Home

I Snrrly Frllrrue A Tnrr I lrusrnll LnUtNATE Fr-oonrrue I

Contents

1. ta SHOP MPROVEMENTS American Michael McGibbon has over 35 years experience in the construction trades with 14 of those years spent living and working in Paris France While there he took particular liking to portable power tools from a German manufacturer called Festo McGibbon found these portable tools rivaled the precision of the stationary machines in his workshop New Tool Offerings Festo Brings Euro Influence to America ments and turret stops plus integral dust collection and a unique guide rail system The rail aligns the bit with a lay out line and helps produce straight accurate cuts The OF 1000 sells for around 330 with the guide Festo s AT 65 E 74 circular saw features plunge cutting capability with depth of cut control integral dust collec One of the big newsmakers at last year s National Hardware Show was the alliance between Energizer Power Systems the pink bunny people and Makita U S A The companies worked together to develop a new generation of battery packs for cordless tools Made with nickel metal hydride cells Ni MH this battery type could eventually replace today s nickel cad mium Ni Cad batteries as the pre ferred power source for cordless drills and saws Compared to Ni Cad batteries Ni MH cells offer higher power ratings 2 2 amp hours versus 2 0 amp hours in the Super High Capacity Ni Cad cells at a lower weight And since they don t co
2. THE NEW ACCUSET LINE OF TOOLS FROM 5 WOODWC Us ABC SO ARE v GON OMIC SOFT G SRIF i keni e FOR COMFORTABLE O JE HANDED CONTROL 4 pan u n A Pell es ae A dadah F EF r i Th DRIVEJFOR T SH DRIVER GO UN CRT NM he INDICATOR a falls fe uy EN IK Na TOREDAD POINTS KEEP YOUR Woine Ghz AND Ase 77243 Want to do woodworking like the pros Then check out the new AccuSet line of air powered fastening tools from SENCO the brand chosen 1 by professional builders AccuSet brad nailers and finish staplers have more power more features and the best warranty in the business And with prices starting around 100 you ll have money left over for project materials To find the retail outlet nearest you call our toll free number 1 888 222 8144 ACCUSET THE TOOLS YOU NEED FOR THE WORK YOU Do Professional Builders Brand Use Study 1996 1997 Ask us Call toll free 1 888 222 8144 Or visit us on the web www accusef com 1998 Senco Products Inc 8485 Broadwell Road Cincinnati Ohio 45244 1499 Safety First 4 7 The only way fo work Product Information Number 203 OVER THE FENCE Boat Building Program Takes Kids Off Streets Onto Water Chad Brenner and Jeff McKonly grew skills and see that there are alterna For more information you can con up together with an appreciation for tives to the lives they ve known tact the Philadelphia Woode
3. L September October 1998 3 95 a Canada and Foreign 3 95 102 0928101683 Display until Nov mber 16 1998 Table OI Features HOMEWRIGHT 26The Backyard Playhouse Big ideas in a small package That s what kids are and our children s playhouse is a perfect match With built in swings a slide and a lookout platform adventure is never far away Your fun Building it with our step by step plans WOODWORKING 38A Table Times Three Don t let a modest shop limit your imagination With this table trio you won t need a lathe Instead inexpensive off the shelf turned legs give you room to stretch basic skills and tools into elegant results WEEKEND PROJECT 46 Lay a Laminate Floor It looks just like wood but laminate flooring calls for some new techniques We ll show you the tricks for installing this new flooring alternative WORKSHOP 60 Stow Away Storage Losing the battle for more shop space Use your head or rather the space above it Both garage and basement shops offer room between the ceiling joists for our fold down storage system Lay a Laminate Floor page 46 Stow Away Storage page 60 Z Workbench September October 1998 i 6 QUESTIONS amp ANSWERS 12Tips 8 TECHNIQUES OVER THE FENCE 18 News and Events Kitchen Design Contest winners Tips amp Techniques page 12 Over the Fence page 18 IN DEPTH REVIEW 50 Buying a Chain Savv
4. Then cover the top vvith soil and grass seed or sod Plastic dry wells are also available in home centers Place one in the hole and surround it with gravel to keep Add gravel to fill hole within Downspout L Xe _ several inches of surface Fill hole to 24 full with large stones the soil from filling the well Then cover it with gravel soil and grass You can either bury the drain line leading to the well or let the water run over the ground to the well Your best efforts deserve Weyerhaeuser ChoiceWood hardwood F I aw a S N APAGUO R Red Oak easy to work Poplar and select Maple in a wide G Variety of convenient sizes all ready touse and readily available at home improvement centers and hardware i tor s from coast to coast Get your hands on ChoiceWood hardwood and put heirloom quality at your fingertips Weyerhaeuser GhoiceVVood Absolutely defect free every piece every lime SH S r N A Weyerhaeuser Product Information Number 208 Workbench t September October 1998 I rere PES T uadi 9 QUESTIONS amp ANSWERS Ks ee o ae a Br LF a i Backwired Switches Made for Speed Backwire holes on electri cal switches accept the Im installing several new light switches and outlets The replacement components all have both screw terminals for the wires as well as holes in the back to i
5. BIG WHEELS TRIMS far easier better more precisely than hand held trimmers Plus MOWS everything from whole lawns even wet to tough waist high growth with ease Rocks roots stumps etc do it no harm because the DR has no steel blade to bend or dull Perfect for ALL mowing and trimming around smaller properties vacation homes etc or for finish iig 4 mowing and trimming after riding mowers on larger par cels A delight for anyone to use OM o highland hardware ps Our giant too catalog gives r T i more than just manufacturer s S a m i specs We provide detailed tool descriptions useful techniques as well as a schedule of All About Your 3 re j educational seminars Home amp Garden i PAK AA Call for FREE catalog 1 888 500 4466 WAGNER SAFE T PLANER mee to grab or kick back Absolutely Safe For Drill Press or Radial Saw IEE Patented MADE Please mail this coupon today for FREE DETAILS I about the Revolutionary DR TRIMMER MOWER Visit us today wy USENET GOT including prices of Manual and Electric Starting www housenet com I Models Off Season Savings now in effect and 30 1 KSI Uf 2 i e Make Mode Dia 1D I AO REY Vine I he OUsSEHE ay Risk Free Trial There is no obligation 5 00 S amp H Outside USA add 5 00 OK Residents pay Sales Tax Name s Kit includes 3 Hi speed Steel Cutters Sharpening Tools amp
6. Gearing up for fall firewood cutting We sampled a dozen popular chain saws to learn which features really make a difference in performance TECHNIQUES DOF elling A Tree Proven techniques developed by professionals will help you take a tree down safely SHOP IMPROVEMENTS 62 New Tool Offerings WHATS NEW 68 Products For Your Home CRAFTSMANSHIP 2F antasy Garden Architectural salvage and eclectic statuary gathered by a British landscape architect make for a decidedly vvacky garden Techniques for Felling A Tyre page e 56 Spenser s Fantasy Garden page 72 Workbench a September October 1998 3 LETTER FROM THE EDITOR D I Y Rewards f I were in charge of everything a recurring fantasy of mine I d require building centers to post real ly big warning signs ld hang these blaze orange signs above entrance doors and at each aisle I d even put matching stickers on every product They d read something like this Warning Remodeling your home can be hazardous to the health of your bank account your marriage and your men tal state These products have been linked to nervous breakdowns This goes double if you re redoing a kitchen Readers who ve been following along the past few issues know that we stumbled into some expensive trouble with our kitchen remodeling project Thanks to termite and water damage uneven and out of level floors and a host of small setbacks we jetted past
7. Wendell Stone Des Moines IA HIPS 4 amp TECHNIQU ES f Stud nut is uf reverse threaded H Turn left to tighten VI 2 right to loosen 4 g S Fi f if E L Sa fy fii dj fi A J j af ff i F ff fy ri E j F f Fi E j l PEN f F P gj f i Pee goed E j i d P 1 E KA i L PETE i 1 gt MAT M E Top View j Toilet tank Our line of bandsaws is truly remarkable Not only for the selection with over a dozen models to drool over but for the amount of machine you get for your money We give you larger re saw capacity greater power and bigger blade widths Exquisite We gt European craftsmanship built to i t last and perform cut after cut Lal Buy the only bandsaw you ll m ever need from the largest and most experienced direct seller in North America Laguna Tools Consistently the choice for value you can t buy a more dependable bandsaw Backed by the most complete customer support in the industry Call our 800 number today to receive your free demo video and you ll drool too SH 2265 Laguna Canyon Road Laguna Beach CA 92651 800 234 1976 e 949 494 7006 Fax 949 497 1346 E mail lagunatools earthlink net Visit our Website www lagunatools com Product Information Number 190 15 Workbench September October 1998 TIPS amp TECHNIQUES Anchor Bolts for Heavy Duty Clam
8. 1 800 942 4406 extension SA38 l vesi Please rush free facts on TimberKing Mills TIMBERKING INC 1431 N Topping Ave Dept SA38 Kansas City MO 64120 Se i ai t City State Zip aone a er ae ae See ee bee SS ea ee ae ee Se Se SS 16 Workbench October November 1998 1098 Grow Bir iternmfional inc Pioo t Phoiolisc inc Sawmill goes right to the trees turns out Assistance from an Industry Y smooth true cut lumber even beginners get Leader excellent results a Just one man no crew needed can easily cut enough on Buy Sell and Trade Used and weekends to save thousands of dollars over high lumberyard New Tools Be 1 e ag eee ools Be the Low Cost rices Factory Direct selling keeps prices low Easy terms E Tool Ketailer in Your Market NO Refool is Part of the Grow Biz family of Retall Reeyeling Franchise Companies 4200 Pahlberg Prive Minneapolis MN 55422 RESETS Cre ose Computer bs usic ce nounn Miama Product Information Number 199 OVER THE FENCE News and Events Kitchen Design Contest Winners When we put out the call last year After for entries in our Kitchen Design Contest we didn t anticipate the overwhelming response vve d get Design entries included every thing from simple makeovers to full remodels and even adding on new space We saw designs sketched out on paper and refined with the help of professionals and those con ceiv
9. and while removing the old one I had a hard time loosening the nut that holds the lever to the tank I used a little more force and cracked the tank That s when I real ized the nut was reverse threaded This simple repair ended up costing me 50 for a new tank and a lot of wasted time William McLean San Marcos CA Editor s note Toilet lever mounting threads have reverse left hand threads to help keep the lever from working loose each time you flush Put Router Vac on Same Switch To pick up dust and chips from my router table I use a shop vacuum with a hose connected to the fence But I ve always found switching the two tools on separately inconvenient To get them both up and running simultaneously I installed a single gang box and a 20 amp duplex recep tacle on one front leg of the router table I wired this outlet to a 20 amp switch mounted in a separate box Then I wired a 3 wire 12 gauge cord about 12 feet long with a grounded plug to the switch With the cord plugged into a regu lar wall outlet the switch controls electricity to the table mounted outlet I plug my router and vacuum into the outlet and leave their power switches on When I flip the switch it sends power to the outlet and both the vac uum and router turn on and off at the same time Having the router plug within easy reach is also handy since I always unplug while changing bits or setups for obvious safety reasons
10. deep for rungs gt Side View 24 gt Workbench September October 1998 35 Trim the final course of shingles to 6 length and nail down over flashing Roofing Construction View etail Flashing D p Roll flashing fits into the groove in the ridge beam edar shingles 6 reveal TIP For maximum vveather protection dip shingles in exterior oil finish prior to installation We used Flood s CWF UV 1 800 321 3444 Shingle the Roof Roofing felt provided some protec tion but Doug was eager to make the roof watertight Having laid asphalt shingles gave him the con fidence to tackle cedar roofing on his own although I helped install the drip edge and starter course Roofing Construction View Before installing each final course we caulked the groove in the ridge beam with silicone and inserted the flashing Flashing Detail We nailed the the final course of shingles over the flashing Nails protruding through the underside of the roof sheathing pose a hazard to small playhouse occupants so clinch them over It s tedious noisy work but worth it from a safety standpoint Foam earplugs help 36 Workbench 1 September October 1998 Ladder and Slide Before mounting the ladder Doug eased all the edges with a 1 2 roundover bit He also routed any other edges that would make the playhouse more kid friendly Edges inaccessible to the router were round
11. installing it flat and flush with the outer face of the wall This provides a nailing sur face when you install the trim later and it helps pull the wall and sill plates into square with the first stud Then work your way across the wall adding studs and window and door framing pieces Doug left the top plate also called a doubler because it s the second plate that caps the wall off these walls for now opting to cut and install them after the four walls were set in place on the platform and plumbed with each other The front wall has a ledger installed to the right of the door opening that supports the inboard end of the swing set beam Ledger Back Wall Outside View lt Z 7 be 1 6 1 6 16 16 17 7 lt ni Front Wall Outside View 58 Sh dyer pe 282 Detail Because the ledger has to carry a hefty load drive several 3 long screws through the ledger into the 2x4 nailers then drive a couple of screws through the studs and into each end of the ledger to secure it firmly You build the end walls using a similar sequence but add the dou bler plates now so you can drive screws through them where they overlap the front and back walls Raise the Walls Working several weeknights Doug assembled all four wall frames in his garage and early the next Saturday morning I helped carry them down to the platform Starting with the back wall we hoist
12. of the others I saw have small ledges on each end Size the frame openings so the tubs slide in to this depth and the ledges rest on the wood frame Frame Detail Drill 4 diameter holes inside the corners of the layout lines then cut the openings using a jig saw Figure 1 Next ease the sharp edges by routing a 4 roundover on all the frame edges Mark hinge mounting locations on each frame and drill pilot holes for 10 x s long pan head sheet metal screws But don t mount the hinges to the frames yet Instead drive the screws partway into the holes for now You ll secure the frames to the hinges later after the hinges are in place on the joists Install the barrel bolts near the other end of each frame Note that they re positioned on the face opposite the hinge screws With the frames complete mark the position of one hinge on a joist Mounting Detail Use a framing Stow Away Storage Construction View WORKBENCH PROJECT SUPPLIES STOW AWAY STORAGE A kit has been assembled for this project that includes the spring hinges barrel bolts and all mounting screws needed to build one pair of frames i Order number 3308100 LI square to transfer this location to the adjacent joist Figure 2 Then drill pilot holes and fasten the hinges by driving 6 x 1 4 long flat head sheet metal screws Mount the frames on the hinges by slipping the screws you partial ly drov
13. our budget line faster than Richard Petty ever pushed a final lap Not that this is unique to us Ask most D I Yers and they ll tell you hor ror stories of budget busting overruns and heart stopping return trips to the building center And that includes many of the entrants in our Kitchen Design Contest The old adage fig ure how much time it will take and how much it will cost then multiply by three truly applies here At the very least you can t afford to lose your sense of humor But despite these pitfalls or pratfalls as the case may be we all live through the mess to enjoy the results Before and after pho tos of our kitchen overhaul give you a taste for the difference below And the winning entries in the Design Contest see page 18 speak even more eloquently of remodeling s virtues So to remodelers everywhere I say Hang in there It s worth the effort But in case you forget what big projects can do to you I think my sign idea could be a helpful reminder Maybe all they should say is Remember look before you leap WORKBENCH VOLUME 54 EDITOR ASSOCIATE EDITORS ASSISTANT EDITOR ART DIRECTOR SR ILLUSTRATOR ILLUSTRATOR SR GRAPHIC DESIGNER CREATIVE DIRECTOR SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER PROJECT COORDINATOR SHOP MANAGER SHOP CRAFTSMAN PROJECT DEVELOPER SENIOR PROJECT DESIGNER ELEC PUB COORDINATOR PRE PRESS IMAGE SPECS PRESIDENT amp PUBLISHER NUMBER 5 Christophe
14. Figure 2 This will make it easier to drill pilot holes for the hanger bolts used to secure the corner brackets to the legs The next step cutting shallow mortises on the two inside faces of each bolster for the apron tenons also calls for a router Here you have to guide the bit s path either with a router table setup or by using a jig like the one I designed Mortise Details and Router Jig r T d Use other end for mortise on adjacent face My mortise routing jig facing pa automatically index the end and side of each leg The mortise on the adjacent face gets cut using the other end of the jig Details The mortises aren t cen tered in the bolster faces which complicates the job a little With a router table you set the fence posi tion for the offset from the cham fered corner then feed the stock with its chamfered corner down and against the fence from one direction for the first cut Next rotate the adjacent face down and feed from the other side of the table Clamp a stop block to the fence each time so you don t cut the mortises too long If you don t have a router table don t worry The jig shown aligns both workpiece and router for you and it has built in stops that control the router s travel Like the router table procedure you have to work Is Four Simple Joinery Options Whenever glue up solid boards to make a wider panel always machine some kind of joint so th
15. September October 1998 47 Pad First then Planks Once we had the alignment figured out we picked up the test planks and rolled out a width of foam back ing pad the length of the room Figure 3 Don t fasten the pad to the underlayment since this will Roll out a width of the backing pad and cut it to length with a utility knife Roll out additional widths butt the edges don t overlap them and join them with masking tape Lay the grooved edge of the first row of planks against a cleat tacked along the baseline Remove the cleat and fill in the outside edge once the rest of the floor is down Apply glue only to the edge and end grooves of a plank The glue bottle nozzle helps place the correct amount of glue in the joint 48 Workbench September October 1998 Tighten up the joints using a hammer and tap ping block that s grooved to protect the tongue the MDF core damages easily affect the flooring s ability to float Subsequent widths of backing pad are taped together along the edges We transferred our baseline mark onto the pad and tacked a straight edged 2x4 cleat to the floor along the line Then we dry fitted the first row of planks end to end against the cleat to determine how long to cut the last plank Figure 4 Even though the movement is minimal you need to allow some room for the floor to float and expand Place a temporary Va thick spacer between the wall and the starti
