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THEARTOFWOODWORKING

HOMEWORI$HOP

W O R K S H OGPU I D E
SCRIBING
F i t t i n gt h e e n do r e d g eo f a p i e c eo f m o l d i n go r t r i m
s q u a r e layg a i n sat w a l lt h a t i s n o t p l u m bc a n b e d i f f i c u l t .T h es i m p l et r i c ks h o w na t r i g h tm a k e st h e t a s k
s i m p l eB
. u t tt h e b o a r da g a i n stth e w a l la n d h o l da
p e n c iw
l i t h i t s e d g ea g a i n stth e w a l la n d i t s p o i n t
c o n t a c t i ntgh e f a c eo f t h e w o r k p i e c eS.t a r t i n g
at the
t o p o f t h e m o l d i n gs, l i d et h e p e n c i dl o w nt h e w a r r ;
t h e m a r kt h a t i s s c r i b e do n t h e w o r k o i e c w
e ill orov i d ey o uw i t ha c u t t i n gl i n et h a tw i l l e n a b l ey o ut o f i t
the pieceperfectlyin place.Youcan alsousea logbuilder'sscribe(page42) for this task.Scribinghas
n u m e r o uasp p l i c a t i o nisn,c l u d i n h
gelping
to fit baseb o a r dt o a n u n e v e nf l o o r .

7
/ /1

CHECKING
ANDTRUING
A CARPENTER'S
SOUARE
T o c h e c kw h e t h ear c a r p e n t e rs' sq u a r ei s t r u e ,t a p ea s h e e to f
p a p e rt o a p i e c eo f p l y w o o a
d n d ,h o l d i n go n eo f t h e a r m so f t h e
s q u a r ea g a i n sat n e d g eo f t h e p a n e l d, r a wa p e n c i a
l l o n gt h e o t h e r
a r m ,m a r k i n ga l i n ea c r o s tsh e p a p e rT. h e nt u r n t h e s q u a r eo v e r

anddrawanother
line,asshown
at right.Thetwomarked
lines
should
beparallel,
lf not,thearmsarenotperpendicular
to eachother,
Truethesquare
asshown
below.

Totruea carpenter's
square,
beginbymarking
a straight
line
between
theinside
andoutside
corners
of thesquare.
lf the
angle
formed
bythesquare
isgreater
than90', youwillneed
to movethetwoarmscloser
together:
Place
thetip of a center
punchonthelinenearthesquare's
outside
corner
andtapit
wrtha ball-peen
hammer.
lf theangle
is lessthan90', spread
thearmsapartbytapping
onthelinenearthesquare's
inside
corner(right).
Truinga square
mayrequire
several
taps,but
checkyourprogress
aftereachattempt.

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Cent.erpunch

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THEARTOFWOOD\,VORKING

FINISH
CARPENTRY

THE ART OF WOODWORKING

FTNTSH
CARPENTRY

TIME-LIFE
BOOKS
ALEXANDRIA,
VIRGINIA
ST.REMYPRESS
MONTREAL.
NEWYORK

r
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THE ART OF WOODWORKING wasproduced by
ST. REMY PRESS
PUBLISHER KennethWinchester
PRESIDENT PierreLdveill6
SeriesEditor
SeriesArt Director
SeniorEditor
Editor
Art Directors
Designers
PictureEditor
Writers
ResearchAssistant
Contr ibuting I IIustrators

Administrator
ProductionManager
SystemCoordinator
Photographer
Administrative Assist
ant
Proofreader
Indexer

PierreHome-Douglas
FrancineLemieux
Marc Cassini
Jim McRae
Normand Boudreault,Luc Germain,
SolangeLaberge
H6lEneDion, Michel Gigudre
ChristopherJackson
Andrew Jones,Rob Lutes,David Simon
Bryan Quinn
GillesBeauchemin,RolandBergerat,
Michel Blais,)ean-GuyDoiron,
RonaldDurepos,RobertPaquet,
Maryo Proulx, JamesTh6rien
NatalieWatanabe
MichelleTurbide
Jean-LucRoy
RobertChartier
Dominique Gagn6
GaretMarkvoort
ChristineM. Iacobs

Time-Life Booksis a division of Time Life Inc.,

a wholly ownedsubsidiaryof
THE TIME INC. BOOK COMPANY

TIME-LIFEINC.
Presidentand CEO JohnM. Fahey
Editor-in-chief lohn L. Papanek
TIME-LIFEBOOKS
President
Vice-President,
Directorof Marketing
ExecutiveEditor
ExecutiveArt Director

Iohn D. Hall
Nanry K. fones
RobertaConlan
Ellen Robling

ConsubingEditor iohn R. Sullivan

ProductionManager MarleneZack

THECONSUIIANTS
Karl Marcuseis a self-employedcarpenterand contractor
in Montreal.He hasworked as a home renovatorin many
countriesand is now completingrestorationofhis centuryold home.
Giles Miller-Mead taught advancedcabinetmakingat Montreal
technicalschoolsfor more than ten years.A nativeof New
Zealand,he hasworked asa restorerof antiquefurniture
Scott Sdruttner is a carpenterand home builder in Fairbanks,
Alaska.A frequentcontributor to FineHomebuiWizg,he has
beenbuildingstaircases
andteachingaspiringcarpenters
for
closeto 20years.
fosephTruini is SeniorEditorof HomeMechankMagazine.
A formerShopandToolsEditorof PopularMechanic$
he has
worked asa cabinetmaker,home improvementcontractor
and carpenter.
Finish carpentry
p. cm. - (The Art of woodworking)
Includesindex.
ISBN0-8094-9s20-l
1. FinishcarpentryI. Time-LifeBooks.II. Series.
THs640.Fs631994
694'.6-dc20
94-13533
CIP
For information about any Time-Life book,
pleasecall l-800-62I-7026,or write:
ReaderInformation
Time-Life CustomerService
P.O.Box C-32068
Richmond,Virginia
2326r-2068
@ 1994Time-LifeBooksInc.
All rights reserved.
No part ofthis book may be reproducedin any form or by
any electronicor mechanicalmeans,including information
storageand retrievaldevicesor systems,without prior written permissionfrom the publisher,exceptthat brief passages
may be quoted for reviews.
Firstprinting.Printedin U.S.A.
Publishedsimultaneouslyin Canada.
TIME-LIFE is a trademarkof Time WarnerInc. U.S.A.
R 1 0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 r

