Woodcraft Plans Offer Tips and Instruction for Building Outdoor Furniture
PARKERSBURG, W.VA. (PRWEB) March 17, 2016 -- As summer approaches, Woodcraft is ready to help customers build outdoor furniture with easy-to-use plans that include tips and instruction. The woodworking retailer also stocks products that help customers give existing furniture a new look – maybe distressed or antiqued or a brand-new color.
1 - Selecting Furniture Plans
“Woodcraft offers nearly three dozen building plans for the popular Adirondack chair in several styles – rocker, loveseat, folding, twin adjustable, chaise lounge, child size, and footstools,” Woodcraft product manager Ben Bice said. “Other seating plans feature Tudor style chairs, folding sling chairs, and patio rockers. Adirondack chair building templates are also available.”
To accommodate outdoor dining, Bice said Woodcraft offers plans to build picnic table-bench combos that range from the traditional shape to an octagonal version. Bench plans feature seats with and without backs/arms in various styles such as Tudor, Lutyens, English, and arched. Traditional porch swing plans come in several styles, some with frames for yard use, and glider plans are also available.
“We also stock plans for less common features such as tree seats, garden trellises, footbridges, birdhouses, and even a camp kitchen,” Bice said.
2 - Choosing Tools & Products to Build (Or Update)
“Once you have selected your wood, something rot-resistant like cypress, cedar, locust or white oak, the 7.0 amp variable-speed Bosch Barrel Grip Jigsaw, with a tool-less blade-change system, will make cutting chores easy,” national power tool sales manager Andrew Bondi said. Bondi also suggested keeping the 30" x 24" lightweight, portable QuikBENCH handy to provide a ready work surface equipped with a vise, a 15-amp, three-outlet power strip, and four bench dogs. More benches can be added if a larger surface is needed.
To join furniture pieces, product manager Peter Collins said, “The Kreg Jig HD Starter Kit will do the job easily using pocket-hole joinery. The Kreg Jig® HD is made to work with 1-1/2" and thicker material to build outdoor furniture, fences, trellises, and more. Kreg Jig® HD Screws are #14 hardened-steel screws with a Protec-Kote™ finish that has three anti-corrosion layers.”
3 - Other Helpful Products
Other tools, supplies and hardware that come in handy for furniture projects include:
•Titebond III Ultimate Wood Glue for interior and exterior use is waterproof (not for use under water), cleans up with water, has an eight-minute open assembly time, and offers an application temperature as low as 47°F.
•Chappell Universal Stainless Steel Square combines a center rule and a bench square.
•eTape16 Digital Tape Measure features a readout in 1/16" and 1mm increments and easy conversion to feet, inches and fractions.
•The new Festool TXS Compact Drill Driver Set is lightweight but powerful and can reach into tight spots easily.
•The lightweight, compact Grex GC1850 Cordless 2", 18-gauge Brad Nailer features an all-metal robust construction with the power to sink 2" 18-gauge brad nails into 2" red oak.
•Combo Adjustable Adirondack Chair Hardware works for the complementary Adirondack Plan Value Pack that includes three furniture plans.
•HIGHPOINT XT Square Drive Woodworking Screws, Flathead, 100-piece packs offer almost twice the torque values of other screws.
•Glider Bracket Hardware fits most gliders and can be used to replace old worn or broken brackets typically used in outdoor gliders.
•Glider Rocker Bearing Kit includes low-speed steel bearings with a smooth bore that will fit a standard 3/8" bolt. Bearings will retrofit to most any glider rockers for easy repair.
4 - Finishing the Project
“Selecting a finish offers the opportunity to customize furniture for your family’s tastes and lifestyle,” product manager Kent Harpool said. “Color and special effects options are the ‘tools’ for this creative endeavor.”
•For removing finish when refinishing furniture, Blue Bear Paint and Urethane Stripper (Soy Gel) is a good choice because it has no known health hazards, is virtually odorless and works well.
•General Finishes Milk Paint is for use indoors or outdoors, and the 28 premixed colors can be mixed, lightened, glazed, layered, antiqued or distressed.
•General Finishes Outdoor Oil Finish is ideal for exterior weather conditions and may be used over other brands of exterior oil stain or exterior clear oil finishes for additional protection.
•WoodRiver Pure Tung Oil provides a natural long-lasting finish.
•General Finishes 450 Varnish in Satin minimizes fading, retards mold and fungus growth, and can be applied quickly to achieve a clear, tough finish.
•System Three Marine Spar Varnish in Satin is designed for exterior surfaces and provides long-lasting protection against water and marine environments.
For more information about these products or Woodcraft, please contact the store nearest you, visit http://www.woodcraft.com or call (800) 535-4482. To learn about Woodcraft franchise opportunities, visit http://www.woodcraftfranchise.com or email woodcraftfranchise(at)woodcraft.com.
Lori Haught, Woodcraft Supply LLC, http://www.woodcraft.com, +1 (304) 865-4107 Ext: 2107, [email protected]
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