16. and June 1998 issues of Workbench Homeowners Bob and Barbara Settich chose Wilsonart Flooring Like similar products on the mar ket this flooring consists of a thin layer of plastic laminate bonded to Sje thick medium density fiber board MDF backing see Anatomy of a Laminate Floor The laminate is like that used for countertops but is 10 to 20 times k harder to make it more scratch and stain resistant This construction creates a tough durable floor thatis much less susceptible to seasonal climate changes that can cause solid wood flooring to swell or shrink dramatically While not rec ommended for potentially wet loca tions most laminate flooring can even be laid on a concrete floor as long as you put down a polyethyl ene vapor barrier first Some people confuse laminate flooring with laminated wood floor ing an engineered product made of Anatomy of a Laminate Floor _ lt B XY LAP GE h Pa wee EA oor WE are Pu ss oe od y ATY p4 KE a v il p l Nailed or stapled to subfloor Available in strip 212 wide and plank 3 10 wide Unfinished or prefinished can be sanded and refinished Tongue and Groove joint Backing pad three or five thin layers of hard wood laminated together Like solid wood flooring engineered wood products such as this are mechanically fastened to the floor usually with staples
17. cifully and leave sucha tangled mess TOLL I 800 BSA 66i PLEASE MAIL COUPON for FREE DETAILS about the Amazing DR FIELD and BRUSH MOWER Model No OB 612 FI s KA Made in US A Pneumatic sanding drum put in which means at the end of a lamp s life most still contain excess mercury If not disposed of properly this mercury can leak into the environment To reduce the environmental hazard engineers at Philips Lighting Co created a buffer that inhibits the phosphor layer from absorbing mercury The buffer makes the mercury content more stable so it s easier to determine the right amount for each lamp By not using excess mercury just to ensure bulb life Philips will cut its consumption of the heavy metal by 2 2 tons each year The low mercury technolo gy called Alto is being incorpo rated into all of Philips fluores cent lamps which feature green end caps For information call 800 555 0050 Bee Woodworker s Needs Since 1942 Saud Lite Pneumatic Drum Brush Head Sander Eliminate Tedious Hand Sanding Available in five diameters 2 to 8 Operator resulated inflated drum conforms abrasive sleeve to contoured work e POWERFUL up to 14 HP overhead valve engines with or without Electric Starting ss and BRUSH MOWER aoe TICES spec i l POWER REVERSE 4 SPEEDS BIG SELF lifications of Manual and ELECTRIC STARTING mod j PROPELLED WHEELS roll through ditches els an
18. drove about 50 more 2 drywall screws on a single charge than the same drill with a Ni Cad pack 349 vs 296 a boost of about 17 in total run time You can contact Makita at 800 462 5482 for more information SHOP IMPROVEMENTS Skil Introduces a New Power Plane the shoe to protect the blade while not in use and on tool blade wrench storage The 1555 Plane retails for around 70 Contact S B Power Tools at 800 301 8255 or on the web at www skiltools com These days it seems there s an elec tric powered version of almost every tool including the hand plane One of the latest power planes is the 1555 Plane from Skil Power Tools a divi sion of S B Power Tool Co It has a 4 amp 15 000 rpm motor that turns solid car bide reversible cutting biades Other features include Usa vide rabbet ing capacity a sup port that raises Wolfcraft s vin 1 Fosd risi Bit Set The idea behind this design is that by using less steel than would be needed to make five individual bits the 7650 set can be produced more economically and in turn sold at a lower price Retail cost for the set is around 40 The set is made in Germany from high speed steel and includes heads with diameters of 3 4 7 8 1 11 4 are good for a lower priced bit set are steeper than on some Forstners I ve used but the bits still cut clean flat bottomed holes A nice touch in the set s design is the round
19. features rubber top grip for comfort and ease of handling Rugged high visibility yellow case with heavy duty 1 x25 blade and triple riveted Tough Tip blade protector to eliminate breakage ControLok A great deal on a great tape Ask for it today Starrett Innovation with value nobody else measures up The L S Starrett Company 121 Crescent Street Athol MA 01331 Tel 978 249 5330 FAX 978 249 8495 Visit Starrett on the web at www isstarrett com Product Information Number 189 QUESTIONS amp ANSWERS Dry Well Helps Solve Rainwater Drainage Problems f One of my downspouts drains into a low area in my yard and after heavy rain I end up with standing water What can I do to get rid of this standing water R Hammond Santa Fe NM By far the simplest way to get rid of the water would be to redirect the downspout so the water drains to another part of the yard If this isn t possible you ll have to improve the drainage in the low area One option for increasing the drainage capacity of the low spot is a dry well Buried underground a dry well gives water a place to collect then leach out into the soil You can make a dry well by digging a hole 24 to 48 in diameter and sev eral feet deep Fill the bottom part of the hole with large stones and put smaller gravel on top of the stones NOTE Place dry well under lowest part of yard _ Cover dry well with v soil and grass
20. ing Ridge Detail Then cut the ridge posts to length and toenail them to the top plates on the end walls Scrap 2x4 scabs attached to one side of each 32 Workbench 1 September October 1998 Rafter Elevation a 48 eS 1 134 I TN ese ridge post help hold the ridge beam in place until you can screw it to the posts Figure 5 Doug made a 30 plumb cut at the top end of one rafter butted it against the ridge beam and clamped it to the scab Figure 6 Positioning the rafter against the face of the end wall he aligned it to the top plate and marked the bird s mouth He unclamped the rafter cut out the bird s mouth with a handsaw then checked the rafter s fit Common rafter SS Approximately 60 Roof Elevation Rake backer y Top plate Ridge post 31 14 toenail post to top plate Toenail the ridge posts to the top plates and temporarily screw a 2x4 scab to each post The scabs help hold the ridge beam in position until you can toenail the beam to the posts Once he had a good fit Doug used this rafter as a pattern to lay out the rest of the common rafters and the 2x6 rake backers With the rafters marked he clamped them together then used a straightedge guide to gang cut the bird s mouth plumb cuts as well as the rafter tail cuts Then he made the seat cut on each bird s mouth with a jig saw Screw through each rafter int
21. j i i gt os i z a a z se ie 5 oP i TT TERE i a T a Ve gt a aes e A a E On e Gi a k E E a me Ak ps zi E Ki i N te Sry 3 N ia r g ie ee ke Fa m s es ya in kall i ba z neng p t i g Pa e wil d K T s 8 E ft p t Pape a E x FD i ia G Daji s i a F E j prap J tn i ur f E E S r s d Ha par Ci y E n a a ES ar ti atm 1i ni ry SE E z eal af z i ya 5 n E 5 y b p a d pr ws pE wre Pe i e Eh mij U ci SH er Na Fia u k manl z t t er a S gh i sl 1 7 ale oT Ps ae E 4 _ P x Meri mii nni 2 s z m e Aa E p gt a oh f E of safety items as necessities not luxuries When you buy a tool you often need to buy accessories that protect you from it Starting at the top you ll need a hard hat The 35 model I chose has hearing protection earmuffs that lock out of the way when not needed plus a flip up screen face shield Even with the screen safe ty glasses are recommended A long sleeve shirt helps guard against poisonous plants burns from hot saw parts and abrasions from leaves and limbs Leather gloves protect your hands from the same hazards Padded logger s gloves cost about 25 but standard leather work gloves cost less and still offer decent protection Gloves must fit well so you can w
22. pressure treated 4x4 s SS N Foot KU 1 10 ft pressure treated 2x8 s Hardware 1 pressure treated be 8 8 ft pressure treated 2x8 s_ 56 1 2 3 lag screws 2x6 96 long NOTE Cut 1 pa 4 12 ft pressure treated 2x6 s 2 Valx 4 2 carriage bolts deep notches 2 10 ft pressure treated 2x6 s 58 Ag washers 9 8 ft pressure treated 2x6 s 4 3 butt hinges 60 Cut K 16 12 it pressure treated 2x4 s 1 2 slide bolt N 10 10 ft pressure treated 2x4 s 1 roll 15 builder s felt 30 Cut ON Elevations 13 8 ft pressuretreated 2x4 s 23 bundles cedar shingles 7 4 8 ft pressure treated 1x6 s 2 lengths 10 ft drip edge 9 12 ft pressure treated ix4 s 2 lengths 10 ft flashing p 6 10 ft pressuretreated 1x4 s 5 Ibs 1 4 cedar shingle nails me T VU 1 8 tt pressure treated 1x4 1 Ib 8x 1 s deck screws 21 1 x 6 pressure treated 5 Ibs 8x 21 2 deck screws deep notches deck boards 10 Ibs 8 x 3 deck screws 7 1 2 4 ft x 8 ft siding FINISHES 1 gal solid color Soar 3 Ve x 4 ft 8 ft pressure stain for siding 1 qt solid d treated pine plywood color stain for trim 30 Cut se dl Workbench September October 1998 37 It s like this A year or two ago checkbook in hand you took the leap into woodworking Your shop space is now modestly equipped and strewn with sawdust and you build a little more confi
23. reflect seasonal promotions or other discounts t Lifetime warranty on ignition and it will pay to have that pe P es X relationship EE TECHNIQUES Last October the Midwest got an unwelcome reminder that winter hadnt forgotten about its scheduled return trip An early snowstorm blew across the region randomly downing power lines for hundreds of miles It wasn t wind that wreaked the havoc though It was trees and gravity or maybe that old physics rule that two objects can t occupy the same space at the same time Until that weekend the fall weather hadn t been cool enough to coax the trees into their annual leaf shedding ritual and when the heavy wet snow descended it clung to all the foliage like spit on a dry sidewalk The weight proved too much for a lot of stately old hardwoods They groaned complaints for a while then let go huge branches suddenly with loud cracks that penetrated the snowfall like rifle shots Some weak ened trees literally split through their trunks and fell inflicting enough damage to cars and homes in my town to make an insurance claims adjuster teary eyed There was no mistaking the les son of that day trees have power and pushed hard enough they will move When they do that potential energy becomes very dangerous Storms bring trees down but so do people and there s no less room for caution and respect when you re felling a tree deliberately Here
24. shank atop each drill head i Ea that slips inside the hollowed out lower portion of the shaft This pre If two heads are better than one are vents the head wobble that might five heads better still That s apparently occur if only the mounting threads what the folks at Wolfcraft believe as engaged the shaft You ll find the evidenced by the new 7650 Forstner 7650 Forstner Bit Set in hardware Bit Set Its single shaft accepts five stores and home centers Or call different Forstner bit heads Wolfcraft at 630 773 4777 64 Workbenchs September October 1998 and 1 s Steel quality and machining The shear angles of the cutting edges Delta Draws Dust Delta s newest addition to its line of dust collectors was designed with small shops in mind To that end the company put the model 50 840 single stage collector on swivel cast ers making it easy to wheel from machine to machine as needed Unlike some portables though the Delta has a 1 hp motor that runs on 115 or 230 volts The motor is part nered with a steel impeller to pro duce 650 cubic feet per minute CFM of air velocity A finned alu minum housing keeps the motor cool during extended periods of use The collector s lower bag holds 2 1 cubic feet of dust and shavings and the upper filter bag is rated at 30 microns Delta also provides a 5 ft length of 4 dia flexible hose You can contact Delta at 800 438 2486 or check their web site at w
25. ve hung gutters that are held in place with spikes I ve ended up leaving at least one hammer dent in the gutter Plus over time the spikes tend to work loose and never hold very well when driven back in So I ve switched to using long screws Screws have much better hold ing power making them less likely to pull out over time And because you re not hammering them in like you do with spikes you re less likely to dam age the gutter If there s no 2x framing stock called a sub fascia backing the thinner fascia board drive the screws into the rafter ends for better hold SHOOTS STAPLES amp TAK a IN i High Performance Solid State Circuitry Trigger Safety Lock Flush Front Gets into Tight Corners 10 Foot Cord All Steel Channel amp Track High Carbon Heat Treated Working Parts Patented Jam Proof Mechanism One Year Limited Contractor s Warranty 7 ETFS OPON m DRIVES NAILS ETF50PBN PROFESSIONAL Shi ji LE AA ARROW Fo SOSA dy an a PASTE pur i Pa The povverful ETFSOPBN Electric Staple and Nail Gun shoots 6 different size staples 174 5 16 378 1 2 17 32 Ceiltile and 9 16 drives a 5 8 nail It also HEERO EN EUA One heavy duty versatile tool lets you do thousands of jobs from installing insulation and carpeting to trimming a door or building a toy The dual purpose Professional ETF50PBN is available wherever fine tools are sold Jara 199
26. with every urchase 3 sanding sponges that let you sand Irregular surfaces easily t each in 60 100 150 grit Sanding Sheets prices 5 sheets a jr s i ed are included There s a full face shield welding gun and tips a ground clamp and a spool of flux core welding wire A two year full warranty and five year limited warranty cover the welder while the welding gun and cables carry e Garages 2 Storage o Workshops Manufacturer Direct aj ory TET a fr VI tes eee o Mn Fa rij E i pv a 27 x48 6 539 a one year warranty You ll find the 80 Amp Gasless Wire Feed Welder for 199 99 in the Craftsman Hand and Power Tools Catalog Call 800 377 7414 Limited Offer Save Up to 45 ee Easy Do It Sy Yourself 4 Construction Saves You Even More Money as Aluminum oxide AJO Silicon carbide SiC i Heavy duty paper Wet dry paper Pckgs incl steel frames Grits 60 80 100 to 320 100 120 180 220 to 1200 A Aljax 51 2 0 75 0 70 0 60 0 60 0 55 045 0 40 12 760 Value endwalls galv sheeting 21 E as 9xll 2 50 2 25 2 00 2 00 LIS bad 1 25 a za Flexible Cloth A 0 Finishing SiC available at LOWER prices instructions Grits 60 80 100 to 400 80 to 320 Sandpaper ala x5 1 05 0 90 075 0 40 bargain box odd e 16 Contemporary Colors To Choose From 2x9 1 40 120 100 0 50 sizes but good 9x
27. 11 350 300 2 50 125 1 pound e I C B 0 Approved Manufacturing To Government Specifications e Clear Span Widths From 18 80 Heights amp Lengths Adjustable To Meet Your Needs f SWMAIRACLE 1205S 1 800 663 0553 www miracletruss com FAX 612 544 1835 weeEN Product Information Number 195 Visa Mastercard money order check Minimum order 20 00 Order shipped same day received Woody s Workshop www woodysworkshop com Dept WO 1012 E Wabash O Fallon MO 63366 Toll free I1 800 869 7338 66 Product Information Number 212 WHAT S NEW Products For Your Home Home Director Controls Lights Appliances Via Computer When home automation systems were introduced I was intrigued by their ability to run all types of household devices automatically Unfortunately many of these early systems were overly complex expensive and not always reliable As technology has improved how Nail by Number Building Panels Whenever I ve installed wall roof or floor sheathing my biggest chal lenge has been driving a fastener into the studs or joists hidden beneath the sheet I ve either marked guide lines on the sheath ing or used a hit and miss approach To eliminate these hassles the folks at Louisiana Pacific L P have introduced new Visual Precision plywood and oriented strand board OSB panels Each panel has a grid painted on one surface that div
28. 28 8436 Workbench September October 1998 the system even when your computer is turned off battery backup stores your program if power fails Plug a light or appliance controller into any wall outlet and plug the device to be controlled into it The controller receives high frequency radio signals from the interface meaning no addi tional wiring is necessary By clicking on screen icons you can for example turn on turn off or dim a lamp You can do the same using the remote which will also work with your TV VCR and satellite system Where the system shines is run ning routines You program times for items to turn on and off dim etc then download the information to the interface The system can even moni tor how you use connected devices then devise a custom program for you You can also set up dusk to dawn running of exterior lights and control Home Director by telephone using an optional interface Contact IBM at 800 426 7235 or on the web at www pc ibm com homedirector WHAT S NEW Spiral Stairs in a Kit Mud in a Tube If you d like to add a second stairway in your Drywall joint compound is great for home but conventional stairs just won t fit making repairs to drywall or plaster spiral stairs offer another option But if you ve Unfortunately the smallest contain ever shopped for spiral stairs you know that ers available usually hold a gallon custom built units can be expensi
29. 9 ARROW FASTENER CO INC 14 LISTED D ARROW FASTENER COMPANY INC 271 MAYHILL STREET SADDLE BROOK NJ 07663 ARROW FASTENER U K LTO 14 BARCLAY ROAD CROYDON SURREY CRO HIN JARDEL DISTRIBUTORS INC 6505 METROPOLITAN BLVD EAST MONTREAL QUEBEC HIP 1X9 website www arrow fastener com Workbench September October 1998 Drive screw through gutter and ferrule into fascia Fence Post Jack I had a chain link fence around my home s back yard that was in bad shape Rather than salvage it I decid ed to tear it out and build a wood one Removing the fence fabric was easy but the posts were another story Whoever put them in sunk concrete footings about 2 ft into the ground I dug out the first one by hand then decided there had to be an easier way On each post I left one of the lowest fence clamps and tightened it down good and snug Then I wrapped a short length of heavy link chain around the post and clamp I scrounged up an old style car jack the type that hooks into a slot in the car s bumper and ratchets up using the lug wrench as a handle I set the jack next to each post hooked the jack into the links of the log chain and jacked the post out of the hole It was much faster than dig ging and it saved my back Matt Sullivan Denver CO Reverse Threads Cause Toilet Troubles Here s a tip that may save you the aggravation I suffered I had to replace the flush lever on my toilet
30. BO ROUTER PAD 24 x 367 It will not allow small blocks of wood to slip out under router or sanding JUMBO BELT CLEANING STICK ONLY 8 80 Econ Abrasives TOLL FREE ORDERING LINE 800 367 4101 some supplemental funding from state federal and private donations Tuition is 135 for one day work shops 215 for two day and 480 for five day Brookfield also offers schol arship opportunities and an hour for hour volunteer work study program For more information or to get a catalog contact the Brookfield Craft Center PO Box 122 Brookfield CT 06804 0122 or call 203 775 4526 3X24 93 ea 3X27 96 ea 4X21 3 4 1 06 ea 1 10 eal 1 35 ea 3 50 ea 6 24 ea 4X36 6X48 6x89 Size Price 4 1 75 ea 6 2 25 8 3 50 ROUTER PAD ONLY 8 95ea At the Brookfield Craft Center in Connecticut classes cover a wide range of subjects from traditional turning methods above to blacksmithing and metal forging shown at left ja THE SAME NUMBER HERE E CENTER Available from CenterPoint Tape Measures Stainless Steel Flat Rules P O Box 1628 Frisco TX 75034 972 377 9779 E ae i H SN sr Box ves 12 foot Adhesive Back Bench Topes For more information and a dealer near you 800 540 6604 BAKLUND HELLAR INC EASTSOUND WA 982453 si ber point don Product information Number 173 OVER THE FENCE Earth Friendly Soni Lights Have