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CONTENTS
6 INTRODUCTION
12 FINISH CARPENTRYBASICS
14 Finishcarpentrytools
16 Basiccuts
20
22
23
30
33

MOLDING
Molding styles
Baseboard
Chair and picture rails
Crown molding

38
40
42
46
52

PANELING
Panelingstyles
Tongue-and-groovewainscoting
Frame-and-panelwainscoting
Paneledceilings

56
58
59
6I
69
75
81

WINDOWS
Basicwindow trim styles
Installingwindows
Picture-framecasing
Stool-and-aproncasing
Making a window sash
A glazingbar half-lapjoint

84 DOORS
86 Anatomv of a door
8 8 Toolsand door hardware
90 Frame-and-panel
doors
jambs
95 Door
100 Hanginga door
r07 Locksets
II4
116
118
I23
I28
I32
136

STAIRS
Anatomyof a staircase
The stringers
Treadsand risers
Newelposts
Handrails
Balusters

I4O GLOSSARY
142 INDEX
144 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

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INTRODUCTION

GrantTaylordescribes

HOWI BLIILD
DOORS

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I__::__".-_

hardwooddoorsfor a living,but no matterhowmany

$ makecustom,high-quality
A doorsI see.I alwaysmarvelat the craftmanshio
involved:Thewaya door maker canbringout thewoodgrainby usingquarter;wn boards,for eximpie,or how
joinerymakesa joint thatwon'topenup for 100yearsor
themortise-and-tenon
the craftmanship
tirat alwavsstrikesme.
more.But there'ssomethinselsebesides
Englishcastleor a modIt doesn'tmatterwhetherit'ia thickoakdooron a medievai
assembly
with a delicatearchingsash.In someway,all doorsare
ern stained-glass
justbeyondtheturn
magic,offeringusthepossibiltyof mysteryor theunexpected,
oftheknob.
I uselocalwood
I buildmy doorsmuchasdoorbuildersof old worked,Forstarters,
thathasbeencut andmilledbywoodmenI know Whenthefelledtreesarelyingin
I climboverthelogsandselectprimepiecesfor milling.Thoserough
freshstacks,
boardsarelaterdroppedoff at my shop-a stonestructurethat I built myselfin
mill themto revealtheiruniquegrainpatruralNewHampshire-whereI carefully
terns.I selectthefinestsoecimens
andthendrv themin a solarkiln that I alsoconthatgivesoptimumstabilityto
structed.Afterproperaginganddrying-a process
the wood-I finallybring into my shopa pieceof woodthat probablyhasbeen
touchedby only a coupleofpeoplesinceit stoodasa treein theforest.
Cherryandoakaremy favoritewoods,andtheygrowwonderfullystrongin the
andno matterhow
areawhereI live.Theirgrainpatternsareinvariablyspectacular,
manytimesI assemble
a door-typically I workfrom customdesignplans,soevery
a thrillwhenI pullthernilledboardsout of theplanoneis unique-thereisalways
er andmarvelat theDatternthat is revealed.
my doors,I relyon powThoughI usemanytraditionalhandtoolsto assemble
Tolerances
of %' inchin door
er toolsto gettheprecisionmy clientscometo expect:
piecessuchasstiles,rails,andpanelsarecolnmonin my shop.
I amproudof whatI produce,andit'sneverboring.Therangeof stylesthatpeoplelook for in customdoorsalwayskeepsme on my toes,alwaysdoingsomething
interesting.
WhetherI'm workingwith a localblacksmithto fabricatesomewroughtgeometryof cutiron hir-rges
for a Tudor-style
dooror figuringout thecomplicated
ting centerovalsin a doorthat'stakenmea weekto complete,I neverhavea dull day.
iswhentheprocess
comesto an end.Thesedoors
TheonlythingI find disagreeable
overto make
aresomethingI havepouredmy heartinto, somethingI've sweated
beautiful.I justhateto seethemgo.

CustontDoors,a
GrontTayloris theownerof Lamson-Taylor
Taylor
two-person
shopin SouthAcworth,NewHantpshire.
NorthAmerica.
hasbuih cltstomdoorsfor hotrses
throughout

