THE OnIGINAL Honag WoopwoRKING RIrIp IIT

THE OnIGINALHonagWoopwoRKING RIrIpIIT,IpRoVEMENT
MAGAZINE
ilililillilJililruilil
ililIfi
www.workbenchmag,com
MarlApr1999
www.wolkbenchmag.com
March/April1999
No252
HOMEWRIGHT
36
Deck
A Showcase
Itarning how we buih this impressiue
to
muhi-leueldeckwill giueyou the confdence
yourown.
designand construct
WOODWORKING
RoutedAddressSrg'|- 6t
52
Planter
A Versatile
Deck- 36
A Sfiowcase
ourplanteris
beingeasyon theeyes,
Besides
sturdilybuilt- we usedthemto suppolt
on our deckproject- and big
sittingbenches
enoughto holda largeplantingor a
of flowers.
wheelbarrow-load
WEEKEND
I
Planter' 52
AVersatile
--: -z,Il :
61
Sign
Address
Routed
a distinctiuenumber sign
Your home deserues
madewith a craJtsman\touch.
StyftblrtandscapeWall- 64
LANDSCAPING
64
Wall
StylishLandscape
Lightermateriakand routeddetailsgiue this
structurea creatiue
landscape
Jlair that\ lackingin
run-of-the-millheauytimberwalls.
WORKSHOP
69
Saw
A Gircular
Using
Gettingtopnotchresultswith a portable
aJewjigs
sawisn't mysterious.With
circular
cuts
and somehandlingtips,you'll get accurate
theproswill envy.
Saw- 69
UsinSACircular
wORKBENCH
!
MARCH
I
APRIL
1999
March/April1999
No252
www.workbenchmag.com
QUESTIONS
ANSWERS
&
8
&
TIPS
TECHNIQUES
22
NEWS
&
EVENTS
28
MATERIALS
49
0ptions
Decking
to toppingof yourdeck,there's
Whenit coffies
to choosefrom.
of materials
an abundance
IN-DEPTH
Belt- 56
loolboxOnYour
REVIEW
56
Toolbox
0n YourBelt
all therage.So which
Multi-toolsarebecoming
oneshouldyou buy?Here'swhatwefound
andoptions.
whilehandlingtheuaiousmodels
49
Decking,Options-
& SHOP
TOOLS
GEAR
72
HOME
& YARD
P RO D U C T S
76
ANSHIP
Crafbmanship- 80
woRKBENCH
!
MARCH
I
APRIL
1999
55
voruME
LETTER
EDITORChristopherA.Inman
ASISOGIAIE
EDI0RS William LaHay
Kerry Gibson
ASSISTAI{IEDlfOR David E. Stone
ARf DIREGIOR
RobertL. Foss
SR.IIUSXRATI)RErich Lage
ILLUSIRAIOR
SusanR. Jessen
DESIGI{ER
PaulF Stisers
SR.GRAPHIC
FROM THE EDITOR
lmprcvemenb
Magazine
nyone who has ever dreamed up an idea and followed through
on it knows how devfishly dificult perGction can be. No matter
how much you love the outcome, in time flaws are revealed an impatient moment comes back to haunt you, you find things
you could have done better, and a few you wish you could do over.
Much like a woodworking
or home improvement prqect, creating a
magazine oflers plenry of room for criticism. After every issue we take a hard
look at Workbenchto see where it needs a nudge or a tuck toward becoming
the best magazine possible. Plus, we regularly hear constructlve comments
from some of you. It's a never-ending process, though I believe it's a healthy
CREAilVEDIREGIORTed Kralicek
CrayolaEngland
SENIOR
PHOT(rcRAPHER
PIIOIIIGRAPHER
RoderickA. Kennedy
G0ORDII{AIORKent Welsh
PROJEGT
SH0PMAI{AGER
SteveCurtrs
SHOPCRAFISilAilSteveJohnson
Ken Munkel
PROIEGIDEVELOPER
SEltllORPROIECfDHiIGNERKevin Boyle
DouglasM. Lidster
ELEG.
PUB.DIRECIOR
Troy Clark
PRE-PRESS
IMAGESPEGS.
MinnietteBieghler
DonaldB. Peschke
PRESIDEI{T
& PUBLISHER
ADVERTISII{G
SATESMAI{AGERS
Mary K. Day (515)282-7000ext.2200
ext.2201
GeorgeA. Clark (515)282-7000
MANAGER
MARXEnilGCOMMUl{rcANOilS
ext.2135
TaraMeier (515)282-7000
PUBTISHII{G
GONSULTA}II
PeterH. Miller (202\362-9367
FORHEIP WMI YOURSUBIiCRIMO]I
COI{IAGT:
WORKBENCH
CustomerService
P.O.Box 842
Des Moines,IA 50304-9961
Phone:(800)311-3991
Fax:(515)283-0447
one. By staying a little bit dissatisfied, improvements have a better chance of
finding their way into the light.
you open your magazine
And that brings us to this issueof Workbench.If
you'll seea new look that's classic,easyto follow, easyon the eyes,and more
TO ORDERWORI(BENCHPROJEGTSUPPLIES:
Call 1-800-311-3994
IO SEND A IETIER BY E-MAIL:
[email protected]
reader-friendly.One guy on the staffsaid"Itt like looking at a clean,pressed
filled with woodworkwhite dressshirt." We're still the sameold Workbench
ing and home improvement projects, material and tool information, and
skill-building technique articles.And now I hope theseIatestimprovements
make the time we spend together even better.
NUMBER
2
ABOUT
INFORMANON
FORMORE
WoODWoRKING,
HoME|MPRoVEME]{T,
VISITTHE
Al{DOOOKI]iIG,
GARDEI{ING
WEBSITE:
AUGUST
HOME
http :/ /www. augusthome.com
Audit Bureau
of Circulations
Chris Inman,Editor
Visit our new On-Line Customer Service Genter:
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WORKBENCH
(fan., Man, May,July, Sept., Nou) by Augu* Home Publishing
Company, 2200 Crend Ave., Des Moines, Iowa, 50312.
W*beilth is ^ regrstered trademark of Augusr Home Publ.ishing.
Copyright@1999 August Home Publishing Company.
All righr rererved.
Subscription rates: Single copy, $3.99. One lear subscription
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rl:lreadr,
Posmaster: Send addresschangesto
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Printed in U.S.A
woRKBENCH
tr MARCH
I APRTL 1999
-t
Questions&Answers
AdequateDrainageHelpsGureFloodingWindowWells
u,indow wells on my lnttte
fin'r,
I
I partiallyfll with waterduring
!|(nrn
y rains,allotuingLt)atert()
M), lnntc s'ts
leak into my basenrent.
sonrcwlrathiglrcrthan tlrc surrounding
homes,so drainageshouldn'tbe a problem. I'ue euentried tuindow u,ell couers.
Any sugrystious?
Ron Klcckrrtr
Itasca,IL
Begin by making sureyour
f,
gtttt.tt and downspoutsare
f|
I Iclear ofdebris and carrying
water well away from your foundation. Also, make sure the ground
slopes away fror.n the house. If the
problem persists,you'li need to do
some digging - literal1y.
Fillwithgravelto
6" belowwlndow
,/
/.t
gravel----- --t{
Goarse
18" - 24" deep
.
r.,/1
t.
Window wells should be
installed so that any water that
collects can drain away long before
it reachesthe level of the window
For a rypical installation, dig deep
enough to allow 18" to 24" of
coarse gravel to be placed in the
-/
t"'
Tlleconnected
to footlngdraln.
bottom of the well.You want the
top ofthe gravel roughly 6" below
the level of the window siii.This
in effect createsa dry well that
holds a fair amount of water
below window level until it can
Whether you have metal,
masonry,or pressure-trcatedwood
fornring the well opening, tl.resoil
around the outside of the well
needs to be tamped to help prevent
inco
suface wrter frorrrirrfiltr:rtirrg
solve the problern, you may need to
install a plastic drain tiie in the bottom of the well that carries water
downward to tl-refour-rdation drain.
The top of tl.re vertical drain tile
should have a srrted cap and be
soak away into the soil.
the well. If these measuresdont
covered rvith 6"-12" ofgravel.
jf ""1T:T::",'iI)'u,1.,,1):
UGUSTHOVTE:::'';:::
$HAREYOtlROUE$TIO
pu-errsgtrc
lf you havea questionabout woodrvorkingor home improvement,write lt
down and mail it to WORKBENCH Q&4, 2200
GrandAve.,Des Moines,IA 50312.Please
and daytime
include'your name,address
phone number in casewe haveany questions for you.You can alsoreachus via Fax
at
at (515)283-2003or by E-mail message
corn. If we
workbench@workbenchmag.
publishyour question,we'll sendyou
one ofour handsomeand
',,'.
fashionable
Workbench
caps.
Planning and Finance: 1ot Macerthy'
covw
Hutchinson . Seztoz
Conttoller: l\obin
.
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Stcplrcn Johnson . New Media Manager: (lordorr C;aiPPe ' Web Site Art
Administrator:
E-Commerce Anorysl. Crrol I'elzDirector: ()rnt l)edcrscn . Web Site Editor: Holly Kilborrr
schocpplcr . Benefits Manager: Kirsten Koele ' Slecial Projects D/recfor. Srvillc Innran '
.
Building
Julia F\\h Receftionists: Jeanne Johnson, Sheryl l\ibber
Ner
Subscriber Seroices Director: Srnclv B.runf
Ken Griffith circulation:
Business Director: Glenda K. ljrtclcs . Nea Business Manager: Trxld llierle ' Promotion
Manager: I{ick Junknrs . Renewal Manager: Prige l{ogcrs ' Billing Manager: I\ebecca
(lunninghrnr
Assistant Subscrittion Manager J,\
Marheting Analyst: Krts Schlenrnrer
Knrse . Senior Graphic Designer: Chcryl Snnpson Booksr Erecutioe Edilol. 1)ouglas L. Hicks
. Art Director: Sreve LreLlcr . Senior Grafhic Designer: C'ft\: (;lo\.rcki ' ,4ss6/42, Edito6: Joe
Administratiue,4ss/staztj
Maintenance:
Custoner
Gtotpr
Operations Directot: ll<L [l:rke.
Irrvin . Craig Iluegsegger Products
'
'
.
lerrnie Enos Warehouse Suferoisor: N,ur.v Johnn)D Bzyer. Linda Jones
Technical Seroice Representatiae: Mrit Tirl{onlle ' Customer Seruice RePresentatioes: Arlnx
Seruice Manager:
Sylvir Carey'
Cox,TrnrnrvTruckcnbrod. Nrncy Downcl,Aclanr Best,t)oborrh l\i.h'Warehouse:
f)an Spiclle \Woodsmith
Stotez Manager: l)avc Larscrr Assistant Managez. t'aul Schneider'
Sales Staff, I'rt Lorvry,Wendel) Stonc,Jim Barnctt, Kadry Srrrirh, Harold Ciashnran,Larry Morrison
. Office Maaager:vicki
8
Edrvrrcls
woRKIIENCH
!
MARCH
I APRrL
1.999
TableSawShouldAnchorNewWoodShopPurchases
I want to get more involued in
woodworkingand have set
asideabout ff3,000 to outft
on whichstamy shop.Any suggestions
tionarytoolsI shouldgetfirstandhow
muchI shouldspendon eachone?
Tbny Rigs
Fremont,
CA
|||
First, I have to tell you there
are a bunch of us here who
enlT your position.What
you buy depends somewhat on
what you want to build, but given
a $3,000 cap. I'd invest first in a
good contractor's saw with an
accurate fence thatt easy to adjust
(roughly$600-$800).
Next, I d buy a heaq'-d:uty 1/2"
collet router (2-3 hp) and build or
buy a tableto mount it under
($200-$300for the router,another
$100 for the table).Don't skimp
when you purchasebits or saw
blades- get good quality carbidetipped cutters and keep them sharp
($300for starters).
From there,I d probablybuy a
drill press(around$200 for a
benchtopmodel),and a 6" long-bed
jointer (about$400).A 14" bandsaw
($500and up), and a 12" benchtop
thicknessplaner($350-$400)would
round out the tools.If I still had
$250 left, I d get a good woodworking bench top (I d add my own
base)with a coupleof vises,or a
smallportable dust collector.
ll'lkes
ooth,youwon't
it down!
onearethe smoothest
feature
Buck
ever!Thev
thehottest
new
handles-in
for 1999!Andas always,
are madeof Buck's
steel.
twice?
lightning
never
strikes
HTAcomesin two sizes,
tofit yourneeds!
PaintStopsGhecks
cut logs
AJtergatheringfreshly
what
carving
and
sculpting,
;for
canbc usedto preuentsplitting?
I-arryMoore
Raleigh,NC
Logs and cut lumber check
becausethey dry out too
quickly.Most of the moisture leaves the way it came in through the end grain. Painting the
ends of a log with leftover latex
paint slows the drying time.
Callfora Buckcatalog
(800)215-2825
orvisitourwebsiteat:
www,
buckknives.com
Sealend glraln
with latex paint.
'Woodturners
sometimes turn a
piece to rough shape,then soak it
in polyethylene glycol (PEG), a
waxy substance that also slows
down moisture loss.
Number173
Productlnformation
Homeownens
for Siding
Gompensates
Settlement
The hardboardsiding on our
jO-year-old houseis aacking
and peeling.I understandthere
are lawsuitspending againstsomecompanies that producedthis siding.Could you
tell me moreabout this?
particular siding product. The settlement applies only to Masonite
Hardboard Siding installed becween
January1,1980 andJanuary15,1998
- so the hardboard siding on your
home won't qualify.
Darlene Zuccaro
To find out more about this partic-
NY
Cheektowaga,
ular settlement or receive a notice of
the setdement and a claim form
request postcard, call.-\-800-330-27 22
or visit the oficial setdement web
site at www.masoniteclaims.com.
Similar suits also have been filed
against'Weyerhaueserand LouisianaPacific, but they too, involve siding
installedin the mid-to-late 19801.
ln 1994,a group of homeowners in Alabama brought a
suit against Masonite
Corporation. The plaintifii claimed
the Masonite Hardboard Siding
installed on their homes failed to
meet stated product warranties and
led to other damage.
In November of 1995,the suit was
certified as a classaction to include
all persons owning property on
which Masonite Hardboard Siding
was installed.After a jury found the
product "defective" according to legal
definitions in severalstates,the gvvo
sidesreached a setdement agreement
in which Masonite Corporation
agreed to compensate property owners for damaee associatedwith this
9" BladeNeeded
I'm hauingtroublefinding9"dia. bladesJor
my benchtop
tablesaw.Is it okayto usea
flgtDnDenl
Ihrfiarufirr.
vl
Reutah
Ir
Nothingcomparesto the
warm,rich look of wood
furniturethat only comes
with age.But often,it's
ThomasOleksiak
Strongsuille,OH
Never install a blade larger
than the diameter for which
the saw was designed.The
saw simply doesnt have the necessary clearancefor the larger blade.
The 71/2"blade will work fine, but
you'll lose cutting capaciry.
If you can't find 9"-dia. blades
locally,you may want to try mail
order.A quick check of some commonly availablecatalogsshowed
that Sears(1-800-377-7 4t4),
Tool Crib of the North (1-800358-3096),andTrendlines(1-800767-9999) all carry a small
assortmentof 9tt blades.
hiddenby a dark,worn finish
Touncover
that naturalbeauty,relyon
qualityrefinishing
products.
Formby's'
Fromfoolprooffinishremovers
to
protective
tungoil, our time-honored
formulashaveallyou
need for an exquisite
hand-rubbedlook.
Trust Formby's,
becauserestoringwood
is a beautifultradition.
Untonrhod'r
ilotulnlftm"
@Formby'sis a registeredtrademark. @Formby's1998
Productlnformation
Number189
RealWoodRetrofitfor FauxGeilingBeams
Otrr-fnmily rttornIns -forn'-fttarn
bc,tms- tncantt() look likc
- rurtrtittgncross
tlrc ccilr.uttttd
ing.I'd likc to replacctlu:m witlt lnrdwttttd bttx bcants,but tlrcrc'sr:lutric hcnt
itt tltc ccilingand I don't uartt to risk
dama.qingtlrc lrcat mblcsto attachtlr
I mn rrsc?
bcnms.Is thcrcarr adlrcsiuc
Ron Bornlnrt
Fort Wayrrc,IN
The standardway to create
decorativebeanrsis to attach
a w . r o . i n : r i l c lt o t l r e c c i l i r r q
and then fasten:t box beanr to the
nailer.In your case,constructron
lclhcsive will hold the nailer to tl.re
cei'lingas lor-rsas you also support
it at both enclswitl'r clelts f:rstened
to studs in tl're wrlls.
F o r e r c l r b c r r t t .s t r r f b y c t r t r i l r g
I 2x(r ceilinq nailer to length :lnd
festenr sl-rortclcat to each cncl.
Fastencleat
to wall.
Bracenaileragainst
ceilinguntilconstruction
adhesive
dries.
Protectiveplyuood
pads
Apply constructiorr rdl'resivetir
thc' nailer, r:riseit ir-rtoposition :rnd
rvedse bracesrrndcr it to hold it
tight to the ceilir.rguntil the adhesivc sets.Once itls blaccd in place,
f:astenthc clerts to the wall at each
end.When the adhesivesets,relnove
the bracesand fasten tlre box belnr
to the nailer :rnd wall cleatswith
finish nrils or trinrhcad screws.
I
\
WaterPipes
QuickSolutionfor Hammering
Euerytime my washing
goesthrougha rinse
machine
cycle,the waterpipesbangand
rattleas the washer\valuesopenand
close.Is thereanythingI cando to stop
thispounding?
TbmSmith
Minneapolis,
MN
by Oatey (1-216-267-7100),are
installedin the water supplyline.
'When
the valvecloses,the air
spacein the sealedchamberabsorbs Air chamber
the shock.
You may also want to make sure
the pipesare firmly supportedwith
hangersand/or strapsto further
preventmovementand vibration.
The situationyou describeis
commonly referredto as
hammering.It occurswhen
Water
surge
a valve, such as the one in your
washer or a dishwasher,closes
quickly.The valve slams shut, and
the shock of interrupting the flow
of water through the pipe causes
the pipes to vibrate.
Fortunately, you can dampen
the vibration similar to the way
shock absorberson your car reduce
the jolts from bumps in the road.
These devices,such as Quiet Pipes
Water
supplyllne
Supply
llne
to washer
Paul St. Germain
Atid uoodworker since 1968.
i
h,
Ventilationis the Keyto GedarShingleLongevity
My tulfeand I areplanning to build a nuu lrurse artd side it tuith cedarshingles.Wut slrculdI put betuteenthe
that
Also should tlrc shinglesbe back-primed?I'rn concerned
or lrcauy_fclt?
shakesand the sheatl.ting- lrcuseturap
ntoisturecouldpenetratethe shingles.fromthe batk side if they arert'tback-prinrcd
Perry Werner
FergusFalls,MN
Wall sheathlng
Shingles need to be able to dry out berween rains.That's
*hy
traditional roof sheathing under shakeswas laid down
lI
gaps that allow for ventilation. However, plywood
Flwith
sheathingand housewrap don't allow anv breathing rootn, and
problen'rswith cupping and vapor penetration of the housewrap can
occur, resulting in damage to sheathing,insulation, and framing.
