Truck Rack - Wood Tools
Transcription
Truck Rack - Wood Tools
PUBTISHER DonaldB. Peschke Kll'CHENS. THHN& n\i0Vl EDIT0R Tim Robertson SENIOR EDITORS BillLink,DavidStone ASS0CIATE EDITORS WyattMyers,Patricia Garrington ARTDIRECrOR KimDowning A5SISTANT ARTDIRECTOR KurtSchultz SENIOR GRAPHIC DES16NER DougAppleby 5ENl0R ItLUSTRAT0R ErichLage SENIOR WEBDESIGNER/ITTUSTRATOR Matt Scott C0NTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATOR JohnHartman GRAPHIC DESIGN INTERN5 Shelley Cronin,KatieRodemyer CREATIVE DIRECIOR TedKralicek SENIOR PROJECT DESIGNERS JamesR,DoWnino, KenMunkel,KentWelsh,ChrisFitch PROJECI DESIGNERS/BUltDERS MikeDonovan, JohnDoyle SHOP CRATTSMEN SteveCurtis.SteveJohnson ADVERTISING SALES MANAGERS GeorgeA. Clark,MaryK. Day ADVERTISING PRODUCTI0N C00RDINATOR MinnietteJohnson ADVERTISING CoORDINAToR Kelsey Davis ( 515 ) 8 7 5 - 713 5 EDlTORlAt DIRECIOR TerryJ.Strohman EXECUTIVE ARTDIRECTOR ToddLambirth SENIOR PH0T0GRAPHERS CrayolaEngland, DennisKennedy ASSOCIATE STYTE DIRECTOR Rebecca Cunningham MERCHANDISING C00RDINATOR Stefanie Swanson ELECIRONIC IMAGE SPECIAtIST AllanRuhnke .4L -^ 7 1 \, ^,0n",,.u, ;i6:,,;;;; WOI\KBENCH 0ssN o0{l-8os7) ^ f!bltrh((l birnondrly (Frb., ,'r,.rb\A,,F,tr,H,i,,h,hr,{,i,,F,i{,r'.n^. lllll]J]'"",A.t'o:1 l:rilt(ir.,I(tA\(..1).M,rilr..lA5r'.\ll.rri,ll,r,rh.,rr.ill(,,,.,r[ of Au$$ Honk hrNiJrir)S. (it\ righr .,2i rr)6A!gu{ HdDre l\ilihhurs (innpiD\rAll rislh r.rdltd. Subsdipdon mtes: Strrsl(.o$1S{.()').(h. (.) n{1d,$l1nvo-ycrr\!l".r4rur, )!.rilRriptlil (l.ur,kli,u)/lDd.,rddSlr)p.r!.rl,.riodr.rktorngcp,rrl,r $l3rdrrue-\ur\!b\.rip!r)n,Sll I)cr Moirc\, lowi,.trxl rt .rldrrnD.rl o0lces Posnrastc.: ScDd rdJrr$ e|,nr{.\ n, Ila,lroJr. l'O &'\ 1727:. lloorc. IA 5r)r)l7r)l72.Can.dian Subsc.iptions: (1,rtr.il,rll)$ Asrccnr.nr No. {l)r)l8lrr |. S.nd .h.urq. ofx{l(lrrs iniirnrilknr i(): l,() lnrx 881. Srxrilr Mrir. Mrrkh,un, ()N Lll'8M6. (lxnrd.rllN s45')75l7l l{T Printed in U.S.A. $Jbvwj,ryff rki3€nc$ tfvtr nr"silai *e.ronr ONLINESUBSCRIBER SERVICES ' &tt:fi55 youraccount payment " {HEttt on a subscription it.q if you'vemissed an issue " T'*:t,,. {${Aru{;f;yourmailingor e-mailaddress '' [{EhirqlAl yoursubscription " 6,ptv.your bill Clickon "5ubscriber Services" in theliston theleftsideof our homepage.Menusandformswilltakeyouthroughanyof theaccountyouneed. malntenance services e-{ ! 5}'r'f"1 f;l t: S: 5 ii q"J I {: b Phone:800-3I I -3991 l4lor(lrlr/t CustonrerService PO. Box 8.12, DesMoiles, IA 5030.+-9961 2 l4lortbcrrirMagazine 2200 GrandAve. DesMoines,lA 50312 enrail:Editor@Workbenclrurrg.corn WORKBENCH APRIL2OO7 rr. 7..*'..:-,- - r lit%** I arL itchens have changed. Okay, so thatt not exactly breakir-rgnews. BLlt sonretinles it's easy to overlook the extent of that change. Recently, however, as I was going through the Workbcncharchives,this sanrpling of covers renlindecl n1e of the truly drlnratic evolution kitcher.rshave undergone - both in tlreir appearanceand, lnore iurpoltantly, irr how they functior-r. Our first kitchen renlodel was the no-frills version showr.rat left. Note the dated "waterfill-edge" countertops and dark cabinetswith slab-sryleplyrvood doors.The workflow of this kitchen has now '50s become dated,too.Just like nrany kitchens,it was designedto be largely a solitary workpiece, a one-wornan show,if you will. Fast-forward to tl-rekitcher-r renrodel shown at center. I)ark is out; bright is in. Kitchens got larger,anclmany incorporated central work islands.Combine those improvenreutswirh built-in cooktops, stackingovens,arndspaciollscourltertops,and thesekitchens made preparing nrealseasier and more enjoyablethan ever - notjust for the woman of the house,but the whole fanrily. Todayt kitcher.rshave taken on an even broacler role.They still satisfythe cookinq, cleaning, and storage requirements, of course, but they've also become the place fol farnily urernbers to connect and fiiends to socialize.Add to that the fact that many kitchens act, in whole or in part, as a home office, and it's easy to see why kitchens have become the hub of todayt busy homes. To see how the kitchen Gatured in this issue (right) acconnrodates those assortedneeds,be sure to check out the series of articles beginning on page 42. 50th AnniversarySpecials! Kitchens:ThenI Now (page2) 5)-Year Cover Retrosp ective (WorkbenchM agazine.com) "Payinga pro to installkitchen cabinets cancost nearlyas much asthe cabinets themselves. Basedon that, our homeowner quicklg y ained confidence in his problem-solving sk i l l s . " -page 54 High-Capacity Truck Rack your truck'scapacityand lncreose save5100soverstore-bought models. Thistruckracklooksgreotand hauls anythingyou needfor workor play. 60 Decorative Display Niche ONLINE Workbench Maoazine.com Getevenmoreinformation aboutthe projectsand articles in thisissue: . FreeArticle:Installing CrownMolding . Full-Size Patterns: Truck RackUprights and Display NicheShelf . SlideShows:Powder Coating& Raised Stenciling . Bonus:Raised Stenciling Examples 4 Transform an ordinaryroom with this decorotivedisplaynrche.ltscurved shelf,accentlighting,ond tile back createo stunningt'ocalpoint. 66 Focus on Frames projectsdon't have Great-looking to be complex.These"ort paper" fromesreallydressup a wol[ ond you can makethem in a day. WORKBENCH APRIL2OO7 76 Modern Kitchen Makeover A modernkitchenisn'tjust theplaceyou preporemeols-it's "mission control"for thefamily.Hereare the tips,insights,and strategies for your own kitchenmakeover. 42 Better Design, , , Better Kitchen 44 FloatingTile Floorr 50 Installing Kitchen Cabinets: _ Priblems & Solutionr 54 Kitchen Cabinet Organizers your kitchenthisweekend Organize with 15 eosy-to-install, remarkably at't'ord oble accesso ries. 72 Powder-Coated Hardware Turncommonhardwareitems into eye-catching t'ittingswith a powdercoating simpleDIY kit. 30 Easy Elegance with Raised Stenciling Dressup anysurfaceusing a paint techniquethat adds dromatictextureand style. 37 Flat, Flawless Drywall Joints Here'syour guideto getting professional-quality results when t'inishingdrywalljoints. BO Product Picks A roundupof thebestnew homeproducts: t'romdust-free "mud" drywall to WD-40 in a pen. B4 The Tool Report Elements of Style Discover box beams,a stylish way to add classicarchitectural detailtoyourhome. 94 8B Garage Gear lnstolla durablesnap-together garagefloor in a t'ew hours. 92 6 WORKBENCH APRIL2OO7 Over the Fence B Ask'W'orkbench Strippaint fast, t'rxbangingpipes, cut crownmoldina.and more. 10 Do-It-Yourself Tips Greattips,including"helpers" t'or hangingdrywall,laddersafety, and precisionmitercuts. I6 Fast Florne Fixes 26 On-Site Solutions 32 ADD SOMEGREENTO YOURPROPERWWITH THESE TreePlantingTips The NationalArbor Day Foundationoffers a wealth of information and educational programsto helpyou plant,preserve,and care for trees. lanting a tree is one small way anyonecan improve both the environment and the appearanceof their yard.And we get reminded of that every spring, thanksin large part to the effors of the National Arbor Day Foundation. But *ris organizationdoesa lot more thanjust encourageus to plant a tree on one day eachyear.It a.lsooffers a wealth of educationalinformation and prcgramsdesignedto help eventhe leastgreen-thumbedfind success with their tree-planting efforts.Youcan learn about the programsoffered and access a huge amount of information just by visitins ArborDav.ors. Plant in the Right Place-One exampleof this valuableinformation is the tree-placementguide shown here. Plant the right tree in the right place Planttallertreesawayfrom overheadutilitylines Tall trees 40' or taller .<_ j0 _-__________r_.<_2., _-> Mediumtrees 40' or less It servesasa great reminder that those litde treesyou bring home will eventually grow large,and you need to take that into considerationwhen you plant them. Not only do theseguidelines Small trees 25' or less ensurea balanced-lookinglandscape, they alsohelp prevent an all-toocommon tree planting error: Placing tall or broadly spreadingtreestoo closeto power lines. COMPANIES TEAM UP TO BUILD Homesfor Vets Members of our armed forcesprove their bravery every day by serving our country in combat zonesaround the world. But for some of thesemen and women, even the bravery neededon the battlefield cant compareto the mettle they'll need to return home and rebuild life after suffering amputation or paralysis. Thankfirlly, an organizationcalledHomes for OurTroops is dedicatedto building homes that are customized to suit disabledveterans.Theorganization,with the help of its corporatepartners,hasworked on homesin 15 states. Custom touchesin the home are incorporated in a variety ofways dependingon the needsofthe veteran. Some are obvious,such asproviding barrier-free entries, accessiblekitchens and bathrooms,and open floor plans. Others are lessobvious but equally important. For example,homes for veteranswith prosthetic limbs are 8 WORKBENCH APRIL2OO7 Homesfor OurTroopsbuiltthishomein Springhill, Louisiana, andfilledit with featuresto meetthe needsof SPCKyleBurleson, who wasparalyzed whileserving with the U.5.Armyin lraq. equipped with casementwindows that can be cranked open easily.One home was ourfitted with a backup generatorto keep the homeownert ventilator running if a storm knocked out the home'spower. To learn more about this organizationand how you can help,visit HomesForOurTroops.org or call 866-787-6677. BENJAMINMOOREA POTTERY BARNMAKE IT EASYTO Pick PerfectPaint Colors The Pottery Barn catalogis a great placeto shop for home furnishings, but for many folks it doesmore. That'sbecausea largenumber of peoplelook at the srylishroom scenes shown on its pagesto get ideasfor furnishing and decorating their own rooms.The folks at Pottery Barn are well aware of this. too. if fol no other reason than the number of requests they get for the nanresof the paint colors usedin the scenes. Thatt why Pottery Barn has teamed up with Benjamin Moore to make paint information available in every catalog.With each room shown, you'll find a small swatch of paint and a listing of the Benjar.ninMoore paint code for that color. Ifthat's not enough, you can order a fan deck ofthe colors for that catalog online for $2, or simply pick one up at your local Pottery Barn store. For more help with choosing paint colors,you can visit PotteryBarn.conr or BenjanrinM oore.conr. WILDLIFE rfirnGDrrnrn_ TURNYOURYARDINTO A WILDLIFEHABITAT Wide-open expanses of lushgreen lawnlookrnviting to somepeople. Butto birds,squirrels, andother urbanwildlife,thesegreen-carpet yardsofferlittlein the wayof habitat. Butyoucanmakeyourlandscape to wildlifebyfollowing the appealing guidelines Wildlife of theNational Federation's Backyard Wildlife Habitatprogram. Over70,000yards, schoolgrounds, andevencorporate havebeencertified campuses so far. wildTo learnmoreaboutbackyard lifehabitats, visitNWF.orglBackyard. Everything you need to make your house like new in one great kit. The MumMnsrER does thingsother power tools cant. Sandinto corners and along edges.Undercut a door jamb.Plungeinto baseboard...right through the nails.Remove grout. Scrapepaint and linoleum. -\ w The RS Kit contains a MumMasren 636-2 variable speed tool plus: . SandingPad . UniversalE-Cut blade . HSSSegmentSawblade . Carbide Grout blade . Scraperblade . Carbide Rasp. Plasticcarryingcase . Tool wrench, screwsand washers . 5 each assortedsandpaper, grits 60,80, MADEIN GERMANY For more information. a free brochure and to see the complete line of MumMnsrrns and accessoriesat a dealer near you call l-800-441-9878 or visir us El ar www.feinus.com. ft1V61 p o r v e r ebdy i n n o v a r i o n ProductlnformationNumber288 \l9I A $ K W r , i l j l i U i _l i j j r, CHOOSETHE RIGHT SAW TO Miter Crown t Molding { }.: fue dccidedn installsomccrotunntolding,so I needto buy a saw Onc salesmantold me I'd rrceda compoundmiter saw.Another said I couldusca standardniter saw.Can yttu tell me wlich I rrced? Jason Parker Kansas City. MO 'l ,' To install crown nrolding, you have to fit the pieces tosether at the corners.This is usually done by mitering the enc'ls.Andyou can use either a standardor a compound saw. TI.re techniques for cutting crown are diflerent for each saw, though, so you have to understand how each one works. Miter Saw-On a standardrniter saw the blade and nlotor are mounted to a table that can be rotated to the ieft or right. If the table is set in tl.renriddle, the blade cuts straight acrossthe workpiece. Rotate the table,and the blade cLrtsthe workpiece at an angle.This is a nriter cut. Cornpound Miter Saw-A compound miter saw works the same way.But the blade assemblycan also be tilted so that instead of corning down vertically,the blade conres down at an angle.This is called a bevel cut. Cutting Crown Molding-When you cut a miter and bevel together, this is called a cor.r.rpoundr-niter.And that's the rype of cut needed for cutting the ends of crown molding. The rotatingtable and a pivoting head on a compound miter saw allow you to easilycut the compound miter that's necessarywhere molding piecesmeet at a corner. This is becausecrown molding sits at an angle between the wall and ceiling.This is called the "spring angle,"and itis not 45".That nreansyou cant lay the molding flat on the niter saw table,set the miter angle at 45o,and get an accuratecut. 'With a standardmiter saw,the solurion is to stand the nrolding on the saw table at its spring angle,as shown bclotulcft. This works very well, but it's a little fussy to set up. With a compound nriter saw,you rotate the table to the proper miter angle,and then tilt the head to the corresponding bevel angle.Then you can lay the nolding flat on the table to nrake the correct compound-nriter cut (belowright). For a complete guide to installing crown molding, check out the iiee article at'WorkbenchMagazine.com. Moldingsits upsidedown on saw table at its "spring angle" Tiltsawblade to 33.9' bevelangle Rotatetable to 45" miter angle Rotatetable to 31.6"miterangle HOwT0 SENDYOURQUESTTONS: WEHAVE ANSWERS! Ernail: Ask@workbenchmag. com Include your full name, address,and daytime phone number. You'll receivea free one-year subscription to Workbench (or o one-year extension to your current subscription)if we publish your question. 10 WORKBENCH APRIL2OO7 Forurns: forunrs.woodnet.net Mail: AskWorkbench,2200 GrandAve., Des Moines.1l'50312 --t -1DIIIIfTTNOV ASTAINCOUD DOIHAI1O IT,S ALL IN A NAME WITH SelectingCabinetDoors {}.: I'ut slroppirtt-for rtcu,kitrltut mbirrcts, nrtdI'rtr a littleoucrruhclnrctl b1,sl! 1l1g clnirt's.Fttrirtstattrc,tltc dcsigttcrtttld rttcI ltad tlrn'c clrciccsitt dttor stylg5;-fr1ll-oucrla1,, half-outrlay,nrtd irrsct.Wltdtdrc tltL' diftircrrtcsbctn,ccrtthasctltn,c stylcs? Kt'lly tu1at,,,, ColoradoSprirrg-i, CO .'