( j t l
FIFTH: Locate
low point
in ceilingand
transfer to wall
':
I
.
FOURTH:
Measureup'191/2"
from base
cabinetlevel
line to establish
approximate
uppercabinet
levelline-.
Locate
and mark
.l
v
.v
It ;
v
Vj\
L ? + +--+
l+
-)
\
\
,pper Cabinet
LevelLine\
,I
+
-+-
---a, .
1 SIXTH:Measuredown from "low point"
\ - mark and adjustuppercabinet
levelline if necessary
:
I,t
-/-BaseCabinet
-,..
:
Levelline
c.;;1
rl
Locateutilities,
\
\_and relocate
if necessary
\
t/
A
(i/ +
iruark
MarKcabl
cabinet
lqcationson wall I
$ee Page 56) i
levellines
into starting
corner
<-
)
*-,t
.:
Transferhigh point
\
I
l,
I
-tA
-\YsEVENTH:Extend
--r,
-
FIRST:Layout cabinet
toekicklines
21" from wall
\
i
r\)
Electrical
Wall
outlet
ttu--'
<-<_
n
THfRD: Measure up 3412"j 4
from floor
|
/
efevationmark ,,'
to establish
t
basecabinet
levelline
t
tl
G><
---T--
I
\
SECOND:Locatethe high point on
the floor,and transferit to
the wall (Detail,left)
problems, and their corresponding
solutions, over the next few pages.
You may not encounter all of
thesein your kitchen. And you'll
almost certainly find some that aren't
included here. So the goal ofthis
article is to teach you to think critically about your project and how to
take stock of utilities that fall within the
cabinet area,and deterr-ninehow they
use filler strips.The Illustration,above,rs
an overview ofour kitchen and how
impact your installation.lfany electrical outlets or plumbing connections
our site survey playedout.
Establish Level Lines-The
nlost important alignrlent references
in any cabinet installation are the level
lines that represent the top ofthe base
need to be relocated,this must be done
before you can start installing cabinets.
Second, locate wall studs,so you can attach cabinets to them. Use a stud finder
identify potential complications.
or a nail to locate these,and mark their
locations on the wall.Third, find any
SITESURVEY
irregularities in the floor, ceiling, and
walls, so you can establishthe "level
Lines"for aligning the cabinets.Finally,
Conducting a thorough site survey is
the surestway to avoid problems in the
installation later.You have four goals to
accomplish with your site survey.First,
draw the outlines ofthe actual cabinets
on the walls, and decide where, or i{, to
cabinets and the bottom ofthe upper
cabinets.To establishthese lines, you
actually need to start on the floor.
To begin, nleasure out from the
wall 21" (the standard depth of
cabinetsfronr the back edge to the
toekick). and draw a line palallel ro
the wall.This line representswhere
55
the toekick of the cabinetswill align.
It may need to be adjustedlater,but
this is a good startingpoint.
Now you need to find the highest
point in the floor within the space
you just outlined.To do this, thoroughly check the entire areawirh a
6-ft. level.Keep in mind that the high
point in the floor wont necessarilybe
direcdy againstthe wall, so dont skip
the areaout by the toekick line.
Base Cabinet Level Line-Once
you find the high point, useyour ievel
and a marker to transferthat "elevation" to the wall.The mark you make
on the wall representsthe point where
the bottom edgeof the basecabinets
must align. Some of the cabinetswill
have to be shimmed to achievethat.
However,you wont be able to see
this mark once the cabinee are in place,
so you need to measurertp 341/5"from
here to find where the topedgeof the
cabinem*ill .lig*r (Fig.1).From there,
draw a level line on the wall (pi1.2).
Upper Cabinet I*vel Line-The
level line for the bottom of the upper
cabinetscan be rougtrly established
by measuring 791/t"rtp fiom the base
cabinetlevel line. I sayrouglrly because,
ifyou're instaling cabinetsthat go all
the way to the ceiling, you nuty haveto
adjustthis line dorvn to compensatefor
a low point in the ceiling.
Of coune,ifyour cabinebstop short
of the ceiling,this isnt a concern.Simply
measureup asdescribedand mark a
levelline on the wall.This is where the
bottom of the upper cabineswill align.
However,the cabinetsin this kitchen
do extend to the ceiling, so we spent a
few minutes on a ladder,looking for
irregularitiesin the ceiling with our
6-ft.level.Asit turned out, we did need
to shift the level line down by 1/+"to
accommodatea low point.
Adjust the Toekick-Once the
level lines were established,we backtrackedmomentarily to double-check
the toekick line we drew on the floor
earlier.Remember that I said this line
may need to be adjusted.Todetermine
this,you need to map out any bumps
or bulgesin the wdl.
To do that, useyour 6-ft. level asa
straightedge.Hold it againstthe wall,
and look for any gapsbetween the level
and the wall. Mark any low points with
an"Ll'You'll needto shim theseareas
when the cabinetsare installed.
Also mark any high points with
an "H."Then measurebetweeneach
of these"bumps" on the wall and the
toekick line to ensureyou have the
necessary
2Itt. If not,adjustthe toekick
line to createthe proper space.
Locate the Centerline-Once
the vertical alignment of the cabinemis
established,
the nex thing to do is lay
out the cabinetshorizontally on the
wall.This stepis really only necessary
when you either need to make the
cabinetsalign with a particular feature
ofthe wall (ike a window), or when
*re bank of cabinetswill completely
fill the spacebetween adjacentwalls.
One wall of our kitchen offered both of
thesechallenges.
So we beganour layout by locating
the centerline of the window. Our
plan calledfor an upper cabinetand
a basecabinet to sharethis centerline
(Illustration,aboue).Thus,those were
the first cabinetswe diagramedon
the wall. From there,we projectedthe
cabinetsout toward eachcorner and
determinedwhere we'd need to place
1l Locatethe high point on the floor.
Transfer
that elevationto the wall. and
then measureup 341/2".
2] Drawthe basecabinetlevellineon
the wall,so you canalignthe top of the
cabinetsto this height.
3l Outlineeachcabinetandanyfiller
stripson the wall,so you'llhavea quick
reference
as you'reinstallingcabinets.
56
woRKBENcH
ApRrLzooT
-l
and fit filler strips.All of this information, of course,was diagramed
on the wall (Fig.j).
MOUNTINGCABINETS
Now itt time to install tne
cabinets,and this is where all that
planning will pay off.
Whether you startwith the upper
cabinets(rpp.tt) or basecabinemis
largelya matter ofpreference.Some
peoplelike to installthe uppersfirst
becausethe basecabinetswont be
in the way.Others preGr to mount
the basecabinesfint and then use
them asa foundation to supportthe
uppers.Of coune,it may comedown
to when you can armngeto have
someonearoundto help.Youcan
easilymanagethe basecabinetsalone,
but the upperswill requirea second
setofhands.
you'll want to
Regardless,
startin a corner.And ifyou have
two walls of cabinetsthat come
together,thatt the corner to get
startedin.That way,by settingthe
very first cabinet,you've established
a point ofreferencefor both banks
of cabinets.
