Tue OnlclrqRlWooDWoRKING M AGAZ

HoM E ITTIIPROVEM EN T IN E
Gontents
WAINSCOTING
32
Gustom
Wainscoting
It's casierthatr yp11tlirrk to ,qiuc
any roontthc tuartn,rich lookttf
classic-fidnrc-and-pmrcl tuttirtscttti rlq.

42
Installation
Solutions
Hcrc orc tlrrcc,qrcattricks -fitrdcnlin,q
rt,itIt ctttttttrorr i trstalIatiorr ltroblt,ttts.

43
StoreBought
0ption
Cct tlrt' look of'trddititttrd
[tt'adboard tru i rt scLt t i n,q lty ln 1y i 11q
w c r y t| 1i 11 , qr ta' r ty 1 11a , lr ,

44
First-Glass
Mail
Srtrn'-borrg/ll tttodcIs (dtt' t R)tItpdr(
t o t l t i t a l l - 'r r - 0 n (n' t 0 i l b ( ) p
x (tst,
nut)splpcr lroldtr nrd pldtttu'.

\",IOI\KI}EN(]II ! .JUIY AU(;UST 2000

 l-!
it
i

50
Chair
Adirondack
A perennialwoo&aorking favorite,
nothingsayssummerrelaxation more
thanthk iconof outdoorfurniture.

56
0ttoman
Matching
An Adirondack.chairjust isn't
withoutan ottomanthatlets
complete
out andtruly unwind.
youstretch

58
Table
Summertime
A patio tablemakesa nicecomltanion
pieceto theAdirondackchair.

60
MiterSarvs
Gompound
This k oneof themostuersatiletools
you'll eueruse.Find out whichone
worksthebestin our latesttooltest.

66
Takelt Frcma Pro
A veteranfinish shares
carpenter
10 tipsforyournextproject.

DEPARTMENTS
6 70
& Answers
Questions InTheShop
t4 76
Tips& Techniques TheHouse
Around
20 88
Interactive
Workbench Craftsmanship
woRKBENCH tr JULY I AUGUST 2000

EDITOR
projects start with a
I /l'ost
| \ / I good set of drawings. But
l- Y I"""n with drawings, there
are times when you can't really get a
feel for some detailsof a project.
This is what happened with the
wainscoting prqect startlng on page
32 of this issue.KentWelsh, our prqect
coordinator, stopped by my office one
day with a pile of drawingp. He had
done a good job of showing detailed
profiles ofall the pieces.
Since the drawings were two
dimensional, though, I had trouble get-
ting a Gel for horv the final Project
would look. Later in the day,I bumped
into Kent and explained nry problem.
The next day he built a little proto-
rype with all the pieces nailed down to
a plywood square.Of course,this led to
a seriesof modifications and more pro-
totypes as you can see in the Photo
above. Needless to say,the protorypes
were very helpful.
A prototype was just as lmPortant
for the Adirondack chair in this
issue.We built one quickly from scrap
so everyone could "test sit" in it.Then
US
HOWTOREAGH
Editorial Questions:
WorkbenrhMagazinc
2200 Grand Ave.
D e s M o i n e s ,I A 5 0 3 1 2
e-mail: editor@workbenchmag.conl
On The Internet:
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Free'Weekly
Woodworking Tip:
www.WoodworkingTips.com
N o T E S
we r\,veakedthe fit and ended uP with
a final design that has a gentle arc on
the back and the perGct sloPe on the
matching ottoman.
TA]GIT FROMA PRO
Sometir.nes I feel the Workbenchstaff is
like a family doctor. We seejust about
everything come through our office
on a rypical day.
But once in a while, even a familY
doctor will call in a specialist.That's
what we've decided to do in a new
section called "Thke It From A Pro."
In this issue we've asked Dave Fish,
a finish carpenter,to sharesome of the
secretshe'.spicked up during 15 years
on the job.We've also added a few tips
of our own from the jobs we've
worked on.
Now iti your turn. Write and let
us know ifyou have other carpentry
tips to share wtth Workbenrftreaders.
()ry
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WORKBENCH
votuME56 4
NUMBER
EDITORDoug Hicks
ASIiOGIATE EDITORSKerry Gibson
l)avid E. Stone
ASSISTANT EDITORSBill Link
Kevin Shoesrrrith
Joel Hess
ARTDIREGT0Rllobert L. Foss
SR,GRAPHICDESIGI{ERMike Mittermeier
SR. ILLUSIRAIORSErich Lage
SusanR.Jessen
IIIUSIRATOR Mark S.(irrvcs
CREATIVEDIRECTORTed Kralicek
SENIORPH0T0GRAPHER CrayolaEngland
PROIECT C00RDINATOR Kent Welsh
SH0P MANAGERSteveCurtis
SH0PCRAFISMANSteveJohnson
PROIECIDnrEtOPER Kcn Munkel
EIEC,PUB.DIRECT0R I)oughs M. Lidster
PRE-PRESS IMAGESPECS.Troy Clark
MinnietteJohnson
& PUBIISHERDonald ll. Peschke
PRESIDEI{T
ADVERTISNG SATES MANAGERS
MaryK. I)ay (515)282-7000
ext.22()()
A. Olark(515)
Gcorge 2{t2-7(XX)
ext.22o1
URE T RESPOilSE ADVERTISII{G
SATES MAIIAGER
LisaWagner (4{)7) 645-5165
C(X'RDINATOR
ADVERNSNG
K e l s e y H a r e ( 5 1 5 )2 l t 2 - 7 ( X X e) x t . 2 1 3 5
CONSUtTAl{T
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Cwtomer Semice Mtfrlgel: Jeniie Enos Warehowe Su|eruisr:
Nancy Johnson . Burelr L;nda Jones, Administratir? -A$isfastr Nancy
Downey , Techtical Serlte RePresentatfue:JohnAudefte ' Catou ?/
Seruice Re|r*ertatiu*l Annr Cox. Tamrny Truckenbrcd.Deborah
Rich, April Ir.eveI . Warehowe Staff, Sy)via Carey,Den Spidle. Sheryl
Knox ' Vood3mith Stoter Manager: Dave Larson ' Sala Staff
Wendell Stone,Jnn Barnett, Klrhy Smith. Larry Morrison, Harcid
Cashnrrn.TirnRundall,TiiThelen' Olfice MqilogerVicki EdMids
tr JULY I AUGUST 2OOO

EndGrainPrcvides
or Flatsawn?
Quartercawn the Key
I'm ansideing makinga
Mission-stylebookmse. I've
heardthis styleoJfumiture
wa ofienbuiltfron quafier-
saumoak.How un I tell f a boardat
the lumbuyad is quartusawn?
AndrewBrendal
uia theIntemet
Tiaditionally, most proj ects
built in the Mission-sryle
(or Arts & Crafts-style)
were made from quartersawn lum-
ber with straight grain and large
ray "flecks." Examine the grain pat-
tern in the photo below and you'll
seewhat I'm talking about.
Today,most boardsyou'll find at
lumberyards and home centerswill
be flatsawn.Thesimplestway to tell
&
the difference is to examine the
angle of the growth rings on the
endsofthe board.
Quartersawn. With the quarter-
sawing method, a log is first cut into
four pieces.Thenboardsare cut
from eachquarteredsection.
Take a look at the two photos
on the left below.When boardsare
milled using the quartersawn
method, the growth rings will be
60o to 90o to the face ofthe board.
This createsvertical end grain, seen
in the smallerphoto, and straighter
face grain, seenin the larger photo.
Quartenawing is time consuming
and usually producesa bit more
waste.Theseare rwo facton why
quartersawnlumber is more expen-
sive than flabawn lumber.
It also takesa large diameter log
to get boards ofany significant
width. So it's often ditrcult to 6nd
wide quartersawnboards.
Flatsawn. Flatsawnlumber (dso
calledplainsawn)is the most com-
mon cut you'll come acrossbecause
a log usually yields the most lumber
when cut this way. Flatsawing gen-
erally produces lesswaste,too, than
the quartersawingmethod.
Notice in the smallerphoto on
the right below how most of the
growth rings on the end grain are
lessthan 30o to the face of the
board.Thishorizontal end grain
indicatesa flatsawnboard. Plus,a
flatsawnboard will generally have a
V-shapedface grain pattern asseen
in the larger photo.

QUARTffiAnil lRADtAttYSAWl{l FIAISAW]{(PIAII{SAWT{I

Quartersawn Flatsawn
Characteristics: Characteristics:
. More stable . Less stable
. May check . May cup or
. Close, straight grain warp as it dries
pattern. Some hard- . Slighdy wild
woods have desirable or irregular
"flecks" or "ravs." grain pattern.

\tr/oRKBENCH tr JUrY I AUGUST 2000

AllowRoomfor HotAir to Escape
I reallyliked
the "Outdoor
Screen"you
showedin
your March/April issue
to hide a central
air-conditioningunit.
But I'm curiousabout
how much clearanceI
need to allow betweenthe
air conditionerand the
screen?
Randall Carter
Pittsburgh, PA
The answer
to your ques-
tion really
dependson what rype
of air conditioner you own. The
critical element is where the air
conditionerdischarges hot air it
generates while running.
During hot summerdays,an air
conditioner draws air in from all
aroundthe unit'to cool a house.In
the process, it generates a lot of
heat.Iti vital that the hot air pro-
duced has an easyway to escape
from around the unit. If it can't,the
air conditioner draws that hot air
back in and actslike a pressure
cooker.'\X/henthis happens,the
compressorin your air conditioner
might overheatand could burn up
the entire unit.
The "Outdoor Screen"enclosure
in the March/April issue(picured
above)was designedand built to fit
around a top-dischargeunit. Most
air-conditioner manufacturershave
been producing only top-discharge
units for many years.
With this type of air conditioner,
you need to be concernedabout
restrictingair flow abovethe unit.
That'swhy we didnt put a lid on
our screenenclosure.Anyscreen
panelscan stick up abovethe air
conditioner a couple feet without
causingany harm.
'With
top-dischargeunits, the
clearancebelow the icreen and the
Everythingyou do
with a drill is now
donefaster with the
Graftsman@ Spee*Lok-
drilldrivingsystem
space berween the screen and air Drlll pllot holes
conditioner isn't as critical. Air-
conditioning specialists still recom-
mend you leave at least a 6" gap
befvveen the bottom ofthe screen
and the ground, but your unit
shouldn't be in danger of overheat-
ing if the gap is slighdy smaller.
Some older air conditioners,
however, were configured differ-
ently. Ifyou have an older unit that
forces hot air out the side, you
should allow at least three Get of Hand drlve sclews
clearance between the air condi-
tioner and any enclosure.This gives
the hot air enough space to escape.
Another thing you could do is
widen the gaps between the indi-
vidual slats ofthe screen. Dilll Into masonly
And whether you use a screen
or not, proper maintenance is the
best thing you can do to keep your
air conditioner running smoothly
all summer long. It's a good idea to
wash or vacuum off the dirt and
leaves on a regular basis.
Keep in mind that some air-
conditioning specialistsurge against
restricting air flow around an air
conditioner in any way. If you re
not sure about your particular unit,
you might want to check with a
local specialist before using any
fype of screen enclosure.
sElrRs THE COOD LIFE
ATA CREATPRICE
CUARANTEED'"
andco.
@2000 Sears.Roebuck
 Designing
StairsSoThey'reGomfortable
andSafe
I needto builda setof stairs Consistencyis important drop from the top of the deck to
Jor a newdeckI recentlyftr when building stairs.And the ground.That'syour total rise.To
ished,but I'm unsureof the evenan inch. or less.can get the number of risers,divide the
exactdimensions to use. make a big difference. Most carpen- total rise (for example29") W 7
Doesit reallymatterwhatsizeI make ters consider 7"-8" the ideal step (the desiredrise of eachstep).Next
theindiuidualsteps? rise,and 10"-11" an ideal tread run round to the nearestwhole number
SteuenKnudson or depth (seebelow). (4.14"roundedto 4"). Now divide
Salt Iake City, UT Risers. To calculate the actual the total rise againby this whole
size of the stairs,first measure the number.Theresultingfr,gxe (71/4")
is the exactheight ofeach step.
Totalrun:3172" Tieads. Once you know how
many stepsyou'll have,you can fig-
ure out'the run, or depth,ofeach
tread.In every set of stairs,you'll
haveone lesstread than the number
of risersbecausethe landing isn't
counted.First measurethe total run
(31ll2").Thendivide this number
by 3, the number of treads,to end
up with a treaddepth of 701/2".
RiseandRunFomulas: Building requirementsfor calcu-
StepRlsex TreadRun= apprux.7G75ln,
(2 x StepRlse)+ fts66 Run= approx.25 In. lating stairsmay vary so checkyour
StepRlse+ TreadRun= 17-18In. local codesbeforeyou start.

o-
o
O

-o
o
q

e
O
o
o
o

14
rt

I
o
o
o
-o

e
o-
o

\o
 a MiterGauge
An EasyWayto Galibrate
I'm notgettingreallyclean Heret a quick way to
whenI usemy
crosscuts check. Rip nvo piecesof
tablesaw.Someone said scrapto the samewidth.
maybemy mitergaugeisn't Then stack them and crosscut one
(90") to thesawblade.Is
perpendicular end using the miter gauge, as shown
therea simpleway to checkthis? in Step l.You're trying to square up
JonathanRuddy one end ofboth pieces.
IN
Indianapolis, Now unfold the top piece like
you're turning a page, see Step 2. gaugecounter-clockwise.If the gap
Then set the pieces on edge with is wider at the bottom (Stepjb),
the cut ends butted together. adjustclockwise. Repeat the proce-
If you notice a gap thatt wider at dure until the endsfit squarewith-
the top (Step 3a), adjust your miter out any gap.

Gapwlderat bottom,
Adlustgaugeclockwise.

Out{f€quarecuts
Unfoldtop plece
frombottomplcce.

Step2 Step3b

Why wait 48 hovrs belween coals

when you con woil48 seconds?
Multiplelight cootswill olwoys give
vou the smoothest, mostbeoutifulfinish
possible.With theotherbrond,youmay
hove to woit os long os 48 hours
betweencoofs.Sincekylon'point dries
to thetouchin iust12 minutes,
you'llget
thepelect finishyou'relookingforevery
time, without the woit. ww.krylon.com

Krylon?Thefostestway to smooth.
 TrimfromFloorto Geiling
MoldingGlossary:
I'm gettirtgrcady to replarc
rnrtrho-ftlrc trinr thrtnrclntft
my Duttlt Colonial-style
lurnrc.WrcrtI tuutt to ttty
Ittcallxunc ccntcr,I ruasann:ed, attd
sttrrrttvlnt,laliscd, by tlrc varictl,of
Carr yorrlrclp nrc
auailablc.
rttoldirt.qs
urdcrstandtulrcrcand lntu all tlntscdi-f-
lcrurt ntoldirrypica:sarc trscd?
Marianrtc Ellirlqsorr
Clcuclartd,OH
Trir-n is designed to create
snrooth transitionsbetweetr
floors, walls,and ceilinrs. It
helps tie together all the rr-chitectulal
elenrentsin a to<tttr.
Trimnring ir house cln be as
sinrple irs attrching baseboardshoe
to installir-rqelegant ceilitrg crown
- plus everytl-rir-rg in between.
Number198
ProductInformation
When adding or replacing
nrolding, it'.sinlportant to choose a
sryle or styles that fit con.rfortably
with the existing architectttre of
yonr home. Moldings can be plain
or fancy, one piece or built up
fi'or-nseveralpieces.You can also
mix different shapesand profiles to
create unique architectural e{fects.
T:rke r look rr the drlwins :rt
right ar.rdyou'll see the natnes and
typicrl positions of sonre of the
rypes of moldings you're likely to
firrd at a houre center.
To learn more about how to
irrstall moldings, see the Crrstotn
Wdirtscoti ttg :rrticlc beginning orr
prge 32 in this issue.You'll also dis-
cover some useful trinuling tips in
the 7ifrc It Frorn,4 Pro article on
pnge (16.
 Tif- &Milqnre.s
FEATUREN Trr\

7+"Hardboard knob
studded
7+"flat washer

13ls"dla.hole,
lz"4eep

Self-adheslve
rule 7/sz"4la.
ThinStrip dowel
3/s"a3/a"x12"
RippingGuide hardmaplerunner

In the March/April issue,you

showed a quick jig for ripping 7/s2rAia, woodscrew
thin strips.Yourjig makes it easy dowelstop All piecesare3Z' thick
NOTE:
to rip strips on the waste side of unlessotherwise noted.
the blade so you avoid the kick-
back that can occur when a thin
piece ofstock gets trapped
between the blade and rip fence.
Since I spend a lot of time
building small craft items, I'm
always in need of thin strips of
various thicknesses.So I modified
your jig to make it adjustable.
The main body of my ripping
guide is built out of four pieces
(see the drawing at right) which
createsa slot for the adjustment
'When
knob. A wooden toy wheel acts as I need to rip some change strip thicknesses,I just
both a stop and a roller. strips, I use the rule to set the reset the guide and cut away.
To set up the guide. position it guide to the desired thickness. Doug Potts
in the miter gauge slot, loosen the Then I slide the stock over against Tbmecula,CA
knob, slide the wheel up against the wheel, move the fence against
the blade, and retighten the knob. the stock, lock it down and make Congratulations to Doug Potts
Then draw an alignment mark on a cut (photo b). Before each addi- for submitting this issuei Featured
the body and attach a piece of tional cutting pass,I repeat the Tip. In recognition of his tip.
leftover self-adhesive rule to the process of sliding the stock and Doug will receive $250 worth of
base as shown in ohoto a. fence over to the wheel.To tools from The StanleyWorks.