Becauseof this, shingle nranufacturerswe spoke with suggested
using buiider's felt over the sheathing.For added protection you
r.night want to consider using Cedar Bre:rther (Benjanrin Obdyke,
I
Inc., 1-800-3,16-7655),a thin nylon roll mesh that is tacked down
over builder's felt and sheathing.When yoLl nail the shinglesdown
over the mesh, the sn.railair spacesbehind the shinglesallow the
wood to breathe - nroisture vapor isn't trapped.
Whether you leave the wood natural or stxin it, you can
extend shir-rglelife by dipping thenr in a clear oil finish or the
stain of your choice (a rolier works too), coating both sidesprior
to installatiorr.Pressure-treatedshingles are another option.
COMPANY
ST,T{ROOM
AMERICASLARGEST
ND
SUXNOOMS
Gontro[ok.
i
Easy
MeaanringlMade
to U* andRead.
,rlrlrlrlrlrlrl
,llr,
,,r?,
featutes
lnnovative
offercontroland
easeof-handling.
Nosnapbacks!
is released.
whenthumb-pressure
lgtaOe auto-locks
(common
designs).
position
in bottomlever
retraction
eliminates
accidental
lToilever
designfeaturesrubbertopgripforcomfortand
ergonomic
lCompact sizeandcontoured
eaqe-nf-hendl ino
yellowcasewithheavy-duty
t" x 25' bladeandtripleriveted
lRugged, highvisibility
breakage.
bladeprotector
to eliminate
Tough-Tip'
reading.
printedonthe bladeforfast,convenient
with1/e"fractions
OAlsoavailable
(Catalog
in a
is available
#AR1-25F)
Rapid-Read''
yellow
casewitha 1"x 25' blade.
highvisibility
Bauid-fread*
F
Pre SeasonSorine Sale'
l'actory SavingsUp To 35%'tuid \fore. LirnitcdTime offer!
vour honle wilh a iirll scAle
Enclose vour Datio of cleck orcxDrnd
insulxted
SiNons(nn)isfullv
sLilririnidclirr;h.Lrcithcrcrsc.rF()uf
wondergl$srvrtp.iccsourconlpclitorichrrgefor
$ilhexclusivcMc
srilglegrezulS
Prlcc!'"
Los
Scpcrlor
Qrtlttl...UncxFccrcd
Sitiffiet
lnnovation with value - nobody else measures up!
Visit Stanett on the web
at www.Isstarrett.com
121 CrescentStreet,Athol,l\4A01331
TheL.S.StarrettCompany,
Tel:1-80G541-8887o FAX:igTA\249-8495
'L Ncd
ser!NL{.trtrr
llncoicr(ltrllIitr0trrtlrkIrrxlhrnil\c.tre{liff
xhtrtsc,{l
! lr3liilkrnD\solrl!fl
^utiLtbh
PLlr| cil
I xx) ri 1) t -9
Ltlu.hLn
liryil.'i4
Lrd.t
Number
188
Information
Product
Number181
Product
lnformation
Foundation
to DressUpGoncrete
UseFauxBrickVeneer
Thc orttcr-ftttutddtiotrof our
houst',-frtwt
,qrorntdlcvcl to sid'
ir4q,is cottrrctclilock.ls tln'rc a
productI tat apply,tfia1
bri& _lacirtg
up
to tlrc u,cdtlrcr?
will stdnd
Dauc Mo:.qald
Thll Tinftcrs,MD
foundation
I reconrnrend you excavate a
i\
fbot or so below grouncl level
ancl apply a thin brick veneer
or faux stonc to thc foundrtion.This
involvc'susitrg thiusct trlort:rr with a
latcx idhcsivc' aclditiveto arttrchthc
brick vecncr to thc for,rndatiort.
Make sure the siding extencls
beyond the outer face of the brick
veneer lnd use the approPri:rte
flashing to prevent wlter front
pooling on top of the brick or
finding its wry behind the siding.
Conrplnies such as Cultttrcd
Dlgdovm
about12",Brlck veneer
S t o n e C o r p . ( 1 - 8 0 0 - 2 5 5 - 1 7 2 7 )m d
Eldorado Stone Corp. (1-800-9251491) offer faux brick and stone
that are suitable for this tyPc of
application.For added protection,
apply a coat of nrasonry sealer
p r o d u c t s .i r r c l u d i n gc o r n e r s c c t i o n s . before you backllll.
Cabinet shop ownersacrossthe U.S.call Woodmasterrs
26" and 38tt drum sanders "the best kept secret in
woodworking." These commercial-duty sandersfill the
niche betweenslow hand methods and expensivewide
belt sanders. And there's no sacrifice in quality. But
call today for free
don't take our word for it .
information and the names of Woodmaster owners
nearestyou. This way,you can find out first-hand how a
Woodmastersander might be just the machine yourve
been looking for.
l'800-821-6651 ext. RA71
Ave.Dept.RA71
WoodmasterTools' Inc. 1431N.Topping
64120
Missouri
Kansas
CitY,
www.woodmastedools.com
Number172
ProductInformation
SoilPipe
OffsetFlangeSavesHavingto Relocate
I'm planning to remodelmy
bathroomand uant to put Ltp
wall tile. But l'nt afraid there
w<tn'tbe enottghroonthctweenthe soil
stackand the uall. Is tlrereany solution that doesu'trcEire eithermouing
thc pipc or buyir4qd new tLtilct?
Offsetflangeallows
flexlbllltyIn tollet
DaueJones
LosAngeles,CA
You can go ahead with your
remodeling plans, thanks to
ofhet closet flanges that
allow up to 2" offsets without relocating the soil pipe.This type of
flange will require yolr to shift the
toilet slightly frorn its existirrgposition to gain the necessarydistance
between the wall and toilet tank.
If you're replacing the flooring,
you nlay want to cLlt orlt a sectloll
of the subfloor around the toilet.
Presenting the ALI-T E RRAIN' "
This gives you accessto cut the old
flange off the soil pipe and position
the new flange exactly where you
need it.Then patch in the floor,
attach the closet
flange, and reset the toilet using a
new wax ring and caulk on the
bottom edge.
Since1931
Qual andUalue
DR@FIELD and
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I
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Name
E
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Showroom/Warehouse Locations:
ZipCiry-State
Brumall, PA l6t0t 5447t0O I Houon. TX (7t3\7894(AB !
Mail to: The Iron Shop, Dept. WB99, Box 547,
(909)605-1000 | Chiego,lL
Onmio.CA
$47\952-9010 I
&mta, FL (941\923-1479 | Sanfoid, CT (2$)n5-84{c5
stale -
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city -
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Number186
lnformation
Product
Tips &Techniques
MiniBlindSlatsLetDrawers
SlideSmoothly
I recently completed a router
workstation with four flush-fitting
drrwers.To protect the project
fronr moisture, I painted it inside
and out, but openirrg the drawers
now nreant dragging one painted
suface over another. Looking
around the garage,I spotted a discarded set of plastic mini blinds
a n d r e a l i z e dI h a d l s o l r r t i o r r .
Taking r cor-rpleof slats,I cut
then'r to length with a utiliry knife,
but found that the arched sufaces
of the slatswouldn't lie flat. I
sr-r-roothed
them out using a clothes
iron set on low heat. Once the slats
were flat, I glued ther.r.rin place
uslng contact cenrent.
The drawersnow slide snroothly, and if the slrts g5etworn, I've still
got plenty of replacenrents.
Kcitlr Ros.s
Estcy\ tsridgc,Nuu Bnrnsu,ick
Grocery
SacksSavePaintTrayGleanup SHARE
YOURTIPS,
As far as I'nr concerned,the worst
p l r t r b o u r p : r i n r i n gi s c l e t n i n q u p ,
especially the nrultiple layers that
build up on a roller tray.Always on
the lookout for ways to slve trrrre,
I found a cheap way to cut the
cleanup from severalminutes to
just a few seconds.
Beforc st:rrting.I slip the trry
inside a plastic erocery sack, wrapping the handlesaround thc ladder
hooks. I also turn the bag inside
out so the printing ink won't affect
the paint. Pouring paint into the
tray r-nakesthe sack conform to the
t r a y i s h a p e . W h e nl ' n r d o n e p a i n r ing, I let the remaining paint dry,
tunr the bag right-side out .rg:rinto
contain the dried paint, and throw
it away in the trash.
Bradley Ti:tlou'
Ada, MI
IIGS,ANDIDEAS
Doyouhave
a unique
wayofdoingsomething?
your
Justwritedown
tipandmailit to
Work0enc[
Tips& Techniques,
DesMoines.
lA50312.
2200GnndAve..
yourname,
Please
include
address,
and
phone
daytime
number,
lf youprefer,
email
usatwo*[email protected],
youa
We'llpayyou$50-5150
andsend
yourtip.
Workhench
capif wepublish
Inaddition,
TheStanley
Works
is
Tips& Techniques,
andwillsend
sponsoring
anaward
forthetipineachissue
thatbest
describes
thecreative
use,care0r
application
oftools,
M A K ES O M E T H I NGGR E A T "
22
woR.KllENcrH
!
MAt{cH
Apl|tL
1999
Iip 0f TheMonth
Sponsored
ByTheStanley
Works
FindOutlf YourLevelis Reallyonthe Level
When you buy a level, yolr expect
it to be set accnrately,but what
about one that'sbeen dropped? I
recerrtlyrrroved.rnd wls sctting up
nry shop ir-rthe basement,where
Alignendwithmark.
Turnlevel
end-for-end.
tl're floor slopes slightly toward a
drain. I was trying to level my
r,vorkbench and thought I had it
evened out, but when a drill bit
rolled off tl.re top, I knew sorne-
Readingshould
remainlevel.
Shimuntil level.
thing was wrong. Then I renrenrbered dropping the level on the
concrete floor when I was packine
up r-r-rytools for the nove.
Since it has adjustablevials,I
r"rsedthis trick to readjust nry level
opposite end until the bribble eave
a level reading.Then I turned the
lcvel errd-for-cnd.fitting one errd
to tl-reline and restinq the other
o n t h c s h i r r r sI.I t h c l e v e l i s r d j u s t ed correctly, the bubble should
give the saurereading.
to its level best. (Yor-rcan also use
this tecl'rniqueto cl-recka new olte
before you buy it.)
I :rlisned one end of the level
In recognitionof his tip,
Woildo,rrcl,reader Terry Goffey
wins thesetools from fhe Stanley
Works.Sendus your tip and you
Itrry Q1tff1'y
Ncrrr (-'a-stft',1N
aglinst arline, then slrinlled the
Adhesive
Bandage
HelpsHeal"Bruised"Furniture
Yc-lrsof lestoring antique furnitur-e
hls r-eqr"rilc'd
nre to coltle up with
sonre creative fixes. I :rlwaystry to
repair the origir.rallvood, especially
wher-rthe area to be repaired is visi_
ble. I've used a clothes iron in the
past to steanrout dc.ltts,but rt was ir
hrsslcrrrd rrry wi[e didn't rpprcci.rrc
nre taking her iron to the sl-rop.
ar-rdslows the evaporation so the
water will raise the grain of the
I needed to firrd another way to
I-ise the qr':tin.:urd
thc solutrorrwasrs
nearby as nry shop first-aid kit.
I add a tew drops of water to
the pad ofan adhesivebandage,
then phce the bandage over the
Orr deep dents, I may have to
reapply water a couple of tir-r-res,
but it beats filling and sandir.rg.I've
also used the techniqr.reon new
projects that have accidently gotten
r r r i n o rd i n g sd r r r i n g c o r r s t r u c t i o r r .
daurasedarea.The pad concentrates the nroisture over the dent
danraged wood.
Bob Andes
Plyn1s1111t,
P11
ShoeShinePadKeepsRustAway
I've tried waxir.rgthe cast ircn top
of nry table saw to keep mst at bay
and nrake it smooth so boards slide
past the blade,but over time srock
The pads,which sell for about g2
at discount stores,are treated with
silicor-reand create a slick suface
on the saw top.They don't ie'ave
wears the wax offand the rust starts
to reapPear.
To keep llry saw rust-free, I
started wiping it down after each
sessionin the shop with one of
thosc forrrr shoc polishing pads.
enough silicone behind, however,
to won'y lbout corrtlruin.rrinq
workpieces and causing problems
when itt tinte to firrish the piece.
WC)I{KBENCH
tr MAI\CH
APITIL
Michael Ritthetti
Northport,NY
1999
Foamshoepolishlngpad
23
HaveNailGunandAir TanknWill Travel GroutBagEases
Gorners
Mudding
My new finish nailer has really
spoiled me - I hate to install trim
the old-fashioned way with hammer and nails.Yet it seemed silly to
Mudding drywall joints on a
stretch of flat wall is fairly easy,but
I always had a tough time when it
came to doing inside corners. It
usually looked like I had more
mud fall off the knife onto the
floor than there was on the inter-
drag my air compressor through
the house to install a few pieces of
new trim around a second floor
doorway. Then I figured out a way
to have my cake and eat it too.
I bought a small portable air tank
- the kind you use to inflate car
tires - that came with a pressure
gauge and will safely hold air up to
125 psi. I outfitted the tank with a
1/4"quick change coupler and selG
coiling air hose.Fully charged.it
gives me about 50 shots, more than
enough for smalljobs.And weighing
in atjust 20 lbs., it beatshauling
around a heavy compressor.
Michael Rkchetti
NorthPort, NY
secting walls.
It wasnt until I saw a tiling
demonstration at my home center
that I realized my corner problems
were over. I purchased a grout bag
and used it to run a bead ofjoint
compound down each side of the
corner joint.Then I simply use my
taping knife to smooth out the mud.
It takes a fraction of the time and a
bucket of mud goes further too.
R. Johnson
Seattle,WA
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94520
Number182
ProductInformation
and Screws
o [SOO) 477.TURN
Neat
PlasticGutterTraysKeepDrawers
Small items have a way of getting
lost in the clutter of my workbench drawers.To keep my files,
screwdrivers, and miscellaneous
small parts organized, I used a hand
saw to cut a few pieces ofplastic
raln gutter to create custom trays
that fit inside the drawers.
'Wood
strips along the drawer
of the drawer.This lets me store
notepads or power tool owner's
manuals underneath and allows
me to slide the trays out of the way.
Add endcaps to the trays if you
want to be able to move them to
your bench or take them to a work
site without spilling the contents.
R.B. Himes
Vienna,OH
sides hold the trays off the bottom
Snappenclltip
off in oversized
screwhole,
Plasticgutter
PencilTipsResizeScrewHoles
Working as a carpenter for a large
school district, I have to deal with
a lot of loose screws - primarily
those found on classroom doors
and storage cabinets.
In many cases,the screw holes
are "worn out" so the threads on
the screws can no longer get a
good grip. Since wooden pencils
and pencil sharpenersare readily
available,that's what I use when I
need to make repairs.
Starting with a sharpenedpencil, I drive the point into the screw
hole, then snap it off. The tapered
point fits holes of any size.
Larry Muston, Sr.
Tbmball,TX
Yofil|tun
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Put this versatilepower-feedtool to work in your own shop.
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Product
Information
Number184
Now,just a twist of the dial adjustsyour planerfrom 70 to over
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ls.Gom
www,woodmasteilo0
News & Events
Buildings
Exhibition
ShedsLighton Ellislsland'sAbandoned
With great fanfare, the National
Immigration Museum opened in
1990 in Ellis Islandt restoredMain
Imnrigration Building. Aft er serving
as port of entry for over 12 million
immigrants fronr 1U92 to 1954, Ellis
Island had been named a national
monunlent, but fell into disrepair
due to lack offunds, neglect,and
controversy over the island's ownership and planned redevelopurent.
Now over 2 r-nillion visitors tour the
building and its grounds annually.
What most visitors don't realize is
that on the islandissouth side,sor.ne
rwo dozen medical and administrative buildings lie in ruins, essentially
untouched for close to 50 years.
Conditions are so grave that the
area was named one of"America's
ll Most EndanseredHistoric
Places" by the National Trust for
Historic Preservationin 1997.
Built between 1900 and 7937 on
landfills that expanded the island's
size,many of the buildings became
ten)porrry horrres for inrmigrants
needing r-nedicalattention before
hospital buildings, to infectious diseasewards built in the Arts and
Crafts style. More visible still are the
resultsof decadesof neglect.Vines
overgrow walls, trees poke through
roo{i, and missing paint and windows invite decay of exposed wood.
entering the country.
Now you can see Ellis Island's
decay through Forgotten Cateway:
The Abandoned Buildings o;fEllis
Island. Running through May 2 at
the National Building Museum in
In 1998 Congress voted to appropriate $2-3 million toward abating
the decay.Restoring it all could take
$200 million. Organizers hope the
exhibition will enlighten viewers on
Washington, D.C., this exhibition
features haunting images by photographer Larry Racioppo. They
detail the dire condition of this
piece ofAmerican history.
The photos show the variery of
building styles on Ellis Island, from
the French Renaissance-insoired
the island's plight, and further efforts
to restore these forgotten buildings.
Call the National Building Museum
at (202)272-2448 or peek at the
exhibit on-line at www.nbm.ors.
(heryrowthobscurcsHlis lsland'sMeaslesWardandhospitalgounds labovel.
A pharmacist's
cabinetldgttl nowholdsonlydirt anddebris.
28
woRKBENCH
tr MARCH
I APRIL
1999
Prugram
TakesRoot
UrbanTreeHaruesting
I got discouragedrecendy when I
saw a utfity crew removing the
stump of a freshly cut white oak
tree.At nearly 5 ft. in diameter,I
figured the tree would have yielded
18"-wide quartersawnstock.
Instead,the tree was cut into short
sectionsfor burial in a local
landfill.This,I thought,was a poor
fate for a statelyoak.
Harvested
treesIn Hammond,
lt{ glet
mllledIntolumber,not sentto landfllls.
Recendy though, I heard
encouragingnews that.might spell
the end of this kind of senseless
waste.It's an urban tree recycling
program that began in central
Indiana and could take root in
other cities throughout the country.
The town of Hammond, IN
(popularion 85,000) had a problem.
Every year half a million dollars
from the city's operatingbudget
went to pay for the removal and
disposalof trees.The drain on funds
was bad enough,but the town also
faced new legislationmandacing
that yard wastequantitiesbe cut in
halfby the year2001.
The answercame when city officials teamed with Lake County,
launching ajoint venture calledthe
Trees-to-Furniture Program.The
partnershipsoon grew to include a
local couple who own and operate
a Wood-Mizer portable sawmill.