The first cabinetwe placed
contained alary Susan(Fig.4,
presentedsomethingof
above).This
a challengebecausethe back ofthis
cabinetis curved to fit around the
turntableinside.Thatmeant there
wasno way to fastenit to the walls.
The solution was to attachthis
cabinetto the adjoiningcabinets,
and then attach this three-cabinet
assemblyto the wall (Figs.5, 6,7).
Bump in the Road-With
the first corner set,we immediately
encounteredour next challenge:
a "bump-out" cabinet.Thiswas
the first of two such cabinetswe
neededto install.
There'sreally nothing special
about thesebump-out cabinets.
They are simply standardbasecabinetsthat sit 3" proud of the cabinets
page5 8).
besidethem (Illustrations,
There'salsoa 3" gapbenveenthese
cabinetsand their neighbors.These
gapsget coveredwith a special
angledtrim strip,which alsoserves
4] With the lazySusancabinetin place,
we movedthe adjoiningcabinetsinto
positionto "capture"the cornerunit.
5] Shimthe cabinetsto levelthemand
alignthemwith the levellineon thewall.
Alsobe sureto alignthe faceframes.
6l With the cabinetsclampedsecurely
together,drillpilot holesandthen drive
throughthe faceframes.
woodscrews
7] Now drivescrewsthroughthe back
to
at the shimlocations
of the cabinets
attachthe cabinetsto the wall.
to transferthe contourof th€wall
8l Usea compass
ontothefillerstrip,thensandor cutthefillerstripto
andwall.
thecabinet
fit between
t*l
. -
a.""'.4't
-t..'-,
unrvw.WorkbenchMagazine.com
' N
57
9l Slidethe bump-outcabinetinto
place.Usethe angledtrim stripsto
fine-tunethe fit.
as a means to attach the bump-out
cabinet to the cabinetsnexr to it.
The trouble with these cabine6,
is that they sit away from the wall, so
sides (IJlustration,belau). That sounds
simple enough, but it proved to be
trickier than we thought.Turns out
therei not a lot ofroom for error
there's no way to anchor them until
the cabinetson both sidesof them are
insalled.And since we had only installed
cabinetson one side ofthis bump-out,
we decided to skip it for now and install
when driving these screws.If you drive
either of these screws at too steep of an
angle, there's a good posibility that the
point of the screw will pop through
the front of the trim piece and ruin it.
the cabinetson the other side.
That quickly brought us to the
next corner and a floor-to-ceiling
pantry.As you rrray recall from the
After learning this the hard way, we
decided to err on the side ofcaution
when installing the subsequenrpieces.
So we drilled the pilot holes at a very
shallow angle so that, when we drove
the screwsin, the point of the screws
poked through the backface of the
trim piece slightly. The screw still had
plenry of grip, and it saved us wasting
Cabinet Diagram lllustration, this is
where we had planned for a filler strip.
This filler strip not only enclosed the
additional space on this wall, but also
provided us with an opportuniry to
scribe this piece for a clean, gap-free
installation (seeFig. S,page 57).
Bring in the Burnp-Out-With
cabinetsinstalled on both sidesofthe
bump-out space,we were ready to install
the bump-out cabinet iself Aligrung
this cabinet in its oversizespacewas no\M
easy.Wejust used the angled trim strips
asalignment goides (Fig 9, bn.
Once the burnp-out cabinet was in
position, we had to secureit by drMng
screwsinto the trim piece frorn both
any more trim pieces.
Burnp-out, Part 2-The
second
bump-out cabinet, right next to the
dishwasher,presented its own difiiculties. In fact, being right next to the
dishwasher is what made this cabinet a
problem.We couldnt attach the trim
piece to the dishwasher,which meant
that neither the trim piece nor the
cabinet would be secure.
A couple ofcleats on the side of
the cabinet solved both problems.A
Fh Woodscrew
Angled
Trigstrit
Angled
58
WORKBENCH
APRIL2OO7
long, narrow cleat tied the cabinet
to the wall behind it.And a wedgeshapedcleat added strength to the
trim strip (Illustration, right).
we're on
More Cleats-'While
the subject of cleats.you may notice
that, besidesthe cleatsconnected
to the cabinets,theret also a cleat
mounted on the wall.
This cleat is there to support the
Wedge
Cleat
-t
;;.,1
Wall
#8 x 11/a"
Fh Woodscrew
- etg...,
i
#8 x 11/z
Fh Woodscrew
I
I
E8x21h"
Fh Woodscrew
countertop.'We had to install cleats
like this in a couple of placeswhere
there's a break in the run of cabinets.
Hcre in the dishwasheropening
is the first place.And this cleat also
extends behind the bump-out cabinet
beside the dishwasher.Likewrse, we
installed a cleat on the wall behind the
bump-out cabinet on the adjacent wall.
Finally, we mounted cleatsin the corner
behind the lazy Susancabinet, as well.
All of the cleats are made by
cutting lx4s to fit and then screwing
them to the wall.Try to attach each
cleat to at least one wall stud.
Notes on Upper Cabinets-Apart
from having to hold the cabinetsover
your head while installing them (we
reconrmend recruiting a friend for thi$,
the challengesto installing the upper
Angled
Trim Strip
cabinetsarevery similarto installingthe
baseunits.
Justasbefore,startin a cornerand
work your way out (Fig.10).Make
some"kickers"to help hold the heavy
cabinetsup while you andyour helper
jockey them into plumb andlevel.
And remember that it's much
more critical with these cabinets that
you screw them to studs whenever
possible.The cabinets are heavy
already,so you can imagine how
much more they will weigh when
they're full of groceries and dishes.
SOLVED
PROBLEMS:
Llhimately, when your cabines are at last
installed,you may look back and realize
that you spentjust asrnuch time planning the installation as actually installing
the cabinets.What you may not realize
is how much time all that up-front
planning ultimately savedyou by deahng
with difiiculties before they arose.
Of course, you can't foresee every
problem, and we certainly weren't
able to predict every possible variation
in this article. But by understanding
the fundamentals and being aware of
some common challenges,you should
be well on your way to a successful
kitchen cabinet installation.And in
the end, the satisfactionof completing
a job of this magnitude may be worth
nearly as much as the money you save
rIby doing it yourself.
1Ol Enlista helperand use"kicker"boardsto helpsupportheavyuppercabinets'
A cornercabinetlikethismayrequireshimmingon bothwallsto true it up.
-Witten
by BiLl Link, illustratedby Erich
Iage,projecl designedby Marcine Cameron
59
®
Issue 300
Volume 63
Truck Rack
Full Size Cutting Pattern
Number 1
April 2007
2&/8”
No roundover
on top edge
!/4” holes for Crossbar
Support Bracket, drilled
after upright layers
are assembled
1 of 4
2 of 4
Align marks on
each sheet to
complete pattern
Rout !/4” roundovers
on inside and outside
edges after upright layers
are assembled
Holes, drilled in outer
layer only, for
#14 x 1!/4” Ph
screws
3 of 4
22”
Drill 1” starter holes at corners,
then cut out center with a Jig Saw
Notch cut to fit topper
clamp after upright layers
are assembled
No roundover
on bottom edge
8&/8”
4 of 4
Page 1 of 4
Issue 300
Volume 63
Niche Shelf
Number 1
®
April 2007
Full Size Cutting Pattern
Page 2 of 4
Page 3 of 4
Page 4 of 4
lf you'relookingfor proofthat kitchenorganizers
justwalkthe kitchenhavebecomeaffordable,
organization
aisleat yourlocalhomecenterand
lookat how manyitemsareavailable
for lessthan
510.That'sright,for the priceof a couplefastfood
youcanselectfroma surprisingly
burgers,
vast
collection
of hardworking
accessories
that arewellbuiltanddecent-looking.