[ : (]onver-rtionnl clbinets with firce fi':unescan Llserny of tl-rcsc. rypes of doors.Ancl nrany nunut:rcturc'rswill ofFercach type ou difTcrentcrbinet nrodelsin their line. So the type of cloor isjust palt of what cleternrines thc appcnranceof tl-rccabirret. Full-Overlay -Thc nrost colllnlon rype of cabinetcloor is thc full-overlay.With this rype, the cloor i s : r c t u : r l llyu l q u ' t l r ; r r tr l r e o p c r r i r r qi r r tl-recrbinct f:icc fi-lnrc.Tlrat n)c:rnsthc cloor ovcrhps the openine on rrll sidcs, and thc full thickness of thc door' protrudes beyoncl tl.rcfi'nnie (top riglrt). HalCOverlay - Halfiovcrlay In justthreesteps-you canchange the look of your furniture: siuulthecxisting finiih .@Hgttly md clean. d!ilDApptVthe OklMasters WipingSrain evenlyontothesurfacc anddry hrush thestainfor anevenappearancc. with aplearfinishsuehas @&ppnat polytrcthane. OldMastcrs recommends at leasttlree-coats ftrroptimal.durability. It won'tbe_lgng beforeyou'llsay T Can'tbelievea staincanllo-THAT!'' cloorsrrrcalso built larger thrn thc oper-rir-re ilr the cabinct fl'iunc'.IJut on '.s this typc oltcloor, tl-rere a rabbet cut arc-rurtcl the pclinrctcr of t]re door''s insic'lef:rcc thlt fbrnrs :r lip.The cloor still overlapsthc fl':rrrreopeninu, but becrusc' tl'rc r:lbbctccl portion of tl-re cloor fits within the opcninu in tl-rc frrne, only a portion of the door's tl.rickness(r-rsuallyhalf) plotrr.rdes beyond tlre facc fnnte (uiddlc ridrt). Inset-An inset cloor is nracle just slightly srtrallertl.ranthe openine Cabinet FaceFrame Half-Overlay Door Partial thickness of door is visible in the clbinet fi'rrnre.Asa result,the cloor fits into the opening in the cabinet f.rce fi'anre so thrt the facc of the door is flush with tl.refice fi"une (6otlolr nclrr/. Inset doors lre the le:ist conlnron in uranueictr.rred cabinets.TIrey're also r.rsuallypriced the higl'restof the three types.That's becauseir-rsetdoors lnust be sized preciselyto cl)surcr r'orrsistcnt, good-looking gap between the door and the f.rce fi'ame or-rall sides. Product Information Number 202 Door coversportion of faceframe. InsetDoor {ss{{ EASY-TO-INSTALL FITTINGS PUTAN ENDTO Banging WaterPipes ' WtL'rt rttlt11t4t11 11gttraclittt'-firtishes worn fiom rr-rbbing,which could create u,ith tntcr, tlrc Ludtcr pipesbdtrc :r lcak.Luckily.rhc solutiorris siruple. fillirt,q lotrdly.I'ru ctrrtccnrcd tlnt tlris u,ill datnagc You can buy inexpensive watertlrc pipcsor tlrc trracltinc.Wtat's causirr,q hammer arrestorsat the home center tltis,rurd is tlruc a y4y s6 rlltp it2 o r : r p p l i a r r cset o r c . T l r e sjeu s t s c r e w JasorrMorrisorr Aurt Arbor,MI ' ! -, This is crlled "wlrcl haurnrer" or'"pipe shock." It I'rappc-ns rvhen the watc'r-shr.rtofT valvesin tl-rervashins ur:rchinc'close rapidly.The fl owing rv,rtt'r'sllrrrrsirrto tlre vlrlvcs.clc;rtirrg back pressnre:rnd a shock wrve inside the pipc.s.Asa result,the pipes rattlcanclbang. Aside fionr being annoying, the bangine conld eventu:rllycausea pipe to crlck, work loose at a joir-rt,or get onto the rvrter supply spigots,and the hoses for the washer screw onto the arrestors (belou,). Thc anestors wolk like a shock absolber.The tall chunber has a piston irrside that holds back a supply of ail above it (lllrrstrntiorr). The chanrber below the piston fills up with rvater. When the water flow shuts dorvrr,b:rck pressure r r ilte plstolt up, PLrsnes rbsorbins the shock :urcl preventing the shock rvave in thc' pipc'. Spigot Water-Supply Hose ONE HOT WAY TO Strip Paint andthetrim Q: I'^ rEaintingtheexteriorof my old house, and doorshavemanycoatsoJpaint. Suapingthemis dfficuh, Is therea betterway? andpaint stripperis slowand messy. Matt Conrad Batauia, IL A: tt , best tool I've found for removing paint from exterior trim is a heat gun. Itt like a high-performance hair dryer that heats the paint enough to partially melt it and loosen its grip on the wood.Then you can scrapemultiple layers of paint oft'easily with a putty L'xife (Photo).Thismakes a heat gun fast and effective,but using one requires precautions. First, the paint on an old home often contains lead.And lead fumes are more harmful than lead dust. So you need to wear a respirator when using a heat gun, not just ^ dust mask. Second, the gun and the paint both get quite hot. So dont touch either until they've cooled for a moment or tvvo. Finally, you can char the paint or wood ifyou overheat it. So keep a spray botde ofwater close by to cool things off. of paint,allowing A heatgunquicklysoftensmultiplelayers themto peelup easilyin largestrips.Justbe sureto weara paintthat maycontainlead. respirator whenremoving Whatareyouwaitingfor? Hove you hove been looking for o reoson to try Pocket-Screw Joinery? lf so, the new R3 Kreg Jig@is it... Whether you're building fine cobinetry or moking simple repoirs oround the house, this full-feotured PocketHole Jig is the perfect tool for the iob! Kreg Quolity. Amozing Volue. The R3 Kreg Jig@. to Quick odiustments ioin r/2"-l-r/2"lhick moteriol. Wood chip relief holes Secureto the workpieceusingneorly mol<efor on eosier drill-stroke. ony style of clomp. ProductlnformationNumber220 www.kregtool.com 800.447.8638 NO HELPER? NO PROBLEM. MAKEAN ADJUSTABLE Dryvuall"Lifb" l-renMatt lJoh:rnof Llrsinq, Michiq:lrr,firuncl hinrsclf lvithout rny hclp to hans fbr thc top clcrrt,cut it ro flf, rncl thcn lirstcn rvith scl'ews. T]rc nrouuting urnr is lrcxt. Itlsjust:r scrrrp?r.l clr'yu,ull. hc built ;r plil of . r . l j u s t : r l r l t " ' l i l i tso" [ . e l r i i scconclsct of h:rncls(Pltoto). Erch lift cr.rrrsists of tw() p:lrts:ltn lcljr-rst:rblc support :rnrllr rrrotrntrrrq lrrrr (,'1-i.t11111l/1, I icrr,/.TItc rvith :r countcrborccl shrrnk holc clrillcdin it to housc thc crrrri:rgcbolt. Aficr' instrrllinsthc bolt, fit thc lucljtrstnrcnt slot ()vcr it, sr.rpp()rt holclsthc shcct of dlywrll. It :rlsoh;rsan :ruqlccl adjLrsturcntslot that flts ovcr n c:rrriascbolt irrstrllcclin thc urountiuq llrn. WIrcn you t:lp thc support to tltc togcthcr rr,'it]r:r fi'nclcr rl,rrsher lncl u'irrg rrtrt. Tir lrlng rrshcct of dlv.ulrrll. star-tby clrunl.rinec:rchlifi to lr rvallsnrd,-1,*j7:" rlorvrr fiorn the ceilirrg(Z:" rrrorcth:urtlrc siclc,thc slot lcts it nrovc up, rvl-ricl-r r':riscsthc dryrvall. Thc strirportis nracleup rvirlth of :r shcct of clrvrvrrll). ,tl)(i tll('r) "\iluq of two rvcc'lqc-shapec'l llils :tuclthrcc clcirts.Thettvo sidc clcartsc()nltcct thc nils. Tl-rcscclerts, rrsr,vcll;rsthe top clcrrt th:rt flts bctu,ecu thenr, cxtencl irbovc t]ic u p p c r r . r i l . T I r i sf t > r r r r:sr l i p thrrt prevents thc dry'"v:rll fi'oni slipping off tl're supports (ScttiortViL,ru). Bcfore rrttechin{aany clerrts,thoush, set the rrrils on a flrt surfrcc, :incl spircc B 16 111 'If thcnr %" irpxrtto folnr thc ldjustnrcnt slot.Norv cl:rnrp thc siclcclcrrtsin plrrcc,:rncl frrstenthcrrr lvit]r scrcrvs.As 1$ Clamping two "lifts"to the wallstudsmakesit easyto support a sheetof drywall.Tapthe liftssideways to raisethe sheetto the ceiling, freeingyourhandsto drivescrews. tltt }),1;'1i Aficr hfiirrg thc cft'yrvrrll up onto thc strirpolts.b:rck ofFthc thc r,vir.rg nut orr ( ) r ) cs u i r p o l t . T I r e nt l p t l r c support lrsslrorvn:rbovcto r . t i s et l t c s l r e e rt r p : r g . r i r r : t TOPCLEAT ( h " x 1 1 / 2x" 1 1 " 1 T3" _qtc! \ fi- -* sAs"x 41/2" CarriageBolt \*\ SIDECLEAT e" Fender\ Washer / Adjustment \ 5/rs"wing Nut \ Slot €/s"Wide) I 7s"counterbore, 72"deep .Top Cleat Side Cleat Rail Mounting 'Arm P/4"x11/2" x61/4") rr,r: :i|:t;iixi,f: *r:i*n WORKBENCH APRIL2OO7 scrc\vsto sccrlrctllc shcct. #8 x 11/q" Fh Woodscrew @"*"^ MOUNTING ARM (11/2" x 31/2" x 12") t h c c c i l i r r s . A tt h r r tp o i l t , r i g h t c n t h c r v i r r gr r u t o n tlrrrtsrrpport,:rnri rcl'rclrt tltc proccssfirr-thc sccond support.Y(rrrcltrrrrrxl clnvr Ernail: tips@wolkbenchnr:rs. conr Mail: WorkbenchTips & tchniques, 2200GrandAve.,Dc'sMoines,IA 50312 VISUALIZE DESIGNWITH A $imple Tape Template To help visualize how his br.rilt-in enteltainnrent center rvoulclIoclk in its desisnatcclsplce, l3ob Kell:rnd of L a y i n go u t t h e project directly on t h e w a l l g i v e sa good sense of the finishedscale of a project St John ls,Newfouncllln d, Canaci:r, hicl out thc project clircctly orr the wrll usins paintcr'.sur:rskinqtape tllltr.;rr,rtiort). E.rclrstrip ()t tirpe reprcsentL'ciir slrclt,cliviclcr,clbinet top, or lrrn of urolcling. l-lob touts this tcchnicltrers :r slcalt wily to "scc" thc projcct befolc you builcl it to llct a rcirlisticscnseof scrle lncl to hclp cstiurlrtcthc nrrteri:rls rccl.rircclto builcl it. Ancl, if lftcl cx:uuining thc "teruplrrtc" yor-rdon't c:rrc fix tlrc Painter'stape makes layingout and readjustingbig projectseasy tlcsisn, sinrply rcposition thc trpc to crc:ite a pl:rn that bettel suits yrtur neccls.Whcn yor.r'rcsatisf-ic.cl with thc c{esiqn,trlnsfcr thc clctlils to x papcr plan thrt yolr crn builcl fi-onr while in thc shop. FoamCarving I)cnrris Orch:rrcl of Milton,Vc.r"uront,fbuncl tl-ratcuttirtr-t r.rpholstcry fbanr was nrorc chlllcnginq tlran it sccnis.Hc triccl v:rrious knives ancl saws,but lll left rough eclqesthat wcre often visiblc evcn aftcr covcring the fo:rnr with fablic. Whilc c:rrvins a holic-layturkey, howevcr, it occurrecl to l)cnnis th:rt his clcctric crrviuq knifc' would be jr.rstthc tickct to nrake quick. clerrncuts in the fo:rnr. 18 WORKBENCH APRIL2OO7 FURNITUREFLOSS KarenFowlerof Culver, Oregon,makesa hobbyof r e p a i r i nogl df u r n i t u r eO. n e o f t h e p r i m a rcyh a l l e n g e se sh facesin her pastimeis re-gluingveneerthat rsseparating from itssubstrate. Getting e n o u g hg l u e betweenthe looseveneer andthe substrate is often difficult,andshehasbroken off enoughpiecesof brittle veneerto knowthat lifting the thin material to make spaceis rarelythe answer K a r e n 'sso l u t i o ni st o u s e dentalflossto dragglue i n t ot h e a r e ab e i n gr e p a i r e d . Shefirstdipsthe flossinto a p u d d l eo f g l u e ,a n dt h e n u s e sa s e e s a w i nm gotion to spreadthe gluebetween t h e v e n e ear n ds u b s t r a t e Asidefromcleaningbetweenteeth,dentalfloss isalsoa perfectwayto spreadgluebetweenloose veneeranda substrate whenmakingrepairs. AVOID"UPHEAVAT'BY CAULKING Driveway Joints Heavinq concrete - or concrctc that seenrsto rise up out ofthc eround every Concrete FIRST:CutV-notch Slab withutility knife r'vinter'- is ri cotttttton problenr irr colder cliurates. It\ ofterr cluscd by rv.rtt'r r-urclernelththe concrete fi-eezinsrnci pusl-ring upw:rrclon the concrete shb. To avoid this, Errl Lanrb of Brainerd, Minnesota, caulks explnsion joints to rurakethenr watelproof. Hc' SECOND: Fillexpansion jointwithcaulk D a l eS i m so f L e e s b u r q . Virginia, foundthat the bestway to fine-tune a pieceof rigid foaminsulation to fit intoa studcavrtvwasto usehishandheldpowerolaner. Theplanerleaves a cleanedgeon the foam(lnsetPhoto)and allowsyouto makefineradjustments thanyoucouldotherwise. Beprepared to cleanup a lot of foamshavings, though. usesl self-levelingcaulk likeVulkcrn 2.{5.To get c r r o r r g hc u u l k i n t o t h e j o i r r r . flrst ctrt rV-shrped wedge into thc cx1-xrnsion urlterial r.rsinqrr shrrp utility knifc. .- r ,il f t L I ;r .F"nJF,ll ll t ta T o r e c e i v e v o u r l e b a t e . i u s t s e n d t h i s ( o u o o n w i t h v o u r n a m e . a d d r poshso n p n u m b p r I from thiboxandacopv:?i"1?[lfrfi::13i,::Jiji::1,:5i3,lxll;::":1'3]""'uPc F IUlAtL-lN .rrt r.- REBATE - O*toi."j.f DOCtOf mOdel excepi 300 & 3s0x On any Dfill PLANE.TO.FIT RIGIDFOAM [eDa.fe_LOOe Rebate Code WB ProductInformation Number275 i;tt'flfi:l"'fis::il?Hil'rmonrne ie$e'i1!i[:ii:"':"' orcall1-800-741-1365 euqerqr' Douglas, ^' Az oJoJJ8565s.1105 | ruJ qr ldrr r-ouu-'$ r' rror 30'2a0T Rebatecannatbercmbined f,ii':":l:il!::1,::,i:;'f:il2:!,',!i"1-Apr BRUSHSAVER TRIANGULATEFORA SAFE Holdarmsparallel with ground Ladder Angle Marcus Clewett ofTempe, Arizona, spendsa lot of time going up and down a ladder while working on his home. So he knows that properly setting a ladder up can be the difference between an uneventful climb or lms evenwith top of rung a nasry fall. One of the most critical elements of ladder saGty is setting the ladder at the proper angle. Many ladders have alignrnent guides printed on the side to help you position the ladder. But if the guide is rnissing or obscured, you can always check the angle by placing your toes against the ladder rails and stretching out your arn1s,so they are parallel to the ground (Illustration).If Toestouching ladderbase your pahls can rest on top ofa rung, the ladder is at a safe angle. Haveyou evernoticed how painttendsto wick andclog up the bristles nearthe ferrulewhen usinga paintbrush for a longperiodof Briggs, of time?Stanley Vancouver, Washington, did.And afterhaving to throw awayseveral brushesprematurely cleaning that because paintout of the bristles wasnearlyimpossible, he discovered that simplyby dippinga brushinto the appropriatesolventbepre painting(waterfor latex paint,mineral spirits it made for oil-based), much easier cleanup the and extended lifeof hisbrushes. 