31. I want to get this taken care of but I ve just got one problem What s a cricket eae SE Per SP i E u iS E L IN A chimney cricket has an odd Chimney PS amie im N p Lee TI name but an Important job Roof pH A BRE When a roof slopes down into one te tT L wall of a chimney a valley is created Cricket N V T where rainwater will sit and potential aera ly cause a roof leak To prevent this a WW er small A frame structure or cricket is i built on the up roof side of the chim ney It spans between the roof and chimney and diverts the water around the chimney When you rebuild the cricket make sure to replace all the metal flashing that ties it into the chimney and roof If you have a brick chimney this may N Tor Cricket sheds water around chimney i E E mi gt S a involve repointing the mortar If you re not comfortable doing this I advise hiring a professional roofer or mason to make sure the new cricket gets sealed properly for less Carry it for nothing Here s an offer that s hard to refuse ControLok Starrett s new ergonomically designed model at an unbelievably low price plus a FREE heavy duty carrier 9 Blade auto locks when thumb pressure is released No snap backs Top lever position eliminates accidental retraction common in bottom lever designs Compact size and contoured design
32. Petrus Production Director George Chmielarz Production Assistant Susan Rueve New Media Manager Gordon Gaippe Web Site Art Director Gene Pederson t Network Administrator Chris Harrison Human Resources Assistant Kirsten Koele Special Projects Director Saville Inman Administrative Assistant Julia Fish e Receptionists Jeanne Johnson Sheryl Ribbey gt Building Maintenance Ken Griffith Circulation Subscriber Services Director Sandy Baum New Business Director Glenda K Battles New Business Manager Todd Bierle Promotion Manager Rick Junkins Renewal Manager Paige Rogers t Billing Manager Rebecca Cunningham st Assistant Subscription Manager Joy Krause Associate Graphic Design Director Susie Rider Senior Graphic Designer Cheryl Simpson Books Executive Editor Douglas L Hicks Art Dierctor Steve Lueder Sentor Graphic Designer Chris Glowacki Products Group Operations Director Bob Baker Materials Manager Mark Mattiussi Customer Service Manager Jennie Enos Warehouse Supervisor Nancy Johnson Buyer Linda Jones Technical Service Representative Matt TeRonde Operations Assistant Tammy Aldini Customer Service Representatives Anna Cox Tammy Truckenbrod Nancy Downey Adam Best Deborah Rich st Warehouse Sylvia Carey Quality Control Tech Frank Johnson Woodsmith Store Manager Dave Larson Assistant Manager Paul Schneider t Sales Staff Pat Lowrey Wendell Stone Jim Barnett Kathy Smith J
33. Recoil starter pull I I Fuel filler cap Kickback zone Inside dotted line r e See cause the saw to lurch back abruptly duty saws aimed at home use is what we learned The Poulan 2750 priced toward the lower end of the group surprised just about everyone with its tenacity It started easily and didn t complain when we ran it steadily at high rpm levels Low end torque was a little weak typical of engines this size Workbench a September October 1998 i TN s Ne On off Throttle switch trigger Throttle lock button j Used for starting only Throttle H ihj The upper quadrant of the bar s tip i is the kick back zone where contacting an object can The chain catcher is there to snag a broken or derailed chain preventing it from lashing back at the operator On this Makita it s a flat bar 51 Fingertip Control Find a Fit That Works For You ably without removing your hand from the grip the primer bulb is an exception here Also watch for switches that could be accidentally triggered while you re cutting either shutting off the saw or locking the throttle open Ergonomics and the placement of controls rank among the critical features affecting a chain saw s safety perfor mance and ease of starting Make certain you can easily reach the switches or levers and operate them comfort The trigger lock orange switch near thumb partially opens the throttle to aid sta
34. Reduced Mercury Presenting the ALL TERRAIN the amazing self propelled walk behind brush cutter that e CLEARS amp MAINTAINS meadows pastures roadsides fences wooded and rough non lawn areas with ease Mows over 1 2 acre per hour CUTS tall grass weeds brush brambles sumac even tough saplings up to 1 thick Plus CHOPS MULCHES most everything it cuts leaves NO TAN GLE of material to trip over or to pick up like hand held brushcutters and MADE sicklebar mowers IN USA 7 i DR FIELD and BRUSH MOWER TI For years vve ve known the eco nomic virtues of fluorescent lighting The lamps produce bright light yet consume less energy than incandescent bulbs But one drawback of fluores cents is the environmental haz ard presented by the mercury they contain Fluorescent lamps need mer cury to excite the phosphor mole cules that coat the inside of the lamp s glass tube causing the phosphor to glow and produce light In the process mercury is consumed every time the lamp is used To keep a fluorescent lamp from failing prematurely there must be enough mercury to start the lighting process for as long as the phosphor remains active Manufacturers haven t known the exact amount of mercury to 7 aa MESS with hand held brushcutters that are so dan gerous slow and pe tiring to use ORI with sicklebar mowers that shake unmer
35. Southern Forest Products Association for their help with this project i 14 lil d 28 A Blocking I pressure treated 11 2 x 21 2 x 51 2 Seat Skirt board pressure treat 2x8 88 long int stretcher S pressure treated 54x6 88 Joist Elevation Erect the Base Doug had already leveled the backyard site for the playhouse so the next Saturday morning I helped him carry the end frames out and get them positioned Doug had drilled the through holes for the lag screws in the stretchers so vyhile I held each frame he lined up the lovver stretchers drilled pilot holes in the posts and Workbench s September October 1998 4 s di 14 a lagged the stretchers to each end frame We then tacked in some temporary 1x2 bracing between the stretchers and posts to help hold the structure upright As I positioned one of the upper stretcher assemblies Doug drove one screw through each of the gussets into the posts Then we attached the other upper stretcher With the frame assembled like 8 x 3 screw Post zi Bottom rail this plumb the posts and drive more screws through the gussets to keep the framework aligned square Then drill pilot holes in the posts and secure the upper stretchers with lag screws Hang the Joists After breaking for lunch we spent that Saturday afternoon installing the platform deck Platform Co
36. The Echo and Shindaiwa saws won converts despite their higher cost Both got votes for top picks for their impeccable starting man ners light weight and balance Ready for the biggest lesson we learned It s this where you buy a chain saw is probably as important as which one you get Large home centers offer attractive pricing on saws intended for home use but not much technical support If price is the only issue the decision is half made for you Spending a lit tle more at a specialized power equipment shop though opens up the choices to include pro model saws and the dealer will often set up and tune the saw for you before it goes out the door Maintenance or help from a trained pro will likely be in your saw s future Chain Saw Specifications Manufacturer Model T Engine Bar length Weight 7 Approx t Consumer Country phone number number size cu range in bs retail warranty t of origin BAL cc s price MECH 800 432 3246 1 cre ku 800 725 9500 Husqvarna 800 487 5962 Husqvarna 800 487 5962 3 2 53 1 800 554 6723 SEARS CRAFTSMAN 800 235 5878 800 521 7733 STIHL 800 467 8445 STIHL 800 467 8445 Bold numerals indicate standard bar length Dry weight saw head only less bar chain fuel and oil e Prices shown may vary from one retailer to another and may not
37. View at x3 butt hinges i N S Put on the Siding With the roof on Doug promised me he d call only if he really need ed help He was using plywood sid ing 4 on center T 1 11 but the pleces were manageable Siding and Trim Construction View He fit the siding so all the joints landed on studs and kept the groove pattern consistent He also let the siding extend 1 4 below the deck ing on the end and back walls Siding Detail On the end walls the top edge of the siding is covered by the rake rafter so you don t have to cut it precisely in line with the roof Notch the large piece for the ridge beam and window then nail the siding to the studs Siding Detail Front wall siding leave above decking a z i M g E L TH U i 1 i E i 7 4 i J i q 1 a pa LS Je i 1 ih 3 7 p J i k d 4 1 f i 4 1 E L a Fi Vat Ni AM NOTE Install ballusters J from center line outward and rip the outermost ballusters to fit Siding on the front and back walls butts against the blocking under the eaves Position the siding on the front so the edges of the 4 ft wide main section fall on the stud under neath the window and above the door opening Leave the front siding 172 above the surface of the deck ing this prevents water pooled on the decking from wicking up into the siding Siding Det
38. WEN E Photo Instructions Thousands in use Order direct or through Address EJ catalog and stores Satisfaction guaranteed or your money back icity State ZIP G amp W TOOL INC O BOX 691464 TULSA OK 74169 P To COUNTRY HOME PRODUCTS Dept 4331T Cm 918 486 2761 FAX 918 486 2751 Made in U S A S9 E Meigs Road P O Box 25 Vergennes VT 05491 kt 70 Workbench a September October 1998 Product Information Number 181 2 EES ss SS vv H G E sS Axf hJIAJARRJYjJIHHHHR i i el Troy Bilt s 2 in 1 Tiller If you ve got a big tilling job there s no sub stitute for a powerful rear tine tiller But for tasks like cultivating or weeding a garden a front tine machine is more maneuverable and usually easier to see around Most of us though can t justify owning both types Combine them into one machine and you d have a ver satile tiller Garden Way the manufacturer of Troy Bilt equip ment has done just that and dubbed the combination machine the VersaTiller In rear tine mode the tiller is self pro pelled and the tines rotate counter to the wheels for serious digging power Real Springs Kit includes Authentically designed steel springs that give a little steel arms and backrails complete hardware and full size pla with detailed instructions 42 Lx22 VY 18 H to Seat 30 to Back Price 49 Quantity discounts availabie Pre cut amp dr
39. ail To avoid a lot of precision paint ing consider painting the siding now before the trim goes on Then fit the trim boards but paint them before you nail them in place Painting the backs as well as the faces of the trim boards also seals the hidden surfaces where water seepage could damage unprotected wood Doug used Flood E B Solid Color Stain on the siding and trim Shim window grids in rough opening and screw in place 34 x 1 muntins with half lap joints Time for the Trim Once the stain dried on the siding Doug began fitting the trim along the roof line the rake rafters rake trim and under eave trim Rake Rafter Detail Next came the corner boards Doug ripped 4 off the edge of the trim boards that attach to the end walls Then he installed the trim boards on the front and back wall so they overlapped the end trim creating equal face exposures on the adjacent walls The trim boards extend s below the bottom edge of the siding With the trim cut to size he painted the boards on both sides and nailed them in place Windows and Door The windows consist of a simple box frame with a halflapped grid work of 3 4 x 11 2 stock Window Elevations Doug ripped the grid muntins from 1x4 stock then cut the halflap dadoes on a table saw using his miter gauge equipped with a stop block Exterior grade glue and screws hold the window assemblies together Halflap joinery also connec
40. ar made the balance slightly front heavy The overall feel was tight and solid and the motor pulled strongly from the low end up The word workhorse aired several times when staffers talked about this saw not neces sarily flashy but reliable with good usable power and a tough build A certain Workbench editor who shall remain nameless here dropped it six feet onto a blacktop driveway but the saw suffered nothing but a few scuff marks One gripe the kill switch toggle was short and uncomfortable to use Chain Adjustment All manufacturers supply a combination screwdriver socket wrench for routine main tenance Given the location of most chain adjustment screws however a conventional screwdriver works better For convenience Stihl s side mounted adjustment is tough to beat especially the tool free version Most saws have the tension adjustment screw parallel to the blade which makes using the T handle screw driver a little awkward Relocating the adjustment screw on the other side of the blade improves access but it doesn t really solve the prob lem entirely Side mounted adjustment makes tensioning the chain easier and avoids the gunk buildup on the bar Some Stihl saws adjust without tools a Workbench Seprember October DOR 53 A pair of Husqvarna saws round ed out our European contingent From the country that brings you Saab and Volvo automobiles these Sw
41. ating gaps T o Drill pilot holes through the laminate covered base molding and quarter round before driving the finish nails We used a nail set to sink them just below the laminate surface ni Use the bit supplied by the manufacturer to cut a groove in the trimmed piece Glue the spline in place then install the plank 800 710 8846 e BHK of America 800 663 4176 69 Bruce Floors 800 722 4647 e Formica 800 367 6422 Mannington Mills 800 443 5667 e Pergo 800 337 3746 Kana nisin Ne ane Pi Dealing with Doorways and Casing Laying laminate flooring around door ways isn t difficult it just requires a little planning If possible consider running the planks lengthwise through the doorway and parallel with the traffic flow Notch the floor ing to fit around door framing Test fit the piece by sliding it in from the end Notch an L shaped plank to fit around the door jamb Apply glue slide the flooring in from the end then tap it firmly into place Workbench September October 1998 then glue the plank and tap it into place with a tapping block Where flooring runs past a doorway opening you ll need to trim the cas ings so the flooring can slide under neath without leaving an unsightly gap A hand saw is all you need to accomplish this task To trim door casing lay a piece of flooring lami nate side down on top of a piece of backing pad Then use a han
42. ause the bit will still want to climb the cut edge opposite the guide it s best to use a bit narrower than the dado and cut it in two passes with a guide on either side UNFINISHED 0 FINISHED IN HALF THE TIME Now wood finishing is twice as fast twice as easy with Minvvax Polyshades Thats because Polyshades long lasting protection and a warm luster Polyshades comes in a variety of colors and can be used over combines stain and poly raw wood or even previously urethane in one Stain to finished wood without having add rich color and enhance wood s to strip away the old finish Polyshades natural grain and polyurethane for A beautiful finish in a lot less time STAIN amp POLYURETHANE IN ONE MINWAX MINWAX Makes And Keeps Wood Beautiful www minwax com Minwax and Polyshades are registered trademarks 1998 Minwax All rights reserved Product Information Number 193 WPS amp TECH NIQUES 0 Tips amp Techniques Using Squares to Measure Round Stock I sometimes have a tough time finding the exact diameter of dowels and round pieces since I m not always sure if Ive measured exactly at the center Rather than struggle with it I let a cou ple of squares do the work for me One square can be any type but the other has to be a try square or combi nation square with a head thicker than its blade I usually use a combination square and a try square together For examp
43. both sides Like the rest of the trim the balusters were painted prior to their installation on the railings Working left and right of the cen terline he installed the balusters by butting them together with their bottom ends flush The outermost balusters were ripped to width to fill the remaining space He touched up the exposed edges with paint installed the final balusters and tacked on a thin trim strip to hide the slightly uneven top edges Build the Ladder Kids can t get to the platform with out a ladder and we designed one with closely spaced rungs to accom modate small climbers Ladder Elevations By insetting the rungs into the legs we gave the ladder greater strength and by now Doug was an old hand at gang cutting dadoes Two screws at each joint hold the rungs in place Despite pleas from his kids to install the ladder Doug delayed putting it up to keep the kids off the platform until he could finish the roofing and get the slide installed A couple of wheelbarrow loads of sand in the sandbox kept them occupied and out of harm s way in the interim Window Elevations ned 1 ke 9 34 dado 34 deep Door Elevations 21 eee at _ Top View Side View eh Oe Ka TS ae Side View 3 A 21 p Ti ae aio 3 274 Stile 3 d 4 p 24 Lay ie e Sy pl Rail Front amp will i Stiles Side View Ladder Elevations Cut 3 2 dadoes 1 2
44. changes in humidity Next came using the face or end of a board to the cross grain kerfs that hold the align the drill Figure 7 Now ends of the corner brackets you re ready to tackle the leg itself Figure 10 I changed the rip First place the undrilled V block fence s position so I could use it as After you cut the V block into two sections mark on your bench with the groove an end stop to index the cuts but I one of them 2 from the end and use a 1 4 bolt to facing up Set the leg bolster with used the miter gauge to guide the punch a dimple in the bottom of the groove its chamfered corner up in this stock through the cut The same block then clamp the drilled thing goes for machining the Pr Clamp bolster and V block assembly to bench Guide block Clamp a square edged block on top of the workpiece A to guide the drill bit Layout lines on the block help With the leg bolster nesting in the undrilled V block set the guide block on top and align even more by providing a visual reference for you its end flush with the end of the leg Then drill through the guide block hole to make a Yq dia pilot hole for the hanger bolt For stability prop the other end of the leg up 42 Workbench September October 1998 tenons which you produce by cutting rabbets on the outside face and bottom edge of each of the apron pieces The tenon length is 1 4 so you can t cut it in a single pas