Herearejusta few of the
usefulitemswe found.
First,there'san itemthat doesdouble-duty
as
storageanddisplay.
lt'sa hangingstem ware
r\l
in\*t
$#
72
WORKBENCH
A P R I L2 O O 7
out of the
holder (1) that holdswine glasses
way and on displaybelowa cabinetor shelf.
Fourscrewsand aboutfive minutesareall you
needto installit.
you should
To keepyoursilverware
organized,
checkout thiswire utensil tray (2). lts chrome
finishaddsa touchof style,and an open-mesh
designmeansthosecrumbsthat collectin a
silvenivare
traywill drop rightthrough,so you
caneasilylift out the tray and cleanthemfrom
the drawer.
lf you needa placeto corralyour canned
goods,it's tough to beatthis simpledouble
shelf set (3) that mountsto the insideof a
cabinetdoor.
Nextcometwo interestingoptionsfor getting morefrom yourshelfspace.A three-tier
visible.
spice shelf (4) keepsspicecontainers
and can be expandedto increaseits length.
Theexpandablewire shelf (5) alsogrowsto
fit the availableshelflengthand turnsa single
shelfinto two tiersof storagespace.
Spenda littleextra,andyou canselectfrom an arrayof moresuchasthisexpandabledrawer
sophisticated
organizers,
that adjustto fit drawers
organizer (6) with sidecompartments
from 18" to 24" wide.Or you canget a drop-down spice rack O).
It makesspiceseasyto locateand pullsdown for easyaccess.
Whetherit sitson the counteror insidea cabinet,thissliding
too, while the top servesas an extra
basket (8) aidsaccessibility,
shelffor storingsmallitems.And a tilt-out sink-front tray (9) puts
storageinto a spacethat usuallygoesto waste:behindthe false
draweroanelthat mountsto the front of mostsinkcabinets.
73
Il ;
'lw
ff.['tt,
,n hj;
'
\J,
@
".t!
(
.,)
i n s t c a do l h a v i n gt o s t a n . io n
your head to rctrieveitenrs
storL.dnsidelower cabinets,
o u t f i tt h e n rw i t h o r g a n i z e r s
t l i , r l s l i d o L r r l ll o t l e . l
I
yol.
. -it;*]J
F o rc x . r n r p l ei t: ,y o u ' r c t r r : d
o t d i g g i n gt h r o u g hs t a c k so f
l ) o t st o f i n d t h e s i z ct h a t y o u
n c c c l ,r n s t a itl h i ss l i d e - o u t
p o t r a c k ( 1 0 ) N o t o n l yr l o e s
*
rt nr.rkepots e.lsyto find,
i t h e l p sp r e v e n td . r r l a g r t: o
f r a g i l cn. o n s t i c ks u r f a c e s
Thrssliding basket set (1 1)
letsyou replacr:
the stalclard
s h a l l o ws h e l fr n a l o w e r
cabinetwith two levclsof
storagethat aro nrountcdon
c o n v e r i c nst l r d e sI n
. stallation
jLrstt.rkesdrrvrngfour sor.lvs
Yor c.lr keep yoL!ftr-n5lr
c a n s t . r s h e :i d
n s i d e. t c a l l r r l r
. : sl v r : l l ,a n d t h e n s l i d ei t o i
w h e n y o u n e e dr t w i t h t h r r
pull-out trash can (12)
Y o u ' l lf i n d t h e s et r a s hc a n s
n s e v e r a5l r z e ss, o t h e r e ' s
b o u n d t o b e o r r et h a t w i l l f i i
yourcaDilret.
'i
4
i i l o i r ( B t N a l - r d i r n u ,2 0 0 7
li
'I
lli
, -,- i.',
, . . . , j . ,l :
Theareaunderthe sinkis alwaystough
to tame becauseof the drainpipesthat
hangdown intothe space.Butthis
two-tier under-sinkorganizer (13)
getsaroundthe plumbingproblem
with a wide lowertray and a narrow
one up top. Botharemountedon a
heavy-duty
slidesetthat allowsthe
basketsto pull out (bothat the same
time)for easyaccess.
Accessis alsothe nameof the game
with a pull-out recyclingcenter (14).
Youcanfind them outfittedwith two
or
to fit smallercabinets,
containers
for larger
with threeor four containers
cabinets.Of course,eithertype comes
with slidesthat bringthe conequipped
tainersout whereyou can reachthem.
work greatin
Slidingorganizers
standardcabinets,but not so well in
true
cornercabinets.That'sespecially
if it'sa "blind"corner(wherea cabinet
is partiallyblockedby the cabinetthat
buttsinto it from the adjacentwall).
Thecurein eithercaseis a lazy Susan
(15).Somerotateon a carousel,
while
others(likethe one shown)pivotout
from the deadspacebesidethe door.
Bothstylesreducetofal cabinetspace
because
their roundedorofilesreduce
increase
shelfarea,but lazySusans
procticalspaceby makingcorner
cabinetsmoreaccessible.
: . , ,. , ;
Checkyourlocalhomecenter,kitchen
store,or hardwarestore,andyou're
of someor all
likelyto find versions
shown
of the low-costorganizers
for
here.You'llalsofind manysources
online.
cabinetorganizers
To find out moreinformation
aboutthe itemsshownin this article,
c o n t a ctth e f o l l o w i n gc o m p a n i e s :
closetMaid
800-874-0008
ClosetMaid.com
Rev-A-Shelf
800-626-1126
Rev-A-Shelf.com
RealOrganized
(available
throughLowe's)
866-578-0563
LGSourcing.com
simple Human
888-988-8880
SimpleHuman.com
Amazon.com
800-201-7575
Amazon.com
Bed, Bath 6 Beyond
800-462-3966
BedBathandBevond.com
The Container Store
a88-266-8246
r^nt:in6rqt^ra.^m
Home Depot
8 0 0 - 5 5 3 -139 9
HomeDepot.com
Lowe's
800-445-6937
Lowes.com
Organize-lt-Online
12
800-210-77
Organize-lt-Online.com
5pace Savers
800-849-7210
5oaceSavers.com
-Written by DovidStone
75
I
!
f
\-\\ ,'i
iFqn"
76
woRKBENcH
ApRrr2oo7
Art Paper
ost frames act as
backdrops to the
photographs, artwork, or
WIDEFRAMERAIL
(1/2"
x51/z"x cutto fit)
Mirror
mirrors they surround.
But in this project, the focus shifts to
the frames themselves.More to the
point, the emphasisis on the colorful
paper that covers these frames.
