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by
Dave Boulton
photo: Mark Burstyn
illustration: Len Churchill |
BOOT BATH (part 2) |
Easy Assembly
With all of your pieces cut, dry-fit your grate. If any rails
are too tight, a pass over a belt sander or some finessing with
a hand plane should make the troublesome rail fit. Glued joints
would create a strong grate, but considering the fact that you’ll
be standing on the project, and that even weatherproof glue
isn’t recommended for soaking in water, I elected to use
screws. Galvanized, brass or stainless-steel screws will weather
the intended use. I chose the #8 x 11/4" size.
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| Screws
strengthen the grate's joints so that they last
longer than with glue alone |
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| CLICK
ABOVE TO ENLARGE ILLUSTRATION |
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If you’re
going to apply a finish, such as a penetrating oil, do it now,
before assembly. The job is much easier at this stage since
there are lots of small corners to deal with.
Make It Strong
Assemble the project, using clamps in the corners to keep the
rails together while you work.
Don’t be tempted to drive in screws before predrilling
holes. The rail parts are narrow, and many of the screws will
be close to the edge. Without predrilling, your wood will
split. I used a 3/32" bit to make pilot holes for the screw
threads, and a 5/32" bit to make room for the main body
of each screw.
With the project assembled, give the top edges a touch with
a belt sander to smooth over any variances in height and smooth
the end joints as well. Retouch your finish after this.
This grate was intended for boot washing, but I have also found
it useful at the hose bib (there always seems to be mud there),
and it could be resized to span an area of deck that would normally
block light to a basement window. If you choose the design for
a poolside shower, tighten the spacing to 3/4", a more
comfortable grid for bare feet.
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| YOU
WILL NEED |
| PART |
MATERIAL |
SIZE
(T x W x L*) |
QTY |
| Rails |
pine |
3/4"
x 1 1/2" x 12" |
12 |
| Screws |
stainless
steel |
#8
x 1 1/4" |
36 |
| *
Length indicates grain direction. |
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| PART
1 | PART 2 |
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