'lr[lNlf#f,hoprt this POWERMATIC I ll yourchancetol f,f t A value of over $S,000! Now you can get from Rockler the same great Powermatic tools the pros use.PLUS,enter for your chanceto win one of 4 Powermatic workshops! Enter daily online at www.rockler.com/oowermat:G or visit near you. To call the store nearest you, dial l -877-ROCKLER s|*9.95"L"**, Create with Confidence" Product Intormation Number 214 Code731 PERFECT-FITTING TRIM WITH r -l Mlter uaw Blade Stop While instalhng neu' trim throushotrt his l-rouse,Tonr Ericson of I)enver, Cololado, found that he often h:rd to trinr a tir.rylnount olFthe lenglh of :r rvolkpiccc to nuke ir fit pe#i.ctly. After several fmstrating occrlrrencesof cutting offjust a bit too nruch with his nritel sarv,he found that tlre best way to "sneak up" on thc' cut was to use the saw b l l d e i t s c l i ; r s: l " s t ( ) 1 . "t o p o s i t r o r r the workpiece. Witl.r the cuttins heaciitr the "down" position rrnd the saw not running, bLrttthe enc-lof tlre work;riece rgrir-rstthe /rorlyof tl.rc bladc'(not the tecth),:rsin Fiq. /. Thcn hold tl.repiece in posrtror.r, lrd raiscthc blrdc. Now porver up thc slv rncl nukc thc cut /Fig. 2) to renrovejust a slivcr of ntatcrill. ZAR ULTRA Mox comesin quart and gollonsizes. It is ovailablein gloss,semi-gloss and satin sheens. ULTRAMax is an environmentallysafe,revolutionary dual drying polyurethane.ltdries by coalescing& oxygen cross-linking for a harder"throughcure." r Self-leveling, smoothfinish r ldealfor floors,cabinets. furnitureand woodwork r Outstanding wearand durability . Superfastdrying-lowodor formula r Exotichardwoodsapproved YEARS For more information and a dealer near you call 1-800-272-3235or visit us at www.ugl.com. Product Information Number 245 SASTi]liili GETTHE MOSTFROMYOUR WaterHeater f;nsttre;rn ;rder;ua{r,r;up;rIy*{ h;ilt iruatelr;lnd mal<eyoulrwat*r henter rn$r'**ffici*nt by rl*aninq i{,r**lul,rrly" T h e p r o c e ssi s q u i ck a n d si rn p l e" pfOhlem i Your untcy lrcater, tulrichuscdtoput ttut crtouglr Irot watcrto handlca rcuplco_flongshowcrs, a ktadttf laundry, attdrnore ntnp,irrst catr't kccp up witlr demnnd, But thetuater , lrcatcrisn't thatold,andslrculdn'trrcedto bercplaced. i$#luti0n: Therek usually nothing wrong with a water heatel that no lonser keepsup. Itjust rrr'edsto be clcarredto ger lid of sediment that builds u p i n t h c t . r n k . T h i ss e d i nrent reclucescapaciry and ruakesthe water heater less efficient.To see why, you first rreed to understand how f, w:rter hcater works. A water heater is rerlly just a big tank in an insuhted shell.A burner (in ,r grs-fired heltcr') wrrrurs the wrter to a specified tenrper2rturc(Ill ustration). Becausethe wrter sits minerals :rnd other solids in the water have ample tilre to settle and collect at the bottorl.r of the tank.As this sediment builds up, it reducestrnk capacity. The sedinrentalso creatc'sa barrier between the water in the tank and tl.reburner below. That nreansthe burner has to in the tank until needed, Draining the Tank the Box at left. Ifthcrei no floor drain near the water heater,you / Closewatersupplyvalve / Openthe hot waterhandle on a faucet / Draintankuntilwaterruns clear,then closedrainvalve / Closethe openfaucet / Turnthe watersupplyon / Go backto faucetand run hot wateruntilallair is purged / Resetthermostaton heater 26 ColdWater lnlet run longer to heat the water, which has a big impact on utiliry bills. Getting rid of the sediment is easy,though. Every six months, you simply need to drain offthe water and sedinrent (Plxtnt).The procedures are detailed in / Turnthermostatto "pilot" To keepyourwaterheaterrunningefficiently, drainsedimentfrom the tank regularly. Drainthe tank untilyou've removedabout5 gallonsor any milkycolordisappears. can simply use a bucket, or hook r"rpa hose to the valve and direct it to a drain. Either way,just be careful. The water will be very hot. By the way, the drain valve on nrost water heaters is plastic,and it can crack if you ovcltishren it. But this is casyto get lrotrnd.Just drrin the tank corrrpletelyone tirrre and install a qualiry valve like the one shown in the Phottt. WORKBENCH APRIL2OO7 Pressure/ Temperature Valve Temperature ControlKnob Thermostat Drain Valve MAKEA PROPER PATCHFORA SEAMLESS Drywall Repair pfOblemiYou justfound out tuto thingsthe hard way: Door stopsare important,and a doorknobcanpunch a hole right throughdrypall with surprisingease.Nout you needto patclr that hole,so it won't be noticeable. Solutioni A doorknob can punch a remarkably clean-looking hole, but chances are the surrounding drywall will be cracked and weakened. So the first thing to do is cut out the areausing a drywall saw to make a 6"-square opening. This should remove the damaged dr1.wall. Plus, it's much easierto cut a squarepatch than a round one. Next, fit a couple of scrapsinto the the opening, and drive screws through the drywall into the scraps to secure them so they span the opening (Illustration). Now cut a piece of drywall to fit, and then screw it to the scraps. Screwscrap blockto wall i Screw patch to scrapblock Cutdrywall patchto fit i (t I Now you can tape and fill the seamsusing the tips on pages80 and 81. Spray on a bit of texture, and you're ready to paint. Mesh Drywall Tape Applyjoint compound in layersto covertape fen sTArns Precision Floating Stairs Precision Spiral cusro,it Steel Aluminum Stainless - Oak, Chcry, Mrplc or Mrhogr[y Hrndnllr & Trcadr All Wood with steel structare inside EconoSeries stockkits ProductInformation Number248 Mylen Strirs Inc. - Strir maken for over50yerrs. 710WashlngtonSt , Peeksklll,NY 10566 wwwury{r$im FactoryShowmomMon-Frl 9-6,Srt 9-l Product Information Number 195 A A FEWSIMPLEFIXESENSURE ProperlyTunedDoor Placedollar bill underdoor to checkgap I 'l: ", Tlrcrc'sa wp rtndcr ytttrrtxttrior door tltdt urt-fi'cl it attytilllp 1t1111'vg a//orls-sotttrrcltdir tltnttrylrtltdt 1,trrr tlu' dir is nbortttltt rltrl drn,qs, 5/1r-sc 61r Arrd bcmttst'tltc door-sag.s rtt't'dto trrtrt'rrlt tlrt' door tasil1,.\1t11 tlt(lt,qctstltntrr,qlt otrl1,711i,,., ad,itrsttttcttts. obvittrrs tltt,dttor,btrt tltcrcarctt'ttu11, : ' ,r . The splce tulrclerthc door is a notorious spot for :rir inflltration. Tlunkfully, tn:rny doors hrvc :rn rrdjustabletl.rresholdfor aclrieving :r tight seal(lllrrstrariol). But first yor,rncccl to tiqlrten tl.rec'loorhinges. Start by nraking sttrc thc' screwsth:rt attach the hinges to the cloor are tight.Then chcck the scrcrvsthat nttach the l.ringesto the cloorjantb. At leastone scl'cwrn each I'rirrgcsl.rouldbe a lor.rgone thrt passesthrough the jantb close the cloor'.Yousl-ror.rlcl be able to pr-rllthe bills out with nroderlte lcsistance. If thc'y slide out easily,tlu n the screr,vsin tlre face of the tl-lesholclto miseit.You nr:ry ar.rdinto thc rvrll stud (Hirqgc Dctnil).If none is, rcplaceoue of thc existinq sct'ewsin each hlvc to r-epelt this scveral lrirrgewith t#12 x 3" scr-cw tiuresto get the riglrt fit. Now you can ldjust the tl.rresholcl.Toclo tl.ris, lay a couplc of clollarbills on the threshold.and then Product lnformation Number 183 .1 G R E A T - L O O K I N GD, U R A B L EF I N I S H E SW I T H A H O M E Powder Coater W h c r r i t c o r ) l c st ( ) t l r c s s i r rugp h i n g c s . h:rrrdlcs. .rnd other lrlu-tlnlrlc :r:-ourrtl t l t c h o n t e .| r r i r r tt s o t - t c rtrl t c c h o i c c . I l u t p : r i r r t r r rrqr r e t l li s p r o L r l c r r r : r t i c . F i | s t , r l l t. t . t ( ) | g l tt ( r - l ( ' l. l ( ( ) t ) \ i \ t c n f l v s r n o o t l rf l n i s l t .l ) . r i n tr r l s ol t , r s: r tctttlcnct,t() run ilr(l dr-ip,lrrd it rsn't vcrv rlullrble.Non thcrcls:r bcftcr ltltcnrlrtir.ct<tplri111- p.rn rlcl r'olrtitrq. :rsit sourrcls. -fLrst l.rrxvtlcr' co:ltlilq is :t prol'r'\5 1]111 r'()rsists ot-spr.l'irrq:r colorctl pon tlc:-onto r r e t r r .i r n t lt l t e r rb : r k i r r g it to :r thrr:rbicfinislt. W l r . r tr n . r k e ist r i o r k i s r r sntlll elt'ctrir':rl t'lt.rr-qe tlr;rt i{ets:t||lietl to tlte rttctrtl.so tll:tt thc pon dcr strckslikc strrtrcclrtrq. Hcltt firrrr iln ()\'ct)t'ltrscstlre pon,clcrto "rrrclt."('l-lrist:rn bc .r strrn- tl:trtl ovctr or' ,rn ine r|crrsrve to,tstct' (,\L't) . i r r r t , l , , r rl ')rl . l t ) , , 1L)r . i I ] !i t l i , r l , ' , ' , 1 . 1f l t r ' I i . \ t r l ti \ ( ( ) l ) \ r \ t ( . I |(t..\ ! . r r c o k r r : r n t l . r i r r r r s l t J r : r r lns t o l c c l r i p , r r r t tl . r t l t . - t i . s r . r . tr lrtr.tr r r1 r . r i r r t . I t ^ r ' t l c r c O l t t t r r q\ \ , s t c l l ) \ t r s c t l t o [ r c t l r t t t c e x l l c t l s i V c .l t L t t r e r ' e l lt l t t l V l r n c c s huvc :rllrxvr'tl| )lYcrs to t'rcute tlrerr o \ \ I l ( ' ) . l t i l l { \t t . i i l q . r t tI I t (\ l \ r . n \ t \ ! ' porvrlcr-t'olrttrtqtool fiorrI (lr:rftsrnlrn ( I I r o r o , l t t I o t t , ) . 'ift c p o u d c l s t l ) i l f c i l r l b c t r s e t l u i r h t l r i s t o o l . r r - e. n ' : r i l . r [ r l ci n r rr l ur v r l i f l i ' r c r r t c o l o r s . t e r f r n ' e s .l r rr t l slrecrrs /.\iriry'r,i r, lx'lp11,si,pl 111. ( .t':tfisrr t.l I oflcrs lO tiitlt t'cltt t o]ors on t]tcit' n c b s i t c ( ( . r ' r r t i sr rrr r r r . c orrt ) . : r n r l t l r e r c : r r t ' t l o z e r r so i f o u ' d e r s l n : r i l : r l r l ef i o r r o t l r t ' r s u p p l r e r s( s r r c J.tr s( ) r r s n e l l l ) l ; r t i r r g . c o r r r ) . Clean It- lle tirre tlrc pou tlcr c r r n l r c : r p p l i c t l ,i t ' s c l r t i t ' e l t i r r r t x r r r rcnro\/c ,llly nrst. dirt, or-prc-:rpplicd HOMEPOWDER-COATING KIT Powdercoatrngat home i s p o s s i b lt eh a n k st o t h i s S190 kit from Craftsman, plusa special colored powder. .*.1 * \ -r l[-i I, \' 30 W O R K B E N CAH P R I L2 O O 7 finisl-ron the hl'c|varc.Thc bcst rv:tv t o J o r h . r ti \ t ( ) \ o , r kt l t c f . i t ' t r ' i r t Lrcquel thinrtcl ovcrliight.Thetr sclub it rvith :r u'ile blistle blush to qet dorvn to brirc nictrrl (l:i.g.l). Charge It-To rlct tl.rc;rorvclc'r you neecltcr to cling tci thc h:rrclrv:rrc, :rppl,vru'rc'lectric:rlchlr-rc to it.With thc (lrrrftsrrnnsvstcnr,thts rs rtccotti rvire thlt lr.rns plisheclr.r'ithrr gr-or.rncl fronr thc pou'el prrck of thc' tool anr'l gcts clippccl fo thc hlrclr'vrtt-e. If yor.ru'lnt to co.rt nrultiplc plrts, jr.rstcor)l)cct thc qxruncl rvilc t ( ) , l n ) ( ' t . r tl r , l \ ' .t l l ( r r ' l r ) ', l r , r l g i r r {t l t c c n t i r c s u l t i l c c . T h e ns c t r r l l t h e i t c r r r s to bc cc'ntcclon it. lt's :tlso:t qoocl the cartridge fromthe tool, 1l Toget the powderto adhereproperly, 2l Remove using and loadit with the coloredpowder. scruballthefinishoff the hardware Any powderthat'snot usedis reusable. lacquer thinneranda wirebrush. iclclrto corrcf thc tr';rvrvith :tlutttilttttil firil, so vou cun lcr,lscit. Ancl this rv:ry, thc tlrry rvor]'t gct porvclcr-corttccl, u,hiclr cor.rlclintcrfc'r'cu,ith thc clcctr-ic:rlclrrrrqc. IJc lrvlrrc thlrt t>rrccvou c()llt tl)c purts,thc ;rorvclcru'ill gct knockccl ofi thc trrrv if you touch thcrn,so h:rrrcllc c:rrefirlly.If you clo touch u pilrt, thouqh, just rccorrtthc rrrcrryoLrtouclrccl. If you h:rvcllnv piu'tsth:tt volt rv:ttrt to lc:rvcur)c()iltccl(strchlrs()r) t]rc (lool' h:u'tlrvurc()n p:lgc 30), vou'll ncccl t<r 3l Aftercharging the tray,spraythe powderacrossthe piecesuntilthey're rnmnlotolrr cnrrorod wrip thcilr rvith :r s;'rcci:rl hiuh tcrrrpcr:rtu|c ni:rskingtrpc.This tepc is :rr'rtil:tblc flrrc rrristonto tl)c hartlu':rrc(l:i,q..11. tnln :ury pou,cicr-co:rtinqsupplicr. I{ecp sprrryirruur)til rl)c lrrrrclu,:rrc is ;rppl1,tlrc porvclcr' Coat It-Tir coirting, stllrt bv lolrdirrg thc t'cutor,:tblc corrrplctclycoiltccl,ltrtcl lurv lrclclitiolr:rl c:rrtriclqcof thc tool rvith porvclct|( )\\'rlerslre.lit ttf tlrr' itt t't.rr'e. //-'ig.2).Then rcconrcct thc c:rrtric'lsc, :rrrclpressthc triqqcl' to lclcusc :t Bake It-Ti) curc thc l.rtxvclcr', sct thc ovcr) (usurrllv:rt :rrorurcl-l(X)o 4l Bakethe hardwareat the desiredtime and temperatureto get the powder to melt and fuse to the metal. firr ,0 to 30 rrrinutcs),rncl calcfirlly plrrcc thc tlly insiclc.As thc por'vcler "b:rkcs,"you'll scc it ulaciu:rllynrclt :r snrooth coatinq (l:i.q.1). to pr'<rrlucc Aftcl bukirrg,.yust :rlkrw t]rc h:rrch,vl'e tEfl t . r ' r r o l . . r r t ri tl ' r t - , ' , t r lryo t r r . . POWDER.COATI NGOPTIONS COLORFUL , \# A numberof classic and antiquecolorsand sheens areavailable, suchasthis glossyPearlescent White. Redfinish A Transparent allowsa hintof the brassbeneathto showthroughthe vividcolor. a GoldVeinpowderproduces crackled, texturedfinishwith hintsof goldfleckmixedwith glossyblack. Anothereye-catching finish is Sparkling GrannySmith Itsboldgreencoloris enhanced with silverflecks. www.WorkbenchMagazine.com 31 NO-FAILAPPROACHTO Removins Waste Piece aWall Stfd Don't let wall studsdictatewhere a built-in fikethe displayniche(pg. 66)goes.lf one'sin the way, removeit and reinforcethe opening. i I Lay out the location of the niche on the wall. 2] Cut an opening in the drywall 3" taller and 6" wider than the niche using a utiliry knife (Illustratiort,top right). 3 | Set your circular saw for a full-depth cut. Cut carefully acrossthe stud near the top and bottonr of the opening (Photo,above). 4l Use a hand saw to complete each cut (lnset). 5J Carefully pull the stud free. Note: This may pull some screws through the dr)'wall on the backside of the stud.You'll need to patch these holes with joint compound. 6l Cut 2x4 "header" and "sill" pieces to fit between the studs adjacent to the opening. Screw them to the two exposed ends of the cut-offstud, and to the adjacent studs with pocket screws (Illustration, bottom right). 7] Cut two "trimrner" pieces to fit between the header and sill. Screw them in place with pocket screws on either side of where the display niche will be mounted. El Install the display niche (page68).-Ihen patch in drywall, and mud and tape the dr)'wall joints to create a smooth, flat suface around the niche. (For more on this, seepage 80.) 32 woRKBENcH ApRrLzooT 2Tz"Pocket Screw E(. il Ttil L] U h Drywall ' tr addeasy elegance uuith aint and glaze ere a great way to add color to an otherwise ordinarv piece of furniture. This sideboardis a perfect example. But you alsocan take it a step further and add a simplemotif like this pear design. This is possiblewith a unique faux-finishing product known as Wood lcing, a creamy,water-based productwith the consistency(and look) ofpeanut butter.By applying the icing over stencilsthat are attachedto the piece,you can create the decorativedetailsyou seehere. This pear designrequiresthree stencils:a grid stencilto createa backdrop,and wvo overlappingstencilsfor the pears.