I4 wor{KBENCH ! JULY I AUGUST 200t)


TrapWrench
Emergency
When I needed to remove the PVC
plug trom a clean-out trap, I realized
I'd loaned nry large pipe wrench to a
friend (who still hasn't returned it).
My slip joint pliers would fit the
plr.rg,but I couldn't get enough
leverage to unscrew it.
So I made an "emergency" plug
wrench front a 24"-long piece of %"-
thick plywood by cutting a square
Movetheworkpiece
andcatchertogether.
Catchermadefiom bottom
1" of a cardboard
mllkcarton.
BandSawCut-offGatcher
'When
I cut small parts on the band
saw,they usually pop off onto the
floor and end up lost. Other times,
they find their way into the opening
in the throat plate.
I solved both problems with the
bottom end ofa half-gallon card-
board milk carton. First, I cut the
carton offabout 1" above the bot-
tom end.Then I cut a notch or hole
in the side just big enough to slip
the workpiece through.
To use the "catcher," I slip the
workpiece into place, then push the
woRKBENCH ! JULY I AUGUST
PaintHides
Wallpaper
Seams
Hanging wallpaper isn't one of my
favoritejobs, particularly getting
seamsto line up. Even when you
think you've created an invisible
seam, the wallpaper shrinks and the
seamsopen up slightly, revealing the
wall underneath.
To help hide these seams,I buy a
small can of paint that matches the
background color in the wallpaper.
hole in one end to fit over the plug. I Then, before papering. I paint a 2"-
left 3" of stock on each side of the wide band on the wall roughly
hole and wrapped it with plumbert where the wallpaper seamswill fall.
strap so it wouldn't break or split. The wide band gives me some lee-
The wrench's long handle gave lne way when I actually hang the paper.
the added leverage I needed. When the paint dries, I install the
R.B. Himes wallpaper and the seamsstay hidden.
Vienna, OH Ben Lomltardozzi
Erie, PA
ShareYourTips,
figs,andldeas
Doyouhavea unique wayof doing
Justwrltedownyourtip
something?
andmailit to:
Workbenchlips & Techniques
2200Grand Ave,
DesMoines, lA 50312.
Please yourname,addtess,
include
anddaytime phonenumber.
lf youprefer,emailusat:
Editor@WorkbenchMagazine.com
You'llreceive579$200anda
Workbenchhatif wepubllsh
yourtip.
carton and the workpiece through the Also,TheStanley
Workswillaward
blade, halting the cut once the work- $250in Stanley
Toolsfor the
piece is trimmed.The cutoffstays Featured
Tipin eachissue.
inside the carton and the cardboard
bottonr acts as a zero-clearanceinsert Fora fieewoodworking
tip every
around the blade. weekviaemail,goto
After the initial cut, I just follow
Woodwo*inglips.com.
the same kerf line for additional
cuts.'When I'm done cutting, I move
the catcher to my bench where it
keeps the parts corralled until I'm
ready to glue them in place. M A K ES O M E T H I NG
GR E A T "
Willk C. Howard
Rapid City, SD
2000 15
 VIEW
ASSEMBTY
Synthetic
Oil

MYTH
#8€2 threaded
insert

#22=
"Synthetics
aren't
wonhthe money."

GhanferSander
NAGT:
CastrolSyntec
Sanding a chanrfer is a quick way to
soften the sharp edge of a work- Loosen screwsandsllde providesa level
runnerin or outto adjust
piece, but it takes some careful sand-
chamfer wldth.
inu to keep the angle and width of of protectionthat's
tl-rechamfer uniform.
To make the task easier,I built a superiorto
chamfer sanding block that has two
runners to guide it along the edge so
conventional
oil.
the angle staysa consistent 45o. I
nrade the runners by ripping a piece
of hardwood stock with the blade
Whenyouconsider
rilted to 45o.
One of the runners is fixed in thatyourcar is most
place but the other can be moved in
and out to adjust the width of the likelythe second
chamfer.To make this runner
adjustable,I routed stopped dadoes
largestinvestment
anc.lslots in the body of the block
and installed threaded inserts in the
runner (AssenblyView).
of yourlife,isn'tit
To use the block, I attach a strip
of 180-grit, self-adhesivesandpaper You can add strips of felt to the worththe extra
about 1" wide to the block, butting beveled faces to make them slide
it against the fixed runner. Then I easier against the workpiece's edges. protection?
install the adjustable runner - it Just be sure to keep the Glt clean
helps hold the sandpaperin place from wax, dust, and grit so it won't
(F1q.a).When I have the chamfer leave scratcheson your work.
width set, I tighten down the screws Robert Foss
and start sanding (Fig b). WorkbenchStaff
BBPutsllowelsonlbEiet
If you dont own a dowelingjig or
have trouble keeping rack of dowel
centerslike I do, this method will
make sureyour dowel holes line uP.
I attach a BB - the kind you
shoot in air rifles- to a Pieceof
maskingtape.Next, I positionit on
the end of the rail, folding the taPe
back over the facesofthe rail.
Then I align the rail againstthe
stile and give the stile a sharPraP
with a hammer (Fig.1).To helP keeP
everything from shifting around dur-
ing this procedure,you can clamP
the rail to the workbench. BBs are tough to find if you droP
'When them in the shop.They're alsoinex-
t removethe taPe,the BB
hasleft a smallindentacionon each pensive(lessthan $1 for a tube of
piece.Using thesedimplesasthe cen- 250),so I keep a tube handy.IftheY
terpoints,drill the dowel holesin happento get spilled,usea magnet
both piecesat the drill press(Fig.2). to gatherthem up.
'When Darrell Hampton
you glue up the rails and stiles,
the dowel holes are perfectly aligned. IN
Crawfordsuille,

Number172
ProductInformation
 'ffi$P#hpnchInteractive
Gommuni$
HastheFeelof anOnline
Wood0entral
Hot
www.rvoodcentrrl. conr
Think ofWoodCentral as
sort ofa virtual hangout for Stopin anytimeor
drfrholr tchfu! cfftact6 chltto6
Site woodworkers - the kind
hona narrqtboedr
join one of the
- wetcmlovrd&nrat,lb mwooD
ofplace youd spend an afternoon - wkiloftrcw@dwd€re dall FAsl! scheduledchatson
I6rilFEco*roEntrcdwdn,,q rm i
shooting the breeze with your bud- -I- sdrn'omailm ar*slnumd
anoaun,qwc€mracm.Enrq
I 'oiil4 | furnituremakingor
Wl t I iiEt

dies. For now, the site doesn't have as I fi:*,';;;:

:::'.Ti*1,,:iiil[i"":?"1,Y woodfinishing.
- Mdty@'dlibto.entbso
much "how-to" content as you nright Fsee. wdhdrati6 D/and r'yout .$f".J"

find on other popular woodworkins Woodworkers have

sites,but the senseof conrtnunity
here makes this site a lot of fun.And
that seemsto be precisely what site
host Ellis Walentine had in n'rind.
Walentine was fornrerly tl-re
Executive Editor (NewVentures) at
A mcrican Wooduntrkcr nr:rgazine and
struck out on his own when the
magazine charrgeclhands. M:uragir-rg
this site is more of a pastirne than :t
vocation for'Waientine. His goll was
to create the sarne type ofvirtual
community he built with readcrs
d u r i n g h i s y e a r si r r p r i r r t .
And ifWoodCentral is a comnrlr-
niry then the Messageboardsare the
town square.The messageboardsare
the five discttssionforunrs otr the
site.There'.squite a group of regulars
that share ideas through the forunrs,
including Walentine himself.
The n'rost active discussion forr.rur
is sinrply titled "Messages."Thisis
the area where woodworkers
exchangeviewpoints on just about
every inraginable topic. Other
forums include Daily Trivia, Events,
and Classifieds.
alwaysbeena chari-
hth pb wbr rull td{dr,lrdt.ffib ry
tablebunch,and
iqlilllodedn! quen. h6-mot tu b*@tn
inhhHl
.d D{ bw&-bl.Fpl.
klDm5dftdbtud Woodcentral would
. hasa$G.., dtldr.n*6b purrdBflq
like to organizethat
. Oally Trvla . . . rry F!. trctsb oard.ilr t(*,
' Evonls... AnmurFlroe..@n.crd4
spirit to help under-
&6, edot..d duE H
privilegedkids. Keep
an eyeon this area
for updateson how
EllisWalentinecallsthe MessageBoardsthe heart
you and yourwood-
of this site, and he'sright.TheQ&Athat goeson in
workingclub can get
herccoversnearlyeverywoodworking topic. lust be
involved.
sureto scrollto the bottomfor the latestposts.
WcroclCentral is also onc of the Another fun are:rto visit is crllcd
few wooclworking sites that cllr- Shop Shots.It's r lot likc other
relrtly fcatr,rresreal tinre chat.TI-re photo galleries yolr'vc seen that are
chtrt roonr is alwaysopen, arrd there stocked with snap shots submitted by
are r nunrber ofscheduled chat scs- site visitors, br.rtin l'rerethe photos
sions with experts like fine-furniture :rre acconrpanied by conrtnents fronr
nraker Lee Grindinger and fir.rishir.rg t l r c c r ' : r l t s n r , rNr ro. t i n - , l c p t h s t u f I .
expert Michael l)resdner. but at leastsonre interestinginsiglrt
'W:tlentine
adrnits that the ch:rt ls to how the project went together.
feature is still developing, but he's In the future,Walentine hopes to
confident that as nrore woodworkers enhance WoodCentral by rdding
go online lnd beconre aware of features like tool reviervs,links to
tl-resetypes of features,the popularity visitor web sites,and a nrini nrall for
of the chats will continue to srow. selectedcomplnies.

Glub,Grcup,or GuildListedin Wulfiendt

HaveYourWoodworking
If you're a member of a wood-
working organization of any kind
and your group has a web page, we
want to list your web addresshere.
E-mail the web site addressto
editor@workbenchmag. com. sibly add some new members.
As we receivethe submissions, we We also will personally visit each
will provide a list of the groups here subnritted sitc rnd fronr tirrre-to-
for others to visit. It's a great way to tirne, will feature the most unique
get your group recognized and pos- and interesting sites on these pages.

tr JULY I AU(;UST 2000

20 wc)RKBENCH
 Backlssues
GuideIndexes
Woodworket's
SoftwareDeveloper :Woodworker'sIndexing to "one of thesedays."Problem is, The printed version is prery self-

tMi Cost: CD-ROM $35.00 every time "one of thesedays" explanatory so I concentrated on

tg_t
Review
Spiral-boundbook $39.00
Both $69.00
arrives,I spendmost of it searching
through back issuestrying to find the
putting the CD-ROM version
through its paces. It loaded quickly
Available versions:Windows only project I want. But thanks to a new and was ready to search for articles
CD-ROM index of magazinesfrom in just a few minutes.
Like most woodworkers,I've got a Woodworker'sIndexing, I'm going I wanted a plan for a library chair
huge stackof woodworking maga- to be able to spendlesstime rifling (the kind that folds from a small chair
zinesfull ofprojects I'm going to get through magazines and more time into a step ladder). So, following the
ripping through boards. instructions, I typed "chair*library"
The sofrwareis called Woodworker\ into the keyword search line.The
Cuide. and is actuallv the program found no matches.
updatedand computer- Next, I tried "chair*folding" and
ized versionofthe the program gave me a list of ten
guide previously pub- possible matches. None seemed like
lished by Art Gumbus. what I was looking for.Then I ryped
The guide returns in "chair" and got 354 matches.I

rru
now under new scrolled through the results and even-
ownership and tually found tvvo entries for "convert-
includes21,000list- ible chairs." I checked the magazines
ings from 26 drtrer- listed and found them to have exactly
ent magazinetitles. what I wanted.

We makeit simple.

@ B€nimin Moore & Co,2OOO.All rightsresered. Benimin M@re,TriangleM,MorGlo Moorlife ud MorGard re reSisteredrademrlG of Benlmin More & Co
Colbr Peiw Surdioii a mderort of Benimin M@re & Co

'While
I was at it, I tried the "Tool
Index" feature,which is an index of
tool review and technique articles
from 1995 to present.
Here again,it took a couple tries to
conduct a successfirl search.WhenI
searchedfor "plate joiners," the pro-
gram didnt find anything. But "biscuit
joiners," rurned up a list of 54 articles.
Despite thesefew quirks, the
index is a good tool in either form.
Updateswill be availableannually at
a costof$15-$20.
For more information, write to:
Woodworker'sIndexing,PO Box
336,Drexel Hill, PA 19026.
Call (610)446-7231. Or visit
wwwwoodworkersindexing. com.
OVERALTRAilNG:
On a scaleoffiue d.iscs, withfue being
thebest.
6/W 6/
A FamiliarNameGetsa NewWebSite
Selector area. In this area,you select the
www.titebond.com
Franklin International. qualities you want a gfue to have for a
maker of the popular particular project. For instance, if you
Titebond wood glues,has want a glue that's invisible on darker
remade the companyt web site and woods and sands well,you simply
added some features that make it more choose those characteristics from a list
usefirl to woodworkers of all levels. and the site will recommend Liquid
To enter the site, you click on one Hide Glue as the best choice.
offour buttons that best describes Other areas on the site include
your interest in Titebond products. the Glossary Application Tips,
The choices are'Woodworker, Do-It- Technical Support, and Frequently
Yourself'er, Contractor and Installer, Asked Questions.
or Retailer and Distributor.
Once inside, there are several areas
of interest to explore. The Products
area is a complete list of the com-
pany's adhesivesand their recom-
mended uses.If you're looking for
information on a specific Titebond
glue, this is the place to go.
If you're not exacdy sure which glue
is best for your project, try the Product
 Talking
StillHasWoodworkers
rec.woodworking
Mining One of the most popular T0 rcc.woodworking
R0ADMAP
ways to exchange informa-
:\ tion on the Internet is
TheWeb through a news group -
which is really just a public discussion
forumw here people exchange mes-
sageson a subject they're interested in. altavista:
Amon g the oldest and most PoPu-
lar groups is one called rec.wood-
oxlo
anfl?"Y*satY
ru *"ffii***
working, which as the name imPlies,
is all about recreational woodwork-
ing. It's not unusual for more than
100 new messagesto be posted in
this forum in one day. Dpe
ttwoodwodringft
But before you run off to join the
discussion,there are a couple things in thequery
you should know. bor
First, an important difference
between news groups and other dis-
cussion forums is that newsgroups
are often completely unmoderated,
or at best moderated by a volunteer.
Which means the discussionscan get
a little offtrack in the newsgroups.
So be careful which groups you
wander into.
Second, these groups aren't really
@@n@@@@@
associatedwith a particular site, so
you can't just rype in a web address '.1.01'1ffi**n"u",*"**^'- iAffi'd:rd-
and jump right in.You need to find
a site that provides accessto the
news groups and then follow the Glickonfie
correct path through the site. Irc.modwoddnr Brorwethetopicsto
If you're an AOL user,you can get link to enterthe find a dlscusclon of
there through the Internet pulldown group. intercstandthencllck
menu on the opening screen. onthe llnk to ioln in
Otherwise, most major search the dlscusslon.
engines are a good way to get there.
I like to use AltaVista - it's the
shortest route I've found so far.
Start by going to www.altavista.com.
While you're on the nrain Page,rype
"woodworking" in the query box
Aprlo 7 Ousgs&uiuqA3h!!.Cl$slo!)
and select the Discussion Groups Aptlo 1 OEqd-A]!e-0$ddi!tru)
Aorto 23 oOl:gelfr$-Qsh@$1lAdrd
button (See the Roadnap to rec.wood- A0r10 7 aa0a!$Erldblsll lql!flD
aQ!a@ll)2-lBsur-91&)
working at right). Click on the &r10

"Search" button and the next screen

will have a direct link to the forurn.
(l NilYanh€workshoo @ste)
&r 1o 135
Click on it and choose a discussion &rr0 r aH!h!9!!c-brejh0!.M
ll Rdil woodmasbt drum sendsr nono)NosPNffd)
thread to join in orjust read. &r10
Apr10
8
0 Q b o s t c N . n c e b r P C F U h r 6 s 3 ? ?( c a m e E . 2 q 6 8 l

Therei alwayssomething interest- Au10 20 aJ$]!-Elr.ehil@]!rilo

rerto 3 omd.bl&ldlh$eMls?G9tDsl3)
ing in here. For instance,according to AU t0 II Omlch mod lof blbo bb.cco can? €€eu J.couss)
&r10 15 oeEE.ehlsldglslg.GiB]llllDlllo
a recent thread, Jinrmy Carter, AndY lprlo 3
Aprlo to
Rooney, and Clint Eastwood are all A&rl0 17
known to be hobbyist woodworkers.

woRKBENCH ! JULY I AUCUST 2OOO

24
 Toolseeker
lDeliverc
Baryains
to YourE-mail
JU[*, www.roolseeker.com getting the best price? Toolseeker
lt? i ^,
j okay. so shoppingfor new does, thatt who.
i/\
I \ I tools isn't exactlya bur- ToolSeeker is an online shopping
himrOd!. biCdbr.i6r mitffelt den.And online shopping service that focuses entirely on tools.
couldn't be easier,right?Just point But unlike other online shopping ser-
c,.o!rsM.tsM, w&sM, Rfts@,4 si

and click. But who hastime to com- vices,ToolSeekerdoesnt wait for you
parepricesat all thoseonline tool to ask for deals on a particular item
&r 5-6. Rh&h oda.rSh&D.P.h 5&6

sourcesto make sureyou're really - they go looking for them.Then

they report their findings direcdy to
your e-mail in the form of a monthly
newsletter. Of course, you can always
visit the site to see what deals they've
uncovered recently.
The tools are listed on the site in
six major categoriesthat are each
divided into several subcategories. For

---)y. instance, say you're looking for a

good price on a new router -
routers are listed in the category
"Assorted Power Tools," so click on
that link to ger starred.Then on the
next page,click on the "Routers" link
to see a list ofthe current hot deals.
When you find a tool you like,
simply click on the name of the tool
and you'll go to a page that lists the
site with the best price, how much
they're asking for the tool, shipping
costs,and tax.
Theret also a monthly rool give-
away you can register for. In one
recent month, for example, they gave
aw^y a l2V cordlessdrill.To sign up,
click the "Free Tool Giveaway" link
on the ToolSeeker homepage - you
can't miss it. Signing up for the give-
away also registers you for the
monthly newsletter.

You'veGotE-Tips
Home
i--:*l Tipsarelike tools- you
havetoo many.Sign
l"fr.lcan't
|._=."j up and we'll sendyou a
Page free tip euery
Fridayin your ?

ili:"l?I' FREE
"1_#:j TrPs
BY E-MAlt
seilvour nameor
addressto other companies.)
To sign up, go to
wwwWorkbenchMagazine. com and
look for the free tips icon.
.' woRKBEry.qH tr.ipLt1.1 AUGUST 2.000
 OFWAINSGOTING
ANATOMY
vrEw
slDE
lntermediate
Stile - Upper
CapRail Cap Cove
CapRail

2x4 Cap Cove

WallStud
TopRail

PanelMolding

UpperPanel

IntermediateStile-
Upper

PanelMolding

MiddleRail
PanelMolding

IntermediateStile -
Lower

lntermedlate
LowerPanel Stile- lower
PanelMoldlng
PanelMolding
LowerPanel

BottomRail
BottomRail
EndStile

BandMolding

IIST
MATERIATS f vou studv thc wainscoting illus- First was the overall thickness of
1-
MOTDING
TRANSITIONAT tracions abovc, vou'll understand the wainscoting. If I had installed the
I
Band
AA Back Molding* 1"x l|"-wide I this systenrs fleibiliry. See how %"-thick plywood first, then added
the bottom (B), niddle (C) and top %"-thick rails and stiles over the top,
WAINSCOTRAILSANDSTILES: (D) rails run continuously from one there d be an inch of material butted
A EndStiles '/0"x 3"x 36"
3/4" end of the wall to the other?This lets up against the existing door and
B BottomRail* x 5"-wide
3l" x 3'l2"-wide you space out the rwo-piece inter- window casing. lJnless you own an
C lVliddle
Rail*
D TopRail* 3lt'x3'li'-wide mediate stiles (E and F) so you can older home with built-up trim, your
StileLower :1"x 3"x 19"
E Intermediate - divide any length wall into uniform casingis probably like nrine - only
F Intermedlate - Upper r7o"
Stile x 3"x 5" openings. With the openings 'L"-thick at its thickest point.
"framed,"'/r"-thick pll.wood panels To solve the problem, I placed the
WAINSCOT
PANELS: can be cut to fit the openings. rails and stiles directly against the wall
G Lower
Panel** 1/i'x18'ft\ong
1/i'x41k'\ong Okay, so maybe you're thinking, to gain back that '/*".Then I built up
H Upper
Panel+t
"Wouldn't it be easier to just cover the casingt thickness with a back
WAINSCOT MOLDING: the walls in plywood first, then add band molding (AA). The back band
I PanelMolding* '/'o"x'/re"-wide the stiles and rails?" lt may be easier shown here is 1"-thick. Any thicker
J CapRail* '/i'xl'/i'-wide to do it that way, but I had a couple and it startslooking clunky.This back
r1;'vtlilwide
K CapCovel\4olding* of reasonsfor choosing the method band is rabbeted to fit over a t/r"-
* Lengh **
willvary Width
willvary shown here. thick colonial sryle casing.

