Building a Pedestal
Objective:
- To safely and effectively use the tablesaw, miter saw, brad nailer, and palm sander to
build a pedestal.
- To build a pedestal that is 12”X12”X12” using masonite and wood bracing.
- To become comfortable working with fractions.
Terminology:
Table Saw - A table saw (also known as a sawbench or bench saw in England) is a woodworking tool, consisting of a circular saw blade, mounted on an arbor, that is driven by an electric motor (either directly, by belt, or by gears).
Miter Saw - A miter saw is a saw used to make accurate crosscuts and miters in a workpiece by pulling a large backsaw or a mounted circular saw blade down onto a board in a quick motion. Miter saws are commonly referred to as drop saws and abrasive cut off saws are referred to as a chop saw.
Brad Nailer - A brad nailer is a smaller version of a standard finish nailer and typically is used for attaching small moldings and trim to a woodworking project. ... While there are many more applications for a finish nailer , a brad nailer is very handy for attaching thin strips and delicate trim.
Orbital Sander - a sander that uses a section of sandpaper clamped to a metal pad that moves at high speed in a very narrow orbit, driven by an electric motor. a sander in which the sanding surface moves in a very tight orbital motion, driven at high speed by an electric motor.
Butt Joint - A butt joint is a technique in which two pieces of material are joined by simply placing their ends together without any special shaping. The name ' butt joint ' comes from the way the material is joined together.
Rip Cut - In woodworking, a rip-cut is a type of cut that severs or divides a piece of wood parallel to the grain.
Cross Cut - The other typical type of cut is a cross-cut, a cut perpendicular to the grain.
Cut List - A cut list is a list of all the parts required to build a woodworking project that contains a number for each part along with its thickness, width and length. You can think of a cut list as a bill of materials for lumber and sheet stock without any of the cost information.
Materials:
- Masonite sheet - 2’X6’
- Pine 1”X1” Bracing - 4’
- Brad Nails
- Wood Glue
Procedure:
1. Begin by mapping out the dimensions of your pedestal. Each total side should be 12”X12”X12” and will result in a 5 sided cube (open bottom). Keep in mind that the masonite sheet you’re using is 3/16” thick. You will need to consider this thickness when stacking material to equal 12”. You will be using butt joint construction.
2. Generate a “Cut List”.
3. Cut your materials down based on the “Cut List” you’ve created and planned for.
a. Cuts longer than 12” will need to be made using the Table Saw.
b. “Cross Cuts” will need to be made using the Miter Saw (Clamp your material when necessary/when in doubt).
4. Once you have all sides and bracing cut to the dimensions you have worked out, begin assembly using the brad nailer and glue.
a. Line up the bracing you have cut along the edges of two of the pieces of masonite.
b. Apply minimal glue to the 1”X1” bracing. There should be enough to see a light coating along the majority of the wooden surface.
c. Place bracing along the edge of your masonite and brad nail in place using x4 nails. Clamping the wood in place will be helpful. Be careful of your finger placement while using the Brad Nailer. Nails have a tendency to migrate through the wooden substrate in inconsistent paths. Do not hold the wood down with your hand in the proximity of the length of the nail you are using. You will be using brad nails.
5. Repeat this step for two sides of the pedestal.
6. Stand these sides up vertically and place the third side of masonite against the bracing. You may need to clamp this in place.
7. Brad Nail this in place using four nails
8. Do the same for the opposite side.
9. You should now have a four sided box with four braces nail/glued in place in each corner.
10. You can now place the top portion of the pedestal (final piece of masonite - 12”X12”) onto the four sided box.
11. Apply glue along the edges of the masonite as well as on top of each 1”X1” brace.
12. Position this piece on top of the four sided box so that all edges are flush.
13. Hold in place and brad nail to secure.
14. Let the wood glue dry for at least 3 hours
15. Once the glue has dried, sand along the edges to correct any of the overlapping areas. From here, you can paint the pedestal if you would like to.
Materials:
Cuts:
Cut List:
1. X1 @12”X12”
2. X2 @ 11 13/16”X12”
3. X2 @ 11 13/16”X11 ⅝”
4. X4 @ 11 13/16”X1”X1”
Assembly - Part 1:
Assembly - Part 2:
Final Assembly - Part 3: