Untitled - Wood Tools

Transcription

workbench
NOTES
EDITOR,S
PUBtISHER
DonaldB. Peschke
EDIT0R
Tim Robertson
EDlToRs
BillLink,DavidStone
SENIoR
EDITOR
WyattMyers
ASSoCIATE
RobinBullock
EDlT0RlAt
INTERN
ARTDIRECToR
KimDowning
ARTDIRECIOR
KurtSchultz
ASSISTANT
DES16NER
DougAppleby
5ENl0R
GRAPHIC
5ENloR
ITLUSTRATOR
ErichLage
MAttSCOtt
WEBDESIGNER/ILTUSTRATOR
SENIOR
JohnHATTMAN
CONTRIBUTING
IILUSTRATOR
Shelley
Cronin,KatieRodemyer
cRAPHIC
DESIGN
INTERNS
CREATIVE
DIRECTOR
TedKralicek
am
.Deosw n i n g ,
S E N I 0P
RR o J E cDTE 5 | G N E R S . JR
KenMunkel,KentWelsh,ChrisFitch
MikeDonovan,
JohnDoyle
PRoJEcI
DESIGNERS/BUltDERs
5H0PCRAFTSMEN
SteveCurtis,SteveJohnson
MANAGERS
GeorgeA. Clark,MaryK. Day
ADVERTISING
SALES
c0oRDINATOR
TroyClark
ADVERTISING
PR0DUCTI0N
Kelsey
Davis
ADVERTISING
CooRDINAToR
( 515 ) 8 7 5 - 7315
TerryJ.Strohman
EDITORIAI
DIRECIoR
ARTDIRECTOR
ToddLambirth
EXECUTIVE
DennisKennedy
SENIOR
PH0T0GRAPHERs
CrayolaEngland,
Rebecca
Cunningham
ASSOCIATE
STYLE
DIRECTOR
AllanRuhnke
ELECTR0NIC
IMAGE
SPECIALIST
l$;**:r;x
i r ii
SERVICES
ONLINESUBSCRIBER
',,
:rt youraccount
,..ri:l ll: on a subscription
payment
rrlrr,"i.;rl if you'vemissed
an issue
i I i ,",,: : I yourmailingor e-mailaddress
yoursubscription
,.
" ':'r'r':yourbill
in thelistontheleftsideof our
Clickon "Subscriber
Services"
anyof theaccount
homepage.l\4enus
andforms\\/illtakeyouthrough
youneed.
maintenance
services
,; l,'il
trllorkbcrirlr
Customer Service
PO. Box 842,
DesMoines,[A 50304-f)961
2
been possible without the enthusiasm,support, and dedication of
readerslike yourself. So a sincere thanks for yottr role in helping
us achieve this historic milestone.
Speaking of history, the first issue of Workbenchrolled off the
pressin 1957. (The sameyear Ford innoduced the Edsel,Sputnik
orbited the earth, and Buddy Holly topped the charts with "That'll
Be the Day.") Back then, you could buy a copy of the magazine
for thirty-five cents or get a one-year subscription for two dollars.
were sown right afterWorldWar II with
The seedsof Workbench
Hobbics.lt contained artidles ranga nragazine called Pro.fitablc
ing from quilting and raising chinchillas to nraking jewelry and
'50s,
though, it had been renamed
growing grubs for bait. By the
Workben&to leflect a new focus otr houre improvement.
\Vell, this new direction struck a chord with homeowners.And
durir-rgthe next five decades,DIYers canle to depend on Workbenclt
for practical projects they could build using using basic tools,
techniques, and r-naterials.
Okay, so what's in store for the next 50 years?A fresh new
cover design, for starters.'Wealso plan to include a special 50-year
retrospective in each issue of 2007 (a review of 50 years'worth
of covers and 50 timeless tips in tl.risissue).And, of course, we'll
continue to offer simple ideas to iurprove the value, appearance,
ttansform
and livabiliry of your home - ideas that, in a nutshe11,
y o u r h o u s ci n t o r l t o t t t e .
WOKBENCH
0ssN {ro4l-8(r57) is tublidrLd biriloDthly (F.b.,
A p r i l . J u D c , A u s . ,( ) e t . , 1 ) c . . ) b y A l g u s H o n r c h i l i i d r u r s ( i r r p r D l
2. llilao,
i\ x reiciltrrk
:2r)o (;,nrl Avc., l)c\ Moi,r.\. IA 51,-11
Augus Hont.
ofAugu* Honc l\tblrlttg. (iTyrighr L!11(J{16
hUilhi,,s (fnrpr)\. All iishts rcslrvcd.
(.' i\.uc9.Sl2; nlttsyc.u !il\c.iprn'),
Subscripdotr ratcs: SinFl. eopnS{.99. ()n!-yc.rrs$\.ripttnr
$13;d)tu. !.rr$il,scriptuD,S4l.Olrnlin,/lnd.,r(ldSlop$)trr.l)$iili.ihpo*rgcpjdrt
l)cs Monrer. lolvi,.!kl.{
,rlditn,r.l ot}j.c\. Posmistd: S.ild &ftk.\.h.nrses b tlirLorl,
P() llox -17272,&!Dc, lA 50037r):72.Cailadian Subsoiprions: (:rnrdi ll)rt Agt!.DrcDr No
lolrlS2r)1.scnd ch.DqL ofirldrc$ iDlbiln.tlil
n,r l)() &)r 88 I, Sttinr Miir, Mlrkhiln, ()N
L3l'8M6. (lrnJdr llN 81597 5+73I{T Printed h U.S.A.
rl{it:,ri{j}};if ji
t's a red-letter day here at Workbertclt.
With the publication of this issue,
weie celebrating the 50th anniversary of Workbenchmagazine. In the
here-today-gone-tomorrow world
of magazines,that's certainly a notable
that never would have
achievement
Phone:
800-31
1-3991
Workltcnch
Magazite
2200 GrandAve.
DesMoines,lA 50312
enrail:[email protected]
WORKBENCH
FEBRUARY
2OO7
/n
50th AnniversarySpecials!
Covers@age8)
50 Yearsot'Workbench
Tips(page 28)
50 Timeless
"Whenyou
how
consider
muc ht i m ey o u
s p e n di n t h e
la un d r ryo o m ,
sh o u l d n i' t b e
mor et h a nj u s ta
space?
utilitarian
Sh o u l d n i' t b e ,
darewe say
it, comfortable
aswell?"
-poge 53
Service with a Style
Clutteredclosetsdrivingyou crazy?
Hereareall the supplies,insrghts,
and instructions
for tamingthemess,
nlrr<
n sctof stvlish
doorsto boot.
60
46
Convertan old windowsoshand
boardsinto an
a few store-bought
eye-catchingdisplaycabinetin a
matterof hours.
WorkbenchMagazine.com
Getevenmoreinformation
aboutthe projectsand
articles
in thisissue:
Laundry Center
Bonus Features
. CuttingDiagrams,
Complete
ShopDrawings,
Materials
List
&
. FreeArticles:
Building
Laminate
Counters
. CuttingDadoesI
Rabbets
4
Closet
Thistray is idealt'or servingfood and
drinks.But with itselegantstyleand
interchangeabIe decorativeinserts,
you maynot want to put tt awaY.
OldVindow: NewView
ONLINE
ReinventYour
Laundgy Roorn Makeover
*5 Easy Add-Ons
Withthesesimplecabinetsand
evenlaundrycan bet'un.
accessories,
66
Garage Slat-Wall System
A Touch of Glass:
Display Shelving
doesn'tmeandift'icult
Distinctive
or expensive-with theseglass
For lessthan 540,
displayshelves.
look
can be Vours.
theirclean
FEBRUARY2OOT
WORKBENCH
6B
®
Issue 299
Volume 63
LAUNDRY CENTER
Number 1
February 2007
MATERIALS LIST
Page 1 of 6
Copyright 2007, August Home Publishing Company.
All Rights Reserved.
®
Issue 299
Volume 63
LAUNDRY CENTER
Number 1
February 2007
CUTTING DIAGRAM
A
A
3/4" x 48" x 96" White Melamine
B
E
B
F
E
L
G
H
G
G
J
D
J
M
G
I
M
3/4" x 9-1/4" x 96" Pine
Page 2 of 6
I
®
Issue 299
Volume 63
LAUNDRY CENTER
Number 1
February 2007
CUTTING DIAGRAM
K
3/4" x 48" x 96" Melamine
C
1/4" x 48" x 96" Hardboard
N
N
3/4" x 5-1/2" x 48" Oak
Page 3 of 6
®
Issue 299
Volume 63
LAUNDRY CENTER
Number 1
February 2007
CUTTING DIAGRAM
P
U
P
X
Q
NN
R
VV
JJ
SS
1/4" x 48" x 48" Hardboard
T
V
W
T
V
W
3/4" x 9-1/4" x 96" Pine
Page 4 of 6
S
S
LAUNDRY CENTER
®
Issue 299
Volume 63
Number 1
February 2007
CUTTING DIAGRAM
GG
II
FF
BB
II
FF
GG
HH
HH
AA
Z
UU
EE
EE
KK
CC
DD
OO
DD
3/4" x 5-1/2" x 96" Oak
Page 5 of 6
CC
OO
®
Issue 299
Volume 63
LAUNDRY CENTER
Number 1
February 2007
CUTTING DIAGRAM
LL
MM
LL
PP
MM
QQ
RR
RR
QQ
QQ
RR
RR
QQ
QQ
3/4" x 7-1/4" x 96" Poplar
QQ
TT
TT
3/4" x 7-1/4" x 96" Poplar
Page 6 of 6
RR
RR
Easy & Inexpensive
Front-Entry Makeover
Seehow a 530t'aux-graining
kit can makea drab steelentry
door looklikesolidoak.
36
Make an Impact with
Metallic Glazes
Turnan ordrnarywall into a work
of art with thissimple,high'
impactpatnttng techntque.
41
Top 10 Innovations
Thebesttool andproduct
innovations
t'or2007 that will
improveyour homeimprovement.
72
'W'orking
with
Melamine
Twelvetipsand techniques
t'or
materral
low-cost
sheet
this
turning
utilrtycabinets.
intogreat'lookrng
7B
lookat thekneebrace,a
An up-close
elementthat
architectural
traditional
lcndsr^listinctive
stvleto a home.
96
2OO7
FEBRUARY
WORKBENCH
Extremedeckcare,how Home
Depotstacksup againstHollyand more.
wood,treespirits,
10
Ask Vorkbench
Answersto perplexingquestions
on plumbing,root'ing,Iumber,
and circuitbreakers.
16
Fast Hotne Fixes
The Tool Report
Elernents of Style
Over the Fence
B4
Product Picks
90
xears
of
'r
1*,:-. a'-;'-)
(:-(j)\!/ Ii'l(,a-,)
Justthisonce,judgea bookby itscover.
O r m o r e a c c r - i r a t ejluy d, g c a n t d g a z i n eb y i t s i r ' v e r > .C t ' r 1 . : i r l l y ,
f i f t y y e a r s 'w o r t h o f c o v e r so f f e r sp l e n t yt o f o r r n; t r u l l i n i o t t
o n . W e c o L r l d n 'lti t a l l 3 0 0 c o v e r sh e r e ,s c tw e p i c k e cal f e w
f r o n r e a c hd e c a d et h a t w c f c e l r e p r c s e ntth e s p i r i to f t h e d a y
The magazine transitioned
from PrqfitableHobbiesto
Workbenchover a series
Is itjust
ofthree issues.
me, or does that "under-
a n d t h e c h a n r c t eor f t l t e r n a q a z i n t
eave storage unit" on the
March-April 1957 issue
still look like a good idea?
ffii
',
i
ORKBEN
a
tr:
,*f,.tft'
\tlorhench
$"
.. WO'RI(BEN
P
R
m$l0UlS8lt:
rRoJICTs.tAl tTEl AilCB
PLANS.
aut0ffts 0ELlodlful
S A i l T A C L A UU
SS
'f [.PUI,['
t08 FUtrAilo0€c0ialr0[
o
F
I
T
A
B
L
E
Td€{r05 til Youn Lft
n00ilootrtoNsaAtEs
:
,
r;FF
;e.il?il
6.-..
r'*
qd.
i*"Y"rgl#i
r. iij!":id"5diijri
----_-_--
-..
Somecovers,especiallythosefrom the 1960s,look
more like an excusefor the editors to go outside
and play than any realattemptat usefulprojects.It's
an editorialphilosophythe current staffwould like
to seerevived.
8
WORKBENCH
FEBRUARY2OOT
pr.atrl
-
dert
lfowlotlrnruRilotfttoutgifY
ruEHCI
a0{ru
r,&0
aI,ad
gry
loot ttttS
Ed.. 56dre vfh
nodcn Abf 36arr
CusloM
IHE Oo|TYOI'RSETF
MoLorNG I DEsK ClocK I CopE & STtc( JorNERr
s1
r.j
il
t
r.i.L
*
,,
The current issuedemonstratesthat Workbench
continuesto evolve.But it's
more thanjust a logo.You'll
alsoseethe focus shifting
inside the magazineto keep
pacewith the way people
think about their homes
and amenitiesthat make
them uniquely their own.
"Giant Elephant Stool?"
Really?Youd think the
editors would at least have
the courtesy to include
plans for a giant elephant
pooper scooper in the next
issue.Theydidn't.
February 1.997wasthe first ofiicial August Home
Publishing-producedissueof Workbench.Though
we
did assemble
assemble
previous rssue
the prevrous
issuefrom a box
box full of
ldrct
lproject plansand rough draftsthat we receivedfrom
I the previouspublisher.
wwwWorkbenchMagazine.com
9
$
,h
il
t
DEMAND
CONDITIONS
REMARKABLE
ExtremeDeckCare
Everyyear,a small team of hardy workers dismantle,maintain,and then rebuildthe
elaboratedeck systemthat gets visitors up closeand personalwith NiagaraFalls.
oesthe thought of
maintaining your deck
leaveyou cold?Ifso,be
gladyou dont work with the maintenanceteam at Niagara FallsStatePark.
This team of employeesgetsleft
cold andwet asthey work to maintain
the systemof plaforms and stairsthat
comprisethe Caveof the'Windsdecks
(Photo,
ight).Thesedecksput more than
300,000visitorseveryyearup closeand
personalwith the falls.
All that foot trafiic subjecsthe decks
and their protectivestainto a lot of wear.
But it's the constantsoakingof water
that really givesthe decls a workout.
The water makesit impossibleto
refinish and maintain the decls in place.
And in the winter, the sprayfreezes,
which would coat the decksand stairs
with a thick coatof crushingice.
So every fall a dedicatedteam ofsix
the entiredeck and stair
disassembles
systemand carriesit pieceby pieceto
an indoor work area.It takesseveral
10
2oo7
FEBRUARY
woRKBENcH
H.f:r
&
E
fiHHf;hr
MOVINGADVICEONLINE
Thesedecladon't get a break;they're
delugedwith water 24 hoursa daY.
cold,wet weeks,and the entirejob has
to be done usingonly hand tools.The
water quickly ruins evencordlesstools.
After refurbishingthe decksover
the winter, the crew puts everything
back togetheragainin the spring.
Now cleaningand restainingyour
orvn deck doesnt soundso bad,doesit?
Homecentersarestockedwith
products
to helpus
and information
maintainour homes.Butyou might
to learnthat theY'rea
be surprised
about
greatplaceto get information
, sw e l l .
g homea
b u y i n go r s e l l i n a
thisservice
HomeDepotprovides
(above).
with HomeDepotMoving.com
a
There,you'llfind adviceon selecting
gettingthe bestpricewhen
mortgage,
and
yousella home,or inspecting
improving
a homeyouwantto buy.
You'llalsofind a longlistof calculators
how
thatwill helpyoudetermine
manyof thosehome-improvement
you'llneedto buy(atthe
products
homecenter,of course).
Movie
Tickets
WHEN
ASK THE RIGHTQUESTIONS
Home
lmprovement
Hiring a Contractor
Homevs. Theater
Hiring a pro to work on your house?Here area Gw questionsyou should
of the RemodelingIndustryNARIorg):
askfrom the NationalAssociation
. How long haveyou beenin business?
. 'W'hatis the time framefor startingthe project?
. 'What is your approachto a prgect of this scope?
. Is your companya full serviceor specialtyfirm?
. Do you havedesignservicesavailable?
. Do you carry workers'compensation
and liabiliry insurance?
. May I havereferences
for prqects that aresimilarto mine?
. What percentageof your business
is repeator reGrrrl business?
. How nany proJectslike mine haveyou done in the past12 months?
. Will we needa permit for this prqect?
. May I havea list of your suppliers?
aremoviejunkies.That's
Americans
provenby the 59 billionor so we spend
on movteticketsalone.
annually
pales,
though,in
Thatobsession
to the onewe havewith
comparison
In 2006,Americans
fixingup ourhomes"
to spend5316billionon
wereexpected
That's35 timesmore
homeimprovement.
thantheamountspenton movies.
5o if you'reworkinghardto PaYoff
do
expenses,
thosehome-improvement
yourcontribution
to celebrate
something
'bout
a movie?
How
to the economv.
Everything you need to make your
house like new in one great kit.
doesthingsother Power
The Mur-lMnsren
into
cornersandalong
cant.
Sand
tools
Undercuta door iamb.Plungeinto
edges.
throughthe nails.Remove
baseboard...right
grout.Scrapepaintandlinoleum.
The RS Kit contains a MulrtMasren
636-2variable speed tool plus:
. Sanding
Pad. UniversalE-Cutblade
. HSSSegmentSawblade
. CarbideGrout blade. Scraperblade
. CarbideRasp' Plasticcarryingcase
. Toolwrench,screwsandwashers
. 5 eachassortedsandpaper,
grits 60,80,
t20,t80
For more information, a free brochure and
to see the complete line of MullMnsrEns
and accessoriesat a dealer near you call
I -800-44l -9878 or visit us on the web
at www.feinus.com.
P o w e r e db y I n n o v a l i o n
ProductInformationNumber288
THE
CREATIVE
CARVINGREVEALS
Spirit In a Tree
When a stout Scotchpine died in the yard of
Tim Robertson,the editor of Workbench,his
wife, Cindy,just couldn't bearthe thought
of cutting that old friend down. Instead,she
brought it back to life with the help of tree
Kern.
sculptorJessy
the remainsof the trunk
transformed
Jessy
by carvingthe beardedfaceofa "tree spirit"
into the wood. His tools of choicefor the task?
His great imagination, a good eye for reading the wood, a
couple of chainsaws,and a propane torch.
but they'reequippedwith
The sawsarestandard-issue,
specialbarsand chainsdesignedfor carving.'W'ielding
thoseand working freehand,he first definesthe faceand
beardof the spirit.Then he deepensthe cuts to further
refine the shapes(right).
After carving,Jessy
turns to a propanetorch.He usesit to
charhighlightsand shadow-linesinto the wood and makethe
ight).
sculpturestandout (aboue
To seea galleryof someofJessyiother tree sculptures,
tM
pay a visit to his website: ChainsawCarvings.org.
A propane
torch
charsthe woodto
highlights
create
t h a ta r em u c h
moreperman e n t h a np a r n t
(above).Compact
but powerfulsaws
m a k eq u i c kw o r k
of the sculpting
whenusedby
skilledhands(/e/t).
PIPES
FLEXIBLEWATER-SUPPLY
$impllfv
Plumbing
A: T.hetubing is called
cross-linkedpolyethylene,or
"PEX."Developedin the
1960s,it is garningpopulariry
asa substitutefor copperpipe.
PEX Has Flex:The
f exibility of PEX simplifies
routing waterpipes,especially
That's
for do-it-yourselfers.
becausePEX bendsinstead
Roger
Anderson ofhaving to be fitted with an
Cheyenne,WY elbow at every rurn (above).
some
Q: t needto re-route
plumbing,
andI'm nottotally
confdentin rnyability to sweatjointsin the
solderall those
copperwaterpipeswithoutleaks,
Afriend told.meaboutfcxible
plastictubingthatcanbeused
for watcrsupplyinstead.Could
optionforme?
it bean easier
Thecrimpingtool
the soft
squeezes
copperringaround
thejoint.A gauge
check the fit.
polyethylene
canbe
tubing,or "PEX,"
Flexible
cross-linked
hot-or cold-water
usedin placeof copperpipefor running
inyourarea.
codes
to seeif it'sapproved
lines.Check
building
Easy ConnectionsThis meansPEX water lines
have fewer joints, which
reduces the number of
potentialleals.Where PEX
tubing getsjoined to a fitnng,
the joint is securedwith lock
rings and a crimping tool.
The processis easy.After
cutting the tubing to length
(usinga utility knife or PEX
cutter),justslip copperlock
rings over the tube,and
then slidethe partsto be
joined togetherby hand.
Next, usethe tool to
crimp the copperlock ring
around the joint (Photo,leJt).
After crimping, a gauge
showswhetherthe ring is
tightened properly (Inset).
P E Xt u b i n g i s a v a i l a b l e
in severaldiameters
t h a t m a t c hc o p p e r
p i p e C o l o r e dt r i b i n g
can be usedto
d i s t i n g u i sh o t a n d
c o l dw a t e r l i n e s .
PROPER
SETUPFORA
CordlessDrill Clutch
Q: t torght my first cordless
drill, and I'm not surehow to use
the numbered"clutch" ing. How
doesit work?
Laura Clark
San Diego, CA
,4: a d.itt clutch allows
the chuck (which holds the
bit) to stop spinningwhen
while
it meetsresistance
the motor still turns.That
preventsover-driving or
stripping screws.Youcan set
how much resistance
it takes
to causeslip by rotating the
clutch ring.A low number
allowsa lot of slip,while the
highestsettingallowsnone.
HOWTOSENDYOURQUESTIONS:
WEHAVEANSWERS!Email:
fifiT QUilSTr0N5?
[email protected]
lncludeyourfull name,address,and doytimephonenumber.You'll Forums: forums.woodnet.net
receivea free one-yearsubscriptionto Workbench (or a one-year Mail: Ask'W'orkbench,2200 Grand Ave.,
if we publishyour question. Des Moines.IA 50312
extensionto your currentsubscription)
2OO7
WORKBENCHFEBRUARY