45. d Off Season Savings now in effect wet spots up slopes with ease et sp p slop th ease kra Perfect for low maintenance wildflower lA 8 pe posh meadows European style woodlots free of ia undergrowth walking paths any area that ICity State ZIP you only want to mow once a month or TO COUNTRY HOME PRODUCTS Dept 4331F i once a season Meigs Road P O Box 25 Vergennes T 05491 24 Workbench s September October 1998 1998 CHP inc Abrasive Belts Sleeves and Rolls available in all Grits and Sizes Call for Quote Call for a FREE Catalogue and Price List 1 800 521 2318 Product Information Number 202 E p i LI U ti The last time my neighbor Doug invited me over I thought he might need me for some heavy lifting or want to show me where my dog had attacked another one of his pop up lawn sprin klers Instead he handed me a catalog full of kids play structure kits He explained that he wanted to build one that included an enclosed play house a design not available in any of the kits While Doug felt he could easily assemble one of the kits he wasn t confident he could plan and build the design he really wanted I offered to provide some guid ance and the more we talked the more ideas started to 26 Workbench Seprember October 1998 flow It wasn t long before we had a plan sketched out A month of evenings and weekends later Doug fin ished up th
46. d saw to cut the casing 49 Buying A Chain Saw precious little else that will get the job done Rental center equipment provides an answer for some but if their inventory and schedule don t cooperate with the timing of your emergency you could be up you know which creek cryin for a pad dle Besides doesn t the closet survivalist in you just want one Not to worry the Workbench staff feels your pain That s why we gathered a dozen saws rang ing in price from around 200 S400 for a hands on evaluation of 50 Workbench 1 Seprember October 1998 For most homeowners chain saws belong in that difficult tool category that also includes air compressors generators and maybe brush chippers or snow throwers You might not use one all that often but when you really need it theres their features and performance The chain saws in this group fit ted with their standard 16 or 18 bar lengths can down a sizable tree or buck firewood to length and will also trim limbs and branches without wearing you out from heavy lifting Even the lowest cost model among these saws isn t inexpen sive but if the choice comes down to tackling a tree removal with your own saw or paying someone else to do it your sweat equity will probably cover the purchase cost see Felling a Tree Safely page 56 Of course some situations might require the skills or equipment of a professional crew For your own work we ll show
47. d tame A bit crackers Quite so 1 PI A Te A Kri LE n T 3 i i i ven FRA E Septemberd Cre yer Oyye P
48. dence with each new project maybe 38 even get a little smug as you learn a new technique or manage some nice detail work with hand tools Then reality knocks at the door You re sketching ideas for your next project and you realize youve just designed something you can t build That enthusiastic craftsman inside your head lets Workbench i September October 1998 out a howl of protest so horrific that had you actually given it voice your neighbors would have heard it and assumed you drilled through your thumb again Don t imagine the universe is toying with you alone The frustra tion of having your reach exceed your grasp hits just about every woodworker on the planet but this project is proof that modest shop tools or skills don t always have to limit the furniture ideas you have My solution Using readily avail able wood components turned legs in this case along with parts I made myself to build a set of three tables a coffee end and sofa table I purchased the legs from Adams Wood Products of Morristown TN 423 587 2942 This approach kept the cost and time reasonable and still gave me the design I wanted Coffee Table Construction View OVERALL SIZE 1614 H x 22 W x 48 L 41 Side View Take It from the Top Deciding to use commercially turned legs not only offers you more in the way of design options unless you re a turner yourself it lets you conc
49. double faced tape or adhesive Laminate flooring isn t fastened but goes down on top of a thin foam backing pad By fitting and trim ming the tongue and groove planks or tiles then edge gluing the joints you create in essence a seamless one piece floor that floats on top of the pad This eliminates the need for a specialized flooring nailer or a messy adhesive The only tools you need are a table saw or miter saw to cut the planks to length a router equipped with a special slot cutting bit for re grooving the ends of cut pieces a hammer a utility knife and a big roll of masking tape Flatten the Subfloor Like most floor coverings laminate flooring needs to go down over a smooth surface such as an existing vinyl floor or plywood underlay ment nailed over the subflooring But Bob s kitchen presented a prob lem It already had two layers of old vinyl and underlayment that created a wavy surface so the old stuff had to come out If we used standard underlayment we d wind up with a gap between the floor and the trim So we stripped the floor down to the original planks and installed a layer of Vet CDX plywood with screws and construction adhesive Even then we found that the floor had settled in an area near the door way to the dining room We filled this depression with a two part lev eling compound Figure 1 These fillers are mixed to a thick liquid consistency that flows out and levels itself whe
50. dry fitted the second row of planks then applied glue to the edge and end grooves of each plank as we installed them Figure 5 Tighten up the joints by tapping a block held in place along the edge and end of the plank being glued Figure 6 Once each joint is tight and the excess glue wiped up masking tape spanning the joint lines will hold everything together until the glue sets up typically 45 to 60 minutes Figure 7 Because of the extensive remod eling in the kitchen and entryway we planned to install new door cas ing on all but one doorway Adding casing after the flooring simplified the process greatly but we still had to do a little fitting in and around the doorways see Dealing with Doorways and Casing Add a Pattern An added twist in Bob s kitchen was a square field of flooring set off by a border of darker laminate Figure 8 This pattern was rela MAS a damp rag a tively straightforward but you can mix and match square laminate tiles with planks to create more complex patterns if you want The toughest part of creating a pattern is cutting planks to precise lengths When you re fitting trimmed pieces even slight varia tions in length will result in gaps or a visible shift in the pattern Planks must also be cut off squarely so check every cut When you cut a field plank to length you ll be cutting off the tongue it needs to mate with the border Wilsonart offers a special slot c
51. duced power shorter bar lengths most range from 10 to 16 and being tethered to an electrical outlet Still they re convenient quieter lightweight and typically cost a lot less from about 75 to 300 If you get a big gas chain saw for ta work an elect The Japanese Echo CS 4400 sports a personality very different from the European saws we tried It weighed in about the same but felt lighter and most of its serious power came from the upper rpm range We buzzed the engine quite a bit but vibration stayed at bay Like the Stihl engines the Echo powerplant has a dual ring piston for better performance Safety features include Echo s removable Kick Guard a small metal nosepiece on the bar and an inertia chain brake The Echo was an easy reliable starter with good balance and maneuverability but this saw tied for priciest of the bunch Perks include a detailed user manual parts list and a life time warranty on the ignition The Shindaiwa 488 came to us late in the game but made friends quickly with its healthy tric can a power to weight ratio Another Japanese saw it seemed slightly beefier in the low rpm range than the Echo and started as easily usually three pulls from dead cold A twin ring piston and chrome cylinder mark the engine for com mercial use and air filter access is a no tools required affair Very highly regarded by professional users the Shinda
52. e s width decreases evenly across the tree Stay alert the tree can start falling at any time As soon as the trailing edge of the chain saw s bar is an inch or two into the trunk insert a plastic felling wedge into the back cut and give it a couple of healthy whacks with a mallet or a sledge hammer Figure 6 Don t use a metal splitting wedge it will dull your saw s chain instantly if you hit it Advance the back cut until the hinge width is approximately Vo of the tree s diameter then turn off the saw and remove it from the i i Ee L b F PA ay Drive a wedge in the back cut as soon as you can Finish cutting the hinge remove saw then pound the wedge to drop tree cut Put the saw out of the way so it won t block either escape route Hammer the wedge until the tree starts to drop For a large tree you may want to alternate hits on two wedges When the tree starts to move get out of the way The trunk can split or bolt backward if the canopy hangs up so don t linger Drop your mallet and walk 15 or 20 ft down your escape route You ll be safer and have a clearer view of the falling tree A tree that doesn t fall complete ly creates a potentially hazardous situation because it can move unpredictably and without warn ing You may need a professional who will probably use a winch to pull it down Until help arrives never leave the tree unsupervised Cut It Up Move It Out When the t
53. e faces of the boards align automatically Ther s nothing worse during glue up than scrambling around with clamps while slippery glue lines shift and move with each turn of the clamp handles Tongue and r s i The guide bearing on a slot cutting router bit controls cut depth Again you can cut slots for a spline joint or mill a tongue and groove A simple tongue and groove joint can be cut easily on a table saw Or cut grooves on both edges and glue a spline between mechanical strength and also give you additional gluing surface area 40 Workbench 1i September October 1998 J x Eee H i NOTE Jig designed for router with 6 dia base Mortise Details Router Jig Detai Is Adjust as necessary if your router base is different Yo mortises Ya chamfer Ae deep x 334 long ait 3 long Top View 6 between i uide rails 214 square 9 bolster Top View 1 diameter starter hole in plywood only 34 x 1 end stop registers top end of table legs P 4 Index cleat Chamfered corner up and against index cleat then clamp them together in a vise to cut the mortise Figure 3 from both ends of the jig to get the Square up the mortise ends with offset right for the mortise Place a chisel afterward Figure 4 And the chamfered corner up and don t panic if your chisel work isn t against the index cleat butt the top perfect the joint is designed so o
54. e earlier into the hinge key hole slots Swing each frame up to make sure it clears the joists Adjust the position of the frames as necessary then fully tighten the hinge screws Mark where each barrel bolt con tacts the joist and drill a s diame ter x 3 g deep hole in the joist Drill 34 dia starter holes at intersections of layout lines Lay out the tub openings then drill a hole at each corner Cut the openings using a jig saw then rout a 1 4 roundover on all edges Frame plywood When I started build ing this simple system I knew it would help ease my storage problems As I loaded each tub and stowed it away though I was amazed by the amount of stuff the system can hold Granted this isn t the place to store an anvil collection Id keep the load on each frame under 25 lbs and make sure to support each frame as you swing it down P After marking the hinge location draw a line to the bottom edge of the joist then use a framing square to transfer this mark to the adjacent joist Plastic tub with lid K 5 Sterilite 15 qt 1754 h 34 x 144 x 40 KA spring loaded hinges Drill 34 dia holes at corners But now in a space that was other wise wasted I ve stashed the sel dom used stuff that had filled sev eral shelves to overflowing The system works so well I m building more for my garage Hl
55. e router package a 18 Workbench David and Kitt Deyarmin set out to update their kitchen with a budget of 2 000 a sum that doubled as the originally modest upgrade grew into a larger remodeling job Their hard work eamed the couple our grand prize a Hitachi sliding miter saw and a Bosch cordless drill kit from arthritis Nicely done Brad you can indulge your woodworking hobby even more now with your prize a Porter Cable 693K router kit for both plunge and fixed base routing Our second runner up Frank Barilla of Parkville MD had a kitchen with a nearly universal problem lack of space He wanted to correct that shortcoming before attending to the details of his cabinets and storage so he designed and built an addition that almost doubled the kitchen s size photo next page After all that work he decided to install manufactured cabinets rather than tackle building his own continued on next page Frank will receive a set of Takagi hand tools so he ll be able to enjoy some of the hands on woodworking he may have missed during his large scale remodel Congratulations to our three winners In addition to the prizes you ve won we ll also add a year to each of your Workbench subscriptions And to everyone who entered thanks again for shar ing the results of your efforts Frank Barilla s kitchen addition which won him a set of Takagi tools included a dining area plu
56. e structure shown above It features an enclosed playhouse perched atop the platform and a sandbox beneath it After scrambling up the ladder children can escape down the plastic slide at the other ct S e H oo Ae FF r gr A 1 i E Pl E Base Construction View ia Kg es Front post pressure treated 4x4 905 long Upper stretcher ss pressure treated 2x6 92 long N Rim joist e SI pressure treated 2x8 95 long q i e E p i mi gt Gusset pressure treated vika ya plywood 8 x 1 deck screws lag NT screws Back post Bottom rail 0w pressure treated 4x4 pressure treated me __ g 60 long 2x8 95 long e a amg Gusset Detail pe 20 r end A Dutch door doubles as a make believe 20 store counter Simple win dow grids prevent falls yet let in lots of light and air Yy Frame the Platform To simplify construction we designed the pro ject so Doug could build portions of it in his garage as he had time then assemble those sec tions on site Using pressure treated lumber he assembled the platform end frames first Base Construction View He began by gang cutting dadoes and notches in the four corner posts to accept the rim joists and bottom rails Figure 1 and Post Elevations The longer front posts also get dadoed and notched for the railings now even
57. e two Tying Up the Aprons passes to cut the wedge from the Machining the aprons involves face of the board Figure 5 Cut another set of simple procedures the V block into two 6 lengths and you can do them all on the If you have a drill press you can table saw After cutting the pieces 2 SSS J just nest the leg bolster chamfer to size you need to cut a rabbet on To make the V block jig for drilling the leg boister up in one of the blocks and drilla each end to form the one sided tilt your saw blade 45 and cut a groove in a length 174 pilot hole for the hanger bolt tenons that fit into each leg mor of 2x4 stock Two passes will remove the wedge If you re using a portable drill tise plus some shallow saw kerfs the process is a bit different First to accept the assembly hardware set a Va dia bolt or steel rod in Apron Details The orientation the bottom of the V in one block of all the cuts is critical but for placed 2 from one of the ends simplicity the blade height setting then strike it with a hammer 1 stays the same for each step Figure 6 The punch mark you I started by milling the long create will mark the hole location groove on the inside of each piece and also keep the drill flutes from Figure 9 This groove accepts catching and walking on the the table top fastener clips that sides of the groove Next drill a allow the top to move with season 1 4 guide hole through the jig al
58. eck the two adjoining walls for plumb and drive screws through the top doubler plates Workbench u September October 1998 31 Roof sheathing Ridge Detail Sy Ye pressure treated ply ey Drip edge pee groove i I Ve wide i R14 deep da Flashing groove Ridge cap pressure treated 2x4 112 long l Saw Va vvide groove 14 deep NINA the length of the ridge A beam on both sides to accept roof flashing Ridge beam pressure treated 2x8 109 long Rake backers pressure treated 2x6 Rltige post r sshrestreated 2x4 1 Blocking pressure treated 2x4 C Rake rafters 4 pressure treated 2x4 installed after siding Common rafters pressure treated 2x4 16 on center NOTE Rake rafters same as LI IN common but without bird s mouth u Raise the Rafters We discussed the next phase the roof while we broke for lunch Even though Doug had been a quick study on wall fram ing it was clear he didn t have a handle on how to top off the struc ture Roof Construction View His eyes started to glaze over as I explained roof pitch so I offered to help with the layout and show him the cuts required on a common rafter Rafter Elevation Because everything is tied to the ridge beam that s where to start Roof Elevation Cut the ridge beam to length and rip a groove in each side to accept a piece of flash
59. ed and executed solely by homeowners Some readers installed commercial cabinets others built their own from scratch All the entries had some things in common such as careful planning attention to detail and obvious pride in craftsmanship We studied the photos and examined each plan in detail Needless to say picking a winner wasn t easy and congratula tions are due to everyone who sub mitted their designs But from all the entries we need ed to pick a winner and two run ners up so here they are First prize goes to David and Kitt Deyarmin of Havelock NJ Together they planned their new kitchen using a home design software program David a sergeant in the U S Marine Corps built all of the cabinets in the base woodworking shop He also installed them built the countertops did his own plumbing and wiring and I even built the new ceiling arch Congratulations David and Kitt It looks like you ll put your prizes a Hitachi C8FB2 8 2 sliding com pound miter saw and a Bosch 14 4 volt cordless drill to great use Our first runner up award went to Brad Setterson of Marinette WI Brad bought rough sawn ash and built a full set of custom cabi nets from scratch The cabinetry fea tures pull out trays and bins that simplify access for Brad and his wife both of whom suffer Brad Setterson s access friendly cabinet designs earned him first runner up and a Porter Cabl
60. ed it into posi tion with its outer face flush with the back edge of the decking nA a ese ledger Flat 2x4 Wall Frame Elevations 88 551 5812 14 16 gt lt 16 si mk Sinking a couple of screws through the sill plate into the deck joists locked it in position Figure 3 If you get an end wall in place right away you won t have to brace the back wall Plumb each end wall with the back wall before screwing Drive screws through the back wall sill plate into the deck joists Check the wall for plumb with a level Side Wall Outside View g i OS 64 iOS Flat 2x4 30Yg 1134 ar TYoti leg 16 57 oe Ledger Detail the corners togeth er Then add the front wall Doug made a final check with the level to make sure all the walls were plumb then drove screws through the end wall top plates where they overlapped the front and back walls Figure 4 While I drove more screws through the sill plates to further anchor the walls Doug measured for the top plates on the front and back walls then cut some 2x4 stock to length and fastened the boards in place With the walls firmly attached I cut the sill plate out of the door opening with a handsaw taking care not to gouge the decking Two 2x6 s for ledger The top plate of the end walls overlaps the front and back walls Ch