Specifically, these frames are
covered with "art paper." It produces
this unique look without any complicated painting or finishing techniques.
Papet Possibilities - If you're
not familiar with art paper, you'll
want to be. It's made-often by
hand and in far-flung parts ofthe
an almost endlessarray of
world-in
sryles,patterns, and colors.'We chose
simple but srylish patterns of blue
and black with metallic accents for
the frames shown here.The frame on
page79 shows that you can achieve
equally stunning resultswith a bright,
rvhimsical pattern.
You won't find art paper at the
local o{fice-suppiy store, but it's
common in art stores,or just a few
clicks away online.Art paper is also
surprisingly affordable. Each sheet I
used (one sheet per frame) cost less
than $4 oriine (seepage 79).
asyour
Picture This Option-Just
options are wide open for what goes
or?the frames,you also have choices for
what goes lr them.Three of the frames
at left contain mirrors.The fourth holds
a photo, and in a rather unique way, at
that. In this arrangement, the glasscan't
be adhered with tape like the mirrors,
so we used two metal rods to hold the
photo and glassin place (Photo,right).
'\W'hat
Lies Beneath -\Vhether
you build flames to hold mirrors
or photos, the construction renrains
simple. (Jnder the paper lies a backer
made of t/z" plywood.The backer is
faced with rails made fromVz" poplar
that we picked up in t\,vo stock widths
(3h" and 51h"\ at a home center.A Gw
\
||l
\
NOTE:Dimensions
will
of framecomponents
varydepending
onthesize
used
of artpaper
Cut slitsfor
flapsat corners
NARROW
FRAMERAIL
(/2" x3t/z"x cutto fit)
simplecuts and a little glue areall you
need to build the frames.For the photo
frame,the only differenceis that you
need to drill holesfor the steelrods.
Pick a Paper,Then Build-Now
that you'refamiliarwith how the frames
aremade,it's time to startbuilding.
The first stepis selectingthe paper.
It hasto be at least2" longerand wider
than the frame,so that there'senoughto
wrap overthe frarneedges.ThepaperI
chosemeasured20" x 30", so I made
17"-squareframes.
L l e l o r ei n s e , r t i ntqh e s t t t c lr o d si r l t o t h e
With the dimensionsdetermined,
h o l c : ,i n t h t ' f r ; r n r e:,; p r i y l l l c f r tw t t l r
cut the backerand the railsto size.
l a c q u e rt o g i v et h e m a g l o s s yf i n i s l t .
Then lay the railson the backerto
make surethey fit correctly,but dont
glue them in placeyet.
7a"holes,
If you re going to build photo
1" deep\
flames,you needto drill holesfor the
ngftt).Note that
rodsnow (Illustration,
the upper holesaredeeperthan the
lower holes.Thatletsyou slip the rods
Te"SteelRod,
into the upper holes,slidethem up to
9" long
clearthe lower rail,and then pushthem
\
down into the lower holes.
All that'sleft now is gluing the rails
to the backer.Make sureeachrail is
Va"norcs,--/\ I
orientedproperlyand the outer edges
Tz"deep ,,iYn
areflush before clampingthem together.
77
PAPERMAKES
The Project
Thc :tsscrrrbleci
fi':rnresnr:rvnot look
likc rnLrchvct, br.rttlrutlsrrbor-rt
to
ch:rrrsc.It's the' plper thrrt brinss
ittt1.11'6
t9 this pt'crjcct.
Address the Edges-llc'fole
\()r.rcurr n'rap thc ir';rrncsu,'ith papcr,
thoLrgh.yt>uncccl to plel-rrrrc
thc
c d q c s . A m r r r r ct hl c o u t s i c l co f t h c
fl':rrrrc.
rrr:rkcsur-cth;rt thc cclqcsoi
thc plr,uoocl tltckcr' :rnri rrrils:rrc flush
:rrcl srrrooth.Ii thct'c :rlc lirlgcs,sanrl
t l t ,t t ) s t l ) , , , r t rl ti i t l r X t) - q : ' i ts . r r t 1 l 1 . . r p r ' r
1 l S p r a yt h e f r a m ea n d t h e p a p e rw i t h a d h e s i v ea,n d t h e n l a yt h e f r a m ed o w n o n t h e
paper.The adhesivewill bond almostinstantly,so take carenot to wrinklethe paper.
on u block.
( ) n t h c t n s t r l cec l q c so f t l r c r ' : u l s .
scr:llrcill)v qluc thilf rDlr\'lr:l\'c
s r l u c c z c col u t . T h c r ) c o k r r f h c c c i q c st o
c o n r p l c n r c r rtth c p : t p c r 'I. d t d t l r u t r v i t l r
l ub l : r c kp c n n u r ) c r ) n
t r : r r k re- . V r r rc . u r
s c c t l r c r c s u l ti n 1 : i q ./ .
Tirre for a Cover-Up-Nsu,
itls tirnc to \\'r:rpthc plpel ru'ounclt]rc
fi:uttc.If vouls cunrc lollcil Lrp,l,rv it
out fi)r :r couplc of houls to tl:rttcrr.
W l r i l c t h : r t l sh l p p g r l i 1 1 qt r,r : t s kt h c
colorcclfl'rurrccclgcsto prcvcrt thcnr
fi'orrrgcttirtLIcor,rrcrlu itlr rttlltcsir.'c.
A l s o n i p c o f F e n vc i u s to r r t l r c f l - : r r r r c .
Spr;rvrrclhcsivcis tlrc Perfi'ct choicc
firr this projcct.JLrst
rrrlkc surc y()rl
qct ()r)cthrrtlslisted rts"rrcicl-ticc"or"pltoto-slfc,"so it non't solk thlouqh
2 l U s ea s h a r pu t i l i t yk n i f ea n d a 1 " - w i d e 3 l C u t a s l i t a t e a c hc o r n e r a
, l i g n e dw i t h
spacerto cut off the excesspaperand
the insldeedge of the spacer.This crec r e a t et h e f l a p st h a t w i l l w r a p t h e e d g e s . a t e sa f l a p t h a t l e t sy o u f o l d t h e p a p e r .
'l::
irt :t ucll-r'enfil;rtccl:rre:r.
h,
4l After a freshcoat of adhesive,wrap the
edges.Stanwith the flappededges Then
overlapthe flapson the matingedge.
78
tlrc prrpcror tliscolorit. (l chosc-3M
Srrpcr77.) lJe rNv:rr-c,.rlso,
th;rtspr':N
. r t l l t r ' r i r[' ]. U
' t \( ) r . t|l( ) t \ ' t ) tt i i l ) l e \ \. ( ) u \ ( ' i l
w o R K B E N cAHp R r L
2oo7
5 l W o r ky o u rw d ya l o n gt h e e d g e ,
m a k i n gs u r et o p u l lt h e p a p e tra u t
b e f o r ep r e s s i ni gt a g a i n st th ef r a m e
6l Onthefaceof theframe,slitan "X" in
thepaper.
Thenholdthesideof theblade
against
theframeto trimoff thewaste.
-t
,;
,5,,,L df
.ta
*
'D
a 9.