TECHNIQUES
FLASHING
PROPER
PreventRoofLeaks
a nsw rooJ
Q: I'm gettingestimatesfor
a
made big deal
and oneoJthe roofers
oJ installing"step
abouttheimportance
fiashing,"whiletheotherdidn't.Tbbe
I don'tknowwhatstepfiashingis,
honest,
Can you
sol'm notsureoJitsimpofiance.
shedsomelighton itfor me?
The flashing consistsof thin metal
sheets- often aluminum- that get
bent into an "L" shape.One leg of the
L sits under the shingles;the other
leg gets tucked up under the siding
(Illustration, aboue).That way, any water
that runs down the wall, or against it
from the roof, can't seep into the gaps
RichardMendoza between the two.
The reason it's called "step"
Chkago,IL
,4..' St.p flashingis usedto sealgaps
anywherea roof meetsa vertical
suface,suchasa wall or chimney.
Ifyour roofhas areaslike this,step
flashingis a critical componentof the
roof structurefor preventingleaks.
flashing is that it gets woven in as the
shingles are laid, stepping over each
shingle before the next is installed.
This way, any water that might find
its way under a shingle hits the
flashing and then runs out over the
top of the shingle below it.
PUMPUP THEVOLUMETO
LocateCircuitBreakers
. | 5 Amp, 4800 RPM motor - Cuts treated
lumberand hardwoodquicklyand easily
o Vertical clamp - Holds work piece
securely duing cut
c lncludestable extensionwith left/nght
extension- Supports longer and wider
work piecesfor better control over cuts
ProductInformationNumber368
outlet,but
workingon an electrical
before
Q: t knowI needto shutof thecircuitbreaker
controls
whichoutlets?
to knowwhat breaker
howam I supposed
John Inng
BellePlaine,IA
+tlz
o
a
A: t" easyway to find breakersis to plug a
radio into the outlet in questionand crankup the
volume.Thenflip breakersoffone at a time until
the radio goesoff. Once you find which breaker
controlsthe oudet, mark the breakernumber inside
the outlet cover(eft).Nsomark the breakerbox
with the oudetsor room eachbreakercontrols.
A5I( WO,BKBENCH
THEDIFFERENCES
DECIPHERING
2x4svs. Studs
but not ifyou understand
how a wall is built.
As the lllustrationat right
shows,the wall studssit on a
bottom plate,alsomadefrom
a2x4 (7b" actualthickness).
At the top of the wall there's
top plate.
a double-thickness
Add thesenumbers
together(IY2"+ 9214'+ 3")
and you get a total wall
JohnMason height of 97Va".Andyes,
that\ I 78"morethan 8-fL.
Detroit,MI
But thisextraheightis
-When
there
for a reason:
A: It'seasyto confusea stud
the ceiling getscoveredin
with an S-ft. 2x4,but they
drywall and flooring gets
aredifferent.ln the building
"stud"
refers laid over the subfloor,the
trades,the term
to a 2x4 that's925/8"long.
-finishedheight of the wall
That length might seemodd, will be almostexactlyS-ft.
8-ft. tong2x4s
Q: I needed
pmject,
so
Ijust bought
a
for
2x4 studs.Only afterI got
hontedid I realizethatthey're
I thoughtwallsin
not 8-Jt.long.
S-feet
houses
usuallymeasure
I
assumed
the
studs
tall,so
theonesI
wouldbe,too.Were
or is there
boughtcutincorrectly,
I don'tknow?
something
(
Top
Plate
Wall
Stud
];li
iilrd;r
:",;,,,ii$.
i:;ri,t
:
.;rllir{fi,'
iriil .jtifltl
lbrDdbnl
rtdrlho.b
:.
,
:
I
t.l
t/
r
I
I
i
I
I
t
{
I
E
THE EASYWAY TO
Caulk aTub
i>--
'*
Make your shower look better and
prevent water leaks by replacingthe
crackedcaulk betweenthe tub and the
surroundingwalls.Thesetips will ensure
that the new caulk looks good and lasts.
.:;,.,, Thecaulkthatsealsthejoint whereyourbathtubmeetsthewall
:t;':i hasseenbetterdays.Someis cracked,
somemissing,and what
":
rcmains is discoloredand impossibleto clean.
is
Thefrst challenge
liesin diging theoldstuf out.Thesecond
sothatthefx looks
layingdouma beadof newcaulkthat'ssmooth
areeasyto ouercome.
Luckily,bothchallenges
betterthantheproblem,
solution:
1] Cracked
or peelingcaulkbetweena bathtubandwall
needsto be repaired
to preventleaks.Usea sharputility
knifeto cut out as muchof the old caulkas oossible.
'\X/here
a bathtub meetstne
surroundingwalls,caulk
preventswater from seeping
into the wall and causing
damageor mold growth.
Eventually,the caulk gets
hard and cracked.Luckily,
replacingthe caulk is easy.
First,cut out asmuch
of the old caulk aspossible
using a utiliry knife (Fig.1)
Next, usestraight-edge
razor bladesto scrapeaway
remaining residue(Fig.2).
Note: If your tub
or surroundis madeof
fiberglass,
usestiff plastic
insteadof razor
scrapers
bladesto preventscratches.
After removing the old
caulk,scrubthe areaand let
it dry beforemoving on.
To ensurethat you'll get a
consistentapplication,mask
the tub and walls (Fig.3).
a beadofcaulk
Squeeze
into the spacebeftveenthe
tapestrips.Agood caulk gun
makesthis easier(belowleJt).
Now smooth the caulk to
give it a finishedappearance
(Fig.4).Wipe awayexcessas
peel off the
necessary.Then
tape,and let the caulk cure.
3l To get a straightcaulkline,
placemasking
tapeon the
each
tub andthe tile.Place
stripof tapeabout3/ro"from
meet.
wherethe surfaces
4l Laydown a 7+"beadof
caulk.Thenuseyourfingertip or the endof a Popsicle
stickto shaoethe caulk.
Removethe tape carefully.
Don'tremove
groutbelow
walltile
Vt/itha good-rlualitycaulk
gtut (ttbove),caulk r.von't
contirrueto ooze, as it cioes
Straight-Edge
RazorBlade
f rorrt,rriinexJ:errsir,,e
gun (belovr)
22
2l Beforeapplyingnew
caulk,usea razorbladeto
scrapeoff all old caulkresidue.Thenscrubthe areato
get rid of soapscum.
WORKBENCH
FEBRUARY2OOT
THE BASICSOF
Rewiring a Switch
A ligltt su,itclt
tto lottgcrrt,ttrks,
Connectground(bare)
wiresto greenttrew
/
b t t t 1 , t t t 1 ' 1 t1g1 g Y g Y
rcpl accd t,trc bcf,trc.
i.t
Tlc ptrrrc-s.i
c,r-ty,a-s/,)ltq ,l-s
d tlrc
1,ttuttrrdcrstatt
rdrirrgoptiortsorr
tl rt' ttt'rt, stt,itt It ),ttrt
pr('pdrc
nrc rrsirtQ,
tltc tuirts dppt'(rpt'iatcly,tutd rcnrnrt
tlutn corrutly.
Connect
"hot" (black)
to gold screws
have"jabhole"
Someswitches
Thescrewson the sideof a
A gaugeshows
switcharewhereyouconnect connections.
how farto stripthewire.
wires.
the two "hot" (black)
I3eforedoing rny electricrl work, of course,shut olf the power to the circuit (sccpqqe
18). On a switch with screw terttinals (abouclcft),be sure to hook tl-reblack wir-es
uound thc screwsclockwise,so the screwsgrip the wires rvel1(P/rottf.Wrapboth
ble grouncl wites aroturd thc grcetr scr-ew.(The white wircs bypassthe switch.)
l-raveholes in the back that can be useclirtstcadof the scrcws
Sonre switcl-res
(altoucri.qht).Pushthe wire fully into the hole,and thcn pull to nrlkc sure it's secttre.
Product lnformalion Number 220
^
.\
imeless
L,
1 > F R E EA B I N D I N G D O O R
I)t'rtrttltt'rl9-57
Sometimes, even a properly adjusted
door will rub on the threshold
whenever it is opened or closed.
To overcorne this trouble, sirrrply
place a sheet ofcoarse sandpaper
on the threshold with grit side
up. Note: Self-adhesivesandpaper
asgqod today
as"they werb yesterday
that\ rcrdily availabletoday is
perfect for this.Then, once the
sandpaperis secured to the floor,
carefully passthe door over this
paper severaltimes.This will
free the rubbing door without
stock, as is
removing nnnecess:rry
usually the casewhen the door
i s t r i n r n r c dw i r l r r s r w o r p l a n e .
2 > ROLLER CLEANER
I )ttttrtlttr I 9.1|
Here is a quick way to clean
a paint roller after you have
finished painting a room. Place a
piece ofheavy-gauge wire screen
over a paint tray.Then dip youl roller
into water or print thinner, and lo11
it back and forth over the screen
severaltimes.
After a few dips and a bit of rolling
on the screen,yourro1lerwill be almost
asclern .rsthe day you bought it.
28
FEBRUARY
2OO7
WORKBENCH
3 > SCRATCH REPI\IR
librtt,tryI9-l8
When finishing or refinishing
furniture, gouges and scratches
can be neatly hidden by using the
sanding dust frorn the sarnepiece
mixed with clear varnish, lacquer, or
nail polish.
Make a paste thati as thick as
possible(to prevent shrinking), and
force it into the crack or gouge with
a small puty knife or even the tip of
a screwdriver.When the "filler" is dry,
sand it smooth, and apply a finish.
pair of pliersinto a makeshift
clanrpflorsecuringsnrallparts
while you work on them (Fig.6).
You can evenadjustthe
clampingpressureby varying the
rype ofrubber bandyou useand
the nunrberof tinresyou wrap it
a r o u n dt h e p l i e r sh a n d l e .
/ > IMPROVISED "V"
I t r r rl,' t t , t )
AV-block is an invaluablejig for
drilling accuratelyinto round
stock,or eveninto the corner of
squarestock.
4 > SCREW-EYE T-HANDLE
- l t r r t rl ' ) . i 3
Turning screw eyesin or out is
easywith this simple T:handle that
you can nrake yourself (Fi.q.4).It
consistsof a 4" length of %"- or
1"-diameter alunrinum tubing and
a large nail. Partially flatten one end
When noV-block is handy,you can
easily improvise one from fwo short
lengths of pipe.Just lay the pipes flat
on the table ofyour drill press,and
work table, and then place the small
parts on the exposed sticky face until
clamp them lightly together, as shown
in Ftg. 7. Or, for a firore perrnanent
solution, drill holes through the pipes
and bolt them together.
1O > DRIP-PROOF
B )'CARRIAGE
l : 1 1 t 1 1 1l 9, 1
61
l y
BOLT RASP
Simply slidethe threadedportion
of the bolt into the hole, and then
work it back and forth to remove
material and enlarge the hoie.
end to accept a nail that will be used
as a sliding handle.
9 ]'TAPE SMALL
. lltril I ()t,I
5 > PRYING WEDGE
When you have tiny parts to glue
or solder together, use rwo-sided
. l t r . g r r : tl t ) . i 9
PAINT CAN
Keep the ridge in the top of a paint pail
clean by punching a number ofhoies
in it with an ice pick or awl.The paint
drains back into the container, and the
holes are sealedwhen the lid is reolaced.
To en.largea drilled hole that isjust
slighdy undersized,a carriage bolt
or a length ofthreaded rod can
work nicely asa makeshift rasp.
of the tubing by har.nmering it or by
squeezing it between the jaws of a
vise. Flatten itjust enough so it fits
snugly over the screw eye.
Then drill a hole in the opposite
A rubber door wedgecomesin
handy when pulling nalls (Fig.5).
With the wedge,itt much easier
to pull stubbornnailswithout
damagingthe wood.
The wedgealsoprovidesa bit
of extraleveragefor pulling hear,y
nails,and its soft suface won't mar
the surroundingwood, no rnatter
how hardyou pry againsrrr.
the glue setsor the solder cools (Fig.9).
PARTS
carpet tape to hold the parts still.
Stick a piece ofthe tape to your
11 > CUT HOLES IN METAL
( )ttolt'r | ()rtI
Cutting squareor rectangularholes
in sheet metal can be done neatly
( ) L l o l t t rl ( ) . i ( )
and simply with this trick: Mark the
opening, then bend the metal over a
cylindrical shape (like a piece of PVC
pipe or a length of dowel or closet
rod). Cut fwo sides with a hacksaw
(Fig. 1l),then turn the workpiece 90
With the aid of a rubber band,
you can easily turn an ordinary
degrees,bend it on the curve again.
and saw the other rwo sides.
6 > P L I E R SC L A M P
www.WorkbenchMagazine.com
29
12 > CONCAVESANDER
l:tlruary1962
To make a great sanding block for
concave surfaces,just attach sandpaper to a sponge with a binder
clip (Fig. 12).The sponge "backer"
providesjust enough give to allow
the sandpaperto match the curvature of the work nicely.
1 5 > GLUE BOTTLE CAPS
l : t l t r t r a r y1 9 8 )
An ideal cap for most glue bottles
is an ordinary electrical connector,
calied a wire nut. Because of their
large sizeand bright color, they
are not easily lost.
16>GLUESPATULA
I':cbntty l()32
Spreading glue or adhesiveover
a large suface is easily done
rvith a large rubber kitchen
spatula (Fig 16) Such spatulasare
flexible enough to spread a thin coat
of glue, yet stiff enough for good
control. However, once used this
way, itt best not to return them to
the kitchen!
conlmon hex-shank screwdriver bits.
This simple ratcheting screwdriver
will fit into spaceswhere conventional screwdrivers,drill/drivers, and
sometines even stubby screwdrivers
just won't go.
17>REFACEADOOR
13 > TEAR SITNDPAPER
I )tcttttlrcr I ()6)
The toothed edge ofa hand saw
makes an excellent guide for ripping
sheetsofsandpaper to a particular size.
Just position the saw over the sandpaper,hold down on the blade with
one hand, and pull sharply up on the
sandpaperwith the other hand.
14 > FLUSH-CUT DOWELS
l)trrtttlttr 1962
To cut offthe projecting end of
a dowel so it's flush with a wood
surface,sir.nplyuse a hacksaw blade
removed fronr the frrme (Fig. 14).
I t t t r L1 9 8 6
'When
an exterior service
door (like those often used on
garages)starts to peel and lose
its veneer, you can savea lot
ofnroney by refacing the door
rather than replacing it.
Simply cement a piece of
laminate over the ailing surface
and the door will look as good
as new Ifyou shop around a bit,
you might even be able to find
a renrnant piece of laminate rn
a suitable color and compound
your savlngseven nlore.
Place masking tape around the
1B > CUTTING LATTICE
.ll,til)00()
To nmke clean cuts in larice without
dowel to protect the workpiece from
getting scratched by the blade.
losing piecesorjarring the slatsloose,
place the sheet oflattice on a sheet of
rigid foar.ninsulation.Allow the blade
ofthe circular saw to cut partially into
the foam.
For an added measure of security
and accuracy, clamp a cutting guide
on top of the lattice.
19 > TIGHT SPACES
:lpril 2{)01
\Vhen faced with driving screws 1n
tight spaces,try this: Mount a %"
socket on a ratchet (Fig. 19).The
socket is the perfect size to accept
30
FEBRUARY
2OO7
WORKBENCH
20 > SHOP VAC WIRE PULL
( )rtolttr,)00-t
Here's an easy way to fish wire
through electrical conduit: Connect
a shop vacuum to one end ofthe
conduit, and insert a loose-fitting
sponge tied to a string in the other.
Then turn on the vacuum to suck
the sponge through the conduit (Frg.
20). Now tie the wire to the string,
and pull it back through.
21 > STRAW CONDUIT
,'ll)rill()0.1
Feeding a low-voltage wire (to install
a garage-door opener, for example)
through severalwall studs that are
ganged together can be a nuisance.
The flexible, small-gauge wire always
seenr to get hung up inside the holes.
A simple soiution is to first slip
the wire through a straq and then
poke the straw through the holes
in the studs (Fig.21).The straw rs
stiffenough that it won't catch in
the hole, and it provides the pefecr
conduit ltor the fine wire
24 > EPOXY CLEANUP
. l r r t t L) 0 0 6
Rubbing alcohol is a great way
to clean up excessepory, ifyou
do it before the eporry cures.
The best rag fol the job rs a
clean, lint-free cotton cloth, like
a piece ofan old cottonT:shirt.
Be sure to wet the raE thoroughly becausethe alcohol will
evaporate quickly, and you won't
have a lot of time for re-wetting
before the epoxy hardens.
25 > MAGNETIC
. \l a n l r l ( ) 9 )
HANDLE
Picking up brads and small nails with
your fingerscan be painful ifyorr
stick yourself with the pointed end.
A simple way to avoid this is to install
a small cylindrical r.nagnet(available
at nrost h:rrdware stores and hobby
shops)into a hole drilled in the end
22 > P'PE.CUTTING PAIL
( l L t o l t t)r( ) 0 . i
To make a simple pipe rest, cut two
V-shapednotches on opposite sides
of the top rirl of a 5-gallon bucket.
Lay the pipe acrosstl.repail, nest
it in the notches,and it staysput
while you cLlt it to length (Fi,q.22). A
decent-sizednotch accomnrodatesa
variery ofpipe sizes.
of a wooden hammer handle.A dab
of epoxy will securethe magnet.
26 > PENCIL PUSH STICK
. ) t r , q t s Ir t h . l
28 > DISHWASHER
l i l , r r t , t r )l ,( ) 9 1
PANEL
Ifyour dishwasher'sfront panel h
dented,rusted,or just the wrong color,
there is hope. Remove the door's side
trim, and slip out the panel.Takeit to
a horne center or kitchen rentodeler,
and get a piece of plasticlaminate cut
to the same size.f(ou can even ntatch
your kitchen countertop.) Use the
lar.ninateto replacethe old panel.Your
r-rewpanel will be rr-rstproof,dentprcof, and easyto clean.
Workine with srnall pieces on a table
saw or other stationery tool requires
29 > DUST CONTROL
S t l t r t t r r l r tI r9 9 . 1
an extra measure of caution to keep
your fing5ersout of harm'.sway.
For those tinres,an unsharpened
wooden pencil with a rubber eraser
Patching plaster and drywall can be
a nressyjob, particularly when it's
tinre to sand-it'.s alnrostimpossible
to eliminate the dust.An efFective
rnethod for keeping dust fron'r
is an effective push stick for sr.nall
stock.The rubber crasergives nrore
thrn enough grip for pushing the
srnallpieces.
spreading through the house is to
hang a wet bed sheet in the doorway.
This createsan e{fective dust filter.
27 > EPOXY BAG
When you're done, simply throw the
sheet in the washing rnachine.
. \ l r t t t l rl ( ) ( ) . j
A neat and easyway to r-nix and
apply two-part epoxy is with a
plastic sandwich bag (Fig 27).
First, dispenseequal parts of
23> "FIXING" CHALK LINES
epoxy resin and hardener rnto a
corner ofthe bag.Then knead
the bag to lxix the epoxy. Cut
Ittttt)()06
A sn.rudgedchalkline is wortlrless when
your goal is accurateiayouts and dimensions.So I "fr-r" the line by spraying a
offa srlall piece of the corner to
nrake a nozzle,and squeezethe
bag to dispensethe glue.
When you re through gluing,
light coat ofhair spray over it. It takes
the hair sprayjust a noment to "set up"
and protect the line from smudging.
put the bag aside.Alter the glue
remaining in the bag has hardened,
you'll know the repair is solid.
31
30 > CUSTOM SANDING BLOCK
1996
Not,t'tttlrcr
You can make a custom sanding
block to match the profile of wood
moldings using plaster of paris and
an ordinary plastic sandwich bag.