Now treesremoved from both public and private property get sawn
into lumber, some of which goesto
the city for picnic tablesand other
fxtures.The sawmill owners sell the
rest to a local pallet manufacrurer to
recovertheir operatingcosts.Small
branchesare ground into mulch for
city parks and for &ee distribution
to residenB.
So far the program has drastically
cut the volume of rree waste the
city generates,and hasprovided an
alternativeto purchasedlumber.
And theret another plus:Resident
woodworkerswho want the lumber
from their own trees may pay a fee
to have the mill brought to their
home and the lumber custom-sawn.
Now municipalities in other
statesare exploring similar
programsto handle their olvn tree
disposalproblems.For info, call
Wood-Mizer at (800)553-0182.
Enioyunlimited
opportuni$!
Beyourownboss!
BEA HOME
INSPEGTOR
Wo*Pail-Time
Hou6...
Make
AFull-Time
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consumerswant to know about a house
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YOU can be the expert they nrm to!
Theaveragehomeinspectiontakesonly
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HomeInsoectors leanHow
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actosithecountryarecharging
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tr
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n
n
89SmallEngineRepair
01Proerammins
in'BASIC
-Reoair
158Auio Bodv
Technician
148DrvwallInstaller
& Finisher
105CohputerGraphicArtist
lO4carDi:nrer
145HoineRemodeling
& Repair
Name
1-800-5
ffi, te*flTt$:
?3,"11i,,,
95-5505
http//w.tcslearncom
15HOI{E INSPECTORE
06 Electrician
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27 PCRepair
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07HishSchool
tr
n
31 Idksmith
151Plumber
E
152Mason
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7 days aweek.
ProductInformation
Number185
Age_
Management
olProperty
$chool
Dept. APKS39S
925 Oak Street,Scranton,PA 18515
Getthe LeadOut
Manufucturcrc
Plumbing
Get ready for some changesin new plumbing fixtures.The National
Sanitation Foundation (NSF) issueda standardlast summer mandating the
reduction of leachablelead in fixtures usedfor drinking water. (The new
standardallows only 11 parts per billion of lead in drinking water.)
Becausebrasscontainslead and is the alloy most cornmonly used for
faucets,it will be targetedspecificallyby this new regulation.
Already some manufacturersare experimenting with new alloys to
comply with the law. Gerber Plumbing Fixtures Corp., which issuedits
own product bulletin regardingthe new law, developeda proprietary
castingprocessit claims meetseven the stricter California statestandardof
5 ppb. Expect to seelabeling changeson new faucetsas other
manufacturerstackle the problem.
BatteryRecycling
In the January/Febraary1999 issue
we listed an incorrect
of Workbench,
phone number for Rechargeable
Battery Recycling Corp.The correct
phone numberis (800)822-8837.
Gon$ess
Garvey's
Afiliated Wood Carvers, Ltd. holds
its 1999 InternationalWood Carver's
CongressJune 24-27 in Bettendo{
IA. Evens include seminars,exhibits,
and competitions.'WriteA:W:C.,PO
Box 104,Bettendod lA, 52722.
\
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Number179
Productlnformation
gouscNo,
--lt--,Drop by HouseNet's
Online Neighborhoodfor
Tips
Homelmprovemenf
LiveChot Rooms
InleroctiveProiectColculotors
WoodworkingHinls
Visir Us Two Woys:
www.housenel.com
AOt Keyword: housenet
for a NewGentury:
Suburbs
Ae In, Gul-De-Sacs
Glusterc
Out
Of all the trends that influenced
2Oth-Century American life,
migration to the suburbs is sure to
out of the ciry to new housing
developments on the outskirts of
town. Suburbs were marked by
be one of the most remembered.
This form of residential development has, in 50 years, altered the
landscape ofour cities and rural
curved streets,cul-de-sacs,and
"green spaces."Houses often had
garages placed prominently, often
obscuring the front of the home, to
areas alike, and changed the way
we live, work, and shop. Certainly,
better serve the cars that took
suburbanites back into cities to
work and shop.
'60s, '70s,
'80s,
In the
and
suburban communiries began to change.
Rather than just clusters of houses,
suburbs were built with grocery
stores,strip malls, office parks, and
community centers. Often referred
to as"NewTowns" and "Villages,"
suburban development continues
unabated in most parts of the
United States.But today's suburbs
differ from those built 20 or even
10 years ago.These changes have
been subtle, but can be seen in the
results of a residential development
study by the National Association
of Home Builders (NAHB).
Starting after World War II,
Americans began heading for the
suburbs.A strong economy, high
Designs for the newest suburbs
reflect the changing lifestyles of
suburban residents. Business districts are centralized, much like a
town square.Around this core,
houses are built on a grid of much
straighter streets.
The scale of these "NeoTiaditional Towns" is much smaller,
with everything clustered in a few
blocks or at most a few miles of all
homes. Homes are set closer to the
street and to each other. Cars are
less necessaryin these new suburbs,
so garagesare positionec
inconspicuously, often oriented
toward mid-block alleys with no
front driveway at all.
With a new century drawing
near, it's hard to deny how similar
development in many new suburbs
is to development of cifies at the
these communities could almost
stand alone, without interaccion with
levels of automobile ownership,
and the desire for more open space
led increasing numbers of people
their adjacent ciry. Suburbanites
could now shop and work close to
home. Ironically, suburbs began to
look increasingly like the cities
suburban residents wished to escape.
start of the 20th Century. Indeed,
everything old is new again.
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ProductInformation
Number201
HOWWOOD
SHOUTD
BETREATEDI
01999 The Fl""d C".
*.flooJ"o."o-
Se Lullu
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ProductInformation
Number180
lndustry
in Denver Fumiturc
NewSearcHomeStorclDebuts
room scenes.Need an appliance?
StudiesWoodDust
The Great Indoors, a new store
from Sears,Roebuck and Co., aims
to put all the home decoratingand
remodeling products you'd ever
want under one roof. The protolype store in Denver, CO has
150,000sq.ft. ofproducts devoted
to what Searscallsthe "four main
rooms" in a house - kitchen,
bath, bedroom, and great room.
The store'sinventory boasts
some 50,000 items on displayin 60
The store has 650. How about a
faucet?You can choose from 500. If
the selection seems overwhelming,
you can use the storet in-house
design facilities, orjust kick back
and ponder your choices in the
full-service restaurant.
Sears developed the The Great
Indoors concept and store layout
based on research with female customers, who said women make the
decorating decisions and want onestop shopping in a comfortable
environment. In Denver at least, the
concept works. In fact, Sears plans
to build several more stores in
major U.S.cities
in 7999.For now,
either head for
Denver,or check
out The Great
Indoors on line at
The AssociationofWoodworking
and Furniture Suppliershas
announcedits participationin a
six-year study ofthe relationship
berlveenwood dust exposureand
noncancerousrespiratoryillness.
Many questionshavebeen raisedin
the pastfew yearsregardingthe
health effectsof wood dust.
Recently, the International Agency
for Researchon Cancer even
named wood dust as a human
cancer-causing
agent.The
Occupational SaGty and Health
Administration (OSHA) has called
for wood dust hazardlabelsaswell.
Though this study will look at
wood dust'seffectson workers in
commercial shops,it reminds us
that itt important to keep dust
under control in our own shoos
aswell.
with h€v€r.b€fore
EAsE!
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llume-
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iTo:COUNTRY
L--l{.le!9{'l-o:ry}-21y.Jq.IH-[!Y91-..1
Deck
A Sho\Mcase
Take a poll among avid do-ityourselfers and I'11bet that building
a deck ranks near the top of
everyonebwish list, or for those
who've built one already,among
their favorite projects.It's easyto
seewhy. For my money, no other
home improvement brings together
36
all the practical benefits of being a
DIY'er - cost savings,qualiry con-
trol, addedspaceor livabiliry-
with
the fun and satisfaction
involved in building with wood.
A good deck design can be easy
to build, though attention to detail
is still a must.This combination can
make it a very labor-intensive (and
costly) project ifyou hire it out to a
pro, but one simple enough so that
most homeowners don't have to.
Whatever your budget, you'll get at
least twice the mileage out of it by
providing the labor yourself. Itt
simple math. To meet your dollar
target, a contractor will likely want
to crank out a "no-frills/one sryle
fits all" deck packageand move on
to the next job. But roll up your
own shirt sleeves,and the same
money will get you a customized
project thatt bigger, better-built,
and probablylooks more like a natural extensionof your home.
My deck project might look
but that'sthe beaurypart.
elaborate,
It's reallyjust good basiccarpentry,
dressedup with some imagination
and innovative hardware.Even the
woRKBENcH
tr MARcH
I APRIL
1999
multilevel design relies on just the
repetition of a simple frame structure (Deck Construction View).
From footings to railings, almost
every Gature it offers was managed
with little more than basictools and
good old-fashionedmuscle.
Speakingof muscle,the more the
better.Any deck project goes faster
and saferwith at leastone more pair
of willing hands,so dont be afraid
to recruit a friend or relativeto help.
I lucked out with Kirk, a friend
with a fair amount of deck-building
experienceunder his belt.
tE] IHE PLANEI'OIVE
Most of you wouldn't guessit from
the current reading on your outdoor thermometer,but this is a perfect time of year to think about the
kind of deck that'sright for you and
your home (seePlanningBasies).
PlanningBasics:TheFirstSteps
1l Takemeasunements
of the site,
then makesomequick sketchesto
explorcpossibledesignoptions.
2l Galllocal utilitiesto arrangea
fiee inspec{ionfor undergrcund
lines.Planaheadto avoidelec'trical Gables,or gas and waterlines,
whenyou dig footing holes.
3l Pick your designand drarv
detailedplans.Drawup a matedals list and a prciect budget,
4l Bdngthe deck planto a building official in your town so he or
shecan amendit or appruvea
permit.Thecodecheckwill involve
fiootingdepth,railingand stair
designs,beamandjoist spans,
and otherstruc{uraldetails,
5l Getyour lumberon site at least
six weeksaheadof time. Sticker it
to allowair drying,and keepit
storcdout of the sun and rain.
Good designideashaveto evolve.
Do you wantjust a spotto cook and
eat outside?To relax with family?
Room to entertain guests?How
about the need for privacy,or protection from harsh sun or wind? All
thesefactors will influence the size,
shape,and orientationofyour deck.
My designprovides a main deck
for cooking and eating, but also a
separate conversation area and a
wide platform step.Even modified
for your site,the construction basics
still apply. (Incidentally,20 ft. is the
maximum length for pressure-treated lumber, so design accordingly.)
DECKCONSTRUCTION
VIEW
N0TE:
All fiamelumberls
pressuretreated
southemplne.
oVERALL
SIZE:Approximately
20 ft. x 20 ft. as shown.
Tlerdeck
rlmlolst
Extra
subfascla
Fleldlolsts
Extra
subfascla
(seeN0TE
below)
Outer
lolst
Tlerdeck
beam
Gontlnuous
post
Concrete
footlng
Cantllevered
step
N0TE:Extrasubfasclaboads(two
on tler deck,oneon platfomstep)
requlrcdfor diagonaldecklngwlth
ribbonboard.
WORKBENCH
tr MARCH
I
APRIL
7999
N0TE:
Addltlonalstep,lf requlred,
can
be a fieestandlngunlt placed
directlyon ground.
37
Iie strings closeto their final location
and checkior squarccornerc lsee
Skill-Builderl. Drivescrcwsto ma*
the centercand edgesof the posts.
Usestakesand crossbarcto suspend
the fiootingfioms about a fiootofl the
bottomofthe hole.DrivelVl" scrcrc
to hold the iom level in one dircction.
Resta secondpair of crussbarcon the
firut pair, checkthe form for level in
the otherdircction,then drivescrcws
to nlock" the fom wherc it sits.
q,ARD
SETN]{GIHE I"EIIGER
Mark your joist layout on the tural lumber in the house frame, not
(Jnlessyour deck is a freestanding ledger before you drill for hardware, just siding or sheathing.
design,you'll alsoneed to connect it
to the house.That's done with a
ledger board bolted (or lag-screwed)
directly to the houseframe.It establishesthe height of the deck and also
providesan anchor for thejoist ends
nearest the house. Obviously, the
ledger needs to be at least slighdy
higher than the concretefootings.
Sometimes, installing the ledger
requiresremoving a sectionof siding,
especiallyif it's a weak material such
as vinyl or aluminum. But on wood
or solid compositematerials,you can
often bolt the ledger in place right
over the siding. Even then, metal
flashing is almost dways necessaryto
divert water away from the
ledger/house connection and help
preventrot (FIG.9).
so the bolts dont interfere with the
joist placement.Keepin mind that the
footings determine some of the joist
locations,sincethe poststhey support
connectdirecdyto the 6eme.
Unlike the footings, the ledger
works alonesupportingits end of the
deck, so securefasteningis essential.
Wood props and a few 16d nailswill
hold it temporarily in place,but you
need serious hardwarefor the long
run. If you're fasteningto the house's
rim joist and you have accessto its
inside face,drill past the ledger and
drive 1/2"-dia. bolts through the
ledger,siding,and rim joist (FIG.10).
If you dont have accessto the
inside face of the rim joist, use lag
screwsto fasten the ledger,but make
absolutelvsurethw threadinto struc-
In my plan,thejoists that straddle
postssitjust a few inchesapart.These
allow for the decking splices and
perimeter detailsthat come later.The
other joists get installedin-between,
spacedat 16"-on-centeror less.
After securing the ledger to the
house,mount the joist hangersflush
with the ledger'sbottom edge (rlc.
11). I fastenedthe hangerswith #8 x
71/+" washer-head screws (from
Simpson Strong-Tie) designed for
just this purpose.
If your concrete footings are still
"green" (uncured) by the time your
ledger'sinstalled,take a break until
the next weekend. Stressingthe
anchor bolt mounts too soon can
crack the concrete,and you'll have
to replacethe entire footing.
Whetheror not you r€moyethe siding
behindthe ledger,tuck metal flashing
underthe sidingcourseaboveit to
divert water awayfiom that arca.
lf possible,ddll thrcughthe rim ioist
of the houseframe, then boh thrcugh
the ledgerand rim ioist. Or drive lag
scr€ws,but be surc you hit that ioist.
Metalhangerbracketswill suppodthe
deckjoists at the ledgpnilails don't
holdas well andtend to squeakafter
a while, so use scrcwsto fasten these.
WORKBENCH
D
MARCH
I
APRIL
1999
39
40
Realign
theguidestringslto the post
edgeslto installthe postbrackeb,
ThestandoffGapcoveruthe nutrlolt.
Gerter the post in lts bracket,check
it ior plumb,and usea pair of clamps
to hold it in place until it's bolted.
Tietemporary
bracesto woodstakes
andto thetop endof eachDost,so
the postalignmentis keptintast.
IIIE FRAME
IOGEIIIER
BRING
With your footings and ledger prepared, you can assemblethe structural frame of the deck. (For guidelines on beam and joist sizesand
spans,seeSizingYourLumber.)
Start by resetting the batter
board strings from over the post
centers (at the anchor bolts) to
where the outsidefacesof eachpost
will be. This means shifting the
string lines half of the post thickness
(73/4" for the nominal 4x4 posts I
used). Then install the post base
brackets(FIG.12).
The batter board strings will
help you position the posts, but
you'll haveto secureeachpost temporarily before you drill and bolt it
in place. Starting with the outside
posts for the main platform, use a
level to get the post plumb, then
tighten clamps onto the metal base
(FIG. 13). Make sure the posts are
long enough for the railing height
you need;they'll be trimmed later.
Next, drive clvo stakes in the
ground and fasten a long brace to
each,reachingtoward the top of the
post. Recheck for plumb, then fasten the bracesto the post (rtC. 14).
Once the post is secured, drill
through the bracket holes and post
and install two 1/2"x 41/2" bolts
(FIG.15). Repeatthe procedurefor
the other main deck posts, and
attach wood braces between them
(near the top ends).These braces
help restrain twisting and other
unwanted movement of the posts.
Now you're ready for the main
beam. If you've got a water level,
you can transfer the height of the
ledger's bottom edge to mark the
beam location on the posts.
Otherwise,just set one end of the
outer joists in their hangerson the
ledger and clamp the other ends to
their posts,adjusting the joists uncil
theyre level. (Select straight boards
for thesejoists, or the vial on your
level will give you a false reading.)
At the bottom edge of each joist,
scribe a line on each continuous
post, then remove the joists.
Some decks Gature a large 4x
timber for a beam,but wvo or more
thinner (2x) boards are easier to
handle and can provide the same
load-carrying capacity.Theyte also
more commonly available.I used a
pair of 2xI2's for the main beam,
but to accommodate the platform
step,I straddledthe postswith them
rather than mount them both on
the sameside,which is more typical.
lnstall the ioists at each poetfilst,
with the endsflush with the poatface.
I usedSimpsonSDS' lag screrc here.
Wilh a string line to keepthe endsof
Usescrcwsto securcthe ioists in
the field ioists aligned,fasten them to
their hangerbrackets,and fasten at
eachholefor maximumholdingpowen the hunicaneties and ioist hangprc.
woRKBENcH
!
MARcH
I APRIL
7999
Wth the post basestill clamped,drill
througfrthe bolt holes in the metal
bracketand installthe boltsand nuts.
Whenthe beamsgo up, clampshold
them until youget heightand level
adjustmentsmade.Thendrill and bolt.
Transferthe joist layout mads ftom
the ledgerto the beam,then fastena
hurricanetie at eachjoist location.
I found it easier to clamp the
2x1,2's together on sawhorses and
drill the bolt holes before posirioning them on the posts.As you clamp
them in place, check for level, then
drill through the posts and install
three l/2"-dia. bolts at each connection (FIG. 16). Note that the beams
one at a time to keep their outboard
ends in a straight line. Start by setting the double joists at each post.
tight against the
and marked the length
directly at the post. I cut them so
their ends were flush with the outside face of the post, then I drove
self-drilling lag screws to secure
them (FIG. 18). As you install each
joist, fasten it at the ledger end as
well (nC. 19).When you get to the
"field" joists (between posts), run a
string to keep the ends aligned, and
extend about 71/2" past the posts so
they'll support the outside joists.
With the beam secured, mark
thejoist layout and install hurricane
ties along the inside edge (rIC. 17).
These brackets help prevent uplift
of the deck platform(s) due to
strong winds, and building codes in
As you install the joists, sight
along their edges to check for crook
(curved edges). Install any crooked
boards with the crown (arch) up, so
the tension that makes them arch
adds a little extra support.
Because I bolted the ledger
directly over beveled siding, it canted toward the house about 5o. I cut
the mating joist ends to that angle
5o end butted
ledger)
so they d butt tight to the ledger and
nest fully in the joist hangers.
fasten them first to the hurricane tie
brackets on the beam (FIG. 20).