.f% |
aI
It
dr.j
b"nq
0)
r?a
f^"
q*'
t
|, ,a
aI
.'
*
!:,
g.
Y":l:
Now you can lay the art paper
facedown on a table or workbench.
Itb a good idea to lay down some
Kraft paper undernerth it.
Take a Dry Run:This
adhesive
bonds alnost instantiy,so it's a good
idea to do a "dry run," following Frgs.
1 through6 atleft,to make sure you
understand the processand to ensure
that you'll be able to set the &ame
down with the paper overhanging
adequately (by at least 1") all around.
Add the Adhesive-After
you're
done with the dry run, spray the
adhesiveon the frame rails and the paper
following the instructions on the label.
Now rernove the masking tape from
the inside edges of the frame rails,and
then go through the procedures again.
Just remember that you're playing for
keeps this time, and this adhesivegrabs
iti a good idea to protect it with a
clear topcoat. Once again,you want a
topcoat thatt acid-free or photo-safe.I
chose Krylon's "Preserve It" spray that's
nleant to protect digital photo prints.
It's easy to use and dries quickly.
Add the Glass-With
the frar.nes
complete, you can have mirrors or glass
cut to size at a hardware store or honle
center. Have them sized %" sr-naller
than the oper.ringsthey'1l fit into.
Then nrount the mirrors with
mirror-r.nounting tape,which should be
availablewhere you buy the mirror. It
wont hurt the silver on the mrrror.
For the photo fi-ame,you'll also
need to cut the %" metal rods.
Now add a hanger to the back of
each frame, nount them on the wall,
and bring a new focus on sryle to
tffi
your room.
itii
DIFfICUITY:
EasyWeekendProject
PROIECT
COST:
590 (four frames)
TOOLS:
Circular
saw clamps,utilityknife,
hammer,sander,
drill
(1)half-sheet
SUPPL|ES:
%" plywood,(2)%"
(2i t12"
v 5t2'
x31h"x72" poplarboards,
x 72" poplarboards,(4)sheetsart paper
(flockedsilveron black,flockedsilveron blue;
(1)sheetart paperfor
Handmade-Paper.us),
alternatemirror(Ihai BatikDancingDaisies;
Handmade-Paper.us),
wood glue,permanent
marker,mirrorscut to fit frames,mirrortape,
Krylon
3M Super77 spray-mount
adhesive,
protectantspray,(4)sawtooth
Preserve-lt
framehangers,%" steelrods(optional)
To seiectart paper to cover ilrese franres,
I v r s i t e c lH . r n d l r . r d e . P . - r p e r ' . uIsr.v a s f r a n k '
l y b l o . . . r .a
, nw e y b y t i r e h u r r d r e d s . n r . r y , b e
t h o u s a n c l so f d i t i c r e n t t \ r p es o f . l r - to a p e r
quickly. Position the frarne correctly the
first time, and you'll have no problems.
Protect the Paper-Art
paper
-Written
by Matt Scott,projcctdcsigncdh, Mike
v o r - rt l f r r c i p . r D e r : h a t i o o k s i r k e l e r t h e r
is fairly colofast and durable, but
Donouan
i e . : v e s ,n r e t . : i . a n c l i - r r o r e
.
I t ' , <n t . r c l ei r . ie v e a vc o l o i . - i n Cc r r n t V o L ic a n
by Kekey Dauis, illustrated
r r r a g r n e ,b r r t t h a t ' s j L r s ti i ' r eb e g i n n n q
Flat, Flawless
DrywallJoints
consistency using a drill-mounted
rnixer.This removes any thick clumps
or air pockets from the compound,
which would make it difficult ro get a
smooth joint.Then just transfer some
of the mud frorn the bucket to ^ tray,
and you're all set.
Now scoop up some mud with the
knife, and spread it along thejoint,
filling the seam (Fig. 2).'Ihe goal here
is to create about a /to"-thick layer of
any home improvement jobs require at
least some drywall
rnesh and paper. I use mesh tape because
it\ self-adhesive.That
rnakesir easierro
apply than paper tape,which requires
work.The displayniche on page66
a bed of mud underneath it.
"ppbn.tg
is a perfect example.Whenthat time
Bring on the Mud-With
the
comes,there'sno need to hire a profes- tape in place,it's time to apply the
siond.With the right tools and a little
first coat ofjoint compound.The
joint compound conresin one- or
know-how, you can tape and apply
"mud" (joint compound) to the seam
five-gallon buckets.As its narne
to producea smooth,flatjoinr.
implies,it's used to fill rhe joints
Thpe theJointJThe first stepis
between sheetsof drywall.
to apply a strip ofspecial tapeover the
Before you begin "mudding," mix
joint (Fig./).There are two typesof tape: the compound to a smooth, creamy
i{,
\il
I
mud. Go over it several times to make
it smooth and flat.
One thing you'll find is that the
mud at the edges of the joint will
still be fairly thick, so you'll need to
scrapethat smooth.To do that, hold
the knife at a slight angle as you
scrapealong each edge (Fig. 3).Then
make another passover the center of
the joint to smooth it.
The smoother the joint is, the less
you'll have to sand later, so it's worth
taking some time with this process.
Also. in lnost cilsesslnoot]r the
thc joint linc (not
,r/rtr{q
c<>r'n1-rouncl
rrclossit) to :rvoiclcl'eating .tnv t'idqes.
encl thc u':rll. Esscnti:tll1,,
vou rvnnt
to uvritl crc:ltillq rr vrsiblc "huut1-r"
o | ] t l t c r i r r l lr t t t - l . t t 'tcl l l r t s t r t t i r l' ,t .t t, t t
Tirne to Sand-As thc cotttpor.trrd
clrics.it shrinks.Thislcuvcs:t snr:rllreccss
:rlone thc joint th:rt nccclsto bc filleil
u'itl-rnrorc joint cot.npouncl.llut bcfirr-c
rclclinqntot'e.slncl thc rL-icclconrpor,rrtcl
to qet it ;rsstttooth rurclfl;rt :rspttssitrlc
8 0 / . T h r t ' s u ' h c r c r i r v i c l c r ' ( 1 0 " )k r i t c
corrrcsin hlnclr'.Scoop nrucl ottto
t h i s k r r i t c : r l o r r qt h c c n t i r c l e n q t h o f
its cclgc.:rrtcltltclr :rpplv it prst likc
/Fi.g4/.Thcn cl'cfirllv s'ipc rtn,:tv:urv
srrnclinqclust.
Applying More Mud-When
: r p p l y i n gt h c u c r t c o r t o f r r r u c lt,h c
irlc:r is to qncluallv "fcrthe r" thc
crlgcs to clcutc us thin :r l:tyc'r'ls
A l t c l l c t t r n q t h c s c c o n c lc o i l t o i
c o n r l , o u r r r lr l l v . s : t r c li t s n r o o t h . I f
p o s s i b l cb c t u , c c n t h c c o t t t p o u n c l
rt.rrlv
l'rcfirrc.sprcrrilirrqr snrooth, cvcn
80).
l:rvcr-(.\1,rirrl)ltoto,p,t.qr:
r u r v L r u r r r p sr i, d c c s , o l i n t p c t - f i c t i o n s
r c r n l r i r r . . r 1 . p l; vu r o t h c r c o u t o f n t u c l .