34 woRKBENcH tr JULY I AUGUST 2000

 MOLDINGS
SHOP.MADE
Another advantage of this system
is that the small, individual panels
are easier to work with when it
comes to selecting and matching
grain patterns. Even with some
selective cutting around bad spots,
you'l1 use lessthan half the pl1'wood
you would with continuous panels.
MIILII{GTHEMOLDINGS
You dont needa shaperto produce
the moldingsusedfor this prgect.
All it takes is a router table and four
cofi[non bits: a 3/rt'-radiuscove,3/r"-
and ,/e"-radius roundovers, and a
/t"-dia. straight bit (or a rabbeting
woRKtsENCH ! JULY I AUCUSI
bit). Becausethe panel molding (l) is
7/'n"-thick and the cap cove (K) is
/2"-thick, a thickness planer comes
in handy. If you don't own one, have
your lumber supplier plane down
the stock for you, or resaw the pieces
on your table saw.
Rather than try to rout profiles in
narrow pieces of stock, I used a
technique that supports the stock as
it passesover the bit and keeps your
hands out of the way as well.As you
can see in the Panel Molding, Cap
Coue Molding, and Cap Rail drawings
above, the profile is routed in both
edges of a wide blank. Clamping a
2OOO
featherboard on the fence helps hold
the stock firmly against the table so
the profile stays uniform. (To find
out how to make and use a feather-
board, turn to page 72.)
Once you've routed a profile in
both edges,trim the molding pieces
away from the blank using a table
saw. Then repeat the process until
the blank gets too narrow (7Y2"to2"
wide) to handle safely.
Because the back band (L) is a
heftier piece, rip it to width first and
rout the profiles. Once all the mold-
ings are milled, apply stain and fin-
ish to all but the cap rail.
35

l
I
I
I backbandmolding
THEENDSflLES
LAYOUTTHERAIISANDINSTALL
Once all the back banding is in
place, the first step to installing the
wainscoting is laying out the loca-
tion of the rails.The best way to do
this is to draw level lines on the
walls for the top edges of bottom
(B), middle (C), and top (D) rails.
Layout levellinefor
NOTE: Locateandmark
wallstudsat all threerail
positioning
llnes.
36
EQUIPMENT
ANDPROPER
PREPWORK
Likemosthomeimprovement jobs,
there'ssome prep workinvolved
beforeyouactuallystaft installing
thewainscoting. Startbyremoving
the existingbaseboard. Nowis also
a goodtimeto replacethe existing
casingif it's paintedor doesn't
matchthewainscoting style.
Ihe nextstepis to buildup the
doorandwindowcasingswiththe
(AA).I usually
fit the miteredpiecesoneat a time,
wo*ing mywayaroundthe opening,
as shownin the photoat left.
Because the end stiles (A) are
flush with the top rail, the layout
lines also tell you how lons to make
the end stiles.
Use the longest level you can find
to lay out these lines (Rail l-a1,os1).f, like a rotating lighthouse beacon.
water level - a long plastic tube
--
Studlocatlon
WORKBENCH
Asyoucanalsotell bythe photo,
I useda pneumatic nallerfor thls
proiect.A nailetdrivesfasteners
quicklyandcleanlywithoutsplit
tlngthe oak.WhlleI useda finish
nailerfor the backband,ralls,and
stiles,an 18-gauge bradnailer
capableof driving 2"-longfasten-
erswill handlethese pieces
asthe smallermoldings.
aswell
Youcanrcnta nailer(anda com
pressoltoo)if youdon'thaveone.
Electrlopowered bradnailers($5O
$60) provide anotheroption.
filled with water - helps provide
accurate readings over long spans.
For even greater accuracy, you can
rent a laser level that prqects a pin-
point beam oflight around the room
Occasionally, other parts of the
room - windows, doors, and floors
- will be out of level. In these
instances, you'll probably have to
compromise plumb and level and
make the rails fit the room (see
Installation Pi;falls on page 42).
IURI{ AN INSIDECORNER
Once the layout lines are drawn,
start installing the '/r"-thick end
stiles (A). These go at the ends of
each wall - the corners - and
againsteach side ofdoor openings.
In most rooms you'll have to deal
with four inside corners. It may look
like a natural place for a miter joint.
but it's simpler to let the stiles overlap.
To get started, use a level and mark
plumb lines on both walls 3%" out
from the corner (Fig. 1).
The first stile needs to be wider
than normal (3") to give you the
overlap. If you make it 3/2" wide,
you have enough for the overlap,
without bumping into the inter-
secting wall. That t/r" of breathing
room comes in handy if the two
walls arent olumb with each other.
! I AUGUST 2OOO
JULY
 Insidecorner
33/+"
:- -\]I
--f-
Mark
plumb
line.
Align the first stile with the
plunrb line and nail it in place. (You
rlrly want to drive a few test nails
flrst to locate the corner studs.)
The second stile should be a little
wide too. Before ripping it to width,
tilt the table saw blade 5o.This slight
bevel, or undercut, lets the face of
the edge fit tightly without interfer-
ence from the rest of the stock. (To
learn nrore, turn to Tiiru Scrrcts,on
page 66).
Now, fit the undercr.rtedge of the
second stile tightll' against the first
and nrark the location ofthe plunrb
line on the stile as shown rn Figtc 2.
Set your table saw blade back to 0"
and rip the second stile to width as
r.r.rarked.Thennail it in place (Fig.j).
CORNER
WRAPAI{ OUTSIDE
So how do you handle an outside
corner? It's done with sorne of the
sanre techrriques.but it requires a
little n-rore fitting because the joint
is out in the open. For a clean-look-
ing joint line where the two stiles
meet, you'll have to undercut the
mating edges of both stiles (Fiq. 4).
WORKBENCH tr JULY AUGUST
Next, mark plumb lines on the
wall 3" each way from the corner. I
dry-fit the stiles, trying to keep
them aligned with the plumb lines.
It can be sort ofajuggling act.
Since the walls probably aren't
plumb with each other, I usually try
to keep one stile flat against its wall,
then shim the other stile, to keep
everything plumb and the joint line
tight (Fig. 5).
When things are adjusted, tack
the shimnred side in place (Fig. 6).
Apply a thin bead of glue to the
beveled edge ofthe other stile,then
tack that stile in place.
To help keep the joint tight until
the glue dries, put a few strips of
masking tape around the corner.
When the glue has dried, finish
nailing down the stiles and trir.n off
the shims (Fig. 6b).
TIMEFORIHE RAITS
With just the endstilesin place,the
room won't look much different.
But add the rails - particularly the
middle (C) and top (D) ones - and
the project begins taking shape.
2OOO
Using the level lines you drew
earlier,measure between the pairs of
end stiles and cut the rails to length.
'Whenever
possible, cut each rail
from one piece of stock. For long
walls, you may have to use two
pieces to get the required length.
Choose pieces with similar grain
and overlap them with a scarfjoint.
(Ti.rrn to page 7 4 to find out how to
scarfrail pieces for a nearly invisible
joint line.)
To get tight-fitting joints where
the rails meet the end stiles,cut the
rails just a "hair" long. When you
install them, put a slight bow in the
middle. Then begin nailing the rail
to the wall in the middle so the ends
push tightly against the end stiles.
Before driving any nails, I used a
stud finder and marked the location
of all the wall studs. To install the
rails, apply some glue to each end,
and drive 6d finish nails at the wall
stud locations and to the stiles.
When attaching the rails to the
end stiles,I toenailed the rails through
their top and bottorn edges so the
nails will be covered by moldings.
37
 ANDFRAMETHEPANELOPENINGS
DIVIDETHESPAGE
Each room is different, so there isn't
a standard panel width thati going
to fit every situation. The beaury of
this system is that you divide up the
space first, then trim the plywood
panels to fit.
Since the placement of the inter-
mediate stiles determines the panel
width, experiment a little with the
stile spacing. I did this by cutting
some 3"-u'ide strips of cardboard
(the same u,idth as the intermediate
stiles).Then I taped them up around
the room, "e1'eballing" their place-
ment along each s'irll.
Generally, you \\'ant to achieve a
"consistent" panel appearance
throughout the roonr. In other
words, you don't want a fe"v wide
panels on one wall and a bunch of
narrow ones on another. In my situ-
ation, I tried to space the cardboard
stiles somewhere between 8" and
1,2" apart.

UNIFORM
HOWTOMAKEYOURPANELOPENINGS
Soiust howdoyougo aboutdlvld- EIGMPLE:
lngup a wallIntounlfompanel Measure thewalllenglh(X)between X = Distance
between endstiles
openings? Flrst,measure the wall the endstiles.
length(X)between the endstiles.
78'
Todivideup a spaceIntoa speciflc ln thiscase.X = 78"
number of panels(n),lt wllltake
onelessthanthat numberof stlles
(n - 1). Roughplacement of the
cardboard stilescanhelpyou I'vedecidedon 6 panels(n) fot this
determlne howmanypanelsto use. wall.Soit will take5 stiles(n -1)to
Youalsoknowthat eachstilels
3" wide.Sobysubttacting the
cleatethat manypanels.
ll
ll
comblned widthof the stiles,the Thecombined widthof the 5 stilesis
spaceleft overis for the panels. 15" (3" x 5). Sothe spaceleft over
Thendlvidethat distancebythe for panelsis 63" (78"- 15"= 63").
numberof panelsto getthe exact ?-li', -#- 63"----------1
widthof the panelopenings.
Io flgureout howwideto makethe
PANET OPENING FORMULA individualpanelopenings, I divided
thetotal panelspacebythe numbet
Panel = X"-[3"(n-1)l of panels.Sothe exactwidthof the
Opening n panelopenings for thisexample is
101/r"(63"+6=10,5")
X=Walllengthbetweenendstiles
n = Number of panels

woRKBENCH ! JULY I AUGUST 2OOO

38
 From this point, you could go
aheadand fine-rune the position of
the cardboardstrips.But to get the
exactpanelopening width, itt bestto
dust offyour math skillsand calculate
the spacingwith the formula shown
at the bottom of the previouspage.
A good way to double-check
your math is to measureand tape up
your cardboard stiles as shown in
the photo at left.When you're satis-
fied with the stile spacing,usea level
to mark plumb lines acrossall three
rails at each stile location (see the
photo at right).

tl{sTAttmEsntHt
In theory you should be able to cut
all the intermediatestilepieces@ and
F) to finished length at once and
instdl them. But becauseof minor
variations in rail width and how the
rails areinstalled,I recommend mark-
ing and fitting eachintermediatestile
piece individually to get good, tight-
fitting joins (Fig.7).
While you can trim the stileson
your table saw I used a 10" com-
pound miter saw to make these Install them in pairs - lower To get a warmer oak tone, I used
cuts. It let me set up close to my piecefirst - beforemoving onto the a 50-50 blend of SealacellGolden
work area - a real time saver- next set of sriles.They're glued and Oak and Sealacell Honey Maple
and I could easilyput a slight back- toenailedberweenthe rails (Fig,8). from General Finishes (turn to
cut on eachpiece.And with a good I gave the completed rail and Sources and Resources on page 80 for
blade and a litde practice, you can stile framework a light sandingwith more information). It's a wipe-on,
"shave" a piece down until it fits a random orbit sander to remove tung oil sealerand stain that builds a
perfecdy betlveen the rails. pencil marks and any glue dribbles. moderately tough finish with rwo
The intermediate stileslook best Then I hand sandedwith the grain coats.For extra protection, I'd rec-
when the grain flows from the to clean up any swirl marks. ommend covering any stain with at
lower stile (E) to the upper stile (F). Now is also a good time to sink leastone coat ofpolyurethane.
So,whenever possible,cut both stile any protruding nail heads with a You can leave the nail holes
piecesfrom the samepiece of stock nail set and hammer.Then complete unfilled until the wainscotingis com-
and keep the grain oriented the this phaseofthe project by applying pletely installed.Then fill the visible
samewav when vou install them. a coat or two of finish (Fig.9). oneswith coloredwood outw.

woRKBENCH ! JULY I AUGUST 2000 39

 FItt IN THEBLANKSANDADDTHETRIMMOTDINGS
Once all the rails and stiles are
installed, the tough part of this pro-
ject is done.All thatt left 15filling in
the framed openings with 1/+" ply-
wood panels and trimrning things
out with shop-made moldings. The
biggest thing to keep in mind with
40
the panels is grain pattern.'W'hen
buyng plywood, try to find sheets
that have consistentgrain pattern
without obvious splice lines in the
veneer.A few swirls are fine, but
grain that's too "wild" overpowersa
smallpanel and looks out of place.
A great way to make the grain
easierto "read" is to go ahead and
applystainand finish to the fulI sheets
of plywood. This is also quicker and
easierthan finishing all the individud
panelsafter they'recut out.
Once the finish was dry I cut the
panelsout in three stepsasshown in
the drawing below. When you cut
the panels to finished size (StEs 2
and j), make them '/r" narrowerand
shorter than the panel openings.
(The rails and stilesneed some room
to expandand contractwith changes
in humidiry.)
After making eachcut, I held the
two panel pieces(G and H) together
and numberedthem so the numbers
went across thejoint line on the back
of the panels.This helped me keep
the grain oriented during installation.
STEP panelsto
3: Crosscut
slze(7a"lessthanopenlng),
SIEP1: Crosscut
4x8sheet
of %" plywood
Intofourths.
$IEP2: Rlppanelblanksto wldth
(7e"lessthanopenlng).
woRKBENCH
To check out how the panels
lopked around the room, I dry-fit all
the panels first, then swapped a Gw
(in matched pairs) around to get a
better overall grain pattern distribu-
tion around the room. Once I was
satisfiedwith the look, I began fasten-
ing the panels in place.
While the panel trim molding (I)
will hold the panels in place, a little
construction adhesive applied to the
back ofthe panel keeps it centered in
the opening. It also provides some
insurance against having a panel bow
out down the road.
FrTIHEPANET
IIIOTDING
It wasnt until after installing the
panel molding around the first panel
that I realizedhow many miters I had
left to cut - closeto 500 for the 12-
ft. x 16-ft. room I was working in!
But I soon developeda rhythm and it
went quicker than I d expected.
One tip worth consideringis bor-
rowing a miter saw &om a friend.
With rwo saws,I set one at 45o left
and the other at 45o rieht so I wasnt
T
Shlftstockfor
optlmum graln
pattem.
. JULY I AUCUST 2000
consandy swinging a single sawback piece to mark the miter. This same
and forth to trim the opposite endsof
eachpiece of molding.
method also works for an outside
corner (Fig.1q.
sxltt lfll..)ct
The bestway I found to install the Leaving the cap rails squared off GrcateA,No-Fly
Zone
panel molding (I) was to mark and fit where they meet the back bands p)
the bottom piece fint, then nail it looked odd. So I mitered the ends. Trycnttlngsmallpleces(suchasthe capm
down. Nex, standa piece of molding This way, they "cuck" in behind the rctum)on a mltel saw'andthey'rclllely to go flf
along the left side of the opening and small cove in the edge of the back Ingoff acrussthe ruom.fhls prcblemcanbe
mark it (Fig. I?).Wirh that piece cut band (Fig. 15/. Sanding a roundover sohedry ushg doublefacedtapeto attacha
and installed,I repeatedthe process on the edgesof the miter helpsmatch shortlengthof moldlngto a pleceof hadboad.
for the top piece (Fig.11). the profile on the rest of the cap rail. Cutoneend,slng
Finally, I cut and fit the right side Once I had all the piecesfitted, I the bladearound
piece,leavingitjust a "hair" long so I labeledthem to keep them organized andcut the second
had to bow it slighdy to get it in place and applied stain and finish. Then I ange,butdon't
(Fig. 12).This wrap-around method nailed them in place (Fig. 15, inset). cut all theway
helpsensuretight-fitting miters. The cap cove p) goeson in simi- thruughthe harS
lar fashion,marking and mitering the boad.Also,let the
APPTY IHEGAPRAIIAT{D GOVE piecesat the corners(Fig.16).Where sawbladeoometo
After cutting 500 miten for the panel the cove meets the back band. I a oompletestop
moldings, installing the cap rail (K) trimmed small triangular-shaped beforc;alslnglt.
and the cap cove G) *"r simple. To pieces(calledreturns)to hide the end
fit the cap rail, start with the longest grain.It takessomethought to setup
sectionsfirst. Itt easierto fine-tune the cuts, but the end resultsgive the
the fit on the shorter sectionsonce job a professionaltouch. should stay put on its own, but a
the longer piecesarein place. The Retum Detail, showshow to piece of masking tape guaranteesthat
If a long sectionstartsin a cor- set up the cus. You'Il also need to it wont move while the glue dries.
ner, miter that end of the cap rail miter the end of the long piece of Project completed!If you think it
first, then trim the opposite end to cove at 22'/z".To attach the return, looks good now go back and look at
fit. ln Figure 73, see how I set the put a dab of glue on the 221/2" end the Beforepictrte(page32) to see the
intersecting cap rail over the first and slide it into place (Fig, 17). lr. differencewainscoting makes. tT

woRKBENCH ! JULY I AUGUST 2000 41


[nstallafion
Euenin a new home,you canrun into windowsthat aren'tleuel,out-of-plumbdoors,and
Here arethreegreattricksto installwainscoting
slopingJloors.
ALIGNWITHOUT.OF.LEVEL
GASING
When I laid out level lines for the
rails under the window, it was pretty
apparent sonrethir-rg wasr-r't rigl-rt.
After a little checking, I discovered
that the window wasr-r'tquite level,
leaving a noticeable gap at the right
side (Fiq. 1).
Straightenirrgup the window was
out of the question. So instead of
worrying about level, I t-neasured
down from the window casing the
sar-nedistance on elch side, so the
middle and bottom rails were parallel
with rhe wirrdow (Fi.q.2)
A1
aroundthesecommonproblems.
ouldn't it be great if plumb. But if two rails aren't parallel
walls were always or if the stiles aren't installed square
plumb and squareand to the rails, iti going to really jump
floors were always flat and level?
(Jnfortunately, that's rarely the case,
and often you've got severalofthose
problems all happening at once.
While there isn't room to cover
all of the problems - and their
solutions - here, I'd like to share a
few tips that came in handy during
the wainscotting installatron.
In general, you want to fit the
wainscoting to the existing room.
Thati becausc thc hunran eye is
good at picking up non-parallel
lines.You may not be able to distin-
guish whether a casing is level or
Fortunately, the window was 1n a
short wall and establishing parallel
lines fixed the problem. If the win-
dow had been in a lonser wall, I
would have laid out two lines - level
and parallel - then averaged ther.n to
lessen the overall inrpact.
Remember to think in terms of
the entire roorn. Adjustments yoll
nrake on one wall will affect the
other three. Thatt why it's a good
idea to lay out everything in pencil
and keep a large eraserhandy in case
you need to make adjustments.
wol{KBENCTH n JULY
a
fions
out at you visually.
To deal with such problems, you
have to pull some tricks. These tips
may not be r.nagic, but they will
trick the eye into seeing everything
as level and square.Even when you
know the real truth.
Note that the situations shown in
the illustations are all exaggerated to
help demonstrate what's happening.
(lf your home actually looks like the
illustrations, you should probably
consider selling the house in a hurry
or at least fix those problerns before
thinking about wainscoting.)
Rall
Floor
SCRIBETOMATCH
FTOOR
A STOPING
There are a couple of ways to deal
with a sloping floor. After laying out
the level line for the bottom rail,
neasllre down to the floor every
foot or so to identiiz the highest
spot. Rest the bottom rail on the
high spot and shim it level. Next,
scribe it to the floor with a compass
(above).Then trim the rail to follow
the contour of the floor (you'll trim
the most offat the high spot).
If you don't want to scribe the
rails, you can cover up small gaps
with a base shoe molding or a com-
bination of scribing and baseshoe to
deal with a badly sloping floor.
I AUGUST 2000
GETAN ANGLEONOUT-OF.PLUMB
CASING
For an out-olplumb door casing,
you could rehang the door, but
Doorleansslightly
there's an easier fix. Depending on to the left
how far the door is out, you can
start by shimming the back band to
gain a little bit (Fig. 3).
If you need to gain a little more,
put a slight taper on the end stile
that fits next to the doorway. To
compensate a lot, the next couple
of stiles may need to be tilted in
lessening degrees. before getting
back to plumb.
If you've tilted the stiles,you may
need to also adjust the lines for the
rails slightly off of level to help keep
the panel openings looking square
@ig. a). When adjusting the rail
lines,just remember that those three
lines need to remain parallel.
Itt easierthan it sounds,especial-
ly once you have the lines drawn on
the wails. Like any good n.ragician,
you'11 be tricking your audience
into believing what tl.reysee. tM

Store-B ort ght'Wains coting

If milling your own rnoldings or BHT'BOARD
STYTE Picturcrail molding
fitting dozens of panels sounds Itopl andtongue-and-
like too much work, there's a sirn- grcovebeadboad are
pler solution. Tiaditional bead- availableat mosthomecen-
board wainscoting is available at ters or specialtylumberyards.
most lumber yards or home cen-
ters. YoLl can buy everything
"ready-to-assemble" in both oak
and pine.
The baseboard is just a 1x8
and gets nailed to the wall first.
The tongue-and-groove sectrons
of beadboard rest directly on top
ofthe baseboard.
Covering up the edges of the
beadboard are two identical
pieces of picture rail molding.The
lower piece is installed upside
down and rests on top of the
baseboard.
Just like the wainscoring
described in the previous pages,
this rype can be stained and fin-
ished prior to installation.

wol{KBENcH tr JULY I AUCUST 2000 43

 ff1h. job of a mailbox Post
I couldnt be simpler.It just
I has to hold a standardsize
metalbox in the air to collectyour
letters,bills, and all those"you may
have already won" sweepstakes
offers.Thispost certainly doesthat
job, plus it offersmore.
For starters,the post itseH,iSl
hollow, as the ConstruaionViet&t,ifri,
dght shows.And this oft'erssoitgl,,;'
real advantagesover mosti,sspfd+il
bought modelsthat aru qlP-i$$y,
madeof solid4x4s. ','1ll:1lr
The biggest advantage of dli l
hollow designis the moUnting rys-
tem. It consistsof a pole made of
pressure-treatedwood that gets
sunk into the ground.The hollow
post then simplyslidesoverit.Also,
the mounting pole is slightly
smallerthan the insideof the post,
which means you can shim the
mailbox post plumb, even if the
mounting pole isnt.
The separatemounting pole
also means you dont have to
wrestle long, heavy workpieces
around in the shop while you're
building the post.
Even though the post is hol-
low, itt extremelystrong.Both the
post and the arm the mailbox rests
on are constructed with sturdY
tongue-and-groove joinery. And
large overlappingdadoeslock the
post and arm together.
The hollow arm also createsa
pocket in front just perGct to
receivea newspaper.Plus it allows
an open areabehind the post that
holds a potted plant or flower.
 MAITBOX
POSTCONSTRUGTION
VIEW
OVERALL
SIZE:67/2"Wx 327/z"Dx 62r/a,"H -(!) CapTop
l1/2"x81/+,'x81h,'
cap
@capease Mounting Block
3A"xllz" x71/2" 3/q"x31/2"x3Y2" Standard
size
USPS-approved
mailbox
@Cap lvtotoing/
3/+"x3/q"x 6Y2"

Hardwarecloth
to support
pottedplant
@Arm Bac*
3/q"x4Y2"x6" Mailbox
MountingPlate
t/q,'x61/a"
xlgVz,,

Top
3/q"x4Vz"xl73h"

Bottom
3/q"x4Vz"x16!z"

Support
3/q" MountingPlate
x6 x32Vz" 3/4,,
x41/{ x7"

Support
2Vq"x5" x20"
(4) PostSide
%"x5"x60"
MATERIATS
IIST
LUMBER:
A (2)PostSides ,70"x5"x60,,
Front B (2) PostFront/Back'/0"x 3.y'"x 60"
@sr,irt 3/q"x33/q"x6O" 3/i'x4tli'x4tlz"
3/4"x71/4"x6Y2''
D (2) ArmSides 3fo"x6" x321fr"

tf 3fi'x41fz"x773fo"

\s
E (1)ArmTop

ll ,' F (1) ArmBottom 3/i'x4'/2"xlgl/r'

G (1) ArmBack tf a"x 41/2"yg"
Long3fa"x3fi'x75fs"
|t l | !_ lr H (2) Plant.
Cleat-Long
| (2) Plant. sht. 3fa"x3fi'x23fI'
Cleat-Sht.
J (1) ArmSupport )lfa"yg"x20"*
The arm also 'rakes
\
K (2) Supt. Plate z1o"
NItg. x4lfau x7"
a great place to display #8x272" L (1) CapTop 7 1 / t "x 8 1 / i ' x , $ 1 / o " *
your address- right at Fhscrew { M (1) CapBase 3fi'x7tfz"
I }O xf11r'+
the streetwhere everyone ' Mounting
Pole N (1) CapMtg.Block 3fi' x3tfi'x3,fz,'
can see it. I "carved" the uutnberq 3"x3"x96" 0 (4) Capl\4olding 3fa"x3fi' x 61f2"
P (4) Skin 3fa"x71fi'x61f2'
with a router, but attaching brass or
Q (1) Mounting Pole 3"x 3"x 96-*
painted nulnbers (shown in the ir-rset two il-ft. 1x8s, plus one 8-ft. treated plate%,,
R (1) Mailbox N4tg. x6'fa,,xlgtfz,,
photo at left) works great too. 2xU for the n-rour.rtingpole. +Thesepartsareglued
upfrommultiplepieces.
And like all good projecs, this or-re If you make any design changes, }IARDWARE:
o{lers options. I built my mailbox post keep in nind the united States postal (35)#8 x 111"Fhexterior
woodscrews
from lx4 fir (%"-thick),then painted it Service dictates where a curbside rnail- (20)#8 x 21lz'Fhextwoodscrews
to complement my house. But you (24)11y'"-long
wirebrads
box goes.The box shourd sit between
(1)4'/i'x 75le"
hardwarecloth(%"grid)
could use redwood or cedar for a nat- 42" and 4t3" up fror-r-rthe road surface,
CUilNGDIAGRAMS:
ural look. Just look for flat, straight with the front of the box flush with the Turnto page 80forinformation
about
boards.You'll need four 8-ft. 1x6s and back edee ofthe curb. 0btaining
cuttingdiagramsforthisproject,

W O R K t s E N C H! J U L Y I A U c U S T 2 O O O
45
 Stockthicknesi
VIEW
POSTEXPTODED
@PostBack
3/+"x33/c"x6O"

*8xL1/c"

-ra/
Fh sclew
I

STARTW]il THEFOS] groove joints help by locking the

ll f ,l
_.u{ I foundthe bestplaceto beginis by pieces together while the glue dries.
cutting the post sides (A) and Start by laying one post side (A)
@ front/back pieces (B) to size from face up on your bench. Now spread
ArmCleat
3/+"x41/+" 1x6 stock (PostExploded View). water-resistant glue (such asTitebond
x4Vz"
To cut the tongue-and-groove II) in one groove, and on one tongue
joints, install a'/""-dta. straight bit in of the post front (B). Lightly clamp
60" your router and mount an edge one end, then work the rest of the
PostFront
sA"x33A"x60" guide (Frgs. 1, Ia).Then rout '/g"- tongue in and clamp the other end.
deep grooves along the inside face Before tightening these two
of each post side (A). clamps, add a pair of shop-built
Next, readjust the edge guide as squaring blocks to hold the pieces at
shown in Figures2 and 2a tnd rabbet 90' (Figs.4 and 4a).Then add more
the post front and back pieces to clamps to draw the joint tight.
Bullda form the t/^" x 3/rt' tongues. Next, add the post back (B) the
temporary Now turn to the wide dadoes in same way. If the tongues and grooves
worksupport the post sides that will receive the don't align, use clamps to draw the
fromscrap
plywood arms. I used a table saw to establish post front and back together,or insert
and2x4s. the shoulders, then routed out the spacersto push them apart. Just be
waste,as shown in Figure3,leaving a sure to knock the spacersout using a
"ridge" for the baseto ride on.The broom handle before the glue sets.
ridge can be trimmed away with a To dressup the post, rout stopped
chisel or routed away using the coves as shown in the Post Exploded
method shown on prye 72. Vieut and Figures 5 and 5a. A scrap
piece of hardboard keeps the router
ASSEMBTE IHE FOST from dropping into the wide dado.
Now the postis readyfor assernbly. To finish off the post, cut and
And with pieces this long, that can install an arm cleat (C) as shown in
be challenging. But the tongue-and- che Exnloded Vieu' ar lefr.

t-
3u

I l'3"1

1/+"4eepdado with straight N0TE:Stopcwe l3/4"fromtop

of postand 81/4"lrcm bottom.

WORKBENCH tr JULV AUGUST 2OOO

46
MAKETHEARM ARMEXPTODED
The drawing at right shows that the @PlanterGleat
arm for the mailbox is built about
VIEW
like the post, with nvo sides,a topi a w,,il"!ru,"
y4"
bottom, plus a back. The biggest dif- 4Vr"1
ference is the sequenceofoperations.
Start by cutting rwo arm sides @Phnter
Cleat rFl Hardware
cloth
(D) to size. Note that their widths
- Long
3/4t X3/4ti X75/On
ilt@|
6"llAmI t-
match the dadoes in the post. In my
case the arm sides are 6" wide. IW '-€'
6"

Next, lay out the wide dadoes

that interlock with the post. Notice
that they're half as deep as the post
dadoes('/r" deep in my case),so be
sure to readjust the router. And
these dadoes are sized to natch the
width of the post sides (A). Once
they're laid out, rout the dadoes.
Now reinstall the edge guide and
rout the grooves that will accept the
arm top and botton.r, and a dado for
the back. The srooves for the top
and bottom stop where they meet
the wide dadoes.
To dressup the arnl (and to echo
the arnr supporr tl.ratqetsadded later)
I cut curvcs in tl-reends of each arm
side (Fig.i. 6 t..:nd 6a). Shaping the
curves e\actly as shown isn't as criti-
cal asnraking all four the same.Using
a cardboard pattern and cutting both
arm sides(D) at the same time makes
this easy.Cut thc curvesusing a jig-
saw,then sand them sr-nooth.
'With
the curves done, the amr
sidesare ready for a %" cove just like berween the arm
the post. Note, though, that the
the arnr sides on the post (Arm
AsscmblySequence).
Start by clamping
the arm sides (D) to the post as
shown below. Then measure to get
the correct width for the arm top
(E), bottom (F), and back (G).
Now cut these pieces to width
and rough length.Then rout tongues
on each piece,just like you did while
making the post.Slip the top,bottom,
and back in place to r-nark their
lengths, then cut each to final size.
This is also a good time to make
the planter cleats
(H, I) to fit
ARMASSEMBLY
back (G) and the
SEQUENCE SIEP 4:
3/s"-widex 7e'deep
glOOYeS
Now you can glue
the arm assembly in
place. Once again, start
by positioning the arm
sides, then slide in the
top, bottom, and back.
Finally, position the Leamsignrcuting!Checkout
planter cleats using the FREEarticleonourWebslte:
clamps to hold them in 111yy1v.Workbg49 ga4[q 99m.
[!!,4a
place until the glue sets.
Since the cleat that fits against the
post is tough to clamp, it gets secured
with a 11l+"exterior flathead screw
ln [.7 ii

i*{L L
upper edge ofeach gets left square. post. See Detail a GlueE,F,G frushI llll
If you pian to rout the address at right.The cleats in place, wlttrtowii)lu
nurlrber like I did, now is the time. support a piece thenattach
See the photo at right to learn more.
cleats(H,l).
of hardware cloth
The arm top, bottom, and back that a potred planr
come next, but not before test fitting can rest on. #8xlV+"
Fhscrew

1 square= 72"
SIEP 3: sio" E,F,Gin
placeto mafi finallengfh.
It
lr.
lLyd'
ArmTop
+,/

STEP1:
Temporarily STEP2: M".su,e
clamparm between grooves
to determine
sides(D)to widthof E,F,G.Cutpiecesto ArmBottom
post. width,thenformtongues.

wor\KBtNcH ! JULY I AU(; USf 2U0U

 Y

ARMSUPPORT
VIEW
EXPTODED
PATTERN
ARMSUPPORT

1/t" ioue
e
ArmSupport
2Vt'x5" x20"
(gluedup fromthree
3/+"-thick
layers)
@support
Mounting
Plate
314"a 41/4"x7"

'/+"-thick layers. Make each layer by

lY2"
ADDTHESUPFORT
To help hold the arm in place,there's
a support running ber\rveenthe arm
and post. As seen in the drawing
above, it's made by gluing up three
layers of %"-thick stock.
To make the support, first cut
three pieces of 1x8 stock 22" long.
Then face-glue the pieces to form a
2' / i' -thick block. When the glue sets,
cut the block to 5"-wide x 20"-long.
Now use the Arm Support Pattern
above to lay out the angled ends and
the decorative arc. Next, cut the
angled ends using the table saw and
miter gauge, as shown in Figure 7.
With the ends cut, use a jigsaw to
rough cut the arc (fig. 8) Be sure to edge gluing rwo pieces.Then face-
cut slowly to minimize blade deflec- glue the layerstogether (Fig.10a).
'/',," outside the Once the glue sets,trim the cap
tion, and cut about
line.Then sand the arc smooth. top to final size.Now rout a %" cove
Next, rout a %" cove on all edges around the cap top's iower edge.
ofthe arm support except the edges Cutting the bevel conles next
that join the mounting plates. (Fi,qs.10 md 10h).First, tilt your table
Now you can make the sttpport saw blade,then raiseit to 2'4". Next,
mounting plates (K). After cutting set the fence 1" frotn the blade,mea-
them to shape, rout a '/+" cove on sured at the table. Now make a pass
each one, then drill pilot holes for on each edge to cut the bevels.
the r-nounting screws. The cap base (M) is just a square
Once the holes are drilled, attach piece (again r.nade by edge gluing
the platesto the arm.Then hold the nvo pieces) with a '/." roundover
arm sllpport assemblyon the post to routed on the bottonr edge.When it's
layout and drill pilot holes in the done, center the cap base on the cap
post and arr.n (Fig. 9). Finally, sccure top (L) and attach it with four screws.
the plates and arm with 1'l,"-long To complete the cap assembly,cut
exterior flathead screws. a cap mounting plate (N) and center
it on the cap base.Now set the cap
CAPANDTRIMFINISHIT OFF rside until the nrailbox post is
Look at the Cap and Skirt Oucruir:tu installed in its pemanent location.
and the Cap Cross Scctionon the uext The last component to make is
page and you'll see that the cap is the post skirt. It's r.nadeup of four
made up of three parts:the top, base, pieces that wrap around the base of
and the mounting block. the posr. lJut rather than cutting
Start by rnaking the cap top (L). four pieces to size now, start with a
To resist warping, itk made up of rwo section of 1x8 about 30"-1ong.

Setnlter glaugeto
andInstallan Cutjust to wasteside
a-uxlllary
fence.

thenattach
with
#8 x l1/+"
---.4\ exterior
\r----
ArmSuooort Cutarc
usingiigsaw
Cutshort45'anglesfirct, Selfrdheslve
- anda
thencut longerangles. sandpaper longblade.
helps

48 woIIKBENCH tr JULY I AUcusr 2000

 cAPCRoSS
SEgIrOr{ CapTop

b. )rn"
V2"
roundover CapBase
cap
CapMoldlng Mountlng
(Attachwith Plate
bradsto
Pressworkpleceflrmly cover
screws')A-,/mounil ngpole
agalnstfenceandsawtable. (Muststopat least3/+" topof post.)
below

Then use a '/." roundover bit to Move to the top and drive shims Construction Weu on
easeone edge of the 1x8, asshown in berween the r.nailbox post and the page 45), and screw it
the Sftlrt Detail below. But this time top end of the mor-rntingpole. A lit- to the arm. Round-
lower the bit to leave a '/'" bead. tle glue will keep thenr in position. head brass screws can
The drawing below shows how to Double check the post for plumb, be used to attach the
mark and rniter the skirt pieces to then break the upper shims off flush box (photo at righ$.
wrap around the post. Go ahead and witl.r the top of the mounting pole. Al1 that's left to do
nriter the pieces to size but don't At this point you can screw on now is coat all the
attach the skirt. It goes on after the the post cap, as shown above. The post pieces with a good exterior
post is set on the mounting pole. cap molding (O) hides the screws. paint, and put a potted plant in the
It'.s made by nritering store-bought arm.'With this great looking post
SETTHEFOST '/:" cove molding to fit, then gluing in place,even retrieving your bills
To rnake the r.nounting pole (Q), rip ar.rdnailing the the pieces into place won r seenrso oao.lffi
an U-ft. long, pressure treated 2xu belo."v the cap. Next, add the skirt
into two 3"-wide strips.Then glue by gluing the mitered corners and
and screw the strips together to driving a few 1'A"-long brads into GAPANDSKIRTOVERVIEW
make a 3" x 3" pole. each face ofthe post.
With the pole done, dig a 12"-dia. Finally.ctrt a nrailbox nrounting ecap rop
hole about 3-ft. deep and bury one plate (R) to fit your r.nailbox (see the Uz"xl1/z"x81A 2a
(gluedup fromtwo
end of the pole. Backfill aror.rndthe
%"-thicklayers)
pole with pea gravel,conrpacringit as
you go, and keeping the pole plumb. 6Y2"
Insertupper
Now it's time to test fit the mail- shims.then
box post onto the mounting pole. snapthem (--
CapMolding 3/+"
Rest the post on a couple of boards
off 370,'x3/+,'r
flush
that span the hole (Fig, 11) Elevating with AI-
the post above the soil helps prevent 3/4") Gap
pole.
Check '4uo''-tong
water absorption and rot.
Next, look at how high up the
for plumb brads Torrrvo'J 3/c"x31/2"x3Y2"
while (flts inside post)
mailbox post extends above the Fhscrew
Insert dilYing
mounting pole (Q).The pole needs shims in upper
to stop at least %" shy of the top so fiom shims,
the cap mounting block will fully below,
then Mark
nest later on. If necessary,
remove the
secule skirt pleces
mailbox post and use a circular saw to wldth,
with
or hand saw to shorten the pole. then
Next, reach in under the post and
sGrews.
4- niter.
insert wooden shims berween the
)f
l.,l'
post and rnounting pole. Position the
7
Raise
post
,4"1
shims so the post sits fairly plumb, I
above soil
then drive screws through the post 1V+"-long1 {
and shims, and into the mounting
pole. Now remove the spacerboards.
on lx or 2x
spaGers, brads {_t
)
/
woRKtsENCH tr JULy I AUcusr 2000
VOLUME 56 - NUMBER 4
®
MAILBOX POST JUL/AUG 2000

MATERIALS LIST
A (2) Post Sides #/4 x 5 x 60 G (1) Arm Back #/4 x 4!/2 x 6 M(1) Cap Base #/4 x 7!/2 x 7!/2*
B (2) Post Frt/Back #/4 x 3#/4 x 60 H (2) Plant. Cleat-Lg #/4 x #/4 x 7%/8 N (1) Cap Mtg. Blk #/4 x 3!/2 x 3!/2
C (1) Arm Cleat #/4 x 4!/4 x 4!/2 I (2) Plant. Cleat-Sm #/4 x #/4 x 2#/4 O (4) Cap Molding #/4 x #/4 x 6!/2
D (2) Arm Sides #/4 x 6 x 32!/2 J (1) Arm Support 2!/4 x 5 x 20* P (4) Skirt #/4 x 7!/4 x 6!/2
E (1) Arm Top #/4 x 4!/2 x 17#/4 K (2) Supt. Mtg. Plt. #/4 x 4!/4 x 7 Q (1) Mounting Pole 3 x 3 x 96*
F (1) Arm Bottom #/4 x 4!/2 x 16!/2 L (1) Cap Top 1!/2 x 8!/4 x8!/4* R (1) Box Mtg. Plate #/4 x 6!/8 x 18!/2

*These parts are glued up from multiple pieces

NOTE: The size of the Mailbox Mounting Plate (R) may vary depending on the mailbox used.
The Cap Molding (O) is made from store-bought !/2” cove molding.
The Mounting Pole (Q) is made from pressure-treated lumber

CUTTING DIAGRAM

1 x 6 x 96 @ 4 BD. FT. (2 BOARDS)

A

1 x 6 x 96 @ 4 BD. FT.
B E F

1 x 6 x 96 @ 4 BD. FT.
B G C L N

1 x 6 x 96 @ 4 BD. FT.
J J J K K M M

1 x 8 x 96 @ 5.33 BD. FT.

D D L L L
H I

1 x 8 x 48 @ 5.33 BD. FT.

P P P P R

1 of 1
Copyright 2000, August Home Publishing Company.
All Rights Reserved.
ADIRONDACK
CHAIR
OVERALL
SIZE:32"W x 351/z"Dx 40,/o"H

lnnerSlat
3/q',x31/2,'x321/2"

0uterSlat
3/4"y,!1/2" y!e3/4,,

UpperBackSupport
3/q"x31/2"x2l"

MiddleBackSupport
3/a"x5"x30"

BackSeatSlat
Arm 3/q"x31A" x22"
3/4" x5Y2tt x28t' Slat
3/+"x31/2"x22"
Bracket

FrontSklrt
LowerBackSupport " ag1/2"vll''
l1/2"x3Vz"x20lz"

CornerBlock
lVz" x3Vz"x31/2"
Leg
3/q"x71A" x38"

FrontLeg
MATERIAIS
IIST
tlz" x3Vz"x22" C1IAIR:
A (2)Front Legs 11f2"x31f2"x22"
B (2)Back Legs 31aux711aux3gu*
C (1)FrontSkirt 3f4nx51f2nx22\*
D (1)Lower Back Support 1t1r"x31ft"x20r/z"*
E (2)Corner Blocks t1/2,'x31/2,'x3t/2',
F (2)Arms 314"x511r'x28u*
G (1)Middle Back Support 3 / 4 " x 5 ' x 3 0 " *
NOTE:
Glueandscrewall ioints. H (1)Upper Back Support 314'v311r'v21'*
| (1)CenterSlat 3/4,,x3t/2',
x33"
J (2)InnerSlats 3/4"x3112,,x32!/2,'
K (2)Outer Slats z1o'v3t1r'x303ll'
L (2)Brackets 370',x3"x8u
#8xl7z" M (4)SeatSlats 3/q'x3llz'x22'
Fhwoodscrews N ( 1 )B a c k S e a t S l a t 314"x3rl4' x22'*
HARDWARE:
(4) #8 x 1fa"Fhexteriorwoodscrews
(57) #8 x 11/2" Fhexterior woodscrews
(10)#8 x 2" Fhexterior woodscrews
CUMNG DIAGRAMS:
Turnto page80 for information aboutobtaining
cutting
diagrams forthisproject.
*Cuta blank
tothissizethencutthefinished (according
shape tothe
pattern)
appropriate from theblank.

woRKUENCH ! AUGUST 2000

JULy 51
 -[

N0TE:All patterns
areon 1" grid.
7U4,
G) BACKLEG.QTY.2 2%,

ll
t^tttrrrtrtltlll
' i(rc ) F R o N T S K | R T - Qr -Tf|T
Y |. 1 | | I
F |
-fi-t_t-|1-t-t1 | r | | | -fT-T_ -
stock
%"{hick,
3Y2"
I '-
l1/2"

Lounqinq is bcst I r r r , r t l c: t l l t h e p l t t t c r t t s b c f o t ' c g c t - bl.urks so th.tt ulrert tltc lcr.s :lrc ctlt

c n j o , v e t sl i t l t c o t t t - t i n g s t i l r t c d o r r r t l t v o f t l l c c h : t i l ' p : r l t s . olrt rrrrl built irto tlre clt;rir.tllcir'

p:rrrr''. So iivou btrild l ) o i r r q i t t l t : t t w l v t t t : t k e s t h c p : l t f c l - l l s r - o t r q hs i t l c r u i l l b c f i c r r t g , ' r i t .

()llc Tlrct-c :rre .t rttttIic \\ il\ \ t()
Aclir-orrcllck ' r ' t r r r l i k t l t r : ' r l ' t t t i t t t tr r t t l ' t i . t t
ch:rir, vor.t rttiqht :ts , r tr r r l ) l I l i : l l r l r i : . I i r ' t t .r ' o t t r ' , ' t t l L l r t '

u'cll brrild rt cotrplc. START WITHSTEADY LEGS Vcrt'clrrcfirlto tlt'ictlt thc l.rllttcl'tl

A r r d ' i r r t l l t t c ; t s c . A l l q o o d c l r t i t ' s r t r - cb r . r i l t t l ' o l r r t l l c tlrc oppositc w:lv ()l) c:rch lcq bhrlk.

vor.t'll \\'rlrrt rllc qr-orrnrl ttp. So I st;lrtc(l u ltll tllc llut it n'ould bc c:tsv to tttltkc ll lttis

c l r r r i r s t o b c p c t ' - t i o r r t l c q s ( A ) . n h i c l r r t t ' cc e d ; r t - l r - [ s t r r k c d o i r r g i t t h i s r i ' ; r v .s o I t t s c t l l l i t -

fcctlr, rrrttchccl.Thc t'ut f2" l<tttq. tlc diffcrcnt ;tppnr.tch.

bcst \\'ilv to tlo tlt:lt M:rkirrs thc blck lcqs (ll) is :r lit- Filst. I trsctl doLrblc-sidctl c:rrpct

p:lttcrns. t l e r r r o t ' c i r r r ' r > l v c t lT . ltc lcq\ \tilrt ()ut trlpc to stick tlrc stttottth f:rccsoi thc
i l s r - c c t i l r r l ] t l l : l r -b l l t t t k s - .13'r-l()t)q L r o r r r t l st o g t t h c r . T h c r t I tnccd tllc

APPROACH
A PATTERNED lxS's to bc cr;rct Jt)tl tllcl) v()tl p.lttcfr) otlttl tllc l1rtrgh fitcc oitltlc tli

T ' l r c p r r t t c r n si r r c l r r d e t lo r r t l ) c l r c \ t f i ' w ('ut thclll to tltc sll:lpc of' tllc b:tck tlrc blrrnks rttrd qrtttq cttt thc lcqs :ts

p:lgcs llrc l:ricl otrt ott I "-sclttltrc 9t'icls lcq p l r t t c r - t r .- f t t s t r c l t l c l t t [ r c r t]lltt slronn in tltc photo :rt lcft. Wllcrl I

s() vou clul trlutstcr tlietlt tltlto Pllttcl'l) v o r r i ' c n t : t k i r r t t t t t i r r o r t l s et t r i l c g s s e p . u ' u t c dt l r c l c q s . t l t c t u c r c o t - i c t l t c t l

nr:ttelill crsiltr Stt vor.tt' tlt-st dccisitlrl : u t t l I t o t l l , t t ( l /r(( ' r l s c t . c\;l('tlv us tltet' uottltl lre lll tllc clr.rir.

niiqlrt bc to sclcct thc lrcst Ilt:ttcri:tlttl W l r : r t t l t : r t t t t c . t t t si s . $ ' l l c l l t l t e l c q s A s v o t t ' r c : t s s c t t t l r l i t t gt l t c l c q s .

usc u'hcrr rtt:tkirtgtltc pltttcrlts. . r r c s i d c - t r v - s i t l c .r t si r t l : t . q t r n l' . o l l e l c q Vor.t'lluutrt to tre rltre tlt.rt rllcr'll

Ii vorr pl:rrr to build .t cottplc slroultl krok likc :t lcflcctiott oi tllc n r l k e s o l i t l c o r r t . l c tu i t l r t l t c g r t l t t l t t i .

othcr. Ihltt]s itltlltlrtlttlt tlot tlltll Nllctl ()rte u'uv trl tlo tltis is to qltrc llltl
c h e i r s , p l p e t - p i t t t er l t s u ' i l l u ' t l r k f l r r c .
llLrt if v()tl thir)k tlrc rlciqhLrors \ r r t r : r s s c t t t b l ct h c f l ' r > r t t: r r l d b r r c k l c q s clrrrrp tlrc lcqs \\'lrrle thcv't'c strtttd-
'l
( r r ss h r x v n i r r t l r c i l l L t s t r ; r t i o r r )b. r r t : t l s t r inq rrpriglrt. lr:rt :tllos's votl to
nrigltt rvlutt lt sct of clt:tils,rttcr thcl'
h:trdbo:lr-d n l r c n v o u c L l t t l r c l c g s t t t t t . I t . si n r p o r :rcljrrst the leqs rrrrtil thcv sit fl:rt
scc vours. sotttc /'''-thick
rnight bc rt lrcttcr cltoicc. t:lllt t() l.tY otlt tllc P:lttcrll oll tllc bcfirrc sclcu itrq tltcttt toqctltcr.

Thicknessof
front skirt stock

It8 x LVz"Fhwoodscrew

\,"r()l{KllEN(l H . . l L rL Y AU(; USI loo(l

52
 r-q)"
ln BRA.KET-
I QTY.2
8"
7n*tt.r rtorr
|
-I

'When
both leg assemblies are (H) back supports. (The pattern for
done, you can start to work on the the upper back support can be
pieces that complete the chairt base. found on page 54.)
First is the front skirt (C). Start These pieces are cut fiom 3/.r"-
with a 1x4 blank that is at least thick stock just like the others, except
201/2" Iong.Trace the front skirt pat- that the arc on the inside of the sup-
tern onto the blank and then cut it ports has a 20o bevel (Fig.4 I cut the
to shape.Make the lower back sup- bevels with ajigsaw after using a small seein Detail a, below.The trick is to
port (D) the same way, but this time protractor to set the angle ofthe cut. support the assembly with a clamp
start with a 2x4 blank. Now set the upper back support and some scrap wood while the
aside - you won't need it for a arms rest on the front legs.When the
ASSEIIIBLII{G
IHE B'ISE couple more steps,but it's easier to arms are positioned, lift them up in
Begin assembling the base at the cut it now while your saw is set at front and squirt some glue on the
front. First, attach the front skirt the correct angle. top of the 2x4 legs.Then screw the
berlveen the leg assemblieswith glue Use a framing square as shown arms to the legs (Detail b).
and screws (Fig 2). Then add the below to square the arms and mid- Finally, cut brackets (L) from 3/+"-
corner blocks inside the legs. And dle back support assembly while stock and glue and screw them on.
remember that on this part of the you glue and screw it together.
chair, the rough side of the boards Next, attach the arms to the
#8x11/c"
should face out.You won't come in base.This is a bit of a balanc-
Fhwoodscrew
contact with the base,so there's little ing act as you can
chance ofpicking up a splinter, and #8x2" Framlng
Fh woodscrew
the rough face will also look nice square
when it's stained or painted. That
will change when when you get to
the arms. seat.and back slats.
Now clamp the lower back sup- Support
port (D) between the legs as shown
in Figure -1. Position the support so
the leading edge aligns with the end
of the arc on the back leg.Attach the
support with glue and screws.
The arms (F) are next. They're
attached to the chair as a sub-assem-
bly along with the middle back sup-
port (G). Start by cutting 1x6 blanks
28" long for the arms.
Here again, you can tape these
pieces together (smooth faces
touching) and gang cut them. Set
the arms aside for a moment and
work on the middle (G) and upper

woRKBENCH ! JULY I AUGUST 2000

 STEP 3: Attachthe Lower
UpperBackSupport BackSupport
to theCenter
Slat.

Temporary
STEP 2: center
the ledgerboard
slat on the Middle
BackSupport.

b. 1
@upprnBAcKsuPPoRT-QTY.

BACKSTATS
There are as nlany variations of the
THE
SPAGING lnnerSlat
Adirondack chair as there lre n'oods-

BAGKSTATS 3h"x3Vz"x32Vz" nrcn'.slegends abor,rtthe Adirondack

nrountainsthemselvcs. But oue thing
rll Adirondack chairs havt in cortt-
mon is thcir sinrple shapes.Typically,
the straight lines of the chairs are
0uterSlat brokerr only by sin.rple arcs and
3/q"x3Vz"x303/q"
d. c u r v e s . T h i sc h : r i li s n o c x c c p t i o n .
The brck slats (1,J, rnd K) are
Edgeof nrade fionr 1x4'.sanci form a grlce-
0uter Slat
ful arc on thc top of the chair. The
is flushwith
UpperBack arc looks as thour:h it rvrs drrwn on
Support. rll rhc piect'\ irt or)c tinre.bttt ir't
rctrrally crerrt.d by lryirrg out .i
radius on the top of e:ich individual
slat.This nr:ry scenr like extra work.
But it really is safer and easierthan
r-,,i,.- r^ -,,r "ll tL- boards lltter
they're attached to the chair.
#8x!1/2" The oetterns for the shts :rrc
Fhwoodscrews s h o w n i n D c t n i l sa . 1 , .r n d r . . r r r dy o u
1" fromedge can see th:rt you need to Irake one
center slat rnd the'n a nrirrored set
of the inner lnc'l onter slatsto com-
plete the back. l,]v the way, these
sane patterns are used to shape the
top ofthe table on page 58, so keep
ther.n in good shape if you plan to
build the table.
When al1 the back slats are cut
and sanded to their final shape,
they're about ready to be attached to
the chair. tsut holding them in posi-
tion and fastening them at the same

wor{KBENCTH ! AUCUST 2000

54 JULY
time would be preffy tricky. My
solution was to add a temporary
ledger board to support the slats
while I drove the woodscrews.
Clamp the ledger board to the lower
back support as shown in Figure 5a.
Now take a look at Figrre 5.You
can see that the place to begin is
with the center slat (l). And there's
a lot to do rvith that piece before
the rest ofthe back slatscan go on.
Start bv centering the center slat
on the lorver back support and the
rrriddle back support (Steps 1 and 2).
Fastenthe slat to both supports with
glue and screws. (This time, the
snlooth side ofthe board should face
out when you position the slats- no
one wants to sit in a splintery chair.)
Then glue and clamp the upper
back support (the one you cur our
at the same time as the middle back
support) to the center slat as shown
in Step3 of Figure5.The upper back
support may look a little strange
hanging up there all bv itself, but
you'll need it to position the
remaining slats in the chair. Make
sure the support is level and drive a
woodscre'uv through the slat and
into the support.
Now lay the remaining slatsinto
the chair but dont try ro position
them one at a time.Just set them all
in at once and then you can worry
about getting them spaced properly.
To position the slats,you could
measure and lay out each slat loca-
tion. But I found it was easierto use
a couple visual referencesto fan out
the back slats the way I wanted
them. In the illustration at left you
SIMPLESTEPSTOA SOFTER
SEAT
Furniture that'sbuiltfor outside
usedoesn'treallyrequilethe
samefinedetailworkthat inside
piecesdo.Roundlng everyedgeol
sandingawayeveryimperfection is
just extrawork.
0n the otherhand,furniture
that'sleft too roughwill be uncom-
foftableandcouldstartsuffering
fiomwearandtearsooner.
woRKBENCH C JULY I AUCUST
@
SeatSlat
3/c,,x31/z',X22"
STEP2: tnstattthe
FrontSeat Slat with
can see that the slatsare touching at
the bottom and then fanned apart at
the top.
Start by butting the bottom of the
slats together edge-to-edge. Then
position the outer slat (K) so its edge
is flush with the end of the upper
back support (Detail d). Glue and
screw the slat to the back supports.
Follow the same steps to attach the
other outer slat. Now center each
inner slat in the spaceremaining and
glue and screw them to the supports.
SEATSLATS
The seat of the Adirondack chair is
made up of slats also, and they're
even simpler to lxake and attach
than the back slats.There are only
Thequlcksolutionfor comfortis
to easethe edgesof all the seat
slats,backslats,andatmswitha
sandingblockandsomemedium-
grit sandpaper.
Youshouldalsoeasethebottomof
thechairlegswheretheytouchthe
ground,lf theedgesareleft square,
they'remorelikelyto snagandsplin
ter whenyoushiftthechairaround.
200U
SJEP 1: lnstalr
BackSeatSlat.
two shapes of seat slats.The back
seat slat (N) is a 22"-long 1x4 that
has an arc cut into it to follow the
contour of the chair back (see the
pattern above).The remaining seat
slats (M) are 1x4's cut 22" long.
Start by cutting and posirioning
the back seat slat (Fig. 6). Leave a small
gap (about '/'" will do) berween the
slat and the chair back to avoid creat-
ing a water trap. Glue and screw the
back seatslat to the back legs.
Now cut the rest of the seat slats.
Then screw the &ont slat down mak-
ing sure it overhangs the front skirt by
%" (Fig.6a).Frnally,spreadthe remain-
ing three slatsout evenly berween the
front and rear slats.Then,fasten all the
slatswith glue and screws.
Softenthe bottomof
eachlegandthe
55
 Adirondack Ottoman
n Adirondack chair just isnt
finishedwithout an ottoman
that lets you stretch your legs
out for some serious leisure time. And
the good news is that the design is so
simple you can build the ottoman rn
the same afternoon as the chair.
Just like the chair, we've included
patterns to make laying out the
pieces quick and easy.'Whichis espe-
cially irnportant if you plan to build
severalcopies of the ottoman. Once
again, I made all nry patterns before
starting to work on the actual
ottoman pleces.