Close the frame up by installing the
rim joist. Use bolts or lag screws to
FITIII{GTHE'OISI!i
Using a tape rule to measure for
the joist lengths invites errors, so I
started with the joists at each post
and just set them in place (with the
fasten this joist to the posts, then
nail it to the ends of the field joists
(FIG. 21). Make sure each joist stays
aligned as you nail into its end.
You're bound to have at leastminor
irregularitiesin the ledger wall, so
the ioists should be custom-fitted
SIZINGYOURTUMBER
most areasrequire them.
Below you'll find guidelines for beam and
joist sizes for a typical deck frame rated at
a "liye" load (people and obiects on the
deckl of 6O lbs. per squane foot. Gheck
your local codes to confirm!
After bolting the rim joist to the posts,
nail thrcughit into the end of each
joist. Gheckjoist alignmentas yougo.
WORKBENcH
tr MARCH
I
APRIL
BEAMSIZEAl{DSPAN
,OISTSIZEAI{DSPAN
(ForGrade2 or Bettersouthern
pine)
posts:
lf the distancebetween
Use:
. is lessthan4 ft.
(2) 2x6's
. is between4 ft. and6 ft.
(2) 2x8's
. is between
(2) 2x10's
6 ft. and8 ft.
.is between
8 ft. and10 ft.
l2l2xL2's
Jolstsize
(nominal)
2xG
2xg
2xl0
2xl2
Maximum
JoistSpacing
t6"o/c
24"o/c
8 ft.2 in.
10 ft. 6 in.
13 ft. 0 in.
15 ft. 1 in.
6 ft. 8 in.
8 ft. 7 in.
10 ft. 7 in.
t2ll. 4 in.
(Forotherspans,aska buildingofficial.)
1999
41
Likethemaindeclqthetier deckconstrustionbeglnswithbracingposts,
thenddllingandboltingthemin.
Thedouble2x12 beamfiorthe tier
deck gets boltedtoepther insidethe
posts, rather than straddlingthem.
Ihe front rimioistfor thetier deckis
boltedin place,butgptsils suppoil
frcmthe maindeckioistsbelowit.
ADDII{G
tEYEUi
OTHER
I was able to reduce the lumber size
to 2x8.The height changeendsup
at 71/2". (The Uniform Building
Code allowsarange of 4" to 8".)
The rim joist at the front of the
tier deck frame functions like a
ledger board, so it has to be wellsupported by the posts and joists of
the main deck (rlc.24).The paired
outside joists get bolted or lagscrewedto the posts(FIG. 25), and
the field joists install like before screwedto joist hangersand hurricaneties,and nailed through the rim
joists at the ends.
The platform step, one level
lower than the main deck, is even
smallerthan the tier deck, making it
possiblejust to assemblea box frame
and install it as a unit (PLATFORM
STEP CONSTRUCTION VIEW).
This deck section and the cantilevered step below it provide a
nice transirion from the main deck
to the back yard. At its front end
(near the step),an intermediate post
and footing provide additional support for the placform and for the
cantileveredstairjoists.I bolted the
platform step frame to the main
deck after snapping a registration
line on the main beam (nIc. 26).
Though there'll be a few minor
modifications as the decking goes
on, the frames are nearly complete
at this stage.Youjust need to bolt a
few intermediate railing posts in
place on the main and tier decks
(Flc. 27). Counterbore these holes
if youre adding trim like I did.
It isnt necessaryto have more than
one level on a deck, but when
there's room for it I always try to
add this feature.It makes the deck
more interestingand functional, and
breaks the building process into
manageablesections.
Begin the tier deck frame just
like you did the main platform, by
bracing and then bolting the posts
to their footings (Frc.22).Again I
used a pair of 2x72'sfor the beam,
but this time I bolted them together on the inside facesof the posts,a
slightly stronger and more rypical
arrangement (FIG. 23). This beam
sits level with the top of the main
deck's rim joist. Becausethe tier
deck joists have a short (8 ft.) span,
NEW
OLD,S0MEIHING
S0METHING
HARDWARE
SOLUTIONS:
demand
attenGooddeckdesigns
tion to detail,so it's nosurprise
thatfasteners
andhadwarcwill
in yourpruiect's
figurcpruminently
success.AnygPodhaldwarcstore
or homecenter can prcYidethe
basics,bril we found somespecialU prcductsthat can makea big
differcnce in strcngth and appear-
9:
I
(l) f,SSscnwtumGf,l(
OFmmp
(8)SOS(/f x8") funSlnryeorStu4ille
o@
(c) rlst4t'flf,dtlptuantuilrnxd€f/' 'trt&,
42
ln**ats-
(D)il8x7.25, Slmpson
o
(9 StrrCadscnrr
o
(DDnddodwo;w
ance.0n top of thosevidues,
manyof thesespeciallydesigned
items let you wod( morc quickly.
First, somealtemativesto lag
scrcrvs:GRl(oilfersits 'RSti'structural scrcrYs(l), a standdve washerhead fastener in lengthsfrcm
lU2" 512"; the {4'r t 3tt 'StmngDrive' screw(B) ftom Simpsonfeaturcs an augFrpoint and a built-in
l?amerfor selfddlling installation.
Both arc strcngerthan odinary
lag scrcwsand faster to install.
Hex-head(G)or caniagp bolls
shouldbe gnlvanized,prcferably
hot-dippedrather than electruplat-
woRKBENCH
tr MARcH
I APRIL
7999
44
IhckMasterbracketsgetfastenedto
the ioistsfrcmthe side.Usethe holes
ontopto securcthe decking.
Ihe firct pieceof dbbon decking,like
otheruarcundthe edgeof the deck,
gpts notchedto fit arcund a post.
After rcriling all the cut edgesof the
decHngwith a small rcundoverbit,
applysealerto the endgrain.
LAVIilGTHEDECI$T{G
To me, the open frame of a welldesigned deck is a beautiful sight,
but when the decking goes down
the project really startsto take shape
asa design.I chosea Brazilian wood
called ipe (ee'-pay) from THL
Ironwoods (seesourcelist, page48).
Used for yearson oceansideboardwalks and other commercial projects, this dense hardwood sharesa
look similar to mahogany or teak,
and has insect- and weather-resistant propertiesthat make it ideal for
outdoor structures.Left unfinished.
it weathersto a silvery gray,but the
deep reddish-brown hue an oil finish givesit can be maintained if you
want. Forget nailing this stuff,
though. Screwsare a must, and you
have to drill for most ordinary fasteners or they'll break.
The 1x4 ipe decking I used sells
for about $1.25 a lineal foot, rough-
ly the same cost per squarefoot as
clear selectredwood or cedar decking. Becauseit's such a premium
material, I used a "blind" fastening
system called DeckMaster brackets
(see HARD\VARE SOLUTIONS,
page 42). These brackets fasten
alongsidethe top edgeofeachjoist
(FIG. 28), so you can drive screws
into the decking from underneath.I
was reluctant to try them at first,
thinking it would slow down the
decking installation too much, but
that really wasn't the case,and the
clean look they yield is an awesome
reward for a litde extra work. Plus.
the hardenedscrewsfurnished with
them went into the ipe with no
predrilling, a real timesaver.
Rather than leavethe endsof the
deck boardsexposed,I usedsome of
the 1x4 ipe as a ribbon around the
perimeter of each platform (DECKING CONSTRUCTION VIEW).
These boards got notched and
mitered to fit around the posts,with
about an 1/e" gap (FIG. 29). I also
routed a 1/a" radius on all the cut
ends (to match the edges),and used
an exterior spar varnish to seal the
ends againstchecking (FIG. 30). I
fastenedthe first ribbon board at the
front of the deck frame, parallel to
the house (FIG.31).The ribbons at
the ends can wait until later.
When you start installing the
field decking,usespacersto ensurea
uniform gap between the boards,
then securethe deckingat eachjoist
by driving screws through the
DeckMaster brackets (FIG. 32). If
the deck's overall lengh exceeds
that of your lumbeq let the end
splicesfall between the pairedjoists
in the frame (rIc. 33). This keeps
screws away from the very ends of
the boards (reducing splitting), and
it allows better drainage.
Glanps can coax cruokedboads into
a stnight line befole you fasten them.
Ahraysuse spacercfior a unifom gap.
Oncethe deckingsectionouErorc the
clamprcach,skp one courueand
snapa line to stail anothersection.
Wodryour waytowad the houseone
section at a time. later, you can go
back and fill in the openoourcee
WO RKB ENCH
D MARCH
I APRIL
1999
Unlikethe 'freld" decking the dbbon
boads must be fastenedfrcm above
with scrcrys.Pairted scrcrc blend in.
Wth a DeckMateto spacethe boads,
the deckinggets fastenedftom below.
Notecleat usedto keependsaligned.
woRK
il{ sEcTtot{s
DOINGIilE DNGOilAIS
I mentioned earlier that I think a
multilevel deck is a better-looking
and more versatile design than one
large platform. Installing the decking givesyou another chanceto add
visual interest - by orienting the
boards diagonally on the other levels.It also addssafetyby providing a
visual cue for the changein height.
The procedure for fastening the
decking diagonally remains pretry
much the same,but for some materials the joist spacing must be
reduced (see the graphics key in
DeckingOptionson page51).Also,I
had to clamp the boards down to
keep them from shifting when I
drove the screws through the
DeckMasterbrackets(FIc. 37).
Combining the diagonaldecking
with the ribbons did require extra
subfasciaboards for support along
some edges (FIG. 38). I stained
cedar fascia boards to match the
house color, fastened them with
screws. then installed the ribbon
boards(rlc. 39).
Orientingdeckingdiagonallydefines
heffi changesbetrveenlevels.Use
clampsto keep boads from shifting.
Thediagpnaldeckingoriertationwill
rcquircan extra2x8subfascialwith
Vz"spaccrclto suppoilthe ribbons.
With any wood decking material,
you'll get crooked boardsthat need
to be coaxed into lying straight. I
used a pair of bar clamps for this
task (rIc. 34).This works only until
the decking section outgrows the
clamp'sreach,but there'sa fix. Stop
that section and leavea gap equal to
the width of one deck board (plus
spacing)and snapa chalk line across
the joists (FIG. 35). Leave the gap
open (for the clamp heads)and start
a new section of decking, then
repeat the processwhen that area
grows too large (rIG. 36). Set aside
a few srraight deck boards as you
work, then after you reach the
ledger,use them to fill in the gaps.
WORKBENCH
D
MARCH
I
APRIL
1999
Spliccsaddan intercstingpattemto
the decksur{ace.Placethemoverthe
doubleioistssowaterdrainsthrnugil.
DEClflNG
VIEW
GONSTRUCTION
Dlagonal
A 1x8 fascia, stainedto match
the housesiding,covercthe subfascia beforethe dbbon boardsgo on.
45
RAITINGGONSTRUGTION
VIEW
Railcap
2xGipe
RAITING
ETEITATION
4x4 post
Posttrlm
1x4lpe
Uppermounting
block(lx lpe)
Upperrall
5/+x4cedat
lowermountlng
block (lx lpe)
Narrowbalustel
1x4lpe, 311/t"long
Wde baluster
lx6 lpe,3t1/4"long
WRAP
UPWITHTHERAITING
If you take time out to indulge in a
celebratory dance on your newly
installed decking, don't get carried
away. Right now there's nothing to
keep you from sailing offthe edge.
The railing will fix that (RAILING
CONSTRUCTTON VrEW).
This stage of the project ranks
among my favorites.You're through
shoveling dirt, pouring concrete,
and muscling big timbers around.
The railing can involve some finer
Unifonnspacingbetrveenbalus{ercis
achievedwith a simpleiig. Gheckthe
assemblyfor squarcbeforefastening.
46
lowerrall
s/+xBcedat
ened steel screws to secure them.
To add interest to my railing
design,I mixed a wider (1x6) baluster into the pattern, and routed a
2l/2"-squareopening near the top
of thesepieces.Thegoing is slow in
the ipe, so I don't recommend
details much more elaboratethan
this. I drilled an accesshole and
rough cut the opening closeto finished size with a jig saw. Then I
useda jig and a flush-trimming bit
(1/2"shankfor this tough wood) to
rout the cleanuppasses
(EIC.42).
With the upperand lowercedarrails
installedon the anside,fastenthe railing assemblyto the mountingblocks.
Addthe cedarrails on the outsideto
closeup eachrailingsection.Painted
GRKscrcwsaddto the design.
craftsmanship and also tie the deck
visually to the house. Start with the
railing elements that are already
there - the posts. I used a plywood
jig (shapedlike a'U'so it supports
the saw on opposite sides of each
post) to cut them to the correct
height (rIC. 40). Then I mounted
small ipe blocks for hanging the rail
and baluster assemblies (FIG. 41).
These blocks support a lot of
weight, so I used #10x31/2" hard-
WORKBENCH
tr MARCH
I
APRIL
1999
Whenit cametime to cut the poststo
final height,I clampeda plywoodjig in
placeto guideand supportthe saw.
Mountingblocksmadefrom ipe were
fastenedto the postswith heavy3Vz"
scnews.Thesesuppodthe railing.
To addthe detailto the widebalus.
ters, I useda rcuteriig and a flushtrim bit. Roughout with a iig sawfirst.
The spacing for the balusterswas
part aesthetic choice and part legal
compliance. (The building code
baluster spacing pattern that got me
close for all but the one odd run. I
made a spacerblock jig to help with
specifies 4" as the maximum width
for openines in a deck rail.) Not
every railine bay on nry deck was
the same length, so I figured out a
the assembly(FIG. 43).
'With
ternporary supporr blocks
positioned at the bottom of each
post, I set each railing section (with
only the inside rails mounted) in
place and fastened it to the ipe
mounting blocks (rtC. 44).The outside rails can be added next. When I
installed mine, I used painted screws
(to match the ipe) as a design accent
with the wide balusters(ntc. 45).
MoreDeckDetails;Post,Beam,andHardware
0ptions
Theoptionsyou havefor your
deckaren't limitedto its overall
design.Youcan alsoyarythe constructiondetails- the hardware,
youuse
materials,andtechniques
to put everythingtogethen
Forexample,heavystructuresor
second-story
decksneed6xG
posts,notchedto crcatesupport
ledgesfor the beams{Ftc.Al.
Thesesuppodledgescan safely
supportmuchmoreweightthan
boltscan, with lessstressto the
beamthey'recarrying.
Anotheroptionis settinga deck
beamdirectlyatop4x4 posts,with
ioistscantileveredpastthe beam
woRKtsENCH
tr MAt{cH
I Apl{tL
(Ftc.Bl. As longas youget the
postheightsconsistentso the
beamis leveland thorougftlysuppoiled,this is a reliabledesign,
and it doesn'trequircas muchpre-
1999
cisionin placingthe footings.Ihe
drawback?Therailingpostswon't
be as sturdyas thosetied to foot.
ings,shownbelowwith somehatdwarcoptions(Ftcs.c, Dand El.
47
48
After fasteningthe 2xGrail cap to the
cedarrails,add the 1x4 rail trim.
Routededgesofhr a ftiendlier touch.
Usethe samesequenceto cap off the
posts. Firct, a 2x6 block, then a smaller trim piececut fiom 1x4 stock.
oil
Fora finaltouchI appliedPenofin
finish.lt brirysouttheipe'sdch
colorandwill helpprutectthewood.
CAPPII{GIT OFF
Itt not quite time to fire up the grill
and start saucingthe ribs, but at this
point you're almost close enough to
catch a whiff of that first cookout.
So how do you wind things up?
First, cut the 2x6 ipe stock for
the rail cap and rout the edgeswith
a roundover or table edge bit.These
sufaces will get handled a lot, so
they should have comfortable contours rather than sharp edges that
are likely to splinter.A double row
of screwssecuresthe rail capsto the
upper cedarrails,and that stepis followed by fastening the rail trim
(rtc. 46). Installationof the post
caps and trim pieces follows the
samesequence(rIc. 47).
ICII{GTHEGAKE
Most woods suitable for deck construction hold up well to weather.
This is especiallytrue of ipe, but I
wanted to finish it with somerhing
that would bring out the beautiful
color and retard fading from sunlight. The lumber distributor recommended Penofin, an oil sealer
highly resistantto ultraviolet light. I
brushed on rwo coats,per the manufacturer'sinstructions (FIG. 48).
What a difference!A nice rewardfor
all the work that went before, and
extra protection for the wood.
We took a break the next week.
but I soon added the plantersand
benches(seepage 52) so we could
enjoy the deck even more.
When you look at a finished
deck like this, it may seemlike territory for only the most seasoned
DIY'er, not the rypical handyman
most of us are. Certainly you have
to have the tools and the time, but
don't let the projectt scale intimidate you. No single task is that difficult - you've probably already
tackled most of them successfullysojust take them one at a time.Also,
keep in mind that "do-it-yourself"
doesn'tliterally haveto mean working alone.Like I said,family,friends,
and neighbors are all fair game for
"volunteer duty."And why not?You
know those people will want to
show up for steakand sudswhen all
the workt done.tf
LUMBER
HANDLING
PREIiSURE.TREATED
WHERE
TOGE] IT
The widesprcaduse of prcssurctreated lumberfior outdoor prciects has manypeopleconcerned
aboutthe material'shealthand
envinrnmental
consequences.
Herc
is what the U.S.Forcst Produc'ts
Laboratoryhasto sayaboutit.
Most trcated lumber is southern
yellowpinethat's beensaturated
with chrcmatedcopperansenate
IGGAIinsideprcssurizedcylinder.
The prcseruativerctention rate is
specified- mostis.tO lbs. per
cubic foot of wood, rated for
$ound contact. The FPLsays
leachingof the chemicalsis not
significant enoughto crcate a
souRcEli
healthhazard,but advisess:mple
prccautions.Mostguidelinesarc
Gommon
sensehabits- avoid
prulongpdinhalationof sawdust,
weal eyeprutection,and washup
thorcughlyafter handlingthe
material.Also, neYerburn GGAtrcated wood- it concentrates
aFenic, chrcmium,and copperin
the ash,and rcleasesarsenegas.
Re-useis the bestoption.
Thereis a friendliervadetyof
trcated woodcalled AGQPreserve
lfor alkalinecopperquaternaryl,
that containsno chrcmiumor
arcenic.GallGhemicalSpecialties
at 18001421-8661
for information.
. F&SMfg.(Bigfoot
footing
forms)
System
(800)
934-0393
. GRK
Ltd.(fasteners)
Canada
(800)263-0463
. Grabber
Construction
Prod.(DeckMaster)
(800)
869-1375
. Johnson
tool)
Level
& Tool(DeckMate
(414)242-1161
. Performance
(Penofin
Coatings
oilfinish)
(800)
736-6346
. Simpson
(fasteners,
hardware)
Strong-Tie
(800)
999-50e9
. Sonoco
forms)
Products
Co.(SonoTube
(888)
875-8754
. THLlronwoods
(ipedecking)
(414)
445-8989
woRKBENcH
tr MARCH
I APRrL
7999
DeckingOptiorx
Half the fun of building this issue's"showcase"
deck was being able to try some new materials
and hardware,seeinghow they could provide a
different look. But for all of the decisionsmade
about fasteners ancl lunrber species
and the tecl-rr-riqr.res
we used to put
''
thenr all together, there were dozens
of options that didn't get explored.