61. ed over with a rasp By driving 3 deck screws from inside the rim joists and bottom rails Doug fastened the ladder to the platform Its best if the top of the ladder is flush with the deck Doug bolted the plastic slide to the decking following the manufac turers instructions Add the Swing Set Now that the ladder and slide were in place the kids could finally give the playhouse a proper testing While they played Doug put togeth er the swing set structure Unsure just how tall the post needed to be he planned to trim its top end later So he notched the post for the feet and brackets which by now was second nature and cut stock for the braces feet and brackets Leg Elevations Doug used 2 dia x 3 long lag screws with washers to secure the leg assembly joints The beam consists of three 2x6 spacers two for hanging the swings and one at the end of the beam for the beam pocket sand wiched by two long 2x6 s Beam Elevation Any swing hardware you choose will include installation instructions and you can alter the spacers if needed Drive 3 long deck screws to secure all the 2x6 s in the beam assembly Cut the playhouse siding to expose the beam pocket then get help to heft the beam into position a Spacer 12 long PRERE Beam Elevation lop View End of spacer flush with end of beam gt j ix fia _ _ FS 20 i BY 20 With one person on the p
62. edish saws ooze the same no nonsense Nordic philosophy Like the other manufacturers the Husqvarna folks address vibration problems by isolating the engine from the handle assembly with rub ber mounts or steel springs but their approach seems to allow a freer floating saw head than some others Vibration levels were nicely subdued espe cially on the model 55 which had a throaty engine with good low end power The Husky people make much ado about their air injection sys tem which uses a fan on the engine flywheel to divert wood chips and dust before the air flows into the filter A local repair center said the system is very effective at prescreening flying debris around the saw but added that most saws have some way to scrub the airstream before it enters the filter Starting was the typical More gas ritual European two strokes demand but the Huskies seemed more willing to fire up than the German saws Opinions on the controls were mixed and the saws were slightly on the heavy side but the smooth power oftset those complaints Other considerations a thorough operator s manual a lifetime warranty on the ignition and a product line of over two dozen models only Stihl offers more 4A Wotlebench i Sepeembet October 9982 ee ng The Electric Altemative Electric chainsaws let you forget about mixing and storing fuel keeping an engine tuned and breathing exhaust fumes The trade offs Re
63. emove from wire nearby slot opens the spring clip to release the wire Most manufacturers mold a gauge into the back of the switch that shows how much insulation to remove usu ally about s If you re using the backwire holes make sure your wiring meets the switch specifications for type and gauge size typically 12 or 14 Use only solid copper wire never stranded wire Consult an electrician if your house has aluminum wiring Fully insert the wire and pull to test the fit If you don t mind the extra work the screw terminals provide a larger contact area with the wire and allow a quick visual check of the connection Hook up is a bit slower though Always loop the wire around the screw so that when you tighten the screw down the head of the screw forces the loop closed Plane Reference I just bought two antique planes Is there a book that I can use to identify them and illustrate their proper use Roland Cardenas APO AE iy Zhe Handplane Book by m m Garrett Hack 1997 Taunton Press is a relatively new reference that provides a wealth of information on collecting choosing using tuning and repairing planes Feed Direction be for Safe Routing I m fairly new to using a router and I still get mixed up about which way I should move the router in different situations Can you help straighten me out NOTE Router bit spins clockwise when viewed from above Ka
64. entrate on the other main components of the tables the tops You have choices here too Hardwood plywood or a shop made veneered panel if you edgeband them and of course solid wood are all good options I thought a solid top was appropriate here Using solid wood does require a design that allows the top to safely expand and contract with changes in humidity I accomplished that by using table top fastener clips to hold the top to the aprons Coffee Table Construction View Hanger bolts 4 946 x 2 Corner Side apron 2 3y x 4 x 41 Coffee Table Elevations 4g is F z 15 End View If you re patient and careful milling your stock or very selec tive when buying surfaced boards gluing up a smooth flat top isn t dif ficult I made it easier by routing a selfaligning glue joint on the board edges see Edge glued Panels on page 40 One helpful technique is using clamping cauls across the panel to hold it flat Figure 1 Use scraps of plastic laminate face down or wax paper to prevent the cauls from sticking to any excess glue Another trick is to alternate the placement of clamps on the panel some on top some on the underside This prevents unequal pressure that would pull the panel more on one face than the other fc 99 EN Top edge glued maple 34 x 99 x 48 Table top fastener clips 10 These steps help ensure the panel
65. f the bolster against the end stop small glitches don t show Although a table sawn or routed spline joint offers a substantial improvement over a butt joint other techniques provide even more advantages Some specialty cutters for example machine a tapered joint that fits tightly only when it s fully closed This lets you press fit the boards together with just hand pres sure then cinch them tight with a clamp My favorite bit and the one used for my table tops is the reversible ene ae cutter but it has to be used in a router table After adjusting the cutter ee Workbench 1 September October 1998 al Drilling pilot holes for the hanger guide V block on top like you re V Block Drill Guide bolts completes the work on the building a sandwich Figure 8 legs The chamfer you routed ear The end of the guide block should lier will make this much easier but be flush with the top of the table using a V block jig cut on the leg so the hole position is indexed table saw renders this step almost correctly If it helps you can fas foolproof V Block Drill Guide ten a small cleat to the guide block First tilt the blade 45 and set the to act as an end stop Then drill cutting height to 3 4 Then adjust through the V block into the leg Z the rip fence so the tip of the blade bolster to a depth of about 1 Alternate age Le 4 cuts right to the center of a 2x4 on fence for as about 12 long and mak
66. g 2 IS attached AA e Ca Miter the top end of the rafter to fit against the ridge beam Position the rafter against the ridge and flush with the outer face of the side wall then mark the location for the bird s mouth Temporary ledger Temporarily screw a 1x4 to the rafter tails then slide the plywood roof sheathing into place The ledger holds it for nailing To prevent a repeat perfor mance I grabbed a piece of lx scrap and screwed it to the rafter tails Figure 7 This temporary ledger holds the roof sheathing in place until it can be nailed down The sheathing needs to extend beyond the rake backers by 2 so it will overlap the siding and the rake rafter you still have to add NOTE Install blocking between rafters Rake rafter Workbench u September October 1998 Blocking Detail Mark bird s mouth 33 Window Trim Detail Notch siding for ridge beam siding for window Van openings Rake rafter Siding Ya x 48 x gg T 1 11 plywood Rake Rafter Detail N Rail Elevation amp Baluster Details ihe rail ese 9 Trim strip y s 2x4 railings 4x6 A ballusters 34 Workbench a September October 1998 NOTE Cut siding so the joints fall over a stud and the groove pattern remains consistent NY Vtunrd pth mortises indoors Platform railings Sah pressure treated 2x4 95 long Siding and Trim Construction
67. he mortises in a leg fit a metal corner If the air is dry leave room for the top to expand Hanger Bolt Installation To drive a hanger bolt into wood tighten two hex nuts on the machine thread end until they lock One wrench on the top nut drives the bolt a pair unjams the nuts n ween Tiea Sod as Manem brace onto the hanger bolt and seat its ends into the cross grain kerfs then run the nut onto the hanger bolt and cinch it tight Figure 12 Repeat the process for the other three legs and make sure the assembly sits flat on the bench when everything s snug To mount the table top you have to clear your workbench surface and set the top upside down on it Then set the leg apron assembly down on the top check for a con sistent overhang on each edge and fit the table top fastener clips into the grooves in the aprons two on each end three along each side Figure 13 As you screw In humid air seat clips deeply so they ll stay in XY top shrinks Seat corner brackets in grooves 13 Fit the table top fastener clips in their grooves and fasten them Remember to allow for seasonal movement of the three clips along each side Any significant travel will happen across the top s width the end clips won t move in and out Once the hanger boits are installed you can start assembling the legs and aprons With the parts upside down on a bench fit the c
68. hin their first day guaranteed I Street Apt I Fast Safe Fun Easy Secure ULTRA SPEED PRODUCTS INC 4 l ousa r No Experience Strip Refinish 18500 E ASCHOFE ZIGZAG OR 9700 1 T Hi 4p Perfect 2 Career Make Parts Resilver ME Phone i 3000 Shops Repair Veneer 503 622 43 87 FAX 508 622 3252 TONE 4 Sdi S E ee Qer Video S6vk FREE Catalog s r FREE Schools amp eni a baer tie come deep d pe I International Correspondence Schools or handpiece foot control air filter video SS T ibs ae AR Brae paca Neen 800 T33 1776 burs ibe ar st ntil sample ee ee P I t gj A Subsidiary of Harcourt Brace amp Company RAST E The monarchy Stoic palace guards The stiff upper lip These images convey British tradition to the rest of the world but the garden at York Gate in Leeds England offers proof of a lighter side The creative playground of 3ritish landscape architect Robin Spenser York Gate boasts an eccentric collection of architectural salvage trom demolished churches homes and other regional sites Aside 7 from the baptismal font and stylized lions shown the gar den includes millstones and antique statuary dolphin foun tains and other carved animals an obelisk and a maze of cob blestone walls and paths English photographer John Glover who shot these images describes the scene as a dra matic fantasy landscape a set for a Lewis Carroll story of Alice in Wonderlan
69. ides the sheet into 1 increments with markings that indicate common construction divisions such as on center stud or joist spacing 68 ever home automation hardware and software have become simpler more dependable and more affordable Home Director from IBM repre sents this new generation of home automation This system runs on any 386 or higher Windows based PC sorry Mac users and sends signals to various controllers that operate lights switches and appliances using your home s existing wiring The basic kit at around 100 we includes the software a PC e interface one light controller an appliance controller and a multi function remote control Additional controllers switches and acces sories are also available Connect the interface to your computer and it stores the com mands you pro gram running Visual Precision panels were originally designed for builders and contractors to reduce labor costs and improve building quality For us do it yourselfers who may not be able to divine proper fastener place ment as easily as a professional L P also will offer the product at home centers in some areas and may expand availability in the future The Visual Precision grid is available on a range of OSB and plywood floor roof and wall sheathing panels Expect prices for Visual Precision panels to be about 10 higher than comparable L P panels without the grid Call Louisiana Pacific at 800 8
70. illed oak 70 Additional Catgjog print clearly PO Box 348A Star City IN 46985 800 847 4947 ANTS Bs Meisel Hardware Specialties P O Box 70 WB Mound MN 55364 0070 Product Information Number 191 1L LL_LLL L A RESTORE FURNITU RE World s Most Successtul for 30 years Product Information Number 200 We put our money into quality amp Wholesale Prices VY LLL LL hh hk Product Information Number 192 Product Information Number 207 Buckboard Bench Kit The Roudebush Company Visa MC accepted Price includes shipping UPS 400 000RPM Air CO2 Hand Inlay Engraving Or send refundable 14 3 shipping for video WHAT S N N EW Deeply treaded pneumatic tires provide addi tional traction Pull a release and spin the handlebars around and you re set for front tine opera tion The wheels aren t driven in this mode but the rotating tines pull the tiller along You can remove the tine cover for a better view during front tine operation and differen tial steering allows for precise side to side control Handle height is adjustable to accommodate short or tall gardeners In either mode you can adjust tilling width from 7 2 12 and tilling depth is up to 11 Power is supplied by a 4 cycle 5 hp Tecumseh engine and a worm gear transmis sion A primer bulb helps ensure easy start ing VersaTiller weighs in at approximately 125 pounds Optional accessories incl
71. iodicals postage paid at Des Moines IA and at additional offices USPS Heartland Press Automatable Poly Postmaster Send address changes to Workbench PO Box 37272 Boone LA 50037 0272 Printed in U S A Audit Bureau of Ciroulations Questions dz Answers Create Curved Moldings vvith Kerf Bending I have an arched entryway into my dining room and I d like to add molding similar to that shown in the doorway of the coffered ceiling artt cle in your June 1997 issue How dol make molding to follow the curve Joe Kennedy Abington PA more fragile it will be With solid wood leave all but 16 to 1 8 of the stock s thickness In plywood cut through all but one or two plies Spacing of 1 4 to 1 2 between kerfs should be fine for all but very tight curves When you attach the kerfed stock to the arch remember that the thin areas don t offer much holding power for a nail so mark the full thickness spots on the face and drive your nails at those points Before cutting your prized casing stock kerf and bend some practice pieces of scrap stock Fit them into the arch to get familiar with the process A The simplest method for mak m ing this type of arched casing is called kerf bending As the name implies kerf bending involves cutting a series of saw kerfs across the width of a board By cutting through most of the board s thickness and leaving a thin layer of wood you create flexible sec
72. is flat when you make it To help it stay that way you ll need to apply finish uniformly to both the top and bottom More on this later End apron 2 34 x Turned legs 4 234 x 15 Adams Wood Products 423 587 2942 4 x 1514 Whether you ply butt cies the board KA or mill a self aligning joint alternate the clamps above and below Workbench September October 1998 39 S Designate an inside corner on each leg bolster and rout a 3 long chamfer starting at the top end This creates a flat face for the drill bit to enter when you drill a pilot hole for the hanger bolt Make end cut first D After routing square the ends of the mor tises with a chisel Lead with the end cut shown then pare the side corners Double check the top s flatness by laying a straightedge across its width After the assembly has had an hour or so to set scrape off the rubbery glue squeeze out groove and spline joints ar among the simplest solutions and either can be cut on a table saw or with a handheld router Aside from making the assembly process a little less frantic these joints provide good inherent Edge glued Pane Modifying the Legs The table legs I purchased arrived crisply machined and finely sand ed but I did modify them a little for my table design First I designated an inside cor ner on each leg and routed a s wide chamfer along the first 3 of the bolster
73. iwa s reputation is well deserved but it too prices out at the top of our test group Sizing Up the Field Okay so you ve stayed with us this far and now you want the goods Which saw should you buy Keep in mind the inescapable logic of You get what you pay for mostly true here and understand that these same manufacturers offer dozens of other models That said I m happy to share our findings Among the medium duty saws the Poulan proved itself the pick of the litter Its combination of light weight easy starting and healthy power gave it a slight edge over the smaller Sears saw and the equally powerful but bulkier Homelite and McCulloch saws and it s priced very competitively The commercial duty group is a tougher call to make Here the preferences tended to sort them selves out by the balance and power characteristics of each saw Most everyone liked the throaty power of the European saws but the occasionally temperamental starting of the Stihls and the Makita did dampen enthusiasm some for these models The Makita proved itself sturdy and reliable though and the Stihls out distanced the field with their list of standard user friendly features Preferences among professional users vary some by region but tree service company trucks in our area carry Stihls and Husqvarnas like they re standard issue cer tainly strong evidence that both these brands offer durability and reliable performance
74. ke and a drive sprocket mounted on the out board side of the clutch to make chain installation and removal easi er A dual ring piston is also stan dard a feature that helps retard wear and the loss of performance due to reduced compression Unique to this product line is Stihl s Master Control Lever which groups the on off switch choke high idle and run functions into a single lever A lot of attention went into making the saws easy to ser vice in the field a plus for pro use Our sole complaint was that we had fits getting the Stihls to start consistently but a phone call to a company rep and a closer read of the manual cleared up some of the mystery The full down position on the control lever sets the choke A few pulls on the starter cord will get the engine to burp then you switch to high idle to start A few seasoned Stihl users confirmed this sequence works Our other test saws were much more forgiving of our starting technique though we had no com plaints once we had the Stihls run ning Both delivered healthy low end power and kept vibration in check and the manuals were detailed and fairly comprehensive The Makita DCS 520i showed similar manners perhaps because it too shares German lineage Makita is a Japanese company but its Sachs amp Dolmar subsidiary in Europe makes the chain saws Our Makita test saw was fairly light for its engine size but didn t feel like it its wide b
75. latform and one Swing Set on a ladder slide the beam into the pocket Level the beam and square it to the play Construction View house then tack 2x4 legs to the beam to gt Siang set beam hold it in this position Now you can screw J oressure treated 2x6s 144 long the beam to the framing around the pocket At this point Doug could determine the position for the leg assembly By trial and error he leveled the site with a shovel and plumbed the post then he marked the beam location on the post And from there it was clear sailing Beam Detail For a nice touch he added trim around the beam i pocket to cover a few small gaps Doug mounted the swing hardware and the kids helped him adjust the chains to the right length extra chain was added to the lengths that came with the swings Judging by the worn grass and ever present squeals from excited children the playhouse is a hit throughout the neighborhood And though he vigor ously denies it I know Doug delights in the fact that his kids now own bragging rights to the best little playhouse around Post pressure treated 4x4 120 long Bracket pressure treated 2x6 11 long E What You ll Need Lumber 1 10 ft pressure treated 4x4 Ve x GJ carriage bolts Brace pressure treated 2x4 8194 long 2 amp ft pressure treated 4x4 s en 2 6ft
