B

A
C

Rustic Sunflower Frame Plan

his rustic-looking frame will keep sunflowers and other tall plants from flopping over in the garden. For longevity, use rot-resistant cedar. And before starting, we cut decorative ends on the 1x4 cross rails (A), 2x4 ladder uprights (B) and 2x6 posts (D), but this step is optional. Heres how to put one together: Step one: Sink three 36-inch 2x6 posts (D) into the ground in a straight line, 92 1/2 inches apart, center to center. The tops of all three posts should be 16 inches aboveground and even with each other. Step two: Using one of the 2x6 posts as a guide, space two 6-foot 2x4s (B) the width of the post (about 51/2 inches). From the top of the 2x4s, measure down 12 inches, then attach the first 1x2 ladder rung (C) using No. 4 galvanized nails. Attach the next 1x2 about 35/8 inch below the first (the spacing should be far enough apart to

Illustration 1

accommodate the 1x4 cross rails you will attach in step six). Step three: Attach two more sets of 1x2 ladder rungs, leaving 18 inches between the upper edge of top rungs. Then turn the ladder over and repeat the process. Step four: Build two more of these ladders, one for the middle of the frame and one for the other end. Step five: Lift the ladders over the 2x6 posts that were sunk in the ground. The ladders will be held in place once you attach the 1x4 cross rails (A). Step six: Place the cross rails (A) between the rungs of the ladder (C) so the cross rails butt to each other in the center (see side view) and extend 31/2 inches past the rungs. Predrill the holes, then attach the cross rails to the 2x4s (B) using 2-inch galvanized screws.
185"

MATERIALS FOR 16-FT. FRAME 12 6 36 3 1 1 8-ft. 1x4 cross rails (A) 6-ft. 2x4 ladder uprights (B) 16-in. 1x2 ladder rungs (C) 36-in. 2x6 posts (D) box, 2-in. galvanized screws box, No. 4 galvanized nails

15 1/2"

3 1/2"

92 1/2"

Cross rails butt in center C

B
52" 46 1/2"

B
28 1/2" 10 1/2"

16"

D
End view Side view

SLATTED SHELF
Heres a great place to hang your hat and coat or use as a clothes rack in the kids room. And it breaks down easily for moving or storage.

our main parts make up this project: a shelf assembly, two end brackets with curves, and a back with Shaker-style birch pegs. To match the pegs, I built the project from birch.

SHELF ASSEMBLY
The shelf is made up of five slats (A) held together by three cleats (B); see page 2. SLATS. To make the slats (A), first rip five pieces of 3/4"-thick stock to a common width of 13/4". Since I wanted to be able to hang the shelf on wall studs that were located 16" on center, I did a little figuring and cut the slats to 38" long. After cutting the slats to length, round over the top edges of each slat with a 1/4" roundover bit; refer to Fig. 3 on page 3. MARK POSITION OF HOLES. Once the edges are routed, three screwholes are drilled in each slat to attach the cleats. To mark the location of these screwholes,

line up the ends of all five slats and draw lines across them with a square. Draw a line 13/4" from each end (this will position the brackets 32" on center), and at the exact center of the length; see Fig. 3. CROSSLINES. Next, draw crosslines centered on the width of each slat. The easiest way to locate the center is with a combination square; see Fig. 1. Set the square for just a smidgen less than half the width of a slat ( 7/8"), measure in from each edge, and put marks. Splitting the difference between the marks will locate the exact center. Then punch the centers with an awl. DRILL HOLES. The screws at each of the points are sunk below the surface of the slat and covered with wood plugs; see Fig. 3. To drill the plug and screw holes, first counterbore a 1/2"-dia. hole at each intersecting point. Then a 3/16" hole is drilled the rest of the way through the slat to accept the shank of a screw.