(Seethe Buyer'sCuideon page40 for sourcesofstencilsand suppliesyou'll needfor this and other Wood Icing projects.) Paint Base Coat-The first step of this,or any'Woodlcing project, is to apply a basecoat of paint.We sandedthe sideboardfirst with 220grit sandpaperand then brushed on a coat of the white basepaint that's includedwith theWood Icing kit. Optional Crackle-After the paint dries,you may chooseto add a "fissuremedium," or crackle medium, asitt sometimescalled (Fig.1). (This product is alsoincluded with the Wood Icing kit.) It causes the icing to developsmall cracksand fissures, producing an antique look. Background Grid-Once the crackle skinsover (in about an hour), it's time to use the grid stencil to createthe background design.Todo that, first spreadon the Wood Icing (Fig.2). Now lightly mist the icing with a spraybottle of water to prevent the grid from sticking.Next, pressthe grid into the wet icing (Fig.3),and carefullylift it offto leavethe grid pattern behind (Fig.q. Let the icing dry overnight, and then sandit lighdy with a 220-grit sandingblock to remove any imperfections. start with a base,add a grid ':. lLF-: !) ": appearance, 2l Usea puttyknifeto applya thin 1l lf youwanta "crackled" roll"fissure medium"ontothedoorpanel. (7s) layerof Woodlcing.Youcanleave Thiswillcause cracks to formintheicing. someof the ridgesto add interest. design, 3l To imprintthe background usethe puttyknifeto pressthe grid stencilintothe icing. peelup the stencil, and 4l Carefully removeit fromthe doorpanel.Letthe icingdry overnight beforeproceeding. urww.WorkbenchMagazine.com 39 PAINT POWER: make the pear motif With thc qnrl prrttcr-nconrpletc. l,orr clllr qct st:rftccl()n tlrc pc:r| ntofrf-.It's crc.rtcclNitlt tNo ovcrlrtppitrgstcrrcils t i r r r tc o r r r ct o g c t h c l 'j t r . r s c t . T l t c t l l s t f()sitioncd thc stcncilso thc pclr rlcsiqrru':tsccntcr-ccl oll tltc (ioor prrncl:rrrrlthcn t:rpcdit irr plucc.TJtc t , t l l rl'l t i ' \ ' r ' l ) tt l\t t s l t ' r r r 'tri Ir r r r. l r i l i i r r q stcncil cfclrtcsthc pg11-..,. stclil. illtd lcrrvcs/1Iitrtur, /tli). :rnd thc scconti :rtlls :rxrurrtl.n'hich uoulrl luirr tlrc rlcsiqn. I t ' sl r l s or n r p o l t l r n tt o t r l n s f c l t l t c rcqtstr:ttiorrrrril'ks(tirunrl ()n lltost ovcrlrrppirruI c:r'cs /1)/rirttr, /rr'/rri rr. Mirror Images- ()rrc othcr rrrLrltr-lrn'cr stcrrcils)to thc r'loor. i rrrport:rrrtr)()tc.ll)()utf ltrsp11'1i1'11111-Tlt.tt n:rr,,vou'll bc rrlrlcto loc;rtc f]tc p n r j c c t : W cn e r r t c c tl h c r r r o t i t io n t h c r r ' rt r i l r l s t C t t r ' i. lr r ' tr t t - . t t r ' l r . rloors to bc rrrir-nr irrrltqcs.Th:ltls c:ls1ly Not' Ioul'c i-cuclvto rrpplt'thc 5 ] r . 1 : c , rr n i r ' 1 o : , p r i l , t c l . irl t i r r1 . r y l r t t t r t l o \ / i , l i i l r , , , i { | r | 1 . l i t , , t i l i ( . t (i l l ( l : r c c o r r r p l i s h cbcvl f l i p p i n ut l t c s t c r r c r l s f i r r r r ro r r c c k r o lt o t l t c r r e r t .( ) i c o t r r s e . v o u ' l l n ec c l t o n r : r k c\ u r c t h c s t c t r c i l s .u'coricntcrl corrc(-tlvto st.ll'tofi. For' t J r i sp n r j c c t ,t l r . r tr r r c : r npt o s i t i o r l i r r tgl r c pcilr stcnrsso tlrcv poirrtcil in tonlrnl l c , l V i " . o l l r { , i ) l t l r ( r r ( l a l r , . , , i r l r( t l ) i ) l t i ,l,( ) tlrc siclclro:rrdls (llroto,pa,gt.)ll). tlr-rru,crs Attach the First Stencil-Witir t l r l r rr r r t t t i : r d q , o l t l r c r r .t rl r r t sl c t t l t c , r ( l ( i( 1 ( , 1 ) l l t , l t ti l1 i \ i 1r r. , f l r s ts t c r r c rol r ) o r ) eo i t l r c d o o r s . W e ol .l c,lili' A|] ytrLi\'r,oili\iollr \,'\r,r!'{l(ri)st, W<rotlIcinq. As rorr c;ut sce irr 1:ig. . i . t h r s r s . j L r sl itk c i c i n g r r c u k c .U s e r r k n i t c t o s p l c : r dt l t c i r ' i r r g : l c n r sfsl r c s t e r r c i lt,r l l i n q i r r t l t c c r r t o t r t sH. c r c ltqrlin.rlon't n orr\' ;rbout qcttlnq it r r b s o l r r t c lst n r o < > t lIr{.r d c c s. r r r dr i p p l c s rur'ltl tcrtrrle to tlrc dcsiqtr. ( ) r r c c t h . r t ' sd o n e, c . r r c f i r l l v r c l l r ( ) \ ' ct h c s t c n c i l 1 / : i g 6. , ) . V t t rr r r ; r 1 , n o t i c e u t c r i l o r - r q l cr r l q c sl t n t r r n t lt l t c c l c s i g r tb, r r t d o n ' t u o r l r , . J u s t l c t t l t c i c i r r u d r - , vo v c r n i q h t .r r r r l t h c n r r s c 2 2 {) - g r i ; s : r r r t l p r r l .troc r"-k n o c k r l o n n " BU Y E R ' G 5 U ID E tlrc rough cilqcs. Second Stencil-Non itls.justrr t t t : r t t cor i p o s i t i o n t n qt h c s c c o n t sl t c n c i l ott tlrc door .r:rd:titlirrq trrorcWootl Icirrst() conrplctctlrc rtrotif 1,li'g, 7/. Second Door-Whcr) \ , ( ) uq c t r - c ; r t i tvo r c p c 1 61 l 1 gp r o c e s s( ) l r t h c s c r ' o r r tdl o o r , r e n r c l r L r c lt o H i p t l r c s t en c i l s .A n d r l o t r ' t f i ) r g c f t o c l r : r r rt h c i r i r t q r t f i t l t L . t l t t t t l . l \ ( ' l i r r (\' ( ) 1 1 \ ( ' tlrcrnlrq:rirr. 6 ] O r r ri , v t - r Ll tr , r i ' t , r l - r l t l i r ' , 1 i i r i t ( i l . l , l r l r ' l t r l r l l r i , . , l r , r r Ii I I r r , i rt l i l i r l r r n q r l t y . \4 \t) ' "4 1 i ,i 40 ll l r : , i ' t i r t , i ( , ! 1 , , { r ' i (i i) | l l . l i ( S o t r l l t . : ' , i t i t l l s i . r .L; ' l t , , i r , .lr',..)r',,r,{r f . i r r , ' , c c o r sr cl (l . l c r i .I l l e r r r . r l r p l yi l r c t c l r qa r r r p l r : el o i l r r : , , I r ,t . rj lL t : l. r : l' r l f o r i r W O R K B E N CAH P R I L2 O O 7 highlight with color A [crv firr:rltou('he\- l':rirrt.Sllzt'.;rnd. if vor.rrvlr-rt,sonie gilt clcrrnr-:rt'e lll th:it\ needed to contplcte youl r:rise'dstcncilnr:rsterpiecc. st:rrtecl Start with Paint-We by printing thc cloor prrnelswitl.r tl.re snnrebasc color paint usccion the sicleboard.Weclic'lthis so the ql;rze, :rt'eIrt, rvo tt I cl h :ive r,vl'ri c h i s sen.ti -tnt n s1-r I h c s : t t t t c" o l d - r i t , r - I , 1e"t l c r ' ti l c r ( x s the cutire piece of firr-nitulc.Stult bv brrrshinetl.rc'door' (l;i.q.8),:tttclfhcrr srvitch to r snirrlllollcl to stttooth thc p:rint befolc :rpplying thc glirzc. Add Glaze-Non voui'c t'crttlv i r r ' t r r. i J ' r r l . \ ' 1 l r i l i t a i - r , l \ i ' f | ] . rA r 1 . . , : i t , (j r ( r v t ( r r 5 9 l \ ' l r : . t r l , t t l : l r ' l l i l t ' t l l . t : r t ' r , t ' tIi llrl , l t t I , r r t l t G t t , i ' r ta . i i ) r . r r t i, r i l c ji l ! r . ' . ll l r t t s l l i o c l . t i ,r ti r i ,r . r l t \ 1 1 ii il i\ , ( . tl l t r , t r t l i t t , , i l O ( ) r to :rclclthc glrrzc.Wc r.rseclthe nvo AclunGllzc proclnctsshorvrrirr thc htycr's ()rridcon pitsc -10.Aftcrr r r i r i r r gt l t e r t tt o r l . ' r l t . t i r t t l t t p r ' ( ) [ ) ( ' r ' r:rtio,blush the gl:rzconto thc tkrot' (ljrq'.9/.Thcn srvitch to cl.rccscclotlt to renrove sonrc of tlrc gllzc, rts shorvn in ljig.r.10 €. 11. flnrtl tlctrril Gilt Cream-OIrc vou rrrly wlrt to tly is to highlight thc cclgcsof thc pcrrs r.r'ithnrct:rllic gilt crcrurr(l)lroto, pnqc.l f . This rrclds :r hirrr of sold color',nrcl it ct'catcsthc .rrountl thc cdscs illusion of shrrclorvs oithe pcrrrs,acldinsfirrthcr clepth to tl-rcclcsiqn. Tb apply thc gilt crcrrnr,stru'tbv ptrttinu l snrrrllcllb oiit ou y()ur' flnqer'.Thcnjr,rstlr.rbit rrlongthc tH r',lr1errrl-tlrr' pr'.u'\:lnrl lc.rve*. 1 I . j l u ; i t . t i . . il 'l r ! ' i r L rl ' ' ' . . r , , , i 1 . , , 1 r . . 1i i:rii l t i r r C i . t i t , t I t . L 'i t l i r j r t t ' l r - t f i , r a , ' THEOPTIONS EXPLORE www.WorkbenchMagazine.com 41 better KITCHEN Oldappliances, datedcabinets, andcrumbling countertops maybe why you'vechosento remodelyour kitchen,but how you remodelyour kitchenis a questionof design. To trulyremodelyourkitchenis to reshape the spaceto conformto the wayyou live.And to do that, youwill needa plan. WORKBENCH APRIL2OO7 t r# q ,f. %" www.WorkbenchMagazine.com DESIGNERS 44 woRKBENcH ApRtL2oo7 laborate, form:rl nrealsare occasionally pr-epared hele. Modest nreals ar-eregularly preparcd nrrrl eatenherc. Friends gather here for coffee and convers:rtion.Thisis wher-ethe n'railsets sorted, the phone gets answered,and the bills get p.rid. And if you know wherc to look, you can find l}rrd-Aids, pain relievers,and other of lifet rer.nediesinside one of the cabinets.It is the figur-ativeand literai center of this hone. It is the kitchen.This kitchen belongs to Scott and Nancy Schroeder,ofAdel, Iowa, and itt newly rer.uodeled. kitchen that nreets the Consult a Professional *A unique r.reedsof a busy fanrily as well as this one does is no accident.Iti the product ofgood design.And good desirn is, morc often than not, the prrcduct of a good desigrer. TI.re Scl.rroeders connected with kitchen designer Marcine Car.neronthrough Col.rsolidatedKitchens & Fireplacesin Ulbar.rdale,Iowa. I)uring r seriesof nreetings,both in the home rnd at the courprny's showroour, M:rrcine helped the-couple prioritize tl.reir wish list rnd identify which wishes would be fulfilled, w}rich would require sonle conrproruise,and which just couldn't be acconrplishedwithin the sc:rleand budget ofthis project. As you might expect,nrarryof the Schroeders'wishes were easyto fulfill, likc a casualdining arca,a way to ThisChinahutchwastoo smallfor thisspaceand generally seemed to get lostin the room. and a fanrily or'gnizational clisplaytheir prized dir.urer-w:rrc, cc'nter.Other, more courplicateditent, such asrenlovlng the bulkheads ar-rdcreating a doorway benveen the kitchen and front roon.r,r'equired the help of a contnctor. course, srantirlq wishcs is Break the Rules-Of just one job of a designer.Anotheriurportant role is to find the balance between conventional wisdor.l and the wants and needs of the homeowner. A great exanrple of that is the location of the sink in this kitchen-it renrainsr-rnchanged6"om the old kitchen.This despite the fact that it violates the "wolk triansle" rule of kitchen desigu (which dictatesthe locations and distances between the sink, ranse,and lefrigerator) and ierroresthe tradition of locatir-rgtl.resink in firont of a winclow. However, it was impoltant to Nancy to leave the sink where it w:ls to nraintain a visual connectiorl to at the sink, Nlncy can the family room.Wl'rile star.rdinq still interact with Scott at I'risdesk, watch television, or' enjoy the fire burnirrs in the fireplace. Of course,your wish list won't be the sltue :rsthe Schroeders',and yor-rrkitchen won't incluc-lethe saure challenees.But by taking ir look rt l.row the desigr.rer and honreowner colllbor-ated on five key areasof the this kitchen (detailedovcr the next lbur pages),you'll get a senseof wl-rat a designer can brinll to yoLlr proJcct. Thediningtable thisspace dominated and blockedtrafficflow throughthe area. NEW FLOOR PLAN A creativearrayof cabinets turnedthis areaintoa familyhub. FrontRoom Thefront roomwas disconnected from the restof the house Thefamilyrarely usedthisspace. Thenew peninsula is perfect for casualdiningand createsa smoothpathway intothe familyroom. / Theold penrnsura didn'toffer a placeto sit andeat.lt only servedto obstruct trafficflow OLD FLOORPLAN With the bulkheadremoved,largercabinets couldbe installedto triplethe storagespace Thisincludedthe additionof a new pantrv. www.WorkbenchMagazine.com 45 O-TIERED DINING eat-in kitchen was a must-have fclthe Schroeders.Theyknew that t of their mealswould be quick ar! casual,so using the dining room would be overkill.The peninsulais the perfect solution. Its adjacencyto the refrigerator,range,microwave,and workspacemakesit the ided place to prepareand enjoy a quick meal or snack (Photo,right). A lessobvious benefit ofthe peninsulais the way it funnels traffic from the front entry hallway,past the kitchen, and into the family room (FloorPIan,page45l.And since theseare the main living spacesin the home, having them so logically connectedmakesmoving around the housevery efiicient and comfortable for the family. It alsobecamemuch easierto move betweenthe kitchen and the formal dining room (formerlyan under-used, undefined"fiont rcom") thanls to a new openinginsalledby fte Schroeden' conbactor(PhoAbelow).This accommodatesmore elaboratedining andis an excellentexampleofhow good kitchen designcanimpact the entirehome. WORKBENCH APRIT2OO7 |\ I l(, .l,ll,l('i-'ii( \ .l -., .1 r,l;irl*. l;i' ii) ., I i,ir..li,.ii ,"r.'ll'irl,'l''rlili i i:li\;\ :. I 1 .1 t r i TRI E-CAPACIryCABINETS ing rhe bulkheads(ajob the roedersleft to their contractor) ened up spacefor 36"-tall wall cabinets (rather than the 24"-tall that were there before). It also allowed Marcine to include fivo floorto-ceiling pantries in the kitchen: one for canned and dry goods storage,the other as part of the family hub.All told, the available storage space more than trioled that of the old kitchen. CREATIVELY storage space1sone uDng; orgais something else altogether. Forrultely, the cabinetstheyselected istokrafthaveseveralorsanioptions available,including drawer dividers, slide-out trays,and lazy Susansto maxinrize the space. Of course,you can also choose from a huge selection ofadd-on organizers that are readily available on store shelves (seepage 72for more). wranar.WorkbenchMagazine.com 47 AMILY HUB ly the most unique featureof chen is the "family hub" (Photo, iarea waspreviouslyoccupied by alhina hutch,which wasneither the BEstuseofthe spacenor the best location for the hutch. So the hutch was moved into the dining roorn, and the family hub took shape. The hub is really a variation on the mini offrce thati now common in modern kitchens.There's no desk and no computeg but this is still the home's nerve center.And it was easily accomplished using ordinary kitchen cabinets. An "appliance garage" is the perfect place to centralize the home phone, along with cell phones and chargers. It lets you store them out of sight to avoid visual clttter (Photo,below). Inside a full-height pantry, Nancy usesbasketsto sort mail and other personal items for the family. And, fittingly, a bank of apothecary drawers serves as a family-health and first-aid station with vitamins, bandages,aspirins,and other comforts. 