Nowhere is this truer thar-r in the
,
.i
..,
,,:,
'
choice of the decking itself.
\Conrprred
'UrllPJlq(r
t U )standbys
t . ' t t t : U y l like cedar
to
and pressure-treatedpine, ipe is a
rel:rtive newcoruer, but as wood it's
:''
i:
.\
'
'---tr.--.--.I
I
:
, '.''_'i
, -,.: *.lii<ti
woocl/pl:rstic conrpositcs, vinyl,
nretal, nncl othe rs - all clesiglred
,r;;;.;::.*"'"
it's plentiful, easy to work,
and it has a f.rn.riliarlook and
feel people still like.
tr MARCH
IAPRTL
COMPOSITES:
MIXING
THEGOODS
^'.,*;iq,:;'L'.1,;,.1i;
i f $-
WORKBENCH
especially the loss of habitat and soil
fronr overharvesting the old-growth
forests that produce tl-rebest wooc1.
Conrposite decking materials,often
:r nrixture of shredded wood fiber
:incl pllstic resins,solve nrany of the
problenrs found with solid wood.
These nraterills rre niore stlble,rotresistant, and nrore unifbn-n fronr
- nrar)y industry estrnratcs piece to piece.Also, they're typically
place it rt nlore than 90 perproduced fronr waste wood fiber
e c n t . T h . i t l . r r r d s c . r p t ' r s and recycled plastics,diverting those
changing, but wood decking materials from bulging landfills.
is popular for good reasonMost can be cut, drilled, fastened,
for little..,,"
"r<"r\3\:\S\-'
$
still r fanriliar nraterial to nrost.
Tl"re last two decedes, howcver,
have ushered in new breeds -
No nraterial is perfect, though,
and wood decking does have drawb a c k s .I t c l n s p l i n t e r o r c r a c k . l r r d
its susceptibleto nroisture and/or
insect danraqe that quietly strips
away its strensth. And as with all
resoLlrces,
the use of wood has conseqllences for the environment -
1999
and finishedjust like wood, but they
don't have the same structural nruscle, rnd r-nayrequire shorter spans.
19
THEVINYTSOTUTION
It may have its detractors, but the
use ofvinyl as a decorative building
material is well established by now.
Exterior trim and siding represent
the biggest markets, but vinyl deck
systems are a growing segment and
offer some of the same advantages.
Made from polyvinyl chloride
(PVC), these materials share the
same lineage as plastic pipe and
conduit, but are engineered with
ultraviolet (UV) inhibitors for colofastness and "shock modifiers"
(usually titanium) to help the deck
resist impact damage. Integral color
means no painting or staining, and
vinyl decking isn't subject to rot or
to insect damage. Most systems are
two-part, with clips or tracks that
secure the decking with no fasteners visible.Trim caps cover the ends.
No-maintenance is the big selling
feature of vinyl decking, but there
are others.Vinyl is splinter-free, stays
cooler to the touch in full sun, and
doesn't absorb dirt or stains. Tiaffic
surfaces are textured for slip-resistance, and many manufacturers also
offer matching deck railing systems.
'W'arranties
vary, so ask specific questions about terms and coverage.
A TEAGUE
OFTHEIROWN
Some alternative decking materials
fall outside the common categories.
Plastic lumber, for example, features
high-densiry polyethylene (HDPE)
resins only, with no wood fiber.
Dimensional stabiliry and rigidiry
suffer some, but the material still
machines easily like wood.
Aluminum
and fiberglass both
see regular use for docks and other
marine applications, and also work
for residential decks. Like vinyl, they
solve virtually all of the maintenance and degradation problems
associatedwith wood deckinq. ff
DECKING
MATERIAL
OPTIONS
PNESSUNENEITH)
SO'M/EMIHNE
0ontnwtlyCCA(dronahd apper ar*
nab). Avattablel0[',IU mtlonwlde.
WESIER'Y
REDCEDIN
Orltln:Enada,rorflrmd U.S.
Awllablelocrllf netlomfiIe.
(W|IoW cfjD,n)
PACTF|/C
CyPnESS
NuilrmgtFuorf,Eodluctb,,
larlltlnp,,
WA
Ptnne:(8(N)9925700
SH.$ln/Len$p:6ftx6 nun.,8'-76'
Av9,Wt hr Unearft..' $.50..90
@mmn/r; lnryorlr/ua,shont"aN laln
ry fihta, trnficd plnegob Urerwl lol
dodrfnnw, amtvotf,r geafiI deic/dql,
fl&,ttfiItphnqowAn |odc
ffi. $lze/Len$p:,6/tx6 nm., E'-16'
Av(, tut hr Unearft.; $100-$1.50
SH. Slnfl.eUltlrli: 6/ex6 nmr., 8'- 20'
Av1l,M hr Unearft.: $7.26-$7.60
Gommonls.'
tt/ff ilry ol tutttwtt plm ln
hinrc ol $onflt aN dudty,Urtslrrond
ttaahW nt and laarrf, rffincr'
and
naillnea fnouffittlly, $zes up b 4x4
',/fi!frod; t,keAfilrp/ phrb wdl. A les
etof,,,'p/waraffitttlw to t?d/vood,,ttltt
/ftltrritemfivmenbil a nceq4torrrcrs.
lPE(mldaSIRONWOOD
orPAULOPE) lRil, (uM/plapflrc @nryne.)
lHLlrurlrronda,
llsx@npny
Glq$54ggg
Grorinllenrt
Dunvmns,(nq 78+7?/20 Hme: (800)28N739
3H. Slzr,flnnfir:ltr47x45hx6i to 16'
Av(,M tur UnearFt: $7.00-$2.75
comrcn/Fl;lDb densearf, Yoryffiql
Blazliiarn
M
Istw$h n toofsDut
,esls|l fitgects,JaNl, vete/|,awn flrc,
SnppffertoutsustrlnaDle
nuvsAng,
50
(wd/ Nardrccomposrto)
CHOICEOEK
Mvolrrd Ewlrcnmelntall
Taarr,
WW
Plwn: (800)9576111
6/ax6non,72'-m'
s/ax6 rwn.,72'-16'
SU.Sfufl.engilrst
SU. Srrefl.clngillr;
Av9.0nattPtirUrcarft.:
AvEtutturUneerft.:51.il)
$7.A
tumrcnfs: lrile oJ@d
ntfrr/abr @nnen/gr Mile lmn 5096dil f,M
liex nilmlcsiln texfttre,lor/$aM mr/rl,- and 50% @cd plasdcs, c/'0,l0f,lre[r
bl@ o, M. AM oomes
tn 2x6, but ma&lnesIIke dcrlmuond,.Ulrollro,* lfs
neltlterb lu frttcturd u*. lho cofon, rlotJor sfrwht,tr,ltlse.lrso In 2x&
WORKBENCH
tr MARCH
I APRIL
1999
(2-pleu wootl/vlnyl)
DECK4AP
Walker WIIIIamshnber hmpany
Phone:(800)727-9007
BR0CI(DECI(SWIEM(2.plea vlnyl)
RoyalCrom Ltd.
Phone:(800)36$3625
1{0TE:Pricesshownreflectapproxi.
matecost to the end-user,but do not
includeshippingchargesor adiustmentsfor nonstandarditems.
Sfl. Slze/LenShs:6/t x 6 rwn., 8'. 20'
Avg,O;lrfPt'r Unearft.: $2.(N
0ommenb;AMrill syslcn Oatpals a
kerfed,prtasure-freafrud
d@l(Mald rtU
a vhyl e*,p.Theap Is Eluedln plae In
Ue tvo nnter kerle.Whlte,bin,(ray.
AvE.W hr Unearft.: $2.50+
Comments:$r/f-spaclng yhty, dffing
$raps onto elumlnumtaclr on lolrfs,
Wamnty aven Impad,dama$6,a looq
holelor mmeYfiryls.Whltc,tzn, gray.
(2.plee vlnyl)
DREAM
DECK
flrcrmallndustfes
Phone;(800)2tlEtill)
(l-plecn f,nyl)
SflEEnUtYE
UNI0ECK
L8, Plasflcslnc.
Phone:(7(M)66C7Ait
(2-plee vlnyl)
ROYAIDECK
frt;mler MaterlalsTednolog lnc.
mone,t(800)262-2275
ml
?
Materialcan be paintedor
stainedto desircdcolor.
m
Prefabor matchingrailing
components
available.
ffi
ffi
Recommended
maximum
spanlunsupporteddistance
betweenioistsl whenlaid at
90" to ioists. Reduceby
25%tor diagonaldecking.
ffi
m
Std. Slzel,eagftfis;2x6 nom.,t2'.m'
Avg.Clst tur Unearft.: $4.00
Gomments;
Unlquethrce-lapr etfiuslon
uw vldln vlryl tot te W layer, recyded matedalslor the anc, and non
sgueaf,foot" s0fps,Whfte,bin, gny.
Std.Srze,tengfts t6/s"x 6", 72'. m'
Avg,@st tur UnearFt.; 53,20
Gornments;
*ll-specrng, ne.plecn v|lzyl
deffing qystem. Gruved and tetturcd
planls un be dppd to ecrlimmodate
lrlo$utardect(vldtfits.Whfte,bin, gny.
Std. Sfzel,engltlu 2x 6 nom,, 72'- 20'
Avg.Costtur Unearft.: $I.80.$2.00
Gomnenb; Sllp-ruslstant tu,tfutiodep
snapsfn6oettuudedYrty,baro wtfinhoneyunb gdd. Basealso cnirlraIn tonglrend-tmow sute. Whtt?,,tan, eray,g'i/fd,.
PEnill-POLY(HDPEplrcdc lunber)
Rel{ewPfasUcs
Phone:(800)6665207
(flbeglas*rclnfotcod conp.)
E-ZDECK
F,tthonexCorp,
Phone;(800)99G3099
( 7-plea alumlnum)
L0CKDRY
Flotailon$otems lnc.
Plnne:(800)777-7785
Std.Slze/Lenfirs: 1xGnom.,b !6'
Avg.Costftr Unearft.t Sf.60.$2.50
Gomnenb;Madefron rccydedplastlcr,,
fik materlalcomesln a flde varletyol
slzes,sfiapes,and qlorc, Not ior stue
tunl tre. (2rOserrstur $3.60-$5.25fi.)
WORKBENcH
tr MAI{CH
APRIL
'{:ti
F-==----.=-==
7 rt
mlt
Sld. SfzelenlD; 2x4, 2xG mm., b fi'
Av!. cpsttur Unearft.: $2.95,94.20
@mments:lhls *lf.qaclqE, fito-mrt
syslemfbatues lokt nourfaa,d
cllls aN
staFrock deffing. St',blet very stong,.
gny. Lon',gng'i/,si
Whlte,*nda|fr,rotrd,,
1999
Std. Slzel.engfifu 7"x 5r/2", t2'-30'
Avtt N tut Unearft..' $3.50
Gomments;
Sell-alfifilnt alumlnumdeclc
W
gua'anteoswaterutft. Fecltoryf,ntiltes
(whlte, almod, W) un M palnbd.
51
A\brsatilePlanter
As great as the finished deck looked, I felt there was still more opportunity
to add color and personality.Landscapeplantings would help soften the
yard-to-deck transition once they took hold, but the broad expanseof
decking needed afocal point to draw people in, guide them up the steps,
and make them Gel welcome. A
planter stationed near the steps
proved to be a great solution. Built
from the same materials as the deck,
the planter will stand up to years of
weather, and the design was the perfect way to use up short cutoffi leftover from the deck construction.
The first planter turned out so well
I ended up buying additional ipe
(the tropical hardwood used on the
deck) to build a Gw more, three of
which support sitting benches on
the raised tier deck.
FRAMES
SIAT.WRAPPED
Even though the planter is built
weather-resistant lumber cedar, ipe, and pressure-treated pine
[ v7x111sdto keep the soil contained and away from direct expofrom
sure with the wood. By desigling
Exteriorglue and scrcwshold each
frame together.Be surc to checkeach
assemblyfor square.
52
woRKBENCH
tr MARCH
I APRrL
1999
PTANTER
GONSTRUGTION
VIEW
MATERIAUi
tIS]
OVERALL
SIZE:2L3/+"Hx 221/i'W x 22r/4'L
PLANTER
BOX:
Plastlctub planter
(18"Wx18"Dx14"11)
Legassembly
)
-l
Frame
end@
Slats@
Spllne@
I
b--
-
A (4) Frame
Sides
%" *3t1t"x 163/4"
B (4) Frame
Ends
x lgt14'
|4" x31l2"
3lo'y 5t12"
C (2) Floorboards
x 1631
4'
3/4tx31/2t
D (20)Slats
x!7r
LEGS:
3/4"x 3" x 21"
E (4) WideLegs
F (4) Nanow
Legs|a" x2t1a"x2I"
3/4"x1/4'x27'
G (4) Splines
BANDING:
3/a"x5'x !41f4"
H (4) Lower
3/4''x3" x l4r/4"
| (4) Upper
GAP:
J (4) Sides/Ends3/q"
x31/2"
x221/q"
E
E
I
IE
|l I-
Framd
sHe@
Wldeleg@
lowerbandlng@
Narrowleg@
the planter around an 18" square
plastic tub I found at a local homecenter (CountrysidePatio Planterby
Novelty Mfg., 1-800-442-7336), the
wood staysclean and dry. This also
makes it easy to replace the old
plantingsand potting soil at the start
of eachgrowing season.
Construction is simple - you
build the planter from the inside out
(PLANTER
CONSTRUCTION
VIE'W). Starting with two pressure- Next, add two floorboardsto the top
treated frames (that give the planter edgeof the lower &ame (FIG.2).
its shape),you add a layerof ipe slats,
After cutting the slatsto length, I
and wrap that layer with cedar legs realizedit would be easierto apply
and banding.Screwshold the various the oil finish to them before they
layerstogether.
were installed.Once the oil dried, I
Building the pressure-treated securedfour slatsto the two frames,
frames is the place to start on this centering these slats on the frame
project. Cut the flame piecesto size sides(rtc. 3).Then I used1/s"-thick
and screw them together, making spacersto posirion a slat on either
sure to check for square (ntc. 1). sideofeach centeredslat(FIG.4).
Scrcwthe floorboardsto the lower
frameto providesupportfor the plastic tub and stiffun the lowerframe.
Mark centerson four slats and on the
frames.Algn eachslat on the frames,
drill pilot holesand drivethe scterys.
WORKBENCH
tr MARCH
I
APRIL
1999
UseVe"-thickspacercto positionsh
to eithersideof eachccnterslat. llrill
pifotholesandinstalll*8xlUl'sclrws.
53
Trimthisslatflush
on 7+"dadoblade
V+"gtowe,
g/e"deep
NOIE:Twoopposingsidesof the planter
get five full-width(3Vz"l slats,the outside slatson the othertwo sidesmust
be tdmmedflush with the frames.
Guta splinegrcove
irto the edgeof the
nanowleg piece,Guta
groovein the face of the other piece.
Routa %"
rcundover
onthe
The outermost slats overlap at
the corners (coRNER DETAIL). I
used full-width outside slats on ftvo
opposing faces of the planter. With
the spacing I used they extend about
s,/s"beyond the frame corners. The
outside slats on the adjacent faces
Cut your leg material to size,bearing
in mind that like the outside ipe slats,
one leg of each pair is narrower
(coRNER DETAIL).This is done so
the assembled pairs of legs appear
an outside project I used cedar. Rip
splines to size, then glue and clamp
each leg assembly together. Once
the glue dries, roundover the outside edges and the bottom end of
each leg assembly (FIG. 6). Stain the
leg assembliesbefore fastening them
have to be ripped to fit inside these.
Don't worry about any small gaps at
the corners. They'll get covered by
the leg assemblies.
ADDTHEIEGS
Adding legs to the planter accomplishes a couple of things. First, it
raises the planter off the deck so
water doesn't get trapped underneath. Second, the legs add muscle,
echoing the look of the deck posts.
symmetrical.
To easealignment and avoid shifting during the glue-up, I added a
spline to each leg assembly. Cut
grooves for the splines using r l/a"
dado blade,and set the fence to center the blade on the thicknessofyour
stock (FIG. 5, STEP 1). First rip
grooves in one edge ofthe narrower
legs,then, without changing your saw
setup, cut a groove in the inside face
of the wider legs (rIc. 5, srEP 2).
For most furniture projects, I use
hardboard solines. but since this is
(SIDEVIEW)
PLANTER
ELEI'ATION
I .i',
+i
eachleg as well the bottomends.
to the planter.
Installing the legs is easierwith the
planter upside down (FIG. 7). This
keeps the top end of the legs flush
with the top edge of the slats while
you drive the screws.
Now you can ffleasure the distance between the legs on each side
and cut the cedar for the upper and
lower banding pieces. Here again, I
recomrnend staining the pieces
before the installation.
(TOPVrEW)
lsste"-)
t
+--
oo
l1/z\
-tF 3"
J+
---------f141/4"
g"
)
woRKBENcH
tr MARCH
I APRIL
1999
WHATYOU'LLNEED
Turnthe planterupsidedownto posi
tion the legs,then ddve in the scruws.
You'llalsowantto driyescens
thrcughthe upperframe irto eachleg.
Miter oneend of a cap piece,position
it on tfre planterto ma* its length,
then miter the other end.Glampit to
the planterto fit the next cap piece.
Like I did with the deck railing, I
chose to make the banding fasteners
a design element on the planter. I
sprayed the same dark red paint on
the RSS screws from GRK (see the
PLANTER ELEVATION). At 2" long,
these screws secure the cedar banding
to both the ipe slatsand the pressuretreated pine frames. Pilot holes are
required in the ipe and pine.
Start by mitering one end of any
cap piece, then position it on the
planter to mark the miter for the
other end (FIG. 8).With both ends
FRAME
THETOP
mitered, clamp this piece in position, cut and fit the next mitered
piece to the first one, and so on,
working your way around the top.
Before attaching the cap pieces,
apply the oil finish and let it dry.
'When
you drill the counrersunk
pilot holes for the screws, position
LUMBER(FOROt{EPLA}IIERI
(2) &ft.presuretreated
1x4's
(1) +ft. pressuretreated
lxo
(5) &ft ipe1x4's
(1) &ft.cedar
1x6
(2) lGft.cedar1x4's
HARDWARE(FORONEPLANTERI
(24) #6 x 1%"deckscrews
(26) #8 x 15ls"deckscrews
(24) #L0x2" washerhead
deckscrews
(80) #8 x 11l+"deckscrews
(1) t8"x18"x14"plastic
tubplanter
(1) Quart
ofclear
oilfinish
(1) Quart
ofcolored
stain
deck (nENcn coNsTRUcTroN
VIEW).A simplebox frame made of
2x4 cedarrestson cleatsfastenedto
the plantersand its length canvary to
fit your siruation.(The corner planter
supportsan end ofeachbench- see
inset photo on front cover.)