Fill the sandwich bag with the
plaster,press it firm1y against the
molding, and let it dry (Fig. 30).Later,
remove the dried block from the bag,
pressadhesive-backed sandpaper onto
the sudace, and go to work.
ttni"$itiu,,
OF
Ftfrhj
33 > CHAIN CUTS PAINT
I tbnary ll9()
To remove peeling paint from a
metal pole or pipe, take a length
of chain, such as a log chain, and
wrap it a turn or rwo around the
pole (Frg.j j).Pull the ends of the
chain back and forth, moving up
and down the length of the pole,
and watch the paint chips fly.
34 > PENCIL TIP TRICK
, ' l Ut l l 9 ( ) l )
A simple way to repair"worn out"
screw holes is asclose asthe nearest
Number 2 pencil. Drive the point of
the sharpenedpencil into the screw
hole, then snapit off.The tapered point
fits holes ofany size and provides a new
structure for the screw to bite into.
F-4
in and out, it occurred to me there
was an easier way.
I unscrewed the door hinges from
the face frames and remounted the
doors so they hinged on the center
stile instead.Now I can reach in
from either side without having to
get a step stool to store or retrieve
items in the cabinet.
35 > TOILETVAC
. ' 1 r t . g r sl 9t ( ) 9
Before removing a toilet for any
reason,you'll first want to ensure
that you've completely emptied the
water.You can get rid of most of the
water by shutting offthe supply line
31 > INSULATION CUTTER
196.1
"hr,qtst
Hedge shears,which are nothing
more than an enormous pair of
scissors,are perfect for cutting bats
of fiberglassinsulation to length.As
long as the shearsare sharp,they'll cut
cleanly and effortlessly every time.
32 > REMOVING MOLDING
.'lpril l99ll
'When
removing casing and trim
work for refinishing, you'll
want to be careful to avoid
danraging the walls by prying
against them. An ordinary putty
knife with a stiff blade is all
you'll need.
Start by slipping the putty
and flushing the toilet two or three
times. For the water that remarns
in the bowl and trap, simply use a
wet/dry shop vacuum to suck the
water out of the toilet.
36 > DOORREVERSAL
. ' l t r ( t t sIt( ) 9 9
In nry srnallkitchen, cabinet spaceis
at a premium, so I needed to use the
over-the-fridge cabinets for everyday
items.After struggling to get dishes
37 > PREVENT "SHINERS"
( )ttolrt l()l)()
A conrnron problem when using a
pneumatic nailer to install hardwood
trim is that nails can "blow out" the
side of the trim (Frg.37).These are
called "shiners" and are causedby
the nail following the path of least
resistance,which is determined by
the grain direction.
The best way to avoid shiners is to
turn the nailer parallel to the grain.
This also aligns the chisel-point of the
nail parallel to the grain and allows
it to slice into the wood with less
resistance.Thatmeans fewer shiners.
38 > FENCE.POST SLEEVE
I)ututln'rl9()()
Replacing Gnce posts that have been
broken oft-by high winds or other
forces can be hard work, especially
when the posts are encasedin concrete
footings. In areaswhere this is a regular
occurrence, fence builders have simpli-
knife between the casing and
the wall and pulling the casrng
out far enough to insert a flat
pry bar. Leave the putty knife
fied the replacement processby using
a "boot" that allows them to replace
a broken post without having to
excavatethe entire footing (Fig 38)
This boot is just a sleeveof
i n p l a c e ,a n d p r y a g a i n s tt h a t ,
rather than prying directly
against the wall.
galvanized tin or copper flashing
that gets wrapped around the fence
post when you first set it and pour
32
2OO7
WORKBENCH
FEBRUARY
the footing.The flashing should
extend from the bottor.n of the post
to scveralinchcs above the top of
the footing. Mark where the top of
pad.A mouse pad has the right
thickness and consistency,and
the cloth sudace grips stick-on
sandpaperwell.
the flashing meets the post, and use a
circular saw to cut a shallow (%"-
To make a new pad, remove
the baseplatefrorrr the sander.
and scrapeoffthe o1d rubber
pad. Placethe sanderbaseon
the r-nousepad, trace around the
deep) ker{around the post.
outside, and mark the location of the
nrounting holes.Then cut the new pad
to size,and glue it to the sander'sbase
plate with contact cenrent.
40 > SHEET GOODS HELPER
in the drain opening. Make sure the
vacuum is set up for "wet" operation, and then switch it on. It should
remove the obstruction in seconds.
l ' L l v t l a y y1 1 111 1
On a recent trip to the lurnberyard to
buy piy'wood, I discovered that a hand
43 > HANDY
.'llril )00;
truck can serve as a great helper when
loading sheet goods into a truck.
Sinrply place the hand truck on the
Next, crir.np the top of the flashing
so it fits into the ked and then caulk
the joint. Now nail the flashing to the
post,nraking sule to locate the nails
so they will be above the top of the
concrete. Finally, pluntb the post in the
hole, and pour in the concrete.
If the post breaksin the future, pull
the nails out of the flashing,remove the
old wood from the footing, and insert a
new post into the flashing sleeve.
reaching for any ofthose expensive
liquid drain cleaners.Sinrply fit the
nozzle of the vacuum hose tightly
tailgate with the wheels up, and then lift
one end ofthe plyrvood sheet onto the
wheels (F19.40). Now pick the other
end of the plywood up offthe ground,
and "roll" the sl.reetinto the bed.
While this tip works great for
exterior sheet goods, I wouldn't
suggestit for hardwood plywood
unlessyou want tire tracks running
down your wood.
41 > PERFECT 45'
l:thrrr,tr1,
)00.5
MITERS
While installing the handrail on rny
newly constructed deck, I found that
the 45'miters I had so carefullycut
didnt fit tightly together.As it turned
out, a variation in the deck meant that
the boards came together at an angle
sLightlylessthan 90". Rather than gress
NOTEPAD
To create a convenient place tojot
down dimensions and other notes,
attach a Post-lt notepad to your tape
measurewith double-sided tape.
44 > HOLD SMALL
I t r t t t) 0 0 . 1
PARTS
Staining small parts such as screwhole buttons or knobs can be a pain.
They're hard to hold, and they usually
get knocked over before the stain dries.
To hold them in place,use a dab ofhot
glue co stick thcrrr onto a protcctivc
paper.Thenjust brush on the stain,let
it dry and remove the buttons.
45 > MAGNETIC HOLDER
,4tr;4rtsr
200.i
To keep nails and small hardware
within easyreach.use a r)lagnetic
clip (Fig. a5). Clip it to your clothing
or the project, and the hardware you
need will always be close at hand.
at the angle and recut the boards
on my miter saw,I clamped the
boards into position and used a
circular saw to cut acrossthe joint,
cutting both boards at once (Fig.
41).This created matching angles
- and a perfect-fitting miter
joint.
39 > MOUSEPAD SANDERFIX
()ttobcr 1998
When you eventually wear out the
rubber pad on the bottom ofa palm
sander.you can rrrakean inexpensive
replacement from a computer nouse
42 > 5HOP VAC ENDS
CLOGGEDDRAINS
Ircltnnry 200.1
Next tine your sink clogs,reach
for your shop vacuum before
33
46 > PLASTER CRACK AID
()ctolvrl0():t
An old "church key" srylecan
openercomesin handywhen
preparingcrackedsufacesfor
plastering(Fig.a6) Simply usethe
pointed end to scrapeawaycrumbling plasterchips.Thiswill open up
the crackenoughto accepta decent
quantiryof joint compoundor
other filler.
It will also provide a solid
suface for the filler to adhereto,
so it forms a strongbond.
47 >,'BEI:I" SANDER
( ),ta['tr )()().i
To sand a workpiece with a
curved profile. such as a piece
of crown or cove molding, one
simple solution is to stick a strip
ofself-adhesive sandpaperto an
old leather belt (Fig. 47).
The leather belt is flexible
enough to conform to the cllrves
of the r.nolding,yet still distributes
pressureevenly and provides a sturdy
backer for the sandpaper
48 > CUTTING GUIDE
( ) t r o l r rJ ( ) 0 h
A conrmon speedsquare (availableat
any hardware store or home center) can
serveasa quick and effective cuffing
guide for your circular saw when
working with lumber aswide m 6" (Fig.
,18). Simply hold the squrre with your
free hand, or clamp tl-resqlrxreto the
workpiece with the point of tl-resquare
facir-rgtoward you.Then, asyou tuake
the cut, take care to keep the sl-roeof
the circular saw firmly againstthe edge
phonenumber,
To receiveyour rebate.just sendthis (ouponwith your name,address,
alongwith the originalUPc from the box and a copy
and whichmodelyou purchased,
to:
of youroriginalsalesreceipta5proof of purchase,
Rebate Code
WB
andJ.9geta rebate
formonline,
Dept.32.Offer OPFT000O2 Fordetails
visitwww.DrillDoctor.com
P.O.Box 10005-32
Douglas,AZ85555-1105 orcalll-800-741-1365
nade Jan. l-ADt. 30,2a07.Rebatecannotbe conbined
Rebateoffer qood on Dwchases
with any other ofler fion nanufacturer
Product lnformation Number 275
--l
( ) t t l r c \ r l U . i t - rt'( ) : i ( ' ( ( ) l i l f ] i \ i ) . t a l e . l r ) .
\ ( l u . u ' e( u t e v e r \ t i i l 1 e .
-lir
rr'11,'1
t j1o u n i n t o r l l t l r l r t
l r r e t l et . t i l .t r v u \ i n g . t l t v ] o n
: t o t l . i r r q . .uf s t . r p p l r r t i i p p e l t i r
.'r,i
tlrr' lorkpit'te..uttl r]rennrL.
\ \ ' I r er r : t l i | p r r q 1 ) . r n t o f i ' . r s p r n t l l . '
( ) r ' l ) . l l u \ t ! ' r .i t r ' . r n b t ' r e l r ' , l i t i i c L r l t
t ( ) r - ( ' n l ( )L\ ' . r l l t l t r ' [ ) , 1 1 1 f)it( ) ] t ) t l l r '
t t t t o l i r , n t t l ( f . l t ) n i ! ' \L r f - t l t rt' ' t . t L . o r - . t t e
fr'jil ''
t l r e s r o c k i r r qI r . r . k . r n t l f i r r - t ] ti n
.t"fonelrng oti-" nrorion. Ilrc
)
W
r t o t k t n g t o n t i r r n r s t o t l t a r 1 , . , U ., , t
t l r e : p t l 1 q i l r: 'l 1 r l p r ( ) \t t l e s: r l , r - . r s i 9 p
r r t i t t ' 1 1r.c n r ( ) \ ' et l r r ' O l r l t i n i s l t .
l ) t ' o t l l e st l r e s c I i 1 ' 1 ' . ' 1o f t c n l t , r v e .
'Ti)
q e t . l n . t t ' (| t ' . t t r ' n t ( . i t s u l ' C n t ( ' t I t
o l - . r n i r r s i t l et i i n r e n : r o n .s u c l r . r :
t l t e i n s i t l t ' o i - l t l r : r r r t ' i u. s ( ' , t" \ t ( ) r v
,t,
..:i,li
iil
ti ...
:tick../1:ir, .i1)l
I n t l r i s i ' : r s t 't .l r c : t o n , s t i c l <i s s i r r r p l r
S c t r r r et l r r ' [ . o . u - tnl sr t ] r r l r c L r i r r d r ' r c l r p .f l r c t rl ' en l ( ) \ ' et l t ( ' | 1 . : l n (t l: l K e
t \ \ 1 ) t l r j t I i r o . r n l s . l o t r t e Ir rl r ' . r b i r r . l e r '
\'()Urllt('.tsUfr'll]eltt.
'I'lris
s . r n r t t' c c l r r r i t l r r ct u n l . t ' t r s e t l
c l t [ r .( ) r r e t ' n t l o f ' t ' . r r ' l r L r o . r r t li s l . e r . c ] t ' d
o t t r t n t r r t ' l r l : r r - q t ' r ' s t ' . t lseu. r ' l r . t s f i r '
t ( ) ( r ' e . t t t.'r p o i n t t l t . t t r n t r e. t s e st ] t e
n t r ' . r s t u ' i l ltqi o l l t O n r . t r . r i i t O . l l t ( ) t l t t ' r
. l (( t r r . i r ' \ o l t l r e s t i t i i .
'
I o t . r l . t ' , l l t l ( ' . 1 \ L l r (I' en l I t . r ' \ l ) i l lI ( l
t o t l c t e r r l i n e t ] t e s i z e o f ' r r s i t e t ' to f -
t l r r ' \ t ( ) r ' \ : t i t ' k L r i t t i li t t o i t c l t t ' sl r o ( l r
. t . 1 , . , r tl l r r , 1 ' , , , \ , , U l i . t t r ( . , 1 \ i l 1 | l r , _
t l l v n . r l l . I n t l r i s c , r s e \. ' ( ) r rr ' . l r ru s e
I r ) s f i r t l r t ' s t o r - r s' t i c k . u r d ( .
, L r r t t l " I n . l L . r r l , , lI 1 r 1 1 1 , ,1I,r. 11 ' ' f f i
R
l -ll 4"MUlilPURP0$[
S.A.W
WHENYOUCANBUYA RAGEMUTTIPURPOSE
SAW.
The world's first truly
multipurpose circular saw
a n d b l a d ec o m b i n a t i o nT. h e
RAGEcircularsaw not only
cuts wood like a regular
saw, but also cuts steel and
aluminum with the same
blade! The finish is clean
Cut:
.
and accurate.When cutting
steel very few sparks are
produced the material is
cool to the touch, and there
is no burr. The RAGE saw,
quite simply is an essential
additionto any tool box.
o
WITH ONESAW AND ONEBLADE
*,
3'"
rrit$l\,
+-
{
-.
tel:563.386.3866
Product lnformation Number 237
EVOLUTION
i1-,.1
flflllSfJfsl_G
A DOORFORA
FAUX-GRAIN
Front-EntryMakeover
Give an oiri tloor a i ':ld irew loui(. I hi:' siirtrrle{;rttx-tlrairiirir,l
technique 1;cg*,trl*ints anrl :ihrinl tLl lr;rll5{orrn ;l :;leef *rttr}r
"tJot
k " tls:ot.
door (befut t:,;rli4ifrrJ,r'rl i.!.i e1:nll.-i*uklrl.r-3
__l
llr
Two-Color Cover-up
I t i s r r 'jtu s t r h c " f : r r r r "g r . r i nt l r : r tq r v c '
a door the look of lvoocl.Tb nrake
it convincinq,the brckgronnclcolor
trrtdt'ntcillr
thrt glairr urustlook Lkc thc
real dell ls 'uvell.Fol tl-ris"oek" cloor',
that backeround colol is prodr-rcecl
by
a colt or tr'vo of bergc prlint, follor,vecl
l,y ;r Iiuhr rv.tslrt'o.rt
oIst.trrr.
Prep & Paint-Tlre
rvhole
proccssis easierif vou rc'rrrovc'thc cloor
lrcnr rts opening.Wc clrt :r plvu,oocl
plnel to frt the openinq :rnclsclervecl
it in phcc r'vhilc rvorkirrs on thc cloor".
Th;rt clonc,rcniove thc hlrr-clu,ere,
s:rrrd
thc surfrrccof the ckrol snrooth.:rncl
:rpplv thc flrst coat of prrirrt (l;i.q.l).
Test Panel-While
vorri'c lt it,
itls :r r:ooclicleato p:lir)t tt "tcst" 1-r:rrrcl
of scr:tppl,vlvoocl:rsrvcll. Lutcr orr,
tlris rvill qivc you I ch:rnccto prrrcricc
yout' graininu tc'chniclucbctbrc
nrovir.rstr>the cloor itsclf /p,1gc
-18).
Apply a \[2sft6sa1-Oncc
the
p , r i r r,rl l i . ' r .t l r c r r e x ri t t p i r 1 , ,. r t r ; r '
rt rv:rshcoltof st:iin to thc.cloor.Tltc
itlcl rs to c1'ciltc:l slichtlv c|trker tint
thln thc paint color-,so it nrorc closcly
rc'senrblcs
olk. I3nrsh ol l vely lieht
ccrrt of st:rin,rtsshotvrtrrr ,friq.t.
2 trtd -i
bcloniAlso, ckrrr'tfbr'!retto rrpplv rhcrv:rshco:ttto yorlr tr'st pel]cl.
Sequence for Success-For'
bcst r-csults,
vor-rncccl to conrplctc
onc scclior of t]tc door bclbrc
tttoving on to the ncxt f///t/.{r/i/Ii()1,
riq'/rt/.For this cloor, tlrrrtnrcrrilt
s t r l l t i l l qr v i t l r t h c r : r i s c dp l n c l s ( 1 ) ,
t t t o v i n r -tJo t l r c r r r i c l c l lsct i l c s( 2 ) ,
r v o l k i n q o r l l l t h c r . r i l s( 3 ) , l r r d t h c n
f l n i s h i n s u p u i t l r t h e o u t c r s t i l c s( - l ) .
T h i s s c c l l r c r r cler l l o r v sv ( ) r .tro o r i c r ) t
t h c q r l u r rs o i t r n i r r u c st ) r c u : r y l r r e e l
t v o o t l t l o o r i s l r r r i l t .q i v r r r l ji r . r r ) l ( ) l ' r '
ll lrtur-lrl:rPpcirfilltcc.
\-.\.
'.,
-- .
1 l A f t e rr e m o v i ntgh e h a r d w a raen d
s a n d i n tgh ed o o rs m o o t hb, r u s ho n t h e
basepaint.lt mayrequiretwo coats.
l
''tt+\
Foreachcoatof paintor stain,be sure
to finishthedoorin the properorder.
Thisletsyouwork in a controlled
fashion
andcreate
faux"jointlines."
-.4'
2l Toensure
a lightcoatof stain,dab
the
dooreveryfew inches
with stain,and
thensmoothit out with a foambrush.
E'rr
3 l C o n t i n usem o o t h i ntgh e s t a i nw i t h
t h e b r u s hu n t i ly o uc r e a t ea u n i f o r m ,
consistent
coloracross
the surface.
ALL.IN.ONEGRAININGKIT
Trackingdown the right paint,stain,and suppliesto create
reallstic
faux-grain
wouldbe a challenge.
Luckily,
a company1.1
./:..1//
--tl^l
^t!
-.----rrr- - -r
|
called
Old MastersLhas
made
the shoppingeasyby packagingalmosteverything
you'llneedin one handykit.
The kit is available
in eightdifferentwood tones
and includes
the itemsshownherefor S30.(You
maywantto pickup extrabrushes
andan extra
graining
tool,aswell.)Formoreinformation,
visitOldMastrs.com
or callB0O-747-3436.
t ;
,/
M'
37
SIX EASYSTEPSTO AN
"Oak" Door
Thisgrainingtool hascurvedridgesof varyingdiameter
When the washcoatdries,you're
along its surface.As you slidethe tool overwet stain,rockready to apply the faux grain.This is
ingthe padwill changethe patternleft behindby the tool.
accomptshedby applyrnga second
coat of stain,and then using a graining
tool to "rearrange"the staininto a
wood-grain pattern (Photo,ight). The
tool is simpleto use:Youjust pressthe
textured pad firmly againstthe door
and then either push or pull the tool
acrossthe wet stainlike a squeegee.
Try It Out:Though it's easyto
use,the tool takessometrial and error
to achievejust the look you want.This
is where the testpanelyou prepared
earlierwill come in h*dyTty out the
techniqueon this pieceuntil you get
2l As you slidethe grainingtool, rock
1] Workinga sectionat a time,applya
the hangofit.And remember,youcan
your
it backand forth to createdifferent
door
dways"erase"any grain you dont like.As thin coatof stainto the door.lf
patternsin the stain.
grain
hasraisedpanels,stainthosefirst.
long asthe stainis still wet,just smooth it
out with a brush,and ty ag'ain.
To the Door-Once you're
comforable working with the graining
tool, you're ready to try it on the door.
Remember,if your door hasraised
panels,startwith those.Brush on a thin
coat of stain (Fig.l).Then drag the tool
steadilyacrossthe panel to createthe
faux wood grarn (Fig.2).The important
thing is to not stop moving the graining
tool.This will deposita pool of sain
that wont resemblewood grain.
The tool worls great on flat areas,
4l A smallartist'sbrushcomesin handy
but narrow stripslike the bevelededges 3l To grainthe bevelededgesof a
grain,as
anyunwanted
raisedpanel,get an extragrainingtool for "erasing"
ofa raisedpanel can be challenging.
wellasfillingin grainintightspaces.
and trim it to fit the space.
One trick that works well here is to
trim a tool down to width to fit those
argx (Fig.3).Youcan alsousean artist's
brush to "paint" grain onto hard-toreachsectionsof the door (FiS.9.