INTRODUCTION

Ion Eakeson

MAKINGTRIM
ANDMOLDING
J waked in and I knewwithin two minutesthat this wasa quality-builthouse.It
I wasa modestsplit-level-no vaultedceilings,no spectacular
centerpiece.
In fact
"outstanding."
therewasnothing
Eventhe trim wassimpleand unobtrusive,but a
closelook aroundthe windowsshowedprecisemiteredanglesandno signof nails.
It wasthe trim aroundthe bottom of the wall that saidthe most:tight cornersand
carefullyconstructedreturns.Veryfewpeoplebotherto do that today.
Tiim andmoldingswereoncethemostobviouspart of both furnitureandhouse
interior finishing.Thereweresimplemechanicalreasonswhy mostof it hasdisappearedtoday.Thebeautyandcreativityof moldingdesignswasan outgrowthof the
needto hide constructionjoints aswell asjunctionsbetweendifferentmaterials.
Modern materialshavechangedall that.With drywallreturnson windowsand
taperedcorners,manymodernhousesnow usetrim onlyto hidethedoorframesand
the intersectionbetweenwallsand floors.
Wecanbemoanthe sterilizedlook of particleboardfurnitureandbox-likehouses-or we canseethe absenceof joints asliberatingmolding from its mechanical
needto hide something,allowingits shapeand placementto be determinedsolely
by our estheticdesires.
Makingyour own moldingsis oneof themostsatisfyingwaysof lettingyour creativity showin your woodworking.Althoughrouterscaneasilydecorateedgesand
with a bit of work evenmakefull moldings,it is the tablesawoutfittedwith a threeblademoldingheadthat canreallyproduce.In my experience
thekeysto success
in
makingmoldingor trim on a tablesawarevery simple:
. Usevery sharpknives.
. Usewood that is eitherflat or easilypressedflat on the table.
. Usefirm hold-downsthat preventvibration.
. Advancethe wood just fastenoughto preventburningbut just slowlyenough
"waves"
to avoid
on the faceof thewood.
Honing your molding knivesfor that very cleancut is easierthan it may seem.
Nevertry sharpeningthe curvedend:Youwon't getall threeto match.Layeachknife
flat on a very flat sharpeningstoneand grind the entiresideof the knife,the same
lengthof time for eachone.Youwon't makeit much thinnerbut you will honethe
cuttingedgeand keepall threebladesexactlythe sameshapeand lengh.

lon Eakeshas beena cabinetmakerand customrenovator in Montreal, Canadafor more than 20 years.
He is known primarily for his teachingthrough books,
videos,radio, and the TV showRenovationZone.

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INTRODUCTION

ScottSchuttneron the

CHALLE,NGE
OF
BI.]ILDING
STAIRS

q1F
;
s

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m-,
#

bdFGT;d

il*"
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.. . -

''*
,.:,,.r'.-t

dr

, learnedstairbuilding
thewirymostof us do-fron-rbooksancltrial anclerror.
Honever,
thebooksof 30yearsagousuallycoverecl
suchsubjects
eitherrvithrudil-nentary
abruptness
or arcaneterminologv.
Neitherapproach
nreanc'lI
satisfied
haveconreto understaud
that thereis r.noreto considerthantheclbviolrs
fr.rnction
of delivering
peoplefromoneelevation
to another.
A gracefirl
isoneof themostprominentarchitecturirl
staircase
features
in a home
anda showcirse
of a u,oodworker's
talents.
Thecareandpatience
thatgointobuilding
stairsmtrybeon displavfor 100yearsandnot easilyremodeled
or repaired.
A staircase
mustbemaderocksolid,asit will serve
asrrplilyground,
slide,anciracervay
for cl-rilclren.
A stairbuilder
mustbearvirre
thirtusers
become
physically
attunedto tl-restairs.
Our
legsquicklypick Lrpa rhythmfor trsetof stairs,rvhichafteroneor trvostepsallorvs
r"rs
to negotiate
therestwithouta1l-absorbing
attention.
\\hen facedwiththeseconceurs,
it is notsurprising
thatnor,ice
carpeuters
shvalvay
fl'ombr-rilding
arstairway.
A minormiscalculation
canresultin onestepbeingout
of synclvith the restandevenif not discernable
visually,it mayresultin a stumble
for theul-rwarv.
But not to ivorry.AlthoughstairbLril<1ing
requires
thoroughplanninganclattention to detail,in mostcases
thenath is straightfbrrvard
andthecarpeutry,
although
clr.rllerrgirrg,
rreed
rrotbeintirnid.rtirrg.
TohelpensLlre
success
I ahvays
drirwii precisely
dimensioned,
side-r,iew
sketchof
thestairsandincludeall detaiissuchastreadthickness,
floorcoverir.rgs,
landings,
androughframingwhilepayingcloseattention
to thefirstandlaststepsincethisis
wheremostmistakes
arelikelyto occur.And initially,I planverticaldistances
with
refbrence
to Jitishedfloor
andtreadsurfaces
andmakeadjustnrents
fl'omthere.
I alsokeepin mindbuildingcodesthatdictatelimitsfor theriseandmn, rvidthof
stairs,sizesof handrails,
andheadroomcleariurces
to nalrea t-elv.
Codesdo not necessarily
prescribe
greatstairsbut theyrvillkeep,vou
fi'ombuildingdisastrous
ones.
As a stairbuilder
in Alaska,I am askedto usea widevarietyof materiirls
combinedintonranyeclectic
stvles,
rangingfrom rustictreadsirndcirrriases
usingsplit
sprucelogsto grandstirircirses
lvith miterednosir.rgs,
volutes,
trndgoosenecks.
\\4ri1e
no tr'voeverlookthesame,theirconstruction
fbllowsthestrmeprocesses.
It'sirlnays
a lot of fun andtheendresultturnsout to be usefirlfor somuchnrorethturmerelv
enabling
peopleto goupstairs
or down.