48 WORKBENCH APRIT2OO7 ENHANCEDLIGHTING with removing bulkheads and ing in a new doorway,the ers enlisted their contractor new lighting in the kitchen. fwas actuallyat the urging offriends who e4presedregretat not addingmore lighs during their ovrn kitchen remodel. To spareScott and Nancy the same their conffactoradded disappointment, recessed lightsin the ceiling,puck lightsunderneaththe wall cabinets, and pendantlights abovethe peninsula. Dimmer switcheslet the homeowners control how brighdy, or intimately,the kitchen is lit at any given time.]I- Writtenby Bill Link, illustratedby Kim Downing B U Y E R 'G SU I D E : KITCHENDESIGNSERVICE consolidated Kitchens I Fireplaces 800.888.2667 CKFCO.com KITCHENCABINETS Arlstokraft 812.482.2527 Aristokraft.com COUNTERTOPS wilsonart lnternational 800.433.3222 Wilsonart.com APPLIANCES LG Electronics 800.243.0000 LGE.com SINK A FAUCET Moen 800.289.6535 Moen.com TILE FLOOR Edge Flooring 800.222.6828 EdoeFloorino.com PENINSUI.A LEGS Osborne Wood Products 800.849.8876 BuvKitchenLegs2.com www.Workbench Ma gazine.com 49 t{ Wt} ff \, I \"{< { tt FloatingFloorTile 1 I I nstlllirrgrr tilc flxl' is :r siznblcurrclcrtrrking. it rrlsorrrcunsrro tintc pl'cssr.uc to l:ty tilcs bclorc thc Ancl oul lronrcou'ncrs,lvith rhcir linritccl :rclhcsivc sctsup. M:rybc nrorr,'rrrc:rrriugftrl, tlrough,is crpcricncc :rnribusy lifc'stylc, wcrcn't sure th:rt :r flo:rtingfloor lctsvou rvork in short burstsif it n'rrsrrjob thcy coulcltrrkeon. A "flo;rtinq" th:rtlsrvhrrtvoLrrschcclr.rle clentrurtls. lf wru only h:rvc tilc lloor, though, nrcrrnt this pr-crject'"vls r,vc'll :t couple' hours crrchniql'rt to rvork on the floor, you u,itlrin thc r:rnscof tlris frrnrilvlsabilitics. c'lon'tlosetiurc nrixinq thinsc'tbr'file you can lay If youi-c not funrili:rrrvith :r fltuting floor, it\ tile,:rnc'lthcrclsno clc:uttp rrt thc cncl oithc night sinrplv I firrrsltcclllool thnt isn't rrttachcclto tltc r v l t e r vt t r u l i ' n ' , r ( l yt ( ) e . r l il t , 1 r i t s . srrLrfloor(-rt'r'7'/rc I:Iontitr,q"Ed,qc,"p,ryc5I). C)f course,it's :rlsorvor-thntcntioninq thrrt In thc' crse of tilc, tlnt lllerlltslto ntasticor flortinq flools crn be installcclclirectlyon top of thinsc't:rc'lhcsivc.The :rrlvlnt:tgcsof that :lle nlilny existinq vinyl or linolcunr flooring, rvhich cln Filst, no nrlstic or-thinsct nreansrro sticky uress. Ancl slve l lot of rvork telring or.rtolcl lloor coverinq 50 WORKBENCH APRIL2OO7 _l THE FLOATING"EDGE" floors,or floorsthat are Floating or glued not nailed,screwed, arenothing to the subfloor, floorshavebeen new.Laminate installed thisway for decades. Butonlyin the lastthreeyears for hastile beenavailable floatinginstallations. EdgeFlooringledthe way with theirsystemof interl o c k i n gt i l e " p a n e l s .E" a c h panelconsists of two granite tilesadheredto a or porcelain backerboard.Thebackerboard is madefrom engineered l u m b e sr i m i l atro h a r d board.The panelslock togetherwith tongue and grooveconnections (Photos,below). Twootherkeycomponents in the systemareflexiblegrout underlayment anda rubberized (CutawayView,below).lhese combineto allowthe floorsystem to flex,bend,andmove.This isvirtuallyimpercepmovement tibleasyouwalkon thetile,but makesit lesslikelythat the tileor groutwill crackfrom heavytraffic shifting and or fromthenatural settlingthat occursin a l lb u i l d i n g s . :- .zt- \--rr'- /r'-r Thetongueandgrooveconnections serveashingesto let thetileflexwithoutbreaking. A l l o i t l r ; r t r r o t u i t h s t : u r t l i r rrgr r. s t i l l l i n:gl tirolproof-. Artd Holtirrq tilc tlool is rrot rrer'ess:r-ill itlr Ir]gc Floorittg's \\'c c:ln't conrplctclVlgrce \\ f;tstcr-tlt:trt lrsscr-tion th:rt this svstentis i-t'rr.trkrtl.lv firr lt qrcrttcoln'crrtior:rltilc. llut it tkrer lt.rke l o o k i r r gt l o o l u i t h o u t : r l o t o t ' t l r e h r t s s lrer t t ctlt t c s s of lr nrorc tr:rditrorrlrl tilc floor rnst.rll:ttiorl. Tlrc ncrt t\\() pxgcsprxitlc lur ovct'r'icn oioutu,ill irtst:tll:ttion floetinqtilc llool insfrrllrrtion.VrLrr ccrtlinlv ditlcl tionr ours.but this shoultl provirlc I l wood backer Engineered e hile boarda s r ed u r a b l w m a i n t a i n i nsgo m ef l e x i b i l i t y Underlayment Rubberized Tapeat Joints Subfloor rrn iclcrroitltc stcpsirtr"olvctlto hclp xru clccidc'ii :r flo:rtinq tilc floor is thc' richt choicc firt't'ott. www.WorkbenchMagazine.com 51 Plan,Prep,I Install Any floor installation, whether fixed or floating, wood or tile, requires a floor plan. Some key functions of floor planning are to select a starting point, determine a pattern, First Course-With the front door (A) as thc srarring point, we extended our first dry course down the hallway and to the far wall (B).'We learned rwo things by doing and avoid courses that end in very small slivers of tile. The easiestway to create a plan is to work literally right on the floor. Simply lay out nvo dry courses of tile (one lengthwise, one widthwise in the room) ro see how this. First, we'd need to start with a half-width tile at the door to avoid having a very narrow course along the opposite wall.This would have been especiallynoticeable in the doorway (C) between the kitchen and the family the tile will fit between fixed points (seelllustration). To get started,you need to decide room, another important focal point in this r-oom. Second, we establishedthat centering tiles down the length of the hallway (rather than centering a grour line) would create the most attractive what areaof the room yov arc ffiost concerned with having a s).mmetrical tile pattern in. I know you want the entire room to be perfecdy balanced, but that can be very difiicult, ifnot impossible to achieve. The trick is to focus on the areaswhere the tile arrangement is most noticeable, like the front entry hallway in this house. If the tile in this hallway looks bad, itt the first thing people will notice when they walk in the door. STEP1 Choosea startingpoint basedon which areaof the room requiresthe bestlookinginstallation. We chosethe front door,so we couldestablish a balanced installation down the longfront entry hallway-an importantfirst impression to anyonecomingthroughthe door. STEP2 Layout the first courseof tile from your startingpoint (A)to the farthestwall or stoppingpoint(B).Noticehow we hadto staggerthisdry courseto get aroundthe kneewall and stairs. Thiscoursehelpedus determinethat we neededto cut the first tile (nearthe front door) to avoidsmalltileson the oppositewall. STEP3 Layout a secondcourseof tile, perpendicularto the first.to checkthe fit in the other direction(betweenpoints Eand F).In this kitchen,the lasttile at each end of this coursewould haveto be cut. Fortunately,thesetileswere largeenough that they still lookedattractive. 52 WORKBENCH APRIL2OO7 pattern in this area (D). Second Course-Now with the dry hallway course still laid out, we ran a second course perpendicular to this one. As luck would have it, the tile ended nicely at both ends ofthe room (E and F).We would still have to cut tiles at the ends ofthese runs, but we wouldn't be cutting any slivers.Had it not worked out this well, we would've had to reconsidercentering the tile in the hallway. That really is the nature of a floor plan. In order for the tile to look perGct in one area,another areamay haveto suffer.But aslong asyou plan carefirlly and look for compromises,you should be able to createa balancedinstallation,and that alwayslooks better than perGction in any singlearea. Floor Prep-After planning comesfloor prep.You'll need a relativelyflat and sound floor to install the new tile on top of.As I mentioned before,there'sno need to remove old vinyl or linoleum flooring.You canjust install the floating floor right over the top of it. However, our existing vinyl floor did presentone problem that we had to deal with before we could install the new tile. 'W'hen we removed the old kitchen cabinets,we uncoveredbare floor. There was no vinyl flooring in theseareas,and the new cabinetsweren't being installed in the samelocations.Wehad to filI thesespots,so they were level with the rest of the floor.We accomplished that by filling these areaswith inexpensive,peel-and-stick vinyl tiles that we purchasedat a home center for this very purpose (Fig.1, aboue). One final detail we addedbefore beginning the tile installationwas to install 3/+"-thickplywood platforms way,we for the new cabinetsto sit on (Fig.2, above).This could install tile right up to where the cabinetswould be without having the cabinetsin the way. And since a floating floor isnt meant to havecabinetsmounted on top of it, the platforms solvedthat problem, aswell.This also elevatedthe cabinetsto the sameheight asthe new floor. :}F vry'i: '.\ I 1] Self-adhesive vinyltileswere a simpleway to fill the footprintsleft by the old cabinets. 2] With carefulmeasurement andcutting,we builtplatformsfor the new cabinets. here,our tile installationwas Installation-From largely by the book.The seriesof Photos,below,showsthe basicstepsof the installation.For a more detailed overview, you can visit EdgeFlooring.com to download the complete manual and watch videos of tile being installed. All told, it took us three dap, or about twenty-four working hours,to install250 squarefeet of tile-a little slowerthan Edge Flooring would haveyou believe,but not unreasonable. And itt worth noting that not all of our tile panels clicked togethereffordessly.Afew ofthem had to be "persuaded"with a mallet and a tappingblock. Nonetheless,when our floor was complete,we werent lT exactly walking on air, but we were certainly floatingl -Written by Bill Link,illustratedby Kim Downing 3] Rollout the rubberized foil side underlayment, down,andtapethe seams. 4] Usea tile panelas a guide asyou cut doorjambs,so the tilecanfit underneath. 5] Cuttile usingyourcircular sawor jig sawequippedwith bladesfrom EdgeFlooring 6l lt's importantto stagger the panelsasyou installthem to avoida continuous seam. in the 7] Installtransitions doorways.Usethe ones provided,or makeyourown. 8l ApplyEdgeFlooringgrout usinga caulkgun or from oressurized cans. 9] Usea spongefloat to level the groutandensureallof the jointsarecompletely filled. groutwith 101€leanup excess a dampspongeandspecial wipesfrom EdgeFlooring. www.WorkbenchMagazine.com w : W li li tl itir' tr.B.- H' q il F.rt -;y I N S T A L L I N GK I T C H E NC A B I N E T S : l' PROBLEMS & I SOLUTIONS []el,v[][v projr..'tscan match new kitchen cabinets for Here'sa guide to installingthem. ";avirlqsand ";.,*tisfaatron ! , 1 1 1L ( ) \ l i ) r ' , l l \ 'ffi '!iF .l\ lllll( ]l ,i\ llll !,ltrlll! l\ I lr'lll\r'l\('\. ior i'r, . , i ', ' , 1 , 1 1 1 1 1 ,ti ], r. , L , r l , r Ll , t l ll i , r L l r e r,ltr.l.r'. .r.,.r l,..lr.l L r r Lt \ l r . l t t t t l r r l t , r r t l ] t . . r r tr p : t . 1 l l q . , l \ \ L r 1 1 l 1i 1l r \ r ' ! ( ) \ l , r r r, t r l t l t t i O | . t5l - . ( l l l ( l ffi L lllo( .l|(\l l | . r . , ' , ], l t t ] t , r t .o l t (rl lltr,l |1 ] t , r r l t , , r rn , r L l ' . r r ' 1 . L l r ' tL | 1 I t r ' t \ t J r ' | 1 1 r , 1 1 1 , . , , , , . 1 L r i , , 1 r 1 , nl r ' t l t o l l t r i ( ' l ) a r l ) i ti \ : r , ' ' i i ) l \ , r ' . . r r , ,. . t l i ,l r i , r l t 1 , t , r ] l i r r r l l \ r ( j L , l l(r ' , r l r r n g r l ' i J I ' . 1,1*:" , I lli l' \\ tl '.)r !t4 ! \l b-".F lrr)rt \\ n . ,i h..& I i I l-!k I .r"lL ilt. ' J L r l \ iI r]|llt.lt \||]L\. L ) l t l i i l t . r , , l 1 11 1 , p , 1 1 1 1 , : '( r r! t tlti ,,.til :, t.l{(l|ll!,.r1)rl rir r,t\rirli L I it:lr tl iir , , 1 1, j L , L ' , r r r r( l t 1 . . ' r ) | \ i , t r ,it:. 1 r 1 1 r 1 q : : ; 1 r 1 1 ,| 1 1I \ i . t \1)|l 1,qt.,51[rl1 l) rrtltrl r r,tL,Lt.,lt Vhat ) 1 , , r r r, .r r I)nrblcrtrs?--( t t t , t , , 1 . t. i' . r r o L l , r i r l r ' . r : ] r r l r l i rLr l '. r "' I l .: l',' ,. , il,,J l r l r r l r l rLt s r o r r ' r L l i I t ' i r l ( ) r . | ( ( r L ] l l t t( \0 t r L l ] L i 1 11 1 1 l 1 , n l ( r \ l t ( ) l | | l ( j t l FIFTH: Locate low point in ceilingand transfer to wall ': I . FOURTH: Measureup'191/2" from base cabinetlevel line to establish approximate uppercabinet levelline-. Locate and mark .l v .v It ; v Vj\ L ? + +--+ l+ -) \ \ ,pper Cabinet LevelLine\ ,I + -+- ---a, . 1 SIXTH:Measuredown from "low point" \ - mark and adjustuppercabinet levelline if necessary : I,t -/-BaseCabinet -,.. : Levelline c.;;1 rl Locateutilities, \ \_and relocate if necessary \ t/ A (i/ + iruark MarKcabl cabinet lqcationson wall I $ee Page 56) i levellines into starting corner <- ) *-,t .: Transferhigh point \ I l, I -tA -\YsEVENTH:Extend --r, - FIRST:Layout cabinet toekicklines 21" from wall \ i r\) Electrical Wall outlet ttu--' <-<_ n THfRD: Measure up 3412"j 4 from floor | / efevationmark ,,' to establish t basecabinet levelline t tl G>< ---T-- I \ SECOND:Locatethe high point on the floor,and transferit to the wall (Detail,left) problems, and their corresponding solutions, over the next few pages. You may not encounter all of thesein your kitchen. And you'll almost certainly find some that aren't included here. So the goal ofthis article is to teach you to think critically about your project and how to take stock of utilities that fall within the cabinet area,and deterr-ninehow they use filler strips.The Illustration,above,rs an overview ofour kitchen and how impact your installation.lfany electrical outlets or plumbing connections our site survey playedout. Establish Level Lines-The nlost important alignrlent references in any cabinet installation are the level lines that represent the top ofthe base need to be relocated,this must be done before you can start installing cabinets. Second, locate wall studs,so you can attach cabinets to them. Use a stud finder identify potential complications. or a nail to locate these,and mark their locations on the wall.Third, find any SITESURVEY irregularities in the floor, ceiling, and walls, so you can establishthe "level Lines"for aligning the cabinets.Finally, Conducting a thorough site survey is the surestway to avoid problems in the installation later.You have four goals to accomplish with your site survey.First, draw the outlines ofthe actual cabinets on the walls, and decide where, or i{, to cabinets and the bottom ofthe upper cabinets.To establishthese lines, you actually need to start on the floor. To begin, nleasure out from the wall 21" (the standard depth of cabinetsfronr the back edge to the toekick). and draw a line palallel ro the wall.This line representswhere www.WorkbenchMagazine.com 55 the toekick of the cabinetswill align. It may need to be adjustedlater,but this is a good startingpoint. Now you need to find the highest point in the floor within the space you just outlined.To do this, thoroughly check the entire areawirh a 6-ft. level.Keep in mind that the high point in the floor wont necessarilybe direcdy againstthe wall, so dont skip the areaout by the toekick line. Base Cabinet Level Line-Once you find the high point, useyour ievel and a marker to transferthat "elevation" to the wall.The mark you make on the wall representsthe point where the bottom edgeof the basecabinets must align. Some of the cabinetswill have to be shimmed to achievethat. However,you wont be able to see this mark once the cabinee are in place, so you need to measurertp 341/5"from here to find where the topedgeof the cabinem*ill .lig*r (Fig.1).From there, draw a level line on the wall (pi1.2). Upper Cabinet I*vel Line-The level line for the bottom of the upper cabinetscan be rougtrly established by measuring 791/t"rtp fiom the base cabinetlevel line. I sayrouglrly because, ifyou're instaling cabinetsthat go all the way to the ceiling, you nuty haveto adjustthis line dorvn to compensatefor a low point in the ceiling. Of coune,ifyour cabinebstop short of the ceiling,this isnt a concern.Simply measureup asdescribedand mark a levelline on the wall.This is where the bottom of the upper cabineswill align. However,the cabinetsin this kitchen do extend to the ceiling, so we spent a few minutes on a ladder,looking for irregularitiesin the ceiling with our 6-ft.level.Asit turned out, we did need to shift the level line down by 1/+"to accommodatea low point. Adjust the Toekick-Once the level lines were established,we backtrackedmomentarily to double-check the toekick line we drew on the floor earlier.Remember that I said this line may need to be adjusted.Todetermine this,you need to map out any bumps or bulgesin the wdl. To do that, useyour 6-ft. level asa straightedge.Hold it againstthe wall, and look for any gapsbetween the level and the wall. Mark any low points with an"Ll'You'll needto shim theseareas when the cabinetsare installed. Also mark any high points with an "H."Then measurebetweeneach of these"bumps" on the wall and the toekick line to ensureyou have the necessary 2Itt. If not,adjustthe toekick line to createthe proper space. Locate the Centerline-Once the vertical alignment of the cabinemis established, the nex thing to do is lay out the cabinetshorizontally on the wall.This stepis really only necessary when you either need to make the cabinetsalign with a particular feature ofthe wall (ike a window), or when *re bank of cabinetswill completely fill the spacebetween adjacentwalls. One wall of our kitchen offered both of thesechallenges. So we beganour layout by locating the centerline of the window. Our plan calledfor an upper cabinetand a basecabinet to sharethis centerline (Illustration,aboue).Thus,those were the first cabinetswe diagramedon the wall. From there,we projectedthe cabinetsout toward eachcorner and determinedwhere we'd need to place 1l Locatethe high point on the floor. Transfer that elevationto the wall. and then measureup 341/2". 