The finishing sequence(shounon
pagej7) is ofprimary importance wbile
$aqing. Follow this order to ensure
that the gnin alignscorrecdy (FiS.5).
you're
Feather It Out-Once
look
of
the
door,
with
the
satisfied
for
25
to
30
stain
to
dry
dlow the
grain
"feather"
out
the
minutes.Then
(Fig.
brush
6).Let
with a soft-brisde
6l Whenthestainsetsup,lightlybrush
5l Makesureto follow the proper
the stain dry overnight, and then
grain
it witha "dry"brushto smoothand
to
you
the
door
as
polyurethane
sequence
brush on two coatsof
]I"joint
thegrainlines.
soften
lines."
the
door.
define
to sealand protect the
38
2oo7
FEBRUARY
woRKBENcH
1OSIMPLESTEPS
TO A
METALLICGLAZE
MASTERPIECE
Many old mastersworked in metalsto createtheir masterpieces.
They employedelaboratetools and nearly mystic techniquesto shape
bronze,copper,silver,and gold into works that are asbreathtaking
today aswhen they first sprangfrom molds centuriesago.
Now imagine being able to apply the samecovetedqualitiesof
those metalsto any wall in your home.The tools are much simpler:
a seamless
paint roller, a cloth rag,painter'stape,and white chalk.
Likewise,the skill required can be cultivated in moments rather
than decades.Andwhile you won'r technically be working with
metals,you will be using a collection of glazesthat are formulated to
simulatethe color and texture of desirablemetals(Photos,below).
Like all glazes,theseare transluscent,which simply meansthey
allow the color underneath to show through.This alsomeansthat
the basecoat isjust asintegralto the techniqueasthe glazes.
For this
project, we choseBenjamin Moore's "Yukon Skyl' (PaintE Supplies,
right).Thisvivid, blue-violet color, once washedin layersof glaze,
hints at a steelyblue that completesthe illusion of metallic blocks.
The blocks themselvesare where the real artisrry begins.By
first designingthe blocks on a scaledrawing of your wall, and then
transferringthat designto the wall itself using chalk and painter's
tape,you can easilycreateyour own art work that will be &amed by
everything elsein the room.
COPPER
BRONZE
SILVER
43
planning the perfect proiect
Perhaps the most important, and ultimately
satisfying,step in this technique is designing the
layersof color blocks.As you begin this process,
you need to know the two key elementsthat will
make or break your project:the sizeof the blocks
and the arrangementof the colors.
There is no hard-and-fastrule about block
size.Thebest guide is that bigger walls require
bigger blocks to establisha pleasantsenseof
scale.Thebest way to find the proper balance
for your wall is to first sketchyour designon
graphpaperand tracingpaper(Fig.1).
Once you've hit upon a designyou like, you
can arrangethe colors.The important thing here
is to plan your blocks in layers,with dark colors
(copper and bronze) making up the first layer of
blocks.Medium tints (gold) make up the next
layer,and the lightest colors (silver)are usedfor
the topmost layer.Thisallows the dark colors
to show through the lighter oneswhere they
overlap,creatingeven more color variationsand
enhancingthe illusion of texture and dimension.
From there,simply transferthe designto the
wall, and paint the color blocks following the
stepsshown in the sequenceof photos on this
1] Drawthe layoutof yourwallandallof the colorblockson a sheetof
graphpaper.Thenusetracingpaperto dividethe blocksintolayersof color. pageand the next.
roll on the basecoat then lay out the blocks
2] Primethe wall,and adc
two layersof the complementarybasecoat.Letthe paint
dry for 24hours (above).
44
3] Outlinethe firstlayerof
yourdesignon the wallwith
whitechalk.Usea levelto
keepyourlinesstraight(nght).
woRKBENcH
FEBRuARY2ooT
tape, paint, and dab
4] Applypainter's
tapealongthe chalk
lines.Press
the edgesof the tapedown
firmlywith a stirstickor similartool.
5l Wipeoff the chalklineswith a rag.Thenapply
a coatof glazewith a 4" or 6" seamless
roller.The
glazewill dryquickly,
so work on oneblockat a time
6] Usea dampragto "rag
off" justenoughglazeto let
the basecoatshowthrouqh.
a new color-with an overlap
9l Asyou painton the finallayerof color,remember
that it will naturally
appeardarkerwhereit overlaps
othercolors.Focuson applyingthe paintevenly.
7J Letthe glazedryfor two hoursbefore
removing
thetape.Thenaddthe next
laye4usingthe roll-on,rag-offsequence.
8] Consistent
ragging
pressure
will ensureeven
coloringwithinthe block.
lOl Because
the top layerof paintis lighterthan
everything
beneathit, lessraggingoff will be
required
to let the otherlayersshowthrough.
45
Reinvent
Your
nr4il
r. l:
Transformyilur closetfrom out
sf cdlrrtroltr,rorganizedby adcling
a customcl*:setsystemand a new
doors.
set *f stylis$t
(ictting org:tnizcclis l qoal cvcryotrc has,
but orrc thlt often gcts ptlshcc'llslcle irl
frrvor of hiehcr'-iurprrctpr-qccts.Yctit'.scltsy
to lllgr.rcthlt fcrv hontc' itttplovellicl)tsc:ul
h:rvc ;rsqrc:rt illr irrtprtctorr cvcryclly lifi' :ts
I
org:rnizinqv()ur closcts.l)lrts,it pt'cscttts
pcffcct opporttrrtityto itltcql-iltcthc stvlc
o f t l r c c r r t i l cn r o r t t .
Thltls u'h:rt rvc tlicl rvith thc bltntl
sh9u,1 ;rbclve.At;ight,voLr c.llt scc
Lrcclr6<t1t
thut it st:u'tcclu'ith instlllilrg :t trcu, closct
i 1r t r ' l r l . W t " lsl l ) , , t tv t r r ll t ( ) \ \ \ " 1 \ \i t i \ .
'1']rcn
Lrpthc stylc rvitlt
rvc'stcl-rpccl
thlt yor.rc:rrtclsily
ncrv closct clools /|r'1orr,)
-i0),e fi-csh
rurclinstlll yoursclf (Jr,lgt'
:rsscrrrblc
coat of pilint,:tttcl;t r.tcrvh:tlcilvttocllloor'.
='-/-*t'-E
t4
r-/
/.
,
,-:.
,/
s-dl,
?
w w w . W o r k b e n c h M a g a z i n e .c o m
47
Have a System
b@a,*e
ffit*:"':lr:::::x
'i')>1fiJ;;"'
When organizing a closet,the first
thing to decide is whether you'll use
a cabinet-sryleorganizer or one ofthe
ventilated-wire versions. For this closet,
- i$o(r
\,,-*
I
I
:,1il
,l ffi{*
'r',** 'l*:#
than outfitting it with a cabinet-style
system.In fact, it would have been
possible to spend even less.
Fixed-mount versions are pretty basic,
so theyte priced the lowest.A trackmount system,which we selectedfor
@e
HA|&,riLu,a!
earasa
- r*ro'*-' t?>1,?; ;o.'"" *
we chose ventilated wire.
The biggest reason for the choice
was economy. The setup in this closet
cost around $300, which was far less
Choose the RightWire-Thatt
because there are two f\,vo fypes of
ventilated-wire organizers (below).
Nqt;
I
i
I
I
I
I
l ' , i l l i l i ' ,r r l . ' l i , ,i'i l , : t r v ii ti i
( . ) t' l 1 i - J 1, -ili( r ! c t
t -.ca*C-\€b"
fT;"'",1 ::jt-?
?Pw'
- Anoe
-+e?r.4r<
-'''xs&2
this closet, costs more but is versatile,
as weli as easier to install and arrange.
Draw Up a Plan-Though
installing an organizer is easy,figuring
out what components You need isn't.
'
\r,,,;,;,; i1.,
(-li ii t,1,{.-iit ! t ' l
i,:iv{)1.11
/...)lrr)..ir0!r1':
\
\
i . i , ; li i t t t , r t (15',\(liiit'i)
1
lt)[i l/v.]ili lil -li;1"i
You'll find there's a dizzying selection
of shelving, brackets,and hardware.
To determine which ones you
should buy, you need to first measure
your closet and make a sketch (aboue
right).'fhen you need to answer a few
questions about the items that you'll
be storing in the closet.
When you measurethe closet,record
the inside height, width, and depth.Also
mark the location of the door.
Now think about how much space
you need to devote to the items you'll
store.Start with long hanging clothes,
such as dressesand coats.Those require
a high-mounted closet rod, which
usually is suspendedbelow a long shelf
that spansthe width of the closet.Write
down how many linear feet of hanging
spaceyou'll need for these long iterns.
To store shorter hanging items Like
shirts,you can utilize the same highmounted rod and then mount another
rod below it to better utilize the space.
That done, fill any remaining space
with shelvesfor clothes, drawers or bins
for small items, shoe racks,and other
accessories.Addthose to your sketch.
With your plan complete, you can
add up how many linear feet of shelving
and hanging rod you'll need, plus the
number ofstandards,brackets,and other
hardware.Decide on accessories(rlgftt),
and then you're ready to shoP.
OPTIONS
ORGANIZER
Wht'rr vorr sltop firr verttil.rted-uirt'
clostt olgltnizers. vrr,r'li firtd trr<r tr'1lt's:
f i r t ' t l - r I t o L n r t: r r t t lt t ' l t r ' k - ttt< l t tttt .
rS
,.y
.izl'
Wire
Shelf
Support
Bracket
I : i r r ' t l t t t o u t t t s v s t c l l t s. I t t i t c l l l " l s i l ) g
l r r . r c k r ' t s , r n , lu ' ; r l l , r r r c l t o r sl l a r l t . ' l)i. S o
( ) r ) ( ' et l r ( ' \ ' i - ei r r s t l l l c r l ,f t - r c c l - ttto t t t t t
\ ) ' l t t l t s. r | t , l i l i i ,L t l lt , ' r r ' ,( ) l ) l l q t l l e .
'Ir;rt'k-ntottnt
s \ ' l c r r r \u s c l t h t l r i z r t t t r ; t l
b : r r t l l r t ; r r ' r ' c p t sv c r t i a l l s t ; t t t t l , u r l s/ i t r ' , t l '
irlil. l'hcr ofii'r nrole llcribilih' bcr'rtLtsc
\ ' o r r ( ' l l l) r c c o r t l ! r t t ' c t ' < l l lt l l t l t t c lt t s c ; t s i l l '
. r r t . l. , , 1 ..1t r r i r l , r . t t t r ' l r ( ) l r (( \ ' . \ r) l i ( \ .
48
FEBRUARY2OOT
WORKBENCH
3-StepInstall
After the work of selecting the organizer components, you'll be pleased
to know that installingthenr is easy.
plate if mounting at ceiling heighQ.
The track bearsa iot of weight, so be
Starrwith the hanging track. lI
necessarycut it to length with a
hacksaw.Then position the track on
the wal1,at leastas high asyour highest
sure iti mounted securely.
With the track in place,just hang
the standardson the track (Fig 1)
Once the standardsare in, slide then.r
side-to-side to position thenr. Refer to
shelf,and make sure the track is level.
Next, drive screws through the track
and into the wall studs (or the wall top
the instructions that colrle with your
conlponents to figure out where the
standardsshould be placed.
Now that they re in position, you
need to insralla stabilizingscrew il
each star-rdard.Just
pivot the standard
out of the way, and then drill and install
a wall anchor and a screw (Fig 2).
At this point, you can cut shelving
to length as necessaryand then clip
it to the shelf standards.Mount closet
rods and your other contponents, and
you are ready to load up the closet.
et)
1] Afterscrewingthe trackto the studs,
justinsertthe standards.
Slidethe standardseitherdirection
to position
them.
2l Onceyou'vepositioned
eachstandard,you needto stabilize
it by drivinga
screwintoa studor a wallanchor.
3] All that'sleftto do isslipthe brackets
intothe wallstandards,
andthenmount
the shelves
andaccessories
to them.
ACCESSORIES
ABOUND
Vcntilrrted r.vircshcl vin g svstcrls,r.vhatcvcr stylc or brlrrrr.lvou clroosc.lrrc
blsccllrrriurrrlilvo b:rsicconrponcnts:
slrch'cs:rrr.l shcltlsLrplrort
bruckcts.
Witlt sonrcsvstcnts,
rhlrtls:rbout;rs
l . t r. t r i t g o t ' r .I i r t t t t t ,r s t: t t : r r rtr.rr t 't tr r t ' r .
otlcr' :rcccssorics
th:rt let you rrr:rkcthc
systcllrsln()rc \:crsxtileend fit thcnr ttr
voul r:losctsplce lnci storltqcncccls.lrr
rucLlitiorr,
vou'll firrd thnr sonrc:rcccssoricsclcsiqucrlfirr stlurrhnl closct rocls
i
;{
c.ur bc uscclu'ith the t'irc systcnrs,too.
Ar.fir lqli,thc besicshelving is
alrgnrcntcdbv closct nrds suspcntlccl
orr brrrckctsthat h:urs fiorn thc shelves.
Th:rt nrrrkcsit cusvto slicleclothcs.
A st.rck of b:rskct-stvlctJrlu,cr.skccl-r
snrallerrtcrnsnrrtlcrcontrol.
A t n r ' . r rl t t i . u c p r r t: r h r r r q i r r q
sofi-sidctl shelf in at one cncl,rclticcl
enclosccldr:nvcls.:rnclrrstallcclarr
lnglecl shoc shclf arrdslicle-outtrc rack.
Scc the l\'Lr.jttat t Clarrtcon patc 5{)
fi 'r' ittlirlrulri,rrr:rlrorrttlrcst..rr't'csrorics.
49
DoorsDressIt Up
A big source of sryle in this room
comes from replacing the plain old
slab doors with a great-looking set of
page 46).ln fact,
new doors (Photos,
finding these doors is what pushed
this project beyond a simple exercise
in organization to a reinvention ofan
entire room.
Whatt unique about these doors is
1l To attachthe stiles,insertlocking
holes.Thenslide
camsin the pre-drilled
the stileinto oositionto testthe fit.
that they come as a ready-to-assemble
kit.That might sound complicated,
but ith not. Two of the three panels
in each door are already assembled.So
all you have to do is insert the vertical
stiles and glassthat fits in betvveen.
That process starts with installing
the hardware (Fig. 1). Though the
hardware does most of the holding,
you needto add glueto thejoints as
you installthe stiles(Fig.2).After that,
it'sjust a matter of slippingin the glass
and attachingthe other panel(Fig.j).
While the glue setsup on the
doors,you can mount the rail the
doorsride on to the top ofthe door
opening.Rollers go onto the doors
allow
with just a few screws.These
you to adjustthe doors,so they hang
]Xproperly and slide smoothly.
-Written by Dauid Stone,illustrated
by Matt Scott
Project
at a Glance:
ORGAN]ZERSVSTEM
CI.JOSET
Shelves
ShelfTrackSystemwith SuperSlide
ClosetMaid
800.874.0008;ClosetMaid.com
ctosET AccEssoRlEs
BasketDrawers,Tie/BeltRack,ShoeBrackets
ClosetMaid (above)
Organizerwith Drawers
HangingSix-Shelf
Real Organized Seriesftom Lowes
Lowes.com
800.445.5937;
DOORS
Finish
#1220,Espresso
NuPorteSimplicity
Aura Home Design
45; AuraHomeDesign.com
800.647.81
3l Slidethe glasspanelintothe grooves
2l Applyglueto the doorjoint,slidethe
place,
in the stiles,andthenattachthe last
andthenusea wrench
stileinto
(included
with the kit)to tightenthe cams. panelto completeeachdoor.
DOORSTHAT DO MORE
These closet doors look like expensive
custonl pieces,but thcy came riglrt off
the r:ackat the honre center.They're
nraclebyAura Honre l)esigl.The doors
arc availablein severil woocl tones
or with a painted surfice ancl with
solic'l-or frosted-ghss panels (Plroto.s,
rigftt).Though they re made of coated
plrticlcborrtl. the look is corrvirrcing.
'W'hat
really makes these doors
urique, thor-rgh,is that you can get thenr
eithcr fully assembledor asthe kits that
rve instalied.The advantageof the kits is
that they're easyto haul in any vc'hicle,
;rnd thcy go together in uo cinre.
50
FEBRUARY
2OO7
WORKBENCH
WALL PAIIVT
HarbourTown#493
Benjamin Moore Paints
BeniaminMoore.com
888.236.6667;
-r
{;1
-----4r'TiEqmrj
E a sy- to- m ake
m elam inestor agecabinets
i rcr-i:;e
fr ver
handyd( cesscne:,
thatar eai the
h e ar tof thiswell- or ganized
laundr yr oom .
aundrvcenter
mdkeover
rl
F
+)
ADD-oNS
eutcKI EASY
Comfortable.Cozy.Inviting.Thesewordsdescribemany roomsin the home,
but they rarely get mentioned in referenceto the lowly laundry room.
When you considerhow much time you spendin the laundry room,
though,shouldn'tit be more thanjust a utilitarianspace?
Shouldnt it be,
dare we sayit, comJortable
as well?
We designedthis laundry systemwith exactlythat in mind.As comfortable
asit is,though, that cheery exterior hidesa massiveamount of built-in storase
and other organizationalfeatures.
It all startswith the storagecabinetsthat surroundthe washerand dryer-a
largetower on one side,a
lower cabinetwith a counter
on the other side,and
cabinetswith flip-up doors
above.Insidethesecabinets,
you'll find five handyaccessoriesthat makedoing the
laundry a breeze.
We'll highlight some of
the unique featuresof this
systemon the following
pages.Also,
check out
WorkbenchMagazine.com
for complete plansto build
this laundry center.
53
S o a c eb e h i n d c a b i n e t
_- Storage
accommodates
171/q" dryer vent pipe -
Narrow Upper -.Cabinet
:.-
23114'
! 1
@
S H E L FE D G I N G
(3/q"x 3"
x 60")
O P E NS H E L F
( % " m e l .x 1 5 "
x 60")
Dool
WorkbenchMaqazine.com
NOTE:See
plans,
instructions,
cutting
builder's
forcomplete
projects
lists
forallthese
andmaterials
diagrams,
arebuiltfrom
NOTE:Allthecabinets
panels.
Formore
tipson
melamine
seepage78
withmelamine,
working
D
Guide"
on
the"Buyer's
NOTE:See
page59forallthehardware,
appliances,
inthisarticle
shown
andfixtures
,'tll
HAMPER
BUILT-IN
CLOTHES
IRONINGBOARD
FOLD-OUT
on dowelsmakea handy
bags
suspended
pulls
Fabric
sorting
from
the
cabinet
out
ThisironingboardfromRev-A-Shelf
pulls
"drawer"
out
from
the cabinet.
hamper
that
clothes
the
board.
front
conceals
andswingsup for use.A
54
2OO7
FEBRUARY
WORKBENCH
SURROUNDED
BY STORAGE
One of the keysto an e{ficient laundry center is
having everything you need on hand. Here, we
help you accomplishthat by surroundingthe
washerand dryer with usefulstorageon all sides.
The sizeof thesecomponents,of course,will
depend on the sizeof your washerand dryer, as
well asthe sizeof the room. Our laundry center
ended up a little over 10-ft. long overall.Ifthat
works for you, all the dimensionsfor this center
are presentedon the following pages.Or refer ro
the lllustrationat right ro seehow to modifi the
centerto fit your space.
Theseprojectsworkjust aswell asstand-alone
projectsasthey do in a set.So feel free to build as
many of the cabinetsasyour storageneedsrequire.
-l211hfi
Narrow Upper
Cabinet
WideUpperI
Cabinet I
Tower
Combinedwidth
*of washer6+
dryer,plus6',
i
tl
42"
I
I
n
tul
-t
iu ll t I
,_Shelf
_
Sink
Cabinet
K)
l^l
K)
-2"
2"
?-371h
T
H<iightof
washer&
dryer,
efs1"
Y
55
24"1
'nl
*
FLIP-UP
WORKTABLE
Tofoldclothes,
flip up thisconvenient
worktable.When
Q
*r you'redone,thetablestowsout of the wav insidethetower
SWING.OUT HANGING RACK
$ Thisrackswingsout and"locks"in placefor hangingclothes
"'$ to dry.Likethe table,it tucksinsidethe tower for storaqe.
%;*
-'-of,
UTILIW SINK
A FAUCET
g* A smallutility
** sinkanda
flexiblesprayer
faucetmounted
aboveone of the
cabinets
make
quickwork of removingstubborn
