Maximize your outdoor living space through creative woodworkingBACKYARD PROJECTS FOR TODAY’S HOMESTEAD CHRIS GLEASONREAD THIS IMPORTANT ‘SAFETY NOTICE ‘To prevent accidents, keep safety in mind wile you work Use the safe ty guards installed on power equip- ‘ment: they are for your protection. ‘Whea working on power equip: ment keep fingers away rom saw blades, wear safety goggles to prevent injies fom fying wood chips and sawdust, wear hearing protection and consider install ing dust vacuum to reduce the amount of aitborne sawdust in your woodshop. Don't weat lose clothing, such sas neckties or shirts with loose sleeves, of jewelry, sch a rings, necklaces or bracelets, when work- ing on power equipment. Tie back Jong hair to prevent it from getting ‘caught in your equipment, People wh are sensitive to cer tin chemicals should check the chemical content of any product bbétore using it. Due to the vaviability oflocal condition, construction material, skal levels, te, neither the author nor Popular Woodworking Books szsumes any responsiblity for eer ancy or other losses incurred resulting {rom the material presented in this book. ‘The authors and editors who compiled this book have tried to ‘make the contents as accurate and corrct ae possible, Plans, Iusteations, photographs and text hhave been careflly checked. All instructions, plans and projects shouldbe carefully ead, studied and understood before beginning construction. Prices listed for supplies and ‘equipment were current atthe time of publication and are subject tochange. [BACKYARO PROJECTS FOR TODAY'S HOMESTEAD. Copyright # 2010 Cais Gleson Fite and bound in Chin. All ips reer No par thi sk maybe reproduced in ay form or byany lection or mechanic means fludingntrmason storage and eel tea witout permintian sn weg from the ples xcept by a zeviewet who thy quote el paeage in ‘ee Pubished by Poplar Woedworking Book an snp of FW Med se, 1700 East CalbateRoad, Cano, Oo 4246 (60) 29-0963 Bt eon Diseuted in Canad by Baer Diet 100 Asian vee ‘eongtown, Ontario L7G 584 Distbotd inthe UK and Barope by PW Nea nterationa nel Hone ewe Asbot Devoa TOI24PU England ‘ob 1695 5000 oe (A) 16652519 mal postmasterahavidandchaes othe Dissiute in Austra Capiorn Link ‘wands NSW 2056 ‘sata ® Vit oe ate at ppanndting cm Y of ose ose eos aaah om our Iettoltrcr det mth per womb saya ray ofConges Canggu Daa lesan, Chai, 1998- cya project for oda’ homested by Chis Gleeon ~ ate pea Inches indo. 1-13: 97- 14409-05559 lk paper) SRN 10. 14109-05552 ak paps), -Acauiiionseotron, Dad Thiel SestoR EDITOR fim Sack Dest, Bin Roth maoroonanitn Ce Gleason ‘nuuerparon: im Sac METRIC CONVERSION CHART fpcomet ® yb Contes tes a Cente Bae 0 Yas Meter a Note ‘ads nABOUT THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AUTHOR ‘Waiting a book lke this reguizes the tne Chris Gleason has and talents of many people. I would hike cowned and operated to thank David Thiel Jim Stack and Gleason Woodwork Brian Roeth fr bringing this project to | ing Studio forade- fe. Their creativity and patience have J cade. Aselftaught helped to produce what Lhope isa gen craftsman, he specializes in conterpo- nel fan and useful guide rary furniture and kitchens. {also wish to thank my wife Michele ‘With a degee in French fom Vassar for her behind-tho-scones role i just College in Poughkeepsie, New York, Chris ebout everything do had the opportunity to live and study abroad fora year in Switzesiand. The ‘mountain influence mast have grabbed hold, ashe now makes his home in Sall ‘Lake City Ua, wire he mountain bikes and akis as much as posible. Hes lo an enthusiastic old-time banjo and fide player (Chris the author of Balt Jn Burn ture for the Home, Old-School Woodshop Accossris, The Complete Custom Closet Building Real Furniture for Bvryday Life and Kitchen Makeovers for Any Budget.CONTENTS _ ADIRONDACK CHAIR & | ADIRONDACK BENCH 16 _ GREENE & GREENE GARDEN BENCH 27 | GARDEN BENCH 30 - HOSE CADDY 33 _ ‘MAILBOX 4% ‘PLANTER 52 | WHEELED PLANTER BENCH 5% PORCH SWING 64 GATE 72 a Fr] PES Pty rT? rbd rT GARDEN GATE 75 PERGOLA 34 PLAYHOUSE 9% TREEHOUSE 10/ RABBIT HUTCH 120 CHICKEN COOP 128 GRILLING STATION 138 RUSTIC FURNITURE 1/8 RUSTIC SIDE CHAIR, 150 RUSTIC ARMCHAIR. 154 RUSTIC SIDE TABLE 156INTRODUCTION This book is designed to help you maximize your outdoor living spaces through creative woodworking, Today's challenging economic climate has motivated many homeowners to stay in their current homes rather th sn upgrade, and this has sparked @ major trend in what is often called the Dorit Move: Improve! move- ment. And it makes sense from every point of viow. My wife and Ilive ina fairly small home, but by patting in a small, ‘amount of money (aad a lot of time) on sprucing up ont backyard, weve man. ‘aged to convert a run-down lat into a veritable oasis (a least by our standards) ‘where we now spend most of our time, We have raised beds where we grow ‘vegetables, a terrific shed to store bikes ‘and more, a large deck that has by great for entertaining and a play strue tute that our young daughter enjoys every day. Our quality ofife skyrocketed ‘when we undertook these projects, and, ‘even though we arert planning on mav- ing any time soon, we have the satisfac- tion of knowing that it was a financially ‘good decision, Im sure that we would see a good return on our modest invest ‘ment if we decided to sell our house. ‘The yard might attract more buyers than the house! This book seeks to teach by example, so Im presenting twenty great projects that are within reach of even navice woodworkers. Beginners will appreciate the measured drawings and step-by-step ‘photos, More experienced craftsmen and women will find these project concepts tobe great springboard in planning and executing their own custom versions that best suit their unique situations, 1 way; I've included infor- Along ‘mation on choosing durable materials, working with rs ing finishes that hold up in the tough- claimed lumber, apply- est conditions and much more. The emphasis is on projects that are highly functional in nature: There are plenty of other resources that show you how to ‘build decorative windmills, and the um- derlying theme is that the best room in your house may not be in the house at all, With some thoughtful planning and afew clover construction techniques, every property can have a functional and beautiful yard that youll enjoy for ‘years to come.ADIRONDACK CHAIR i Yo book on outdoor woodworking would be complete FF oe radius of West if it left out the long-revered Adirondack chair. This Mae Seana classic piece of furniture is found in backyards and : have the wide acceptance the Adirondack cal yo on porches all over the country, and every time I J : ee re eerie a build one, feel lke Tim paying homage design and build it at his home port chair” that meets certain ‘to a great tradition that is well worth carpentry shop to sell to the locals conditions can be valued at more perpetuating, As I was writing this Asit turned out, Mr. Bunnell had more than one thousand dollars. chapter, curiosity got the best of me and in mind, seeing Lee's chair design as a ‘Today, the Adirondack chau decided to do alittle research into its way he could make a future living After evolved and can have any number of history —Tm betting that youll find it doing some planning, Bunnell took the differences. Seats and backs with any jus as interesting as T did, chair design and fled for apatent on number of lats, contoured or straight Excerpted from Wikipedia: The pre- April 4, 1904, Later. on July 18, 1905, seats and backs, fancy curves here and cursor to today's Aditondack chair was Bunnell received his patent for the there, built out of ust about any wood designed by Thomas Lee in 1903, He chair he called the “Westport Chair". you can think of Different sizes and ‘was on vacation in Westport, New York, He never told his helpful friend Thomas the number oflegs round out today’s in the heart ofthe Adirondack Moun- Lee anything about applying for apat- variations, and Im sure there are many 1 tains, and needed outdoor chairs for his ent nor did Mr-Lee try to do anything _dorit even know. Howover, there are still summer home, He Lested the first de- later alerhe learned he received one, two main distinguishing hallmark cha signs on his family. The original Adiron- Bunnell became suecessful manufactur. acteristics of Bunnells “Westport” chair dack chair was made with eleven pieces ing and selling the chair for the next _-made over 100 years ago. A true Adiron- ‘of wood, cut from 2 single board. Ithad twenty-five years. He built all his West-_dack chair has a raked, slanted back and ‘straight back and seat, which were __port chairs with Hemlock or Basswood, _ the large broad armrests. Undoubtedly, setataslant to sit better on the steep He stamped his US. patent number _the Adirondack chair has changed over ‘mountain inclines ofthe area. It also on the backrest, painted them (adark the years, bt for many it remains the featured wide armrests, which becamea red-brown) or let them unpainted, and truly all-American chair that has come hallmark of the Adigondack chair. introduced several diferent variations to symbolize eagy summertime living ‘The Westport chair may have never (Improvements you could say) ove been documented Mr Lee had not _the years. His choice of Hemlock wood offered his chair design to his hunting might seem odd because itis not a friend Harry Bunnell, Thexeason Me _natutally durable wood nor is it consid- Lee did this was to help Harry make _ered a very suitable wood for furniture, some money. Turns out Harry was but it was and is still readily available in broke and feared he would not make it the New England area, The chair never ‘through the winter, Trying to behelp- became wide spread as it never reached ful, Lee suggested he take his chair distribution further than a 100 squarePROVECT ONEADIRONORGK CHAR. ADIRONDACK CHAIR INCHES (VIL. IMETERS) 3 : j a Elale i 2 nm a 4 ade ae Teas 310 a7 [2 Pad Ta ea Ta 8) 75 [5 | seat sits Te th 385) 2 [4 | vor veritas 1 08) ove 36 E [2 | orto i 6 TA 85) a F_[ a | back suppor a Tm teh Ta 8) 2 | 2 [ams 16 3a sei a HD 2 | ann braes te 18) Te 68 7 (LEFn Bulling an Aairondack char starts with the seat sup- ports. | use 2x6 material here, as sey need to beety — most ‘ofthe weigh thet the char wll hold encs up being transtemed ‘trough these components. If you're only making one chai; you can ‘smoly cut out one support ane then trace Ito make te other one, but i youl be balding more than one chai | suggest spending a ‘en minutes to make a template ot serap Y" plywood. lend UP boulding atleast one or two Adeonciacks every summer ants prety handy to just grab my ternpate from were ithangs on the wall In any event, Luse a jigsaw to cut out the suppor, athowgh a band saw is a good cheice as wel Fool re te ncorperate any acs- ‘helic modifications that you Tke, as incated inthe photo 1 J] stow ee Once the supports have been ext ou, the seat flats can be acl acrosa therm andl secured with screws, Pre tiling a clarance hole for tne screws wl prevant the ends ofthe slats ftom spitting. Z| The back supsorralis curved to help creat the fan back thats sig nature part ofthe Acrondack’s bok. My metho for cutting ths curve isa simp one = I begin by ckawing hal ofthe curve {rom ‘the outside edge tothe midpoint, Leave about one-t of the rls with itact at ‘tho bottom af tho curve, "Using a band saw or jigsaw, I cu along this ine and remove the excess by cuttng ‘Any iogutties can be emoathed out down the mice ad thon using this "waste" pace as a patter fr the other hal of win a elt sancer or chum sandler ‘he eat, Tris ensures thatthe entra curva isa least symmatica. lwnove isem Atmough tis an unusual aporoach find that this approach fs the fastest way for me to produce a pleasing ‘curve on a one-off basis. This piece cl take move than two or ‘tree minstes, and it wl work just tne. 6 aBove icin Since | was in the mave of cuting curves, also cut ut the back suppart ral forthe tap of the back. | used ‘he same tecnriaue, but in nis cage tne curve axtands to the ands ofthe hl (LEFT Hove's a nepful vow ofthe screws into the sea sas, suggest placing the screws as fe rom the outside eage a5 088s to prevent epting.os, but bn 5 attachment [LEFn| screwed the upper back sux or ral tothe ops ofthe rea legs, and te eo the stage fr me to boo laying fu the fanned! back saPROVECT ONE Tq] WOVELER By sting in the chal and hong oUt my ats at | comfortable hah, vias abl to aetablsn an egenoricaly appealing height for the ‘vont legs. out them to tis height and altacned the arms and rear legs with sores, (asove rian Laying out the slats forse back takes abit of ‘xperimentaton. How many slats should you use? How wide ‘hous they be? How do you estabish the spacing? Locking al the project om a ew ciferent angls helped me to answer these ‘ustions 18 FB] Mail tinal docids to uso ow aqua sized slats or to bback, and | soaced thom such that they touched atthe bt. ‘om and hal equal gaps betwoon thor at thelr tops. “Te sequence of event isn't 09 et 12) catnere — jumped around at and decided 0 fabricate ana attach the arms. ‘ypical Adttondack fashion, they were fasty broad, and they fate a cuve that tapers toa 2" wicth towers the back of tho chat. ‘gan the snape can be personalized, 30 don't hestate. Ad radi tothe front comers ofthe arms for conor, Once had cutout fn, | used it as @ pater forthe othor an 14| cis 7 soften the ook ofthe back by cuting a cure Fg) nde let aut the curve onthe top ofthe fest ht, onto the tops of the two outermost slats. | sketched a ine to as a pallor forthe represent thi, CCuting the curves on to tops ofthe two slats made a big liferonce — the back looks jst right to me now. FH] As both a practical and syisb touch, I made a pa of sma 9} rackets (ako known a8 corbolj to helb svp90r the bose arms of he Adirondack, which Iwas sure would hosen up abit overtime 19 18ADIRONDACK BENCH 2 This variation has a straight back, because it seemed to me that a single curved back or two individual curved backs (think of bucket seats in a car) wouldn't provide optimal comfort — the latter might con- strain two people who want to sit close.Provecr nwo Eresrverccal — acs (8) slate wise (5) rion on the classic Acirondack cha ‘The nuances of ho basic pattern foun on page 10 are sasy jppet inthe ri, " In this e320, IdoeADIRONDACK BENCH ADIRONDACK BENCH « INCHES (ML IMETERS} 5 Zi oe | eta ea —— ia Tost tho slats and trim as nacessary so they wil folow the To avoid song the slats at tar ends, attach thom with curve ef the euaports screws insestet into prociled crow holes. F] Fortine bench, chose to tach the arms tothe ton gs J] | ne attached to two ams to the fot gs kesping tem Fight away lecating the front edge ofthe log at he highast arate to the seat supports. allowed about an inch over Point of the seal cue. hang at he trent, and held the insides of he arms ish tothe loos. 19Provecr nwo 7] tows As an aerate way of su porting the back sal, | joined the ‘arms together win along ral across the back al iin place with a serng clare Wile I checked the alignment J ] tote When af wl, us00 four sors per sd ust to make sure the rallwas gute securely atachea, i / | Move ten The boom edge of the back hts wil nate snugly into the gap between the seat sais. | se afew in ‘place to get a teel for ow te whole thing would shane up. (avove nian | used a ti roucr to charter the ottam edge 10} otto back stats, (rian. this alowod them to pross more dooply nto MY the oa,ADIRONDACK BENCH 12 14 16 