LEGASSEMBTY
Start by cutting the 2x4 legs (O) to
15rl"' long, but don't cut the miter
at the top ofthe leg yet.
Next, cut two 1x8 blanks 24"
long for the front legs (P). (Jse some
double-sided carpet tape to hold the
blanks together with their smooth
faces touching. Tlace the front leg
pattern onto one of the blanks and
gang cut the legs with a jigsaw.

24"fi
314r'all2,, x22',

*8xLVz"

N0IE: All patternsare on 1" grid,

L1/2"x31/2"x 151/a,,

@ rnonrsnnr-QTY.
1
ffi34

#8xlVz"

FrontLeg
?/4"a71/4"x24

Slat
3/4tt x3y2" x22il

#8x2"
Fhwoodscrew Skirt
3/c"x3Y2" x2O1/2"

WOI{KBENCH tr JULY I AUGUST 2OOO

56
 Attachthe
Iop Slat
andthenrlp
It flushwlth
the backof
the ottoman.

To assemble the legs,spreadsome

glue on the rough side of the front
leg where it will contact the 2x4
leg. Then clamp the legs together
and standthem up on a flat suface. Position it so the excesswidth hangs
IIST
MATERIAUi
Check to make sure both legs will over the backside of the ottoman OITOMAN:
rest evenly on the ground when the (Detail a).Then glue and screw a slat 0 (2)2x4Legs 1112"x3rf2"xt5r/e"
at the bottom of the arc on the P (2)Front
Legs 31a'vll/a'x24'*
ottoman is complete.Adjust the leg
(1)Front
Skirt 3f4"x31/2"
x2Q1/2"*
assemblyuntil it makes good con- Front Leg. Spread the remaining Q
slats out evenly in between. Finally, R (5)Slats 3f4"x31fz"
x22"
tact and then screwit together.
s (1)TopSlat t1o"1l1f2"x22"
Now cut the miter on the 2x4 cut the Top Slat (S) as shown in the
leg asshown in Figure1. illustration above.
HARDWARE:
(26) #8 x 1%"Fhexterior woodscrews
SKIRT AilD SLANi PAINTORSTAIN (4) #8 x 2" Fhexterior
woodscrews
To make the front skirt (Q), start Part of the Adirondack tradition has
with a 1x4 blank that's 20/2" long. always been to paint the chairs with CUTflilGDIAGRAMS;
Lay out the front skirt with the pat- leftover house paint. And apparently Turnto page80 forinformation
about
tern and then cut the skirt out. white and green were popular house obtaining diagrams
cutting forthisproject.
Attach the skirt betweenthe setsof colors in that part of the country. *Cuta blankto thissizethencut
legswith glue and screws. As for my chair, I opted for a
thefinished
shape (according
to
Now youle readyto add the slats penetrating oil finish to preserve the
pattern)
theappropriate fromthe
(R and S) to completethe ottoman. wood's natural color.
blank.
Start by cutting out six slatsexactly If you re a stickler for tradition,
the same size ('/0" x 3/2" x 22"). there are a few suggestions below for
Then attachone slat (S) at the flat putting a good coat ofpaint on your
spot on the top of the ottoman. new outdoor classic. ff

PRIMINGANDPAINTING
Simple materials and sim-
ple designs are what the
Adirondack chair is all
about. In fact the original
chairs were often built from
wood salvaged from old
shipping crates and then
painted with whatever
color was at hand - usual-
ly white or green.
To paint the chair, start
with a liberal coat of oil-
based primer. A good
primer coat will help seal
the wood and make your
paint go a lot further on the
paint-thirsty cedar.
After the primer is com-
pletely dry brush on a cou-
ple coats of a qualiry exte-
rior paint and your chair is
ready for relaxing.

woRKBENCH ! JULY I AUGUST 2000

 ®
ADIRONDACK SET
Issue 260 Volume 56 Number 4 July/August 2000

MATERIALS LIST FOR CHAIR & OTTOMAN

CUTTING DIAGRAM

Page 1 of 1
Copyright 2005, August Home Publishing Company.
All Rights Reserved.
 ®
ADIRONDACK SET
Issue 260 Volume 56 Number 4 July/August 2000

MATERIALS LIST FOR CHAIR & TABLE

CUTTING DIAGRAM

Copyright 2005, August Home Publishing Company.

All Rights Reserved.
 Si EEKEND PROJECTI 'l

This sturdypatio table

makesa greatcompanion

pieceto theAdirondackchair

and ottoman,orjust about

any otheroutdoor
furniture
group.
And it\ easyto build
lumber.
usingdimensional

ou don't need a large formal

deck to enjoy this attractive
summertime table. Part of its
charm is the fact it fits nicely on a
small patio, in the backyard, or just
about any place you want to set a
pitcher oficed tea.

VIEW
BASEASSEMBTY
Allgntopsof NOTE: Ptaceroughfaceof cedar
STEP1: cutand apronsflush. parts.
to theinsldewhenassembllng
posltlon
sldeaprons GenterStretcher SldeApron
to twolegs. (1x4- 13" long) (1x4- 19" long)
STEP2: Gtue
and
screwendapronsto Applyexterloradhesive
sldeunlt.
assembled beforescrewing In place,

STEP4: screw
centerstletcher
ln place.

EndApron
STEP3: Gtue
and (lx4-l4Vz" longl
screwon second
sldeunlt.
assembled

Leg
(2x4- 16"long)

AUGUST 2000
58 woRKBENCH ! JULY
 Note:All
are1"

MAKE
IHETABTE
BASE
You'll be surprised how quickly this
table goes together using simple glue
and screw joinery. I started by making
two side units.
Notice in the Ba-seAssenfulyVietu
that each unit has nvo legs (A) con-
nected with a side apron (B).A wob-
bly table isnt much use,so be sure to l'i.i ii
cut all the legs to a uniform length. 3112"i i i'i
Next, cut the side aprons and screw
i; rer l i ii
thenr in place 11/2" from the outside
edge of the legs (seeBaseTopViet).
To assernblethe base,first glue and
screw together one end apron (C) to
a side apron (B) with the pieces flush
acrossthe top.The second end apron 29Y4"
can be attached the same way. Next,
glue and screw on the other side unit.
After checking that the baseis square,
measure and cut the center stretcher
(D) to length.Then screw it in place. The samecutting procedure was used the outer slats(E), leaving a 1" over- NOTE:The
while rnakinq the back slats on the hang on both sides of the table (see patternsfor
CIITANDATTACH
THETOP Adirondack cl'rair. Sectittn Weu). Next, mount the center the slatson
There\ nothing tricky about cutting If you take a look below, you'll see slat (F) over the centerline.Then posi-this table are
the radius arcs on the slats (E-G) if an easyway to position the slatswith- tion and screw down the inner slats the sameas
you follow the patterns (see above). ont using a spacer.Strrt by attaching (G) in the renrainingopenings. the backof the
Before staining or painting, it's a Adirondack
good idea to soften all the corners chair.

ASSEMBLY
SLATS SEQUENGE and relieve the bottom ofthe legs to
help avoid splintering. A sanding
block works great.
SEC0ND: Center thisslatover
centerline
andscrewanplace. Now you're ready to grab a good
book, fill a glasswith something cold,
*8xlVz" Fh and find ^ cozy spot in the sun to
exterlorwoodsclew [[ enjoy summertime lounging. tm

FIRST:
Attachouterslats. MATERIATS
LIST
0VERAttSIZE:19f2"W
x 30"1x 163/a"H
I.UMBER:
A (4)Legs l112ilx3112il
x!6n
Aprons 310"
B (2)Side yJll2'x19"
C (2)EndAprons 3/4"x31/2" x1412"
D (1)Center 3/a"x 3%"x 13"
Stretcher
E (2)Outer
Slats 3/4"x31/2'x27'*
F (1)Center
Slat 3/4'x3112'x30'*
G (2)lnner
Slats 3li'x3lz"x291/q"*
THIRD:Centerinner
stats HARDWARE:
in remaining
openings. (43)#8 x 1f2" Fhexterior
woodscrews
CUITINGDIAGRAMS:
to page
Turn 80forinformation
about
r-_y -#8x [Yz"Fh
- obtaining
cutting forthisproject.
diagrams
SECTION
VIEW exteilorwoodscrew \Y/ *Cuta blankt0 thissizethencutthefinishedshape
(according pattern)
to the appropriate fromthe blank.

woRKBENCH tr JULy I AUcusr 2000 59

 miter saw may be one of the First, 10" sawsare less expensive the small extra investment made in a
most versatile tools in anY than their larger and more complex compound saw.
home improvement and cousins.ThesawsI testedare reason- Armed with this knowledge, I
woodworking arsenal.This single ablypricedberween$150and $250. bought saws from eight well-known
tool will cut everything from trim Second, a 10t' miter saw can manufacturers: Craftsman, Delta,
and molding, to deck boards,siding, crosscuta 2x6 or a 4x4 in a single Hitachi, Makita, Powermatic, Pro-
fence posts, and even hardwood pass.That's enough capacityfor, say, Tech, Ridgid, and Ryobi. Then I
stock. Plus miter sawsare compact, building a deck. Obviously, smaller compared key features (a few are
portable,and accurate. material is no problem at all. shown below) to give you an idea of
But walk through the tool And though sliding-headrnd 1-2" what's important.
departmentin any home center and modelswill cut wider stock,they can I also wanted to know how accu-
it's easyto get confusedabout which be too big and heavyto carry around. rate each saw was "out of the box."
saw to buy. There are models with And having one in the shop means They all needed adjustment, which I
10" or 12" blades,onesthat cut com- giving up a big hunk ofbench space. expected. But most were easy to set
pound angles,and others that have Another reasonwe chose these up. After getting familiar with each
sliding headsfor increasedcapacity. models is compound cutting ability. saw'scontrols, I started cutting to see
Most of us here at Workbench You can get a decent10t'non-com- which saws performed best.
agree that for most do-it-yourself pound miter saw for meybe 25%o On the next few pages, you can
and in-shop use,a 10" compound less.But the first time you need to read more about each saw.The key
model is tough to beat.'Why? bevel a board, you'll be happy with test results are on page 64.

MAKE
THAT
DETAIUi - THEBH'TANDWORST
A DIFFERENCE
The bottom line with any saw is
whether it makes an accuratecut.
Power and capaciryare important,
but less-obviousfeaturescan influ-
ence cutting quality.A few good
and bad examplesareshown below.
Handle Position: The Delta's
D-shaped handle is easyto use and
comfortable.Watch out for straisht
bayonet handles like the Ryobi
that require an uncomfortable
bend of the wrist.
Miter Scale: Accurate miters
require easy-to-readscaleslike the
Craftsman's.Powermatic's pointer
sitsfar from the hash marks.
Bevel Scale: Powermatic'sdual
bevel scale,on the other hand, is
easyto read from either side ofthe
blade.Makita'sbevel scaleis hidden
back on the left side of the saw.
Thble Style: Small cutoffs tend
to get kicked around by miter saw
blades.A zero-clearancekerf plate
like the Makita's helps. Ridgidt
open kerf lets the blade chew up
slendercutoffi.

HAT{DIEFOSMON MnERSGATE

llhandle
Gomfortable AwkwardStraight Handle Glear Easy-to-Read PointerTooFar Frcm Scale

BEYEL
SGATE KERFOPEITING

DualScale
Easy-to-Read, HiddenFrcmView Kerf
Zero-Glearance OpenKerf

WORKBENCH tr JULY I AUGUST 2OOO 61

 Delta's 36-225 mixes an excellent array of
featureswith solid performanceand a very
attractiveprice.The result is a compound
miter saw that's tough to beat.
One of this saw'sbest fea-
tures is the horizontal "D"
handle. It's easy to grab and
comfortable for most cuts.
Also nice are the saw's
extension wings. They slide
At a Glance: completely into the saw base
Pilce: 5199 when not needed and act as
Miter:45'LlR, Bevel:45oL
Capacltles: handles. The 40-tooth blade
Welght:33-lbs.Warran$;2-Year cuts smoothly, as well.
The biggest difference between the
LS1040and the other sawstestedbecame
apparentwhen I lifted it out of the box.At
this sawis 7- to 10-lbs.lighter than
24-1bs.,
the other competitors.
The Makita also shineswith a quiet,
powerful motor, and silky-smooth adjust-
ments. The handle is well-
positioned, too.
And this saw has the tallest
fence of any in the test - a
At a Glance: real bonus for cutting crown
Prlce:3239 molding. For workpiece sup-
Capacltles:Miter: 48'L,/49oR, Bevel:45oL port close to the blade, there's
Wel8ht:24lbs. Waranty: l-Yeat a flip up section in the fence.
I sawan advertisement for the Ridgid that
comparesit to a dog - you know, loyal,
dependable,predictable.And frankly, this
ad isn't far off the mark.
This saw doesits job well
without fuss.Andwith a life-
time warranry the Ridgid
should serve faithfully for
yearsto come.
Like many dogs,though,
the MS1050 does have a
At a Glance: couple bad habits.First,the
Prlce:$199 wide kerf opening in the
Miter:48'LlR, Bevel:45oL table tends to chew up small
Gapacitles:
Welglrt:3$lbs. Waranty:Lifetime cutofh when they drop in
62 WORKBENCH
On the downside, the saw head does
have a lot of play when loosened for setting
bevel cuts,but it seemsto tighten back down
accurately.And the miter lock release lever
has square edges that can scrape knuckles.
Overall, though, the 36-225 is a bargain.
VirtUeS:Horizontal handle;4O-tooth blade;
wings;
retractable 7' marks onscales.
ViCeS:Nozeroclearance kerfplate;initial
off;knucklebusting
settings miterrelease.
Verdict: Evenwitha fewshortcomings, the
Deltaoffersa greatcombination offeatures
andperformance at a veryreasonable price.
Both the miter and bevel scales need
refinement on this saw,though. The miter
pointer is far from the hash marks, and the
bevel scale is kind of hidden from view.
Price is also a factor here.The LS1040
is the most expensive saw tested, yet it
doesn't include extension wings.
Virtues: Quiet,powerful;goodhandle
position;
smoothadjustments; largefence.
VlceS: Nowings; poorlypositioned
bevel
scale;nocrownmolding angleindicators.
Verdict: Thissawhasgreatcontrols (except
andit operates
themiterscale), smoothly.
Butthepriceshouldincludeextensionwings.
and get caught by the blade. And these
small pieces can come back to bite you.
Second, the miter angle indicator is
positioned far to the left (see the photo),
where it gets covered up by stock as narrow
as a 2x4.That makes it tough to set a miter
angle with a workpiece on the saw.
Virtues: Lifetime
warranty; 40-Tcarbide
blade;easycontrols;
on-board toolstorage.
Vlces: 1"-wide kerfopening; miterindicator
getscoveredup byworkpiece.
Verdict: TheRidgid is a well-made,easy-
to-usesaw.Adda zero-clearance kerfplate,
andthere'dbelittleto comolain about.
tr JULY I AUGUST 2OOO
If budget is a big concern, the Pro-Tech
will immediately look attractive thanks to
its $159 price.That'sthe lowestof any saw
in the test.But the 7208 backsup the price
with solid performance.
In every cutting situation,the Pro-Tech
VlftUeS: Powerfulmotor;smoothcutting;
stopsand holddown;goodhandle.
includes
Vices:wingsdon'tretracu
openkerf
plate;awkward bladechange.
Veldict: Thissawwasthesurprise of the
testgroup.lts theleastexpensive,
butper-
formsverywell- anexcellentbuyoverall,
Among professionals Hitachi tools are
well-known and respected. But to most
DIYers, the brand isn't as familiar. That
made the C 10FC2 a wild card in the test.
What I found are features a pro will
appreciate, like miter stops at the correct
angles for cutting crown molding, and an
Vi*ues: Greatmitertablerelease; ultra-
thinkerfblade;miter60' to right.
VICeS:Straight handle;miterindicator
obscureshashmarks;noextension wings.
VefdlCt: Anall-aroundgoodsaw,butnot
asgoodof a valueassomeotherstested.
When I pulled the Craftsman21210from its
box, I was impressedwith the large,legible
miter and bevel scales.
They're some of the
bestin the test.But when I dug deeperinto
the box, I was disappointed.
My disappointment came simply from
not finding more stuff.At $219, this is the
ViftUeS: Goodmiterand bevelscales;
kerfplate.
dual bevelscale;zero-clearance
VlCes: Noextension wings;no dustbag;
blade;questionable
steel-tipped triggerlock.
Verdlct: TheCraftsman
comes
closeon
many counts,
butmisses
themarkonfea-
fortheprice.
tures
woRKBENcH tr JULY I AUcusr 2000
proved smooth and powerful, and it was
evenreasonablyaccurateout ofthe box.
'Where
the Pro-Tech'slow price showsis
in refinement.Compared to some higher-
priced models, this sawt controls arent
quite as smooth, and the miter and bevel
scales are harder to see. Some
features, like the extension
wings and stop block, are a bit
clunky, as well.
But for a bottom-dollar At a Glance:
tool, the Pro-Tech was a Prlce:$159
pleasant surprise. It proves Mitet:50"1rlR,Bevel:45oL
Capacltles:
that inexpensive can be good. 3$lbs. Waranty:2-Years
Welglht:
ultra-thin blade ('/'." kerf) that's also great
for trim work.The sawt abiliry to miter 600
to the right is nice, while compact size
makes the C 10FC2 very portable.
Some of the features that make the
Hitachi great for trim work, though, leave it
less-suited to cutting dimensional lumber,
decking, and larger stock - all common for
a homeowner. The thin blade deflected
when cutting a 4x4 post, for example.
So should a DIYer buy the
Hitachi? Sure,itt a well-made At a Glance:
tool with performance that Pdce:5209
just leans more toward fine Capacltles: Miter:45'Ll60oR,Bevel:45"1
work than toward the rough. welglrt:32-lbs.waranty: l-Yeal
third most expensive saw tested, but comes
with few accessories.Thereare no extension
wings, and not even a dust bag. Plus, this is
the only saw tested that uses a steel-tipped
blade. The 104-tooth blade cuts smoothly
when new, but it will dull more quickly
than a carbide-tipped blade.
I'm also troubled by the handle-top
trigger release.Its location means
anytime your hand is on the
handle, such as when lining
up the blade to make a cut, At a Glance:
the saGry is off. Accidentally Prlce:$219
touch the trigger, and things Capacltles: Miter:47'LlR, Bevel:45oL
could get interesting. Welglrt:3t}lbs. Warang; l-Year
63
 The prospect of a Powermatic miter saw
intrigued me going into this test. I expected
scale that can be read from either side of
the blade. And the $229 price includes
I
great things fiom a company known for top- extension wings.The miter scale,though, is
qualiry industrial tools. Unfortunately, the tough to read, and the pointer moves when
model 409 left me disappointed. tightening the locking handle.
It seems that Powermatic The sheet metal blade guard is also
just put its label on an off- noisy, and the trigger release is awkward.
the-shelf Taiwanese saw,
rather than designing one Virtues: Dualbevelscale;retractable
from scratch.This is, in fact, extensionwings; kerfplate.
zerGclearance
the same saw as the Ryobi I ViCeS:Noisy bladeguard; miter
inaccurate
At a Glance: tested, except for the handle toughtrigger
scale; release; handle.
straight
Price:$229 and the paint color. Verdict: ThePowermatic works,but
Mltet:47"1/R,Bevel:
Gapacities: 45oL One bright spot on the doesn'tliveupto thecompany'sreputation
Weight:3t}lbs. Warranty:1-Yeat Powermatic is the dual bevel forbuilding tools.
industrial-quality