: r r t l s l n c l l g : l i r t .( ) n c c v o t t ' r c s : t t i s f r c d . u , i p c o t T t h e d u s t .r u r dl r x t ' r c
E,
t
e
Lul
TOOLSOF THE TRADE
A b a s i cs e to f d r y w a ltlo o l sa n ds u p p l i e s
s h o u l di n c l u d teh ef o l l o w i n g :
> D r y w ajlol i n tc o m p o u n d
> M e s hd r y w a lj lo i n tt a p e
> 6 " a n d 1 0 "d r y w a lkl n i v e s
> 2 2 0 - g r ist a n d i n sgc r e e nasn db l o c k
> 1 4 "d r y w a lm
l u dt r a y
EEl
I N S I D EC O R N E R S
,ri
rtd
1 l S t i c kt h es e l { - a d h e sm
i ve s ht a p e
d i r e c t loyv e rt h e d r y w a lj lo i n t .U s ey o u r
h a n dt o s m o o t hi t a l o n gt h ej o i n tl i n e .
iF:
-*'
.H
to [r.il])t.
i
.:'
@
2 l H o l dt h e k n i f ea l m o svt e r t i c a ltl oy
t h es e a ma, n df i r m l yp r e s tsh e m u di n t o
t h el o i n ta sy o um o v ea l o n gi t .
you
Insrde
corners
aretoughbecause
mud,
and
with
a
lot
of
extra
endup
youcan'tworkonesideof thejoint
up the otherone.
withoutmessing
To avoidthat,loadonlyhalfthe
knifewith compoundto createa
narrowerline(Photo,above).Also,
followthe sequence
shownbelow
to mudonesideof the jointfirst,
andthenthe other.
Ceiling
Ceiling
7
SECOND:
Nowapply
J0lnt
pound
com
to the
three
a0Jacenr
cornerS
4l Whenthe muddries,smoothit by
3l Theedgesmayendup fairlythick,so
m a k i n gl o n gs t r o k ew
s i t ha 2 2 0 - g r i t
smooththemout with a strokedown
nn a b l o c k .
eachside,andthenonedownthe middle s a n d i n sgc r e e o
81
- pRopUcI_Ptci(s
NOT A KNOT PERSON?
TieHook
Ties Itself
Tlrissclf-trqhterrirrg
cleat fits rnosttruck
racksarrd rnakessecuringa lo;rdas
v*lple as tr.rgqinr_;
nn the rope.
Been a few yearssinceyou
earneda merit badgein
knot rying?No problem.
Buy aTieHook.
For about $40 you can
get the setupshown above.
Itt availableto fit round- or
square-tubedrruck racks
and can evenbe adaptedto
integratedsysterns
on Toyota
and Nissantrucks.
The systemworks with a
spring-loadedcleatthat slides
alonsa bar and thenlocks
Theall-metalTieHookhasthreecleats-two fixedand
one sliding-that makeit easyfor eventhe knot-impaired
to secureloadson a truck rack.
in placewhen the proper
rope tensionis achieved.It
tiesincrediblyquickly and
releasesjust
asfast.
A]so,theTieHook
doesnt attachpermanendy
to your rack,so you can
repositionit asoften asyou
need.And if you sell the
truck,keeptheTieHook!
VisitTieHook.com for a
video ofhow thesework and
for purchaseoptions.Youcan
alsocall 415-462-0599.
JOINTCOMPOUNDWITH
,r)
///
Heavv
'
Dust
The dustraisedby sandingjoint compound
may be the messiestby-product of remodeling known to man. It's super-fine,and
keepingit containedwithin the project area
is almost impossible.lt. will catcha draft and it
will permeatethe rest of the house.(Jnless,of
course,it's too heavy to float on air.
This is preciselythe ideabehind Sheetrock brandJoint Compound with Dust
Control from USG.Thisjoint compoundis
formulated so that dust particleswill bind
together and createa "heavy dust" that falls
straightto the floor.
A3t/2,-gallonpailof the joint compound
sellsfor about $13.VisitDownWithDust.com
to learn more about the materialor to locate
a dealerin your area.Or contactUSGt
product information departmentby calling
800-874-4968.
84
WORKBENCH
APRIL2OO7
WARM TOWELDRAWER
ti',r',. i, ,,
,J,l, .r' ..,
I | l ' r L ) , - . , 1 )<.
, i r i ( i i ( r ! v i ) l : , ; , ' i t i , t i i . l , t i ; ' r , , i ,ir, ,a. ,r , \ i | i i l
i
) i.r 1
f , 1 r ' l l t ( r i l r ' . , g 1 1 1 , 1 , ,t1i ,1rf,1f i r S t 1 , . , . r /iO
i a r i , t r , r i i r r t . . . r ' . , i t : l.' :! ,i l t i t U r r ' r t. l t i : ! i a t i , , - ,
Sllai iow€1 ir':iirnin!i
i - ) i , t \ i v r . ff r o n t
! ; > , 1 ; t . : 7l1l .yi 1 1 , : 1 l lq; - r r , r 1 L r. {i ,) q: l 0 . t S i ; " r
vrcili.irllC
ii,:gi,,:r: iir 1.;:'i 1t iitirltili',
f 611'1p
i ) i { o t l r - s a .( o t . l i i l r t r { 6 1 6 , <i1 1
rli, .,t, .t ,ll"
, . 1 ' 11 i . / r t r , , i a , , i ) i l i r i ' : r ; i . 1 . , , 1 .
qa q* {s L, F
ft sa"j,
DAP STIKADHESIVES
Glue for All Occasions
Whatever you need to hang,
repair.or otherwise adhere.
chancesare one ofthe new
DAP "Stik" adhesivesis just
what you're looking for.The
five adhesivesthat make up
the Stik line, and some of
their intended usesare:
, . . , . . . .i : t r , ' .
backer, and pressthem onto
whatever you're tryine to
adhere.Theseare much
cleanel and easierto use
than liquid slues,tacks,or
magnets.They're ideal for
r-nountingpictules,hansrns
posters,or securing
collectibles.
.A.r-raerOSOl
Tl-rescdr,ralapplicator qllre dispensers
have a thin tip for connol and
wont turn yellow, and iti safe
for rtrostsurfaces.Thegluc is
pefect for cardboard,photos,
and fabric.
a wide rip for spreaclinunrorc
glue.Choose fionr pennanent
TheSe are
Just renrove thenr front the
^ ,' -,+-\ - . - -./,
soapand wlter lnd is geat for
itrdool or outdoor plojects.
or repositionablefornlrlas.
: ; r'::i
pressure-sensitiveadhesive
dots and lines that con.re
on rolls ofpaper backer.
H
, :,;L
sprayglue that foams asyou
rpply it, so you can seewhat
you've covered.It dries clear,
:ri:1. I r.)..ilrr/it)
A
':
This is lttt
instant-grabconstructiou
adhesive.Itis strons enor.rgl-r
for
velticd or overherrdapplie;rtions and works on most
sufaces.It alsocleansup with
This renrovable
aclhcsiveputty is a erc'lt
rephcement fbr tape,tacks,
staples,anclnrautrets.ltwor.r't
chip paint or pllt holcs in the
wall. Use it to hmg decorltions and notes.