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ScottSclrtrtttrer
is theatrtltoro.l'Bosic
Stairltuildirrg
trttrlotlrcrboLtks
arrdorticles bS,71,, Thrrrttort
Press.Hc livcsttrttloperotesItiscttttrparry,HenrtwLtodlluildersorttl \,Vootlworkitrg,
itt r..airbortks,
Alosko.

lt

FINISHCARPENTRY
BASICS
()FA H()USEINTERIOR
ANATOMY

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Crown molding
(paqe 33)
Windowcasing
(pa4e 61)

Picture rail
(paqe 3O)

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FINISH CARPENTRYBASICS

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Rosette

(paag72)

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Frame-andpanel door
(paae 90)

Ealuster
(pa4e 136)

Door trim
(pa4e112)

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Plinth
(paqe 112)

FINISHCARPENTRYTOOLS

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FINISH CARPENTRYBASICS

Power miter aaw

For croaecuttin4and
miterinqmoldingand
trim; can croagcut
etock up to 5 % inchea
wideand miter atock
up to 3 % inchea wide.
Model ahownfeaturea
a 10-rnchbladeand
a laeer beam for
lininqup cuta

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5liding compound
miter saw
Makee miter, bevel,and
compoundcuta rn moldinq and trim. Can croaacut and bevelatock up
to 12 inchea wide,and
makemiter and compoundcuta in etock up
toB%incheawide.
Featureaan B %-inch
bladet.hat rune alonq
a alide and an electric
brake to 6top the bbAe
epinningquicklywhen
the triq7er ie releaeed

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Molderlplaner
Flaneaand millabaaeboard,chair rail,
crown moldinq,and other typea of trim
in etock up to 10 inchea wide;worka like
a thickneaa planer with profiled knivea

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Coping aaw
9mall frame aaw uaedto cut copediointe in
crown moldinqand other trim with iurved profilea:modelahownfeaLureea 4%-inch throat

Although it is not as quick to useas a miter

saw, the commercialmiter box shown at right
is a good alternative. The jig comeswith its
own handsaw and can be adjustedto make q
cut at any angle between0o and 90o.For ease
of use,the legscan be attachedto a plywood
base,which is then clamped to a work surface.

15

BASICCUTS

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A slidirrgcorrrpoturdsnwis set te to nliter a lerrgthof molding.It is a good iden

yott to work at a
lo ntoLutttlrc saworrn portnltleniter startd,whichenables
hcigltt. Tlrc nrodelshowrtfeatu'essLtpportarrttsthnt carrbe adjustcortt.fbrtoblc
ed to extctrd4 .lbelort encltsideof tlrc bladeto accorturrodate
lortgworkpieces.

PREPARING
ST()CK

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R i p p i nognt h et a b l es a w
l f y o ua r eu s i n gr o u g hl u m b e fr o r y o u rf i n i s hc a r p e n t rpyr o l e c t s ,
s t a r tb y j o i n t i n go n ef a c eo f e a c hb o a r da, n dt h e na n e d g e .N e x t ,
r i p t h e b o a r dt o w r d t h m
, a k i n gt h e s e c o n d
e d g ep a r a l l e l ttoh e
jointededge.Setthe stockfacedownon the sawtableandadlust
t h e b l a d eh e i g h ta b o u tZ i n c ha b o v et h e w o r k p i e c eP. o s i t i o n
t h e r i p f e n c ef o r t h e w i d t ho f t h e c u t ,t h e nf e e dt h e s t o c ki n t o

t h e b l a d e ,h o l d i n gi t f i r m l ya g a i n stth e f e n c e( a b o v e .S) t a n d
s l i g h t l tyo t h e l e f to f t h e w o r k p i e caen ds t r a d d l teh e f e n c ew i t h
y o u rr i g h th a n d ,m a k i n gc e r t a i nt h a tn e i t h ehr a n dr s i n l i n e
w i t ht h e b l a d e O
. n c ey o u rf i n g e r sa p p r o a cthh e b l a d eg u a r d ,
u s ea p u s hs t i c kt o c o m p l e t e
t h e c u t . ( C a u t i o nB: l a d eg u a r d
partiallyretracted
for clarity.)

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FINISH CARPENTRYBASICS

Crosscufting
on thetablesaw
T o c u t t h e b o a r dt o l e n g t h h
, o l di t f l u s h
a g a i n stth e m i t e rg a u g ea, n d a l i g ny o u r
c u t t i n gm a r kw i t ht h e b l a d e .P o s i t i o tnh e
r i p f e n c ew e l l a w a yf r o mt h e e n d o f t h e
s t o c kt o p r e v e ntth e c u t - o f fp i e c ef r o m
j a m m i n ga g a i n stth e b l a d ea n d k i c k i n g
b a c k .H o o kt h e t h u m b so f b o t hh a n d s
o v e rt h e m i t e rg a u g et o h o l dt h e s t o c k
f i r m l ya g a i n stth e g a u g ea n df l a t a g a i n s t
t h e t a b l e ,t h e nf e e dt h e b o a r di n t ot h e
blade (right).(Caution:Bladeguardpartiallyretractedfor clarity.)

Makinga mitercut
A d j u s t h e s a wt o t h e d e s i r e d
m i t e ra n g l e .
Onthe modelshownat left,turn the table
l o c k i n gh a n d l ec o u n t e r c l o c k w idseep, r e s s
t h e l o c k i n gl a t c h a
, n ds w i n gt h e t a b l el e f t
o r r i g h tu n t i lt h e p o i n t e irn d i c a t etsh e
a p p r o p r i a at en g l eT. u r nt h e h a n d l ec l o c k w i s et o l o c kt h et a b l e .S e ty o u rw o r k p i e c e
o n t h e t a b l ea n da l i g nt h e c u t t i n gm a r k
with the tableslot.Themodelshownfeat u r e sa l a s e rb e a mt o h e l py o ul i n eu p t h e
c u t t i n gm a r k .H o l d i n tgh ew o r k p i e cf e
irmly
a g a i n stth e t a b l ea n d f e n c e ,t u r n o n t h e
s a wb y s q u e e z i ntgh e h a n d l et r i g g e a
r nd
b r i n gt h e s a wd o w ns l o w l y( / e f f ) .O n c e
t h e c u t i s c o m p l e t e dr ,e l e a steh e t r i g g e r
a n dl i f tt h e h a n d l eu n t i lt h e b l a d ec l e a r s
t h ew o r k o i e c e .