CLEATS. With the slats complete, work can begin on the cleats (B). Since the cleats are all the same length and one end is rounded over on all of them, I found it easiest to lay out all three cleats on a single 5" wide board; see Fig. 2. Cut the board to a finished length of 91/4", and then round over one edge on one end with a 1/4" roundover bit. MARK PILOT HOLES. Before cutting the cleats apart, mark the location of the pilot hole lines for the screws; see Fig. 2. First draw a line 3/8" back from the front edge. Then draw four more lines 2" apart. Now, the three cleats can be ripped 11/2" wide. To locate the pilot holes, draw crosslines centered on the width of each cleat using the same method that was used with the slats. Finally, center punch and drill a 3/32" hole at each point. ASSEMBLY. With the holes drilled in both the slats and cleats, assembly can begin. Start by screwing and gluing the

SLAT

EXPLODED VIEW
OVERALL DIMENSIONS: 38W x 93/4D x 103/4H
CLEAT

WOOD PLUG

B
7!/2

DOWEL

MATERIALS LIST
WOOD A Slats (5) B Cleats (3) C Brackets (2) D Back (1)
BRACKET
3/ x 13/ - 38 4 4 3/ x 11/ - 91/ 4 2 4 3/ x 87/ - 10 4 8 3/ x 5 - 323/ 4 4

3#/4
C L

C
BACK

D
SHAKER PEG 8&/8 2!/2 #/4 2!/2" R 5!/2

HARDWARE SUPPLIES (15) 1/2"-dia. Wood plugs (15) No. 8 x 1" Fh woodscrews (4) No. 8 x 11/4" Fh woodscrews (1) 3/8"-dia. x 4"-long Dowel rod (4) 7/8"-dia. x 33/8"-long Birch Shaker pegs (2) 9/16" x 111/16" Keyhole hangers w/screws
BRACKET

BRACKET PATTERN
6 7!/2

CUTTING DIAGRAM
#/4 x 5!/2 - 48 (1.8 Bd. Ft.) A A #/4 x 5!/2 - 48 (1.8 Bd. Ft.) A A #/4 x 5!/2 - 48 (1.8 Bd. Ft.) A C C #/4 x 5!/2 - 48 (1.8 Bd. Ft.)
B B B

15 3#/8 1!/2" R NOTE: BE SURE CORNERS ARE SQUARE 2!/2" R

10

BRACKET C D

C
NOTE GRAIN DIRECTION 9

&/8

two outside cleats to the first and last slats; see Fig. 3. Make sure this partial assembly is square. Then screw and glue the remaining slats and cleats together. The final step on the shelf assembly is to glue plugs into the counterbores. Then chisel or cut them off and sand flush.

BRACKETS
The completed shelf assembly rests on two brackets (C). Both brackets are cut out of a single 9" x 15" blank made from glued-up stock; see drawing above. After the blank is squared up, lay out a

cardboard template; see the Bracket Pattern above. Then use the template to trace the brackets on the blank. Now cut, file, and sand them smooth. MORTISE FOR KEYHOLE HANGER. The shelves are held on the wall with two nifty little metal keyhole hangers. (Theyre available from many woodworking mail order catalogs.) To hold a hanger in each bracket, a 3/16"-deep, 9/16"wide mortise is routed on the back edge; see Fig. 4. Rout the mortise by making two passes with a 1/2" straight bit on a router table or with a hand-held router and edge guide.

After the mortise is routed, a section of the slot needs to be drilled out to accept the head of the screw that will be in the wall; see Fig. 5. Finally, drill holes and screw the keyhole hanger into the mortise; see Fig. 6. STOPPED RABBET. Next, a stopped rabbet is routed on the inside back edge of each bracket to accept the back (D); see Fig. 7. Since the stopped rabbet is to be 3/8" wide and 5/8" deep, a 3/8" rabbeting bit can be used to cut it; see Fig. 7. Start and stop the cut just a bit short of the end lines and clean it up with a sharp chisel.
EDGING DETAIL
#/4 !/4" ROUNDOVER BIT

1
PUNCH CENTERS WITH AWL 1#/4

LAY OUT HOLE CENTERS BEFORE RIPPING

2 2

NOTE: RIP THREE CLEATS FROM #/4" STOCK 2 2 #/8

A
SLAT 1#/4 USE COMBINATION SQUARE TO MARK CROSSLINES

9!/4 ROUND OVER EDGE BEFORE RIPPING, SEE DETAIL

TOP VIEW
5 CLEAT B 9!/4 1!/2

MOUNTING THE BRACKETS. After the rabbets are routed, the brackets are mounted under the shelf assembly. I decided not to fasten the brackets permanently since I wanted to be able to take the unit apart for moving or storage. Rather, I used two short pins (dowels) in the top of each bracket to locate and stabilize the assembly; see Fig. 8. To mount the pins, drill two holes in the bottom of the second and fourth slats. The holes are centered on the widths of these slats and located 3/8" from the inside edge of the two cleats; see Fig. 8. USING DOWEL CENTERS. After drilling the holes in the slats, use 3/8" dowel centers to mark the location of the matching holes on the top edge of the brackets. Then drill these holes. Finally, glue two short dowels into the top of each bracket to act as locating pins. Then round over the end of each dowel with sandpaper to help them slide into the matching holes.