OWENSCORNING
BERKSHIRE
COLLECTION
Asphalt Slate
If you've longed for a slate roof, or
if you have an old one that r-reeds
leplaced, you know that leal slate is
cost-prohibitive. That'.swhy Owens
Colning developedthe Berkshire
Collection of asphaltshingles.
The Berksl.rireshinglesare
constructed to sinu-rlatethe ranclonr
colors lnd v:rriatior-rs
in
tcxturc th:rt l|e the rr:rdenrark of natulal slate,but :rt
a fraction of the cost of the
real thing.
Backed by a limited
lifetinre warranry the
shinglesrlso irrclrrdcl5-ye.rr
algae-resistance
p1'otectiolt.
For nrore informatior-r
Thenaturalvariations
in toneandtexturethat
distinguish
slateshingles
arenow available
in a
moreaffordable
asphaltalternative.
on the Berkshire Collectiorr,
ol to locate a supplier in
your area who can provide
pricing, call 800-43U-7465
or visit OwensCornins.conr.
86
WORKBENCH
APRIL2OO7
WD.4OIN A PEN
Tool Report
A less-burlybelt sander,a picture-perfectdrill,
anda cordlessnailerthat'll drive most anything.
COMPACT SANDER -"Dont
blamethe sander."That's
the helpfirl adviceI got from
one of the other editorsherewhen I complainedabout my monsterbelt sandergougingmy
prqects.He told me that belt sandersarenotoriouslyhardto control,and if I hadnt mastered
it yet,well, it's not the toolt fault.
Maybe.But I got rid of that oversizedbelt sanderanyway.It's beenreplacedby PorterCable's rnodel 371K Compact Belt Sander (l).This littleArmadillo-looking sander(or
is it more of a roly-poly bug?)cranks5 ampsof power,drivesa21/2',x 14" belt, and weighs
just over 5 pounds.If you'redoing the math,that meansir hasabout half the weight,power,
and belt capaciryofPorter-Cablet next largermodel (352VS).
So will you notice the decreased
capacity?Sure.Ifyou're sandingthe deck of a battleship.Otherwise,not so much.What you're more likely to missis the variablespeedoflarger,
pricier models.Thisis mitigated,at leastpartially,bythe lighter weight and better ergonomrcs,
which make for bener control.Plus,the reducedsize,removablefront handle,and flush-side
designof the sandermean it can work in tight areasthat largersanderscouldnt possiblyget into.
And while this sanderisnt exacdygouge-proof,the low rearhousingwill keepyou from digging
in too deep.Look for the sanderin hardwarestores,home centen,and online for about $130.
KNIFE GUrDE - what is it about utiliry knives that makesrhem prone to wandering
awayfrom a straightedge?Whatever
it is,it canmakefor somepretty irregularcuts.Andeven
worse,it can causea nastyinjury if the blade"wanders"right into your other hand (surelyI'm
not the only one this hashappenedto).
Well,it hashappenedfor the lasttime becauselatelyI've beenusingthe Guardian Knife
Guide (2) from SawTiax.TheGuardianconsistsof a utijity knife with a stainless
steel
bracketattachedto it and an aluminum guide track.
The bracketrideson the guide track,so the knife cant wanderoffthe srraightedge.
So
far I ve usedthis for scoringdrywall,cutringvinyl flooring, and trimming photo matsto fit
insidepicture frames.It works fawlessly.Andwhen it getsdull, simplysnapa sectionoffthe
segmentedblade,andyou'rebackin business.
The one downsideto the Guardianis the price.The 36" kit I've beentestingsellsfor
about$80. A 54" versionwill costnearly$100.I guessit will takelot of cutring (or maybe
just one realbad one on your hand if you're not usinga Guardian)to justiS,the price.
NUMBERS BAD, PICT(IRES GooD - How do the numbers 1 through 26 cortelate
to drilling holesand driving screws?Dont know? Few people do.which is why the clutch
on drill,/driversrarelygetsusedcorrecdy.Most clutches,which regulatehow much torque
getstransferredto the bit, arelabeledwith numbers.But it's not clearhow thesenumbers
relateto the screwor drill bit you're using.Fortunately,Black & Decker hasbridged that
gapin logic with their new Firestorm cordless Drills with Smart Select (3). In short,
theyve replacedthe numberswith icons.Justmatch your job to the nearestrepresentative
icon,and the drill is setto the right torqueand speed.Firestormdrills rn 12-,14.4-,andlS-volt
versionsareavailableexclusivelyat Lowe'shome centersstartingat about g60.
88
WORKBENCH
APRIL2OO7
Ero)*"."t* F'
3TlKBdltSander
GuardianKnifeGuide
ti
E rirestormorills
WithSmart
Select
THE
BEAT GOES ON:The
original "cordless nailer" w:rs called r hanrnrer',ancl it
worked with jr-rstabout :iny type of nail. Interestinelyenoush, the latestcordlessnailer uscs
essenti2llly
the sanretechnolow asthe orieinal: It hits nails repeatedlyon tl-rehead until theyic
driven in.And it works with virttully any nrril.
The key difl-elencesnrc speedand enerw cxpencled.Tl.re1lJ-volt GMC Strike Allnailer
(4) cirivesnails ttrr.rchfasterthan a hanlncr lurd requir-es
just the pull of a trigeel to cio it.
jaws of tl'renailer glip lrailsrvith l.re:rds
Thc acljustable
F O RM O R EI N F O :
Porter-CableBelt Sander
Porter-Cable.com
888-848-51
75
SawTrax Guardian Knife Guide
SawTrax.com
888-729-a729
Firestorm by Black 6 Decker
FirestormTools.com
800-544-6986
GMC StrikeAllnailer
GMCompany.com
866-307-0132
Ryobi CordlessSander
RvobiTools.com
800-525-2579
!1"r.
sfr,r:e
Allrr
r"rpto %" in clianrcter.Pull tl-retr-igger,alld m intenral anvil
delivers5,500 beats-per-ninute to drivc-nrils up to (r" lous.
Look for the Allnailcr on Anrlzon.cont for lbout 9150.
RANDOM
CORDLESS-T1're
Ryotri P{10
Randorn-Orbit Sancler (5) is the latesrrdc'litionto
thc l{yobi Orre* systenr:rnri the first c-x:rnrpleof n tme
rlndonr-orbit s:urdcrthat usesblttcry power.
Of cor.rrse,
bcc:ruscitls part of thc One* systenl,the
1U-volt blttery is sold seprratcly.The idea is to savcyolr
rnone'y if you already own l\yobi 1u-volt tools ancl
bltterics. Itis I good systenr.And itis a good s:rncler',
cspecially
fbr toucl'r-up work or finish sandins.