t
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FINISH CARPENTRYBASICS

r
M a k i n ga b e v ecl u to n
a s l i d i n gc o m p o u nsda w
Adjustthe sawto the desiredbevelangle.
0 n t h e m o d e ls h o w n l, o o s e nt h e b e v e l
c l a m pl e v e rt,i l t t h e b l a d ea s s e m b tl yo
the left,andsetthe bevelto the required
a n g l eT
. i g h t e nt h e c l a m pl e v e rS
. e tt h e
w o r k p i e caeg a i n st th ef e n c e a, l i g n i n tgh e
c u t t i n gl i n ew i t ht h e b l a d ea, n ds e c u r e
i t i n p l a c eu s i n gt h e v i s ek n o b .T o m a k e
t h e c u t ,g r i pt h e h a n d l ea n ds l i d et h e
b l a d ea s s e m b lfyo r w a r dS. q u e e zteh e
t r i g g eirn t h e h a n d l eb, r i n gt h e h a n d l e
downa
, n ds l i d et h e s a wb l a d eb a c kt o
cut the workpiece(/eff).

M a k i n ga c o m p o u ncdu to n
a s l i d i n gc o m p o u nsda w
A d j u s t h e s a wt o t h e d e s i r e db e v eal n d
m i t e ra n g l e sO
. n t h e m o d e sl h o w ns, t a r t
by settingthe bevelangle(above).To set
t h e m i t e ra n g l e l, o o s e n
t h e t a b l el o c k i n g
h a n d l ea n ds w i n gt h e t a b l et o t h e l e f to r
r i g h tt o t h e d e s i r e d
a n g l eS
. e tt h e w o r k p i e c ea g a i n stth ef e n c ea, l i g n i nygo u rc u t t i n gl i n ej u s tt o t h ew a s t es i d eo f t h e b l a d e .
C l a m pt h e w o r k p i e cien p l a c eu s i n gt h e
viseknob.Makethe compoundcut (right)
a s y o uw o u l da b e v e cl u t .

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FINISH CARPENTRYBASICS

F()RFINISHCARPENTRY
WOOD
SPECIES
qUATITY FINISHING
w00DsPEcrEs STRENGTH WORKABITITYGTUING
Ash

Fair

Fai

Fair

Basswood
Beech

Poor
Fair

Good
Fair

Good
Fair

Birch

Good

Good

Fair

Cedar,
Western
red

Poor

Good

Good

Gherry

Fair

Good

Fair

Accepts
stainswell;notsuitable
for painting

Cypress

Good

Fair

Douglas-fir

Fair
Fair

Elm

Good

Good
Good

Good
Fair

Oilstainrecommended
Oilstainrecommended

Gum,
sweetred

Fai

Good

Good

Hemlock
Hickory

Fair

Fair

Good

0il stainrecommended

Good

Difficult

Fai

Accepts
stainswell;notsuitable
for painting

Mahogany

Fair

Good

Good

Accepts
stainswell;notsuitable
for painting

Maple,
hard

Good

Difficult

Fair

Accepts
stainswell;requires
thinfiller
for painting

Maple,soft

Fair

Fair

Fair

Accepts
well;requires
stains
thinfiller
for painting

Oak,red

Good

Good

Fair

Accepts
stainswell;requires
heavy
fillerforpainting

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Oak,white

Good

Good

Fair

Accepts
stainswell;requires
heavy
fillerforpainting

Pine,
ponderosa
yellow
Pine,

Poor

Good

Good

Accepts
finishes
well

Poor

Fai

Fair

Redwood

Fair

Good

Good

Accepts
finishes
well
0il stainrecommended

Spruce

Poor
Good

Good
Difficult

Good
Poor

Accepts
finishes
well

Teak
Walnut

Good

Good

Good

Accepts
stainswell;notsuitable
forpainting

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r9

Accepts
stainswell;requires
heavy
filler
forpainting
Accepts
stainswell
Accepts
stainswell;requires
thin
fillerforpainting
Accepts
stainswell;requires
thinfiller
for painting
Oilstainrecommended

Accepts
stainswell;requires
heavy
fillerforpainting
Accepts
stainswell;requires
thinfiller
for painting