If you readthe Powermaticoverview above, the miter lock took two hands on this saw
the Ryobit standing wont be surprising. thanks to poorly-machined stop notches.
Both companiessell the same saw with a The notches had to be enlarged with a file
few minor differences.But interestingly, to work well at all. And the rotating
the Ryobi suffered from ills that portion ofthe table sticks up above the rest
belongto it alone. (which is painted rather than smooth),
In the Ryobi's defense, it yielding little flat suface for resting stock.
too has a handy dual bevel
scale,and at $199 its pricing is Virtues: Dualbevelscale;holddown
more in line with the other kerfplate.
clamp;zero-clearance
saws tested. Of course, that ViCes: Tough noexten-
miteradjustment;
At a Glance: price doesn't include exten- sionwings; handle;
nodustbag;straight
Price:$199 sion wings or a dust bag. awkward release.
trigger
Miter:47'LlR, Bevel:45oL
Capacities: Problems for the TS230 Verdict: Tobecompetitiveat all,thissaw
Weigiht:32-lbs.Warran$:2-Years start with the table. Releasing needssomeserious refinement.

AT
TEIiTING
A GLANCE
Outof-BoxAccuracy
% % :') \ %
Easeof lnitialSetup
HandleGomfort
SettlngMiterAngles
SettingBevelAngles
CutLineVislbility
GutAccuracy - Square
CutAccuracy* Compound
Smoothness of Cut
Power
Easeof BladeChange
of thesesaws,seeSources
Tocontactthe manufacturers on page80'
& nesoutces P=Poor; =Falr;G=Good;E=Excellent

woRKBENCH tr JULY I AUGUST 2OOO

64
 FINATREGOMMENDATIONS Miter Saw Station Plans
Nomatterhowgooda mitersawis, it canusuallybe
The bottom line with a compound miter saw is whether improvedbyaddinga nicestand.Sincestorebougfirt
it makes an accurate cut, and every saw in this group is standscancostmorethanthesesaws,though,I dug
capable of that. So winning this test takes more than a up a fewdesigns
we'yefeaturedIn ourmagazines oyel
decent cut. It takes a saw thatt easy to set up and use, theyears,Youcanbuildanyoneof themyourcelf.
hasan array of usefulfeatures,offers good all-around ontheseplans,ot to placean otdet,
Forinformation
performance,and doesit at a reasonable price.
The one that comes closest to doing it all is the UseKEYC0DE8080
Deka 36-225, so it gers my Editor's Choice Award. whenordedng.
The Delta doesn't have every key feature noted earlier,
but neither does any other saw.Even so,I really like the horizontal
D-shaped handle,and the retractableextension wings are handy when
moving the saw.Delta also equips the saw with a 40-tooth carbide-
tipped blade that cuts very smoothly.And it's the only saw tesredwith
1/zomarkings on the miter scale.
Are there things about this saw that can be improved?Sure.Threeof
four anglestopswere slightly offwhen the saw came out of the box. But Sinple to
adjusting the stops was easy.Adding a zero-clearancekerf plate would buiH,andthe
help too, though the '/+"-wide openingisnt bad. plan is FREE!lust go to
Even with its shortcomings,the Delta is a solid performer with more
going for it than againstit.At a price of $199,the 36-225is tough to beat. and click on '1101 TlPlS.rl
The restof the field containedsomesurprises- most notablebeing
the Pro-Tech.At $159 itt the leastexpensivesaw rested.But it outper-
forms what you may expect of a bargain-pricedtool.
Hitachi'sC10FC2 startedthe testasa wildcard,and endedmuch the
sameway.It didnt perform aswell overall,but is a winner if your needs
are centeredaround finish carpentry.
A lesspleasantsurprisecame from the Powermatic.Thesaw can han-
dle the basics,but it fell short of what I Thisonehas longwingsand a tool tray. Findthe plansin
expect from a company with a reputation the Nov/Ilec,1997 Worl<bench.
#WBDEC97-$3.95+S&I|
for industrial-quality tools. ffi

SOUI{D
OFFON-IINE
Tellus howyoufeel
aboutthls test,or
shareyourexperlence
withcompound mlter
saws.Justgo to the ToolRevlews
pageat
Extensionwinp storc in the base,and a stop blockgives
accuratecuts. Hadwarc Kit & Plans #7512-126-527.95

POINTS.OF.VIEW:
I'd choose the Delta because it
makes precise cuts with minimal
vibration. And I really like the
retractable extension wines and the
horizontal handle.
My next choice is the Pro-Tech.
The handle isnt quite as comfort-
able as the Delta. and the 2S-tooth
blade doesnt cut as smoothly. But
this saw is a close second in value.
Kevin Shoesmith
WorkbenchAssistant Editor
I chosethe Delta becauseit's priced
well and hasloadsof features. Plus I
like the ergonomic miter and bevel
adjustments.
Next for me is the Ridgid. It's
comfortable to use and I can live
with the kerf opening in the table. Buift-instorage,fold-
Third place goesto the Hitachi. downwings,and a
It has a large footprint for stabiliry stop block add versa-
and good miter adjustment. tilily to this rulliu
Joel Hess miter sawstand.
WorkbenchAssistantEditor Backlssuewith Plans#SN31-S4.90
StopBlockKit & Leveles #68:11.100-$59.95

woRKBENcH tr JULy I AUGUST 2000 65

Trim
'4wWwfmL*,caryW
d*wcsswe *ialesfor

qryprry,dqtr$,
.md,eikw,{
,fuWf*'fqwilwrrt
ilrw ffk$.

t usEMTTERED
RETURNS
I AS CTEVER
CoVER.UPS
-Sraining or paincingend grain
can createproblemsbecauseit almost
alwayslools different than the rest of
the wood.And when you?e working
with trim, exposedend grain really
standsout in a room.
.When
you cant plan your instal-
lation to hide the exposed ends of
molding, a clever solution to this
problem is to cut mitered returns.A
small return is formed by making
mating 45o miten on a piece of trim
and on another short lengh of mold-
ing asshown below.When you fit the
two piecestogether,you end up with
a perfect 90o angle.Anywheremold-
ing doesnt end in a corner is a good
placeto usea mitered return.
You can cut returnsusinga power
miter saw,just be sure to secure a
short length of molding to a piece of
hardboard with double-faced tape
(seefar left).This keepsreturns from
flying acrossthe room and getting
lost.Also,let the sawbladecome to a
completestop before raisingit.
When attaching mitered rehrns,
reach for the glue botde. Becauseof
their small size,the piecesare difficult
to nail and have a tendency to split
easilyifyou arent carefirl.

66 WORKBENCH tr JULY I AUGUST 2OOO

 USE A CARPET{TER'S
PENGITTO IRANSFER
IRREGUTAR
PROFITES
If you've done any amount of finish
carpentry, you know you end up
spending a lot of tinre figuring out
how to deal with minor imperfec-
tions.That'sbecausenobodyt house
is perGct.
For example, at times you may
Trimwaste have to fit a square end ofa piece of
frombackfl trim against a wall that isn't vertical.
edge. I I When this happens, prlt your car-

\ /I penter's pencil to the rescue as seen

YJ at right.
Sinrply hold the pencil flat
against the wall as you transfer the
wallt irregular profile onto the
workpiece. By cutting along this
line, you'll end up with a piece that faces. This is most evident when
fits in place tight against the wall. hanging doors. I'm sure you've seen
UNDERCIIT
M]IERSFOR doors that have a tapered gap at the
BETIER.F]TTING
IOINTS bottom and wondered why. Iti usu-
Whether you're casing a door t rRrMrnoRsPARALIEIally caused by a level door bottom
or a windoq it's important to get
the faces of the mitered joints tight.
',lTO A SLoPTNG
FL0ORover a sloping floor.
I Dealing with inrpertbctions One way to fix this problem
One secretto tight crsingjorrrts is to also means sometimes having to for- without redoing the floor is to trim
put a slight b:rck bevel on one of the get about level and square. Instead, the door. Using a cornpassas shown
two nriters. This technique is you'll need to concentrate on keep- below scribe the door bottom so
referred to ls either undercrrttingor ing nraterials parallel to the walls that it'.sparallel to the floor.
'When
sor-netinlesbackcutting. and floors. you get done, your door
What you're doing with under- Why? Because your eyes will may not be perfectly level along the
cutting is relieving the back edge of pick up diverging lines more readily bottorn. But with a consistent gap
the miter joint by trirmrring a small than they see plumb and level sur- all the way across,it'll look good.
amount of material fronr one of the
picces.This allows the rwo pieces to
fit tighter along the face of the miter
joint where a gap is more noticeable.
Undercutcing is especiallyiurporrant
when the jamb protrudes beyond the
dr1'wa1l and you don't have the
option of planing it.
An easy way to make undercuts
is to slip a piece of casing stock or a
pencil under the piece of rnolding Scribethe doorparallel
on the table as youte cutting it (see to the floor with a eompass.
above). This raises the stock just
enough to form a slight back bevel.
Another method is to use a block
plane with the workpiece secured in
a vise so the miter is positioned
roughly parallel to the work suface.
Hold the plane at an angle to the
back edge of the miter and make a
series of light cuts. With either
method, keep cutting and checking
gaplooksgood. Doortrimmed
Gonsistent
the joint until it fits right.

woRKBENcH ! JULy I AUGUST 2000 67

 each other. This rype of installation
Drivelongscrewsabove is desirable because you don't see
andbelowthe hingeplate any diverging lines in the corners.
throughthejambinto Take a look at the two drawings
theframingstud. at the bottom lefthand of the Page.
Notice how the irregular corner
really standsout in the top drawing.
But the irregular corner goes unno-
ticed in the bottom drawing. This is
TOPVIEW what you're after by creating an
jamb invisible taper.

)
/ Doorstoy rt PAtNr0R STAINTRIM
T eErONrATTAGHING]T
V
l"l
I hlnlstxngtrlrrl Detorclnstaurng
it is much easier than trying to apply
2" deck - 2" deckscrew paint or stain after it's already in place.
sctew
After the paint or stain dries,you can
cut the piecesto size and attach them
permanently.Then simply set the nail
Shortscrewsupplied heads, fill the holes, and touch up
withthe hinge
around thenr.
For trim that's going to be
painted, autot'r-totivebody putty
DOORS First remove two of the three
F FIX SAGGING rnakes an excellent fi1ler for nail

hwlTH DECKSCREWSshort screws in the hinge and
Y t.rw ooors can saq artcr
they've been hanging for awhile.
Their weight can also causethe door
jamb to rwist. Take a look above to
see how you can contpensate for
these problems.
Iaperlngthe lastplecefit
lntoa cornercreates
undeslrablediver$ngllnes.
holes. It dries quickly and sandseas-
replace them with 2" deck screws. ily. For stained trim, fill nail holes
These longer screws will reach into with a soft color puffy that matches
the stud and help secure the door. the color of your stain.
Another simple trick is to
renove the door stop and drive 2" TAD
.T CUTBAIiEBOARDS
deck screws through the door jamb filonc FoRA sNUcF]t
above and below the hinge plate. YLong baseboardswill fit snug
This will help keep the jamb from if you cut them a hair longer than
twisting as the casing and franring needed. Since the baseboardwill be
swell and shrink. The stop will hide a tad long, you'll have to bow it
away from the wall slightly to fit it
the screw heads after it's reattached.
into place. It should bow about a
')ADIUST FTTOFTONGUE-fingerh width away from the wall as
ItAt{D{R(nVE PAI{ELINGshown below.
ll'FOR INVISIBTE
TAPER Then nail the center of the base-
If you're installing any type of board first. That should force the
tongue-and-groove paneling such as ends tight into the corners. Finally,
wainscoting, the best place to start nail both ends.
and end is in a corner. There's a
good chance,however, you'll end up
with a wall that isn't quite plumb.
'Whenever
you run into this prob-
lem, think parallel just like you did
when scribing the door botton (see
Tip #4 on page 67).
Simply adjust the fit of the
tongue and groove at the top or
bottom of several pieces of panel-
ing. This lets you spread out an
invisible taper acrossa large area,but
still keep all the pieces parallel to

WORKBENCH tr JULY I AUGUST 2OOO

68
 KEEPREVEATS
CONSISTENT
ustNcAsrMPrE
SQUARE
frc
STEPCASINGBAGK pick up discrepancies.That way
TOCREATE SHADOW- the casing pieces can swell and
LI]{E!| AND PLANEIi shrink unnoticed.
When attaching casing around Before attaching the casing,
doors and windows, it's practically you'll want to be sure you have a
impossible to get flush edges to consistent size reveal all the way
stay that way over time. A casing along the edge of the jamb. The
installed flush to the inside of a "QuickJig"below makesit easyto
jamb may look out of place after keep the margins even.
a few years.This is becausewood To make this revealgauge,cut a
moves - as it dries out, as you squarepiece of 3/+"-thickplywood
cut it, while you're nailing it in or hardwood.Thencut a rabbetin
place,and as a house setdes.And each of the four edgesto corre-
the eye wiil pick up even a slight spond with typical reveal widths
1/s"variation from top to bottom. (seebelow). For quick reference,
That's why many finish car- write the widths on the gauge.
pentersstep casingback from the
edgesof door and window jambs,
creating a narrow portion of the
jamb that wont be coveredwith
the casing.This exposed portion
of the jambs - anywhere from
1/s" 516" wide - is called the
so
reveal.These revealscreate shad-
owlines and form different planes
that make it harder for the eye to
revealwldths.