2] Drawthe basecabinetlevellineon the wall,so you canalignthe top of the cabinetsto this height. 3l Outlineeachcabinetandanyfiller stripson the wall,so you'llhavea quick reference as you'reinstallingcabinets. 56 woRKBENcH ApRrLzooT -l and fit filler strips.All of this information, of course,was diagramed on the wall (Fig.j). MOUNTINGCABINETS Now itt time to install tne cabinets,and this is where all that planning will pay off. Whether you startwith the upper cabinets(rpp.tt) or basecabinemis largelya matter ofpreference.Some peoplelike to installthe uppersfirst becausethe basecabinetswont be in the way.Others preGr to mount the basecabinesfint and then use them asa foundation to supportthe uppers.Of coune,it may comedown to when you can armngeto have someonearoundto help.Youcan easilymanagethe basecabinetsalone, but the upperswill requirea second setofhands. you'll want to Regardless, startin a corner.And ifyou have two walls of cabinetsthat come together,thatt the corner to get startedin.That way,by settingthe very first cabinet,you've established a point ofreferencefor both banks of cabinets. The first cabinetwe placed contained alary Susan(Fig.4, presentedsomethingof above).This a challengebecausethe back ofthis cabinetis curved to fit around the turntableinside.Thatmeant there wasno way to fastenit to the walls. The solution was to attachthis cabinetto the adjoiningcabinets, and then attach this three-cabinet assemblyto the wall (Figs.5, 6,7). Bump in the Road-With the first corner set,we immediately encounteredour next challenge: a "bump-out" cabinet.Thiswas the first of two such cabinetswe neededto install. There'sreally nothing special about thesebump-out cabinets. They are simply standardbasecabinetsthat sit 3" proud of the cabinets page5 8). besidethem (Illustrations, There'salsoa 3" gapbenveenthese cabinetsand their neighbors.These gapsget coveredwith a special angledtrim strip,which alsoserves 4] With the lazySusancabinetin place, we movedthe adjoiningcabinetsinto positionto "capture"the cornerunit. 5] Shimthe cabinetsto levelthemand alignthemwith the levellineon thewall. Alsobe sureto alignthe faceframes. 6l With the cabinetsclampedsecurely together,drillpilot holesandthen drive throughthe faceframes. woodscrews 7] Now drivescrewsthroughthe back to at the shimlocations of the cabinets attachthe cabinetsto the wall. to transferthe contourof th€wall 8l Usea compass ontothefillerstrip,thensandor cutthefillerstripto andwall. thecabinet fit between t*l . - a.""'.4't -t..'-, unrvw.WorkbenchMagazine.com ' N 57 9l Slidethe bump-outcabinetinto place.Usethe angledtrim stripsto fine-tunethe fit. as a means to attach the bump-out cabinet to the cabinetsnexr to it. The trouble with these cabine6, is that they sit away from the wall, so sides (IJlustration,belau). That sounds simple enough, but it proved to be trickier than we thought.Turns out therei not a lot ofroom for error there's no way to anchor them until the cabinetson both sidesof them are insalled.And since we had only installed cabinetson one side ofthis bump-out, we decided to skip it for now and install when driving these screws.If you drive either of these screws at too steep of an angle, there's a good posibility that the point of the screw will pop through the front of the trim piece and ruin it. the cabinetson the other side. That quickly brought us to the next corner and a floor-to-ceiling pantry.As you rrray recall from the After learning this the hard way, we decided to err on the side ofcaution when installing the subsequenrpieces. So we drilled the pilot holes at a very shallow angle so that, when we drove the screwsin, the point of the screws poked through the backface of the trim piece slightly. The screw still had plenry of grip, and it saved us wasting Cabinet Diagram lllustration, this is where we had planned for a filler strip. This filler strip not only enclosed the additional space on this wall, but also provided us with an opportuniry to scribe this piece for a clean, gap-free installation (seeFig. S,page 57). Bring in the Burnp-Out-With cabinetsinstalled on both sidesofthe bump-out space,we were ready to install the bump-out cabinet iself Aligrung this cabinet in its oversizespacewas no\M easy.Wejust used the angled trim strips asalignment goides (Fig 9, bn. Once the burnp-out cabinet was in position, we had to secureit by drMng screwsinto the trim piece frorn both any more trim pieces. Burnp-out, Part 2-The second bump-out cabinet, right next to the dishwasher,presented its own difiiculties. In fact, being right next to the dishwasher is what made this cabinet a problem.We couldnt attach the trim piece to the dishwasher,which meant that neither the trim piece nor the cabinet would be secure. A couple ofcleats on the side of the cabinet solved both problems.A Fh Woodscrew Angled Trigstrit Angled 58 WORKBENCH APRIL2OO7 long, narrow cleat tied the cabinet to the wall behind it.And a wedgeshapedcleat added strength to the trim strip (Illustration, right). we're on More Cleats-'While the subject of cleats.you may notice that, besidesthe cleatsconnected to the cabinets,theret also a cleat mounted on the wall. This cleat is there to support the Wedge Cleat -t ;;.,1 Wall #8 x 11/a" Fh Woodscrew - etg..., i #8 x 11/z Fh Woodscrew I I E8x21h" Fh Woodscrew countertop.'We had to install cleats like this in a couple of placeswhere there's a break in the run of cabinets. Hcre in the dishwasheropening is the first place.And this cleat also extends behind the bump-out cabinet beside the dishwasher.Likewrse, we installed a cleat on the wall behind the bump-out cabinet on the adjacent wall. Finally, we mounted cleatsin the corner behind the lazy Susancabinet, as well. All of the cleats are made by cutting lx4s to fit and then screwing them to the wall.Try to attach each cleat to at least one wall stud. Notes on Upper Cabinets-Apart from having to hold the cabinetsover your head while installing them (we reconrmend recruiting a friend for thi$, the challengesto installing the upper Angled Trim Strip cabinetsarevery similarto installingthe baseunits. Justasbefore,startin a cornerand work your way out (Fig.10).Make some"kickers"to help hold the heavy cabinetsup while you andyour helper jockey them into plumb andlevel. And remember that it's much more critical with these cabinets that you screw them to studs whenever possible.The cabinets are heavy already,so you can imagine how much more they will weigh when they're full of groceries and dishes. SOLVED PROBLEMS: Llhimately, when your cabines are at last installed,you may look back and realize that you spentjust asrnuch time planning the installation as actually installing the cabinets.What you may not realize is how much time all that up-front planning ultimately savedyou by deahng with difiiculties before they arose. Of course, you can't foresee every problem, and we certainly weren't able to predict every possible variation in this article. But by understanding the fundamentals and being aware of some common challenges,you should be well on your way to a successful kitchen cabinet installation.And in the end, the satisfactionof completing a job of this magnitude may be worth nearly as much as the money you save rIby doing it yourself. 1Ol Enlista helperand use"kicker"boardsto helpsupportheavyuppercabinets' A cornercabinetlikethismayrequireshimmingon bothwallsto true it up. -Witten by BiLl Link, illustratedby Erich Iage,projecl designedby Marcine Cameron www.WorkbenchMagazine.com 59 ® Issue 300 Volume 63 Truck Rack Full Size Cutting Pattern Number 1 April 2007 2&/8” No roundover on top edge !/4” holes for Crossbar Support Bracket, drilled after upright layers are assembled 1 of 4 2 of 4 Align marks on each sheet to complete pattern Rout !/4” roundovers on inside and outside edges after upright layers are assembled Holes, drilled in outer layer only, for #14 x 1!/4” Ph screws 3 of 4 22” Drill 1” starter holes at corners, then cut out center with a Jig Saw Notch cut to fit topper clamp after upright layers are assembled No roundover on bottom edge 8&/8” 4 of 4 Page 1 of 4 Issue 300 Volume 63 Niche Shelf Number 1 ® April 2007 Full Size Cutting Pattern Page 2 of 4 Page 3 of 4 Page 4 of 4 lf you'relookingfor proofthat kitchenorganizers justwalkthe kitchenhavebecomeaffordable, organization aisleat yourlocalhomecenterand lookat how manyitemsareavailable for lessthan 510.That'sright,for the priceof a couplefastfood youcanselectfroma surprisingly burgers, vast collection of hardworking accessories that arewellbuiltanddecent-looking. Herearejusta few of the usefulitemswe found. First,there'san itemthat doesdouble-duty as storageanddisplay. lt'sa hangingstem ware r\l in\*t $# 72 WORKBENCH A P R I L2 O O 7 out of the holder (1) that holdswine glasses way and on displaybelowa cabinetor shelf. Fourscrewsand aboutfive minutesareall you needto installit. you should To keepyoursilverware organized, checkout thiswire utensil tray (2). lts chrome finishaddsa touchof style,and an open-mesh designmeansthosecrumbsthat collectin a silvenivare traywill drop rightthrough,so you caneasilylift out the tray and cleanthemfrom the drawer. lf you needa placeto corralyour canned goods,it's tough to beatthis simpledouble shelf set (3) that mountsto the insideof a cabinetdoor. Nextcometwo interestingoptionsfor getting morefrom yourshelfspace.A three-tier visible. spice shelf (4) keepsspicecontainers and can be expandedto increaseits length. Theexpandablewire shelf (5) alsogrowsto fit the availableshelflengthand turnsa single shelfinto two tiersof storagespace. Spenda littleextra,andyou canselectfrom an arrayof moresuchasthisexpandabledrawer sophisticated organizers, that adjustto fit drawers organizer (6) with sidecompartments from 18" to 24" wide.Or you canget a drop-down spice rack O). It makesspiceseasyto locateand pullsdown for easyaccess. Whetherit sitson the counteror insidea cabinet,thissliding too, while the top servesas an extra basket (8) aidsaccessibility, shelffor storingsmallitems.And a tilt-out sink-front tray (9) puts storageinto a spacethat usuallygoesto waste:behindthe false draweroanelthat mountsto the front of mostsinkcabinets. www.WorkbenchMagazine.com 73 Il ; 'lw ff.['tt, ,n hj; ' \J, @ ".t! ( .,) i n s t c a do l h a v i n gt o s t a n . io n your head to rctrieveitenrs storL.dnsidelower cabinets, o u t f i tt h e n rw i t h o r g a n i z e r s t l i , r l s l i d o L r r l ll o t l e . l I yol. . -it;*]J F o rc x . r n r p l ei t: ,y o u ' r c t r r : d o t d i g g i n gt h r o u g hs t a c k so f l ) o t st o f i n d t h e s i z ct h a t y o u n c c c l ,r n s t a itl h i ss l i d e - o u t p o t r a c k ( 1 0 ) N o t o n l yr l o e s * rt nr.rkepots e.lsyto find, i t h e l p sp r e v e n td . r r l a g r t: o f r a g i l cn. o n s t i c ks u r f a c e s Thrssliding basket set (1 1) letsyou replacr: the stalclard s h a l l o ws h e l fr n a l o w e r cabinetwith two levclsof storagethat aro nrountcdon c o n v e r i c nst l r d e sI n . stallation jLrstt.rkesdrrvrngfour sor.lvs Yor c.lr keep yoL!ftr-n5lr c a n s t . r s h e :i d n s i d e. t c a l l r r l r . : sl v r : l l ,a n d t h e n s l i d ei t o i w h e n y o u n e e dr t w i t h t h r r pull-out trash can (12) Y o u ' l lf i n d t h e s et r a s hc a n s n s e v e r a5l r z e ss, o t h e r e ' s b o u n d t o b e o r r et h a t w i l l f i i yourcaDilret. 'i 4 i i l o i r ( B t N a l - r d i r n u ,2 0 0 7 li 'I lli , -,- i.', , . . . , j . ,l : Theareaunderthe sinkis alwaystough to tame becauseof the drainpipesthat hangdown intothe space.Butthis two-tier under-sinkorganizer (13) getsaroundthe plumbingproblem with a wide lowertray and a narrow one up top. Botharemountedon a heavy-duty slidesetthat allowsthe basketsto pull out (bothat the same time)for easyaccess. Accessis alsothe nameof the game with a pull-out recyclingcenter (14). Youcanfind them outfittedwith two or to fit smallercabinets, containers for larger with threeor four containers cabinets.Of course,eithertype comes with slidesthat bringthe conequipped tainersout whereyou can reachthem. work greatin Slidingorganizers standardcabinets,but not so well in true cornercabinets.That'sespecially if it'sa "blind"corner(wherea cabinet is partiallyblockedby the cabinetthat buttsinto it from the adjacentwall). Thecurein eithercaseis a lazy Susan (15).Somerotateon a carousel, while others(likethe one shown)pivotout from the deadspacebesidethe door. Bothstylesreducetofal cabinetspace because their roundedorofilesreduce increase shelfarea,but lazySusans procticalspaceby makingcorner cabinetsmoreaccessible. : . , ,. , ; Checkyourlocalhomecenter,kitchen store,or hardwarestore,andyou're of someor all likelyto find versions shown of the low-costorganizers for here.You'llalsofind manysources online. cabinetorganizers To find out moreinformation aboutthe itemsshownin this article, c o n t a ctth e f o l l o w i n gc o m p a n i e s : closetMaid 800-874-0008 ClosetMaid.com Rev-A-Shelf 800-626-1126 Rev-A-Shelf.com RealOrganized (available throughLowe's) 866-578-0563 LGSourcing.com simple Human 888-988-8880 SimpleHuman.com Amazon.com 800-201-7575 Amazon.com Bed, Bath 6 Beyond 800-462-3966 BedBathandBevond.com The Container Store a88-266-8246 r^nt:in6rqt^ra.