Before You Begin a Job
Selecting Wood
* Untreated hemlock fir is inexpensive and simple to find, but it’s susceptible to the elements and wood-eating bugs. A few coats of deck stain can provide protection.
* Pressure-treated lumber (PT) suitable for ground contact lasts a long time but is frequently wet when you purchase it–expect movement in the joints as the wooden shrinks.
* Western red cedar staves off weather naturally and resists insects. It’s readily available, fairly affordable and dry when purchased.
* TimberSIL (the material we used) appears to have everything going for it, except its limited distribution. The inert treatment process used to make TimberSil renders it a green material that looks (and works) a lot like wood. It is dry, affordable and resistant to rot.
Storing Boards
Don’t buy randomly piled 2 x 6 studs, which are likely to become warped. You’ll find the best wooden still on the pallet, banded together and stored straight. At home, if your project is on hold, bundle the boards with duct tape and store them off the ground.
Accurate Layout and Cutting
Take measurements carefully–then measure again to become sure. Position the blade (whether you’re using a circular or miter saw) to cut on the “waste” rather than the “keep” side from the line. If the tool is really a circular saw, employ a square like a guide.
–Build the box, or base, very first. Apply the lengthy outside rails over the end-pieces. Preset 3-in. deck screws in the outside edge before applying exterior-grade construction adhesive and assembling the pieces. Use a thin bead of glue to minimize squeeze-out and keep every thing neat.
–Send the screws home. Use three screws in each piece to prevent cupping and to support the weight from the logs. If any excess glue is forced out from the joint, you can use a painter’s five-in-one tool to scrape it away.
–Install uprights. This step is greatest done on a flat surface such like a garage floor or a sheet of plywood. Gather a couple of 2x scraps. Flip the box onto 1 side. Mark the position for that box on two uprights, then place them inside, supporting their ends using the 2x scraps, laid flat. Use a square to align the upright with the box’s edge in case the corner isn’t perfectly square. Preglue the upright and fasten with four screws. Note: Dry-fit the pieces. If your drill doesn’t fit between the outside rails, drill pilot holes, then drive the screws in at an angle. Flip the box onto its other side and repeat for the last two uprights.
–Use diagonal braces for stability and longevity. Set up them having a fastening technique known as pocket-screwing. Very first, predrill a hole through the angle brace into the upright at an angle, following the grain direction from the brace. Use a countersink bit, which will simultaneously drill a pilot hole and auger a pocket for the screw-head. This will help keep the wooden from splitting.
–Finish by adding the best. Install the two best pieces so they overhang the uprights equally. (This might need a little muscling of the uprights, if they’re not perfectly square.)
–Hit the wood with a shot of sealer, stain or one more finish. If you are building with hem-fir, soak the uprights’ endgrains. I like oil-based items because they soak into the wooden, rather than merely coating it.