spotsand stains.
55
OFSTORAGE
AMOUNT
A
TOWERING
'With
three large shelves,this storage
/er
is a great way to clear the clutter
to\
in a typical laundry room. Inside the
tower are rwo additional features that
will come in handy: a flip-up work
table and a drying rack (Photo,left).
Tower Construction-We
wanted the tower's constructron to
be as simple as possible (Building the
Tbwer,right).Lt the same time, it had to
be sturdy enough to last.To that end,
the tall tower sides (A) have rabbets in
the ends that hold the top and bottom
panels @).Another rabbet in the back
edge ofeach side acceptsthe back panel
(C). (You'll find an article on cutting
rabbets at WorkbenchMagazine.com.)
The tower sides,top, and bottom
are assembled with glue and screws.
The next part thatt added to the
caseis a mounting cleat (D) that gets
installed befiveen the case sides with
pocket screws.Later on, this cleat is
used to anchor the tower to the wall.
After attaching the cleat, paint the
front face of the back panel white
to match the rest of the tower.Then
attach it with glue and screws.
At this point, you can add the three
storageshelves(L, F). Later on, the work
table will be positioned at the same
height x the middle shelf. Note that this
middle shelf is also longer than the top
and bottom shelves,so the work table
can extend out further from the tower.
Each shelf gets screwed to a pair of
shelf supports (G, H) attached to the
casesides.Note that the middle shelf
supports are shorter than the others.
Later on, this will help you mount the
work table easily.Now is also a good
time to apply iron-on edgebanding to
the tower parts.
tower slts on
Add a Base-The
a base that elevatesthe cabinet.This
keeps it offthe potentially damp
In additionto 30 cubicfeet of storage,the
tower hasa rackfor dryingclothesand a table
for foldingand stackingthem.
56
WORKBENCH
FEBRUARY2OOT
laundry room floor.The base has
levelers that provide an easy way to
level the cabinet on uneven floors.
The baseis made up offour pieces (I,
of
%"-thick stock that get cut to size
)
and painted white to match the tower.
The pars arejoined with pocket screws.
Another set of pocket holes drilled near
the top edges of all the base parts let you
attach the base to the tower from below.
Once the baseis attached to the cabinet,
drilling holes above each leveler in the
tower bottom allows you to insert a
screwdriver and adjust the levelers (Base
Denil,below ight).
tower is
Put on the Door:The
(K),which
is a
enclosed with a door
large melamine panel sized to overlay
the front edgesof the tower.A{ter
cutting it to size and applying the edgebanding, hinge the door to the tower.
'Work
unique
Table-One
feature of this tower is the flip-up
work table (L).It's a melamine panel
that's cut to fit between the tower
sides.The table is supported by a pair
offolding L-brackets.
The L-brackets are attached to a
pair of mounting blocks (M).These
blocks are cut from a 2x4 and screwed
in place below the middle shelf.A{ler
that,just attach the L-brackets to the
cleats,and then screw the table to the
brackets (Work ThbleDetail, right).
the top ofthe
Drying Rack-At
tower is the drying rack. It consistsof
nvo hardwood arms (Irl^)with dowel
rails (O) between them to create a place
to hang clothes.A slot at the end of
each arm acceptsa bolt that connects
the rack to the tower. If you swing
the rack up and push it in toward the
cabinet, the slot allows you to slide the
arm back and "lock" it in place.
The rounded ends ofthe arfirs are
easyto cut with a jig saw.Even the slots
are simple:Just drill holes at each end,
and cut beflveen them with a jig saw.
Then all that's left is to drill holes in
the arms to accept the rails,which get
installed with glue and screws.
To attach the rack, first drill holes
in the tower sides for carriage bolts
to passthrough. Next, a nylon sleeve
gets inserted in the slot in each hardwood arm to protect it from the bolt
threads.The bolt then passesthrough
this sleeve and gets secured with a
washer and a lock nut on the inside
of the tower (scethe Rack Installatiort
Detail, below).
3[" counterbore,
7+"deep,with
3/s"shankhole
#8 x 17a"Fh
Woodscrew
o
t"
NOTE:Toinstall
rack,
seeDetail
at left
RACKARM
F/q"x2" x41")
= 1"
@
3/n"hole,
%" deep
MOUNTING
CLEAT
P/r"x31/2"x221/2")
RACKRAIL
(3/q"
dowel,16"long)
#6 x3/t" Fh
Woodscrew
3i" rabbet,
%" deep
J
@
TOWERTOP
(3i" mel.x 23" x231/i'l
lron-on
Edgebanding
(seepage 81)
@
TOPSHELF
SUPPORT
F/t" x3/q"x 19")
MIDDLESHELF
FA"mel.x 21"x22t/2")
TOWERBACK
0/q"hdbd.x
231h"x781/z"l
P/c"mel.x 22" x303/q")
Folding
L-Bracket
%" LagScrevi, f
'11/2"
long ---'/
MOUNTINGBLOCK
(11/2"
x31/2"
x11"\
72"hole to
adjust
levelers
SHELF
(3["mel.x 20"
x22t/2")
Pocket
. screws
Corner-Mounted
Leveler
Pocket
Holes
11/a"
Pocket
Screw
Base
Side CornerMounted
Leveler Base
Front
@
TOWERSIDE
P/q"mel.x231/a,"
x7B1/2")
attach base
to tower
1%" Pocket
Screws
Continuous
Hinge
(one48" long,
one cut to 30Y2"long)
F/r" x31/2"x24")
DOOR
F/r"mel.x24"x781/z"l
57
CABINETS
SINK8 UPPER
1/q"rabbet'%" deep
to acceptcabinetback
a-
@
UPPER
BACK
CABINET
(Vq'hdbd.x 16"x 3572")
This laundry center's other storage
cabinets,a lower sink cabinet and two
upper cabinets,are built similarly to the
t
tower shown on page 56. In addition
to nlore storage,they provide room to
add a fold-out ironing board, a puli-out
laundry bin, and a utiliry sink.
r7a"rabbet,%" deep
lron-on
Edgebanding
Sink Cabinet-Like
@
storage tower.
One difference you'Il notice is that
this cabinet has a divider panel (U)
thlt st'pararcsthe cabinet irtto two
cornpartnrents:One to accourmodate
tl-replur.nbing for the sink, and one
for the ironing board ar-rdlaundry bin.
ENDPANEL
(3A"mel.x 24"
x 78")
UPPER
SIDE
CABINET
(3["mel.x 16"x171/t")
NOTE:SeeWorkbenchMaoazine.com
laminate
counters
fortipsonbuilding
@
As a result,you'll need to cut a dado
in the cabinet bottor-n with a router
to accept this divider panel.
PlasticLaminate
Counter
Sink
Opening
Another thing thatt different
is that this cabinet doesn't have a
top. Instead,it has r couple ofcleats
(V) th.rr .rrc uscd to :trtrclr r phstic
need to
laminrte countertop.You'11
@
CLEAT
BACK
CABINET-MOUNTING
CABINET
(3i"x3"x167s")
04"hdbd.x 31"x 3572")
@
SIDE
SINKCABINET
(3/a"
x31")
mel.x 231/c"
@
COUNTERCLEATS
P/q"x2" x341/2")
Mounting
Blockfor
FalseFront
notch the divider panel to accept
t h c s ec l e a t s . T h e nt.h e c l c a t s j u s tg e t
pocket-screwed to the side panels.
cabinet is
Sink & Counter-The
counter
piastic
latttinate
a
topped by
and r utiliry sink.To make your own
laminate counter, see the article at
cont.
WorkbenchMagazir-re.
of this
Bin-One
Laundry
is the
features
center'.surost useful
@
DIVIDER
P[" mel,x 23"x 3072")
3/q"rabbet,
%" deep
@
SINKCABINET
BOTTOM
PA"mel.x 23"x 35")
osrDE
BASE
the storage
tower, the sink cabinet is a basic
melamine box. It featuressides (P)
that xre rabbeted to accept a bottolll
(Q) and back panel (R). It also sits on
a base (S,T) sinrilar to the one on the
(34"mel.x 17"x 35")
a
Glass
(/a" x127hs"
x323/ts")
i
x 1872")
P/q"x31/2"
i
Retaining
x17tzh6")
P/c"mel.x 41/2"
End
Panel
3i" dado,
7a"deep
(centered)
58
@
DOOR'--CABINET
(3A"mel.x 1713h6.'x261/4")
2OO7
FEBRUARY
WORKBENCH
t/e'irabbet,\ri'' pocket
DOORSTILE
F/a"x2"x16")
pull-out laundry bin.This bin is a
three-sided box with dowels at the
top for hanging laundry bags.It slides
in and out ofthe cabinet on a pair of
full-extension drawer slides(sectfie
Laundry Bin Illustration,below).
Ironing Board-The
easiest
accessoryto add to the laundry center
is the flip-up ironing board (shown
on page54).That's becausethe board,
drawer slides,and hardware colne rn
one handy kit.All you have to add is a
false drawer front (FF), which is cut to
size from melamine.
Upper Cabinets-The
final
elements of this laundry center are
the upper cabinets.There are two
cabinets in our setup: a narrow
cabinet that's mounted above the sink
between two tall melamine end panels
(GG) (Illusnation,lcft),and a doublewide cabinet that ntounts above the
washer and dryer (Illustration,page54).
Like the other cabinets,thesearejust
dadoes in the top and bottom panels
to accept this divider.
A,lso,the wide upper cabinet isn't as
deep as the narrow one.As you'll see
on page 54, this allows you to mount
the cabinet with a gap behind it in
caseyou have water pipes.wiring. or a
dryer vent running up the wall behind
your washer and dryer.
The upper cabinets feature frosted
glass-paneleddoors that hide their
contents frorn view.These doors are
made with hardwood rails and stiles
joined together with pocket screws.
To accept the glasspanels,rout a
rabbet around the franre openings.
Then, install the doors with hinges.
Adding gas springs allows the doors
to open and close easily and lock
securely in place when open. tffi
-Written
rabbeted boxes.
Thc two uppcr cabinetsare quite
sin.rilar,but you'll notice that the
HANGER
ROD
(34"dowel,223/t"long)
wider cabinet has an added middle
divider to separateit into two
compartments.This requirescurting
by Wyatt Myers, illustratedby
Erich Lagc,project designedbyJamesR.
Downing
BUYER'S
GUIDE
WASHER6 DRYER
Whirlpool Duet Washer and Dryer
866.698.2538
Whirloool.com
- 515.276.3232)
(Supplied
by O'Callaghan's
SINK6 FAUCET
American StandardSilhouefte Sink
800.442.1902
AmericanStandard-US.com
PegasusSide-ActionFauceVSprayer
8 0 0 . 5 5 3 .139 9
HomeDeoot.com
IRONINGBOARD
Rev-A-ShelfFold-Out lroning Board
502.499.583s
Rev-A-Shelf.com
I.AUNDRYBAGS
(2)LaundryBagsfor BaggerOrg.System
877.631.2922
Skyburst.com
PROJECT
HARDWARE
(8)26mmBlumClip-onHinges(#38411)
(6)Lift-O-Mat
(#34373)
cas Springs
(#583771
FoldingL-Brackets
WhiteSurface-Mount
PuckLights(#25315)
(#30230)
22" Full-Extension
DrawerSlides
800.279.4441
Rockler.com
(7)5" Polished
(BBK-03592)
ChromeHandles
866.695.6627
MvKnobs.com
x251/c"l
0/c"mel.x 133/a,"
FronVBack
Panel
Laundry
@
RAILS
x22"1
P/r"x31/2"
@
BOTTOMPANEL
Ph" mel.x147/e"
x22")
a
t
Drawer
Pull
22" Full-Extension
Base
FRONTPANEL
Ph" mel.x1713/rs"
x261/t"l
BASEFRONT
BASESIDE
P/q"x13/t"x147/a")
P/a"x21/2"x22")
59
TURN OUT THE SERVINGTRAY
to kccp the cclgcsrligrrccl.Thcrrcut thc
Iluilciing tl-risscrvingitr-avis;r stmiqhttlry ellcisttl lenqth.
procc'ss.Eveu if vou'rc ttot rttr
tbr-r,vard
j1'q
Create the Rabbets-\o1v
:rcconrplishedu,ooclrvorket',yttu'll catcl-r
ncccl tilllc to cut the r:rbbctsirr tl-rcsicles:rrlcl
rigl-rton.Ancl fol tools,yort'llorr11'
ertcls.A tlble srnvnrrkcs quick llol'k oi
I cl'ill, rncl :t lerv cllttttps.
I trble sar,r,,
inst:rllccl.these rvill rest in the rabbets
in the tlr,v ;urclbc helcl in bv cle':rts.
Thc fi'st stcp is to cut the backer
prncl (C) to tit.Thcn votr c:ur hlve sllss
cut 7s" snr:illel-inu'idtl-rltrcl length tlurt
l"itrt, shorvsth:tt
Tlrc (-irri.rr'rrcriort
thc' tlay st:rrtsout rvitlt I lar-gervooci
fi':une.Thcnl qlussbottortr prtttcl,
inscrt, rtrd l blrcker'
:r clecor-rrtive'
irrto
rabbcts cut ilt tht'
t-Ictinsertc'cl
this in trvo prsses.
St:u'tby ur:rking a prtssin cac]t tr:rr'
in SrtTr1, bclovu:Without
siclr.:rsshou,t.t
chrrnqingthc sc'tup.ctlt thc cttcl picccs.
lJLrtthis tirrrc,tl.rccrlg'of c:tchpicce
thc brrckcr.
No$' cut thc clclts (l), E) th:rt sectrle
thc sl:rssnnclbrtckcrfl'otn Z+"-thick
inside cclgeof c:rcl-rti:unc picce.This
"p:rcklile" is hclcl in pl:rce rvith l)ll'r'ow
clcats:ttt:tchcrlto thc' fr:l1ttc.
You'll see,too, that thc cnclsof tl-rt
fi'anrcnrc thickcl thrttrtl'rcsrtlcs.[]ttt
liclesrqairlst thc snli' tlblc.
Tit cotttplefc the' r'llrbct, tlrrtkc rt
cut in crlch piccc (Sttyr2).
sc'corrcl
vot-tc:tll
Cut the Tongues-No\\/
cut the short tongucsoll c:tchcrltl piccc
that-join t]tcttt to thc siclcs.Vrucilr) trsc
thc-y'rcglucclup fiorrr tr,vopiecesof
stgck s9 thrt thc clttit"ctray clrr be btrilt
tront %"-thick stock (nraplcin this clsc).
Thosc cuclst[e1 qet lttucliccl to the
siclcsr,r,itha sinrplc tonguc joirrt.
thc santc fi'rtcc positiort.Justlor'r'crthc
blaclcto nr:rkc :r /:"-clccp cut.Thcr) ctrt
-] arrl 1.
thc' tongttcs ltsshorvtt rrt SrtTr-r
thc
Assernble the tay-With
torlqllcs cr.lt,yoLl c:ltl gltrc thc sitlc lnd
cncl picccs toqcthcr.Thcl),to l'eitltirt'cc
thcjoints:rnclrtcld.ttlccor:ttivctotrcll,
cil'illholcs rtllclirlsct'tcltxvcls:rftcl tlrc
{rlLrcdrics.Scc t]rc 1J(Aoll prlsc 6'+thc
Bring on the Insert-Witlr
Make the Sides and Ends-Tir
gct st:lrtcrl()1)tltc tr:ly,flrst cut tl-rcsiclcs
(A) to sizc.Tlrensct thcnr lsiclclor
thc nrourertt.
M:rking tlre crtrls(l)) is l tn'o-stcp
First,)'ou Ircccito crtt ftlttt'2"
process.
x 12" blocksfionr tl'rcsrtric%" stock.
Nor,v qlsc p:rils of tl-reblocks toecthcr
to nrlkc t',vo 1%"-thick blrurks.lje sure
ttt:titttrltv cotttplctc'itls tirllc to :rcld
irtscrt th:rt qivc
thc ql:lssrlncirlcct'rt':ttivc
stvlc.Whcrt
its
clistinct
t]rc scrvinq tr:ry
stock.Tlut donc. clrill countcrsrttrk
l-rolesin thc clc;rtsfirt'tttotrtttittq scre\\'s.
tltrtt t]rc
Attcl clr-illinethosc l-rolt's,
tl':r,vupsidc cltxvtr,:ttrcllav thc ql:rssirl
tlccor:rtivc
irl:rccin thc r;rbbets.L:r,v,vor.rr
(t5.fitra.litt'itrvrt
irrscrtin nc\t /.v1'l)r1(('
rlrtiorr-i).Thcn:rdd thc brckct'.Non' ttt:tlk
fhc locrrtionoisct'crv holcs irr thc tt-:t1,,
irtclttdirre
rcnr()vcthc irtscrt"prtck:rgc."
thcrt dlill thc pilot holcs.
thc sllss,:rncl
This is llso l qooclfirtrcto dlill cttrrrrtcrstnrkrror.tntingIrolcsfirr thc lr:rttdlcs.
Finish & Assemble-lJctblc
goirrq ltrrtltcr-,rrpplyl polvtll'ctll:lltc
flnish to fhe tll,v rrttl clclts.Firr:tlly;
sccurethc qlirss[)v bcrldirtgit irl l t]lilr
sc:tlstltc gl:lssto
bc:rdof siliconc.'['h:rt
spillsfi'otttsccpirluultcicr
plevcnt rrrl1,
rurcllr.rittilrqthc tlccoltfivc ilrscrt.Aftcr'
thc irtscrt:trtcl
thc siliconcsets,r'cirtstrtll
blrckcr,ltnclthcrt sccltrcthc clc:tts.
Cuttingthe wide rabbetsin the
your
traysidesonlyrequires
sawbladeandtwo
standard
simplesetups.
TraySide
1" rabbet,
%" deep \..-..-___,.-
the fencewith 72"between
1] Position
it andthe blade.Thenraisethe blade
1/q".Onefacerideson the sawtable.
62
2OO7
FEBRUARY
WORKBENCH
the fence7+"from the
2l Reposition
the
outsideedgeof the blade.Raise
the rabbet
blade,andcut to complete
(Euro-Tech
Thin
SquarePull#A826,
AtlasHomewa
res.com)
-----\
A
Q)
TRAYEND
(11/2"
x 2',x j21/a"\
7a"Dowels
(cut to fit)
GLASSBOTTOM
(/a"x 1'172"
x 30")
\
\
7t
/
@'
TRAYSIDE
(3/4"
x 11/2"
x33s/8"\
NOTE:Tray
endsmade
by
gluing
twopieces
of%" stock
face-toJace
7 q "h o l e s ,
1%" deep
I
_
frav
sid;
t/\
I
+-
i
\-1,,
Decorative
Insert
Trav
_'.
tno
--J
_
ry,"[
\:/
S H O R TC L E A T
(1/q"xsAa"
x 121/e")
t/t"
{
.'- #6 xs/a"
I Fh wooor.r"*
Tray
Side
.,
Glass
l
Backer
#6x%"Fh
Woodscrew
---.
-7
Long
Cleat
-1.r
rsl.-,,
+yr, _]
I
\
\
I
->-
\
\
\,
1
\-.--l
\r
# 7 a "h o l e ,
countersunk
/
\(a \
\:/
@l
LONG CLEAT
(1/4"xeh6,'x295/8"\
+%0,
.
11/2"
I
BACKER
PANEL,
(7q"hdbd.x 1'l%"x 307s")
Cuttingthe tonguesis straightforward,too. Usea mitergauge
andthe fenceasyou "nibble"
awaythe stockin a few passes.
Tray
End1
\
Wide rabbetcut
inStepslS2
rabbet,
deep
\
1/a"
\
NorE:Tray
endis
3l Tocutthe tonguesin the trayends,
4l Complete
the tongueby slidingthe
buttthe pieceagainstthe fence.Thenuse end
piece
away
fromthefence
aidmat<-:$iji:::ffi:3iT'
the mitergaugeto pushthe workpiece. inga couplemorepasses
overthe blade.
63
....,.'
-
:itr:"]'""""
: ' : "
. .
_ j ,
ADD A FOLDINGBASE
. , .
Thc'baseprovidesa place to set the
serving tray when you're usin!! it, but it
folds up for compact storage.
Like the serving tray,the basehas
#10 BeadedBallChain----a
Dowel
Yq"-dia.
(installedafter
eachbasesection
is assembled)
#6 xlz"
Fh Woodscrew
I
(ry
LEG
P/q"xr/t" x28")
172"Butt
Hinges
STRETCHER
x113/s"l
P/q"x11/2"
mount
to edges
NOTE:Hinges
at back.
of base
assemblres
: ' ' t "' 2
il
ffi- \,-.\/
-A
m
,n
't...'.,.a..
ffi
"t
--2LEu5
-.,
.
-E
ffirt.r.tr""il
S,r;==:4
mount
to inside
NOTE:Hinges
at front.
faces
of baseassemblies
a unique style thar-rksto its satin-black
sprayorl
firrish.Th.rrfirrishis c.isy:Just
flat black paint, and ther.rbuft-it with a
paper towel to build the sl.reen.Though
it's pdnted, the wood grain stiil shows.
That'.sbecausethe b:rseis built fionr
oak, which has open pores that dont
liet corlrpletely filled with the print.
As you crn seein the BascConstnrctiorr,tl're b:rseis easyto bttild. It'.sr-nade
two legp
r-rpof four ic'lenticalassenrblies:
joined by ir pair of stretchers.These
with sinrplebutt
piccesare assenrbled
joints.Tl.renthe joints gc'treinfor-ced
with dorvels (Box, bclou,).
Cut and Glue the Parts-Thc'
fir'ststep is to cut eight legp (F) and
eiqht stl'ctchers(G) to size fronr %" ork.
Thcn glue anclcl:iurp eachbasc
lssen'rblytogctl-rer'.Thcstretchet'sat'c
positioned thc srtne distlncc fronr thc'
so you
c'ndsof the legp (Stn'tr/icrPo.sitiory',
dorr'rh;rvcto worry :lhotlt ltlcssilultlP
thc oric'rrtationof ar-rypalts.
thc
Add the Hardware-With
dowels in, it'.stirne to add the hudware.
You'll sec in tl're 1)u,riLr:rt left thlt
thc hingcs are trrouuted ciillcr-cntlylt
the fiont and back of the brse.That way,
none of them show from the front.
Mount tl.refront hingcs first.Just lay
side by side with
two baseassenrblies
:r Zs" gap between tl-renr.Thennloturt
lrirrgesto tht-[accof thcsc pieces.
For the back hinges,stack all four'
with thc hingcd prrir
brrscasserrrblies
in the middle.Asain, use 7il" spacers
berween ther-n.Thennrount hinges to
of the outer nvo asset-ublics.
the crl.gru
Tb ensurc that the base operrs to
the sanrervidth clch tinre,brll chairrs
set the
conllect the baseassemblies.Just
baseup with the tray on top, then cLlt
the chainsto length. Fit ends to the
chains,and then screw ther-nto the base.