A pair of retainersmadefrom 1x4
ipe keepsthe bench endstied to the
planters. The ipe seat planks are
secured with another deck project
leftover- extra DeckMasterbrackets.Screw the bracketsto the frame,
then drive screwsfrom below to hold
the planking (BENCH ELEVATToN).
Filled with flowers, the planten
add color to the alreadyhandsome
deck and invite you to take a seat,
relax,and enjoy the view.tl-
Capping the project is a mitered
frame of ipe. For most projects I
take pains to get the miters to fit
perGctly,but months in the sun and
rain will undo that kind of effort
here. So shooting for reasonably
tightjoints is good enough.
As I mentioned earlier,I built a Gw
more plantersand usedthem to support a pair of bencheson the tier
BENCHMATERIATS
LIST
BENCHGONSTRUGTION
VIEW
A
B
C
D
E
F
the holes so the screws go into the
upper frame and upper banding.
ADDANOPTIONAT
BENCH
OVERALL
SIZE: r/a"H x t97/+"W
*Lenghdepends
on distance
planters.
between
(2) Rails*
lt/2"x31f2''
(3) Stretchers
!1f2"x312"x !5r/4"
(2)0uterPlanks*
%" x 4%"
310"
(3) lnner
Plant6tt
Y!1f2"
(2)Cleats
7r/2"x31f2"
\lSrf4"
y31f2"
(4) Retainers
|4tt v31f2"
Outerplank@
lnnerplank@
BENCH
EIEVAil0N(rop vtEW)
WORKBENCH
tr MARCH
I
APRIL
1999
55
I
ToolboxO n
Lour Belt
morethan
repairsituationshauecaughtme empty-handed
Ouer the years,emergency
but many times
as a screwdriuer,
once.Oh sure,I'uepresseda pocketknfeinto seruice
I'd hauepaid plentyfor some"real" tools.Despiteswearingoathsthat I'd neuer
againbe in sucha pinch, I just couldn'tbring myselfto start haulingafanny pack
containingeventhe most basictools.
That desirefor functional tools without toolbox bulk helps explain the
exploding populariry of multi-tools
- those folding pliers with all sorts
of accessories
that will fit in a compact casemade to hang on your belt.
Advertisementstout their abiliry to
perform amazingfeatsfrom in-flight
aircraftrepairto taming wild animals.
Walk into any store that sells
outdoor equipmentand you'relikely to find a dozen or more multitools on display with a dizzying
To get a better
arrayof accessories.
grip on this growing tool category,
we rounded up 13 modelsfrom 10
manufacturers and tried them out
cutting wire, loosening nuts,
tighteningscrews,and slicingrope.
Our testsrevealedthat"Gel" isjust
as important as how they work.
When you commit to carryinga tool
around with you, itt got to fit your
hand and your needs.It's not always
somethingyou can explarn.
TWtq,0RFUP
ul{FoLD,
U-shaped channels that form the
handles (FIG. 1).This sturdy design,
borrowed by other conrpanies as
well, has nvo drawbacks.You have to
unfold the tool to accessthe tools,
and the handles' thin edges press
Thesetools arebuilt around a pair of
pliers, and the way they fold determines how compact they are, the
comfort of the handles,and the array
tools they can carry.
of accessory
Tim Leatherman,acknowledged
asthe originatorofthis tool category
designedhis first model to fold so the
wire-cutting plier head and all the
auxiliary tools fit inside the hollow
unconrfortably into your hand when
you squeeze down hard on the pliers.
Two recent introductions - the
'Wave
the
and
Leatherman
Victorinox SwissTool took this
Schradefoldedthe handlesaroundthe
plies head.Ihouglr not as compactas
some,its handlesarc comfortable.
handlesrotateinto
The BuckTool's
position,leavinga comfortablegrip
whilemaintainingcompactness.
I APRIL
--t
t999
,il{
G
*|
i:, I
!
t
V
.//t l
I
thc lrccessorv tools in rcnrovlble
c:rrtriclqcs.
Tl'rrsurriclucupproachlets
usc
thc
plicrs :rncll scrervdriver'
vou
sinrult:urcously.
Thc S()(l Spcci.rltv Knives'
I)rlutool :rnclthc lltrckTbol recprirel
tn'istrnq :lction to :rcccssthc plier"s
( l - l ( ; . 4 ) . T l r i r r r r . r r r e r rrr ' (l ' e ( l u i l c \
f,",'
6),J,
\
!
,:F
,&
I
WA
.:rq
sornc prlrcticc,Llrt pr'ovicle
s c<>nrlirrtlblc qrips rr :r conrp:rctprcklqc.Thc
Leathermandesignedthe handlesto
enclosethe pliers head. Detentshelp
The Wave lleftl has rolled handle
edgeswhich are more comfortable
than traditional designslrightl.
hold the handlesin the open position.
o t - r q i r , t ld e s t q n: r r r dt r r r n c d i t r n s i d c
( ) r r t .A l l t o o l s o n t l t c S n , i s s ' T i r o; rlr c
$ rtlr thc ('olilP:lctncss :rnrl t-Oilrfirr-t: r b l c g r i p , p u t t h c s c t u r r n r o c l c l s r v el l
; r c c c s s r bnl ei t l r t h e p l r c r sf i r l d c d .: r r r d r b c x , c t h c r c s t ( ) i t h c f r c l d i n ( ) u r -t c s t .
\'()u ( iln ll( ('csst\\'() bllrdcs.:r fllc. :rntl
S c l r r ' : t c l cl t r r t l r c l l r t r v c r r e \ \ ' c ( ) l l r r r
tlre s:l\\ ()r) tlrc Wrvc n itlrout to tlrc ciltcg()r\'. ( l0lcrilun. usc
t r n f i r l d i n qr h c p l i c r s .[ J v r o l l i n e t ] r c c r r r v c c l l r ; r n d i c s t h : r t f l t . r r o u n r l f l r e
'1
c r l q c s o f t h c h , r r r l l c c h . r r r n e l st .l r e p l i c r h e r r d ( t - l c ; . 3 ) .
lris bulkv
I r t l t n t r f l c t t r r c rosi t l t c s c t r v o r t r t r l t t - d c s i q n s l t ' r i f i ( c s ( ( ) n l f ; r c t n c s s l )
grip
tools crc.rtt'd:r vcrv ct>nrfirr-t:rblc
ortlcr- to plovitlc .r corrfirrt.rble qrip
( F I ( ; . 2 ) . T l r e i r r r p r o v c d. r c c c s s i b r l i r r ,: t r t r l i l t r r c k . l ( ' c c s s t o t l r c t o o l s .
o f ' t l r c i l ( ' c c s s ( ) r \t ,o o l s . c o n r b i r r c t l ( l o l e n r u r r : r d r l s r r t t l i n b l p r r c k : r g i n .
tlon'r siclc is th:rt thc h:rncllcsflcx
rnorc tlrlur other tools \\,e trstccl.
(lclbcr- took
\rct lnot]tcr'
I
^,
: r p p n r : r c hu i t h i t s M u l t i - L o c k t o o l ,
Ir:rvirrctlre plrcr hc:rd rctrrrt'tstllight
b l c k r r r t o t h e h a n r l l c s( F r c . 5 ) . T h i s
dirln't solvc thc lcccssibilitv pr'ob
l c r r r .b u t t h c g r i p r s c o r r r t i r r t r b l c .
T\vo corrrprrnicsdidn't evell
n'orr-\' :rbout lr:rvirrgthc plicrs fold.
Kersh:nr,lsunirlr.rc eppmuch is t<r
:rrllpt r lockrng plicr bv :rddirrs a
knifc lnd tools to it (FIG. 6). Tlris
nlcrlr)\v()u cun cl:rrn1.r
the Multi Tirol
in pl:rcc rncl still havc both h:rrrds
fi'cc. lr rell plus in sotrre sitr.r:rtiorrs.
,e
'i cil ru
:!i:
$
:i
Gerberkeptthe edgesof the grips
smoothby havingthe plierhead
retractintothe handles.
Insteadof worryingabouthavingpliers to a compactlockingplier.Thejaws
that fold,Kershaw
simplyaddeda
openovera widerangeso youcan
knife blade and a few key accessories
clamponto a varietyof items.
!
''rdi*'d:-
W()l(KlrLN(
H
l
N 1A I { ( ] I I
A P I T .I L
I999
\
\
- on
Onehandleof the MultiMaster
the defit as shown- hasa hollow
rccessin the endto accepthex bib.
Theother handleholdsaccessorytools.
Long and narrow the Kershaw
Multi-Tool fits on your belt like a
fixed-blade sheathknife.
Kutmasterriveted a channelhanto one side of a
dle with accessories
traditionalblunt nosepliers to create
the MultiMaster (FIG. 7). A hole in
the end of the solid handle accepts
hex-shapeddriver bits and the sheath
haspocketsto hold them.
Spdnglocks lleftl or slidingbuttons
(dgfrtl operateeasily.Torcleasetfie
lock lcenterl
l.edrerman SuperTool's
you must nrtateanotherbladeto 90'.
Leathermanlshownhercl and Gerter
offer addon tool kib that allorvuseof a
vadeUof hexshapedbib. Bnt these
kib meanadditionalbulk to cany.
SuperTool, and the Gerber MultiLock - havelocks on all the tools.
And though the SOG Power Plier
- with no blade lock - ranked
Leatherman, Gerber, Kershaw and
SOG install full-sizePhillips bits that
work great. SOG includes a square
drive bit standardon its PowerPlier.
You canbuy auxfiary adaptersfor
the Leatherman(Etc. 9) and Gerber
tools that accepta firll range of hex
bits.But thesecome in separatecases
that defeat the all-in-one compactnessof thesetools.
high with our testers,it would have
done evenbetter with locks on the
accessories.
MOREPHIILIPS, LES!i SLOTTED
In a world where square-driveand
Torx screwsare beginning to replace
Phillips-head screws,do you really
PREFERRED
BLADE
TOCKS
'When
youte bearing down on an need four slottedscrewdriverblades?
accessoryblade, the last thing you Our testers complained about this
should have to worry about is hav- overabundanceof slotted screwing the blade slip and fold back into drivers,particularlywhen the manuthe handle (or your finger). Many of facturersskimpedon the Phillipsbits.
Buck, for example,usesa threethe multi-tools have spring-loaded
catchesthat lock some of the blades sided Phillips bit, while Victorinox
in place (FIG. 8). Only a few - the and Schradegrind two sidesslightly
SwissTool,BuckTool, Leatherman thinner to maintain a flatter blade.
HIGHTYRAIED
SERRATED
Knife blades on all the tools are
extremelysharp- asa coupleof our
testersfound out firsthand.Theblades
come in a variety of sryles,some of
them partially or firlly serrated(see
the bladestylesat right).Thesetoothy
blades are particularly aggressive
when it comesto cutting - it didnt
take our panellong to reduce50 feet
Vercions
Stiil Vensatile
Pocket-sized
KtffiMltrtltffir($19)
SOGGrussst
lf you arcn't the belt-sheathtype
of
or don't needa firll complement
tools,a mini-toolmaybe iust the
and
ticket for you.Leatherman
SOGswapscissorsfor the pliers
and offer a smallknih blade,
tweezerc,a na:lfile, bottle
opener,and a coupleof
scrcwdriverc.The
scissorcmake
the Micraand
,egdwman
Grosscnt
fficla ($22)
favoriteswith flyfishermen.(As
this articlewentto prcss,SOG
o[ the
intrcduced
a pliersYersion
Grusscut
calledtheGrcssGrip.l
Kutmaster
breakswithconvention in this classtoo,offuiinghex1V32r',
and
headwrcnches137ratt,
r7r"; stampedinto the folding
ooverof the MiniMastenThistool
of
alsocomeswith the complement
knife, scissors,tweeze6, and tools
foundin the others.
Buck recertly intrcducedthe
MiniBuckTool,whichofferspliers
for smallrcpaircaruundhomeor
woRKBENCH
tr MARCH
I APRrL
1999
Eventhoughthe Schradebleathercase
is bullq comparcdto the ny'oncasefor
the BuckTool,you can strap it on hori.
zontallyso it's morestrcamlined.
All the tools arc madeof stainlesssteel,
but a numberof companiesgiveyou a
choiceof a polishedsteelor blackoxide
finish.Typically
the blackversionsarc
$5 to S10 more.SOGevenhasa goHtoneTltaniumNilddecoatingthat adds
yet anotherS10 to S15 overthe cost of
the Hackversions
of nylon
is a smallprice to pay''
We alsorecommend
the Leatherman
SuperTool,SOG Power
Plier,and the BuckTool.
If weight and compactnessarent issues,the
SchradeToughToolmay
be the one for you.The
KershawMulti-Tool gets
high marksfor engineering,
but our testersseemedto shy
awayafterit pinched rwo different panelists'hands
asthey
squeezedthe handlesinto the
bright stainJesssteel or a military
matteblack(FIG. 11).
You just haveto pick the tool that
has the accessoriesyou need, feels
good in your hand and on your belt,
and fits your budget. (The chart on
page60 canhelp you sort thingsout).
As proof of this personalpreference,our eight test panelistsconsistently named several tools among
their top five basedon their testperformance. Yet four diflerent tools
wound up as a number one choice.
Asked why they chosethat one tool
over the others,most of our testers
had a specificreasonor rwo to support their decision,before adding"it
just felt righr."
Basedon overallqualiry accessory
selection,and performance,the'Wave
and SwissToolrankedastop choices.
Although they cost the most of any
tool tested,they consistendyranked
first or secondwith our panel.In the
words of one tester,"if I was really
going to dependon one,another920
in the office,alongwith a small
scissols,a bottle openet,knifie,
nail file, tweezers,andtwo sc1€w.
driverc.TheMiniBuck,Micra,and
Grosscutall fiDldsimilarlyto their
biggerbruthers.
Basedon the qualityof constructionandfeaturcsin a small
package,out testersovenyhelm.
inglychosethe Leatherman
Micra
and SOGGrusscutas the tools
they'dmostlike to canT.
lf youwantsomethingin
between,Gerberhasthe Multi.Lite,
sod of a high-techpocketknife.lt
($301
hasthe samebladesand manyof
the sametoolsfoundin the fullsizeGerbertools, plusa pair of
foldingscissols.
Its rcmovableplasticlid hasan
amberdiode"emergency"light
and stolagecompailment,
althougt it appearcdto our testerc
that the lid wasa nuisancethat
ffirilaffiltfc($30;
wouldend up lost. Also,the tool's
squarcdoff edgesand size
makeit unconrfortableto
carry in your pocket.
rope into tiny pieces.
Without honing the factory edges,all
but the lowest-priced models cut as
well at the end of the test as they did
at the start, testament to the qualiry of
steel used in the blades.
IT COMESDOWNTO PREFERENCE
There are many other options
beyond the models shown here.
Usually, you can choose berween
nylon or leather sheaths(FIG. 10).
Some companiesoffer severalmodels, each equipped with different
tools, including bluntnosepliers,or
give you a choice of finishes -
WORKBENcH
tr MARcH
] APRIL
$4rrrPolhrt,
tuilySenabd
Iocking posirion.
No matter which tool you
choose, be warned. Once you start
carrying it around on your belt, you'll
wonder how you ever got along
without it. rT
ntfiSrllnfrlt
Itinl&td(Td
1999
".r"
59
Multi-ToolFeatures
6t(.t
&$*
q\t.
ii'-.:**i*ltt*.,*#33'l3l1i.oo,nn,'",,"."*"2(l$f
CoastPro PocketPliers
($30)
4\
GerberMulti-LockWoodsman
d=--fl+
gEe.-=\
[oou,
SuperTool
Leatherman
($58)
ShradeToughTool
($50)
-oi;;*+,
A,R,
Lifetime
C,ws,
zzz-zzse
leoo;
SOGPowerPlier
($60)
Lifetime
Yes A,SD,
c
(206)77t-62s0
shown are average
60
woRKBENCH
tr MARCH
I APRIL
1999
r
i
RoutedAddress
Sign
This addresssign
offersproof that home
improvement projects
dont have to be large
or complex to have a
big impact.The sign
really dressesup my
home'sentryway,and
it's much more visible
than the stamped
metal numbers it replaced. And
making the sign is easyand fun. It's
just a board with a recessedfield
createdby freehand routing around
number patterru.The painted background contrastsagainst the raised
numbers and border, and matches
the house'scolor scheme.
Tool and material requirements
for this sign are simple aswell.You'll
need a 2-ft. length of select-grade
white pine 1x8, plus a can of spray
paint. For tools, round up your
router and a few basic bits 1/s"- and r/q"-dia. straight bits, and
a 7/4" cove bit. I also used a shopmade acrylic router baseplate(see
the Skill-Builder on the next page).
To finish and preserve the sign, I
tried a technique learned from
Workbench
reader Clifford Hicks. He
makes signs from white pine
becausehe likes how the wood, if
left unfinished, weathers ro a
bleached-whitecolor over time. But
bare wood invites mildew and rot.
Finishing the wood improves its
longeviry but most exterior top
woRKBENcH
tr MARcH
I APRIL
1999
61
ADDRESS
SIGNELEI'ATIONS
s/q', -\
lrl
T-rfl
A"fA,/A
r l/ \\.__l
ll { llI )
-""",/
Y/\l
/<
-//vr'\/
<\-
'Times"characters.
Recessed
field,
coats inhibit sun-bleaching. When
Mr. Hicks accidentally spilled
bleach on a piece of pine stock, he
had his solution - bleach the wood
to speed the weathering process,
then protect the sign with finish.
But all chisaborrtfinishing is prenrature. The first order of business is
rnaking the sign.
BYTHENUMBERS
Determining the sign's dimensions
starts with sizing the nunrbers. I
used characters 31/2" high. They're
large enough to see from the street
6" squareacrylicplate---a
@
\r
Br\
'\t"*'
clearance
\\
/q\
\
\,
\
ltl
til+
'illl
It!
1/4"coue,
%" deep
without making the sign too large
(ADDR-ESSSIGN ELEVATIONS).
After deterr-nining the number
size, you need to pick a character
style, or font.You'll find a variery of
fonts at art supply stores,or you can
buy addressnut'ubers at a hardware
store and trace around them. You
can even draw nuurbers freehand if
Drill a l%'r-dia. holeat eachintersection of the layoutlines.A Forstnerbit
cuts cleanerholesthan a spadebit.
photocopies to enlxr€le or reduce
them to the proper size.