0il stainrecommended;
notsuitable
forpainting

I
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G,T

-J*.49
fi ""
.}-

S*'..,=,**

f\i
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*

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MOLDING

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nickingwallsand paneling,
" the Greeksa.ndRoT
and picture rails provide a
I mans,proportlonwas
handywayto hangart within the designof everything
out marringwalls.
theybuilt. Forvisualappeal,
Theadventof themolding
their structuresreliedon a
machinein the 19thCentury
logicalandharmoniouspromade it oossibleto massgressionof architectural
eleproducethis functionaland
ments,one atop the other,
decorativematerial.Today,
from plinth to cornice.Some
you canbuy the mostpopuFor woodworkerswith a lot of molding to install,
2000 yearslater,furniture
lar profilesof crownmolding
thefinish nailer is a handy alternativeto a hammer.
makersof theGeorgianperiandbaseboard
at virtually any
versions
Here, the nailer securesa length of crown molding to the
od usedsmall-scale
hardwarestore.Soecialized
air, the nailer drives home
ceiling.Poweredby compressed
to decof the sameelements
millwork shoosstotk a wider
small-gaugefinishing nails without splitting the wood.
oratethe interiorsof their
rangeof profrles,and some
patrons'homes.
all intewill custom-grindspecialknivesso that an antiquepattern
Today,molding is a broadterm that encompasses
But moldingis alsoeasyto makein the
chair
canbe reproduced.
rior trim appliedto wallsandceilings,suchasbaseboard,
shop(page24).All you needis a tablesawwith a tilting arbor
rail,picturerail,andcrownmolding.An exampleof eachtipe
Z-inchrouter-and
is illustratedin a typicalhouseinterioron page12.Thischap- anda moldingheador a table-mounted
a bit of imagination.If you plan to producea greatdealof
instructionsfor makingand installingthesedifter presents
like the one shownin
molding,a shaperor a molder/planer
ferentkindsof molding.
Whetherit is the angulartrim of an Arts and Crafts-style thephotoat left maybea worthwhilepurchase.
Installingmoldingcanbe a simpletaskonceyou havemashome or the formal corniceof a Victorianparlor,molding
(page tereda fewbasicprinciples(page26).Uselongerpiecesfor the
role.Baseboard
serves
a functionalaswellasa decorative
main roomsso that therewill be fewerjointsin theseloca23),for example,is designedto covergapsbetweenthe wall
andlessconsDicuand the floor, while crown molding servesthe samepurpose tions.Saveshorteroiecesfor insideclosets
ousareasof thehome.
alongtheceiling.Chairrails(pagej0) preventchairbacksfrom

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planerand theshaper,a molder/planer

Combiningfeaturesof thethickness
milk a lengthof chairrail. Themachineworksmuchlikea planer,except
proknivesthat mqtchthedesired
that it canbefined with custom-ground
power
and
capacity
to
turn
out
custom
The
model
shown
at
left
has
the
fiIe.
chairrails,and crownmoldingquicklyand accurately.
baseboards,

2l

MOLDING STYLES

Ranch-atyle
baeeboard with
4uarter-round ahoe
molding (page 24)

t
Euilt-up
baseboard
(pase25)
Colonialatyle baaeboard
Custom
oingle-pieae
baeeboard
(pase 27)

Formal corniae
(pase 56)

Crown molding

(pase 33)

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Crown and flat

molding

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BASEBOARD
mop,{ lsoknownasskirt,baseplate,
.C-Lboard,or iustplainbase,
baseboard
is the mostcommonform of molded
runningtrim usedin finishcarpentry.
Baseboards
servea dual purpose:they
visuallyanchorthewallto thefloorand
theyalsocoveranygapsbetweenthose
two surfaces.
Baseboard
comesin two basictvoes:
singlesingle-piece
or built-up.
Standard
is usuallybetween3
piecebaseboard
and 12incheswideandis soldin a variety of moldedprofiles;it canbe made
easilywith a tablesaw,router,or shaper.
While single-piece
baseboard
maybe
easierto install,it is morelikelyto cup
than built-up molding.The simplest
isbase-andform ofbuilt-uobaseboard
a moldshoe(page2a),whichfeatures
edshoethatprovidesa visualtransition
betweenthe wall andfloor.

is installedwith a hamBaseboard
mer,a nail setand finishingnails,or
finishnailer(page
with an air-powered
2i). While the naileris a moreexpenit makesinstallation
sivealternative,
quickandclean.It is preferable
to handnailingwhenworkingwith hardwood
molding,whichis moreproneto splitmoldtine than softwood.Baseboard
ing"istypicallynailedir.rplaceafterthe
wallshavebeenoaintedand the finish
Thenthe
floor installedand sanded.
shoemoldingis nailedin place.If the
floor is to be installedafterthe baseboard,leavea spaceunderthebaseboard
for the floor; usescrapsofthe flooring
to helovou determinethe sizeof the
can
gap.Ai with all molding,baseboard
be stainedor painted;thisis bestdone
afterall themoldinghasbeencut to size,
but beforeit is installed.

The last pieceof baseboardto be

installedin a room often endsat a door
casing.Here a U-shaped,shop-nnde jig
calleda preacheris usedto nreasurethe
piecebeforeit is nailed irt place.The jig
and restsagninst
slipsoverthe baseboard
the casing,allowirtgyou to mark the
buseboard
to lertgthwitlr precision.

M()TDING
J()INERY
Door caeing
Butt joint
Uaedwheremoldinq
meeto door caetnq:
aloo oervesto jorn
two len4theof flat
baeeboardat an
inaidecorner.The
end of the moldtn7
eimplybutte aqatnet
the matinq piece.

Coped joint (page 27)

Joina cueLom baeeboard, ptcture and chatr
raile, and cornice moldtn4'at. tnaide corner6;
leea likely to open wtth aeasonal wood move'
ment than miter joint, Aleo a cleanerjoinL
than the miter for cornera that are noL 90'.

1carf joint
)pltcea lenqtheof baeeboardand cornicemoldin4
toqether alo.n4a lonq watl

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Miter joint (page 2A)

Forjoinin4 moldin7at outetde
cornerg:can aleojorn eome
Lypeeof moldingat inoidecornera.Thejoinery hideoend qrain.