\Vith the hardware mounted, you can
tffi
paint tlre brse-h:rrdwlre ;rrd ail.
-Written
lry Dauid Stonc,ilhrtratcd4, Mntt
Srrttt,pnticrt dcsigrcdbl,JantcsR. Dorurtitrg
64
FEBRUARY
2OO7
WORKBENCH
as
\
v
Fromthe outset,this tray was designed
to be as stylishas it is functional.And
we know "stylish" meansdifferent
things to different people.
The tray shown abovewas built from
poplar,and then spray-painted
white. With bamboo-wrapped
handles,it takes on a casual
appearance.Wallpaperprinted
with cupcakesadds a playfultouch.
You can personalizeyour tray
by putting almostanythingthin.
suchas decorativepaper;wallpaperi
or evendried flowers, underthe glass.
lf you want a change,just pull out the
backerand slip in a new insert.
t
,,
+r'
-7 /'
.i(
.,f." ..
VICW
ffi
l
iryryr
il
rfl
rlll
il
:
E5
F-[
-
-l
ti
RiinI
t'll1
Ttl
rcrI
I"l
ELI
lil
I
E|ll
I
-T
-l
I@g@"*
----;;1-'
ilffi
fu*''q1
t.
i
Hl
lii
I
I
ffi
f youi'e looking lor :r dccor.rtivc
I
prolect
that dcliverstttaxitttttttr
I
itrrpr.t wirh tttittrttrtttnftrss.this
I
I disphy cabinetis tough to beat. ltls
so easythat you can build it one day
ar-rdhang it the next.
That sinrplicity is partly due to the
fact that you don't have to build the
franred-glassdoor. Ith urade from a
"brrn sash"window picked up at r
honre center.Ifyou cant find one there,
check a farm-supply store,or look for
ar-rold sashat a swap meet or earagesalc.
The cabinet,too, is super sinrple.
'lx2
It'.smade by cutting 1x6, 1x8, and
boards to length, driving a few screws,
and then tacking on a back (Illustration).It'sinrportant to get the window
sashfirst, though, becrttseyou'll ne'ed
to nratch tl.resize of the c:rbinet to the
height and width of the sash.
Hcrc's luru it all gocstrt,gctltcr:
Frorrrr strrighr pirre 1x(r.cut tltc
sides,top, and bottont to length, as
showlr in the Illustratiott.
T c r r r p o r a r i l yc l a r t t pt h e s ep i e c e s
tosether to forur a shallow box. Driii
two counterbored holes at each
corner, thror.rgh the sides and into the'
ends of the top and bottom.
Disassemblethe cabinet, spread
glue on the ends ofthe top and
bottom, and then glue and screw it
together (AsscmblyDetail).
2OO7
FEBRUARY
WORKBENCH
DESIGNNOTES:
Thesizeof thecabinet
isdetermined
by
thesash.
Sostartbymeasuring
thesash
andrecording
thedimensions
here.
(H)ofthesash:
First
measure
theheight
H=Thenmeasure
thewidth(W)of thesash:
W=-
CAP
--TOP
P/q"x71h"x cutto fit)
#6x1"
Trimhead i
Screw----, -;
./
---TOP
x {W-172"})
P/q"x51/2"
I
I
CABINETBACK
ply.,
0/n"beaded
cutto fit)
14
,mi
'HELF
j
et" r s'ti -iirur'lr'rl
\
CABINET
SIDE
xH)
P/c"x51/2"
Magnetic
Catch
272"No-Mortise
Hinge
BOTTOM
x {W-172" })
F/q"x 51/2"
Magnetic
Catch
StrikePlate
WINDOWSASH
(Dimensions
Vary)
BOTTOMCAP
F/q"x71/l'x cutto fit)
Screw
#6 x 15/s'l
':i, Measure and cut a back panel fiorn
/+"-rhick plywood (this one l.rrsa
beadedpattern).Then nail it in place.
'.;i Make
a cleat that'.sused to htns the
cabinet.Measure between the sides,
and then cut the cleat to fit.Tl.rcn elue
and screw it in place (Clcat Dttail).
'iii Screw a pair of hir-rges
ro thc fiont
ofthe cabinet.Set the door in place,
mark where the hinges will hit, and
then screw the hinges to the door.
il Cut a shelf to fit inside the cabinet.
Position it behind the horizontal
nluntin bar in the sash.Thendrill
h o l e s ,a n d s c r e wt h e s h e l fi r r p l a c e .
.l'l Make the top and bottom caps
from lx8 stock. Cut them to length
so they overhang equally in front and
at the ends (Cdp Dctail). Now screw
the caps in place.
#10x 3'A"I
FhWoodscre{v
into wall stud
Top Cap
Top
Drywall
',
Cleat
I ' Sand all tl're surfices of rhe cabinet
with 120-erit p:rper,and easerhe edses
by sanding offthe sharp corners before
prinrine and painting the cabinet
inside rnd out.
't Add a door knob
and catch to
wrap rr up.
'i j
, Mount the cabinet to the wall
by driving 37u" screws through the
cleat and cabinet back and into the
wall studs.tffi
Measure
overhang.
then cut
capsso they
overhangby
the same
distance
at ends\
-- -Di
\.
Bottom Cap
-Written
by Dauid Stone,illustratedby
Erich I-age,pro,jectdesi-gned
byTbd Kralicek
67
touchof glass
displav
bh6lving
doesn't
Distinctive
meandifficultor
with
expensive
theseglassdisplay
Youcan
shelves.
makeeitherof these
in a couple
versions
of hours- for less
thanS40.Plans
beginon page70.
MAKINGTHESHELVES
In addition to its srylishgood looks,
this glassshelfhasa simpledesignthat
makesit exlremelyeasyto build.
For larger walls,you may want to
make the version shown here with nvo
(verticalsuppors) and a
shelfstandards
For narrower
pair of 36"-long shelves.
walls,try the single-standardversion
with three 1S"-longshelvesthat's
shownin the InsetPhotoon Page68.
Round Up Materials-Either
way,it won't take long to round up the
used%" temperedglass
materials.'W'e
which we purchased
for the shelves,
from a glassshop for $23.The wood
partsarepoplar,which is availableat
most home centers.PoPlaris a Pale,
greenish-whitewood that doesnt have
much character.But applyinga darkcolored stainproducesa warm, rich
tone (seeStainingPoplaronpage71).
Start with the Standards-With
materialsin hand,you canget started
Eachstandard
on the shelfstandards.
consistsof a verticalmounting plate
and threethick shelfsupportblocks
(Construction
View).Theshelvessimply
fit into narrow slotsbenveenthe blocks.
To make the mounting plates(A),
crosscuta24"-Iong piecefrom a 6-ft.
1x6.Next, rip two 272"-widestrips
from it.Then drill mounting holes,as
Detail.
indicatedin the SfrefStandard
With the platesdone,it's time to
focuson the shelfsupports(B, C).
Theseare 7Y2"-thickwood blocks
8" Overhang
Three-Shelf
Version
(shown on
page 68):
MOUNTINGPLATE
3/t"x21h"x32"
SHELVES
V+"x6"x18"
SHELF
UPPER
SUPPORT
(1t/2"x11h"x5")
@
TEMPERED
GLASSSHELF
f/l"x6"x36")
MIDDLESHELF
SUPPORT
(l%"x1%"x8")
#8 Finish
Washer
#8x3"Fh
Woodscrew
MOUNTING
PLATE
P/r"x21h"x24")
Justbe surethat one piece overlapsthe
edgeofthe other by about 7+"along
its entire length.This way,you'll have
a continuousstraightedgeto guide
againstthe rip fence.Thenrip the
glued-up blank to width on the table
Ifyou decide to glue up the blocks,
saw(SquaingUpa CIued-UpBlank).
you'Il find that tightening the clamps
Now you can cut the shelfsuPPorts
can make the pieces rwist out of
alignment. So itt best to glue up pieces @, C) to length.To provide plenry of
heieht for items on the bottom shelf,
that are about /2" wider than needed.
that hold the shelvesin place. If you
have 1,/2"-thick stock, you can go
ahead and use it. If not, it's just a
matter of gluing and clamping two
piecesof3/+"-thick stock face to face.
ffi-Tffim,-
ATA GLANCE
EasyOne-DayProiect
DIFFIGUIIY:
FIRST
Trim
waste
offthis
edge
PROJECI
COSN540
roots:
Tablesaw drill, clamps,screwdriver
.
SUPPTIES:
1x6poplar,72" long,(4)#8 finishingwashers,
(4) #8 x 3" Fh woodscrews,
(z) lc" x 6" x 36" temperedglas shelves
GelStain(Java)
STAltt:GeneralFinishes
Two-ShelfVersion:
WAIL PAIIITCOIORS:
BeniaminMoore:FennelSeed(1101);
8
Ease
Coat(seepage 41)
Metalfic Gfazes
Three-Shelf
Version:
BenjaminMoore:SageTint (458)
70
SECOND:
Flipblankedgeforedge,
thentrimto finalwidth
2OO7
WORKBENCH
FEBRUARY
TableSaw
Tosquareup the blankfor the supportblocks,seteitherone of the overhanging
edgesagainstthe rip fence,andtrim the oppositeedge(left).Thenflip the blank,
and trim it to final widlh (right).
1 l M a r ka l i n e
to accurately
positionthe
uppershelf
support.A
scrapclamped
to the mounting platealigns
the blocks
vertically.
Transform
the palecolorof poplar(left)
into the warm look of walnut (right)
with an easy-to-usestain(below).
2l Setthe upperblockagainst
the scrap,
alignit to the mark,andglueit in place.
3] Usethe glassshelves
asspacers
to
locatethe middleand lowersupports.
the middle support is 3" longer than
the other two. Note that the threeshelfversionhasrwo middle supporrs.
At this point, you're readyto glue
the shelfsupportsro rhe mounting
plates.For appearance
(andto prevent
the shelvesfrom binding),the supports
must align both vertically and from one
standardto another.Thetipsin Figures
1 and2 abovehelp accomplishthat.
The alignmentof the shelfsupports
is important,but it's the spacing
berweenthem that'scritical.Thegoal
is to get a snugfit. Of course,if it's too
tight, the shelveswont fit.Too loose,
and the shelveswill wobble. For a
perfectfit, usethe glassshelvesasspacers
when positioningthe blocks(Fig.3).
Install Shelves-Alter applyrng
astain(below),
it's time to installthe
shelves.To
help securethem, applya
dab ofsilicone to rhe back edgeofeach
shelfwhereit will contactthe standards.
Then, working on a flat surface,wiggle
the shelvesinto place.Finally,mount rhe
standardsto the wall. rT
-Written
by Tim Robertson,illustrated
by Kurt Schultz,projectdesigned
byJames
R. Downing
STAININGPOPLAR
Poplarcanbe trickyto stainbecause
it hasa tendency
to blotch.And the
dark-colored
stainwe usedwould
m a k et h a l e v e nn t o r ec o n s p i c u o u s .
To minimize
the blotching,
sand
the surfaceusingprogressively
finer
gritsof sandpaper
('t20-to 220-grit).
Anothertrickto reduceblotchingis
to usea gelstain(Figs.1 and 2).lt's
thickerthanotherstains,so tt won't
penetrate
the wood fibersasdeeply,
Thatresultsin a moreunifornrcolor.
1l Applya liberalamountof gel
stainwith a cloth,keepingit out
of the slotsbetweenthe supports.
2] After wiping off the excess,use
a "dry" foam brushto removeany
built-upstainin the corners.
71
top
lnno uations
Innovation is change coupled with
improvement.And in this sPace,we
have rewardedinnovative tools for six
yearsnow.
But it's time to make a change of
our own.And an improvement.
For the first time, the WofubenchToP
10 InnovationsAwardswill include products aswell astools.
Quite frankly, we've been just overwhelmed by the cutting edge products
we've seen at building and remodeling
shows.And we can't, in good conscience,
continue to look past those products in our
search for something that can be narrowly
defined asa tool.
In the end, although it made it much more
difticult to pare the list down to only ten, we
feel including non-tool products makesthis the
best list, or at least the most innovative, we've
offered to date.
72
2OO7
FEBRUARY
WORKBENCH
PEOPLE
PROBABLY
SHOULDN'T
own chainItt not a tool youjust pick up and learn how to
. Chainsawsrequire instruction.They're potentially
tools. unfortunately, grooming a yard someinvolves something more than a conventional
or a pair ofhedge shearscan handle.
At times like this, the Alligator Lopper from Black &
ker provesits worth.This lopper,/chainsawhybrid
almost foolproof to operate.Ifyou can use a pair of
the Alligator shouldnt be a problem.Jusrsqueeze
he triggers (one on each handle to ensure both hands
re in a safe place), open the jaws, and then close them
the branch that needspruning.The chainsawblade
the work.And the serratededge of the Alligator's
aw helpsprevent kickback.Any branch 4" or lessis fair
An ejection port near the handlesmakessure the
chips dont clog the blade.
The Black & Decker Alligator Lopper sellsfor about
100 at a variety of retailers.VisitBlackAndDecker.com
call 800-544-6986 for more information.
ISN'T OFTENTHAT I feel asthough I've been swept
nto an infomercial,but my most recent trip to the Interntional Hardware Show wasjust like that. It was during
show that I encounteredthe Evolution Rage circular
in action for the first time.As I stood there watching
saw cut through everything placedin its path, I
ught for surethere must be some trick to it.
How could one saw'using the sameblade,cut through
, wood, and even mild steelwithout slowing down?
were no sparks,and the steelwas cool to the touch
Liatelyafter being cut.
Had to be a trick.
But it wasnt. I purchaseda Rage circular saw a few
Iater and begansome testing of my own. I discovered
short order that it did everything its makersclaimed.
As it turns out, a combination of high-grade carbide,
ique tooth geometry and a motor gearedfor power
speed combine to give the Rage the cutting power
slice efFordessly
through ferrous and non-ferrous metals,
plastic,andjust about anything elseit runs into.
Surprisingly,the saw sellsfor about 9150,which is what
'd
expect to pay for premium sawsthat are largely
to cutting wood. Sparebladesare availablefor the
reasonableprice ofjust 925 each.
For more information, or to order a Rage circular saw,
EvolutionRage.com or call 866-386-8665.
COINEDTHE PHRASE"lisht asair" never
hauled a twin-stack air compressor to the second floor.
Believe me, it really is the ungainliness of even allegedly
"portable" air compressorsthat have kept pneumatic
nailers from replacing hammers entirely.
But with the advent of the JacPacCOz Power System,
the inevitable extinction of the hammer may be at hand.
At the heart oftheJacPac system is a patented regulator
that links iust about anv Dneumatic hand tool to a COz
nister(the samerype usedto power paintballguns).
A 9-ounce cylinderof COz providesenoughair power
drive up to 500 18-gaugebrad nails.A refill on this
ze canisterwill costyou lessthan $4. OurJacPackit
ncluded a combination brad nailer/stapler, one 9-ounce
02 cylinder, a 1O-footflexible hose,and the regulator.
retailfor this kit is around$180.A kit without
nailer/stapleris availablefor approximately$130.
including a
For additionalinformation on the JacPac,
deo of the tool in action, visit TacPacCO2.com.You can
call 800-567-0864to find out more.
FOR BETTEROR WORSE,the stairwayin many newer
[wo-story homes tends to be positioned immediately
ide the front door. It's often the first thing your guests
as thev enter vour house.
should
This meansyour stairrailing,or balustrade,
asattractiveasit is functional.(Jnfortunatelvmost
are uninspiredand bland.
builder-grade"balustrades
ut to replace a balustrade,with all its intricate cuts and
es,requiresskill beyondmost DIYers.(Jnless,of
you usethe FusionBalustradingsystem
This unique collection of wood and metal railing
nts makes crafting an elegant balustrade as
mple as assemblingan erector set
For now, the metal connectors are available in chrome
brass.You can combine those with prefinished
or oak comoonents to create the best balustrade
your d6cor.Additionalmetal finishesand wood species
in the works, accordingto a companyspokesperson.
You'll oav about2lYomore for a Fusionbalustradethan
conventional system. For additional information about
distributorby calling
ion, conact their exclusiveAmerican
or check out the companv'swebsite at
ILE I DON'T HAVE the statistics
ro proveit, I suspect
homeownersdraw the line on DIY projectsat: If it
an open flame in closeproximiry to combustible
rts of my house,I'm calling a professional.
Thus, most DIYers shy awayfrom sweat-soldering
plumbing together.
Thanl<sto a new product fromAntex Electronics,however,
ing is assafeand simpleasusinga pair ofplien.
The Antex Pipemasteris an alternativeto conventional,
ame torchesfor soldering plumbing components.
t usestwo heating elementsto apply heat directly to
pipe. Different sizeelementsaccommodatepipe
DISTINCTIONBETWEENTOOLS"for men" and tools
women" is sometimesblurry. But one tool that tnrly
monstrates an understanding of the differences between the
men and women usetools is the Power-Lite Cordless
from BarbaraKTools.
Fundamentally,this is a 1,2-voltdrill that is asconvenient
capableasany other consumer-grademodel.What makes
drill unique and innovariveis a deachablebattery.This
alteration allows the user to shi{t the heaviest part of
tool - the NiCad battery - from their hand to their
The battery can alsobe conneced directly to the drill.
The Power-Lite drill sellsfor about $40. Call 800-803or visit BarbaraK.com or for more information.
nd fittings from3/a" to3/4".It takes about three to four
utesfor the Pipemasterto heat the pipe to the point
solderwill melt and run into the fittine.
The Pipemasteris availablethrough Netbridge Indusies at NetbridgeOnline.com or by calling 877-299-7366.
basickit includesthe Pipemasterandl/z', elementsfor
ut $120.Additional elementsare availablefor around
per ser.
AL FASTENERS,
SUCHAS joist hangers,rafterties,
hurricane ties,bring great strengthand simplicity to
rn construction. But they can also slow the construc-
ion processdown becausethey usuallyrequirehand
iling.That'sbecauserypicalframingnailersdon't allow
you to accurately align the nail with the small holes in a
metal fastener.
The new StrapShotNailer from Bostitchchangesthat.
is compactnaileris designedspecificallyfor mounting
I fasteners.
'lVhat
sets the StrapShot apart from conventional nailers
is the absenceof a bulky tip on the nose of the nailer. It's
is tip on most framing nailersthat makesprecision so
lusive.TheStrapShothasan open nosedesignthat lets
nail point protrudeslightly.So preciseplacementis
simple asputting the point of the nail right where you
nt it and pulling the trigger.
The StrapShot(modelMCN150) sellsfor around$260
is available online and at many specialty tool retailers.
Visit Bostitch.comor call 800-556-6696.
SAFETYQUICK LIGHTis an ingeniousrwo-piece
vice that provides both the electricaland mechanical
ion for ceiling- or wall-mounted light fixtures.
SaferyQuick Light consistsof a femalereceptacle,
hich installs into any 4" electrical oudet box, and a male
ug, which comes already installed on the light fixture.
e the Gmale receptacle is connected to the electrical
y and mounted in the oudet box,you simplysnapthe
fixture into place.No additionalwiring is necessary.
Safery Quick Light fixtures are available at Home