Once you've sized your nunrber
patterns, you can lay them out to
deternine the sign's overall size. I
r-narkedboundaries for the recessed
field 1/+"above and below the nurnbers and 3/s" to each side,and added
1rl:" of width ntd21/z" of length to
you prefer. I used tny conrputer'.s r-nakenry sign (>"-wide by 14"-long.
l-lefore cutting your sign to final
word processing prograr-n, which
size,nrlrk its outside dintensionson
gave me r-nanyfont choices.
the 1x8. Where the lines intersect,
First, I weeded out fonts with
drill 1ll+"-dia. holes to form the
intricate details, knowing they'd be
sisn'.s decorative corners (FIG. 1).
tough to rout. I picked several candidates from the remaining choices Then cut the sign to size along the
and prir.rted r.ny address in each layout lines (FIG. 2).
Now you can mark the inside
sryle. In the end, I chose a font
called "Tir.nes." Then I printed
numbers at the 3rl2" height.
If you're creating your patterns
using store-bought numbers, t-uake
boundaries of the border. Make
these layout lines dark so vou'il be
able to see thenr rvheu you start
routing the recessedtleld.
Keepa firm grip on the ruuterand look
thruuefithe baseplateas youguidethe
bit. Weareyeand ear protection.
Forabsolutelycleanedgesalongthe
numbercand border,usea Vl" chisel
to pareup to your layoutlines.
\\-r\.
\N
\
Mountrnghote\,,
'/
SKILT.BUILDER
A GlearView
Makeviewinglayoutlineseasierby replacingyour
router'sstandardbaseplatewith a platemadefrom
%"-thick clearacrylic.Useyourexistingplateas a
patternfor the bit holeand mountingscrewholes.
62
WORKtsENCH
N
MARCH
APRIL
1999
Auxiliary
miter
Cutalong
outsideof
layoutlines.
Ripthe signto final widthfirst, then
crosscutit to lengthusingan auxiliary
fenceattachedto your miter gauge.
Routinga Uq" covearoundthe sign
addsvisualintercst,plusprovidesa
paintablesuface that framesthe sign.
Drawa baselineto simplifyaligning
the numberpatterns,then stick them
in placewith sprayadhesiye.
lloutinq a r/.1" cove arouncl thc'
sisrr'.soutsicle eclges clresscsup the
sign and frrrnresit rvith color, better
defining the eclses(nlc. 3).
I3y the wry, if you're not in the
hlbit of wearinu eyc-lnd ear protection, now'.sthe tinre to st:rrt.l)eering
tlrrouql-r thc router'.s brsepllte puts
you in closc proxiurity to flying
chips lncl tl-renrotor'.sw:ril.
Start with the l/.+"-clia.strlight bit.
WEATHER
ANDPROTECT
ROUTT0 SUCCESS
Now you neec'lto lay out tlte nunrbers on tl-re sign. You coulcl place
elch pattern on yorlr woocl :ind
trace arouncJit, but I fcrunclit casier
to glue thc patterns in phcc usinq
rrtist'.ssprxy adhesive (FIc. 4).
If you havc'r't't triccl frcclranclrouting before,tlre pK)cessnrly sourrd
intirnidatins, but I bct you'll be
surprisedby the control you have.Just
nrake sure vour bits lre shlrp anc'ltakc
If yor.rie workinq rvith piue, ls I was,
you can set tl're bit lor the full l/+"
depth-of-cut.Then e:rsc'the bit into
the woocl lrrywhere in the arel of
thc fle.ldyou'11be renrovir.rs(FIG. 5).
I{out ls close asyou conrfbrtably can
to the uuurbers lnc-lthc edgesof the
borclcr. For thc' firral pass,switch to
thc l/s"-dix. straisht bit. If you don't
feel steady routins riqht up to the
layout lirres,stay l/s" outside, therr
your tirrre. If you're rvorkinq with
hardwoods, niake scver:rl l/s"-c'leep finish up with a chisel (FIG. 6).
passesto reach firll c.lcpth.Tbset the
When you'rc clone, peel off the
feel of controlling the.router, pr:lcticc r.rr.rrrrber
p:rttenrs,lnd sand away any
on scrapstock first.
whiskers left by the router.
untilall paintis removed.
After removingthe numbertemplates An electricsanderand 120-gritpaper
and sandingthe sign,sprayon seyeral quicklyremoyespaintfrom the sign's
coatsof paint.Darkcolorswork best.
raisedsurfaces,exposingthe wood.
H
*
cxpose the bare wood (flC. 8).
Wipe r liber:rl coat of l.rousehold
bleach on the bare wood, let it dry,
then lightly hand sand to renrove
any trised gmin. Fin:rlly, coat the
sien with exterior polyurethane.
This process protects the sign from
the elernents,but gives the exposed
wood an aged, sun-bleached look
that adds contrast lnd character.
Making addresssigns allows your
iurasination to roam. Choose any
size, shape, lnd character sryle you
want.YoLl ca.n even add your nar-ne,
or the nal11eofyour street.For a differc'nt look, try recessingthe nuntbers instead of the field, as shown
below. However you do it, this sign
lets you experiment, have fun, and
see that c'ven simple projects can be
big l-ronreir.nprovements.tF
Thoroughly
coverall
surfaces
withpaint.
W(TRKBFN(
The first step ir.rfinishing the sign is
to spray it with paint (FIG. 7).Lry
on a couple oflight coatsfirst to seal
the wood, followed by orre or two
hc'avierco:rts.
Altcr the paint dries, sand the
paint ofF the raised surfaces to
MAt{(
H
At't(il
l,r,r,r
v
f)o06
h
r'
'2,-63
SrylishLandscape\Xhl
Every beginning woodworker learns lessons
about matching the right tool with the task at
hand, but in an age of power tools it's easyto
think that brute strength is always the answer.
This bias even showed up in some of my early
project designs.More than a few of them were
overbuilt, mostly to avoid the cheap
construction I found in so much
store-bought furniture.
The reactionsI've gotten to this
light-duty landscapewall, though,
prove that sometimesless is more.
With a mild slope and a grade only
12 to 1.8inches abovethe sidewalk,
my front yard didnt require a massive structure to hold it back, so
there was no point in using railroad
ties or the large landscapetimbers
that often see duty in retaining
walls.Heavily constructedwalls like
that have a muscle-bound look I
didn't want. They're more Olympic
weightlifter, and I wanted the
sculptedstrength of a gymnast.
ilE WAtt
REIiIVEilNilG
Though this design worked fine
for my situation,the practicalheight
limit for a wall like this is probably
about rwo feet. Before you commit
to duplicatingit, makesureyour site
requirements dont call for something beefier.Like a lot of outdoor
projects,wood retaining walls sometimes wait for years before they
revealthe true skills of their makers.
It's not that difficult to put together
something that looks good when
new,but time and natural forceswill
eventually betray poor craftsmanship or engineering.
First of all, you're trying to
restrainthe soil equivalentof a small
glacier, especially on steep sloPes.
The forcesworking to push the wall
over or apart are sloq but they are
I refined this wall a litde by using
lighter components, routing details
for a more customized design,and
by using solid-color latex stainsto
give some color to the pressuretreated lumber. The 2x8 fascia
boards make a lot of these features
possible(RETAINING WALL coNSTRUCTTONVIEW POSTDETAIL).
They alsoprovide a 1"-wide shoulder on eachsideofthe 4x6 posts,so
the rail ends can nest securelythere
but not be fastened,which would
restrict their movement.This allows
the rail sectionsto "float" befiveen Dig a rcugh trcnch to establishthe
the posts, so frost heaving of the locationof the wall. Fine-tuningwill
ground won't break the wall apart. come later, whenthe postsarc in.
64
woRKBENcH
tr MARcH
I APRIL
1999
RETAINING
WAIL CONSTRUCTION
VIEW
(Alllumberis pressure-treated
southernyellowpine.)
Post
g3Vz"x1lz"
\
(lengths
vary)
(Special
thanksto the Southern
ForestProductsAssociation
for
their helpwiththis project.l
postCap
tVz"xTVz"Wx9"L
Railcap
L"x5lz"
(lengths
vary)
6"-long
Timberlockbeamfastener
OlympicMfg. Group
(
(800)633.3800
RSSstructural
screws
(7rnnx 80mm)s/ro"x 3"
orderfromGRKCANADA
(800)263-0463
Fascia
Llz"x7lz"
(lengths
vary)
1/2"x3/q"
(lengths vary)
Rail
3lz" x3Vz"
(lengths
vary)
rclentless, :rncl in lt)rny stittcs thc
stmctlrrc' llso has to copc r,vit]r vcr-tic:rl nroveruentof tltc glounc'lfl"orrr
fi'c'czc/tl'rawcycling. Sonrc srtuntions rccluirc I-rcavyrcinfcrrccnlcnt
r'vith stcel cablesol buriecl tirrrbcrs
thrt resist thc soills nrovclncnt. I
nrlnased without thosc, but I clid
pol.ll' ('orlcrctr' Pllqg Iootirrqs firr
str"ensrh(FOOTING ANATOMY).
()nc iurportant safcty r)()tc:Any
tinre you're soinq to clig dcep holes
in youl yud, crll your locrl utility
conipanics to :lrrangc tor ntalking
(TOPVrEW,
WTTHOUT
POSTCAP)
ofunclcrgrouncl clbles ol buriccl qrs
lr)cl wirtcr lines. (Thc servicc is fi'cc
btrt yotri'c rcsponsiblc'fbr schcciulinq it, lncl for clanrlqeif you don't.)
Thc cxistins siclcrvrlkcstablished
the line for nry r,vall,lncl I rousrlrecl
out ir tlclrch r,vith:r shovel (FIG. 1).
My tl'cnch clepth r:rnqeclfi'ont I"-4"
belorv tlre top of the sidewalk, to
lllow for l shlllorv qrrvcl dr'rinrse
| . . t ' t ul t t . l e r r t c ; r t rl rl r e r : r i l\ r c t i ( ) r ) s .
The l:ryout I usccJfeatulcs a ,lx(r
post cvery six fcct, which kccps tl.re
r:ril sections l nilnagc-ablelensth.
Ercl'rpost holc urersureslt least2 ft.
clcc;r,nrrclI anglecl the sidewallsinto
l wec'lgcslrapetlrrt resistsfrost I'rervine (rtc. 2). If you're near a siclewalk, keep the posts lnd footinqs I
few inches awry - sidervalksaren't
built to rvithst:rndl:rteralloads.
If yotrr site is fiirly level fi'or.n
encl to end, the tlench depth ar-rd
nunrber of rails in c.achsection will
bc c()nsistent.
If it slopes,you'll havc
to dig the trench slightly deeper
( l r t t l u s er r r o r er - l r l r )i r r s t l r n rs c ( t r o l ) s
so the top of the wall stayslevel.
FOOTING
ANATOMY
( S I D EV I E W )
Gravel
backfill
Drainage
pipe
(optional)
post
Concrete
footing
widens
Restpost
endin
rockfor
drainage.
at base.
WOI{KBENCH
Gravelfill
alongsidewalk
D
MAI{CH
API{IL
As you dig eachpost hole,shapethe
sidewallslike a wedge,widerat the
bottomand taperingtowardthe top.
1999
65
Drivestakesat the
endsof the wall,
then transferlevel
marksto run a string betweenthem.
Setthe poststemporarilyin placewith
then mark
crushedrcck underneath,
the heiglrtfor cutting. The lower string
alignsthe front facesof the posts.
Wth the crushedrock still intact lfor
drainagel,set eachpost in placeand
recheckthe height.Thenpourconcretearoundit and recheckplumb.
SETNilGIHE POSNi
'With
the holes dug, you'll need
wood
stakes and string lines to
establish the position and height of
the posts.A water level (or a string
later with a circular saw.) When it
comes time to pour the footings,
place each post, check its alignment
with the guide strings, and get some
concrete in the hole (FIG. 5).With
details or patterns that match elements on your house, or come up
with something new. I wanted a
small Craftsman-style "four-square"
level) will let you mark the height
accurately at both ends of the wall
(FIG. 3). I ran two string lines, one
the hole half filled, recheck the
post's height and plumb before you
pour in the rest ofthe concrete.
for the top of the posts, another to
keep the fronts of the posts in a
straight line.Then with a 2" layer of
crushed rock in each hole, I
dropped the posts in to mark them
for cutting to length with a miter
saw (rIc. 4). Number the posts to
keep the sequence in order. (Ifyou
prefer, you can leave the posts a little long, set them in concrete, then
snao a chalk line and cut them off
motif that would be easy to duplicate, so I built a jig to use with a
router and a bearing-guided dishing
bit fIG ELEVATIoNS). I simply
clamped the jig onto each workpiece
FASCIAS
ADDDESIGN
MOTIF
and followed the pattern with the
As I mentioned earlier,with this router (FIG. 6). I also used the jig to
landscape wall design the posts drill a consistent series ofscrew holes
anchor the wall but don't directly for fastening each fasciato its post.
hold the rails.Instead,the rail secOnce the concrete footings have
tions nest behind 2x8 fasciaboards had at least a day to cure, you can
fastenedto the posts.
Aside from this load-bearing
function, the fascias also let you
exploredesignoptions.Youcan rout
install the fascias. Clamp them to
each post, then use hardened steel
screws (paint heads before installing)
ro secure them (nc. 7).
I useda faux raised-panel
cufter to
rout a shouldercdbevelon the rails.
Oriert the rails face up for this.
Thisdge-guidedruutersetup,with a
34" straigtt bit, pruducedthe spline
frooves. Keepguide on the frort face.
RAltEtEltAnoilli(rruovrew)
1/+rr-deep
spline
gtooves
Shouldqed
bevel
l--31/2"-----l
66
woRKBENCH
!
MARCH
I APRrL
1999
lrc EwATrol{s
'" (Yt".
I.T
Ttr
7sV"'N
Edgecleats
3/+"x3/4"
pine
2"square
openings
-7y2"-
Youcan add a
designto the fas.
cias with a routei iig,
and bearing.guided
dishingbit linsetl.
Thefasciasbearthe wall'sloaddirectly, so use seriousfastenersto securc
themto the posts.I got RSSstructural
scrcwsfiom GRK,18001263.0463.
ROIMNG THE RAITS
It would have been possible simply
to stack the 4x4 rails together to fill
the wall sections in, but this wasn't
the best long-term solution, and it
sure wasn't the look I wanted.
Again, simple routing added visual
appeal and strength to the design.
First, a shouldered bevel routed on
the top front edge of each rail helps
dress up the wall, and it sheds water
during assembly,and lock them as a
unit to resist the soil's force. Use a
3/+" straight bit here, again with an
edge guide (FIG. 9). Don't cut the
rails to length yet. Each section will
vary a little, so trim to fit as you go.
(FRONT
V|EW)
7c"holes,for
drillinggulde
(Posltion
pahs
every6" or as
necessary,)
Fascianestsinside
edgecleatsfor routlng
anddrllllng.
zr-N_^
F-
9"-----
32"ptywooa
(ENDVIEW)
then set the first rail in place and
adjust it until itt level (nlc. 10).
Next, nail a spline in the top
you'll need to make sure each groove of your first rail, and place
trench section is the right depth and the next rail on top of it (FIG. 11).
(Rerr ErnverroNs,Frc. 8). I used is level from post to post. To keep To lock the rails together, I drove
an edge guide and a cutter that's the top of the wall level along a run long screws called Timberlok beam
designedfor a raised-panellook. that slopes,you'll have to grade the fasteners, made especially for this
(Porter-Cable's#43154 or Bosch's trench in a seriesofsteps, increasing purpose (Olympic Manufacturing
SS-85480Mwill cut this profile.)
the number of rails as the ground
Group, 1-800-633-3800). A latex
Next came spline grooves,cen- descends.'Wheneach section of the stain went on after I assembledeach
teredin the top and bottom ofeach trench is graded, allow for and add a section (FIG. 12). I also added more
rail.The splineshelp align the rails layer of gravel for a drainage bed, gravel aiongside the bottom rails.
After layinga graveldrainagebed in
the trench,set the first rail in place
and tamp it until it sits per{ectlylevel.
WORKtsENcH
!
MARCH
I
APRIL
ASSEMBTING
THERAII SECTIONS
Beforeyou laythefirstrailin place,
Naila splinein the rail'stop groove,
then set the next rail in placeandfas.
ten it with several6".long scrcws.
1999
Applypaintor stainwhileyou can still
tilt the rail sectionsclearof the post
fascias.I usedsolid.colorlatexstain.
67
Usea iig sawto notch the fiont con
nerc of the rail capo.Ihis rclief lets
them nest snuglybehindthe fascias.
After ruuting the edgBcof the rail caps
with a rcundoverbit, fasten them in
placewith gFhanizeddeck scrcrvs.
The post caps install the sameway.
Youshouldhaveabout a 1" space
betweenthem and the rail caps below.
TRIMADDS
IHE AC:GE]{T
You can use stock lumber sizes
for the trim components if you
want - 5/4x6 decking for the rail
caps,and 2x8 material for the post
caps.Again, I chose to add some
routed details. The corners and
lower edgesof the rail and post caps
got a | / 4" -radiusroundover,and the
top edgesgot dressedwith a larger
roundover bit I borrowed from one
of my woodworking buddies. It's
not necessaryto replicate these
detailsexacdy,but I do recommend
routing all exposededgeswith some
sort ofrounded contour for safety.
Becausethe rail caps are wider
than the rails,you'll need to notch
their front corners to fit around the
fascias(rtc. 13).I did this with a jig
saw, then routed the roundover
detail on the edges.Like the rails,
the rail capshave to be cut to fit for
each section. I measured.cut. and
routed all of them, then
applied the
accent color stain and let them dry.
With that done,it wassimply a matter offastening them to the rail sections with 2" galvanized deck
screws (FIc. 14). Finally, the wall
got topped off with the post caps,
secured\irth21/2" screws(rrc. 15).
Assembled,each post and rail section should resemble the example
shown in the FOOTING ANATOMY
illustration back on page 65.
After I put my tools and painting
sbppliesaway,I grabbed a shovel to
backfill the trench with gravel.
While I was working, a man and his
young son walked by. He stopped
and said,"I really like your wall. It's
kind of . . . graceful."He seemedto
hesitatewith the word,like it wasan
odd description for a retaining wall.
I guessit is, but then adding some
sryle and grace to the project was
the whole plan.tT
The rail capsand post capsprovide
the icing on the cake. With the
exception of affording a little shelter
to the end grain on the posts and
fascias,their function is stricdy decorative.But they re easyto make,so
that's fine. I said earlier that the relarively light engineering requirements for this retaining wall allowed
me some leewaywith the design.
The trim pieces did more than
add shapeto the wall, however.They
also gaveme more to work with for
a color scheme.The fasciasand the
rails allowed for two shades of a
graylkhaki stain- a good start.But
the muted blue/gray accent color
had so far made it only onto the fastener heads and the routed foursquarepattern in the fascias.Using
the samecolor on the rail and post
capsdressedup the look more. And
for this step,I found it easierto stain
all the parts before fastening them
to the rails and posts.