^m Home Depot 8 0 0 - 5 5 3 -139 9 HomeDepot.com Lowe's 800-445-6937 Lowes.com Organize-lt-Online 12 800-210-77 Organize-lt-Online.com 5pace Savers 800-849-7210 5oaceSavers.com -Written by DovidStone www.WorkbenchMagazine.com 75 I ! f \-\\ ,'i iFqn" 76 woRKBENcH ApRrr2oo7 Art Paper ost frames act as backdrops to the photographs, artwork, or WIDEFRAMERAIL (1/2" x51/z"x cutto fit) Mirror mirrors they surround. But in this project, the focus shifts to the frames themselves.More to the point, the emphasisis on the colorful paper that covers these frames. Specifically, these frames are covered with "art paper." It produces this unique look without any complicated painting or finishing techniques. Papet Possibilities - If you're not familiar with art paper, you'll want to be. It's made-often by hand and in far-flung parts ofthe an almost endlessarray of world-in sryles,patterns, and colors.'We chose simple but srylish patterns of blue and black with metallic accents for the frames shown here.The frame on page79 shows that you can achieve equally stunning resultswith a bright, rvhimsical pattern. You won't find art paper at the local o{fice-suppiy store, but it's common in art stores,or just a few clicks away online.Art paper is also surprisingly affordable. Each sheet I used (one sheet per frame) cost less than $4 oriine (seepage 79). asyour Picture This Option-Just options are wide open for what goes or?the frames,you also have choices for what goes lr them.Three of the frames at left contain mirrors.The fourth holds a photo, and in a rather unique way, at that. In this arrangement, the glasscan't be adhered with tape like the mirrors, so we used two metal rods to hold the photo and glassin place (Photo,right). '\W'hat Lies Beneath -\Vhether you build flames to hold mirrors or photos, the construction renrains simple. (Jnder the paper lies a backer made of t/z" plywood.The backer is faced with rails made fromVz" poplar that we picked up in t\,vo stock widths (3h" and 51h"\ at a home center.A Gw \ ||l \ NOTE:Dimensions will of framecomponents varydepending onthesize used of artpaper Cut slitsfor flapsat corners NARROW FRAMERAIL (/2" x3t/z"x cutto fit) simplecuts and a little glue areall you need to build the frames.For the photo frame,the only differenceis that you need to drill holesfor the steelrods. Pick a Paper,Then Build-Now that you'refamiliarwith how the frames aremade,it's time to startbuilding. The first stepis selectingthe paper. It hasto be at least2" longerand wider than the frame,so that there'senoughto wrap overthe frarneedges.ThepaperI chosemeasured20" x 30", so I made 17"-squareframes. L l e l o r ei n s e , r t i ntqh e s t t t c lr o d si r l t o t h e With the dimensionsdetermined, h o l c : ,i n t h t ' f r ; r n r e:,; p r i y l l l c f r tw t t l r cut the backerand the railsto size. l a c q u e rt o g i v et h e m a g l o s s yf i n i s l t . Then lay the railson the backerto make surethey fit correctly,but dont glue them in placeyet. 7a"holes, If you re going to build photo 1" deep\ flames,you needto drill holesfor the ngftt).Note that rodsnow (Illustration, the upper holesaredeeperthan the lower holes.Thatletsyou slip the rods Te"SteelRod, into the upper holes,slidethem up to 9" long clearthe lower rail,and then pushthem \ down into the lower holes. All that'sleft now is gluing the rails to the backer.Make sureeachrail is Va"norcs,--/\ I orientedproperlyand the outer edges Tz"deep ,,iYn areflush before clampingthem together. www.WorkbenchMagazine.com 77 PAPERMAKES The Project Thc :tsscrrrbleci fi':rnresnr:rvnot look likc rnLrchvct, br.rttlrutlsrrbor-rt to ch:rrrsc.It's the' plper thrrt brinss ittt1.11'6 t9 this pt'crjcct. Address the Edges-llc'fole \()r.rcurr n'rap thc ir';rrncsu,'ith papcr, thoLrgh.yt>uncccl to plel-rrrrc thc c d q c s . A m r r r r ct hl c o u t s i c l co f t h c fl':rrrrc. rrr:rkcsur-cth;rt thc cclqcsoi thc plr,uoocl tltckcr' :rnri rrrils:rrc flush :rrcl srrrooth.Ii thct'c :rlc lirlgcs,sanrl t l t ,t t ) s t l ) , , , r t rl ti i t l r X t) - q : ' i ts . r r t 1 l 1 . . r p r ' r 1 l S p r a yt h e f r a m ea n d t h e p a p e rw i t h a d h e s i v ea,n d t h e n l a yt h e f r a m ed o w n o n t h e paper.The adhesivewill bond almostinstantly,so take carenot to wrinklethe paper. on u block. ( ) n t h c t n s t r l cec l q c so f t l r c r ' : u l s . scr:llrcill)v qluc thilf rDlr\'lr:l\'c s r l u c c z c col u t . T h c r ) c o k r r f h c c c i q c st o c o n r p l c n r c r rtth c p : t p c r 'I. d t d t l r u t r v i t l r l ub l : r c kp c n n u r ) c r ) n t r : r r k re- . V r r rc . u r s c c t l r c r c s u l ti n 1 : i q ./ . Tirre for a Cover-Up-Nsu, itls tirnc to \\'r:rpthc plpel ru'ounclt]rc fi:uttc.If vouls cunrc lollcil Lrp,l,rv it out fi)r :r couplc of houls to tl:rttcrr. W l r i l c t h : r t l sh l p p g r l i 1 1 qt r,r : t s kt h c colorcclfl'rurrccclgcsto prcvcrt thcnr fi'orrrgcttirtLIcor,rrcrlu itlr rttlltcsir.'c. A l s o n i p c o f F e n vc i u s to r r t l r c f l - : r r r r c . Spr;rvrrclhcsivcis tlrc Perfi'ct choicc firr this projcct.JLrst rrrlkc surc y()rl qct ()r)cthrrtlslisted rts"rrcicl-ticc"or"pltoto-slfc,"so it non't solk thlouqh 2 l U s ea s h a r pu t i l i t yk n i f ea n d a 1 " - w i d e 3 l C u t a s l i t a t e a c hc o r n e r a , l i g n e dw i t h spacerto cut off the excesspaperand the insldeedge of the spacer.This crec r e a t et h e f l a p st h a t w i l l w r a p t h e e d g e s . a t e sa f l a p t h a t l e t sy o u f o l d t h e p a p e r . 'l:: irt :t ucll-r'enfil;rtccl:rre:r. h, 4l After a freshcoat of adhesive,wrap the edges.Stanwith the flappededges Then overlapthe flapson the matingedge. 78 tlrc prrpcror tliscolorit. (l chosc-3M Srrpcr77.) lJe rNv:rr-c,.rlso, th;rtspr':N . r t l l t r ' r i r[' ]. U ' t \( ) r . t|l( ) t \ ' t ) tt i i l ) l e \ \. ( ) u \ ( ' i l w o R K B E N cAHp R r L 2oo7 5 l W o r ky o u rw d ya l o n gt h e e d g e , m a k i n gs u r et o p u l lt h e p a p e tra u t b e f o r ep r e s s i ni gt a g a i n st th ef r a m e 6l Onthefaceof theframe,slitan "X" in thepaper. Thenholdthesideof theblade against theframeto trimoff thewaste. -t ,; ,5,,,L df .ta * 'D a 9. .f% | aI It dr.j b"nq 0) r?a f^" q*' t |, ,a aI .' * !:, g. Y":l: Now you can lay the art paper facedown on a table or workbench. Itb a good idea to lay down some Kraft paper undernerth it. Take a Dry Run:This adhesive bonds alnost instantiy,so it's a good idea to do a "dry run," following Frgs. 1 through6 atleft,to make sure you understand the processand to ensure that you'll be able to set the &ame down with the paper overhanging adequately (by at least 1") all around. Add the Adhesive-After you're done with the dry run, spray the adhesiveon the frame rails and the paper following the instructions on the label. Now rernove the masking tape from the inside edges of the frame rails,and then go through the procedures again. Just remember that you're playing for keeps this time, and this adhesivegrabs iti a good idea to protect it with a clear topcoat. Once again,you want a topcoat thatt acid-free or photo-safe.I chose Krylon's "Preserve It" spray that's nleant to protect digital photo prints. It's easy to use and dries quickly. Add the Glass-With the frar.nes complete, you can have mirrors or glass cut to size at a hardware store or honle center. Have them sized %" sr-naller than the oper.ringsthey'1l fit into. Then nrount the mirrors with mirror-r.nounting tape,which should be availablewhere you buy the mirror. It wont hurt the silver on the mrrror. For the photo fi-ame,you'll also need to cut the %" metal rods. Now add a hanger to the back of each frame, nount them on the wall, and bring a new focus on sryle to tffi your room. itii DIFfICUITY: EasyWeekendProject PROIECT COST: 590 (four frames) TOOLS: Circular saw clamps,utilityknife, hammer,sander, drill (1)half-sheet SUPPL|ES: %" plywood,(2)%" (2i t12" v 5t2' x31h"x72" poplarboards, x 72" poplarboards,(4)sheetsart paper (flockedsilveron black,flockedsilveron blue; (1)sheetart paperfor Handmade-Paper.us), alternatemirror(Ihai BatikDancingDaisies; Handmade-Paper.us), wood glue,permanent marker,mirrorscut to fit frames,mirrortape, Krylon 3M Super77 spray-mount adhesive, protectantspray,(4)sawtooth Preserve-lt framehangers,%" steelrods(optional) To seiectart paper to cover ilrese franres, I v r s i t e c lH . r n d l r . r d e . P . - r p e r ' . uIsr.v a s f r a n k ' l y b l o . . . r .a , nw e y b y t i r e h u r r d r e d s . n r . r y , b e t h o u s a n c l so f d i t i c r e n t t \ r p es o f . l r - to a p e r quickly. Position the frarne correctly the first time, and you'll have no problems. Protect the Paper-Art paper -Written by Matt Scott,projcctdcsigncdh, Mike v o r - rt l f r r c i p . r D e r : h a t i o o k s i r k e l e r t h e r is fairly colofast and durable, but Donouan i e . : v e s ,n r e t . : i . a n c l i - r r o r e . I t ' , <n t . r c l ei r . ie v e a vc o l o i . - i n Cc r r n t V o L ic a n by Kekey Dauis, illustrated r r r a g r n e ,b r r t t h a t ' s j L r s ti i ' r eb e g i n n n q Flat, Flawless DrywallJoints consistency using a drill-mounted rnixer.This removes any thick clumps or air pockets from the compound, which would make it difficult ro get a smooth joint.Then just transfer some of the mud frorn the bucket to ^ tray, and you're all set. Now scoop up some mud with the knife, and spread it along thejoint, filling the seam (Fig. 2).'Ihe goal here is to create about a /to"-thick layer of any home improvement jobs require at least some drywall rnesh and paper. I use mesh tape because it\ self-adhesive.That rnakesir easierro apply than paper tape,which requires work.The displayniche on page66 a bed of mud underneath it. "ppbn.tg is a perfect example.Whenthat time Bring on the Mud-With the comes,there'sno need to hire a profes- tape in place,it's time to apply the siond.With the right tools and a little first coat ofjoint compound.The joint compound conresin one- or know-how, you can tape and apply "mud" (joint compound) to the seam five-gallon buckets.As its narne to producea smooth,flatjoinr. implies,it's used to fill rhe joints Thpe theJointJThe first stepis between sheetsof drywall. to apply a strip ofspecial tapeover the Before you begin "mudding," mix joint (Fig./).There are two typesof tape: the compound to a smooth, creamy i{, \il I mud. Go over it several times to make it smooth and flat. One thing you'll find is that the mud at the edges of the joint will still be fairly thick, so you'll need to scrapethat smooth.To do that, hold the knife at a slight angle as you scrapealong each edge (Fig. 3).Then make another passover the center of the joint to smooth it. The smoother the joint is, the less you'll have to sand later, so it's worth taking some time with this process. Also. in lnost cilsesslnoot]r the thc joint linc (not ,r/rtr{q c<>r'n1-rouncl rrclossit) to :rvoiclcl'eating .tnv t'idqes. encl thc u':rll. Esscnti:tll1,, vou rvnnt to uvritl crc:ltillq rr vrsiblc "huut1-r" o | ] t l t c r i r r l lr t t t - l . t t 'tcl l l r t s t r t t i r l' ,t .t t, t t Tirne to Sand-As thc cotttpor.trrd clrics.it shrinks.Thislcuvcs:t snr:rllreccss :rlone thc joint th:rt nccclsto bc filleil u'itl-rnrorc joint cot.npouncl.llut bcfirr-c rclclinqntot'e.slncl thc rL-icclconrpor,rrtcl to qet it ;rsstttooth rurclfl;rt :rspttssitrlc 8 0 / . T h r t ' s u ' h c r c r i r v i c l c r ' ( 1 0 " )k r i t c corrrcsin hlnclr'.Scoop nrucl ottto t h i s k r r i t c : r l o r r qt h c c n t i r c l e n q t h o f its cclgc.:rrtcltltclr :rpplv it prst likc /Fi.g4/.Thcn cl'cfirllv s'ipc rtn,:tv:urv srrnclinqclust. Applying More Mud-When : r p p l y i n gt h c u c r t c o r t o f r r r u c lt,h c irlc:r is to qncluallv "fcrthe r" thc crlgcs to clcutc us thin :r l:tyc'r'ls A l t c l l c t t r n q t h c s c c o n c lc o i l t o i c o n r l , o u r r r lr l l v . s : t r c li t s n r o o t h . I f p o s s i b l cb c t u , c c n t h c c o t t t p o u n c l rt.rrlv l'rcfirrc.sprcrrilirrqr snrooth, cvcn 80). l:rvcr-(.\1,rirrl)ltoto,p,t.qr: r u r v L r u r r r p sr i, d c c s , o l i n t p c t - f i c t i o n s r c r n l r i r r . . r 1 . p l; vu r o t h c r c o u t o f n t u c l . : r r t l s l n c l l g : l i r t .( ) n c c v o t t ' r c s : t t i s f r c d . u , i p c o t T t h e d u s t .r u r dl r x t ' r c E, t e Lul TOOLSOF THE TRADE A b a s i cs e to f d r y w a ltlo o l sa n ds u p p l i e s s h o u l di n c l u d teh ef o l l o w i n g : > D r y w ajlol i n tc o m p o u n d > M e s hd r y w a lj lo i n tt a p e > 6 " a n d 1 0 "d r y w a lkl n i v e s > 2 2 0 - g r ist a n d i n sgc r e e nasn db l o c k > 1 4 "d r y w a lm l u dt r a y EEl I N S I D EC O R N E R S ,ri rtd 1 l S t i c kt h es e l { - a d h e sm i ve s ht a p e d i r e c t loyv e rt h e d r y w a lj lo i n t .U s ey o u r h a n dt o s m o o t hi t a l o n gt h ej o i n tl i n e . iF: -*' .H to [r.il])t. i .:' @ 2 l H o l dt h e k n i f ea l m o svt e r t i c a ltl oy t h es e a ma, n df i r m l yp r e s tsh e m u di n t o t h el o i n ta sy o um o v ea l o n gi t . you Insrde corners aretoughbecause mud, and with a lot of extra endup youcan'tworkonesideof thejoint up the otherone. withoutmessing To avoidthat,loadonlyhalfthe knifewith compoundto createa narrowerline(Photo,above).Also, followthe sequence shownbelow to mudonesideof the jointfirst, andthenthe other. Ceiling Ceiling 7 SECOND: Nowapply J0lnt pound com to the three a0Jacenr cornerS 4l Whenthe muddries,smoothit by 3l Theedgesmayendup fairlythick,so m a k i n gl o n gs t r o k ew s i t ha 2 2 0 - g r i t smooththemout with a strokedown nn a b l o c k . eachside,andthenonedownthe middle s a n d i n sgc r e e o www.WorkbenchMagazine.com 81 - pRopUcI_Ptci(s NOT A KNOT PERSON? TieHook Ties Itself Tlrissclf-trqhterrirrg cleat fits rnosttruck racksarrd rnakessecuringa lo;rdas v*lple as tr.rgqinr_; nn the rope. Been a few yearssinceyou earneda merit badgein knot rying?No problem. Buy aTieHook. For about $40 you can get the setupshown above. Itt availableto fit round- or square-tubedrruck racks and can evenbe adaptedto integratedsysterns on Toyota and Nissantrucks. The systemworks with a spring-loadedcleatthat slides alonsa bar and thenlocks Theall-metalTieHookhasthreecleats-two fixedand one sliding-that makeit easyfor eventhe knot-impaired to secureloadson a truck rack. in placewhen the proper rope tensionis achieved.It tiesincrediblyquickly and releasesjust asfast. A]so,theTieHook doesnt attachpermanendy to your rack,so you can repositionit asoften asyou need.And if you sell the truck,keeptheTieHook! VisitTieHook.com for a video ofhow thesework and for purchaseoptions.Youcan alsocall 415-462-0599. JOINTCOMPOUNDWITH ,r) /// Heavv ' Dust The dustraisedby sandingjoint compound may be the messiestby-product of remodeling known to man. It's super-fine,and keepingit containedwithin the project area is almost impossible.lt. will catcha draft and it will permeatethe rest of the house.(Jnless,of course,it's too heavy to float on air. This is preciselythe ideabehind Sheetrock brandJoint Compound with Dust Control from USG.Thisjoint compoundis formulated so that dust particleswill bind together and createa "heavy dust" that falls straightto the floor. A3t/2,-gallonpailof the joint compound sellsfor about $13.VisitDownWithDust.com to learn more about the materialor to locate a dealerin your area.Or contactUSGt product information departmentby calling 800-874-4968. 84 WORKBENCH APRIL2OO7 WARM TOWELDRAWER ti',r',. i, ,, ,J,l, .r' .., I | l ' r L ) , - . , 1 )<. , i r i ( i i ( r ! v i ) l : , ; , ' i t i , t i i . l , t i ; ' r , , i ,ir, ,a. ,r , \ i | i i l i ) i.r 1 f , 1 r ' l l t ( r i l r ' . , g 1 1 1 , 1 , ,t1i ,1rf,1f i r S t 1 , . , . r /iO i a r i , t r , r i i r r t . . . r ' . , i t : l.' :! ,i l t i t U r r ' r t. l t i : ! i a t i , , - , Sllai iow€1 ir':iirnin!i i - ) i , t \ i v r . ff r o n t ! ; > , 1 ; t . : 7l1l .yi 1 1 , : 1 l lq; - r r , r 1 L r. {i ,) q: l 0 . t S i ; " r vrcili.irllC ii,:gi,,:r: iir 1.;:'i 1t iitirltili', f 611'1p i ) i { o t l r - s a .( o t . l i i l r t r { 6 1 6 , <i1 1 rli, .,t, .t ,ll" , . 1 ' 11 i . / r t r , , i a , , i ) i l i r i ' : r ; i . 1 . , , 1 . qa q* {s L, F ft sa"j, DAP STIKADHESIVES Glue for All Occasions Whatever you need to hang, repair.or otherwise adhere. chancesare one ofthe new DAP "Stik" adhesivesis just what you're looking for.The five adhesivesthat make up the Stik line, and some of their intended usesare: , . . , . . . .i : t r , ' . backer, and pressthem onto whatever you're tryine to adhere.Theseare much cleanel and easierto use than liquid slues,tacks,or magnets.They're ideal for r-nountingpictules,hansrns posters,or securing collectibles. .A.r-raerOSOl Tl-rescdr,ralapplicator qllre dispensers have a thin tip for connol and wont turn yellow, and iti safe for rtrostsurfaces.Thegluc is pefect for cardboard,photos, and fabric. a wide rip for spreaclinunrorc glue.Choose fionr pennanent TheSe are Just renrove thenr front the ^ ,' -,+-\ - . - -./, soapand wlter lnd is geat for itrdool or outdoor plojects. or repositionablefornlrlas. : ; r'::i pressure-sensitiveadhesive dots and lines that con.re on rolls ofpaper backer. H , :,;L sprayglue that foams asyou rpply it, so you can seewhat you've covered.It dries clear, :ri:1. I r.)..ilrr/it) A ': This is lttt instant-grabconstructiou adhesive.Itis strons enor.rgl-r for velticd or overherrdapplie;rtions and works on most sufaces.It alsocleansup with This renrovable aclhcsiveputty is a erc'lt rephcement fbr tape,tacks, staples,anclnrautrets.ltwor.r't chip paint or pllt holcs in the wall. Use it to hmg decorltions and notes. OWENSCORNING BERKSHIRE COLLECTION Asphalt Slate If you've longed for a slate roof, or if you have an old one that r-reeds leplaced, you know that leal slate is cost-prohibitive. That'.swhy Owens Colning developedthe Berkshire Collection of asphaltshingles. The Berksl.rireshinglesare constructed to sinu-rlatethe ranclonr colors lnd v:rriatior-rs in tcxturc th:rt l|e the rr:rdenrark of natulal slate,but :rt a fraction of the cost of the real thing. Backed by a limited lifetinre warranry the shinglesrlso irrclrrdcl5-ye.rr algae-resistance p1'otectiolt. For nrore informatior-r Thenaturalvariations in toneandtexturethat distinguish slateshingles arenow available in a moreaffordable asphaltalternative. on the Berkshire Collectiorr, ol to locate a supplier in your area who can provide pricing, call 800-43U-7465 or visit OwensCornins.conr. 86 WORKBENCH APRIL2OO7 WD.4OIN A PEN Tool Report A less-burlybelt sander,a picture-perfectdrill, anda cordlessnailerthat'll drive most anything. COMPACT SANDER -"Dont blamethe sander."That's the helpfirl adviceI got from one of the other editorsherewhen I complainedabout my monsterbelt sandergougingmy prqects.He told me that belt sandersarenotoriouslyhardto control,and if I hadnt mastered it yet,well, it's not the toolt fault. Maybe.But I got rid of that oversizedbelt sanderanyway.It's beenreplacedby PorterCable's rnodel 371K Compact Belt Sander (l).This littleArmadillo-looking sander(or is it more of a roly-poly bug?)cranks5 ampsof power,drivesa21/2',x 14" belt, and weighs just over 5 pounds.If you'redoing the math,that meansir hasabout half the weight,power, and belt capaciryofPorter-Cablet next largermodel (352VS). So will you notice the decreased capacity?Sure.Ifyou're sandingthe deck of a battleship.Otherwise,not so much.What you're more likely to missis the variablespeedoflarger, pricier models.Thisis mitigated,at leastpartially,bythe lighter weight and better ergonomrcs, which make for bener control.Plus,the reducedsize,removablefront handle,and flush-side designof the sandermean it can work in tight areasthat largersanderscouldnt possiblyget into. And while this sanderisnt exacdygouge-proof,the low rearhousingwill keepyou from digging in too deep.Look for the sanderin hardwarestores,home centen,and online for about $130. KNIFE GUrDE - what is it about utiliry knives that makesrhem prone to wandering awayfrom a straightedge?Whatever it is,it canmakefor somepretty irregularcuts.Andeven worse,it can causea nastyinjury if the blade"wanders"right into your other hand (surelyI'm not the only one this hashappenedto). Well,it hashappenedfor the lasttime becauselatelyI've beenusingthe Guardian Knife Guide (2) from SawTiax.TheGuardianconsistsof a utijity knife with a stainless steel bracketattachedto it and an aluminum guide track. The bracketrideson the guide track,so the knife cant wanderoffthe srraightedge. So far I ve usedthis for scoringdrywall,cutringvinyl flooring, and trimming photo matsto fit insidepicture frames.It works fawlessly.Andwhen it getsdull, simplysnapa sectionoffthe segmentedblade,andyou'rebackin business. The one downsideto the Guardianis the price.The 36" kit I've beentestingsellsfor about$80. A 54" versionwill costnearly$100.I guessit will takelot of cutring (or maybe just one realbad one on your hand if you're not usinga Guardian)to justiS,the price. NUMBERS BAD, PICT(IRES GooD - How do the numbers 1 through 26 cortelate to drilling holesand driving screws?Dont know? Few people do.which is why the clutch on drill,/driversrarelygetsusedcorrecdy.Most clutches,which regulatehow much torque getstransferredto the bit, arelabeledwith numbers.But it's not clearhow thesenumbers relateto the screwor drill bit you're using.Fortunately,Black & Decker hasbridged that gapin logic with their new Firestorm cordless Drills with Smart Select (3). In short, theyve replacedthe numberswith icons.Justmatch your job to the nearestrepresentative icon,and the drill is setto the right torqueand speed.Firestormdrills rn 12-,14.4-,andlS-volt versionsareavailableexclusivelyat Lowe'shome centersstartingat about g60. 88 WORKBENCH APRIL2OO7 Ero)*"."t* F' 3TlKBdltSander GuardianKnifeGuide ti E rirestormorills WithSmart Select THE BEAT GOES ON:The original "cordless nailer" w:rs called r hanrnrer',ancl it worked with jr-rstabout :iny type of nail. Interestinelyenoush, the latestcordlessnailer uscs essenti2llly the sanretechnolow asthe orieinal: It hits nails repeatedlyon tl-rehead until theyic driven in.And it works with virttully any nrril. The key difl-elencesnrc speedand enerw cxpencled.Tl.re1lJ-volt GMC Strike Allnailer (4) cirivesnails ttrr.rchfasterthan a hanlncr lurd requir-es just the pull of a trigeel to cio it. jaws of tl'renailer glip lrailsrvith l.re:rds Thc acljustable F O RM O R EI N F O : Porter-CableBelt Sander Porter-Cable.com 888-848-51 75 SawTrax Guardian Knife Guide SawTrax.com 888-729-a729 Firestorm by Black 6 Decker FirestormTools.com 800-544-6986 GMC StrikeAllnailer GMCompany.com 866-307-0132 Ryobi CordlessSander RvobiTools.com 800-525-2579 !1"r. sfr,r:e Allrr r"rpto %" in clianrcter.Pull tl-retr-igger,alld m intenral anvil delivers5,500 beats-per-ninute to drivc-nrils up to (r" lous. Look for the Allnailcr on Anrlzon.cont for lbout 9150. RANDOM CORDLESS-T1're Ryotri P{10 Randorn-Orbit Sancler (5) is the latesrrdc'litionto thc l{yobi Orre* systenr:rnri the first c-x:rnrpleof n tme rlndonr-orbit s:urdcrthat usesblttcry power. Of cor.rrse, bcc:ruscitls part of thc One* systenl,the 1U-volt blttery is sold seprratcly.The idea is to savcyolr rnone'y if you already own l\yobi 1u-volt tools ancl bltterics. Itis I good systenr.And itis a good s:rncler', cspecially fbr toucl'r-up work or finish sandins. The sander usesst:utdald5" hook-ar-rd-loop sanclp:tpcr' rurcltnrns oLrt 1,100 orbits pel uriuute.Itls avrrilablccxclusivelyat Honre l)epot lor about $40. tm f, I \ h avoidfrustrating problems moisture suchasshrinking, warping, failed joints, gluelines, loose etc.Alsoideal forlumber drying, to findoutif the woodisfinally dryenough to use. --LignomatUSA 800-227-2105 P0Box30145,Portland OR97294 503-257-8957, FM503-255-1 430USA wwwlignomat.com E-mail sales@lignomat.com w Enyooi Product Information Number 221 The Ultimate Work Shop ) Table Saw $tands ) |r|iter Saw Stands ',nf[Ti,l""' Power Swltch ) ROUtgf TableS l-t r^,.- Product Information Number 262 MoistureMeterscanhetp you -s. 3so6 "oder ) Router Accesories ) |r|obile Planer Stand ]it|ore! &Much Product Information Number 222 P41O Sander GARAGE Floor Facelift Let'.sflcc it-whetl.rer it\ fronr dirt, nrucl,nrotor oil, ol c]'renricals carrieclin by your carlstires irr the wintcr-srrase floors tlke all kinds of rbuse.Anclthc rcsultscrrnbc clrrcke'cl, p i ttc cl, o r stai n e'clco l )cl'ctc. ()nc rvav to ptotcct concrctc floors lutclcovcr unsightly stlins is with liqicl plasticfloor tilcs.These 1 2 " x 1 2 " i n t e r l o c k i n gt i l e ss i n r p l v snap togctl'rer to crcrltc-u sturdy floor covcrittg th:tt protccts concrete-fi-oni harsl-rcl-rcnriclls. Thc tiles are stllrdy cnouslt to clrive on. l)lus, they l-rclpsrnooth out irregularities on uneven floors. Enrbossedpatterns in thc tilcs nraket h e n r s l i p - r e s i s t a nat ,n d t h c y c l e l n up easily-.1ust sweep up clirt, or clean spills with a I-roseor :l niop Incl w:rrnr rv:rter. ' ,', ){ Colorful Options - Garage floor tilcs lrc availablefrorrr rr r.rr.rnrber of rrr:rnufrcturersin a wic'lc scll Fol lrouncl $3 :i sqrrtrc foot. IUccl)eck tilcs (shownin thc l)/tor()above altci in thc' top two tilevnriety of colols rncl pattcnrs (-scc srrnrples, below lcft) also le2rrrlrca ()rridt:orr pqqt,93).M<>st Iltr: Brrygy'5 n u n r b e r -o f u n i c l u ea c c c s s o r i c s ,u c h :rsopcn-slicl tiles,custonrizcd tiles RaceDeck with loeos,and cvcu parking gr-ridcs, CircleTrac thlt nr:rkethcnt even urore usctul or rttractive (Si dcbdr,rigltt). Anothel uranuficturer,Dynotile (tl.rebottonr tile at lcft), has a slightly ditTcrcnttrvist on the tile design. Tlreir rilcs rr'trr.rllyover'lrtpto ('t'cittc :r neally inrpenetrable se:rnr.'When R i q i dp l a s t i ct i l e sm a n u f a c t L t r ebdy RaceDeck(upper two llles) and Dynotilc(bottorn)featuretab and loop systenrstlrat "1ock"logetheI Dynotile 92 to createa sturdyfloor. Note the i n t e g r alli p o n D y n o t i l e 'fsi o o r s y s t e m . The lipson the.setilesfornr overlapp i n g s e a m st h a t s e a lo u t w a t e r . To installthe tiles,lineup the tabs on one tile with the loops on the other,and lightlytap the seamwith a rubbermallet. lf you need to trim the tilesto fit, just use a circularsaw. A 4O-toothcarbide blade producescrisp,cleancuts. Installtaperededgingand cornerpieces to createa smooth transttionbetween the tilesand the surroundingfloor. fittecl together, this overlapping design prevents water, dirt, or other debris fron.r seepir.rgthrough the tiles to the tile with the loops, and trp thenr together with a rubber nrallet (P/rotcr, nboucleft).-the processis so sinrple that yoll c2urcover an entile garage floor in a few }rours. lf you wrut to install the tiles li'om wall-to-wall, yoll lnay need to cttt thellr to fit the edges and corners of the garage.That'.seasily done with a circnlar saw,rs shown in the r-niddle P/rotrrabove. Or if you'd prefer to only cover a sn-rallsection of the garage oper-rine,as they allow cars to roll snioothly up onto the tiles.And just like the tiles, these edging aud corner pieceslock together using the satne convenient tab-and-loop systelll,as tffi shown in the Photo,aboveright. floor below. Rcgardless of Easy Installationthe brar.rdyott choose, installing these tiles is, quite literally,:isnrp. Ifyou take a closer look at the tiles in the BotlorrrP/iotoon page 92, you can see that two sides of eaclr tile have snrall loops, while the otl-rel sides have srnall tabs that fit down into these loops.To install thenr, all you have to do is lay a tile down with the loops f:rcirrg out toward the garage door. Then align the tabs on the adjoining floor, you can get tapc'rededging and corner pieces. These edging pieces also t"uakea great transition at the garrge door BUYERG , SU I D E RaceDeck 800-457-0174 RaceDeck.com Gladiator 866-342-4089 Gladiatorcw.com Dynotile 856-605-8700 Dynotile.com RevTek 800-s85-0922 Rhinocourts.com Absolute Garage Lock-Til€ 515-2s4-0040 888-562-5845 LockTile-USA.com Absolutecaraoe.net YOURGARAGEFLOOR 3 WAYSTO ACCESSORIZE tiles(calledFreeTheseopen-grid directwater Flowfrom RaceDeck) or snowmeltintoa drainbelow offercustomized Somecompanies tiles.Thedesigncanfit on onetile or spreadacrossmultipletiles. Twosmall"lifts"in RaceDeck's AccuPark tilesletyou knowwhen you'vepulledthe carin far enough. www.WorkbenchMagazine.com 93 ELEMENTS OFSTYLEI BOX BEAMCEILING []ckrrc thc clavsof cngirrccrcrlhntrbur.honrcs oFtcn lclier"lorr hcaw irc:urs tliar splrnncclbctu'ccn r.r'lrlls to sllpport rrppcr tlools :rnd rooti.Whcn lctt crirosccl,thcse bt:rnrs bcc:utrestvlishin additiorr to bt:ins srructut.rrl. Moclcnr fioor joists un.l rooftruss svstcnrshlr.c clinrirr,rtcdthc stru(:rllmlncctl fix thcsc big bcrnts"bnt vou c:lrr rccrc.ttc thc:ir'look bv brrildine ltoilos, "box bclnrs" th,rtnrakc I stl'oltgstvh' starcrnclt in ,rnv rrrour. 94 WORKBENCH APRIL2OO7