With all ofthe back slats in place, used a French curve to lay out acum in the upper corner ofthe back, ‘Any eraguartag inthe protle were easy to ean out vith a hand-held bet sander. | elamped a 1x6 along the back ofthe bench and traced! the pre of the curve, ‘Once I had cut out one so, | aced tho offets onthe other ‘se G0 tat the two sides wore consistent. ven though | 18] chose tho svalohest umber ‘rat cout, there wor stl some small ‘eviatons that wore pelt evident a his point. Fortunate tere is an easy ic forth FF] Onde tre ends wore cut an the 1x6, | camped tn place and screwed it to the eas, Ths eewac to xeep the slate at an ko toad! some extra strength and igity to tho back, 2GREENE & GREENE 3 GARDEN BENCH I've included a few bench designs in this book, because more and better seating really comes in handy in backyard settings, and I've wanted to showcase a number of ways to meet ‘that need, This design is one of my fa vorites. It looks so nice that it might just be at home indoors to, ‘This simple bench has almost an Asian feel, and this is understandable because I tried to workin a style that ‘was developed by the Greene brothers, 4 pair of architects who are famous for their “ultimate bungalow” designs in work is fll the early 20th century. Th of details that seem to be heavily influ enced by their exposure to an exhibit of Asian design that they recalled seving early in their careers. Ifyou are interested in thele history and style, [highly recommend that yyoulook at the work of Darrell Peart, an author, h storian, and ‘woodworker who is a true expert in this prominent American Arts and Crafts style. His book Greene and Greene: Design Elements for the Woodshop is a must-read. 23PRoVECr THREE GREENE & GREENE GARDEN BENCH ¢ INCHES (WiLL IMETES) i : 4 HE i 2 in _ i fom) a | a [tte 2 Tea Fea, 87a & | [eos aad Tae ae, 17 [2 | boom si ae 238 Wa 6) 6s [84h [2 | boom ond rae Bad Ve 8 388) 1866) E [2 | sie setchors Bat Va 8) Va 88) 366 F [2 | oe stichare Bat Tao Waa 138664 Dae ope to wh Atop sat (4) Fend stretcher (2) C bottom, side ral 2) Bleg (4)Because Isid't have the exact design deta uly lashed cut boforohand was working witha general concent and set ofidess that! knew | could de- 28 | wen ang), | began by laying out tha part to gel a feel or hove tney right ok best toga | needed to deterring the sia ofthe overhang of tha top, th ticknass ofthe logs, an the placement of the lower stietche. Some: ‘ims these questions ae eases! to answer when you can get your hanson the actual materials moved — working fom a scale craving i a vary deren oro= 1.88 than designing “on the ty “The tapers can be eu any number of ways — Ifyou have a tapering jg, tis woul be a handy place to use, For ent four gs, Youn 0 B0 hist a beficiont to Ut the tapers on my ban sae and tren ‘clean up the faces witha cove of ig passes on the joie itis azo werln naling thal, because thee is enly ne taper, hase lege a al ne same and can be sec interchangeably — they aren" in pairs, as would be the casei ter ajacent faces GREENE & GREENE GARDEN BENCH “The taper ofthe logs (leaving a2 ‘op of tne lg ie an portant do ‘ation for his piece. | decided to taper only the cutside ‘ace of the legs for aesthatis reasons, and ths meant ‘tna te joinery between the als and the lags woul be whet is krovn as ight-anglejinery If hed! ta- ered the neice face of the lags a5 wall, the ana ot ‘no call would have needed to be tore, as wal Wit the tapered legin lace. could stat to gat a teal forthe estnetive profle that had fn min for te fond of the ral. Ths dela Is commonly known as a bus it and itis te ‘quently seen inthe de- ‘sign work of he GreenePRoVECr THREE (Chu Lit Pattern sing the clout pattern above, Lmavked the For conestency’s soko, | vanster the mas rom one lg to Is parner shape on one latom sie ra, | then aligned the ‘he other sie ofthe table ‘algo tat the bor ofthe ral ater cut to shape) would! be 234" uo on the lag. Mark tho fcation ofthe rail shape, nat he ralllank. Once the excess is remove, lint corsspond to anything! |couleve drawn a pater for the cloud lit deta on scrap linen took the scraps and placed them on the other end of ‘tock and out tout and then raced ton the ral, but 19s ‘he tall so that thay woul ncieate where to draw Ines on mat content that I could employ an unustal shoseut hee, began by ond you use his method, remember to ada a" oF 0 to account tng away tho excess above and below the cloud It. Cuting forthe thickness ofthe saw blade, arly along the Ine ¢ essorvial hee,GREENE & GREENE GARDEN BENCH J] Trerallnas one more fate tolay- 5] By placing he waste piece fush win [> ut and cut — an ach across the te bottom edge othe blank, Iwas sketched in by hand ~ it ony takes a bottom which helps to fghten up the look of sb to transfer the profile ofthe arch to the second — and ensures that the two halves ‘hat comaonent. Thee are many wy to lay other side of te blank lf the arch meet up graceful inthe mide. but an arch, and here is simple matnoc which use all the te. By oy, | sketched hal ofthe arch, stopping atthe midpoint of ‘he steicher. The gals to simply create a stnooth, plasing arch, doesn't have to correspond to any particular ratheratical ‘equation jtis pat ofa porto lps. then cul aay the excess below the arch 7a] The comoeted arch canbe taced ‘onto the blank forte second al. a] A5924 680 see, an azoh erated in ts way can tan out gute nee, ana i ast and caty, Since | cc pln to bulé this bench a second time, ledn' really want to spond tine bulcing a patton that 'énover use again, and this mothod alowed mo to work vary ficiently — even fits a bt unconventional 27PRoVECr THREE ‘Your method! tor oning the ras and stretchers tothe logs wil depend on your preferences and the tools that you nave aval ‘able, You coud use dowels fr tis ont, for example, or biscults would prooaely work a0, although I woul sugges rolng them up ta create a lat of surface area for ghe to take hod inary event, yo'l noed to mare the stock aceorsinghy ‘To create a strong base, included a stretcher atthe top of ‘the bench. | cico't embelion it itn any craseectup design lomen's because the lower ral is areas doing most ofthe heavy ng in that department, and Il tha abit of restrain: here was a better choice glues enough? I don't mind a Il squeeze out, Since tis easy o clean up if you doit right away with aw rag, sn dently clint want to starve tn ois. | sven added 9 ‘it mere inside the omer mestise. Ana, although ths might lok tke realy fst way to accurate eur loose tenon joints, Apar of atof glue, once twas spread around event, ere was actualy Dominos wil create avery sttong jt in ths kn of application, ver le that sil out ofthe joint, |use the Domino joiner on slmost a daly basis, and itis 3 ‘The front ans back of he ages of each other. ‘To clamp up the tapered assert | sot the angled waste between tne lagGREENE & GREENE GARDEN BENCH Fp] Once the olve was cy ~ at east afew hours — the chs wore removed and | began ts bull out the middle portion of ‘he bench with short stretchers an ais tnat conmact tha si, Here's the bench wth the mortises cut, jst prior othe falas sembly of te base. Because everything wes Ibeled, was 9 ‘pen to lay ut tho pas inthe right places an inthe right ovontaton 22 Fr] |otked each in with nes that would hap me to prope align the Domino joner, and | also made sue lo label each joint 20 tha tne imminent jumble of parts would be easy to ort cut Even a simple piece Ike ths with relatively few components ca | ‘cause canfusion you don't work methodical Apairot 22} chmos on ‘2ch sie provided ploy of chenping pressure — and the ‘tapered wedges were ofcourse unnecessary, a8 ho sides themsates ed rot taper inward the shor stetchers and ras ae set at ight ‘angles to the side sub-assembles) ag] The to consists ofa row of 2x65 that roped o 6 wid to {get tho right overhang atthe front and back of the bench. sel my mitra to cut the and of aach boar al a 45° anal, leaving a 4 Maton the ends. | used some bots as spacers to cree alo even gans betwaen the boards. Because these boards ae ‘arly narrow, and because Ienly used one lng screw per board, wood ‘mevemaent can occur without any negative consequences. The gap between the boards wil ako facttate any sweting tat ray occur in the ter, to. 29GARDEN BENCH 4 Herds a really versatile piece of furniture that would be at home in a variety of settings — when I started looking around our yard, I found at least three places where I wanted one. The construction techniques are simple and low-tech: no table saw is I decided to paint the bench a bright required to make this bench, asit relies blue color so that it would stand ‘on dimensioned lumber (Ix4s and 2x4s) _ and lend a funky touch to the garden straight from your local home center, that it would complement. Varying You wort need a planer, either, because the finish would change the feel of the this kind of wood has already been plece quite abit, so Isuggest staining it surfaced at the mill. As far as tools go. _or painting it in whatever way best en youll get by just fine with a drill ajig- _hances your landscape. saw and a doweling ig, And long screws could be substituted forthe dowels, to.Prove FOUR, (GARDEN BENCH # INCHES (MILLIMETERS) ile i i HE i Ao [A é ACL | ce Bas ea 5 [2 [pet Be [Wa se | [boton iateiiea [aoe [ea © [3 | seat side stretchers xd 1 (38) 3% (89) cut to shape [6 [sat a [asa Flame pasa o_[ 2 [ten abeaieeier [aa [ea [ea FI eke pet ve eae Ts Peek 8 nas Ten Aback eg (2) 2 Bfront eg (2) side stretcher (2) 32ind that the bulng the sign, I made a fli cs jest way to begin a project Ike this is by 20s tr. To help me decice on the cetas of the sing of he bench side he thiceness of te seat slats) thon marked and cut a simple rc on tho top edges, leuing 194° a the contor othe ar. | decides to on he pars of the bench toget with dowels, so the marks indicate a dowo location. They al that could hob toe orect spots nc secvo as handy reference po $y and easly reposition the poces in the around, 3s thoy often do. should be placed 3° up from the bottom of the leg, and thatthe seat Uesgn the angle ofthe back eg, with the angle ‘lot. The back lg sets out fo shape tom a ‘rom one one! along tho lt sc forthe ‘lew alin up tothe top right corner of the YE trom the ight 0dgo. V 1's laestad 12° un fom the floor. The drsving al ating 15° rom the I rakes 18" up 6" of tho fo. | thon x4, measuring over a, an anges be 8 worth ts weight in gol, and at $40 tis one eyour-ovek tks. cally con the with of the accepts thek stock rid setchers.Prove FOUR, (as0ve Just before the final assembly I cy-f the pars to ‘ako sur thoy work. Thon the joins go together with panty ‘of ghe ~ more than you see in his photo — anc make sure to apply adhasve to he enti cowel and the surrounding area, {niak Two clamps ae sutcent to ensure good, even clam: ing pressure 6 7] aoveLErn With tho fs side clanced up, the second goes together the same way — and t's usualy a It bit quicker, 5 well, since you've just practised it ence. ke to lay the pats on top of the frst side to double-cneck that the sides are dertical and ‘hat no erors crept inthe second time arcana F] Move maim Jnng ne sides wih the seat boards habs the project really start o look good, I:ack them in place with 2 ‘brad nae: an thon reinforce tho joint with weathor-esistant screws. ‘Spacing the sas is easy since I'd already ned them to the wich Indicated inthe cutting is. | EFT! put te tont an back iat frst and then just set ‘tho middle ones in, maintaining smal, even gaps betwoon ‘them alFp] [seca 2a stratcho atthe ont of OF the bench to jon the sides — this ‘may b0 over, But prods aot of Pally | also added an idontcal ono to the back of the bench, 1 ‘The stretchers ae postoned so that they'e top edge is essentily ‘ish withthe seat slat closest to them, | secured the stretchers with long screws. 12 tLern Here's a nice picture of the overall ergrass. 13 opt 4 Aadondack ‘way you tke (aking @ page from "ar casgn, perhaps, but I sim here. They do resd to be tapovey | used jigsaw to cut tne nctoh (70%) Tho arms could be shaped any notched at the back edge so thal they can ‘arcana the rear eg 35Prove FOUR, ‘The airs can be attached to the font fg by simply screwing ‘The back of the arm is easy to attach to the rear og with a down trough to top ofthe arn, tong, counto-bored screw. lwoove LM To provide a sate anc sturdy soa, |etached a brace on the Underside ofthe slats. The protle matches. ‘he curve on the stetchors that hole the sides together, 7 FE] Moveniarm The brace can bese cured though te srotchors on tho front and rear othe Benen, | also recom mand screwing and naling down through ‘he top of the sats int the brace. (LEPn I docded to make a fon-back forts bench as a way of breaking Lp its rectinear nature just abt I hink it added a rather playful touch. To ly out the back slats I staried with to easy pat: the comer slat mply runs perpendiesr to the spat shat, and ts contered across the back. Once it was in place, | acl out the ‘ext two slats by eyo — inthis case, that rear that tay neodiod to touch atthe bat- tom of tho fan and thay were 6" apart wen ‘meastcod al the bottom of te tp ral | set ‘ham down with plonty cf overhang on each fend ofthe slats eo that tha excess couls ba trimmed away, [3]° y ehN) 5] To determine how much extra materia to remove, crew a | also chew are across the top. The top comer of the slat on P} ine along tho bottom of the fan the end needed to be trnyned to a pork. lwooveLerM I civ worry about the Uunavenness atthe bottom of ene of 22 the alts because the back of tha bench NZ Za] BEFM From te ont the etc is 37HOSE CADDY Iwas really excited for this project because I think it represents an attractive take on a very practical idea. My wife and I wanted to find a better way to store the garden hose that we use almost daily during the warm ‘months. The home centers in my area offer a number of wind-up hose rels, but they were only available in plastic. While this may be an inoffensive mate- rial to some it just didn't seem like it ‘would complement the Victorian ch: acter of our 112-year-old home. My wife and I much preferred the look af wood, 0 this meant building one ourselves. ‘Constructing the caddy was pretty straightforward, but there was one func- tional challenge that { had to figure out: During the design process, I quickly realized thal getting the hose to wind. around a roller was actually trickier than Td thought, As long as one end of the Rose is attached to the roller, itis @ snap to wind up the hose, but I wasn't sure how that would work. How could you affix the hose without kinking it or otherwise gumming up the works? ‘When I couldz!t think of «solution, I did the next best thing I took a closer look at the plastic units that I had previ- ously scoffed at, and I found that they solved the problem simply and elegantly. ‘The end ofthe hose serews onto a fit- Ling that runs through the center of the roller, and this fitting is attached to a wivel coupling, which allows the roller to turn unimpeded, An additional short Ien coupling to the hose bib. The required fittings (detailed later in this chapter) ‘were available for only a few dollars at Ue home center. 