ZJ

MOLDING

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MAKING
BASE-AND-SHOE
BASEBOARD
'l

Milling
theshoeona router
table
portion
I Maketheshoemolding
of the
baseboard
from%-inchlhick
stock.lnstall
anedge-forming
bit inyourrouter
andmount
thetoolin a table;
a round-over
bitisshown
at right,butanyothershape
canbeused.
Tosupport
theworkpiece,
usethreefeatherboards:
Clamotwoto thefence-oneon
eachsideof thebit-anda thirdto thetable
in linewiththecutter.
Shape
bothedges
of eachworkpiece,
feeding
thestockwith
bothhands
andf inishing
thepasswitha
pushstick.Forsafety,
it is bestto shape
longboards
thatareat least4 inches
wide,
andthenriptheshaped
edges
offonthe
tablesaw.

thebase0nthetablesaw
! Relieving
4- fo prepare
thebaseportion
of thebaseboard,
shape
oneedge adjusting
itswidthto about2 inches,
andsetthecutting
height
of a 1-by-4
or 1-by-6
asin step1. Thenplanethestockto the at % inch.Position
theripfencesothecutwillbecentered
in
desired
thickness.
Toprevent
themolding
fromcupping
andcom- themrddle
of theworkpiece.
Usetwofeatherboards
to support
pensate
foranyirregularities
in thewall,makea reliefcutalong t h es t o c ka n db o t hh a n d tso f e e di t f a c eu p ,w h i l eb u t t i n gi t
thebackfaceof thestock.Install
a dadoheadonvourtablesaw. against
thefence(above).
Finish
thepasswitha pushstick.

1,1

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MOLDING

MAKING
BUILT.UP
BASEBOARD
Milling
a basecap
Tomakethetoppiece-thebasecap-of
illustrated
on page
thebuilt-upbaseboard
22, installa decorative
edging
bit onyour
(A
job
shaper. routercandothe too,but
youto employ
enables
larger
theshaper
therefore
thickerstock.lt
cutters-and
is alsoa morestabletoolto use.)Keep
against
thefenceand
thestockpressed
thetableusingthehold-downs
supplied
Feedthestockonedge,
withthemachine.
usingbothhands(right).To f inishthe
pass,moveto theoutfeed
sideof thetable
andpullthestockpastthecutter.Thebotbaseboard
is installed
tomoieceof built-uo
ce
olding
t h es a m ew a ya ss i n g l e - p i em
(page26I Thebasecapisthennailed
to
piece.
boththewallandthebottom

Beforethe routerand shaper,the combination plane was the tool of choicefor

shapingmolding. This versatilehand
toolfeaturesa rangeof interchangeable
cuttersthat canform tongues,grooves,
dadoes,flutes, reeds,ovolos,and beadings.An adjustableedgeguide ensures
straight cuts while a depth stop allows
the plane to trim to precisedepths.The
modelshownat left, the Stanely45
Multiplane, is a venerabledesignthat
insDiredmany imitators.

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25

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MOLDING

t
INSTALLING
BASEB()ARD

Mi1;er
or.coped
.lotnt

P l a n n i ntgh ei n s t a l l a t i o n
The idealsequence
for installing
baseboard
d e p e n dos n t h e r o o ml a y o u tY. o u rg o a li s
t o m a k et h e l o i n e r yi n c o n s p i c u ow
u sh e n
e n t e r i n pt h e r o o m a s s h o w na t l e f t . A t
; t outside
d o o rc a s i n g su, s eb u t t j o i n t s a
c o r n e r su,s em i t e r sA
. t i n s i d ec o r n e r su, s e
m i t e r sf o r f l a t m o l d i n g( b e l o wo) r c o p e d
j o i n t sf o r c o n t o u r e m
d o l d i n g( p a g e2 7 ) .
S t a r ta t a l o n gw a l l( A )o p p o s i t e
thedoor.
W i t hc o p e dj o i n t s .c u t t h e p i e c et o b u t t
a g a i n swt a l l sD a n d E s ot h e e n dg r a i no f
t h em o l d i n g
a l o n gt h e s ew a l l sw i l l b e i n v i s i b l ef r o mt h e d o o r .I n s t a l l t h e
molding
a l o n gw a l lB n e x t ,t h e nw a l l sC a n d D . l f a
w a l l i s l o n g e trh a ny o u rs t o c k ,a s i n E ,
c o n n e cttw o p i e c e su s i n ga s c a r fj o i n t .
Locate
t h e j o i n ta t a w a l ls t u d .F i n i s ht h e
i n s t a l l a t i oant t h ed o o r( w a l l sF a n dG ) .C u t
a l l t h e m o l d i n g/ - i n c h l o n g etrh a nn e e d "snap"
e d ;t h i sw i l la l l o wi t t o
i n t op l a c e .

Butt
joint

v i r ! v i , r i b

MI T E R I N
I NGS I DC()R
E
NERS
N a i l i n tgh em o l d i n ign p l a c e
T o i n s t a lb
l a s e - a n d - s hm
o eo l d i n ga t a n
i n s i d ec o r n e rc, u t t h e t w o p i e c e st o l e n g t h ,
miteringoneend of eachboard(page17).
M a k et h e c u t ss o t h e b a c kf a c eo f e a c h
m o l d i n gr e a c h etsh e c o r n e rt,h e n i n s t a l l
o n eo f t h e p i e c e sU. s i n ga h a m m ear n d2 i n c h( 6 d ) f i n i s h i nnga i l so r a f i n i s hn a i l e r
l o a d e dw i t ht h e t y p eo f n a i l ss p e c i fe db y
t h e m a n u f a c t u r ef ar ,s t e nt h e m o l d i n g
to
t h e w a l l .D r i v et w o n a i l sa t e v e r yw a l ls t u d ,
l o c a t i n tgh e n a i l s% i n c hf r o mt h e t o p a n d
bottomof the molding.
Theuppernailshould
r e a c ht h e s t u d ,w h i l et h e l o w e or n es h o u l d
enterthe soleplateattachedto the subfloor
directlybelowthe studs.To locatethestuds,
usea stud finder(page32). lf youareusing
a h a m m e rs, e tt h e n a i lh e a d sF. i tt h e s e c ond pieceof moldingin place(right)and
nailit to thewallthe sameway.Thensecure
t h e s h o em o l d i n gt o t h e b a s e b o a r(dr n s e t ) ,
d r i v i n ga n a i le v e r y1 6 i n c h e s ,