The sander usesst:utdald5" hook-ar-rd-loop sanclp:tpcr'
rurcltnrns oLrt 1,100 orbits pel uriuute.Itls avrrilablccxclusivelyat Honre l)epot lor about $40. tm
f,
I
\
h
avoidfrustrating
problems
moisture
suchasshrinking,
warping,
failed
joints,
gluelines,
loose
etc.Alsoideal
forlumber
drying,
to findoutif the
woodisfinally
dryenough
to use.
--LignomatUSA
800-227-2105
P0Box30145,Portland
OR97294
503-257-8957,
FM503-255-1
430USA
wwwlignomat.com
E-mail
[email protected]
w
Enyooi
The Ultimate
Work Shop
) Table
Saw
$tands
) |r|iter
Saw
Stands ',nf[Ti,l""'
Power Swltch
) ROUtgf
TableS
l-t
r^,.-
MoistureMeterscanhetp
you
-s.
3so6
"oder
) Router
Accesories
) |r|obile
Planer
Stand
]it|ore!
&Much
P41O Sander
GARAGE
Floor
Facelift
Let'.sflcc it-whetl.rer it\ fronr
dirt, nrucl,nrotor oil, ol c]'renricals
carrieclin by your carlstires irr the
wintcr-srrase floors tlke all kinds
of rbuse.Anclthc rcsultscrrnbc
clrrcke'cl, p i ttc cl, o r stai n e'clco l )cl'ctc.
()nc rvav to ptotcct concrctc
floors lutclcovcr unsightly stlins is
with liqicl plasticfloor tilcs.These
1 2 " x 1 2 " i n t e r l o c k i n gt i l e ss i n r p l v
snap togctl'rer to crcrltc-u sturdy floor
covcrittg th:tt protccts concrete-fi-oni
harsl-rcl-rcnriclls.
Thc tiles are stllrdy cnouslt to
clrive on. l)lus, they l-rclpsrnooth
out irregularities on uneven floors.
Enrbossedpatterns in thc tilcs nraket h e n r s l i p - r e s i s t a nat ,n d t h c y c l e l n
up easily-.1ust sweep up clirt, or
clean spills with a I-roseor :l niop
Incl w:rrnr rv:rter.
'
,',
){
Colorful Options - Garage
floor tilcs lrc availablefrorrr rr
r.rr.rnrber
of rrr:rnufrcturersin a wic'lc
scll Fol lrouncl $3 :i sqrrtrc foot.
IUccl)eck tilcs (shownin thc
l)/tor()above altci in thc' top two tilevnriety of colols rncl pattcnrs (-scc
srrnrples,
below lcft) also le2rrrlrca
()rridt:orr pqqt,93).M<>st
Iltr: Brrygy'5
n u n r b e r -o f u n i c l u ea c c c s s o r i c s ,u c h
:rsopcn-slicl tiles,custonrizcd tiles
RaceDeck with loeos,and cvcu parking gr-ridcs,
CircleTrac thlt nr:rkethcnt even urore usctul or
rttractive (Si dcbdr,rigltt).
Anothel uranuficturer,Dynotile
(tl.rebottonr tile at lcft), has a slightly
ditTcrcnttrvist on the tile design.
Tlreir rilcs rr'trr.rllyover'lrtpto ('t'cittc
:r neally inrpenetrable se:rnr.'When
R i q i dp l a s t i ct i l e sm a n u f a c t L t r ebdy
RaceDeck(upper two llles) and
Dynotilc(bottorn)featuretab and
loop systenrstlrat "1ock"logetheI
Dynotile
92
to createa sturdyfloor. Note the
i n t e g r alli p o n D y n o t i l e 'fsi o o r s y s t e m .
The lipson the.setilesfornr overlapp i n g s e a m st h a t s e a lo u t w a t e r .
To installthe tiles,lineup the tabs on
one tile with the loops on the other,and
lightlytap the seamwith a rubbermallet.
lf you need to trim the tilesto fit, just
use a circularsaw. A 4O-toothcarbide
blade producescrisp,cleancuts.
Installtaperededgingand cornerpieces
to createa smooth transttionbetween
the tilesand the surroundingfloor.
fittecl together, this overlapping design
prevents water, dirt, or other debris
fron.r seepir.rgthrough the tiles to the
tile with the loops, and trp thenr
together with a rubber nrallet (P/rotcr,
nboucleft).-the processis so sinrple that
yoll c2urcover an entile garage floor
in a few }rours.
lf you wrut to install the tiles li'om
wall-to-wall, yoll lnay need to cttt
thellr to fit the edges and corners of
the garage.That'.seasily done with a
circnlar saw,rs shown in the r-niddle
P/rotrrabove. Or if you'd prefer to only
cover a sn-rallsection of the garage
oper-rine,as they allow cars to roll
snioothly up onto the tiles.And just
like the tiles, these edging aud corner
pieceslock together using the satne
convenient tab-and-loop systelll,as
tffi
shown in the Photo,aboveright.
floor below.
Rcgardless of
Easy Installationthe brar.rdyott choose, installing these
tiles is, quite literally,:isnrp.
Ifyou take a closer look at the tiles
in the BotlorrrP/iotoon page 92, you
can see that two sides of eaclr tile have
snrall loops, while the otl-rel sides have
srnall tabs that fit down into these
loops.To install thenr, all you have to
do is lay a tile down with the loops
f:rcirrg out toward the garage door.
Then align the tabs on the adjoining
floor, you can get tapc'rededging and
corner pieces.
These edging pieces also t"uakea
great transition at the garrge door
BUYERG
, SU I D E
RaceDeck
800-457-0174
RaceDeck.com
Gladiator
866-342-4089
Gladiatorcw.com
Dynotile
856-605-8700
Dynotile.com
RevTek
800-s85-0922
Rhinocourts.com
Absolute Garage
Lock-Til€
515-2s4-0040
888-562-5845
LockTile-USA.com Absolutecaraoe.net
YOURGARAGEFLOOR
3 WAYSTO ACCESSORIZE
tiles(calledFreeTheseopen-grid
directwater
Flowfrom RaceDeck)
or snowmeltintoa drainbelow
offercustomized
Somecompanies
tiles.Thedesigncanfit on onetile
or spreadacrossmultipletiles.
Twosmall"lifts"in RaceDeck's
AccuPark
tilesletyou knowwhen
you'vepulledthe carin far enough.
93
ELEMENTS
OFSTYLEI
BOX BEAMCEILING
[]ckrrc thc clavsof cngirrccrcrlhntrbur.honrcs oFtcn
lclier"lorr hcaw irc:urs tliar splrnncclbctu'ccn r.r'lrlls
to
sllpport rrppcr tlools :rnd rooti.Whcn lctt crirosccl,thcse
bt:rnrs bcc:utrestvlishin additiorr to bt:ins srructut.rrl.
Moclcnr fioor joists un.l rooftruss svstcnrshlr.c
clinrirr,rtcdthc stru(:rllmlncctl fix thcsc big bcrnts"bnt
vou c:lrr rccrc.ttc thc:ir'look bv brrildine ltoilos, "box
bclnrs" th,rtnrakc I stl'oltgstvh' starcrnclt in ,rnv rrrour.
94
WORKBENCH
APRIL2OO7

Truck Rack - Wood Tools

Transcription

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