39Hose canDy HOSE CADDY * INCHES (MILLIMETERS) i : j Fy Elale i 2 nm a 5 som A] 2 [eae pind 16, 309 Bit | eels ABS phe 200 ma CL [ent ean ABS pati 26H [1 [ angie sve couning E [4 | cower raced a F [4 [eos 2x Te Ta 6a) |e | ese 16 % sei HP 6 | ronack ale 1 % 3% 14 ES wea % 21509 [BF toni raravood Ve a8) 1D [ere am 18 % 2a) M1 [an erank owe ree a2) lwoove tern The thicknass ofthe ply= ‘wood forthe discs isnt important — ‘his might ena up being a good way to use Lu some scraps. In any overt, a comoass rakes quick work of lying out a matching pair of citles. Tho bamoter probably in crea ether ~ | ooted for" 1 F] Weert ceen | used my band saw to cul ut the circles, although a igsawe \wouls work fn, too J] seve mare Any vogue in tho $ | cutcan bo easly smocthed out with a ds or stationary cet sander. Geting the profle just right is more of an aesthetic con- | sideration than a practical one, since the eel wal work fe regaraess. sed a 214" hole sav to cut the holes forthe black ABS pipe aun through, aPROVE FIVE iis F] The we s 2" in areter — hat measurement refers F] The hose tings wil eed orn trough the pic, so used a ‘he inside of the pipe. You can buy a2" long section of ABS 114 Giamoter hole saw. As lrg asthe centerng bit protrudes ‘orjust a couple of dolars at most hardware stores or home cen-_@-good ways past the hole san, you should ave no peablem making ters. PVC pipe would work fne 00, ifyou have some thal you'd this cut, eventhough iis a rather unusual operation, lis to use un. a ‘Tho plywood isc wil ned to be marked fora set of four 7 sles tat he owe rode wil hous. 1 tom the edge ‘hem in about Ey ‘Once one dsc has been dled, can be used as a ompate forthe other ano, |used %4° dowel rods, and therefore bored Se hols fr a toht dowols to goat altho way, but aight fis better than a slappy ono, 2g twill make for @ more durable roe, The roel wert together cash. Be sure to use a watersesistant ‘lve. You may need to apply a bit of gentle force 1o get tho 9 42Hose canDy 10 Before gluing up the side assem. bis, I ciled ahobin the center ‘Stotcho le suppor the ABS pipe. Moko 420 you're working with the side anger) rails at this point 13 ‘This photo snows the pize before Leu it exactly to length, Since | was designing the caddy a8 went, ered on the side of caution and ett extra long unas fished ‘he whole thing ancl could make sure that I cnt cut it too shot. Ta] With one side assembly que and clamped up, I began lying out anoth or ono just To it Fi] (nove The cay has four dential logs (made of pine 2x2), and | decide fed to cut a smal taper (about 3° uo} onthe bottom of each leg, although this isn't noo fssary af al, Rather than eat us atapating Jig on my table save st cut ners feshand fn the band saw and cleaned up the cuts ‘a my bel sani: With only four tapers to cul this approach was speedy and effective. FB] werN The actual carcass of he cay is made by attaching the lags to a set of sretchers that run perpendicular | used rechimed codar 1568 for my stretchers, ad Tenose te alach them to te ge wit bs cul. Ths photo ilustates how | lad out tho Iocations fr the bigcuilshs. | algo made sure to laze both parts at each joint to ei ale contusion alr on, The sis were easy tout with my biscuit joiner. Fa] nee te ake had cried, the pars ot des wore connected by some mare sttoichers. | sod pockst screws to make these conpectons, but you could use bis: cul i you'd Ike. | ped fr the pocket screws because it was rather cumbersome te layout and cut slots on the lege ater they'd already aeen alued up into a side sub-assembly 43PROVE FIVE Pocket screws can produce stiong init, but it you dont clama the pars In place during assembly ve found that the 16 To ax the 17) stn sce of the svetcher tothe ‘ner sce assembly ttaus completing tho carcass ofthe Unt set he whole thing uprgnt Again, single clamp was al took to koop te parte in place whl eve the screws nome, parts can sit and crate small butnotee- 53] The angle nose fing sips ito the [5]. The ther end ofthe engl tng is ‘abl misalignments, One clo is usualy al hole in she ABS and proves @ place screwed into swivel coupling that Ictakos. I ecommend clamping and sorew= 10 serewin ene end ofthe hose. proudes ‘tom the end othe ABS. This end ing one side ata tne thre [placed the sie ‘simpy attach toa short length of hose assembly onthe bench so I did't have to {about fou fe long hat can be screwed fight with gravity Into the hase bib Te Koop the ABS pips trom moving aroun, Iput an end cap fon one end and a modited end cap on the other. As you can in te upper steicher an the front of the cade [20 S09 her, the mostied end caps just an end cap that cut the ond ut of, This saved me an addtional ts to the harcware sire, wich probably woul've been able to provide aftng made to these specs. The business end ofthe hase runs through a hele that dled 44(woos | made the top out of apiece of extoror grace plywo0e that I timed ‘ut with 9thex cedar | goctrod the cor ‘rps with ole and nal, and | mitered the comers for a neat appearance. | wanted the top to b9 easly removable in case | ever needed 0 ss hing (LePn used a thick dowel (14 cam= ‘ete for tne nance ofthe crank, ana secured it to the crank ar wth long stainlbss stool scr. the handle over gots unduly loose, I pull ff anc sacs wit a threaded inset ana 8 smal bolt stead, but ths method of attachment seem hae ft should work ut fine, ‘To wnet-up the nose, | fashioned @ crank arm fom some extra" mater The crank can be screwed dreety inte the ABS pipe eap on Hore look at the noar-comploted the other ond of he ibe {minus an outdoor fish) hose caddyMAILBOX 6 Part of my goal for this book was to come up with projects that I haven't seen anywhere else, and this is the only mailbox design that I've ever found in a woodworking book. In addition to it being a unique typeof project Itred to createa dis- species of wood. but I wanted to exe tinctive look by designingin an Arts ate acontrast that would add some & Crafts inepired syle. Ithinkthatit drama, and juxtaposing a clear-oated would make a nice addition to any _alder panel behind the dark brown historic home. The repetition of simple front piece did the trick The end result, geometric motifs is a classic Arts & think, pays homage to a beloved and Crafts design element, but did go for important design tradition while ‘an updated look by mixing up the ma- expressing a contemporary terials somewhat. Most vintage Arts & sense oflightness, Crafts designs generally rely on a singlerover six MAILBOX + INCHES (VILLIMETERS) i : 4 HE i 2 in _ i fom) 7A | tt oor pana MF Te 12__ges [16008 3 [1 [fentinet sane Aer Tea 11 aon) [ara © [2 | se panels if aT 345 12606) 1 | bet pa tel a8) 88) a _ 875 [7 | back para piwoed % 12 eos) [16 08) Fa | rs a6) aaa 7 7 [eck chats haces % 8 8) 14056) HL 10 | Miler dowels aoc 18) ie uss [eae 16) J [2 [2 hinges ohonzed 18) 20% gon [are 616 \ Aton overlay parel Miller dowel (10) \ Biron \, inset pane! NX7] The characte of ths pice is commancated mast sonal through tha ornate design on its fant, so tha isa legical sSarting place, After making a couple of quick thumbnail sketches to velop the particulars cf the design, | drow the prota at full-size on {place of 4" medium density ‘berboard (MOF, | decided to use IMD becauce it woule take paint wa! and it woul! alow me to ext ‘ut the design in one piace as tis wae much eBer than jinng tne small pars togetner, and it ent realy ave a down se bo ; a ° - ae ff «ie is e ° See . = (avove Ler | owned a sro sav, it might've boon an Gea 3 | sway to cut ut the voids, eu aa am wth anew clear calling blade worked tne, too. | dried a void so thal | hac a place to start cutting 1- wise nol into each 7] eovenaim Win practice, ree-hand cus te these bacome prety easy. When in doubt, slow down and tke your time = atm it also hes to approach some of these cut-outs in stages. As the comers ar toa tight 9 allow you to follow along the edges the whole me, you may want to make a sris of rai euts" ston, D] Tre corners are dressed up wth a version of the Asian back ot mot found in many Ats & Crafts design. ts oftan sean inthe funture ofthe Greene Brothers frm the eal pat ofthe 20 Century. I mado @ simple paner temslats that I could move aroun and trace with ease 49rover six |] Tre tnsned ron required any mint 7 Structural, the main B00yof te B ] {yee new to using the Miler ‘ral sancing with 80-at paper rmallboxis simp; |usea 3. Dowel hoe’ a shat of tn action, it wide cedar tha joined al the corners Is simole yot orectwo system that consists ith bt its of elepoed def bt and tapered pegs that a0 gio into place. | ike. You coul got ‘he job done with other joinery mathod, 3s, ol: pockol screws or pigged scrows both come te mind as geod options. 7] Trebsck was made of" plynooe, which ea stable ‘choice because it won't expand and contract due to changes. Inthe weather — areal concern with any project that wl ive out doors, | ghied and sorewd it to the cedar sices and bottom, The top ofthe mailbox nas an interesting profs | an- ‘gb the bce on my {able saw to out a ‘though youll note tat {the top isnt symmet- cal the peakis slghlhy ‘oft. Tis shapo ‘complemented that ‘overall malbox design, ‘and created by mov ing the fence to one ‘de before making the sacond eat | decided to use Miler dowels to fasten the MOF font pisee to tho box as wel In this c880 ot tho dowels st about Se" proud ofthe surface, Ths detalls reminiscent of the Arts & Crafts Tenclency to embelish or cll attention to te jonery in a given sign. You can see smal penciec-n squares inte corners of the ‘ont piece: hae orginally thought about adding trough-tonens ‘hese lacalons, but | egcarded ths idea a8 | proceeded, 9|Yourd it easiest to attach the hinges 12) 10 te underse of he top frst When the ls ited up it extends back beyond the thn back panel of ‘he matbox — fortis reason, ladon 3 pai of cleats that woul push the mailbox ‘4% far enough ram she wal to permit he top to open fly. The upper cleat ako pro: \iced a place for the scrows inthe hngos to be anchored, 14 13 16 Twas then a simple mater to attach the other sie of the hinges to tne mailbox, used an exterior spray pant to fish te maibox, Je] Wi te tontpece painted and the lea-coated alder panel n place, the contrat inthe matvials and frienes i realy nee. To complete the 17} 00%, 1 sues the intamet fra tee type: {ace thal ecnced the ‘rts & Crafis mot. If you're really obsessive, You ean fin ents that sare exact replicas of ‘some histori pining ‘ses of he ora but youl have to pay about $20 for thom. Lwas happy to be in the bal park with ths troale {Wart rom wave ‘afontcom 51PLANTER Z Decorative planters can add a lot to any landscape, and it goes without saying that they can be made in any style you might like. When I sat down to design a wooden planter that would fit into a Dwell magazine- backyard, this was what Ieame my mind — but you might want to stick the assembly method I've outlined, simple planterthat canbe wit a asit creates what I think sa rather built in an hour or less using on chop saw, a nailer, and lx material, _ distinctive corner that is reminiscent You could modify it in any way youd like of finger joints that are often found on size isthe first variable that comes to cabinetry and furniturePROVECT SEVEN PLANTER * INCHES (MILLIMETERS) TR i ii i ow [Ew [En alpars Tt 19) 3268) ~ Alipais are cut tof wih 10° angles on the ends. Sart wih 8! lengths of stock and oat al pars fof ‘The Rustation gives aporoxmate top andl bottom finished cimensions ofthe planter. B [4 | comer cleats” txt % 19) a) > | nerenence "Oud to length as needed,Buleing this planters ‘aly straightfonwara, out youl need to ded on the dimensions beforehand, l used a pece of rap cardboard to make a temalae to help me figure ovt bth the overal 20 and an eye-plasing taper (10 sides. A smi, scaled draving might work for you, but it wa easier for me to move forward with a ful | made this slanter out f pine Ts, though pine isnt yp caly cansidere to be an ideal mate for outdoor projects holds uo fine you frish i erotuly wih appropriate procuts. Ti photo shows the besie sts-assombly tat wil be replicates o create ‘he planter — tis a square made of inaividual sos that havo a 10" The length ofthe pleces inthe second ver can be determined langle cul on each ond. Trasiionaly, the ons should be compound by markng i ff af tne bottom layer tor cuts, But inthis case they are sme but (glues and rales together. The angth ofthe piaces needs to spond tothe sia insicated by the bottom ofthe templatePRoVECT Se {hak The ‘ished erect is kindof Ike looking at finger ons. This party that hac’ thought italy: 8 were placed at an ange, anc ‘het top and aottom edges weren't raped acoorcingh, thee is @ ‘sight gap betwoen the ors. | cnt conser ts a fatal new thatthe eect would be mitigated ater on tthe proce Irpped 9 eae of Y-thick shims te postion between the ‘ie and erste a urorm gap betwoon them,‘hat I secured inside ‘he planter inthe othe 0, the shims can be removed sazlsh gaps al the way around thal are close to uniorm.The sires should also be naled ‘trough tha adjacent provico extra stongth and durabity. the onds, rather than using a compound ans tye corners fora more aven appearance. But tn fis sti plenty good without sanciWHEELED PLANTER BENCH I spent a lot of time thinking about creative ideas for planters and benches as I was researching this book, and it eventually dawned on me to combine the two functions into one finished product. The resullI think is a contemporary piece ‘that could look nice on a front porch, ‘a deck or any number of other spots around the yard. The design is pretty straightforward — it probably wouldn't take even a novice woodworker more than an afternoon to bld — but the result isa genuinely useful piece of ‘outdoor furniture. The casters lend a ‘modern touch and algo make it easy to ‘move around, Ifyou like the idea but not the look think that the general idea of a combination planter/bench could be executed ina variety of other styles, as ‘well. The step- by-step photos should give youa clear view of how it ‘went together, and you could easily piggyback on this process and customize the design as need be. 59PROVECT EtOH Flog Top slat (2) Jeaster eat) E shore top sat (3) — ot eros sats (3) cane tn (22) Caiagonal ‘rim (22)WHEELED PLANTER BENCH WHEELED PLANTER BENCH « INCHES (vl METERS} 3 : j a Elale i 2 nm a ftom | 2 | rena pied te 16 ae 48288) B [2 | nds ied ash 16 6st 1568 | 2 | aera Ted teh 35) 24 D [4 [ eagonat n= te 08) Th 88) CTT € [2 | shor top ats a th TA 5) a6 Bt [2 [ora op sae i ats Ta 88) a2 800) |S [op cross at te teh 289 14966 H+ [op ner i A a 65) r= J [2 [easter cate xd a 68) Th 85) 18 Bet [4 [sates “Diagonel tim ext to length os needed Out randorlength dagonal parts fom these pieces: Maybe this is simply by-product of my background as cabinatmak but | conceved ofthis project as | do many thers that ist say al Bogie witha box ‘that will subsequeny be dressed up, | used 1% thick plywood ‘or the sides of the box, becauce | wanted Ito be realy strong, The Joints are tacked together with nas anc than rnforeod wth gers, had eignay sketched a fox vations which were buik aroun @ 2x4 of 2x2 frame, but | ukimately decided that phwoad made the most senso in terms of strength and ease of assem J] The bottom ofthe box cout be made from a pisce of phwaod, which ‘makes sense you plan to use the piece for storage, but I chose to senply lyin a pair of Cleats to attach the casters to 6PRovEcr Ea ‘Tho casters are secured witha handtl of roms (avove Leen Covering the trant goes ‘ary quickly, but you evontualy need to deal with the ands of the bench, which ‘means you need to cut cown long pieces. | suggest handig ther ‘atime. My approach was sims to av aline an the top of ‘he tim boards where they wil ness to be cut. Ifyou stan dtectly ‘above th piace an oo down, t's 635) to 860 what | mean. Arp 1 the mier sav wil yels a place hat fs