3
#/4 #/4 NOTE: !/4"ROUNDOVER ON TOP EDGES OF ALL SLATS

1#/4

!/2" HOLE, !/4" DEEP

SAND WOOD PLUGS FLUSH

#/16" SHANK HOLE

B CLEAT
#/32" x #/8" DEEP PILOT HOLE !/2 #8 x 1" Fh WOODSCREW

FRONT EDGE

1#/4 38

B CLEAT
1#/4 SLATS A HOLES FOR MIDDLE CLEAT CENTERED ON LENGTH 1#/4 GLUE AND SCREW OUTSIDE SLATS TO END CLEATS, CHECK FOR SQUARE

4
CENTER MORTISE ON STOCK

1#/4

5
BACK EDGE CLEAN OUT WASTE BETWEEN HOLES

(/16

6
ATTACH KEYHOLE HANGER WITH #8 x #/4" WOODSCREWS

(/16

#/16" DEEP TOP EDGE

BACK
The final piece to cut is the back (D). Its ripped to a width of 5" (to match the stopped rabbet on the bracket). To determine the length of the back, turn the shelf assembly upside down and hold the brackets straight up against the cleats. Then measure the distance between the brackets and add the depth of both rabbets (in my case, 32 3/4"). After the back is cut to final length, rabbet the ends to produce 3/8"-thick tongues that fit in the stopped rabbets in the brackets; see Fig. 9. Then round over the front edges with a 1/4" roundover bit. SHAKER PEGS. Now locate and drill 1/ " holes, 3/ " deep as shown in the 2 8 Exploded View on page 2. And then glue in the Shaker Pegs.

DRILL TWO #/8" HOLES, !/4" DEEP SIDE-BY-SIDE

#/8" RABBET BIT WITH PILOT

C BRACKET
#/8" x %/8" STOPPED RABBET SQUARE UP CORNERS WITH CHISEL 5 STOP RABBET SHORT OF FINISHED LENGTH, FINISH WITH CHISEL 1!/2

FIRST PASS ABOUT HALF TOTAL DEPTH %/8

ATTACHING THE BACK. Finally, the back is placed in the stopped rabbets in the brackets and holes are drilled for flathead woodscrews; see Fig. 10.

FINISH. To finish the shelf, I sanded all the surfaces smooth and then applied two coats of General Finishes Royal Finish (a tung oil/urethane mixture). s

8
KEEP BACK EDGES FLUSH

SECOND: DRILL OPPOSING #/8" HOLES, !/2" DEEP IN BRACKET #/8" DOWEL PIN, &/8" LONG

9
FIRST: RABBET ENDS TO PRODUCE #/8" THICK TONGUES

%/8

10
COUNTERSINK SCREWS #/8

#8 x 1!/4" Fh WOODSCREW

SECOND: ROUT A !/4" ROUNDOVER ON BOTH FACE EDGES 2&/8 FIRST: LOCATE AND DRILL #/8" HOLES, !/2" DEEP IN SLATS 6&/8 #/4 #/8 BACK SIDE DOWN

DRILL PILOT HOLES IN BRACKETS FOR SCREWS

Kitchen Wine Rack

Why let a wine rack take up precious counter or floor space in your kitchen? This one tucks under a kitchen wall cabinet generally an underutilized space properly storing bottles on their sides. By leveraging their weight against gummy plastic tubing the bottles stay anchored until theyre
deliberately removed. You can build the wine rack in an afternoon, and it only requires a table saw, jig saw, drill, router, and a few clamps. UNCORK THE SHOP Any wood will do for this project. I chose oak because it matches the trim in my house and contrasts nicely with the white kitchen cabinets. Begin by ripping and crosscutting 3/4"-thick stock for the fronts, sides, top, and bottom (WINE RACK
CONSTRUCTION VIEW). Once you have these pieces cut to size, set aside the fronts and focus on cutting the tongue-and-dado joints in the sides, top, and bottom. Tongue-and-dado joints are easy to machine and plenty strong for this application.You can form both parts of the joint with a table saw and a 1/ "-wide dado blade. If you dont 4 have a dado blade, making multiple passes with a regular saw blade will do. Use the miter gauge for support