76. le set the blade on your combination square with an inch mark indexed right at the edge of the head Place the dowel in the corner of the combination square then hold the head of the try square against the blade of the first square and slide it against the dowel When the blade of the try square touches the dowel just scan down to where it crosses the blade of the other square I ve also used this method to mea sure other odd shaped objects Even on flat boards I ll use this technique Disposable dust mask ee 12 Workbench 1 September October 1998 Set head of combination square at an inch mark on the blade This becomes your zero mark and the s4 scale on my combination square if I need a very accurate mea surement of the board s width For checking larger pieces I just grab my Read scale from your zero mark to find the object s diameter in this case 194 Try square framing square instead of the combi nation square Sidney Phillips Melville NY Disposable Dust Mask Filters Thinner The other day I was cleaning paint brushes with paint thinner I d poured into a coffee can In no time the thinner got dirty and filled with gunk so the brushes weren t coming out very clean I just happened to have a box of disposable white paper dust masks sitting nearby on my workbench So I took one and put it on top of another coffee can a 1 lb can is just right maki
77. n Boat boats especially wooden boats As Students launch their completed Factory at 215 334 1758 or by e mail adults they ve turned their love of canoes on local lakes at pwbf libertynet org boats into more than just a hobby i p ee aoa In 1996 the men started the Philadelphia Wooden Boat Factory a nonprofit school dedicated to passing along boatbuilding and sailing skills to younger generations and to providing a positive learning experience for Philadelphia s kids at risk Our fore most concern is young people disad vantaged by their environment or their home life and off to a rough start in life says McKonly Students in the school s classes work together to build a version of the six hour canoe a plywood craft that s easy to build and stable on the water The kids learn how to read plans use hand tools and work together to solve problems during the construction process They also learn marketable Quality and Value Since 1931 lt a SHOP i SOLUTION bmi SOURCE a ynstallanion Biden festat ow We ny Met A Spire r Kits s Sai For 3 6 Diameter v PE E For 4 0 Diameter di R I For 4 0 Diameter 11 Riser Kit RO B 11 Riser Kit FO B T li Riser Kit EQ B B roomall PA i Broomall PA Broomall PA i Diameters 4 0 to 6 0 eee 40 to so 6 ai U R eas Weight Saving Cast Aluminum j e Mitre Saw Stands ET kits available in any floor
78. n poured onto the floor To help minimize shrinking or swelling let the flooring acclimate to the room for 48 hours before it s installed Even though it s relatively stable big changes in temperature and humidity can cause the flooring to expand or shrink slightly After the flooring stabilized we laid out a temporary baseline 18 out from the toekicks of the new base cabinets marking the floor every few feet with a felt tip mark er You typically want to lay the planks parallel to the longest axis Use a leveling compound to fill in any depressions Feather the edges of the com pound to reduce sanding after it dries Adhesive _ _ Fastened to subfioor with Prefinished can be sanded and refinished of the room and use the longest and straightest wall to reference your baseline With a baseline roughed out we dry fitted some planks to check our pattern alignment Figure 2 We also made sure the final row of planks would be at least 2 wide for both joint and visual strength If necessary shift your baseline toward or away from the reference wall then snap a chalkline to mark your final baseline position _ Laminated Wood Flooring staples glue or double faced tape Separate hardwood layers Establish a baseline along the longest straightest wall Dry fit the planks together to check the flooring alignment and to create the proper spacing for any inset borders Workbench u
79. nds using a miter gauge to guide the stock Keep the top face of the panel up so any tearout from the saw blade will occur on the underside If you don t have a table saw or at least one large enough to handle panels of this size you can use a portable circular saw to trim the tops If you do reverse the panel orientation so it s upside down since the teeth enter the workpiece from the bottom Clean the saw marks from the long edges with a hand plane or a sanding block Because end grain is tougher to tame with hand tools I used a finishing am sander there A flush trim bit in a hand held router works great also Pro Tip Side Apron Side View 41 Note All grooves End View LI R ics e S I E i are Va wide x 14 deep A table saw can do all the machining of the aprons start ing with the groove for the table top fastener clips Be sure to keep the top edge of each board against the fence Adjust the rip fence so it acts as an end stop then use the miter gauge to guide the stock while cutting kerfs for the corner brackets Keep the same faces down as before Rabbet setup 14 Cutting rabbets and shoulders at the ends of the aprons cre ates the one sided tenons that seat in the leg mortises With a standard blade make two passes to complete each step Workbench u September October 1998 43 Hardware Brings it Home The hard
80. ng a sort of bowl I was even able SHARE YOUR TIPS JIGS AND IDEAS Ifyou have a aniue way of See something we d like to hear from to slip the rubber strap under the can to hold the mask in place I poured the dirty thinner through the mask into the can and the thinner came through very clean I finished cleaning the brushes then filtered the thinner again so I could use it later Let the mask dry thoroughly before throwing it away in the trash Rick Sandberg Ottumwa IA TIPS amp TECHNIQUES _ Scrape worn pad from sander baseplate Cut new pad to fit sander base Mouse Pad Sander Base My palm sander has seen a lot of use on woodworking projects Eventually the pad that the sandpaper sticks to wore out causing the sandpaper to slip and rip Finding a replacement pad was aggravating to say the least The store where I bought the sander didn t have new pads in stock and I thought the price quote was a bit high anyway My solution was to make my own sander pad from a computer mouse pad A mouse pad has the right thick ness and consistency and the cloth sur face grips the stick on sandpaper well To make a new pad I removed the baseplate from the sander and scraped off the old rubber pad I put the sander base on the mouse pad traced around the outside and marked the location of the mounting holes Then I cut the new pad to size and glued it to the sander s base
81. ng end of the first row and leave a 1 4 gap at the opposite end Cutting the planks produces loads of fine dust so I recommend you set up your saw outside Also make sure the saw blade s teeth enter the top of the flooring the laminate face to minimize chip ping Use a sharp fine toothed car bide blade If an edge does get chipped cut another plank and set aside the damaged piece to be trimmed and used elsewhere With the first row of planks dry fitted take them apart and squirt a liberal bead of glue in the end grooves of the planks Wilsonart supplies water based glue in bottles that have a spout designed to fit into the groove Lay the planks back in place and temporarily insert a wedge or pry bar between the wall and the end of the last plank to force the joints together and prevent excess glue from forcing a joint back open As you fit the planks in Ve eS a fe ee a te Wipe up any glue squeezeout with and rinse it often to avoid leaving a film Masking tape holds the joints while the glue dries place wipe up any glue squeezeout with a damp rag This 7 wide flooring comes packaged in 46 2 lengths and Wilsonart recommends offsetting the end joints on adjacent rows by a minimum of 10 Since we used a full length piece to start the first row we cut the second course starter to 34 for a 12 offset then followed with 22 and 101 2 starters for the third and fourth rows respectively We
82. ng two deck screws at each joist location The rest of the planks go down quickly with the ends overhanging hb 1 ke al whe 4 T dd II S Toenail the joists crown up and on 14 centers flush with the top edge of the rim joists Fit the joist hangers underneath the the skirt boards To install the last board youll need to rip about an inch off the width to get it to fit Routing a 1 4 roundover on this board s ripped edge matches it to the rest of the decking To trim the deck boards to length Doug snapped a chalkline 1 4 proud of the skirt boards and used a portable circular saw to cut the boards Decking Trimming Detail Later he used a router and a flush trimming bit to machine the ends flush with the skirt board If you also use this technique be sure to wear eye protection and a dust mask Some nontoxic varieties of treated lumber are making their way onto the market but the wood you buy at your local supplier will likely be CCA treated which con tains forms of arsenic and chromi um It s safe to work but you don t want the dust in your eyes or lungs Seats for the Sandbox Our quickly drafted plans called for seats on just two sides of the sand box but Doug was con cerned about leav ing the edges of the 2x8 stretchers exposed We ended up using left over deck boards around the sandbox s perimeter We butted the ends of all four Deck Trimming Detail Note To trim the ends
83. ns the trunk and must face the direction you intend to fell the tree Stand next to the tree and rest the bar on the trunk Figure 1 Many saws like the Stihl I used have a felling sight that runs across the saw s housing at 90 to the bar If your saw doesn t have a sight you can create one with a felt tip marker or some tape Align the sight with your target stake tilt the bar forward 45 then rev the engine and pull the saw into the trunk Figure 2 Stop when you are about Va of the way into the tree For the lower cut tilt the bar up at 45 Figure 3 Make sure that this cut meets the upper cut pre cisely creating a straight front edge for the hinge Figure 4 Presse to cut the ve E ie next to the tree and facing the target stake Hold the saw at a 45 downward angle From the front the noth is about 80 of the tree s pe From the side its depth is about 18 of the tree s diameter A horizontal line scored into the bark joins the two tips of the notch This line helps you guide the saw during the felling cut Make the Back Cut Prep the back cut by scoring a hor izontal guideline around the tree Figure 5 This line an inch or two above the crease of the notch helps you keep the back cut level Move to the side of the tree and begin the back cut directly oppo site the notch Refer continually to the scored line to keep this cut level Advance the saw straight toward the notch so the hing
84. nsert the wires Which should I use Mark Willis Lexington KY spring tension They speed up the wiring process since all you do is push the bare wire into the hole Pressing a small screwdriver into a Since the beginning of time man has been drawn to speed PaintStick is geared for performance You can paint in 1 3 the time while eliminating messy paint trays dripping rollers and clumsy ladders PaintStick carries all the paint you need right there in its handle Roll paint on evenly and beautifully achieving fast dramatic results No drips No mess No gimmick Simply push in the handle to feed more paint to roller as needed The PaintStick painting pi E system also includes tyvo tools for quick and easy clean up A best seller for over 10 years the PaintStick has been embraced by millions of home owners Isn t it time you raced through your next painting project PAINTSTICK A better way to paint y omm Look for the PaintStick at your b your better home centers or local hardware or department stores HOME RIGHT For more information call 1 800 264 5442 or visit www homeright com Product Information Number 184 10 Workbench u September October 1998 insert wire fully pull to i strip the insulation off the end and gt l Backwire holes test fit N Release Er slot an e Strip gauge i shows x amount of insulation to r
85. nstruction View The deck has five joists spaced evenly between the rim joists approximately 121 2 on center Joist Elevation After laying out the joist locations Doug grabbed the joist hangers and was about to nail them to the rim joists Seat Detail Top View Toenail here first joists and nail the hangers in place when I suggested taking a more pragmatic approach Variations in the width of 2x dimensional lumber are common If the hangers are already installed this can position joists above or below the top edge of the rim joists To keep things level I always toe nail the joists crown up to the rim joists with the top edges flush Then I go back and nail in the joist hang ers Figure 2 After you install the joists add 2x8 skirt boards that fit between the posts on the front and back First screw blocking to the upper stretchers then screw the skirt boards to the blocking keeping their top edges flush with the top of the stretchers Add the Deck Since the pressure treated deck boards were still a bit wet I sug gested laying the planks edge to edge When they dry and shrink gaps will appear but won t become large enough to entrap a child s small fingers Starting at both ends of the plat form Doug notched the outermost deck boards to fit around the front posts He aligned the outside edges of these boards flush with the rim joists and screwed them down drivi
86. ntain cadmium they re also more environ mentally friendly Now Makita has introduced the first Ni MH powered tools two s drills Both the 14 4 volt 6233DWBE and the 12 volt 6213DWBE have keyless 62 Workbenchs September October 1998 Li hi When McGibbon moved back to the U S he decided to import Festo tools forming a company called Toolguide Corp The company sells 14 Festo tools including jig saws sanders cordless drills circular saws and routers The OF 1000 router offers all the expected features vari able speed fine depth adjust tion and an electronic brake The saw works with the same guide system as the router to give accurate splinter free cuts It s not an average saw as reflected in its 550 plus price tag including guide rail Prices for some Festo tools might seem high but if you long for stationary tool performance high performance from portable tools they may be worth a look Call Toolguide at 888 337 8600 Makita Rolls Out Next Generation Ni MH Cordless Drills chucks 18 position drive clutches and each comes with two batter ies a carrying case and charger The charger handles both Ni MH and Ni Cad batteries Makita also offers Ni MH packs to fit their existing drills in 14 4 V 12 V and 9 6 V pod and stick styles Prices for the drills and batteries will run 10 20 higher than equivalent Ni Cad versions In tests the Ni MH drills
87. o the doubler plate to hold the lower end of the rafters Rafter Spacing Detail At the upper end one screw through the top and another from each side into the ridge beam is sufficient Blocking installed between the rafters prevents them from twisting and also closes openings in the eaves Position the blocking so the bottom edges butt against the wall Blocking Detail Doug screwed through the rafter into one end of each block then drove screws at an angle into the other end Rafter Spacing Detail 634 16 jet 16 ri dal Cap the Ridge Rather than leave the flat top edge of the ridge beam exposed to the elements we designed a simple ridge cap It sheds water and dress es up the roof Ridge Detail Rip two drip edge grooves in the bottom face then rip bevels on the top face of your 2x4 stock to create the sloped top surfaces Mount the cap using screws near each end of the ridge beam and about every 24 in between Add the Sheathing I offered to help install the roof sheathing but Doug said he d imposed enough already But before I reached the gate I heard him yell and I turned just in time to see a sheet of plywood narrowly miss his head as it slid off the roof on its way back to the ground I suppose you saw that he mumbled sheepishly as I helped him lift the sheet back into place 112 7 Common rafters T Rake backer install after sidin
88. of the pressure treated decking flush with the skirt boards begin by snapping a chalkline about 4 proud of the skirt board Cut along this line with a portable circular saw If the lumber is still wet let it dry for a few days then use a router with a 4 shank flush trim bit to cut the decking ends flush with the skirt board wear a dust mask and safety glasses when routing seats against the posts mitering the inside corners for a tight fit Seat Detail Screws attach the seats to the lower stretchers and bottom rails In addition he drove a screw at an angle through the seat and into each post on the front and back seat boards for extra support This firmed up these seats so consider ably that we scrapped plans to install blocking underneath With the platform completed Doug was anxious to get going on the playhouse construction He vowed to his children to have it up the following weekend then asked if I was going to be around just in case he needed some help End wail Nailer 2x6 installed flat e a Le P Frame the Walls Doug hadn t done much wall fram ing so the playhouse proved to be a good learning experience While the framing may seem overbuilt for this size structure the way he built the walls simplified the construc tion process Wall Framing Construction View The two end walls are identical Wall Frame Elevations Having the top plate overlap the f
89. ohn Johnson Jerome Herr Office Manager Vicki Edwards AUGUST HOME PUBLISHING COMPANY x 6 Workbench u September October 1998 8 Sorting Out Table Saw Power I m thinking of upgrading my mail table saw from an inexpensive benchtop model I ve looked at 1 xhp and 3 hp models but I m not sure I need the extra power Is the smaller saw adequate for home workshop use David Milburn Miami FL Generally speaking a 1V2 hp isa ontractor type table saw should be adequate for the type of work it sounds like you ll be doing Rather than spend the money to get the extra and probably unecessary horsepower ld sink some of the sav ings into upgrading the fence One other consideration is your shop wiring A 3 hp model is going to require a 220 volt outlet which can add to the cost of your saw upgrade Associate Editor Workbench would like to find an associate editor to join its staff Serious candidates must have excellent writing skills and enthusiasm for woodworking and home improvement Prior magazine experience is a plus Relocation to Des Moines IA _ is required To be considered send cover letter resume and ng samples o August Workbench September October 1998 QUESTIONS amp ANSWERS Chimney Cricket Sheds Water The home inspector s report on di the house I just bought stated that the chimney is in good shape but the cricket should probably be rebuilt