in ice J] wove moa Feel ee to use ae fo hap craw af inte Fight place — you basicaly ae just folowing the edge of the ‘slywood box. [| main A trished edge ice and net J] {ving eat anc cuting tha angled im isthe most time consuming par of this project, butt stil doesn’ have to take ll that long, | decided that ye tim would look noe ata 45° ange, ‘01 cut the edge ofthe Fest boar at 45", and then placed it atop ‘he plywood carcass twas easy to see to what length the boars ‘eee to be cut and 50 | used my miter ssw to produce @ number (of idemcsl boars that could be lac out mn sequence, | used a pa ‘of rivets to create 8 smal gao between thom, and I secure! the ards wth brad nals. 62“The othe sds are trimmed out exacty the Hero's aimee at the nearly fnished box. Bacause 2 45" stant everywhae, iis easy to Ine up the trim boars and “ira them around the corners of the plywood box To] The 'oe's very simple: nc coun ‘wo long sats at tho front and back, and ten istaled a gol of throw croe-shts below them. tnese erase-sas run from front to back, and they provide a place to anchor the middle eat slats, 38 wa! he fished top fs clean and neat After securing alo the sat to the croee-late with brad nll, | turned the top Upside down and reinforcod the connect wih screws, The top didn't raed to be rsached tthe box. This mean that you could use the box fr storage iby adsing @ bottom. The smal slat on the edge ofthe planter area was jst glued and naled to the box st par of the top's structure, 63PORCH SWING T've seen a number of porch swing designs that look great at first but become a bit rickety over time. This is usually due to the joints that make up the frame of the swing loosening up. Given the forces exerted ‘when one or two people swing back and dently add this useful technique to your forth, this is hardly uprising, and it repertoire of design strategies, almost starts to seem inevitable. Ireal-__ ‘There are a few specialized tech- ‘zed that the most vulnerable part of the niques that people have traditionally wing isthe portion ofthe frame that _used to create laminations. This in- ‘makes up the sides, It struck me that _ cludes methods such as steam bending, this problem could be solved in a num- soaking the strips in water beforehand, ber ofways, and one unique solution _or using a hot pipe. Some of these tech. right entail constructing aframe that niques are particulany useful when you doestit have joints ata, points that could loosen up over time, you need to form a tighter radius, and nopivot want to bend thicker pieces of wood we their ‘the whole structure would seem likely while all of these technique to}hold up for much longer slong as place, it was my goal to demonstrate itwas finished appropriately tohandle that cold-bending thin strips around a the weather. moderately sized radius is actually both Tinitially considered building side out of 6 plywood, as it would certainly have enough stiffness, but I wanted to presenta slightly more challenging solution, Since Im always imple, fast and effective looking for ways to incorporate laminat- dng techniques into my projets, tis seemed ike a neat way to doit youve never laminated parts be- fore, now’ your chance. One of my main goals for this chapter — in addition to ‘lustrating how to build the swing, of course —is to present a comprehensive eof guidelines and tips for building bent laminations so that you ean coatPROVECT NINE PORCH SWING * INCHES (VIL LIMETERS) His i i... || A | 2 | eee pee [Ve 6812 88) __[ 88 2795)__| ator hep, cutto ena B [i2[seavsecksmts fxs [28 219) | ip to watPorct swina 1 ‘create a 114 thick component, cut almost thiry stips ‘o get 22 usable ones, and the easiest way to do this is to 91 the fonce in wher you need and than use a couple “To creat the larsnations forthe ses ofthe bench, I ngeded 11 str, slighty thinner than 6, per side of standard accessotes to satay ur the stipe (story D ] | suazest using a festheboar to Keep the workpieces ftom wandering ren raved fr this phot) 3 a A sacrificial push stick i also essential equipment. My shop has an umvrttan rule that all push sticks must be shaped Ike arimals, but this humorntensve quite ment isn't necessary, ‘and producing non-standara str. Tho strips that | used for this nina lion wore "hin was about 18° longer than [needed | simply lt the oxcess shot out atthe top. t willbe timed later a 67PROVECT NINE J] The base components required tor building a laminated side forthe porch swing are simple. A fat surface that is big ‘enough to hod the sido (x4 is more than adequate) a sat of Clamping blocks (sap 2x2s or whatever is andy) and a oil anc ‘crews hat willbe used to fasten the blocs fn place, Working ram «a ful-szed drawing would be a good idea fr a project Ike ths, and | usually do, but inthis cas, the anproxmate shape and dimensions for the side were clear in my ming, | | secure th caning blocks to tre worksur'ace with sors that arouse In fom the undersie. | suggest working one curve at atime Ae the lacks go into pace, ‘hey ean be Used te held the ein in postion and thon you can mave onto th next spol ‘nat needs to be Supported, J ] Woking mth acrcuardamotor of about 14st went frit and bogan laying out the required contour using one of my laminating sips and afew clamping blocks. The degree to which ‘he strps wal bend without breaking wil opand on their thickness, the type of wood used, the prasence fr absence) of knots, and now singecy you work. ‘This technique re 2 | ut ina form tat ‘Soest support very inch ‘ofthe workpiece, bat provides excolar: susport ‘on tha Koy plows inne lamination. This approach is fay oan, and you havo to pay close atontion to now the ships are react- ing as yu ay out tho bicks. You may fr that in some paces, yi need te pace abiock right on the apogee ofa cue, wine rer natances may requie you to place blocks ‘on ether sid ofa cur. ‘HIP You may find, once you have all of your blocks in place, that the contour of the lamination doesn't seem quite right. It may be too flat in some places or not curvy enough in others. It is @ simple matter ‘to just unscrew the required blocks and reposition them so that they push the strips into the desired shape.Porct swina J] seve Once you've tnalzed the blocks onthe frm, you can bean acing other ‘trips 0 that they oan stato bend themsehes into the final shape. You pull them ‘ut later to apply the adhesive, bat th’ step helps the strips start assuring ther new shape. and it wll make the gli-up go more easly It's ako a crtcal way of testing the integrity of ‘he sips — if any are going to crack (ae toa knot or other problem, bes tons aut now. Fp] Move aim When you ead to gue up the frat ination, you can remove the Strips from the fonm. Xeping them in ther exact order shouldnt matter. You can see how much the sti have already bagun to conform to thelr new shape, even ator oy 18 10F 20 minutes in the frm, 7] tim Apohing ok othe sips goes fast aucy — | use acsposabl foam brush to make sure that al surface are coated evenly. A certain amount of glue squeeze-out is vitable. | fad that small spring clamps ike this ave the most convenient way to hold ev fexyhing in plac. | hink that avery shop should have a bucks ul of them — they nek pensive and very useful Some ofthe clamps were used to I the fished component ticks to For my fis lamination, | glued up 12) srchor the lamination tothe biscks, — LI2] tne worasurtaca, atap with acriset —L'4J sient stips — most because was a wile others served to apply oressure tothe andmallet shoud ree you realy overdo Et nervous and was eager to see how it lamination alone. the i, you could have a problem with would come ext. This required me to add this, $0 setting down wax paper oF the tree more sios and endure a second ‘eauivalent cenesth he larinaton wouldh round of wating ‘or gli to dy, bu hs be a ba icea ‘wasn't ettea. Infact, breaking thngs down lke this s @ good stratogy it you havent ‘done at ofthis kind of work the pastPROVECT NINE FB] Because tis sot of form [7p] When tacded the remalning >] Timing the excess on both ends of he lainaton dovsn't support every bit of thwwe ships fo comet tne ould probably be accomelshed in any number of ‘he larination, thee is room for vari fst mination, Hound that |couki way. | sad a hand saw because i wa fast and easy. falion each ina is used. |couks eat the whale tring onthe lor. Tie ‘eaclly magine producing a eet ct reac up the frm for me to begin parts which actualy ended up being laying aut the second side. lffby as much 9844770 produce consistent esuts,Itraced the contour (ofthe lamination onthe worksurace ‘and used it as guide to align the ‘second set of sips, Tis common ‘sense approach worked perfect luseve Leen People atten recommen latening the edges of ‘he laminations on the jointe: This wasnt practicalin ths ‘cas0 because of the shape ofthe side, butts an efit method ‘or simpler snopes. 18 (avovenicsn lused a power planer instead — tak about 18 ‘quick and easy! Taking off about t42* per pass worked well Pp] tsi Aber sander would be a reasonable alert you don't have a power planer, works just ae well and almost 5 cui.Upright poston. Even though the swing was laying on its back, twas the most detintve look yet at how the ished sing ‘would shape up, and it helped me to see how ‘o proceed. Here you can se the swing sting Upright — fray 28 22 ginning at the top of the seat, Ibogan scraving slats tothe using an extra slat es a spacer | thought a cable might be a nice complement to the clean madera design of ths swing, but you could use chain or rope 32 way, a pair of eye hooks will ned to ntaled, Ca signed for the rub ara de the surrounding wood, 26 [LEFNA small metal oop serves as aficvon-tee point of atach- forthe cables that will connect the 9 10 tho caling. I set the xing up in my shop fest fo seit would work, n. ae io emer aaa on = = Lis aGATE 10 Outdoor gates are often constructed with a thick wooden frame that is covered on one side with pickets. This can look great, but it is common for gates that are built in this way to slouch (rack) over time. The main problem is that the cor- ner joints simply can provide enough stiffness to keep the weight ofthe gate fiom pulling the gate downward and yanking the whole thing out of square Sometimes ths is simply unsightly but Jn many cases italters the it ofthe gate 40 that its unable to clase propery ‘Common solutions to this problem inchade attaching X braces to one side ofthe gate, or perhaps integrating some kand of metal frame or strapping Ieame ‘up with an unusual design that solves the problem of racking ina diferent way: Tused a sheet of plywood for the core of the gate. thought a lot about it aid couldnt really come up with a reason not to as long a itis propexiy fished and protected from the ele- ments, the plywood will hold up fine, and it virtually guarantees a sate that wont droop as the years go by. wrestled with the design ‘concept here — it ‘wouldve been easy to just copy some of the standard gates that you see all over the place, but [wanted something dif ferent, Something asymmetrical, not too regular in its design. It had to be a rectangle, but I didait want to do just a row-of pickets or frame-and-panel ap- proach, Ultimately, I decided to go with the sunburst look. 73PROVECT TEN P horizontal frame part (2) ~ Cversical frame part (2) ‘Te sur-ray patton isan option. My ia was to add some visual interest to a avg, bin parol. Feel ro te ade your own design! 74GATE * NCHES MILLIMETERS Ble 8 El ale 5 5 5 5 [3/2 : : 4 7 ere ana ayaa % a8 7 3 [4 [bins or awsats | wood 7% 3 oe [a vrata pars axa TA ah 761805) [4 [hoz tare pas | et Ta 68i 8 1018 [1 [.banktorsin weed “6 2008 [20 F [7 [bins rain yoo 9 7 ] Lesed "preood, as tvs on weight and inexpensive. To cakeulate the #20 of the panel, | 00K the fished clmensions lf the gate and suotracted 6 rom zath length and with lst tale saw to cut a 4" 6 deep groove int one ledge ofeach ofthe rame part — the ptnwood core wi st inside thie gave. | decided ta ofa the raove go the rent sie would have a thicker amount of 24 exposed. | sot the sunourst design on te front ded a border that was highly thicker Ljoines the comers ofthe tare with dowel, As fang asthe plywood panels ged into Its rare, twill provide the rigty ‘hat tho gate wil need to provontt tom racking. You cout also use mortise and tenon joint an these corre 3 J] lscemmend acy assem bet nal qveup. The panel should ft snugly nto the groove — not too ight and pat too Ips. Better to fine out rows tran whan you've got glu al ove tho place and things neste 78PROVECT TEN olay out the ©} enous, you ‘ould doa so raving, you wish, but na it easier 0 ‘work at ul scale, $0 Ibegan sketching rectly on the gate ‘whet waited forthe ake to ry, ‘Three clamp wil hold the gate tegetner whe tha glue cas Used an exterior rated ood abe 7 _o 7] wow The en ted hy [7] fey orignal kon. mad a few rreatcetra oe te rd pcr of te seus atom eat ects o propoters ofthe gt 7 ] tim ved a compass to rough out *he size and placement ofthe sun Thi also helped me kdenty the center, which came in handy when | nogan to eau inthe rays. To provide a 8.0 effect, lout out apiece of wood fer every lout out to rays ane aa ime based on tree dimensions: thor ray. This has the aes nenelt of sang wood, Length tom the edge ofthe sun tothe ins edge of tho 9 alhiough tat wan't tha primary goal. frame, andits width at both of thase points. | added 2" to the lngth to give mysal! some wiggle ‘cor. | drew a stright ine where the ‘vetlap occured athe frame and trimmed avtay this excess. 76ane Ti] The 378 can be secured with brads and gue, The nal shane [>] To ut out the rays, you could use a jigea, anc saw or table lof each ray may not maich the penclin sketch exactly but ‘sam with a tapering jg. Any uneven edges can be claned up ‘hiss okay. (on the joiner, or witha nanc-neld planer Each cut wil protice an xa ofcut, which can generally be used for another ray Tia] SO¥ELeRM Laying out the slats forthe rays takes bit of expetimentatin. How many slats should you use? How wide should they be? How do you establish the spacing? Looking 2: tne projet tom a fw ctront angles helpod me to answor those questions, Ta] eevEraim The suns easy to make. | used the same compass setting that used to make my sketch to draw a cicle on some scrao % plywood. Abit of jgsavéng cut Iautand ha it ready to attach, lout a rads in tho gussets 0 thoy ‘woul ook “lock on tho back: ofthe gato. attached them using glue and serews. These gussets reinforce the comer joints and ansura that tho gat wll stay square, even after hanging fora patos ot time. 16 7a WAT aheiassGARDEN GATE 11 Those of us who have a dog sometimes need to block off certain portions of our yards for one reason or another — in our case, we had to come up with a way to keep our spaniel from digging in our newly planted garden, We golved this conundrum by I suppose there is some chicken-and- ‘making a simple gate that is both func- _egging involved with building a gate: do fequires a you wait until the support posts are sot tional and attractive. It on) small amount of materials, and ifyou into place before you measure for the hhave a couple ofextra boards laying __gate or do you build the gate and then around. or seraps ofthe right length, _position the posts accordingly? I sup. you might be able to avoid a trip to pote that your own answer to this judg. the lumber yard. Even ifyou dont have mer call will just reflect the timing and h odds andends on hand, youll logistics of your own project, because only need about 6 board feet of umber, either approach can work out just fine 0 you can save the bulk of your materi- In this case, the posts were in place first, als budget for other projects. The exact so I measured the resulting opening and size wil, ofcourse, vary depending on __went to work on the gate. your situation. I'the opening is narrow, you may prefer a gate with just one panel instead of two. 79PROVECT ELEVEN Along sce - <\- Ws a pery \ \ ¢ bottom railGGAROEN GATE + INCHES (VILUETERS) 3 : 3 z HEE i rit | |r S| [ere at Te a [a1 bot ws Tes i) a 38 a a Ea Perce 7 Mae) ar \ | D | Attil-size drawing is sful in a situation Ike this because: [_] Te over slot ofthe gate als highest pon was easy to clscorn, and naw that bot tho height and tho wicth have been determines, 2fl-sze drawing makes ft possible to estabish @ ‘ce proparion forthe various components. hal ofthe gate. Te size and placement of the curve determines the height ofthe shorr vertical piece, anc having this piece of informa tion is cca. To determine the wicth ofthe stock required for he curve, simply cow a pair of dotted paral lines that ‘lj yond! the curves outne: in hs case found that a 444" wide lank was Suton MOW TO MEASURE FOR A TWO-PART CATE In this case, the opening between the posts was 4644". [knew that Td need to leave a small gap of about between the halves of the gate, and that the thickness of the hinges would take up about %6 on each side, so I added up these figures, I then subtracted the total of "from the width of the opening, This gave me 45%, which I divided in half to arrive at the finished width of each section of the gate (22) 31PROVECT ELEVEN Ion usualy 4 | swomy about seterining ‘he requied angle — | simply suvel tne blac on my chop saw uns ines up wit the nel ine nthe stack Apertect SJ rc ako more than 8 couple of minutes to schiove. Once the shape and size of the curve have boon establshed,ajosan J] Fitna the tank into pace a the ton ofthe gate is easy if you know how: my method calls for you to place the blank ‘ontop of the vertical stiles, which have been la out inthe comect postion. i you then or band saw wil ‘stand direct above the sa0t were the work to cut tout. Use one ofthe blank intorsect the stil, you can craw a Ine that flows where the si runs elow ‘the blank, ookt 149 the Ine iso bit tis photo, but that is just because the cam. ‘ora magn” placed directly above the jot. curved pieces as a pattem for creating tne ether one. F] wove Any occontictas inte curve ‘ean be easly farea wth sandpaper ‘and aragp | otten use a boll eander to tackle the outside portion ofthe curve anc a ‘sanding drum mounted on adel press for ‘ne inside of the curva, Your approach nave ‘Would naluraty be dictated by the took that you have avalable (rake The tna ecu looks ute nice. 82GARDEN GATE > | Ar the ate as hac ime toy the slats can be attaches tothe fame, | had decides earyon inthe design rosess ‘that | wanted the slats to be attached tothe bck sce of the gate because Ike the ‘way tis provide more visual dept to the {gate than sottng thom ins the frame, Tas uit the frames fo the gate using prety standard techniques: inthis case, | used Dem- is smal difrence andtis simply a matt Inoes to join the ses to the ral, but you could also use dowels cr anything lse thal of what one finds aesthetically pleasing than 8 youre comfortacle with — just make sure to use an adhesive thats rates foroutdocr use, anything ee To] Se¥E LER you prefer the slats tobe set besween the tp and bottom rls, you ‘would need ta take care of ths prior to assemilng the ate’s outer frame, Dowels or Dominos would be a good option here. (asove nex Hanging tho gates a faly smply maltor as lng as th posts aro 1 plumb. The exact method you use will depend on the type of hinges that you have. (rial This latch hols the gates closed as well as kesning the gates inline with 12) cach other. 33PERGOLA Pergolas offer one of the most effective ways that I know to enhance an outdoor space while using a fairly small amount of materials. A simple frame — the slightest hint of a roof and walls — can define an outdoor oom and set the stage forall visibly improved, your attention natu- kinds ofbackyard fun. It can also help «rally drifts to other things that uddenly bland deck feel much more finished. look worse by comparison In this case, Myelients have put alot ofwork some typeof additional structure was into sprucing up their yard over the required to liven up the transition past few years, and the need to from the house to the yard cembellizh the deck became a ~ a pergola was a more pressing iasue as time natural choice went on, That tends to be the problem with home improvement — when cone thing has been 12 We debated the use of beefier fram- ing members, but 4x43 ended up feeling like a reasonable choice. We had considered the idea of liv- ening up the design with an unusual roof structure — something gabled, Which seemed like a neat variation on. the typical flat roof of a pergola but ‘we ultimately rejected this idea as we idrit have enough height to work with to make the gable high enough to look right. A minor variation that we di pro- ceed with was to use only a single layer ofrafters instead of the double-layer sot al right angles to cach other. This simpler arrangement looked great, and 1 second layer of raters wouldn't have added much, in our opinion,PROVECT MHEAVEPERGOLA + NOHES (MILLIMETERS le i Fy Bale 3 i é 5 4 2) 3l@ i = m = in 3 mm a oer 7 7 ss a ae 2 TA aa ez 7] 1 [bak cen Pb 7 Ta a >| 2 agin ace Bb Ta Ta 38 [2 Siren nla ot hangers Bete BUILD IF STRONG To build the strongest possible structure, Iwas adamant about making sure that the material used in all of the long ‘spans was made out of single pieces. It would've been easier to work with shorter lengths, especially since I ‘was working alone, but reducing the number of joints was pretty critical to being able to bridge the long (14) spans that we required. The actual dimensions of your own project will of course dictate the materials that you end up using, but this strategy may help you, as well [ tr9° tern One of the most challenging parts o aly just geting the material to ‘the job st, The final dimensions ofthe pergola required ‘hat we use 74 ong lumber, an that is considerably longer than Im used 1. My trusty van as Up for the joo, an fl ne about en had to go about a mil, but ube your judge make sure you fn a eae way to trangpar the (0 use unusualy long stock materi if you n {worroM Lern Those homeciwners had abvays : 2 | set: Yor goed reason tha hs spot was just s Ging ut for pergols or someting ket. The cnc | i large enough for entertsiing but ct acd aft tne way of syle or anbanee. And, bang ave go ‘1s, they were eager to use he pergola asa support ‘or growing grapes, which will consinl add alot of ‘character tothe space come sore 87 ‘PROVECT MHEAVE F] The keaton oth occa panel cht roaly pose a problem, butt was a consideration, The cond that sup pls the house with power was postiones right where [nad hoped to attach the pergo Jao the house, This wasn't a concern i tha ‘Anchoring the components to the deck an the wal of the house is easy accom a fend, a8 | simply shortened the width of the shed using extero-grade galvanzed fastener that are designed fr the jab, Pro pergola by about 8°. ly attached, thee parte wl ast forthe Ie of the pergola ane then some. (avove Lan The fis plece to get n place i¢ the lager board ‘hat wil anchor the structure ta the exteria wal ofthe home ‘To hols tin place, Langled two 4x posts at the conect neigh ven i you're stuck werkng alone, ths method s easy and safe, as tong as you work slot an with care (asove nicnn Wil i 3s lemoorarly susported by the dx, lsed a velo cant the exact positon ofthe ledger ‘board. had goten close. Only ane ofthe 44s had to go up which was a simple afustment 6 7] iat Once had been kveed | predried te ledger boar toaccept a seis of 4" ng screws to hole ¢ to the sheathing ‘hind the stucco Ml ranforced ths cannection later with 6" fg bots Into tho studs, bul this held iti place temporary and alowed me to remove the 4x4 suppent)My wish Ist ncides a cordless impact ‘The lager board hn place, Getting It set provided me witha known height that could chive, Buti the mearime, Imanage Ls to sot the ight and positon of tho suppor posts. lust tine vito it comes time to ave fing screws, The sackel-type head halos, a ‘hore is ne chance of sipping or stippin, (avove Ler Establishing the location for one of te cormor poss came nex. | anchored ito te deck a8 per the rmanufactuors instructions (Don't skimp on serews. Code usually requires you to use al of the serew holes anyway. Note that anchored tis postin place prior to cuting it to length: The strateay heres to instal a pos that i longer than necessary anc! cu back the excess once you've fgurad out the corect neigh. (asove nia To determine the neigh, tis e58 level ine tom the top of the ledger boar ing loves, and they be reel if they i st, resorted to the centures-old sting level. Tastoned he sing In place on tho “xed end by locping it around a sevow. {LEFT The other nl of he sting I the loose end, Puli tigh ‘across the span andl aise of ber It unt the buble cen: teres, The post ean ten be marked where the sting ntrsocts temporary fasted this end toa Sor, st to make things easierPROVECT MHEAVE ean teen Ths may carn me purists, but fn that a chainsaws ‘reasonable way to ut dds inthe “ald Tae stock st ‘ular saW a gs, ‘sawzal blades defect anc produce 2 sloppy cut {LEFM Bevore connecting tho crasspieces to the posts, you'l Ievelto ensure that ‘The crspleces that connect the lodger boar to he corner poste aro suoported by slandas ‘which ae imply (One person can easily I he cross-pices Ione and is sat into tno joist hanger asa vol point. jonalraces are a simple, yt etfectve, way te hold the posts in place once they've been determined to be phamb.PERGOLA a] Te ther on ofthe crssoiee canbe held by a ctr. “The excess can be immed of wita Because you've aloady establshed that tne top of the post a igsave Is level wth the top ofthe eager you should be able fo ust align the crosspiece accordingly, but | suggest double-checking this with love The crosspiece can thon be secured wth fang scravs. ‘ern decided to reinfores the lng span onthe sides othe pergola wth a par of extra posts, | set the post base haliway between the comer lof the ook and the wall ot “he house, 2 Once the othar comer post anc 29} crossriece have been assembled in ‘he same way, you can atach the tron Zp] st0¥ Ths pergola doves a bi of sven and character tom the curvy comer crosspioce. | used @ bar clamp to provide & braces that help onfocethe joint betwen the posts and the crosspioees. tr ex temporay perch for one end ofthe cross pevmenting abt, came up wth profile that | hed and used it asa temple forthe oth ce wh ited tho ether ond ‘23, lopped of the two comers at 45" angles, cutting 7" n ftom the fe, and 3 rom the "ight Aa" camoto are was cut on tho righ. 2" om the on. The nrger are was Smply «eau trechand, extending in on the pecs and stepping 3° fom the epposte exe, anPROVECT MHEAVE |oame up wit a couple of cliferent brace designs that | ked, {and | put up one ofeach so my clans could chose ther {avorite. Ths one ‘eatured a small comer chop atthe top which is very much in he character of the Victorian home. % FG] The raters that span the cosspaces make 2 big impact in terms of creating the feeling thatthe deck is incoed an aut ‘d00" room. We spaced thom 18" apart, and each one requied a bit (of jgsaw work onthe ends. After crating the fst, Image 8 patter and the rest of his part ofthe fob went ay cuicky {nad originally imagined bulten bonches along bo ees ofthe deck, bul i ecctrted fo me thal ee-siancing benches wouls Work ust as well — maybo even bettr. This simpla bench design is Sturdy and ofrs the fll to positon the benches anywhere: ‘mayb even down in the grass to seat guests around a bone. a7 This one abt claaner and would! be appropriate fora home of most any vintage. ‘The curved 26) cutout on the ‘sof the raters is ‘a tratonal deta ‘en many pergola Sesion. It provides {ance rl in what is omhemwise a prety rectlnear sructue, and acs coo dor tal forte eye to hone in on sed 234 extonar-grade sorws to pu the banches togather Because the gain erienlation the same en the end panels as Ite inthe top, sews can be cvan down tnraugh tne top without raising concerns about woos moverant causing problems later on 28 92“The tnshed benches ae simple, sturdy anc adapta umm of ettngs My clans how they would use the pergola long before Ianved to els build it. For the next crowing season, they knew they'd need a large plarter where they could grow grapes or clmbing vines. BUILDING THE PLANTER tLern To koop the c provide a sturdy and curable ond product | utod 2s as logs. With a dad olade in the table ea, | milod a {¥-doop groove on the narrow eco of an leg 1 IBeLow LerR Without moving the fence, lcut a groove ito the wide ofthe 2x48 a8 wal, These grooves us the side panel (Bexow mii Since the dado lace was al setup, Iipoed a ‘700v6 in two lngths of 2x that hac planned to use to tim aut the top of he planter 93BUILDING THE PLANTER tee (rar Here's an important tp any ‘im that you're making table, bonch, planter or anything else wn fogs: Make sure you workin pars. Each end of the planter requis a tight” and “sid, which ae miro images ofeach othe. You need two ofeach forthe whole projet a the top ofthe si he log. Ths wil prove the Bx tim tothe a 5 ofthe {LEFN The sie panels were made from ¥" slwood reed into 12° (woove By pushing the leg and sie paral together, Iwas abl to decide about a curved shape for the bottom portion bg. Ths curd elon is rominiscunt bl the cut en the end of the pergola rater, lsd an eater & gracie construction sai. tacos a le to sot up a proces sora waters bonint with mio Ackding the shorter side panels crosted a U-shaed subassembly ‘hat alowed me to go one stop-at-a-tme. | tlt have to rush o get everthing put ‘gether al at once, which can be steestu, messy and provlemaic! Adhsive.on the miter joints andl along the ead Jontis a necessity {LePn Aer assembling the other 'e, | attached it tothe rest ofthe planter tapove) The mitoro tim dirt nee 10.00 measured. | maiked the naces- sary length using the assembly anc cut ‘them to My plan for this plant fr was that ft would bbe used to Aol plastic ox ‘etal planting tb, oF pe: haps a set of pots. To hold ‘theso items of tre ground, 1 allached a sees of 24s sth bollom between side pans. T ered with a plywood to de plenty of suppor.96PLAYHOUSE 13 When our young daughter became old enough to get some use out of a playhouse, I began the process by looking online to get some ideas. What I found con- vinced me more than ever that I'd be building it myself — nice playhouses can easily cost thousands of dollars — and I quickly savr that building it myself represented not only a chance to get exactly what I ‘wanted but also an opportunity to save ton of money: The finished version that I ended up building in less than a ay cost about $150 and is a perfect fit for our backyard in terms of size, style and features. decided to incorporate a deck into the house, but even ifyou dont decided to go this route, the construction tech: niques deseribed here will till be useful, Our ideal site for the playhouse didrit happen to be flat, but this is no reason to rule it out. Building on a slope is kid stuff when you know how. In terms of style, the sky is the limit: Some people choase a theme (ic. caste, Cr rustic fort) but we just went for a fairly neutral look that could lend iteelf ‘to whatever imaginary whims might arise. [havea hunch that most ofthe attention to the visual aspects ofthe design are more for the adults than the kids, anyway: i j Interms oflogistics, you id ‘may be wondering if youll need to get @ building inspector ; involved. The answerisprobably ff J not — most municipalities exemy structures smaller than 120 sq feet from their permitting and inspec- tion processes, It never hurts to double check. Youll probably be able to find the {nfo you need on the internet. T chose not to et the base in con rete since our soils quite hard in the high desert where we make our home, and the loads placed on the supports posts are pretty madest, bt if youre interested, Ido discuss methods for setting posts in concrete in another see tion ofthis book Pre-cast concrete post bases would also be a quick and effec tive way to go,PLAYHOUSE * INCHES (MllLIMETERS) B/E 3 : HEE i i iin | fs [ame oa oh wey | D2 [Ler ria Pet T iE oe [st ening et Te a D2 [deg aad 38 #4 ae shwcod ze w ET [eee phoad Tt = = | 2 [toa Ed a a u TL a [gal te choad %h 28 #4 aa [eras Bet Th 1S [a ps fae Bal T eee Im ose Eee 7% a 7 Wee pa anes ag [0052 ND avaraed oaeas [sta mr cr a fil sia iad Tas = 2 [sever tone a | 2 arr ls A aC a [1 [barter bot 7 a TL Ponies ined a I a oD cw i i gS 12 ap srg ad 4g [ogo [He Wz | pes Bet Tega ave es > [a a ined I weg oe: ‘Once | decided on the dimensions ofthe deck. | bul simple ‘2 frame and ral the corners together. across the clagonals and acjusted the Fame untl tren tut ang installed a row of 24 inthe frame to at a floor joists. To make sur the winol thing was square, I measured 99anove My ste wasn't even che to level — this meant that ene up with corner post of diferent heights op duce a 3 Ista wait the cere ‘hat was the highest and instal a post at an arbivary height raised the rame about 6" of youd in thie (rick You can workout rom the fist corner in any dtection you please. | placed along (7 lel across the back olga ‘ofthe deck ana rise the comner of the ‘rame unil the bubble was centered. | thon ‘atked the corner post a his height and cut kaveorsingh, ‘iP I used a framing nailer to help speed up the construction process, but it isn't essential Ifyou dont have one, you can rent one for around $50/day, which should be plenty of time, as long as you have all the materials on hand. Then again, it isn't that many nails to put in by hand. It only take you an hour or so extra to do it the old-fashioned way. Or, you could just use screws. However you proceed, youll want to use galvanized fasteners that are made for outdoor use (woove Leen Witn the sacond comer post installed, the the {and fotrth are marked out inthe sama way Th perecty vel deck is also easy to art posts at ths te by jst seting then in place and marking ‘them atthe appropriate heighs. | also recommend securing the posts wih either caviage bots or galanzed fasteners that ave aval ‘abl at any home stro (aoeve nics Aer w-chocking the assombly fr sauare by 6 ‘measteing siagonals once again, | cut the decking materia to Fongth and began naling iin place. | usod %' plywood. | usod two {ul-with places and one rpped to 24" wide, Yeu want to make sur that tho edges of tho phwood panos aro fully supported. 100wove ound that it was easios or me to plan our the door and window placement by eating the panels into place. | hcl made # preliminary sketch on paper, but s00ing he design come to I actual size was much more mearingt.| pre-cut the window in bel al betore standing It into place. To] mak The plood panels that blow the front gable wore a snap to layout and cut with a jigsaw. | alowed 30" forthe door wicth, and mac tha panel to ‘he right ofthe docr 38" wide. For the gable, I measured the longi of the panel 82") and the height that wanted (2" seemed about Fight). nce the gable enc was cut out, 1 held temporary in place and crew Ines to ‘excond the door cutout by 6° | wanted to ake sure that an aout coud comfortably walkin and out. Again, shaped alot fo 96 thee ln actual size to make sure Lwas geting Fenght itt F] The wal panels ae %" plywood aswel. cosscul them wth 5) Tojon tho panls toys, | used a 23 bat spanned te area 4a cecula saw and began selling them ito place. 2 10 bottom. then nailed to create a strong nt ANOTE ON THIS CONSTRUCTION METHOD This is a very small structure (5%7) in an area that receives very little snow and is sheltered from high winds, so I felt perfectly safe relying on the strength of the %’ material to make this playhouse quite robust. ‘Thorough nailing (place a nail every 6') is also essential to its structural integrity. Traditional shear-wall construction (meaning, 2x4s with OSB [Oriented Strand Board] or similar sheathing) ‘would be a good way to beef things up if you foresee extreme weather to be an issue. 101(uern Aathar than running in the track 12} tonal direction, these crossratters are lad out horizontal. | space them every 12° to make sure thatthe sheathing willbe wo supported. This method simpis the con- struction because there is no need to wor. ut the math invoe in laying out traction rates, and, t provides adequate srength fora smal structure. Ifyou ve na rogion whore snow loads oF other weather-related Phenomena ao sgnfcant, you may wish fo beet this up sornewhat. The rear gables usta cupiate of the font For exta support arose the ‘seam whore the gables and walls meet, 1 added thick phwoad plates, 1 This photo ehowe the importance at supporting the edges of each section (oft sheathing. | overhung the sheathing about 7" past the gable ends 12 ) Shoo Ik to take kindof a “ot and-suspendors approach ing ths project use 2x for or joists, but I suggest 2x68, when it comes to projects whore safety isan suo, I recom- a8 toy'l prove alot more stably. | Used gakanwed joist hangers mend providing aiional suppor forthe 2x9 by allaching them to io hold them in place, Make sur thei ops are sh wih the 2x85. the 2x8s with 3" screws. This probably unnecessary, since the Nota that three toe trunks converge altho far and a the platform. jist angers are quia sturdy, but it otfers some peace of mine, added mote structure here laa, but tis snows the basic idea of Few the platform was constructed m‘Since 8 te nou i fen bul or Kos, geting them 13 sat to ins Denending Timing around the toe trunks issuer fun, a ast in ny vow, The easiest approach i 1 “sneak up" on a pertect fl Begin by making a cult that is wido enough of around the tur, land don't wory too much about the depth 9 the cutout has to go whan you be ate to 208 fr tne tr time re fede almost inevitable. their ages and interest ves, they can handle a vary o = a 2 za x Instling the decking is most likely a ‘one-person job, 820 it's har to walk aroun an the sat whl tho jlsts 2x6 stl exposed, but tis ree to have help handing Uo the sheets of 4 phwood. This platform is hardly a porfect square, so tho sheets dst go on a ght anges. My rathadt isto sel the sheats n place one ata tine ane make sue that they overlap halivay Cn tha joists. This wil allow the a sheets tobe supported nthe same that overhangs beyond tha plat- In icky bo rmmedl off with a jgsaw. 4 ‘rom Any St ae erove ama amatnls of material, pushing the sheet nia 16 | plac, enc ten ssing whee you eed to et uk mot. Tis Bua ake a fow tas — 38 any 35 sto ign acon tural ved in tha ana. You wl nsec out me = but a nice ft (9008 that are an inch ‘growth. This opening is too tight anc stil neds to be enlarged, ice cr more to alle fo 12Tp] Hats arathercomoex sto srbes athe end ofthe plat- [5] The platform seen rom these | craw pencl nes acros he 7 form. began with the big ane fst, a it want deepest nto deco incicate the positon of the its | suggest screwing the hood, then the mide one, andl fly the shalowast cu trough the plywood and ito the joists at 12" intervals, | put in ‘You can see here thatthe cack panels went together a bit Ike aig: serews every 8 along the perimeter ofthe platirm. ‘sw puzzle, ‘Ths close-up shows a heathy pen- ‘chant for over astoned the 2x68 16 the v0 Isat and to wach othr whenover possible. 6 lag screws provide platy of strength and peace of mind 20 Fp] One nie atte ofthis vee house ha tft wo oes smal “crow nest is un supplement ro the main etuctue below, Bulling wasn't to0 hare since | hed tracy constructed th platform benaatn i Tie bar of te process began with an ‘analysis of haw best to suport the smal upper platform. Fortunately | had four toes to work wth 801 know that | would be able to have plenty of plas to secure 2x65 for tho tame, 13To help me figue out how and were to build the Iacdor, I placec couple (of 2x6s on an angle. Ths mai t possible ‘or mo to envision the soacing requires Detwoon the steps arc the angle that they Would noed to be set to lass suppor, placed an- ctner 2x8 below the ‘wo that wll support the floor. Faq] mova The stops. wore cocired 4° serows ane 6 ts, ternina tree house, many (2 wont be square, fora tun 1425 a7 ded on al four sides by a sturdy pickets, | put un the ravings tet Aleve helped to make sure the pickets wore plumb. 26 The ralings could take a beating overtime, so | made sure thay wore vory securely attached 1 “Suaight and “tt” are two tonns you might aot use very often when bulcing a wao-nouse. us‘Whar t cams time to bull wal for the lowar plato, | worked backwards: rater than traning them with 242s or 2s, | put up sheets of phwood and than t-mmect ‘hem as needed, then reinforced them with ‘raming. | chose this approach because was Ken of har for me to thins about al of the ocd angles and shapes thatthe wals woul ‘ako. This methoc turned out to be easy ancl as. (The cable inthe foreground ofthe photo 199s fan uneatel proc) 20 ‘The wale shaped up [22 Because | was working alone, | found oul! easly put the plywoo ing up by resting its bottom edge on some [20 suppor that I tacked onto the main 2x88 anc: thon screw the shoathing into the 28, 10 herd snow = fay quick, an impostant consideration n our pat ofthe county 16TREEHOUSE ‘usr Aligsaw pariorned acvably at making oor ana window cutouts. 38 Za | WeOve Any but ns Between shoots of plwood needed to 86 reinforced ‘tom the ins, Fig] bows A couok of he shoots of pyncod needed to bo sctved tot into place against pieces of taming. A compass raved the profile and cui ofthe material that vill be removed. rap] Bist The fished product, This partouar cut also creates a ‘way of physcallysuppertng the sheet of plywood by “hang ing? ion the 28 WW20) [A sheot of plywcod mae a good workbench on which o as- somole the lar 28 [40 Atte bt of tim have and thee dresses things we rice, ‘A couple of the root parslsalso nocd tobe serbed)easiest approach was t folowed tne edge of the wall the side, Putting on tha roat was abt a] Patna nally decd thatthe plywood sheets on the roof and the trim than tot | used straightedge to draw fe that til “Tis was much easier than trying to Faure cut the exact ses Lot then on the aroun a] No tee house rg] Led 2x48 0 relnove he was on is comalete ‘haut som look out stations 19RABBIT HUTCH 15 While I do not claim to be the world’s foremost expert on housing rabbits, I do know a thing or two about it, and one of my strongest convictions is that there are a lot of uninspired rabbit hutches out there. A quick Google search will pull up alot e brightly colored sunshine motif cof boring little boxes covered in wire nw the eaves adds what I think is a ‘mesh, Practical? Probably, but I couldnt bit of much-needed visual interest. resist jaazing things up alittle, The end A structure ike this would also make reaull sacrifices nothing in terms of a fine home for a guinea pig or your functionality of exoic birds (par- large doors provide choi ceagy access to clean out the whole in rots, anyone?) terior, and the pitched roof i will eadily shed snow 121PROVECT FIFTEEN _Psunburst —Ndoor Moor vetay panel rais(2) sts) Deomer posta) 12aga HUTCH RABBIT HUTCH # INCHES (VIL. 3 : j a Elale i 2 nm : 4 | 2 | ae pat pied 7 7 20 B[1 | bottom parol ood % 7 a C4 [osok ane ioe! Ve 34 2 D [4 [ comer poste 2x2 7 v7 a E [2 | ofpende wood % 23 wo © | bear 2x We We 78 [1 | bie ent pare iad % 1 8118) HP [ont 2x2 1% a6 20% 1028) J [2 [eats toranastey | % Ve 8) 24 1 [a toy toor ied % 16 ae 2 Lr [sce wines iaod! Ve nT 28 wf [oer ates a % 264) 30 N [4 | oer ma % Za 60) 78 P| | snbirst cvs panel | phueee % 6 1 8 | 2 [ mwa aceen neni 788 28 Reena et or pat 2a 20 ‘The rabbit hutch stats out as a"U" shaped assembly J] Instoas of bang simple rectane the ack must be fo rade of %-nik plywood. The corners are sore and 9 al ne way up tothe roof Ine. Ratha than get into a bt of ies together. completed geomery here, jst nok a tape measure out anc die thatthe peak ofthe root foaked about ght at 14° above ‘he sides, ancl then I ransoered ths measurement fo the back panel bby measuring up 14° at he center a the panel and draving a par of lines from ths point to the taps a the sos, They seconds 0 ji sawing cu out the finshed bac. 123ECT FIFTEEN re —— Seto hes wh 1 sores at , \)) nN fom 2x28 Acta doo arab afere oA A poratiy holding them in place \ (asove tern ‘he inside. [a] easement ae aaah, bo set uprignt, and it bogns to look prety go {LEFT The tops ofthe lags must be virimed sa that the root panels can sit own flush wth the sides, To do ths, use a _Svaigh-odge and extend the ine of the roa! ram the back pane! nto the legs, and ten the excess witha jigsawao0ve) To mai the front lage, raced (ria With te legs “tired proper ba sot into place aad tack with ora nalls into the tops of 8, The rot wl require more suport the root panel | eur a smal sige beam" trom a serap of 22 and screwed it Inte place where the wo rot panels meet. This will ensure ‘hat the panels don't sag atthe fit se chance to run bya pair aga HUTCH “The ron of the roots supocrted by a 4"-thick plywood pare, screwed into place and hen added accanal rin erent in the form of a vertical 2x2 (center stile} that uns behind It trom the ridge tothe toa ofthe hutch eloe inthe next phot) th the sr ramp. 1 fear in place, | adePROVECT FIFTEEN “The doo are made of simple rectangular frames which | biseuitos together. You could also use dowels or pocket ‘s570W8 for an appleation Ike this, Movtise and tenan joints might be overall hero (avove Leen Once the docre were glued up, I elamped them ‘and ot thom aside for alow hour. inthe meantime, Humes ‘my aterton toward some aesthetic emncelshments (asove nici knew fom the beginning that | want! to a some kdl f fancy rim to Gross up the ute, and as tho sign evolved, became more and more clear to me thatthe panel (on the ‘ont right below the rootIne would be the perfect spot. It ‘occured to me to create some kind of sunourst mot, andthe next ‘question was how to do 80. I began by making a fulsize crawng ‘on some scrap carcboad. {warn Once [had ti'shed a dasung that 198 happy wth, | cet out with an Xacto kn to eroato a ono-p.0ee patton, “Te cut the slots forth bisculs, | marked each ait with a ‘small ino that | could use to progerly algn my biscult ono.Into place tice an onlay. ] ‘The wire mesh coub be attached to 21 the doors with stapes, but Iwas con cored thal tney might eveniualy ust or fall ou, 80 sacred ire Denins a eat of ‘tripe that | screwed directly tothe backs of the doors, From the fran, the fishes ok ie nent anc claan, and thatthe wie won't come ose. [Fp] | tacea the pata ont apeve of phaood, and cut out wt a jigsaw. This osuted na parel that could thon bo sot Tet it the painting process, | painted the sunburst onlay prior to attaching i to the huscn. At te same time, I painted the backstop orange. Ones both