when dadoing the top and bottom panels (DADO DETAIL).And be sure to clamp a protective wood face to the table saw fence before you rabbet the sides to form the tongues (TONGUE DETAIL). Cut a test piece first to check its fit in a dado. Before you glue up the assembly, drill two 5/16"-dia. holes in the top panel for T-nuts (WINE RACK ELEVATION). Locate the holes 1/2" from the front edge, and 21/4" from each end of the stock.

Position the T-nuts in the holes, then slip a washer on each 1/4"-dia. hex-head bolt and thread them into the T-nuts. Tightening the bolts with a socket wrench forces the prongs into the wood. Glue and clamp the top, bottom, and sides together, making sure the assembly is square. MAKE THE FRONT PANELS Now lay out five 31/4"-dia. half circles on each front panel (FRONT PANEL ELEVATION).To cut the half circles, I used a jig saw (FIG. 1), then removed the saw marks with a drum sander chucked in a drill. Once the edges are smooth, rout them (front and back surfaces) with a 1/4"-radius round-over bit. Follow up with 120-grit sandpaper, then glue the front panels to the assembly. STOPS AND BUMPER The stops serve a simple purpose theyre for the plywood back to rest against (WINE RACK ELEVATION). Rip and crosscut two stops and glue them into the assembly. For the bumper strip, I recommend you select a 2" or wider piece of 3/4"-thick stock, then cut a

MATERIALS LIST
LUMBER
Cut just inside line

A B C D E F

(2) (2) (2) (2) (1) (1) (1) (2) (2) (2) (6)

Fronts 3/4" x 3" x 211/4" Top/Bottom 3/4" x 3" x 211/4" Sides 3/4" x 3" x 51/8" Stops 3/4" x 1/2" x 193/4" Bumper strip 3/4" x 1" x 193/4" Back 1/4" x 45/8" x 193/4"
1/ "-dia. plastic tubing, 2 1/ " T-nuts 4 1/ " x " hex-head bolts 4 1/ " I.D. washers 4

HARDWARE

1
Use a jig saw to cut the half circles in the fronts. A coping saw will also work, though itll require more elbow grease.

193/4"-long

1"-long (2d) nails

7/ "-wide 1/ "-deep 16 4

groove centered in one edge for the plastic tubing. After completing the groove, rip the bumper strip to width. Machining in this fashion is safer than grooving the bumper strip after its cut to size. Clear plastic tubing is easy to find at most hardware stores, and you can cut it to length with a scissors. Once youve cut the tubing, press it into the groove in the bumper strip and drive six small nails to fasten it. Take care to avoid locating nails where the wine bottles will contact the tubing, and drive the nails only

until the heads contact the tubing. After gluing the bumper strip into the wine rack assembly, cut a piece of 1/ "-thick plywood to size for the 4 back. Nail it to the assembly after the finishing is completed. To mount the wine rack, hold it under the cabinet and poke an awl or nail through the T-nuts to mark the drilling locations. Drill 1/4"-dia. pilot holes, then install the project with the hex-head bolts. Not that you need it, but you now have the perfect excuse to buy five bottles of wine. Cheers!

WINE RACK CONSTRUCTION VIEW

OVERALL SIZE: 61/8"H
A Front

33/4"D

211/4"L

Top/ Bottom !/2" !/4"

WINE RACK ELEVATION (END VIEW)

Washer Hex head bolt

Hex head bolt

B Top E Bumper strip strip

Tubing Washer T-nut

DADO DETAIL
Wood face

Cabinet bottom T-nut Stop Bumper strip

F Back

!/4"

Plastic tubing

Back

Side

Stop

D Stops
2d nails

TONGUE DETAIL FRONT PANEL ELEVATION

#/4" 4" 2%/8"

B Bottom A Front

C Side

3!/4"

Roundover inside and outside edges.

Front