90. or recently showed me a clever method to gauge the height of a tree Here s a quick rundown of the i technique First you have to p N ao gaues sti stick marking its tM gt r Mark stick at this point m length the same as your reach Figure A When you hold the stick in front of you you create a triangle with a base and height that are identical Figure B Then you walk forward or back until the sighted height of the tree from the cut line up match es the gauge stick That makes a proportional triangle and you re standing about where the top of the tree will hit Figure C ee moe Workbench u September October 1998 57 Loggers call these snags widow makers with good reason The vibration from cutting can travel up the tree and shake them loose Limbs may also break loose as a tree falls and the trunk s momen tum can catapult them forward It s a good idea to allow a clear zone in addition to the minimum space required for the tree itself The site plan drawing also shows that you need to clear two escape routes when the tree begins to fall Use the secondary route if the tree falls in a direction you didn t expect Clear a comfortable working radius around the tree six feet should be enough Chop through any vines clinging to the tree and remove them from the trunk at least 6 above and below the notch height Otherwise the vines could interfere wi
91. ork the saw s controls with a firm grip The most specialized item I wear are the logger s chaps If you acci dentally cut through the cloth outer layer the long nylon fibers inside jam a running chain almost instantly You can also purchase pants a vest or a shirt with similar built in protection At about 65 the chaps seem pricey only until you think about the alternative a serious injury they could have prevented The most expensive apparel item leather work boots with a non slip tread pattern and steel toes may already be part of your D I Y wardrobe Think Before Cutting Before you even fuel up your chain saw study the tree and its sur roundings very carefully see Tree Felling Site Plan Examine it from all sides to determine the natural direction of lean and make sure you have enough clear space for the tree to fall See Gauging a Tree s Height for a reliable method to check that clearance Also check the wind speed and direction Individually a tree s leaves or needles appear small but multiplied by the thousands they represent the surface of a giant sail If there s a wind strong enough to sway the treetop especially against the desired direction of the fall postpone the felling until the air calms Look up into the canopy of the tree for dead branches that are broken or snagged on lower limbs Gauging A Tree s Height Walk and Carry a Big Stick A logging instruct
92. orner brackets in place then crank the hex nuts tight 44 Workbench 1 September October 1998 these clips to the underside of the top be sure to consider the humid ity The hardwood will most likely have been kiln dried but it will still move some with the seasons Ifthe relative humidity is low typical winter conditions don t seat the clips all the way into the grooves or the top wont have room to expand when the humidity rises Lumber 14 bd ft 4 4 soft maple Note Lumber quantity required sizes and waste factor How the Others What You ll Need 4 2 15 turned maple legs will vary according to rough board Conversely an August installation should have the clips fully seated to allow for winter shrinkage Sealing the top thoroughly I used a gel stain and a satin polyurethane on all surfaces will help As your skills and shop grow you can make all your own furni ture parts but for now there s no harm in buying a little help a Hardware 4 leg corner braces 4 5 16 x 21 2 hanger bolts 4 16e hex nuts 10 table top fastener clips 10 6 x 1 2 pan head screws Measure Up End Table Y te Except for sizing the tops and the Le 1712 SLJ Pag 131 gl apron boards differently building the a a4 SA i end table and sofa table to match g involves exactly the same proce dures used for the coffee table The part numbers for the table leg
93. p Rack Anchor bolts the L shaped fasteners used to cinch wood mudsill plates to concrete foundations have a lot of other uses in the shop I used some 2 dia x8 long to make a wall mounted rack for hanging clamps Take a length of 2x4 framing lumber and counterbore a row of 11 2 dia holes into one face each about 3 4 deep Determine the hole spacing by laying out the clamps you ll want to T 3 long screws nut will bite into the front face of the board and keep the bolt from spinning Screw the board to wall studs plac store on the rack Then drill through the center of these counterbores with ing two 3 long and a 1 2 bit screws at each stud hex nut location With the rack firmly attached you can hang a load of clamps and the anchor bolt hooks won t complain a bit David Harrison Salem OR INTRODUCING Run a hex nut all the way onto the anchor bolt thread until it jams and insert that end into the 1 2 hole Put a flat washer and another hex nut onto the bolt from the back counterbored side and cinch it tight The first hex ONE MAN SAWMILL d Turns Timber oe val Into Cash deep odutterbore WE BUN SEAN DSKAVESI SEVIANDINENSUUU Grow Biz Introduces a New Retail Kecycling Concept Targeting Today s Po lt Yourselferi Kelool Franchise Business Owners Enjoy Complete Training and made in U S A
94. plate with contact cement For about 4 I got enough material to make several sander pads Age Deepens The Character Reveals It Nothing compares to the warm rich look of wood furniture that only comes with age But often it s hidden by a dark worn finish To uncover that natural beauty rely on Mike Ricchetti Formby s quality refinishing products Northport NY Pig ote From foolproof finish removers to protective tung oil our time honored Spray Halts Rust I don t have an air conditioned shop so the summertime humidity wreaks havoc with the cast iron surfaces of my table saw jointer and band saw Wax works fine until the friction from using the tool rubs the wax off Now after I make the last cut of the day I just give the tools a quick spray of protectant such as TopCote to keep rust away Norm Smith Houston TX formulas have all you need for an exquisite hand rubbed look Trust Formby s because restoring wood Furniture Refinisher is a beautiful tradition Uncover Wood s Natural Charm Formby s is a registered trademark Farmby s 1998 WORKSHOP PROUD SPONIOR Product Information Number 193 TIPS amp TECHNIQUES Screws Provide a Needed Lift for Sagging Gutters I used 6 long screws to hang 4 wide gutters Home centers may not have them but an industrial fastener supply or top notch hardware store will Bob Settich Des Moines IA Every time I
95. r A Inman William LaHay Kerry Gibson David E Stone Rob rt L Foss Erich Lage Susan Jessen Paul F Stigers Ted Kralicek Cravola England Kent Welsh Steve Curtis Steve Johnson Ken Munkel Kevin Boyle Douglas M Lidster Troy Clark Minniette Bieghler Donald B Peschke ADVERTISING SALES MANAGERS Mary K Day George A Clark 515 282 7000 ext 2200 515 262 7000 ext 2201 MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER Tara Meter 515 282 7000 ext 2135 PUBLISHING CONSULTANT Peter H Miller 202 362 9367 FOR HELP WITH YOUR SUBSCRIPTION CONTACT WORKBENCH Customer Service PO Box 842 E Vig x _ Des Moines IA 50304 9961 ah 4 Phone 800 311 3991 p Fax 515 283 0447 TO ORDER WORKBENCH PROJECT SUPPLIES Call 1 800 311 3994 TO SEND A LETTER By E MAIL workbench workbenchmag com FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT HOME IMPROVEMENT WOODWORKING GARDENING AND COOKING VISIT THE WORKBENCH WEB SITE http www augusthome com KR WORKBENCH ISSN 443 8057 is published bimonthly Jan Mar May July Sept Nov by August Home Publishing Company 2200 Grand Ave Des Moines lowa 50312 Workbench is a registered trademark of August Home Publishing Copyright 1988 August Home Publishing Company All rights reserved Subscription rates Single copy 3 95 One year subscription 6 issues 15 94 two year sub 27 95 three year sub 39 95 Canadian Foreign add 6 00 per year Per
96. ra weight unfortu nately kept this unit out of the con tenders for limb sawing With more guts than finesse it seemed a sort of hybrid between a home use tool and a commercial duty saw with a mid range price The Homelite d3850b earns points for coming standard with a bar scabbard and a carrying case It s also the only noncommercial model that had an inertia chain brake This type of brake stops the chain if kickback forces the saw back abruptly regardless of the position of the guard lever The brake can also be set manually The bulky housing on this saw got a thumbs down especially con sidering its relatively small engine Starting was easy though and cut ting power respectable if we kept the engine speed up A suggested list price of 265 seems pricey but this saw package typically retails for well under 200 a good buy considering the extras Commercial Duty Saws The design and retail distribution network of the other saws in our test group clearly reflect the differ ent market they re intended to serve professional users such as tree service companies The cost differences arent that great in some cases though and there s no harm in upgrading to a heavy duty saw if you can afford it Among the first saws we got in were the German made Sthls fit ted with a number of user friendly features such as toolfree access to the air filter a side access chain ten sioner an inertia chain bra
97. ree is safely on the ground remove the limbs work ing from the bottom of the tree up Stand uphill of the trunk and cut limbs on the opposite side When the tree is down and you re trimming a limb that will fall free cut partway through from the bot tom up to prevent a split then finish with a top cut Reverse the procedure when a log is supported at both ends This time cut 44 into the top then finish from below This will keep the bar from binding in the kerf You can buck crosscut logs with a top cut Figure 7 or a bot tom cut but most of the time you ll use both For example when the waste piece can fall away cleanly cut Vg of the way with a bottom cut then finish from above When a log is supported at the ends Figure 8 avoid pinching the bar by cutting Va of the way from the top then finish with a bottom cut Remember first think then cut That s the key to safety a Knowing Your Tree and Your Limits If you ever stacked logs from a freshly cut tree you know how heavy green timber is So it won t surprise you to learn that even a modestly sized tree can outweigh a car And with no steering wheel to Buide its fall and no brakes to stop it a tree can be more dangerous So if you re not absolutely confi dent in your ability to fell a tree uneven stresses that keep them standing Cutting into one can unleash those forces explosively Even fallen trees sometimes har bor these sp
98. ring loaded stresses Finally if you re a beginner limit yourself to trees with a diameter smaller than your chain saw s bar length Felling larger trees is possi ble but requires more expertise safely and drop it where you want it call a professional tree service Trees close to buildings or power lines are obvious pro jobs The same goes for large dead or hollow trees a bell shaped flaring of the root base is often a telltale sign Trees that lean heavily or grow on slopes may be the most deadly because they conceal enormous 59 Workbench September October 1998 WORKSHOP previously had none The simple system consists of 4 thick birch plywood frames that hold clear plastic lidded tubs that keep their contents clean and visible I used Sterilite 15 qt 1754 purchased at a local department store The frames swing on spring loaded hinges for easy access and are 60 Workbench 1 September October 1998 2 5 Stow Away Storage This storage system takes advan tage of the last unused space in my basement shop between the exposed floor joists overhead giving me over five more cubic feet of convenient storage where I held in the closed position by 2 barrel bolts I started by cutting the plywood frames to size Stow Away Storage Construction View Mine are 14 4 wide to fit between 16 on center joists This space dictated the widest tub I could use The tubs I chose and most
99. rl Jameson Ft Lauderdale FL PN Keeping feed direction straight is easier if you remember two things The router bit spins clockwise when viewed from above and when edge routing you want to move the router against the direction of rotation so the wood offers some resistance to the cutting flutes This resistance counterbalances the pressure you re applying to move the router along making the router easier to control Moving the router with the direction of rotation a technique called climb cutting is sometimes done to reduce tearout in certain woods As the name suggests the router climbs along the edge because both the bit rotation and the force you re applying are assisting its travel rather than balancing each other It s tougher to control the cut There s no simple answer because the orientation of the workpiece edge can change depending on the task But each situation involves three basic elements you the router and the workpiece edge If the edge is toward you and the router s between you and that edge rout from left to right If the edge is away from you say you re reaching over a workpiece to rout the far edge rout right to left If the bit is cutting into the face of a workpiece rather than its edge when routing dadoes for example guide the router base against a fence and apply the same rule left to right if the fence s guiding edge faces you right to left if it faces away Bec
100. ront and back walls helps tie all four play house walls together Though he could have managed with his circular saw I loaned Doug my miter saw and showed him how to set up a stop block to cut all the studs and nailers to the same length He also used this technique to cut the window and 30 Workbench i September October 1998 gl I Front wall Wall Framing Construction View Sop plate Cut to length after connecting end walls N Wall plate ai wall Swingset beam pocket a 2x4 nailer _ instalted flat NOTE Left front post is cut away for clarity door parts sills headers block ing and cripple studs Doug used 3 deck screws to attach the studs to the plates and the window framing to the studs This not only made for a rock solid structure but when he needed to replace a sill board that split he simply backed out a couple of screws and fixed the problem You frame the front and back walls nearly the same the win dow layouts are identical but the back wall has two studs in place of the rough door opening that you build into the front wall Wall Frame Elevations To build the front and back walls screw the first stud in place to the wall and sill plates then add 2x4 nailer installed flat Top plate overlaps corner __ of front and back walls s End vvall 2x6 nailer installed flat N Cripple stud Sill plate a 2x6 nailer
101. rting You release it immediately once the engine fires Location of the on off switch is an important and personal consideration Try out all the controls while wearing your working gloves Some saws feature a primer bulb a flexible clear plastic cap that when pressed helps pull fuel into the cylinder for easier cold starting but it revved happily without pro ducing a lot of vibration The choke lever was easy to set but the on off switch wasn t as handy and it had a touch some of us thought was too light Our test saw had no chain brake but the com pany s Poulan Pro yellow series does have saws with this feature The Sears Craftsman saw has a similar look and feel and it too lacks a chain brake Surprise it s made by Poulan These weren t identical models though Our Sears saw had a slightly smaller engine and featured minor design differences including a filler cap with the oil gas ratio molded in handy The consensus on this saw was close to our take on the Poulan well mannered and fine for medium duty cutting chores Our McCulloch 4600 test saw had an unwelcome two lbs on the Poulan though the engine dis placement of the two saws was the same The tuning was different however because the Mac pulled much stronger at low rpm levels and didn t seem as comfortable in the scream zone It was also a little bulkier but was ruggedly built reliable and a very consistent starter The ext
102. s a look at some basic tools and meth ods to make it a safe experience Suit Up for Safety Chain saws are today s weapon of choice for felling trees and wear ing protective clothing while using one is essential Quick aggressive cutting is what these tools are designed for so you have to think 56 Workbench 1 September October 1998 z y Ni ee i m rm i ts hat ean OS ni e T D Hire af a T A at oes a a s ow i A 1 h mien se pr i ar a i S eee A L as t S Py p ij S ar he KY n ay e i T ee e a n N rs a lt a ee T T r a ge S E P nes Ama kjen a ial 3 aS ee gt Aja all sr Ma a F Sa be ar i ay i m EA 4 P U f 1 i T r a ae a z en e m ae at 3 pi Ai a y ni z 4 S p E ki a Py r zE a f Jn S f der a i Pes r i deny 7 E p a i IT 1 ei L Ly ee e E al Mi T IN ne M N 5 l L a i d L i Ka i u i 1 EL ia h I i ES ite E e Ad i y gt oa ty nyt Felling a Tree Safely pe kg ale eyo ys a E LI o E Seti nge Pd st x a ji A ip ga ami T 0 E SE E ra ey oan i S i Porte wi a T Fi beg Tm E r Li T Mi lt a gt a i i p tia F Sct 5 S ee kai npa lo SHE T ma i zi in Na k
103. s are as follows Coffee table legs AO901 15 End table legs AO901 21 Sofa table legs AO9O1 28 Adams Wood Products 423 587 2942 ordered maple legs but the same style and sizes are offered in red oak as well Aside from the change in leg length the other tables in this group also require different quantities of the 4 4 lumber used for the tops and aprons You ll need about 8 bd ft of 4 4 stock for the end table and about 12 bd ft for the sofa table These figures allow about 15 percent for waste but note the minimum lengths you ll need for certain parts 21 Side View Kid gi 13 El End View S Sofa Table pp A eee PE To klisje A Le gy gt l A pari 42 p N Side View mEnE End View Workbench u September October 1998 45 WEEKEN D PROJECT a7 T Ta Lay a Laminate Flo or New cabinets and countertops transformed the kitchen weve been remodeling but we needed new floor covering to complete the metamorphosis We wanted the look of wood flooring but not the installation and finishing hassles or expense of traditional hardwood flooring Laminate floor ing offered these advantages as well as low maintenance and the variety of colors and patterns avail 46 Workbench 1 Seprember October 1998 able clinched it as the perfect prod uct to wrap up our kitchen project You can find the cabinet and coun tertop installation in the April
104. s new cabinets and appliances New Window Ratings Shopping for windows doors and skylights may get easier thanks to new energy performance ratings from the National Fenestration Rating Council NFRC If youre wondering what fenestration is Merriam Webster s Collegiate Dictionary defines it as the arrangement proportioning and design of windows and doors in a building The NFRC is not a regulatory agency Membership is strictly voluntary but many manufacturers are mem bers of the organization The U S Energy Secretary does have the power to monitor the NFRC to ensure it furthers energy efficiency and improves the accuracy of performance ratings The new ratings being developed by the NFRC will make it easier to compare the energy efficiency of win dows doors and skylights made by different manufac turers Two numbers between 0 and 10 will be listed on labels One represents the product s energy perfor mance during the summer cooling season The other represents its performance in winter Currently the only rating required on window door and skylight labels is their U Factor representing their insulating value But this information is better suited to building inspectors and code officials than to consumers With the new system you ll know that products from different manufacturers that carry the same rating num bers have equal energy performance The new NFRC ratings will appear on window and door labels soon