parts were dy, | glu and nalec the onlay tothe backcrop. This method! ensured tat I dnt have to bo at al fussy oF carat in the painting, oF do any touch-ups Ivasn' expecting to house Ho 22} sare, se Lon used sips on tha ‘Sie othe doors to alach the mesh, oi ‘courte of simple strao hinges per 23) oor ane a couple of ches, and the chis eady for occupancy, wz128CHICKEN COOP Raising chickens is an old-school hobby that has seen a major resurgence over the past few years, and the trend seems to be just as popular in the city as it is in the country. My wife and I have had chickens for bout five years now, and this coop From an environmental perspective, reflects some of what we've learned _the benefits are pretty compelling, too along the way. For example, this design — eatinglocaly raised food is @ common features a parallel set of roosts: ve sense way to simplify without compro- discovered that our hens like to cluster mising on quality — and chickens will logether tightly to stay warm on cold happily devour food scraps and kitchen Winter nights, and two roosts allows __waste. As a by-product, youll receive them to bunch up better than one. Tve J for gardening also discovered that our hens are happy of ways to house ‘tn use a nesting box that is open at the and manage chickens, and this chap top rather than the side, and this pre-_doesnt pretend to be a comprehensive vents eggs from rolling out and landing guide. Youll find lots of free informa- fon the ground with a splat tion on the topie on the youre not already on board, the internet, The dimen- popularity of small-scale chicken farm- sions you choose will ing makes sense from many perspec- naturally reflect the ‘ives: number one on ourlistis that number of chickens youll quickly be hooked on the unbeat- that you plan to house: able taste of fresh eggs. And the price _a structure ofthis size is friendly on your family's food budget will provide ample = day-old chicks can be had for just roosting space for up couple of dollars each, and they'lllay to ton birds. And, while steadily for several years. Once your this is a versatile design coop is built, they areas easy to care for that should work well in as cats. Backyard chickens are also alot most parts ofthe country, cof fun for adults and children alike— you may wish to do some instead of watching TV, we've been customizing to best suit the known to sit around and watch the climate of your region. chickens once in a while. Our year-old chickens aren't your daughter, infact. makes « point of visi thing, this design may till be Jing with them at least twice a day. usefil to you or someone you 16 know: with afew easy modifications this structure could do a fine job hous- ing rabbits or guinea pigs, for example. Either way, this project provides a ter rifle opportunity to use up sexap wood: some projects requitea large amount of material, but a chicken coop is made up of slot of small parts, so you can use up whatever odds and ends you have Iying around, Boforo getting yourself outfitted to raise birds or any other animals, Irec- ommend checking yout local zoning codes to make sure that itis allowed. (Our municipality allows up to 25 hens per property, but this will vary depend- ing on where you livePROVECT SIXTEENccHioKeN coor CHICKEN COOP « INCHES (ViLLIMETERS) 3 : j a Elale i 2 inm a Som Baton Sibasery A [2 [ra sara 7 %_ oT 8 [8 | wortcroseatetonws Tx? teh We 18) 78 She Sdbassembles [4 | comer pote Ba Tea a) @ [2 [per seichas Bx a8) Ta 88) 7 = [2 [wer tethers Pad e881 289 1 F[2 [ ower stetcers cot xa et Th 8) 18 [10 sing ta % 38) 2, 7 [Back Para wed % en 4 _1872) Nest Ba [2 [ wontons panei wood ae 10 os 720s S| 2 | ees ood Mt 10254 15681 1 [oto ood % 10 Ber 1584) Rao _[ 2 [apne on Ta a_i 76 w [2 | bar Bod Ta 68) a6) 2, Root N [8 [ate i % Te a P [2 [rater sippor coats | ta % a 18 [1 | rotng panel wood % 20 © R_[ [ font rooting pat ied % 3 20 [2 [eupot ses piwood! ti 2 4 T [2 [ evpot ronvoaci yond 08) 3 4 u [2 [einer reo root pare Ye (8) 7 1 Door V_ [12 pa ae m2 Te The % W [4 [-aoor braces ef mt) Th 85) 26 7] The thor of hs coon large oven ro that nah rapping accra below the coop andl notin. This wi make ‘or a cleaner coop and alko provides easy acooss to great fortizer — the garconar in ‘your neighvorneod wil clamor fora chance to come and shovel Lup. Inthe wintertime, Ital be easy to jst place aboard across the opening to keep the cove warmer 131ne slats in pace with anal and then orcad 5) The sos ofthe coop teat aro! tat tans tonard the back so that snow wil se off and pile uo in an aut-ot-ho- way location | dirt ned to do any math to make these anglect cuts: to beg, just lad a staght-edged scrap at a “that looks aboul-ght” angle and marked the le. Looking atthe degree-inder that | had selected 25° angle. Wo takes 2 | tne joins with serene. (on the miter saw showed F_] weove Le Wh the board placed against he ear once of my infer saw, simply swvele the blac unt isuay eg up ‘he rea. A shallow test cut proved that was progerly algned, wth J] Bove any To cut tne stotchers tat connect the two ver 5 | cat peces, kept tne saat the same angle and eu one ond ‘ofthe svotcher.| then postoned the slrtcner wher t would even- 9 top and bottom edges of tualy go and orew a ptr of marks the stelcher where it inlarzected the rear vertical | made sue thal 32 verical pisces were placed exacly parallel to each othe at the ct with to anaure that hase marks would be inthe ight spots st — | used my miter sow at the ‘Tha marks snowes me vines ‘same 25° anal. {riot Once the angles stretcher was cut, Lsiled some holes ‘or pocket serous.CcHioKEN co0P 7] The pocket nok screws provided a fast way of goting the J] See ta one se made ii ton top o a pal of sides assembled, and | einforced them later on or Det and traced it. This was faster than meaeuring the additional sent, parts incividvaly |] Tre sss ao requires a horizontal stretcher about 20" up trom the _70und. | attached a leat on tho ins face ofthe sce so that | woul have somewhere to attach the coop's assembled bottom ‘This photo shows how we nad the bottom oct to the clat, We ritorced thie with 2° serewe 10 133The sides ware mi th th fo rom scrap scavenged rg thom 1's see Up rather qucky. lwo0ve Before standing ur the sare We decided to attach the back while ‘was sti ying on the lor. Ths mado it much ‘eas to work with and tc’ risk damag- bly sub-assembly. structure ‘9 great dealt Is atral nen te back attached, You" ice that the back didn't extend a the ‘he f simply because raneteres a mark a teindicate tne top an angle siCcHioKEN co0P TE] eave! connector! the marks onthe fen with astralght-edge and then ce gute easiy with a jigsaw. trick Cuting the boars all at oneo fe much faster than cutting each board one-at-a-tima, and it ensures @ rice, leven fishes 2x90 [7] to¥ My wislon forte coop nce ca small decorative cupola for should say “coop-ola?"). This requied that ‘he 100" come to a peak | achieved this by ting the front edge of he side panels wth a igsaw. Again, te angle ct matt, $0 | tlt waste time laying it out too preesoh ‘ho goal was to make i ook nee, and tout both sides consistent a] mist The nest box was made fom scrape of 1x12¢ witha phawood bottom, 135PROVECT SIXTEEN (aoove Len A sel of paratel costs wil alow the chickens to bunch up tightly to stay warm in cold weather or spread out (on a hot night. The roos's were set ino notches that cut with a band saw onthe adge of scrap 136. 19 rap] Move The roosts were made om smn ol /4 oak ‘soraps that | made into octagonal shaped "dowels" with a chanting bit on my router table, We pre-ciled holes and screwed ‘ther into the 1x6 supports on the ends so that the whole roost ‘sub-assembly could be removed to be cleaned, ray] si planned to use 4"thk seraos fo thereon mater land se installed a sol of 2"-thik plywood srps to make {ow of afters, Those wil provide platy of strength when the snow tos next winter. “The raters are supported by a cleat that fotows the same angle as the roo a] !everanoed he thick msi panes that | us forthe roof so that gravity would push snow of ofthe root and not Info the jin. Covering he roof wih some galuanzed tn shooting would greatly erhance the roo’ durabilty ~ I get of before the woather tums! 136CcHioKEN co0P 24 “The cupola began 3s 8 simple box. ‘The bottom 25) of tne cupola had to be cut to ft ‘on top ofthe rot — sed a velo hold itplumb and then sed a pair of divide {18 to sobe 3 par ‘of tines tat folow ‘to root itches (1 sed a red marker to make these res stand out inthe protos) rag] Bee LF Once | had cut one side othe cupola, lused an angle gauge to transfer these ‘angles to the other side. This matnod works wel and doesn't rogue any math (uoove nat If your jigsaw base wl ‘make some of the cuts a bit easier. 27 rag] SFT Th fal wos cute accootabl for a Chickon eo0p. Atle sanding cleaned up the twarou. The lst step iste doors that, again, wore -macle ftom strap pallet material | added interior brac~ ‘9 across the wich of the doors, and than aod X bracing across the ron for slab trengty and thin thoy look prety ice, to. 137GRILLING STATION 17 We've all seen the high-end outdoor kitchens that have been touted as the ultimate in luxury on tv shows and in magazines, but these exotic beauties always come with a hefty price tag. The good news is that any moderately skilled homeown- of styl Lwent for a contemporary er can build and instal similar setup look that I thought would be at home ina weekend for a fraction ofthe cost. in a varity of settings, but you could In terms ofthe functional aspects or this to suit your ovn tastes, This fof the design, your options are pretty _design features a tile countertop that ‘much endless, You could include a prep provides alot of extra workspace, and sink with hot and cold water, an inte: the cabinets add a lot of storage to an grated cutting board, an under-counter area that formerly had none at all. The fridge, a wine cooler, and lots more. _trickiest part is integrating the gril so sik of drawers might-come in hanci sn went gril-shopping,I made sure ‘and a wood-fired pizza oven migh to buy a model that looked like it could nice, while youre at it be taken apart easly. With a litle head In this chapter, I've de- scratching and a litle elbow grease, Im cided to focus on the sure that you could find a way to make ging station, since no outdoor Iiteien is complete without it. Adapting the main concepts nearly any grill work Ifyou dosit mind Jess ofa built-in look, the grill may simply be free-standing (on its ‘manufacturer-supplied base) between a pair of cabinets ‘would be a pretty — this is ce ainly the straightforward easiest option, o} ectInterms In terms of grill, you can get more ck these days than ever bang for yo before. A recent trp to @local home center brought me up to speed on the options — stainless steel, t appear Is hot these days, but my wife and I opted for a less-expensive (around $140) ‘model that I was pretty sure we could Adress up nicely, So far it has worked great: we ike having the side-bur and it has a much larger grilling eapac- ity than our old one, The side burner is a really handy feature that, once you get used to, is hard to live without. Making center was a it work in the new gr challenge, however, due to the way that itwas constructed. More on that later. The overall size ofthe finished prod- uct will naturally be determined by your ‘own personal criteria, bl itis worth ‘mentioning that, even though Tilt an L shaped unit could look great if you have the space, You might even want to integrate a bar height counter with seating. And while I didn get into it here, inline configuration, an you might also consider using stone ve- neers, available at your local home im- ‘provement store, They're easy to work with, and will lend the beauty of custom stone work to your outdoor kitchen,PROVECT SEVENTEENGALLNG STATION GRILLING STATION * INCHES (vl METERS} 3 : j a Elale i 2 inm a Som Canes A [4 [see inesd Ge FE z 3 [2 | poten iwod! % 18 zi Fi cc [2 | Backs aod! 8 zr a1 D [2 | Tes pywvead % 23 5 | 2 | on buku ces | efron % We 35 F [2 [Side butesn cts | pinepopir % Te 3 wai ‘G2 [Front ton ims cada % 18 376 35% Ho) | So top is cedar % 3 2 [a [eral ac ames | ender % 3 280 2 [ Werialise nes [oar % ahs 2a 2 | eral ace fares | cooar 16 a8 ae Te [2 | Herzen face rare | coca 18 a8 2 DoorsFront Pane [4 [ Door font ans he % Te ae Tar Mi [2 [Door back sate te 18 3 24610, N. [7 [enter panel sts ine % 4 ae _678 Pa: [ Center panel backcaas | ne % 3 2 Baie 0 [2 [Lonpieces ry Tw Th ee _Da RA | so pices ine We 28 av a9 a "Aust ses tof your grit In planning the ling station. pays te choose a suitable gilts model features “wings! onthe ses that can be easly unbatted, and this wal make it easier to ntagrate the unt inte the shop-bult por tions of the prec. “tPROVECT SEVENTEEN ‘The entire a5: 2 | seri wit bo perched on a sok base that can be easly snimmed ane leveled on any soot “This chapter ilus- trate now | but an insine desig, but you could jst as easly construct an “L-shaged one “The cabinots start out as simple, plywood “U" shapes. The bottoms ana nacks are screwed between the ses, withthe ‘Sic ish wth the sides of me aso, “Tho cabinets aro the samo $2, andl set ther outward-“acing 3 ‘backs also screwed to the back edge ofthe bases. F ] Imade sue thatthe d's that cannect the fort and back 5) needs to notch one ofthe cabinets so thal the hose cous part othe bate were located where thay would be able to run tothe burars. Tare wae ne harm in making an extra-large ‘support the gl oleh, and it uaranteod that I be abl to Ine thags up later on. 142GALLNG STATION 7] | ebed coca txts nto a coun ot citerent wide, and using gles ant brad nal, | assembled a couple of square columns tha tren fastened tothe front of ‘he cabinets. This tim was purely decorative In naire, as tho cabine's wore stone ‘enough on thei wn, J] |eio0d the columns onthe ar ands ofthe unt and treme the rates to match vith coda, = You vould jin the pieces of cod tem wath pocket screws fhe result would bea faco-tare, basicaly, oF you could simply oe and nal the pieces into place, 9 cut the tops to size to test hai, | wanted no averhang at al onthe inside edges of ‘the cabinets o that the gill cou chop in and tightly, but | kes tne lock of an over- hang atthe sides. Also, my cedar tim was held shy in ight a tho countertops wil recove ‘a thicker edge that wl il the gan. 143Fy] Hound some great 6x6 acta tes at our lea nome car- [=] Now that the stop hasbeen bultout, the gap atthe top of 'ef, and i ther ou on tho Sulton just 1 make sure thoy the coda risa non-issue. Tho booty countertop alsa a ‘Good thing Idd ~ ft tured out that I needed! o tim a bit off the neler fished lok, too ge of the tops. “The lafchand ving “The raht one woul prove abit vicki, ag it hala separate buener tim and allached. Moco on ths later. a 1 say, (One ofthe things Ike about ths project is the contrast cetween the c th pine coor panels. The doors ae constructed ute spy with battens back, | used taparet dowels to maintain a uniform gap betwen the boars. the parts trom shifing ring assem 13{Leen Once |emoved and casters | set the gilno place. ela sil needed tobe shimmed up 9 reels level she g [BELOW LEFn The lfthond cabinet cropped ight into place, (wexow mii Ic rectly ito the il This was not only very song, but it helbed 1 lock the two eampanents together tight (uerT Although this project is raty straghttorwar,¢ does require you to ‘eonneet and cisconnsct some gas ting, 0 use caution and take your time hooking things wp. 14sintetoo wore tm