.-I C.,HIDENAIISINIHE the darker grain where they wont ing youre attachingso the elongated
I fcnm PATTERNS
be as noticeable.Youcan also hide hole follows the grain. t[
I Y One of the biggest nails in the profiles of some mold-
problemsyou'll face when attaching ings where shadowlinesare created. Specialthank you to Dave Fish, a
molding or building furniture is how And as a final suggestion,when ueteran fnish mrpenterfrom Des
to hide the nails.There are different using a power brad nailer, hold it Moines,Iowa,whosharedhk 15 years
ways to approach this problem. perpendicularto the piece of mold- of professional
experienceJor thk article.
The easysolution is to drive in a
brad, then simply fill the hole with
puffy. Although quick, getting an
exact color match between the
molding and putty may be difficult.
And many woods change color as
they age,butmost plasticwood f,llers
dont. So what elsecan you do?
Another way you can hide nails
when installing molding is to
choose their placement carefully in
the first place.Even small pieces of
trim havenoticeablegrain patterns.
Whenever possible,drive nails into

woRKBENcH tr JULY I AUGUST 2000 69

 ilnThe Sh
Adhesive
Gonstruc{ion
Gonsider
Bonding
for Flexible
Sometimes, the best "glue" for the
job comes in a caulking tube.
Construction adhesiveis often
overlooked by woodworkers, yet
it's a better choice than glue when
you need a strong, flexible, water-
proof bond. It also works when
bonding wood with other materials
such as metal, masonry, or glass.
ANDFLEXIBILITV
STRENGTH
Most glues bond mating surfaces
together to form a rigid joint.To
create this bond, the pieces being
joined need to fit tightly together
because the glue won't bridge gaps
and retain much strength.
Construction adhesive comes
out thick so it bridges those gaps.
That's why we used it on the
Adirondack Chair on page 50.
Because the back slatsaren't curved
to match back supports, they don't
fit tightly across their entire width.
70
Power
Putting a dime-sized dab of adhe-
sive where each slat meets the back
supports fil1sthose gaps and helps
the screws hold things in place.
Also, moving around - rocking,
tipping, or leaning - in a chair
pLrtsstresseson it.Joints held with
construction adhesiveflex with this
movement rather than break.
TVPE
THERIGHT
CH(XXiING
There are different rypes for differ-
ent projects. For example, the panel
adhesivewe used on the wainscot-
ing is high-tack (very sticky). It
takes hold quickly so the panels
wont slip.While most types are
conrpatible with wood, certain
adhesiveswill "melt" foam insula-
tion, or discolor plasticsand mirrors.
Though they're labeled water-
proof, most generalor multi-purpose
construction grades are designed for
indoor applications - attaching fur-
woRKBENcH
ring strips to concrete block,
installing tile, hanging drywall.
For exterior projects,you'll want
to look for a heauy-dutyor a
p olyurethane- baserladhesive.
Polyurethanes may cost a little
more, but they form a stronger
bond so you can use less.They're
also compatible with most materials
and. unlike many other construction
adhesives,they're nonflamrnable.
There are also adhesiuecaulks that
provide lighrdury (non-structural)
holding power for lightweight pan-
els, thin tiles, and applied moldings.
Most are waterproof so they can be
used outdoors.
.When
applying these adhesives
on wide joints or panels,trim the
nozzle to lay down a '/,"-dia. bead.
Apply it in a zig-zag pattern as
shown in the photo, keeping about
1" from the edges.
To speed up bonding, pressthe
two pieces firmly together, then
open the joint back up to "breath"
for a few minutes before clamping
the pieces firm1y together.Working
time varies from 10 minutes to an
hour (for polyurethanes).
Besides the caulking-rype tubes,
you can buy construction adhesive
in cans (applied with a trowel), or
small squeeze tubes as shown in the
photo at left.
UPTIPS
GTEAN
No matter which rype you use,this
sticky stuffis hard to clean up,
especially on skin, so wear gloves
when using it. (Be sure to follow
label warnings concerning skin
contact and exposure to vapors).
To remove uncured adhesive
from tools, use mineral spirits or
'WD40.
Liquid Nails sells a product
(in the foreground of the photo)
designed to remove both hardened
adhesive and cured caulking.
tr JULY I AUGUST 2OOO
 UseScarfJointto GrcateLong,StrcngPieces
Itt sometimes tough to find mold-
ings, or even hardwood stock, in
lengths longer than 8 ft.That means
having to splice rwo or more boards
together to get the length you need
when trimrning out a long room.
Butting rwo pieces of trim
together end-to-end is simple. But
the joint will open up over time,
leaving an unsightly gap.To join the
rwo pieces cleanly and help hide the
joint line, use a scarfjoint.
Widely used by timber framers
and boat builders.scarfljointsare
formed by overlapping the rvvo
pieces.Some scarfjoints have elabo-
rate, interlocking notches, but for
trim work, a simple 45o bevel on
each piece gets thejob done.
Start by selecting two pieces of
stock with similar grain patterns.
Grcatea StandoffRouterBase
H
h
|_lf-
Attachscrapto basewith/
carpettapeto provide
stabili$
whileroutingout"rib,"
72
The closer the grain match, the
more invisible the joint will be.
To install the pieces, you want
the joint to fall on top of a wall stud
location as shown in the drawings
below.'With a stud backing up the
joint, the nails can draw the joint
tightly together.
Choose the longer piece of stock
and bevel it so it tapers from the
ftont face toward the end. Next,
trim the square end so the beveled
end will land over a wall stud.Then
nail this section to the wall.
Now, cut a bevel on the second
piece so it tapers from the back face
toward the end. Sneak up on the
final length ofthe second piece by
trimming the opposite end until the
beveljust overlapsthe first piece
(Tbp Wew).
'When
we built the First-ClassMail
Box Post(page 44) we cut the wide
dadoes in the side pieces using a
router.To do this, we left a strip of
waste down the center of the
dadoes to provide support for the
router base.Once we'd routed out
as much as we could, we set the
router aside and cleaned up the
remaining waste with a chisel.
Another solution that may not be
faster,but leaves a smoother cut ls to
wor{KBENCH
'With
the second piece trimmed
to length, apply glue to the beveled
end and set it in place.The overlap-
ping bevel will want to slide apart,
particularly with glue in the joint, so
I use a couple oftricks to attach the
second piece to the wall.
Instead of nailing at the joint, I
drive the first nails one or rvvo studs
down the wall from the joint.This
way, the trim won't shift when you
drive the nails at the joint.
I also drill pilot holes for the fin-
ish nails at thc joint. drilling at a
slight angle to the face.This prevents
the stock from splitting and lets the
nails penetrateboth pieceswithout
excessforce that could cause slip-
page.When the nai-lbites into the
stud, it pulls the joint tight (Top
View).Wipe up any excessglue.
add a standoffbase to the router.After
roughing out the dado, attach thin
piecesofstock (their thicknessshould
equal the dado depth) to the router
base so it has something to ride on.
In our case,we used two strips of
'/'"-thick hardboard and attached
them to the router basewith double-
faced carpet tape.After setting the bit
flush with the bottom of the dado,
move the router back and forth to
nibble away the waste.
! I AUGUST 2000
JULY
I VIEW
IIG AIiSEMBLY
Indexingjig
(3/+"x31/2"x22"
Indexpin
T-_.\p"",lEl:
MakeandUsea SimpleFeatherboad
A featherboard is a simple device
that can nrake a big difference in
the qualiry of a cut and the abiliry
to make the cut safely.It works by
applying constant pressureto the
stock, holding it firmly against the
table top or fence whether youie
cutting rabbets on a table saw or
routing coves on a router table.
That lets you concentrate on pro-
viding a steady feed rate so the
profile is uniform along the entire
length of the stock.
Featherboards also help prevent
kickbacks, in case the blade or bit
grabs hold of the stock.They're kind
of like the Chinese finger puzzles
you played with as a kid - you
could stick your finger (the stock) in,
but couldn't oull it back out.
HOWTOUSEA FEATHERBOARD
':)>y
Glampfeathelboard-
74
ttl
Cutin half lMinimum
to maketwo | 20"
featherboards.
Featherboard blank
3/4rx 43/srhardlwood
b.
BUIIDA FEATHERBOARD
The drawings above show how to
create the narroq springy fingers
that make a featherboard work.The
indexing jig (lig AssemblyVieut and
Fig, a.) attaches to a table saw miter
gauge.With the saw blade tilted to
30D,you make the initial passto
cut the index pin kerf in the jig.
Then you shift the jig on the
miter gauge so the finger kerf is '/'"
from the pin kerf.This will give you
fingers that are the same width ('/'")
as the saw kerfs that separatethem.
After you build the jig, cut a
blank as shown in Figureb.Make
the 30" angled crosscutfirst, then
butt the blank againstthe index pin
as shown in Figure c. Now shift the
blank with each successivekerf over
WORKBENCH
Withstockbutted
againstIndexpin,
I't,ti\,
Moveflrst kerf
overIndexpin
andmakenext
the index pin (Fig. d).Then rip the
blank in half to give you feather-
boards for the table and fence.
HOWTOUSEIT
To set up a featherboard, you want
the fingers to flex just slightly.That
way it can hold the stock down and
still let you easily feed the work-
piece.The drawings below show
you how to position it.
'When
using a featherboard with
the fence, install an auxiliary face on
the fence.To use it on the table,you
may need to add a brace to keep it
positioned. (Note: Never place a
featherboard along side or behind
the saw blade when ripping. It can
pinch the kerf closed and cause the
workpiece to bind.)
":ylyy
tr JULY AUC;UST 2OOI)
QuickFixfor
TigfilerMiterc
Itb not uncorunon for the miter
joints on baseboardsor casing to
open up, particularly on outside
corners.The joint may have fit
tight when you installed the trim,
but shrinkage or settling can cause
unsighdy gaps.

Burnlshmlter
edgeswlth
the roundshaft
of a screwdrher.

An easyway to "righten" these

gapsis to burnish (roundover) the
edgewith the round shaftof a
screwdriver.Start by holding the
shaftat a 45o angleto the corner on
the right-hand side of the joint
(shoum aboue).
lJse moderatepressure
to "fold" the wood fibersalong the
corner point into the gap.Then
repeatthe processon the left-hand
side.Theresultingcorner wont be
ascrisp,but the gap will be closed,
and the appearance much improved.

Usellowels
for DryingRack
We applied stain and finish to most
of the wainscoting moldings before
they were fitted and installed.To
speedup the drying processin the
shop,we set three t/r"-dia. dowels
(36" long) on the bench,spaced
3-ft. apart.The dowels held the
moldings up so air could circulate
and the finish could dry faster.

ProductInformation
Number182 ProductInformation
Number204

ElectricalOutlets
Relocating
Moving an outlet a
short distance is easier
than you might think.
Itjust takes a little
detective work, a few
basic tools, and a high
regard for safery.
During the wain-
scoting project on
page 32, a stile cov-
ered up an existing
outlet (see the photo).
So I moved the outlet
to the middle of the
adjacent panel using a
remodeler! box. It has
small flaps that grab
onto the wallboard.
GETTII{G
SIARTED
Begin by shutting offthe power at
the breaker box, then double-check
that itt offusing an outlet tester.
Now it's time to do the detective
work. Start by removing the cover
plate and the screws that hold the
outlet in its box. Pull the oudet
from the box and determine how
Ths
itb wired. If the wires lead both into
and out of the eisting box as
shown in Figure 1, the outlet is in
the middle of a circuit.
If the wiring only comes into the
box and doesnt feed back out the
other side as shown in Figure 2,the
outlet is at the end of a circuit.
'With
a mid-circuit outlet, you
can move the box either direction
pretty easily. If it's at the end of the
circuit, you're better off moving the
outlet back in the direction the wire
comes from. Moving the outlet
beyond the reach of the wire means
a lot of tear out and finish work.
Once you've determined where
to locate the new box, mark around
the outside, excluding any ears.Now
take a keyhole saw and cut the
mounting hole.This hole also allows
access for finding the existing wire
and running new wire.
MOVINGIIIE WIRE
Whetherthe existingoutletis mid-
circuit or at the end, start by discon-
nectins the wires from the outlet.
ffi
On a mid-circuit outlet, push the
wires (on the side closest to the new
outlet hole) through the knockout
in the box and into the wall caviry
(Fig. 1).Then Ged a new piece of
wiring through the same knockout
hole. Now reach into the new out-
let hole and pull both the old and
new wires through the opening.
Next, feed the wires into the
remodelert box. Insert the box into
the wall and tighten the screws to
anchor the box.Then connect the
wires to the outlet.
Now the old outlet box
becomes a junction box, and the
wires can be joined using wire
nuts.This box needs to be covered
with a plate (Fig. 1a).
For an end-of-circuit outlet
(Figs.2 and 2a), the processis the
same,except you dont need to run
any new wires.Just disconnect the
existing wires and fish them to the
new box.
Note:As always,if you have
questions about wiring, call in a
licensed electrician.

MID.
GIRGUIT

END.OF. .,
--v-
4,
li
A,r
----
,:T,----- a.
il|
',' z2'1:
GIRGUIT .;i1- f
,)' n'// pun"'i
\ ting I
\l
Exlstlngwirc
Exislr$ brx _i/ ,-ffi fiom
]
7)
1n l-FffilJlfiJ
rI
(cov r wlt GK
,;i
platr ol t0x, I breakerbox 1
l;'
lem( /e) ' i r
)
(,:i)lI llE[-., l' It./l\
I /,,, UJll New cDYE] /
I
o
;fi;l Remo
eler's ox o r temove Remodeler's
o d box. box ,/
g

woRKBENCH ! I AUGUST 2000

76 JULY
 Miters
GuttingGompound
Jigmountsto ntitor
sawwith screws'
LEFISIDEI
PIECE I RlGlrT
(SaveRlghtEndot Cut)
(SaYeLeft Endof Cut)
Adding crown rnolding is a great
way to dressup a roonl. Ilr-rtjoin-
irrg the corners ofterr rcqrrircscut-
ting cornpound angles.So you
need to have a compound miter
saw to make these cuts, right?
Not necessarily.A rniter saw will
do the job, if you stand the molding
up on edge and tilt ir, (Fig. 1).
When you cut the molding,
position it upside down. In other
words, imagine the miter saw table
as the ceiling and the saw fence as
the wall.
For big jobs, it's a good idea to
make a jig to help hold the mold-
ing at the proper angle (F(. l).The
jig isjust a couple ofpieces of
scrap hardwood nailed together
and then screwed to the saw fence.
I like to make test clrts on scrap
Bladeis shown
positioned
45otoRight
@
N
lo
LEFT
SIDE
PIECE ] IEFT
(SaYeRlgtt Endof Cut)
(SaYeLeft Endof Cut)
piecesbefore cutting the actual
rrroldingto lengtlr.Thisway I can
get comfortable with the upside
down idea. Plus,it let's me fine tune
the angles,since nrost walls dont
intersect at exactly 90o.
To cut an inside corner, refer to
I:igura 2 and Clnrt 2a. First, take
piece (A) and lay it r.rpsidedown
on the right side of the saw.Then
swing the miter table riglt to 45",
and rnake the cut. To cut piece (B),
place it upside down on the left
side of the saw,and swing the miter
table 45o /ef, to make the cut.
For outside corners, refer to
Figure 2 and Chart 2b, turn the
miter table in the opposite direc-
tion. Cut piece (C) with the blade
turned le:ft45" and cut piece (D)
with the blade turned right 45".
Productlnformation
Number204
 Geilings
PatchingTextured
Making a small repair on a smooth
ceiling or wall is one thing, but
patching a textured ceiling can get
a little more involved. That's espe-
cially true if the ceiling is covered
with tiny polysryrene chips that
give it a "cottage cheese" look.
Then it's not just a matter of
smoothing off the repair. Instead
you have to try to figure out how
to match the texture.
Repairs on this kind of ceiling
can be handled a number of ways.
.;:;l:-=?-5,;ft
'q:-:;";-1)siE:.i
fac
Gleanrepalr
area,then
spackleholes.
The texture was probably originally
applied with a large pneumatic
sprayhopper and a compressor. But
that's too much of a hasslefor a
smalljob.There are alsoaerosolcans
and specialsandpaints that work.
I've had the best results with a
small hand-held touch-up pump. Itt
easyto useand with proper cleanup,
can be reused many times. A kit
with everything you'll need can be
found at the local home center for
lessthan $20.
i3Eiei-,+-;:.;-
-
...';::-:3,<----
Holdsprayernozle
6" to 12" fromcelllng.
Before repairing the texture, fill
any holes with spackle (Fig. 1) and
prime the areato be patched(Fig.2).
Also,sinceusing the pump can get a
little messy,cover everything with
drop cloths and mask for overspray.
Start by mixing the texrure with
water in the cup provided. After it's
the right consistenrypour it into the
texture botde and attach it to the
gun. Rotate the pump body to the
desired setting ftght, medium or
heavy),and hold the sprayerat a 40"
angle,about 6" to 72" from the ceil-
ing. I find that a first overall coating
works best,then return to fiIl in gaps.
It may take a litde practice to
match the existing ceiling, but dont
worry. If you mess up, itt easy to
take a wide putty knife, scrapeoff
the patch, and start over. The kit
containsenough texture to patch up
to 2 sq.ft., and refills x1savailable.
 Sources& Resources
ProvideStrengthandFlexibility
Adhesives
Gonstruction
Sometimes the best "glue" for a
project won't come in a squeeze
bottle or a jar.
For example, when we built the
AdirondackChair on page 50, we
needed a "glue" that would
bridge gaps to
hold individ-
ual pieces
MiterSaws
Crrfrsrrrrn (8lltl\377-7 4 | 4
www. sears.colll / crattslll2ltl
Delta (800)438-2486
com
www. deltawoodworking.
Hitachi (t]00)546-1666
www. hitachi.cont
Makita (800)462-5482
www.makita.com
Powermatic(800)248-0144
wwwoowenllatlc. conl
ProrTech (i100)U88-6603
www. orotechDowe r.conl
RidEid Eoo]l474-3443
www. rldslclwoooworKln s. col t)
Ryobi (800)525-.2571)
www. rvobi.com/powertools
Moreon Mailboxes Glickfor ProiectGuttingDiagrams
If you're building a mailbox post
or a nrrilbox. or if you're jusr won-
dering where to nlount the one
you've got, check out the United
StatesPostal Service'Web site:
wwwlrcw.usps.gov.The site con-
tains just about everything you
could want to know about mail-
box size,location, and materials.
80
together.The best glue turned out
to be a polyurethane-basedcon-
struction adhesive.It provided both
strength and flexibility. And it came
in a caulking tube.We also turned
to a construction adhesivefor
attachingthc plywood wrinscoting
panels (seepage 32).
To remove uncured adhesive
fror-n tools, use mineral spirits or
renlove both hardened adhesive
and cured caulkins. Most hor-ne
Wainscoting Filler
FinishandFruitwood
Wrapping I roonr in red oak looks
great. But to get alt evelt w:lrlller
oak tone, I finished the ply'wood
wainscoting prnels (seep:rge 32)
with a 50-50 blend of Sealacell
Golden Oak and SealacellHoney
Maple fror.n General Finishes.
After wiping on just two coats,
this combination tung oil sealer
and stain created a nroderately
tor"rghfinish.
You can find out more about
Gcneral Finishesby calling the
nanufacturer at (800) 7it3-6050, or
by visiting the company's Web site:
www. generalfinishes.com.
Free Cutting Diagrams are avail-
able for the Mailbox Posf, the
Adirondack Chair and Ottoman,
and the PatioTable.Justlog on to:
www.Workben chM acazirte.cont
and click on:
( l , . l ' t ' LL L { i i .
lr iaG.Lir!.1\tt:r
WOIIK
centers carry a variery of construc-
tior.r adhesivesfol different applica-
tions. Here'.s:rlisting of some
conlmon branclsand manufacturers:
Liquid Nails (Macco Adhesive$
(800)634-oo1
s
www.lio uidnails.conr
PL and Quickborrd Adhesives
(Ohio SealantsInc.), (800)321-3578
www. oslsealants.
col'11
t*** €rattklin
(fJ00)347-4583 "teniational)
wrvw.titebond. com
DAP (DAP), (888) 327 -8477
rvwrv.dlp.cont
To fill the visible nail holes, I used
1 10 Fruitwood Color Putty. If yotr
can't fir.rd it loc:rlly, it'.s available from
Color Putw Co., (60fi)325-6033, or
on the Web xt \\,\wv.colorputqv.conl.
Ifyou don't have Internet access,
send a self-addressedstamped
envelope to:
Workbench Magazine
2200 Grand Ave.
Des Moines, Lf'50312
Write clearly on the envelope
which diagram(s) you want.
tsENCHtr JULY I AUGUST 2OOO