105. s with a standard blade There s no sense installing a dado blade for this one step however In the time it would take you to change blades you can already have the joints cut Just scoot the rip fence close to the blade so that the far edges of the cutting teeth are 1 4 away from the rip fence Figure 11 Using the miter gauge to guide the work piece s travel butt the board end against the fence for the first pass then back the board off the fence for a second pass to remove the leftover tail Back to the Tops With the machining done on the legs and aprons you have to back track a little to the table tops Once they re unclamped they need to PRO TIP Trim Bit Routs Clean Edges Undo saw marks easily with a router and a flush trim bit Leave vs of extra material and clamp a guide board along layout marks for finished size Both edge and end grain rout cleanly Apron Details be trimmed and sanded If there s glue squeeze out still on the panels use a sharp chisel or scraper to clean it off then figure out how you want to cut each one to finished size As I explained earlier whenever possible I ll glue up a panel slightly wider than I need so I can trim the edges clean of clamp dents or other incidental damage And of course the ends will need to be cut If you ve got a table saw with a large support surface rip the panel to within about 1 16 of fin ished width then crosscut the e
106. th the intended direc tion of the fall And while you re cleaning up the trunk cut away any low limbs that are in your way Align thes saw s ns felling sight black ine on n n with the target stake Use tape or a pen to add a sight if your saw lacks one The lower cut of the notch slopes upward at about 45 Make sure that the ends of the upper and lower cuts meet exactly 58 Workbencht September October 1998 A Quick Overview Before I get to the details I can sum up the steps that bring a tree down First you ll drive a target stake into the ground to mark the spot where the tree top will land Then you ll make two angled cuts creat ing a notch that faces the stake Moving to the opposite side of the tree you ll make a horizontal back cut stopping short of the notch to create a wood hinge that folds over as the tree falls The hinge is at the heart of the entire technique because it keeps the tree tethered Without it you have almost no control over the direction of fall nor any way to keep the end of the trunk from bouncing violently sideways or up The notch created also provides clearance for the trunk to close in on itself as the hinge bends You get the tree moving by driving a wedge into the back cut Gravity does the rest Notching the Tree When your site s prepared and you re in your safety gear you can start the chain saw and make the two notch cuts in the trunk Remember the notch weake
107. though you don t install the railings until later leaving them off makes it easier to hoist the play house walls into place When you cut the railing notches be sure to orient the posts so the rim joist dadoes are to the outside Once you ve cut the notches dry it each frame together check it for square then drill the counterbores and pilot holes for the lag screws Corner Detail Slip a washer onto Clamp the four corner posts together and gang cut the notches mak ing multiple passes with a circular saw Chisel out the waste Lower stretcher pressure treated 2x8 92 long v2 x 3 lag screws the screws and drive them home Using lap joints between the posts and the rim joists and bot tom rails helps prevent the end frames from racking Plywood gussets on the stretchers between the end frames add to the platform s rigidity Cut the gussets to shape Gusset Detail Then align the gusset notches flush with the ends of the upper stretchers and attach the gussets with deck screws Drill a 3 4 counter bore 4 deep on the back sides of the upper and lower stretchers then drill 1 2 clearance holes for the lag screws Workbench September October 1998 3 Platform Construction View Platform joists pressure treated 2x6 92 long Decking pressure treated 54x6 95 long Joist hangers galvanized Thanks to the
108. tions that allow the wood to bend You can kerf bend solid wood or ply wood If you use solid wood select stock with straight grain quarter sawn stock has the most predictable grain With plywood the grain pattern doesn t matter as much Cut the kerfs across the face grain Kerfs cut parallel to the grain leave weak spots that could break when you bend the wood How flexible the wood will be depends on the kerf depth and the dis tance between them The closer togeth er and deeper the kerfs are the more flexibility the piece will have but the SHARE YOUR QUESTIONS If you have a question about woodworking or home improvement write it down and mail it to WORKBENCH Q amp A 2200 Grand Ave Des Moines IA 50312 Please include your name address and daytime phone num ber in case we have any questions for you You can also reach us via Fax at 619 28 by E mail message at and to iron out the depth and spac ing of the kerfs Kerfs open up when stock is bent allowing it to follow curves Space kerfs 14 Ye apart Nail through full thickness N portion of stock Leave s Va of thickness in solid stock or 1 2 H layers of plywood President and Publisher Donald B Peschke Corporate Services Vice President of Planning and Finance Jon Macarthy et Controller Robin Hutchinson e Senior Accountant Laura Thomas Accounts Payable Mary Schultz Accounts Receivable Margo
109. to floor height and BOCA UBC code models Made in the USA e Drill Press Support Call for the FREE 32 page color catalog VPicase send me the FREE 32 page color catalog 1 800 523 7427 Ex wB98 Name or visit our Web Site at hetp www theironshop com Address e Spindle Sanders e Router Accessories e Machine Covers HTC Products Inc l i l l I Shovyroomi Warehouse Locations I i t i i City State Zip Broomall PA 610 544 7100 Houston TX 713 789 0648 Mail to The Iron Shop Dept WB98 Box 547 Royal Oak MI 48068 0839 Ontario CA 909 605 1000 Chicago IL 847 952 9010 400 Reed Rd Broomall PA 19008 m Sa OO l nii ete E E i Call for a FREE Shop Solutions Catalog pesto Manufacturer of p 7 pa eee 1 800 624 2027 Product Information Number 187 i Product Information Number 185 20 Workbench 1 September October 1998 OVER THE FENCE Center Offers Wide Range of Craft Education oren Since 1954 the Brookfield Craft Center has worked to preserve and pass on the skills and values of fine craftsmanship Each year the Center offers one two and five day work shops on over 200 topics ranging from woodworking metalsmithing and ceramics to glass decorative arts fabrics and more Within each of these categories you ll find a variety of subjects Woodworking workshops for exam ple cover everything from hand tool use to boat building
110. to kitchen design Workshops run year round with many taught by respected visit ing artists from around the nation Brookfield s teaching studios an exhibition gallery and a retail shop are housed in four colonial vintage buildings on a 2 2 acre campus The nonprofit Center is supported mainly by tuition and retail sales with Standard Abrasive Sheets CABINET PAPER 50 pk 100 pk 60D 16 70 30 00C 1x40 80D 15 60 27 80C 1X44 100 thru 150C 14 50 25 60C 2 1 2X16 FINISHING PAPER 3X18 80A 1115 18 900 f as 100 thru 280A 10 00 NO LOAD PAPER white 100 thru 400A 12 25 21 25C C 100 SHEETS Velcro Vacuum Discs 8 Hole pattern for Bosch sanders gt Dia Grit Price gem 5 60 48 ea S 5 80 A6 hi 5 100 thru 320 45 ihe Available in 5 hole pattern k BPP apAMONe Wide Belts Rolis Flap Wheels Pump Sleeves PSA Discs Router amp Wood Bits Wood Glue MasterCard Visa C O D or Check SATISFACTION GUARANTEED CALL FOR FREE CATALOG TX add appropriate sales tax Continental U S shipping add 6 00 Product Information Number 22 Workbench a September October 1998 Econ Abrasives WE MAKE ABRASIVE BELTS ANY SIZE ANY GRIT ABRASIVE BELTS Belts are resin bond cloth with a bi directional splice specify grits 1X30 81ea 81 ea 81 ea 85 ea 4X24 86 ea 90 ea OTHER SIZES ON REQUEST HEAVY DUTY SPRING CLAMPS Clamps come w PVC tips and grips JUM
111. ts the rails and stiles of the Dutch door frames Doug built the frames first then attached the T 1 11 plywood to the back Door Elevations With the door halves assembled he marked and cut mortises to accept the full depth of the hinges both leaves when fold ed Shallow scoring cuts with a circular saw roughed out the mor tises a chisel was used to pare them clean Then Doug mounted the hinges in place and added the shelf on top of the lower door Its best to paint the windows and door prior to installation Once they re painted set the windows in the rough openings shim them level then drive screws to secure them Nail the prepainted door jamb assembly in the doorway and surface mount the hinges to the left side jamb You ll need to notch the side stops for the door to accommodate the door shelf A slide bolt connects the two doors Once the windows and door were installed Doug added the trim around the window and door openings He left a s wide reveal on the windows and door jambs Window Trim Detail The top and bottom trim boards extend beyond the side trim pieces rough ly 1 on each side This lets you avoid the need for a perfect fit and also allows for wood movement Construct the Railing Install the upper and lower rails in the front posts and add the cap Rail Elevation and Baluster Details Doug gang cut the deco rative balusters with a circular saw notching all but the outside two boards on
112. ude a border edger and an aerator plus a soon to be released dethatcher The VersaTiller retails for a suggested 799 Call Troy Bilt at 800 828 5500 for additional information Be A Furniture amp Cabinet Maker Train at home in your spare time for an exciting new career Design and build your own beauti ful furniture work for an estab lished woodwork ing business or start one of your own Complete program includes professional quality tools from Craftsman and Stanley plus instructional videos Mail Coupon Below for FREE Facts Or Call Toll Free 1 800 595 5505 ext 9426 Call Anytime 24 hours a day 7 days a week hup www icslearn com ns log 1 M248 Dept APKO98S 925 Oak Street z Scranton PA 18515 Product Information Number 186 Workbench September October 1998 71 R w Make 200 1 000 a Day ps ifte Reli ef Carving g Please send me free information on how Training Videos Newsletters Manuals Pro Tedhi i ff Nj I YES LU RR Ai Haein a IL X All New Techniques Environmentally Friendly 3 i snes Er N I Furniture amp Cabinet Maker There s no obligation I Challenging Profitable Cash Business Unlimited Marke ki NUM Sige ene eks pr A Ian Turnkey Business Saves Time amp Labor Low Investment amp video anyone able to trace lines cam do ull this E i Mame ke I i Franchise Advantages without the fees in just about any material wit
113. ure rather than straight gas They also have a reservoir for a different kind of oil to lubricate the chain and bar The pros settle the size dilemma by using a big chain saw typically with a 24 to 36 bar to fell the tree and buck the trunk to length then switch to a small saw 12 bar for limbing For frequent tree clearing or cutting of assorted logs or timbers this is the way to go if you can justify the added expense When you re buying only one saw however you have to choose Midsize models offer a balance so that s what we rounded up see the specifications chart on page 55 AYET Shindaiwa Hand guard chain brake lever Na Exhaust muffler R M S Bar chain oil resevoir cap E e v 1 i T J ae Bucking spike Drive sprocket Behind clutch F A removable cover shields the bar mount drive sprocket and clutch As the engine rpm s rise above idle the clutch engages the chain drive The chain brake lever gets bumped Dewara by your wrist if a kickback lurches the bar toward you You also engage the brake for starting First Impressions Much to the relief of all the stand ing trees in our area our evalua tion sessions lasted only long enough to get a few solid impres sions of how each of the test saws behaved Still the hands on time proved enlightening and valuable Here beginning with the medium Air filter cover
114. utting bit and splines to take care of this situation We chucked the bit in a small router made some test cuts in flooring scraps to adjust the cutter to the right setting then slotted the end and installed the spline Figure 9 After completing the square shaped border of darker laminate we laid the remaining planks We had to rip the final row of planks to a narrower width for a custom fit Finishing Up Looking at the completed flooring Bob noticed that some of the joints seemed slightly raised We assured him however that there was no cause for alarm The water based glue causes the MDF to swell slightly but the joints shrink back to normal after the glue dries com pletely in a week or two We used matching laminate cov ered baseboards and quarter round trim to finish up the project The laminate covered poplar trim is impact resistant although it required us to drill pilot holes for the finish nails Figure 10 As we packed up our tools Bob and Barbara admired their new floor They appreciated how quickly it went down and commented on the conspicuous absence of any finish fumes and the fact that they didn t have to wait for a finish to cure After weeks of dust and makeshift meals they were more than ready to have their kitchen back i Contrasting planks create a square border in the main kitchen area Such patterns are simple to make but require cutting planks to precise lengths to avoid cre
115. ve and diffi so you often have leftovers cult to install Building your own spiral stair that dry out and go to case from scratch is a complicated process waste Now United States but for do it yourselfers there s a new route Gypsum USG has intro Albini and Fontanot Spiral Stair Kits duced Sheetrock u Albini and Fontanot based in Rimini Italy Lightweight Touch Up has sold stair kits abroad for years and is now Compound in 10 5 oz Li offering three kits in the United States The cartridges Slip one one outdoor and two indoor models come into your caulking ready to assemble with a center support col gun and you can umn stair treads railing landing and balus apply the compound ters Varying ceiling heights are accommodat exactly where it s ed by using different numbers of risers and needed Even if you treads and the stairways install with either a have extra the clockwise or counterclockwise rotation small size mini 1 Kit prices range from around 1 000 to mizes waste 2 200 For more information or to locate the Cartridges sell dealer nearest you call Albini and Fontanot at for around 2 888 782 4758 or visit their web site at each Call USG www iper net albini fontanot at 800 874 4968 Revolutionary 2 in 1 TRIMMER MOWERe Takes the place of both your hand held trimmer and steel bladed mower The DR TRIMMER MOWER rolls light as a feather on two
116. ware I used for my table group probably won t be on the shelves of your local hardware store but it s certainly not rare I got mine from The Woodworkers Store 800 279 4441 For each table you ll need a set of four metal leg corner braces 24299 four helix 21 2 hanger bolts 24422 and a pack of ten table top fastener clips 34215 Installation of the hanger bolts presents the only tricky procedure with the hardware That s because instead of having a drive head like a conventional fastener they fea ture a wood thread on one end and a machine thread on the other The center of the shank has a blank area you can grip with a pair of locking pliers and not disturb the threads but I think driving them in that way is awkward Instead I use another technique Hanger Bolt Installation I run a pair of hex nuts on the machine thread and tighten them against one another until they jam Then I put a wrench over just the top nut and drive the bolt in like I would a lag screw When the wood thread is buried as far as you want in the leg use a pair of wrenches to spin the hex nuts apart and back them off the end of the bolt Once the hanger bolts are securely home in the leg bolsters each table assembly involves only two basic steps and both are easi er if you work with the materials upside down on your workbench Start with the apron installation Insert the tenons from one end apron and one side apron into t
117. ww deltawoodworking com The model 50 840 should carry a street price 8 of around 230 SHOP IMPROVE MENTS Craftsman Compact Welder If you ve ever wanted to own a welder but thought you d have to buy a lot of expensive complicated equipment then you ll want to check out the new Craftsman 80 Amp Gasless Wire Feed Welder This compact unit could make welding practical for us do it your selfers and welder wanna bes Unlike traditional gas fed welders that require a torch and rod this unit operates on 110 volts and welds with wire that s automatically fed through the welding gun as you work It draws just 15 amps but produces 80 amps of output power Four settings allow you to regulate the welder s power to match the needs of your welding job You can weld steel as thick as 16 and as thin as 18 gauge Weighing in at only 31 pounds the welder is easy to carry and store All of the accessories you ll need to get start Aluminum oxide sanding belts Prices belt Grit size Price disc PSA Velcro i size 40 60 80 100 to 220 Grit 80 100 400 80 100 400 8 ef a et 1x30 0 80 0 80 0 80 5 0 19 018 0 22 0 20 Rag 1x42 0 80 0 80 0 80 6 027 025 029 0 27 wee ST A 3x21 1 00 0 95 0 90 0 85 H 3x24 1 00 0 95 i f a A 9 Woody says VYhy settle for economical sandpaper when you can get industrial grade sandpaper at competitive prices Discs w amp w o vacuum holes Free
118. you the features on today s gener ation of chain saws and the differ ent ways various manufacturers tackle the same problems We ll explain chain brakes catchers and other safety features plus maintenance tasks such as chain tensioning and air filter upkeep Does Size Matter When you start shopping for a chain saw your initial temptation may be to buy the biggest chain saw you can afford or to size it Chain Saw Anatomy NOTE The location and availability of some of these features or controls will vary by saw model and manufacturer Bar rt SS hub Pe GE according to the largest job you might tackle Better instead to plan around like ly scenarios and regular use If you need a saw only for sectioning the occasional fallen tree limb choose your weapon accordingly There s no sense paying for power you don t need or excess weight you won t want to lug around Chain saws are sized by engine displacement stated in cubic inch es or cubic centimeters and also by the bar lengths they accept typ ically ranging from 12 to 48 Most manufacturers don t publish power output figures for chain saws and that s just as well the power rating claims you see on some tools are equal parts horse power and another horse product Generally speaking though smaller engines produce less power and are teamed with short er bar lengths Incidentally all feature two stroke engines that burn a gas oil mixt

Download Pdf Manuals

Related Search

Related Contents

Ficha Tecnica 03 Bond Epoxico 5 min  PET 4.0+ BioExplorer Installation Manual  Netgear MVBR1210C Installation Guide  MANUAL DE INSTALAÇÃO E OPERAÇÃO  RSC-U485取扱説明書  リアショックアブソーバー 取扱説明書  MARK Elephant (Hub) Mode d`emploi  SHARP® MANUEL DE SERVICE  - Acquire Digital  Electron impact ionisation rate  

Copyright © All rights reserved. Failed to retrieve file