under the HamDton Bav Brand and marketed as
Attach." For additional information. call,7 7 0 -7 5 4-
7 11 or visit SafetyQuicklight.com.
WORKBENCH
FEBRUARY
2OO7
YEARS,QUICK-ADJUSTING
clampshaveoffereda
between convenience and clamping pressure.
clamps work fine where fast assemblyand disassembly
re rrore important than exerting any real force on a joint. But
n the integrity of the joint is paramount, it has alwaysbeen
r to usebar or pipe clamps.Now Irwin IndustrialTools
introduced a new quick-adjusting clamp that exerts enough
for even the most demanding projects.
This is thanks in large part to an internal power-lock
ystem that enablesthe user to exert as much as 550
s of clamping pressurewith one hand, or twice as
h asearlierrnodels.Anew I-beam srylebar supports
increasedpressurewithout bowing or twisting, and
rger pads distribute the force more evenly.
Of course, the clamp still has all the convenient featu
hat made it so popular to begin with, including rapid
pdjustmentand a quick-release
trigger.
The new XP modeisare availablein lengthsfrom 6" ro
I
p0" and rangein price frorr $25 to $60.Visirlrwin.com or
ball800-464-7946for more information.
OLD CANNOTLIVEON cheese
alone- seemsit likes
eatpaper,too.Which ntay explainwhy expertsestintare
t 70 percent of hornes may have moid in the wall
ties:The ntold is fattening up on the paper facings that
been standardfare orr drywall for ycars.
One way to stop the spreadof r.nold is to stop feeding it.
DensArnor PlusPaperless
InteriorWallboard.
This new generationof drywall substitutes
fiberglass
cingsfor the traditionalpaperfacings,efFectively
irninating a potential food source for mold.That makes
his new dr1'wall ideal for use in areasprone to moisture
another favorite feature of mold colonies). such as
itchens, bathrooms. and basements.
On the other hand, theret no reason vou can't (or
't)
use DensArmor throughout an entire home. It
nstalls the same as conventional drywall and would add
ust over $1,000 to the cost of building a new 2,300re-foot home.To find out more about DensArmor
plus,visit GPcom,/buildor call 800-284-5347.tffi
'r-Written
by Bitt Link, illustrations
by Matt Scott
78
2oo7
FEBRuARY
woRKBENcH
To nrakestr,:ightcuts.rJr.lidrthr: cirtr:laisarl v,'itha strligi'rtcciqc.
A setup Lrlock
ntakesii strrrpleto pctsiiiot-.
tht: pr.op€\r
VorrfSir.riqhirrdctc
dist;lt(e frorrrthc.cullirrq.
Tirtrsr.liii,.Lrlockrn.:11h,:s
ihe ciistilnce
lrlrr: tite bl.:tjei6 tl,.i edcleof 1helriise
12 TIPSFORWORKINGWITH MELAMINE
When it comes time to build your
saws is made for rough cuts in dimen-
next set of utility cabinets(like
sionallumber.And while it's fine for
the laundry center on page 52), it's
worth giving melamine a closer
these cuts, it can chip melamine badly.
Luckily,you can convertyour circular
sawinto a smooth-cutting
tool.Justbuy
basic: It's just particleboard with a
a 140-toothplywood-cuting bladelike
plastic resin coating on both faces.
rhe one shownbelow I pickedthis one
That givesmelamineattributesthat
up at the homecenterfor g5.Eachtooth
other cabinet-building materialslack: is very small,so it takesa small"bite"
It's inexpensive,durable,requires no
out of the material,which resultsin less
paint or finish, and is readily available chipout.Thesebladesdo dull quickly,
at any home center.
however,so buy a handfirl ofthem ifyou
Melamine is also easy to work
havea largemelamineproject.
with. But it doespresentsomechallengesthat requirespecifictechniques. p ti,p* tlrc (lutlinc. Another way
The tips that follow will ensuregreat
to get a smooth,chip-freecut is to
results,no matter what the proiect
run a strip of maskingtapealong
the cutline.Maskingtapeholdsthe
Despite
suface of melaminetogether,which
I F.r.g", tl'1.'TablcSirr,r,..
look.The materialcouldn't be more
its many advantages,melamine does
further prevents tearout.
haveone drawback-the sheetsweiqh
about90 poundsapiece,
so cutting
them on a tablesawby yourselfis darn
nearimpossible.Abetteroption is to
breakdown the sheetsinto smallerparts
with a circularsaw(Photo,left).Apur
of
sawhorses
is all you needto positionthe
n A Sirrrplo Strai[lrrcrlge.Of
course,you'll still need a way to guide
the circular saw in a straightline as
you cut.A lot of fancy straightedges
areavailablefor this purpose,but I
like the simple approach:Justbuy a
sheet at a comfortable heieht.
Pick thc lLiglrrlll:rtlt. The
blade that comes on most circular
i 0 ; - l c l i 1 r r t . rr 'l i ] , , r t rt ' u l s
i n r r r t t l , , r r r r r iirrtv, l l i i :
r t r ) x p r t rt : : i re t r l v w o o r : i tttftrril itlatlt'. lts 1.,lil
I r ' r ' r l ri . t [ c 5 i t i a l l i \ i l r t :
Ir) rililtt!a { itillLrtjl
B S,rp1r.r.,rhc Shr'ct. It'simportant
to supportthe sheetof melamineon
both sidesof the cutline.If it isnt frrlly
supported,the cut portion ofthe sheet
will fall away,causinga raggedtear.
For the setupshown at left,
sawhorsesare sufficient to keep the
piecesupported.But if you were
cutting auossthe sheetinstead,you'd
want to prop the sheetup on a pair of
2x4s to prevent it from falling.
El tb. r Rourer. Anotheroption
for getting a smooth,chip-freecut in
melamineis to cut the panelabout
/t" larger than you need it with the
circular saw.and then trim it to final
sheet of7+" hardboard (availableat
the home center) and cut a strip that's
about 8" wide from one edge.
Using the "factory" edgeof
this strip to guide the base
ofthe sawassures
that
the saw will travel in a
straight line.To posirion
the straightedge the
correct distance from
the cutline, make a
simple setup block from
scrap wood (Photos,above).
\ i i t t i ri rt i r { . l r l ; : rt r { iu i r . . l S r i tC t t r t l t t ' 1 ,
i i t . r i t i l , 1 i l i _ rt t' i t . l s l r e c t o f r l t : l , , i r l i r ' r r t
| . i ) . , i 1 l, o) t i i i ' r , l i d . i s t r . r i r t l rl il i t .
sizewith a handheldrouter equipped
with a straightbit (Photo,aboue).This
processrequiresan extrastep,but
a router producesan exceptionally
clean edgewith virtually no chipout.
79
MOREMELAMINETIPS:
DRILLINGA ASSEMBLING
Once you have all your melamine
parts cut to size as smoothly as
possible,it still takes a few additional
stepsto transform those parts into
sturdy cabinets.The tips below
explain the best practices for drilling
holes for fastenersand then assembling all of these melamine parts.
f,l I'rt-rlrill firr Screu,s.'When
you're assernblingnrelamine parts,
the particleboard core has a tendency
to split when you drive screwsinto
the edges.But there's an easy way to
avoid this headache:Justpre-drill pilot
holes for the screws.
A great tool for drilling these pilot
holes is a combination pilot hole/countersink bit (Photo,aboueright).Thtsbit
does tvvo thingp in one operation: It
pre-drills a pilot hole to acceptthc
screw shank, and it createsa "countersink" that's sized to accept the screw
head.When you drive the screw,the
countersink allows the screw head to sit
''itttr r:;
k i l t l r ' \ , t r i i i t { , r \ ( i i l r r ,tr1 l r t : l . r l r i r r ei r o n r : i r i i l l r r r t J ,y r r r : - r l r ifi ,i } l l o h
1(}lt:'iLlr
l
o
r
I
h
e
:
c
rtllv ttpari
a
n
t
j
;
i
c
n
t
t
t
r
t
e
r
s
i
t
t
k
t
o
l
t
h
e
s
c
r
e
w
:
,
i
r
;
t
n
k
i h r : , i : r i lt l r i i i sa l . r r i l l l t c ; l e
It even has a white color that dries
clear on the melamine surface.
pl,rs thc l{olcs" After you finish
f,l
assemblingyour melamine cases,it's
a good practice to hide the exposed
screw heads.Thisgivesyour project a
more finished appearance.Thereare a
couple of simple options availablefor
(ilrrc.Alongwith
fl t,-lr" thc ttight
screws,you'll want to assembleyour
melamine caseswith glue to ensure
rock-solid construction. A few manu-
doing this.
The first option is a slightly
rounded plastic cap that covers up
the screw head.The white color of
the cap matches melamine perfectly,
and the raised"ribs" on the underside
ofthe cap fit into the screw head
to hold the cap in place. (Caps are
facturers make a special melamine
glue that offers several advantagesover
standard glues (Photo,below).
First, melamine glue is thick, so
itt lesslikely to run or drip as you
availableto fit either square-drive or
Phillips-head screws.)
The second option is a self-adhesive sticker.Just peel it off, and stick it
over the hole. Both options (shown in
assemblethe project. It also has a
strong initial "tack" (or adhesion) for
aligning pieces precisely.Even with
rhe Plnto at right) are available from
Rockler by calling 800-279-4441 or
below the suface of the melamine.
this strong tack, though, it still has
a long "open" period, which means
you have more time (about 10 to
15 minutes) to get all your parts put
together before the glue starts to dry.
c,rn bt i oveir:drrvith
Lrport,rilrt-;i<,1
l r t i r e rp i a : ; l r c a l . ) l5h . l . i o i l . .t t t l c ;t f t t '
' . r r c v tl T c . i d O
" 5r vl ifc k c l 5
5 l 5r-'ll".r[.illc5
\.-'**'n
l[t t'i.t. thc I{ight l)'irrr. Chipout
isn't only a risk when you're
cutting melamine..It can.also
,,
occur when drilling holesin it,
especiallyifyou usea standard
"twist bit" (Photo,
right).This
pulls
nraterial
of
bit
rype
upwardasit turns,which
I
I r l e l a r i r n cq l u e r i l h i a l i { ' 'iri i . r ,r
l n d i t i r a : ,. i l o r c y c ; r : e r ii r r ir r - ri.i ' t
. i v ; i t i r b i ei o r ! , 5 . : 0 , , ri l r ' r i l l r i o ' . r t j l . l
Wooilwcilrlr ,, !.:;r1-;iy(liO0 ri45'
.:..-.il
I
80
point as you begin drilling.
online at Rockler.com.
l i I r I I1:.,
Lif tti i }la,tvi"r
Stiii tr-i.tl-(J {.Jl
Lol r).
ii29.l; i.t,coCiWcrrkt:r'.
supports), choose a brad-point bit
instead.A brad-point bit has cutting
spurs on the tip, so it scoresan outline
of the hole before ic begins cutting.
This results in a crisp, clean hole. PIus,
the brad-point bit also has a center
spur, which makes it lesslikely than
a twist bit to "wander" off the center
WORKBENCH
FEBRUARY2OOT
can cause the plastic coating
around the hole to peel away.
If you need to drill a hole
that won't be covered up (such
shelf
asholesfor adjustable
/
Whrlert;inqiuiriiviist bit: c;tn cl'iipthe:
p r l o s l icr o a l i r r r ;b, r . r i - l t o l r Ib i 1 5! . o r i l
tirc sLrriar.rlo ;;rotlr-lctcitt;:rntiIrolel.
the eclgevoui'e goine to cover,set it
in plrce, anc-lnrake :r p:lssover it rvith a
clothe'siron on its hisltest scttine (P/loto,
h:fi).Theglue rvill nrelt mrl adhere tl.re
s" 'f^r i' rr r f, l' r"r,r-r' kJ r i t . r . l r , ' - '
For a lons cclge,it l.relpsto holcl
the edsebandinqin pl:rcetcnrporarily
r'vrth a fc'r'vstrips of rrr:rskingtape.
Then just relllovc the tape as yoll get
close to it rvith thc ilon.
Aliel allorvins
the eclgeb:rnclins
to cool for :rbout
flve nrinr.rtcs,
you ncecl to trint ofT
slnclprrpc'ror rr shrrlp chiscl. But tl-rc
best tool is rr clorrble-bl:rt'lccl
trirnnierth:rt lcrrrovcsboth eclecsof the
bandirrq at thc sanle tin're (Plrcto,lcli).
I t ' s : r v : r i l . r l . fl to' r $ 1 . 5..r q , r i rtrl r r o r r s h
I{ocklcr.To r,rsett, just squeczc thc
the extra wiclth, so it rligns Ilusl.r
rvith the faccs.Tl'rcrcarc a couplc
AlthoLrsh both frccs of a shc-etof
of rvrys to do this.You cill) use a
nrelrrnrincrrrcpllstic-coateci,tl-rccclqcs ' , r r t , l i r : gb l o , ' k w i t l r ( ' ( r i r r s ( ' - q r i t
ilrc uot. So yoLr'llDcc.cllo covcr up
thosc cclqesfbl rr clc:rn,firrishccllook.
This too is n srrnpleproccss.It jr.rst
t:rkesl nrll of ilon-on cclqcb:rnclinsI
(:rulin,av:rrl:rble
:rt hontc ccntcls),:r
clothcs ilorr, ;rnclrr fi'rv sirrrplcti1-rs.
C O V E R I N GU P T H E E D G E S
Thc cdsc_
brrrrcLnq
fol nrelarrrinccorncsin a 25-ft.
nrll rurrlhas ]tc:rt-nctivrltecl
shlc rrppliccl
to onc sitle.Itls :r hrrir-rviclclthlrn %"thick ruellnrinc,rvhic]r rrrnkcsir crrsyto
sprine-lorcleclsiclcsof thc trlntnrel
asrinst tl'rc irce s of tl-rcpancl, ancl
nll) thc trirnrtrer :rlonq thc cclge.
The or-rlycllrnvbrck to this
tlinrnrer is that it ciiu't cut :rll thc wry
urto corncl's.Here, yrtrr can trscI flle
or co:rlse-grits:rncipapcr
to touch u;r
tlrc cclgcs(l4tttto,dtout,).Alterthat,
you crln tlint rruy c\tl'l lcugth ofl
t
tlic cclgcbanclint-r
with rr utility knifc,
rurclthcn rrpply cclucbanclingto the
:rcljoininu eclsc of thc' c,rsc.tffi
c()vcr:ul cclqcconrplctcly.Tirlpplv it,
you Justcut :r str-ip:r htt]c lorrqcr-th:rn
-l,li'ittttt
lty U/yatt llycr
CabinetSide
(23%"x96")
.
.t
CabinetSide
( 1 s "x 9 6 " )
--
Holesore-drilled
i..
ror sne|lptns
Shelf
(12" x24")
/r
--
Edqebandino is
faciory-applied
AT LAST-AFFORDABLE
Slat-Wall
Storage
{':,r,:i t:l*;I ci!.Jc r-{ L.li I i.lr,.r'ti' t l-rt:
i i q ^ r q ,oi 11 s 1 q( l.ni t { " } t . i t t l f v " ' i l l
.,- ir;
;,,ll'rsl!.
rr,i't'li: rl\lr'{'
. ' i , ' i l r , , v * r rllll; t t t t l l r
r y " n lt ' l l 1
Or
Theseinexpensive
slat-wallpanelsareeasyto install,and they
for storingtools,lawnand garden
acceptover20 differentaccessories
garageitems.
gear,and otherassorted
recreational
equipment,
When you take a closer look at slat-wall
it\ lurd to irulgirte ltt
storaqcsystenls,
easierway to hang thir.rgpup rn your
girrag5e.
In this type ofsysteln, each panel
has severalgrooves running along its
length.A lip overhanging each gtoove
onto the
is used to "lock" accessories
range ltrortt
panel.Thcsc .lccessories
hooks and hangersto baskets,shelves,
arrdbins (Plntos,belotu).
In the past,the only drawback to
these slat-wall systemswas the cost: It
was hard to find a 4-ft. slat-wall panel
for lessthan $50. But recently, I found
these 1-ft. x 4-ft. panels frorn Suncast
at nry local home center for around
$10 apiece.They'remade of a sturdy
resin composite, so they hold up well
under hearry loads without cracking.
But itk the large variety of accessories that makes this slat-wall systellt
so versatile.They're durable, lock
securelyin place,and range irr pricc
frorrr $3 to just over $3t).
HmI/C€ gH ffi%
%
Hooks
(54-58)
82
FEBRUARY
2OO7
WORKBENCH
Loops
(57-5e)
ToolRacks
(ss)
,-->
S-Hooks
(s4)
EasyInstall
The nice thing about this slat-wall
syster-nis that you can cover as
much, or as little, wall as you d like
depending on your storage needs.
For hanging shovels,rakes,and other
long garden tools, you r.naydecide to
run a single horizontal row ofpanels. In
this case,theyjust butt together end to
end. Each panel alsohas a tongue at the
top and a groove on the bortonr. So if
you decide to stack a number of then-r
vertically, they interlock to look like
one continuous panel.
Find Wall Studs - Regardless
1] Markthe locationof wallstudswith
masking
tape.Thentransferthese
marksintothe groovesof the panel.
ofhow you decide to arrange your
slat-wall panels,you need to nrake sure
they're mounted securelyto bear the
weight that will hang on them. So itt
critical to install the panelsby driving
screws into wall studs. See Fig. I to
locate the studs easily.
You'll want to nlark the stud
locations in the grooves (specifically,
in the top and bottom grooves of
c.rchprnel).This is a Lroodplace to
install the screws,as it makes them less
visible once the slat-wall is r.nounted.
Pre-drill Holes-These resin
slat-wall panels are sturdy, but they will
To installan accessory,
slideit along
a grooveuntilyou find the right
position.Lockit in placewith tabs
that engagetwo of the grooves.
2l After pre-drillingmounting holes,
move the panel into position,levelit,
and installit with 2" or longer screws.
B U Y E R 'G
S UIDE
Shoot for Six-Each
slat-wall
panel should be mounted with at
least six screws.If a panel only rests
hollow-wall anchors for the two
additional screws.
Mount Panels-With
the holes
drilled in the panel, you can rnove
it back onto the wall. Realign the
mounting holes with the wall studs,
on two wall studs,you'll want to predrill holes in the drywall and install
and then attach each panel to the wall
as shown in Fig.2. tW
crack if you drive screwsinto them
widrout first driliing holes.To prevent
this, pre-drill screw holes in each panel.
SportingGoodsRack
(5:01
Bins
r(?\
Baskets
(s12-s18)
Suncast
800-444-3310
Suncast.com
True Value
773-69s-5000
Truevalue.com
Home Depot
800-553-3199
HomeDeoot.com
Menards
800-871-2800
Menards.com
Lowe's
ao0-445-6937
Lowes.com
Ace Hardware
856-290-5334
AceHardware.com
Shelves
(s10-s20)
wrrvw.WorkbenchMagazine.com
83
Tool Report
that clearsits own path,fwo waysto
A nail gun
-miter
sawyou cant sneakup on, and a
sand,a
drill bit holder that won't passairport securiry.
NAILING - Itt no big news that Hitachi hasbeen tweaking the design
EXIIAUSTM
of their pneumaticfinish nailers- they'vealwaysbeen a leaderin this categoryand updating
isjust part of stayingon top.But one interestingfeaturethat'sshowing
designsand capacities
up on Hitachi nailersbearsspecialmention.Seethat litde red button nearthe top of the
pushthat button, andyou get a blastofair
nailerpicturedat right? It's an air duster.Just
through the nailert exhaustport (that'sthe black disk on top of the nailer)that you canuseto
blow dustand debrisout ofyour way.It hasabsolutelyno impact on the performanceof the
nailer,other than to add a bonusfunction. At present,itt availableonly on the NT65MA2
15-Gauge Finish Nailer (l) (piauredherQandthe NT65M2 16-Gauge Finish Nailer.We
hope to seeit addedto other modelsasHitachi continuesto updatetheir full line of nailers.
It's a smallthing, but sometimesthat makesall the difference'
-The KogJig becamesynonymouswith "pocketSMALL "OTIT OF POCKET"IG
holejig" yearsago.And yet this persistentlittle companycontinuesto find new waysto make