68
woRKBENcH
tr MARCH
I APRIL
7999
Usirg A Circularsaw
For a couple of summersduring high school I worked with a framing crew.
I d like you to believeI built houses,though that wouldnt be the truth. No,
I was the chief'ogo-fer" and cleanup guy.To this day my broom-handling
skills are topnotch, but just watching the carpenters work also gave me an
education in the art of framing. I
especially liked watching an older
carpenter named Pete.He wasnt the
fastest framer around, but what he
lacked in speedPetemore than made
WORKBENCH
up for in accuracy.Experience certainly played a part in this, though he
also benefited fiom some well-worn
cutting jigs. Sure, there were other
carpenterswho cut everything freehand and were good at it. But I've
found that, when armed with versions of Pete'sjigs and a litde knowhow, even the greenest greenhorn
can get accurateresults.
blade is sharp and none ofthe teeth
are damaged. Retract the blade
guard to check for binding or other
problems,and inspect the cord and
plug for damageor wear.
On most saws,the tilt scale is
fairly crude and lacks an adjustment
feature,so dont trust it for precise
angle settings.For 90o cuts, set the
blade for the maximum depth cut
and position a square against the
SETTII{G
UP
blade and sole plate, then cinch the
Before you plug i"
locking lever tight. Ifthe saw hasan
tDur s,lw and start adjustablecursor or 90o stop,index
cutting,checkit them to this setting.
over. Make
Repeat the processbefore maksure your ing 45o cuts.Ifyour saw lacksstops,
make your own marks on the tilt
scaleso you can quickly hit
thesesettingsagain.
69
Adjustbladedepthso the gullets
extendpast the bottom of the workpieceto clearsawdustfrom the kerf.
Forfinish cuts, an edgeguideOnceyou'vecut partwaythroughthe
homemade
or commercialeither
help
sheet,installa Kerf Keeperto
in
a
straiglttline.
steers
the
saw
keepthe stockalignedand supported.
SHEET
GOODS
BUZZTHROUGH
Though nry table saw is equipped
(FIG. 2). This keeps the plywood
from sagging and binding the blade,
but even with this device, you need
to sLlpport the sheet both left and
with extension and outfeed tables, I
often cut full sheets of pl1'wood with
nry circular saw. Without a helper,
4-ft. x 8-ft. sheetsare too unwieldy to
cut safely on a stationary saw.
You can trim a sheer rnro nrore
manageable.slightly oversize pieces.
then lnake your finish cuts at the
table saw. Set the blade depth so the
gullets of the teeth extend just below
the borrd (FIG. 1). A lower setting
will create unnecessary drag on the
blade and you'll get a rougher cut due
to the entry angle of the blade'steeth.
Since straightedge accuracy isn't
essentialfor such cuts, I snap a chalk
line or use a drywall square to mark
my line, then freehand the cut.
Once I've cut partway into the
sheet, I'11 stop and insert a Kerf
Keeper before completing the cut
Frameruoftentake adyantageof gravity, lettingit pull their wom-driyesaws
throughthe cut. lilt the 2x stockon
edgeand simplyguidethe saw.
70
right of the cut. After the oversize
piece is cut out, place its factory edge
against the rip fence when making
the final trim passon the table saw.
FORFINISHGUTS
USEA GUIDE
For greater accuracy when cutting
sheet goods, I use a homemade edge
guide (Erc.3).lt consistsofa straightedged 1x4 glued and screwed to a
12"-wide piece of tempered hardboard.The first saw passwill trit.n the
guide to width. From then on you
can align the edge of the hardboard
with the line of cut, and clamp the
guide to the workpiece. Since kerf
width can vary from blade to blade, I
always use the same blade with the jig
MOREPTYWOOD
TEGHNIQUES
plywood,
especially
you
cut
When
hardwood veneered sheets, you
want to minimize tearout. I've come
across a number of tricks that
accomplish this.
Starting with the saw,make sure
you use a sharp pl1'wood-cutting
blade - rypically one with 80-140
teeth. A zero-clearance hardboard
sole plate also helps reduce splintering (nIc.4).
Always put the plywood's best face
down - just the opposite of what
you do on a table saw. Because the
blade on a circular saw is spinning
upward at the point of contact, you
want the teeth to enter the good face
so any splinters occur on the poorer,
or "exit," side of the material. Scoring
the cut with a sharp utiliry knife or
to elinrinate inconsistencies.
placing masking tape over the line of
cut also helos reduce tearout.
Squarccutson
widestock rcquirca
guide.Ihissimplejig or
a SpeedSquarehelpscut anglestoo.
Glampingboads togetherlets you
gang-cutthem all in one pass.Thougilt
it takestime to set up, this onecut
methodensur€sunifom lendhs.
WORKBE
NCH
!
MARCH
APRIL
1999
l
SevenRules
for SafeSawing
1. Adequately
supportyourstockandclampit
possible.
downfimly whenever
2. Keepfingerswellawayfiomthe pathof blade.
3. Don'toverextend
yourreach,andkeepthecord
slackso it doesn'tcreatedragonthesaw.
possible,
4. Whenever
supportthewidepartof sole
- notonthecutoff.
plateontheworkpiece
Double-face
tape holdsa zerc-clearanceplateto the saw.Theplateand a
fine-toothbladereducesplintering.
To makeplungecuts, retractthe
guard,line up the blade,then pivot
the sawdowninto the cut.
5. Don'twedgeor tie the bladeguardin the
up position,
exposing
the blade.
6. Keepa steadycuttingspeed- don'tforcethe
sawthroughtheworkpiece.
Occasionally, you may need to
cut an opening in a panel. To make
this plunge (or pocket) cut you must
pivot the saw from the front edge of
the sole plate to lower the blade into
the stock (FIG. 5). Once the sole
plate restson the workpiece you can
finish the cut. Repeat this procedure
for each side ofthe opening. (Jnless
you overlap the cuts at the corners
of the opening, you'll need to finish
them with a handsaw.
DIMENSIOT{AI
TUMBER
TRICI(S
using a worm-drive saw. A favorite
trick of framers is to tilt the stock on
edge and let the saw'sweight push it
rhrough rhe cut (Flc. 6).
Crosscutting wider stock calls for
a saw guide. I use a fwo-sided cutoff
jig that handlesboth 90o and 45" curs
(FIG. 7). Some srore-bought squares
can serve the same purpose. When
you need to cut multiple pieces the
sarne length, gang-cutting lets you
cut all the boards in one pass(FIG. 8).
Another common need is to
form notches for lap joints. By mak-
lfhile
generally easier to handle
than sheet goods, dirr.rensionallunrber presents its own set of challenges thicker stock, repetirive
cuts, and longer pieces. It just takes
a difl-erent set of tricks to achieve
the same high qualiry resuhs.
You can put gravity to work crosscutting 2x stock, especially if you're
To notchyour stock,makemultiph cnts
within the notch layout- wilh the
bladeset to the depthof the notchthen usea chiselto rcmovethe waste.
woRKBENcH
tr MARCH
ing multiple cuts with the saw
through the notch layout, then clearing the waste with a chisel, you can
quickly complere this task (FIG. 9).
I d hacked my way through posts
on severaldeck projects before I discovered a trick for cutting them off
cleanly. First, you build a U-shaped
jig that slips snugly onto the post.
A U-sha@iig
keepsthe blade
cuts from opposingsidesof the post.
I APRIL
1999
7. let the bladecometo a stopbeforelowerlng
thesawor settlngit down.
lfith the jig clampedin place and
the saw's blade at full depth, you
then take passeson two opposing
sidesof the posr(FIG.10).
Most of the time, I prefer to use
my tablesawto rip lurnber.But in a
pinch, I can get the job done using
a circularsaw equippedwith a ripping guide (FIG. 11). Alwaysclamp
the board in placeso you can keep
both handson the saw.
These tips have all served me
well, but I'm surethere are other circular saw techniques and jigs out
thereifyou keepyour eyesopen.As
that greatAmerican philosopherYogi
Berra once said,"you can observea
lotjust by watching."U
An edgeguidelets you accuratelyrip
stock.Glampsallowyouto useboth
handsto steerthe sau Sacrificialtop
capson yoursawhorces
arc a must.
71
Tools& ShopGear
SawSeries
Gontractor's
DeltaRedesigns
Delta International Machinery has
All saws in the line share rlvo
model 36-444 (shown).lt replaces
redesigned its Contractor's Saws,
quite welcome improvements.
Delta'soldJet-Lock fence,and
making several upgrades, and
First, there's a new stand that has
borrows its Tlsquare designfrom
dubbing the line Series2000.
an integral dust chute.This stand
Biesemeyer,the well-known after-
also hasjust three
pieces, making it
easier to assemble than the
marketfencemanufacturerDelta
purchaseda few yearsback.The
fencehasa 30" cuttingcapaciryto
the right ofthe blade.
Series2000 Contractor'sSarvs
preuous version. Second,the
old toggle switch on the saw
casehas been been replaced
are availablein severalmodels,
with either a Unifence,UniRip, or
Biesemeyerfence,and featurecut-
with a largepaddleswitch
ting capacitiesfrom 28" to 50"
mounted convenientlyon the
right of the blade.Streetprices
front fencerail.
run from around$550 to $850.
Also worth noting is the new
UniRip fence, available on the
or go
Call Delta at (800)43i1-24t16
com.
to www. deltawoodworking.
Tapelife
Measuring
NylonBladeLengthens
The Ultralife tape also has a
blade hook with a reinforcing gus-
from U.S.Tape Co. you can tell iti a
blade wiper to clean the blade and
set. Large numerals and graduations
well-made tool, but nothing appears
keep debris out ofthe case,and a
in inches and feetlinches, as well as
Looking at the Ultralife tape rule
overly remarkable. A closer look
reveals a unique nylon-coated metal
markings for wood and metal studs
are all easyto read.Ultralife tapes
are avaiiablein 76-[t., 25-ft., and
blade. Manufacturing the blade
involves pushing it through a die as
30-ft. lengths,all with 1"-wide
nylon is extruded around it. The
blades.Pricesrangefrom around
nylon protects the blade and pre-
$11 to $18.Youcan contact
vents the numbers and graduations
U.S.TapeCo. at (800)472-8273
for more information.
from wearing off. U.S.Thpe Co.
claims the coating gives the blade a
life up to 10-times longer than a
conventional tape's steel blade.
72
woRKBENcH
!
MARcH
I APRIL
1999
UpSawzall
ElectricToolDebutsa Souped
Milwaukee
The latest efforts from the folks at
Milwaukee Electric Tool have
resulted in the Super Sawzall
model 6537-22.One of the saw's
most touted features is a variablespeed 10-amp motor that drives
the blade at 0-3,200 strokes-pernrinute. thc Lrstestofany reciprocating saw on the market. Stroke
length is 1lla".
In addition to fast cutting, this
saw offers Milwaukeels inrp:tct
protection system designed to
stoppedabruptly during tough
which includes a steel carrying case
shield the saw'sgears,bearings, and
cuts.The sawalsofeaturesa tool-
and an assortmentof blades.Youcan
motor. It isolatesthese mechanisms
f*^^
call Milwauke e * (800)414-6527 ,
from inrpacts encountered when
the blade strikes an object or gets
hl",l.
.1",-h
Streetprice for the SuperSawzall or try the company'.sweb site:
6537-22shouldbe around$220,
www. r-nil-electric-tool. conl.
TondModele:
Sonc
on7
6vildin6
tho
of
RN
ERS
CATAL(}G
TH
ETI'(}()DTU
Tria: $17.)f,; shi77in6
}I.f,o
Available thru local
or thru
Tlvo Bytes Publishing' Ltd.
Darien. CT
Toll Free Phone: 888-588-717f
Number202
Productlnformation
ProductInformation
Number200
CraftSuppliesUSA offers woodturnersthe
finest selectionof woodturning tools and
accessoriesanvwhere.We offer Richard
Raffanand Ray Key signaturetools by Henry
Taylor, WoodfastLathes,Vicmarc Mini Lathe,
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So give us a try, call now for your FREEcopy
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(800)551-8876. Fax (801)377-7742
Visit our web site at www.craftusa.com
Number176
ProductInformation
It's a Ghisel,lt's a Rasp,lt's a WoodGhuck
The WoodChuck combines a carpenterlschisel with :r nvo-sided wood rasp.
Nicholson, the tool's rnanufacturer'(and a division of Cooperlbols) nrakes
the chiselsfiom file steel,with one half-round face and one flat face,each
with a fir're-toothedrasp.The chiselshave a fllt-ground tip and rre avail:rble
ir^tt/2",3/q",or'1" blade widths. Pricesnnse fronr $10 to g12 each.Contact
Cooper Tools at (911))3(t2-1(r70or on the web at \wr.w.coopertools.cont.
BiSAiti SmallSpace
Carnpbell Hausfeld! VT 6291)air
conrpressortlr.nvs.rir vi;r :t c:rstirorr
t w i r r - c y l i r r d cpr u n r p c o u p l e dt o r
5-bp 12{)/ 241)-volt nrotor. That
assemblysits atop a 3O-eallon tank,
providing a snrall footprint and
exceller-rtbalance when you hlve to
nrove the nrachine.
ThcVT6299 develops 125 nraxinrunr psi and delivers (r.(rcubic fcct
pcr nrinute (CFM) at 40 psi and 5.u
CFM at 90 psi.Warranted for three
years,the contpressorsellsfor around
ol check
$450. Call (tl(X)543-(r-{t)0,
wwwcampbellhausfeld.conr.
Flome&l6rd Products
Mess
PaintRollerGleaner
SavesWate6Time;Reduces
The Roller Chamber Roller-Saver
rollersin 30 seconds,
usingjust
inside the chamber, and put on the
will, according the manufacturer,
one gallon of water -
lid. Place the Roller-Saver atop a
WallTech Inc., clean paint-filled
thought far-Gtcheduntil I tested
five-gallon bucket or in a sink and
it and got the promisedresults.
turn on the water. Spray from the
a claim I
The deviceconsistsof a 6"-dia.
holes in the vertical tube strikes
by 10"-long plasticchamberwith
the roller slighdy off-center, spin-
into one
a verticaltube recessed
ning the roller rapidly and soaking
interior wall.The tube hasa row
it with fresh water as the paint-
of tiny holesthat,when hooked to
laden water gets thrown off. After
a gardenhose,spraywater into the
30 seconds,shut offthe water and
chamber at great velociry.
the roller continues to spin, throw-
lttnms[t
J
To clean a
ing off most of the renraining
roller, you clip a
water. The Roller Saver costs
plastic guide onto
about $25 fromWallTech at
the roller frame,
(888)762-4583 or on the web at
slip the roller
www. rollersaver.com.
YouDon'tHaveto BuildIn
System
An In-Ground
Sprinkler
Built-in sprinkler systemsare conve-
supplypipes.Instead,you connect
around $25 each in home and
nient, but require digging trenches
your gardenhoseto the sprinkler
garden stores.Contact L.R. Nelson
and seasonal
maintenance.Portable
with a snapfitting. Turn on the
Corp. at (800) 635-7668.
sprinklersare inexpensivebut have
water, and up pops the
to be moved and resetall the time.
head. By running hoses
New Snap-N-Rain Sprinklersfrom
between heads, you can
L.R. Nelson Corp. aim to bridge
use multiple heads at
the gap betweentheseproducts.
the same time, provided
Like in-ground sprinklers,SnapN-Rain headsare recessed,
and sit
water pressure. Residual
flush with the ground when not in
water drains from each
pressureraisesthe heads
use.-Water
sprinkler after use, pre-
to sprinkle the sametargetedarea
venting it from freezing.
every time. These sprinklers differ
becauseyou dont bury any water
76
you have adequate
Snap-N-Rain
Sprinkler heads sell for
woRKBENcH
tr MARCH
I APRrL
1999
a VidualBreeze
SoftwareMakesDecorating
Gomputer
Broderbund Sofrware Inc. has intro-
Windows 95 or higher) combines
"interactive showrooms," and
duced a new tool for DIY'ers who
four aspectsof home design in one
20,000 home furnishings fron'r over
use a conputer mouse for planning
progranr: rerttodclin g. decoracing.
45 major manufacturers.As you
before swinging a hamn'rer.Total3I)
budgeting, and shopping. Even com-
pick appliances,furniture, floor and
Hon'tcDchrxc (for PCs with
puter or DIY novices can design and
wall coverings, and fixtures, you can
dccorate l single roonr or
place them in your plan.Then you
whole house,down to the
can "walk" through and "fly" over
firrniture.paint,and appli-
your house,and crcrre shopping
ances,then go on a 3D tour.
lists for products and nraterials.
The software allows you
Tbtal 3D Home Dcluxc isn't a
to drrg-and-drop specific
hardcore construction tool, but fbr
roolns into your plar-r,then
lessthan $50 it lets you view
combine thenr to build a
finished, decorated rooms and print
house. Plug in doors, win-
images you can use yourself or give
dows, etc. ar-rdyou get 2D
to a contractor. Call Broderbund at
and 3D views.Then the
(617)761-3(XX)or check the web at
fun begins.There are slick
www. totalhomenetwork. com.
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Number175
ProductInformation
Abraham
Lincoln
Yesterday...ln1863,
NearLincoln
Address.
delivered
theGettysburg
nextto those
tree,standing
wasa honeylocust
gathered
atGettysburg.
thecemetery
toconsecrate
fron the
Today...Theseeds
Addres
originalGettysburg
Honeylocust
havebeenhandpickedandgrownintosmall,
trees.
direct-offspring
Tomorrow...Youcanownandplanta historic
Forests
continue
ourwork
treeandhelpAmerican
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A bell rings in your house anytime
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Number177
Number193
ProductInformation
Floattns
Wbrks6fArt
So deep nd glossy
is tl.re flnish on
r Philip Grcetre
catt
cilnoe, it
renriucl you of the
flawlesssttrficc of
r quict wilclet'nessl:rke. (i'eerle lrlcl
his stlff of three etnphasizc clurlity,
spending250 to '+(X)hottrs to cntlt :t
crnoe, ol' 20 l'rours olt ol)e plclcilc.
(leclar ol redr.vooclstrips cot.tiprtsc
thc grlccfr.rl hulls, but itls the hl'clrvoocl accetrts auc-lcttsttltlr ttlttches
such ls haticl-clttcd seatsllcl illlly
thnt nukc the Woocl Sortq (llllocs
rvorks of art. llasecl in ll.otrncl (),
South Carolittl, the conrpill)y ttlrns
:ttr{:'J
\i::
j:;-.
out just ,0 handcrrfted boats pcl
year.Altl'ror"rghhe still contends yotr
nrust p:rclcllcit to tluly apprecilte l.ris
(lteene tro lollqcr rllinds if
crcatiot.ts,
his crnoes'"vindr.rpon clisplay'nliles
fronr arty hkc.Yor"t crrl relch hiltl :tt
137.
(rJ.+3)
[335-[3
I
ti
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