lws0ve) The aces of the 28 {LEFT The center panel of he gil was covered up wih a panel 24) hat mimcks the door styl. For variety, | decided to spin the ‘fentation oft boas 80 degrees, Six magnetic catones Rok! the pana in place, but leave romeval easy ] WOTTON LERD The sido bunor has a separate cont knot which required a cutout on tye tront ofthe countertop. Youll also ratce that Irelocatod the propane tank to tho interior of ths cabinet fer easy access. (mortem nacin Once the knob was intaiod, the whole thing 26 hag a neat and olan lok to 7RUSTIC FURNITURE i6 This genre of furniture is really perfect for anyone, from beginner to expert. Beginners will be able to craft a useful item that requires minimal tools and experi- ence, experts will enjoy seeing a project come together {quickly and may wish to improvise with, more complicated designs. Interms of crafting the required joinery, used a round tenon cutter that mounts in a hand-held dri. The ‘cutter isnt cheap, but its the fastest ‘way Ive found to make rustic looking joints that really hold up. If youre only ‘making one piece, it may be hard to justify the investment in the tool, but for larger pieces (or multiples), the tool starts earning its keep pretty quickly. You might also be able to justify the in- vestment by considering that als are most likely going to be free, In my case, a storm came through, 148. and took out aton of branches in our neighborhood. In about ten minutes, 1d easily rounded up a pile of perfect specimens, and the neighbors were only too happy to have me haul thom away. even got into the habit of carry- ing around a handsav in the trunk of my car so that I could quickly cut down branches that I discovered in the course of my daily travels. In addition to saving you money on materials, this type of furniture also won't require much in the way of so- phisticated tooling. Table saw, routers, and dovetail jige wont help you here-a dull and a saw are all you need. Pretty ‘much all the cuts youl need to make ccan be accomplished with a jigsaw, a chop saw, or even handsaw, Frankly, you this is back est. wont even need a sh porch woodworking at is fin Interms of materiale, I don't worry specifically about the exact parts ahead of time — just make sure that Ihave enough parts ofthe right orders of ‘magnitude — that isto say, before 1 start a chair, make sure to have a few long, thick pieces for the rear legs, and a bunch of smaller-diameter pieces which cean be used as stretchers, Once Tim back at the shop. Ican sort through the pile ‘more closely and pick out pieces that ‘match best in terms of shape and size, When in doubt, having a few extras to begin with i the way to go. An inherent trai to this type of woodworking is that it doest't limit you to right-angle designs, Branches areanything but straight. so this is an op- portunity to incorporate the character of the material as you find it Playful asymmetry is one of the defining char- acteristics ofthis style — imposing too much rigiity or exactness is kind of missing the point, in my view. You have tyro basic choices when working with non-standard materials such as these — you can either follow the constraints that the materials im pose, or you eat wok in su away as to minimize the effects of these proper ties. For example, I started out assuming that the rear legs ofthis chair would be parallel (perpendicular to-the ground), similar to the familiar Iadder-back style of chair. Once I began to assemble the parts, however, it became clear that the ‘unique curves ofthe rear legs — which ‘were the attribute that drew me to these pieces in the first place — w really going to cooperate. They best sulted to a configuration where the rear legs tapered towards each other from bottom to top. My choice, then ‘was to go with the flow or to discard fone or both of the legs and find others that would remain true to my original design idea. I chose the former, but this is just a personal preference. Some parts really do need to be set aside from time to time, as they truly can be unsuitable fora particular application In any event, youll keep your sanity if you lear to break the process down and work in terms of sub-assemblies, Because the materials can throw you a curveball, Tve found i easier Lo proceed cone step ata time rather than trying topput everything together at once and risk having things go together sloppily not at all). As an example, the most obvious place to start with a chair isthe rear leg assembly. then @ separate front leg assembly, then join the two halves with side stretchers, I helps to be ready to make adjustments along the way — for instance, [had cout a set of stretchers of equal length, which would've been fine on a “nor smal’ furniture project that used fla nd straight lumber. Working with unprocessed materials, however, ‘means that alot of the rules of thumb that Ive picked up over the years don't apply I ended up only using half of the stretchers that [d pre-cut, and I needed. to make longer ones to fit the rest. also recommend dry fitting parts prior to lue-up because it gives you a chance to make adjustments, 149RUSTIC SIDE CHAIRRUSTIC SE CHAR For achat, ke to start by seoctng a couse ot rg ples] Ind truch easier and rare ett to organize th project 1 for the back lps. They don't have to match exact, out intaa fw eub-asgerseg hat wi ner be out together 9 helps i thoy ar sarin their cverall shape i.e, sralgnt-up or form the entre pee, In the case, | began by markng aut lations signly curved, etc) forthe horzoral stiches that wl complete the rea log ard back astembly othe char A maker shows Uo wall on th bark, J] BEPM tn handy to ako layout he holes thet wll eceve ‘he side stretchers at tis point. It isn't necessary, but helbs ‘me to smooth out the warkow by thinking ahead just abit. (anowe A forsiner or spade bit works tne to quickly bore holes In the groon lumber. 151USTIC FURNTURE J] Bev Cutting tho ound tones is snap wth a decicatod cuttr At ‘around $100 (wa leavaley.com they arent cheao, bu they quickly pay for ermzales you make a couple of places of furniture, Tha afcency is unbeatacle. Make sure to clamp the workpiece ‘nly or safety sake. you havent used a cutter lke tis betor, | suggest testing out on ‘some scrap to get a fel fort. You'l oucky maser (mci Tre compte ar assembly, 6 ‘once the abe has dried inthe rear assembly, Islood i up ang bagan to ‘lan our the rt ofthe cna | chose a cou- fle of pisces for he front lags and eoaced ‘hem out as necessary. 7 ENON CUTTER 101 The culters (mine, al least) offers a slight degree of adjustability which allows some variety in the size of ‘the tenons it cuts. [recommend doing a couple of test joints on scrap the first time you use the tool, so that you can be sure that ‘you correctly match the drill bit to fit the tenons. For example, my 98 cutter cuts tenons from %' to %’, so assuming a% drill bit will cut a suitable tenon introduces a lot of room for error, which could translate to loose joints that will fail in time. ‘woven Ths she completed front £ | sciosassombh which was constucted inthe samo mannor as tha roar ono ] mtn Whe wots rte gue to cy ‘onthe tron assembly, | slecte our Side steichers, cut tom to long, and riled tenons on ther ends, The clam serves to hold the whole thing together temporary 152RUSTIC SE CHAR Once the 11) holes nave ‘been dle forthe ‘de svatchers, the conte char ean be sluod up and clamped. like to se pobwrethane ‘le for this purose because its both strong and weather resistant. To] Teak the locaton ofthe hobs, clare the pars in place and trace the tenons with @ marker. In this photo, Ive pulled ‘he stetcher aside for clay. (aoove Le Thi fe the ane arsenal of tock requited fora pojan ce this. Wn reeds a shop? A jintr or planer wi ust gather dust when you're buleng rustic furniture in tis sie 12 [a] Msevenarm ve experimented wn some aferent materia on sats ana acks — ete is ono of my frst ators at alooseb-woven gest. I was going for 8 rough-and: ready look, and that’s whet | endoc! up wth, allright) The results ule strong, cespt ts rag-iag agpearance, A much more rated aesthetic could be achive wth @ bt more time, patience, and know-how. (nicl Fe also had succoss in using of roclamod planks for soats anc backs. Thoy 14) cotainy are fast to buts and attach — I saci them wth screws, 153RUSTIC ARMCHAIRT_] Gonstucton on hse cha follows he F] The as on this char ware ‘ormed om sold wood blanks (2x, actual sama pattern as outlned in he previous pro To crate a nice ft between the end othe 2x4 andthe regular curve of the ft | vary slab, deciding to bring the round) yea branch that wil abu, lusedl a compass, This wil neatly serbe the profla onto tenons all the way trough. This photo shows a ‘he wood and inciate the portion that needs to be removed. ‘anon prior to having the exc98s glue wiped off — you'll want to take a0 of ths before the go soe, because you can’ reaty sand off any ded glue at he rik of dosvoying the bark, J] weereteRN Once ine jit a he back has been ext the rest ofthe a can be shaped to your tastes. The arm on the lt shows the rest ater afar amount of shaping, To make the required cars, usec aga withthe base angled where need. [_] eeve aim The jon tthe back shoul be ped wrth along sore J ] iawn Bacause the back ag slanted a bt, had toca the edge ofthe am at an angle to corespand, Ths was done by setting the bate of the jig eaw at an angle that Hadges by ev. 155RUSTIC SIDE TABLE 186{Ler Iced the fact that a couple of ‘the branches were forked at one end ded to go withthe asymm (Beiow Lern Once the glue nas ie | was able cin the two sides together wth a pai of ong stretchers. Two lamps were all need fo maintain adequate presste, (wexow nian | used aboard of rough savin mulberry forthe bottom shel ‘Aton yoars ago, | lucked into a rice ite slack of muborry lumber thal came from a tree just a few mies from my shop, The (Lem The top Is also made ot uber 157Protectng wood! from the ravages ofthe elements s 2 It you have some background with wood fishes, you're aware ‘al orer. I certainly can be done, and Ml recommend @ that most products come in one of two categories: penetrating couple of snecticprecuts that have a goed track recor, oils or fn fishes. The namas ae apt desctpters. Penetrating but fist lt me present what might be best called anincon- Oil, fen tinted with stain, kino the pores cf the wood and vorent tb aro an fective way of changing wood's natural cob. Toy are tempting because they're so easy to aoply— just ood the sur coreanarmn eatnemes — Saienanten tay tate eset) Pea ener ee Poe ean ee eee Pe eee eee ccs! eee mc ee eee ee See Pee ee ee eae ee een ee ee eee Perera emt eee) peered Pees ae ae Pee ao ee Pa eee ee ee ‘back after a short time to begin fighting an uphill battle, woodworking magazine, Although the product was originally So eee pesceea cece ees ee Sa ees peer cance sme araueee | | epeumrrrns comeing tens Peers Beer cara eee ere eee ee re ees pe eee eee econ eee ene mecmenrernmerciyamome | | remit Saspioileevacctist) Bl ppp tuple lonare Seems Mitel cricerera rae ea Pete tee re eee ee eee a eee What about deck stains? Nore, Ive actualy ted this apereach witha set of ring chars that I made fer my own home four years ago, The stn colored the wood in 8 passing way, whieh | \was certainly one of my objectives, but the resulting fish was rough anc not aute appropiate for furture, thle up fe for a couple ot years, and then it clearly needed anctner coat, because It had faces qute a bt anc loked rather teed I's worth mention- ing, however, thatthe calor at least remained uniform — that Is to say there was no pesing, streaking or chipping in the fish ‘My conclision was thal deck sais cera have ther oe: for ‘somethng Ikea fence, deck or shod, thoy re a good solution, 158DESIGNING FOR THE GREAT OUTDOORS I youte used to ulding farmture forthe great indoors, you'll need to doa few things ferent when t corns to projets that can vithstand the wear an tear that the ee ‘ments vil impose. One of he most notable areas to pay altation to in fastener = lection —orcnary zne-ceated screws and bots simply won't nol! Ue outside, Thay rust and eventually fal, Fortis reason, |rocammand fastoners mad fom stanless sel. or ones that av atleast coared sult to stand up to moisture. ‘You may also want to choose materials that have a wel-nown tack record for holeng up agains the elements. Whi al of the species on the Ist below mght pot be valle in your area, most people shouki have access to t lest a fw DECAY-RESISTANT SPECIES Coda Chery flack) Chestnut Cypress (Aizona) be sniper Locust bck) Mahogany Mesaute Mubery fea) (ak bur chestnut Gamba, Oregon white, post anc white) Osage-orange Redwood Sassalas Witrat tack) ‘Yow Pace} ‘Another are that merits some special atterion isthe wie word of achesives. For ‘uttloor projects, Ive used the following with good resus + Polyurethane-type adhesives (Gola Glue) “+ Theben and Tebond i + Ebony + Constucton achesive Every achesive has is pros and cons. He's a shor list of tips that may help out Plrehane glue wl tend to produce a bt of foamy squeeze-out. Tis residue wil have to be removed and | suggest using a wet sponge while the product f sil wel Ako scrapes off easly witha chisel once i's dy \Whon using pohurethan glue, i you gel ary glue on your hands, make suro to wash them thoroughly whip the quai sill wet — otharwissI't have to wear of, and ths can take a ong time! Construction achesives can be a p00r choie for precisely joinery, ut a very {good soliton for applications where gaping svength is advantageous. Tne performance ofall adhesives can be improved by incressing the amount of gh ing surface. One way to do this is o use lanped joints. 159IDEAS. INSTRUCTION. INSPIRATION. THESE AND OTHER GREAT POPULAR WOODWORKING PRODUCTS ARE AVAILABLE AT YOUR LOCAL BOOKSTORE, WOODWORKING STORE OR ONLINE SUPPLIER. WOODSHOP Pato) 1108) Collection “ ‘THE TABLE BOOK EASY TO BUILD BIRDHOUSES POPULAR WOODWORKING —_—THE ULTIMATE WoopSHOP- FROMTHE EDHORE OF POPULAR yA RRR MAGAZINE: PROJECT COLLECTION ‘oceans Projects range rom treitonal Whee Iarng maw ty ROM, a0 BY CARY ROLL oul nd table in very desgns lo alighnouse, a cottage or perectng you era, Pope Te CD.AOM goes you a he woodwerking sv to your ‘and lool net ard more! _Weatring Megane has expe oration you ned to make your ‘etc scales. 428, Fun fo bulk and fun to watz the _reratonto teach re sl not jxt__shop the best itcan be “ale bularg to crocs our Dik move nother new home! the proacl Fd he Met sue on iam 3: a7e--toncrtet wondering sls Wb chalet ge eee vine rawsstans, oro one at itn, Thad rain bok corte ecdiroroved uous a pagon 25073 popdsrneodooning com. prootuk 272 pes 2728 Deere Visit www.popularwoodworking.com to see more woodworking information by the experts. Avwocauatkg eaueston can come many forms, bnlaing books magaznes videos ae comet wrapepuwsodworeng. amt ow ox Be, reo! about he newt oc (ee bake and jan our cemmunty. We wart 19 kaw wat youre buldeg, Sign up to receive our weekly newsletter at http://populanwoodworking.comynewsletters/Create your own homestead and improve your quality of life by building one or alll of the 20 backyard projects in this book. Construction is easy, using the measured drawings and step-by-step photos. You'll also find information on choosing durable outdoor building materials, working with reclaimed lumber and applying finishes that hold up to the toughest weather conditions. From chairs and swings to chicken coops and pergolas, we've got a project for your backyard homestead. 35315164985