pocket-holejoinery more affordableand appealing.Casein point is the R3 PocketJig (2).
Forjust about $45,you get this compactjig that adjustsfor drilling boardsfrom 11"to \15"
thick, alongwith the requireddrill and driver bits,stop collar,and a smallassortmentof screws
and wood plugs.It reallyis the perGctway to get startedwith this incrediblyversatilejoinery
system.So if you'renot familiarwith pocket-holejoinery now'sa good time to takea closer
look.You canbuild just about anythingusingthis technique,and now itt asaffordableasit is
simple.Check out Kreg'swebsitefor more information.
ENDLESS SANDING - Revolutionary ideasin sandpaperdont happenoften.The last
one wasabout 90 yearsagowhen 3M inventedwet/dry sandpaperand changedautomotive
finishing forever.Now, almosta century later,the ne* big thing in sandpaperonce againcomes
calledSandfrom 3M.This time, it's a line of nearlyindestructibe,flexible sandingabrasives
long life is a foam-like materialthat resemblesnon-slip
blaster (3).The secretto this sandpaper's
drawerliner.This materialservesasa backerfor the
(80,120,and 180),but for
coarse-gritsandpapers
finer grits (220,320,and400),the drawer-linerstuff
ls the sandpaper.And asit turns out, this makesfor
Next time
incredibly durableand flexible sandpaper.
you'll want to give
you're shoppingfor sandpaper,
Sandblaster
a try and seefor younelfhow effective
it reallyis. A variery of sandingblock designedto
productsarealsoavailable.
work with Sandblaster
MIXING BAG - I don't think I can describe
how to mix concreteusing a big yellow nylon
Cretesheet
w
$
sheetin 1,000 words or less.So I'll just have to saythat the CreteSheet (4) is one of the
most worthwhile homeowner tools I've seenin a long time. It turns the backbreaking
work of mixing and hauling concrete into a simple,manageablejob.The CreteSheet
can be usedby one or two people,and besidesits concrete uses,it's also'agreat way to
haul rocks or gravelor to mix mulch and topsoil.The best way to understandhow the
CreteSheetworks is to visit the websiteand watch the video.'While you're there,you can
order the product direcdy from the company for about $20.
A "RIGHT:-SIZED" CIRCULAR SAV -The new Fuego Compact Framing
Saw (5) fiom Ridgid (model R3203) is everything you need in a circular saw and less
- lessweight, lesssize,and lesslikelihood it will break when you drop it.
At just eight pounds,this is one of the lightest corded framing sawson the market.It
alsousesa 61h" blade lrather than the typical 71/4"blede).Thisallowed Ridgid to downsize the saw and give it the "compact" designationwithout sacrificing any meaningful
capacity.The saw can still cut through 2x4 boards,even at a 45o bevel.
To keep weight down, the saw featuresmagnesiumblade guardsand a compositeshoe.
These samematerialsgive the sawits resfiency,making it capableof withstanding a onestory drop without breaking. The Fuego sellsfor about $140 at Home Depot and comes
with two bladesand a nylon contractor'sbag.
BATTERIES NOT INCLUDED - Campbell Hausfeldt new 6-Volt Cordless Sctewdriver (6) (model DG350000CK) is tlle perfectlitde tool for thoselight-duty screwdriving
jobs aroundthe house.It hasjust the right power and speedfor projecn like cabinetand drawer
knobs,light switch platesand oudet coven,and curtain rodsor mini-blinds.And at $13,you're
not spendinga bunch of money to haveporvered,corrdlesscrewdrivingconvenience.
Campbell Hausfeldcan sell the drill/driver at such a low price becauseyou supply the
batteries- 4AA's to be e:<act.Thisdeparturefrom cordlessconvention (which generally
dictatesthat cordlesstools should include more, bigger,and
the most expensivebatteries)actuallymekesa lot of sense.It
you dont haveto bother with yet
makesthe tool afforrdable;
another battery charger;and replaceinentbatteriesar€ asnear
asyourjunk drawer or neighborhood conveniencestore.
PAINT EATER - How ironic that a company best
known for affordable,effective pajnt applicators(Wagner)
I suppose
now offers an affordable,effective pa;int remouer.
it makessense.Alierall, removing old, cracking,crumbling
paint is the first step to a good paint job.And the new
PaintEater (7) fromWagner is certainly up to the task.
The PaintEaterusesa 3M flex-disc to strip away old
paint.The disc hassome flexibfity to conform to irregular
surfacesand alsohasa coarse,web-like abrasivepattern that
removespaint fast without clogging up. Expect to pay about
$100 for a PaintEater.Areplacementdisc costsabout $16.
BIT CLIP -The Bosch Self-Feeding Bit Clip (8)
holds 15 titanium Phillips screwdriverbits and looks like
a handgun magazine.Whywould you not want one of
these?Youknow you're going to need the bits, and if
there'sa cooler way to organizethem, I dont know about
it. Look for the Bosch Bit Clip at hardwarestores,home
centers,and online for about $15.
86
FEBRUARY
2OO7
WORKBENCH
- Skil is back in
SEESYOU COMING
THE SA\VTHAT
the miter saw business.The Skil 3800 (9) marks the corlpanyt
return to the category after a nearly decade-long absence.And it's a
triumphant return, from what I can see.The new saw is loaded with
useful features,including crown molding stops,table extensions,and
a vertical clamp. But the "wow" feature is a motion-activated laser
cutline indicator. As you approach the saw,a sensor seesyou coming
and turns the laser on.'When
you're done cutting, just walk
away,and the laser turns itself
offas well.The saw,with the
SmartCut rlotion-activated laser,
DRTVES4 SIZES
OF NATTSu|TTH
*OFT
IConlbrldh
fipnontfo
5fryi/4gfrit,
ltfircnc
I Diggerand
Srnfto
Saftttbe
'mtm*I
hffirddt
giL,htlVCf//d"
| flonffilfilry
CfL-e
lutpei
u7tlTrc
PULLER - Hammers
were invented to driuenails, not
pull thern.
For pulling nails, try The
Extractor (1 0) from Jefferson
NAIL
Nw4
f,fi,fl/Ifl''
nntrunn
06[ioned
fto,F5,,p
0tip
sellsfor about $180 at hardware
storesand honre centers.
Tool. It's a specializedplier that
can remove nails other tools
can't even get ahold of. Serrated
jaws grip the nail, and the
curvecl base offers substantial
prying power to free stubborn
nails.The tool is especially
useful for pulling nails through
the back of molding pieces to
avoid damaging the face of
the wood.The Extractor
is available through the
companyt websitefor
t[
about$25.
N
!,,t'i!ffi!#ffii!iil:;ir#i{^,?#,,,,,,.,*
W E m
'rU;*'
@r"n"rron'
Anow Fastener Co,,\nc.,271 Mayhill Street Saddle Brook, New Jersey07663
Canada:Jardel Distributors,In(.,6505 Metropolitan Blvd. East,Montreal, Quebec H1P 1X9
United Kingdom: Arrow Fastener (U.K.) Ltd.,'Unit 5 ZK Park, 23 Commerce Way, Croydon CRo 425, Surrey
www.arrowfastener.com
Revl002
FEBRUARY
2OO7
WORKBENCH
The Exlractor
Picks
Product
'Whether
it requires revitahzing, repair,
or replacement,this crop of home
productsprovidessome compelling
solutionsto common problems.
- Polyurethane repair kits are great for fixing rotten or
PLIANT POLYURETHANE
tend
flawedwood. But the problem with most of theseproductsis their consistency.They
to be so thick and viscousthat filling a gap with them is like stufiing chewing gum into a
knot hole.Not so with new PL Fix (1) from Henkel ConsumerAdhesives.
This t'wo-part epoxy maintairua pudding-like consistenryfor severalminutesaftermixing,
which les it flow easilyinto voids for uniform filling and coverage.It alsoadheresto most
sufaces,including wood and metal,quite readily.Additionally,the epoxy resisesagging,despite
is fluid consistenry.Asit hardens,PL Fix canbe shapedand worked to conform to odd shapes.
After a Gw hours,the epoxywill be hard enough to work with power or hand tools.And unlike
other nvo-part epoxies,PL Fix doesnt turn to dust assoon asyou touch it with a bladeor bit.
In fact,it actudly respondsto tooling much the sameway wood does.Youcan evenshavea thin
curl of the epoxy usinga hand plane,so sanding,drilling, cutting, or carving areall possible.
This unique combination of workability and the natural durability of epoxy make PL
Fix a greatchoicefor a varieryofhousehold repairs,suchasrebuildingrotting exterior
trim or repairing broken or damagedfurniture. A PL Fix repair kit includes one 250gram tube ofresin and one 65-gram tube ofhardenerand sellsfor around$20.
NOT THE USUAL GRIND -'Whatever you can't eat,chanceare an Evolution
Seties InSinkErator (2) probably can. The Evolution Seriesincludesfive models to
accommodatea wide variety of food-disposalneeds.Thecompact model, shown here,is
for families that dont cook asmuch or haverestrictedcabinet space.At the other end of
the spectrumis the powerful Excel model, which hasthree stagesof grinding to reduce
all the scrapingsof a full holiday meal into so much drain mulch with the flip of a switch.
There'seven a model designedspecificallyto work with septicsystemsby automatically
injecting a microorganismto help break down the food waste.
Regardlessof which model bestsuitsyour needs,they all sharesome conunon traits.
Most notably is what InSinkEratorcallsSoundSealPlus.In laymanterms,this is a collection
of insulationand anti-vibration componentsthat make the disposersoperateextremely
quiedy.My personalfavorite,though, is the in-home partsand labor servicewarranty that
comeswith everyEvolution model.Anything that keepsme from having to stick my hand
down there hasto be good. Pricesrangefrom $180 to $330,dependingon the model.
DON'T REFINISH, REVTVE -A rypicalhardwood floor startsto look a bit downtrodden well before a fulI refinishingjob is due.'Whenthat happens,an applicarionof
Minwax Hardwood Floor Reviver (3) might be just the ticket.This water-basedtopcoat
hardwood floor looking freshand can even
helpskeep an unwaxed,polyurethane-finished
rejuvenatea slighdy damagedfloor. Subsequentcoatscan be appliedevery three to six
months to keep the foor looking its best.Reviver is availablein low- and high-glosssheens
90
FEBRUARY
2OO7
WORKBENCH
and sellsfor about $20 for a one-quart botde.One quart will coverapproximately175
to 225 squarefeet.
STAINLESS "STEAL" - Can't afford an entire kitchen fi-rllof stainlesssteel
No problem.Justpaint the onesyou've got with Thomas'Kitchen Arts
appliances?
- this isnt just silverpaint.Thisis
Liquid Stainless Steel (4). Dont misunderstand
in a liquid polymer.Simply roll it on,"backsteelparticlessuspended
actuallystainless
your outdated,
brush" it to give it sometexture,and then topcoatit.And just that easily,
steel- all for about $100per appliance.
arefabulousstainless
olive-drabappliances
and it's a perfectway to
Steelis alsogreatfor smallerappliances,
Liquid Stainless
breathenew lift into accentpieces,like drawerand door pulls.Forjust $9,you can order a
Steeland try it out for yourselfbeforetaking on a big project.
sampleof the Liquid Stainless
Check out the company'swebsitefor additionalphotosor to order samplesor kit packs.
Englert,Inc.
RainPro
Gutter
GRAND GUTTERS - While I cant validateEnglert Inc.'sclaim that their new RainPro
(5) is the "fint new designfor residentialguttersin 50 yean,"I will agreethat the increased
capacityand elegantstyling of the gutter make it an attractivechoice.I knoW I know... elegant
gutters.But take a look ^t the Photo,and you can seehow the gutter integrateswell with the
architecture.But that'sjust part of the story.RainPro actuallyhx 12%more water-carrying
capacitythan typical gutten,which equatesto hundredsof eallonson evena smallhome.It also
createsfasterflow ratesand lesensthe chancethat your gutten will overfow during heary rains.
system,so it can only be installedby an approvedcontractor.To
RainPro is a seamless
find a contractor in your area,call the toll-free number or visit the company'swebsite.
mm0DmIrn-
PMHMllDtlORIGI
PToMAX-:
a;:
Only full-size cast ircn routar table in the marketplace
lntegrated router bit storage with puhout she/vas.
Drawer option with full extensionball bearing slides.
Fenc6 and cabinet made in USA.
srocK No.40-087 >
Unique cubby for stoilng your routers.
PToMAX Gonplote Route? T.blo
Router table includes award-winning 28" ProFence.
ares with PrcMAX cast ircn rcuter table
(r14G031L PrcMl\X End Cap (U0-044),
PrcMA)< Prctessional Cabinet (t140-074).
Bolt and cross dowel constructionand
steel hardware for the ultimate in strength.
lncludes 4" dust port.
Components available saparately.
Curved side panels for better ergonomics.
Solid Baltic birch panel construction.
PR0'BElf Cll" :
@
PRO-BENCH nodels below
are shown with tha following optiqs:
cab.l@ nobila bafi (#40-008),
Doot Pack (#40-084)
aawet Pdck (lU0-083)
Caanrtt Oprorus
Conpatible with both PrcMM
Prclesional Cabinets and
PRO-BENCH Cabinets.
Table size: 27" x 20", height:35%".
PToMAX ComDleto Router l.ble
shown with optional Cab-Loc
nobile base. No PrcMAX prcducts
include Cab-L@ moblie base.
m
mm
PROMAX PROFESSIONAL
CABINET FEATURES
comes wilh
4" dust poft.
> Hi-lo storage shelves
> Rear storage area fortools and clanps
> Cabinet-style base
> Mobile base raady
> Front row bench dog holas
> Premium vises
00-lMQD_E_L
s T o c KN o . 4 0 - 0 8 5
PRO-BEI{CH 50' Model
includes 50' lop (lU0-088),
3' Cabinet (#4&089), and
two Standatd vises U0-090).
Note: Optional Quick releafi
vi* is al& available for this modal.
z?]l _o*D_El
s T o c KN o . 4 0 - 0 8 6
PRO-BENCH 72' Model
indudes 72' Top (#40-092), 4' Cabinet
(lU0-093), Quick relean vise W0-@1),
and Standatd vi@ (440-090).
Pullout @uter bit
Center rcuter bay al
/ows oasy a@ess and slo€ge ls fasl ard
oreat dust collection. convenient.
Lowr cubby is perfect for spare rcuter
sto6ge.
';::::i::::::::;iL
,han
mapb
naftan
PToMAX Gonplgte Route. Table
shown with the lollowing options:
Cabl@ mobile base (tt4G008),
Doot Pack (t146084) and
Drawer Pack (lUG083)
Number219
ProductInformation
,r
F r f f# # # { . ;
PAINT - As vinyl siding nears its 50th birthday, many first-generaVINYL-SAFE
tion vinyl siding installations are starting to look a bit weathered. Fotunately, there
is now a dependable way to breathe new life into old siding. Sherwin-Williams has
formulated two of their most popular exterior paint lines with VinylSafe Color
Technology (6). In short, you can now paint vinyl siding any color you want without
the risk of warping or buckling, which has long been a problem when trying to use a
dark paint on a lighter siding.
Both SuperPaint and Duration lines include the new vinyl-friendly chemistry'To
locate a Sherwin-Williams dealer in your area,contact the company at their toll-free
nurrber or their website.
ELECTRIC CANDLES - If you don't think of LED lighting as being warm and
inviting,thesenew Aurelle LED Candles (7) fror-n
F;
Phillips Lighting nray change your opinion.The
"candles" cornbine rechargeable,long-lasting
LED light with the flicker of real candles in
Henkel Adhesives PL Fix
StickwithPl.com
800-999-8920
!nSinkErator Disposers
lnSinkErator.com
800-558-5700
Minwax Reviver
Minwax.com
800-523-9299
Thomas' Liquid StainlessSteel
nlessSteel.com
LiquidStai
800-550-5699
Englert Inc. RainPro
RainProGutters.com
877-777-6484
Sherwin-Williams VinylSafe
Sherwin-Williams.com
800-474-3794
Philips Aurelle Lights
Liohtino.PhiliDs.com
800-555-0050
frosted glassvases.These are a great alternative to low-voltage outdoor lights, which
aren't portable, and even t'egular candles,
which come with fur-nesand nressywax.
The Aurelle LED candlessell individually
for about $15 or in a variery of.conrbination
tM
kits that cost as much as $2tio.
F O RM O R EI N F O :
Eeurelle
IEDcsndres
workshop!'
Enter for your chance to WIN this POWERMATIC
Rockler Woodworking and Hardware is now your best
source for Powermatic power tools. Enter for your
chance to win one of 4 Powermatic workshops!
Enter daily online at
www.rbckler.com/powermatic
or visit
Hardware store near you.
. R""t l"rVb"d*""L1r,C
"ni
To call the store nearest you, dial l-877-ROCKLER
R|*gss"L"^**,"
Creale with Confidence
c6de 722
Product Information Number 214
rvrsoF srYLE
I er-rnne
KNEEBRACE
, , \ u i , l t l r ' , r , , . . r ' l r . r r r gt -i rr rr gollr r ' l r r,.i . ' l l i r .l t o r l c r i , L r r l t
i r r t l r . 'A r t r \ ( r ' . i t i .. t r t , l l r t t r g . i l r i .t ( i l , r . ( ) f ' t ' r l r r . r l
i t t t l . . t l t ' t . i l t r ' . 'l s t i l .
it1 tl( ltlr(' t]l.lf \1lr\P()rt\ tltts rr l,l.'
, , , , . ' r ' i t . u r r I :I l t c L t t e . ' I t t ' . 1 . , ' .
l - i i ' . t ] r t i t o t t l c . t l l l t t t l l ( ' \ , t ( 1 1 ) l ' l fl . l r , - ' \lr) l , l ! ! ' \ . l l i '
\ ! t ' l l l i l . i \ \ i ( l r ' ' , . r 1l ! l \
ol 'tr lr':.\\)llli' :ll!' !'i.riil ,rlltl
l l t i l i t . u r , u l . r r 1 ; t l , ' , r i l t . ' r r . t t r ' . ' l r . r , , t t t t l lt ' r r l l ' t ' l l r s l r e t l .
'l
h i r k r r r ' t l , r ' . r , . . ' i l r i i t: t l ' . i l L . : t .
l L . ' l l .r i i l t 1 l , ' i . , l t t l . i t . ' . t , 1 . . 1l . t l l i l t
iiiq,rttir
rritll 'trLr'L,rrlii,ll
.lt tllr' r)lliul' rllr1. \il
.il'r'lttrl . tir::rtlr'lttl)c1 \l).lil\ l)!'t\\ar'll titr' ir'q\.
. r . 1 . l i l i l , i l ! ) i ( ) l r t \ l t l . l l ) t { i { g l ' r ' . l tr i c i t l ( ) l \ l f r ' l l q t i l 1 i )
l i . ' . 1 . t l r , r ' , ' ( ) \ ' r ' jl r . l i I g \ \ t . t l l i l i t l j , ' l l . t i i l l l f
96
WORKBENCH
FEBRUARY2OOT
.illrj fr()l:r1

Untitled - Wood Tools

Transcription

Similar documents

NEW DRUG - “CANDY WEED” JUNE 2012

Community Newspapers

Installation Instructions PVC Window

Pages 31-35 - Springfield

curio cabinet

1:L.

9th September 2014 - of Planning Commission

Gun Safe-Curio Cabinet - Creative Building Resources

Keys, Ancel

bis tristar - LUCKINSlive