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26

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MOLDING

CO P I NI N
GSI DCEOR N E R S
themolding
1 Coping
molding
at an
I To installcontoured
insidecorner,
crosscut
bothendsof one
piecesothat it f its snuglybetween
the
a d j o i n i nwga l l sT. h em a t i n p
g i e c ew i l l
buttagainst
itsfacewitha copedjoint.
joint
this
is a two-step
operation.
Cutting
a 45' bevelcut onone
Startbymaking
e n do f t h em o l d i n gt h; i sw i l lr e v e at hl e
contour
lineontheface.Thenclampthe
promolding
faceupona worksurface,
pad.
tectingthestockwitha wood
Usea
copingsawfittedwitha narrow
bladeto
line.Holdthesaw
cutalongthecontour
perfectly
upright(right),bitingintothe
woodontheupstroke.
Fora tightf it, hold
the
thesawslightly
over90', undercutting
jointslightly,
sothatonlythefrontof the
boardcontacts
thefaceof the mating
piece.lf thebladebindsin thekerf,make
occasional
release
cutsintothewasteto
letsmallpieces
fallaway.

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Installing
themolding
Nailthef irstpieceof molding
to the
(page
wallasyouwouldflatbaseboard
26).
Thenposition
thecoped
endagainst
the
firstpieceto testthefit (left).Smoothoul
witha round
anyirregularities
f ileorfine
sandpaper
wrapped
around
a dowel.
Once
thefit is perfect,
nailthecoped
molding
in olace.

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MOLDING

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INSTATTING
BASEBOARD
ATAN()UTSIDE
CORNER
themiterangle
1 Determining
I Tofit baseboard
at anoutside
corner,
f irstdetermine
themiterangleyouwill
needto cut.Thisstepis essential
if the
wallsdo notmeetat 90'; asa result,
the
mitercutswillnotbe45'. (Thisisoften
thecasein olderhomes.)
Holda scrap
board
thesamethickness
asthemolding
against
onewallanduseitsoutside
face
to marka reference
lineonthef loor.Then
holdtheboard
against
theadjoining
wall
andmaketwomarkson it: Oneon itstop
edgein linewiththecorner
andanother
on itsfrontfaceperpendicular
to thereference
markonthef loor(/eft).

r) Transferring
theangle
(- Usea trv square
to extendthe mark
on thefaceof tf,. ,.rup boardto thetop
edge.Thenadjusta slidingbevelto the
angleformedbytheendof thislineand
thecornermarkon thetopedgeof the
board(right).
Thisis yourmiterangle.Use
theslidingbevelto adjustthesawyou
w i l lb eu s i n tgo c u tt h em o l d i n g .

28

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MOLDING

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Installing
themolding

di l* iiil iliiff it

t$ rhiili ru,ll * il{rut illi$

5HO7Tt?
Store-bought
cornerpieceo
CuINinq
a miLerjoinl
ie noLNheonlyway
t o inetall baseboard
a No u t s i d e c o r n e r o .
Many Nypesof com'
m e r c i a lb a e e b o a r d
come with ready-made
,.-.--\.'\ \
c o r n e r V i e c e sf e a t u r i n q
lhe same profileas otraiqht
s e c t i o n s .J o i n e dt o o t r a i q h L
l e n q t h ow i L hb u I I j o i n t s , l h e s e

cornerooVeedup insLallaLion.
ThesquaretyVe ehownhereis
madeelightly"proud"of Lheolraiqht
eecNions
for vieualeffect,

M a k et h e m i t e rc u t so n t h e p i e c e so f
m o l d i na
g n dc h e c kt h e f i t o f t h ej o r n t .
M a k ea n ys l i g h ta d j u s t m e nw
t si t ha c h i s e l o r s a n d p a p eTr .h e ni n s t a ltlh e p i e c e s
w i t ha h a m m eor r f i n i s hn a t l e r( a b o v ea)s
youwouldat an insidecorner(page26).
R e p e atth e p r o c e stso i n s t a lsl h o em o l d I n go r a b a s ec a p .

CHAIRAND PICTURERAILS
wereusedsimhairrailsoriginally
f
\, ply to preventchair backsfrom
marringwallsor paneling,but theyhave
recentlyassumed
a morepurelydecorativerole.Today,they often serveasa
dividerbetweendecorative
elementson
a wall,with panelingor wallpaperusuallyinstalledbetweenthechairrail and
the floor.
Chairrailsaremuchlikebaseboard,
and areinstalledexactlythe sameway,
exceptthat theyarelocatedaboutone-

Customchairrailsandcrownmolding
areavailablewith elaborate
carvedpatternsand scrollwork,in a widerangeof
modernandantiauestvles.

third of thewaybetweenfloor andceiling, typically3 feetoff the floor. Like

baseboard,
chairrailsarecommercially
availablein a number of orofilesand
in the
sizes,
but theycanbeeasilymade
shoofrom 1-bv-4stock.
ficture rail is a tvpeof chairrail with
a roundedlip usedto hang picture
frames.It is installed6 to 8 feetoff the
floor.Sincepicturerailsoftensupport
weight,theyarescrewed
considerable
ratherthan nailedin place.The screw
holesarethenconcealed
by woodplugs.
Dependingon the estheticeffectyou
want to achieve,
you canusechairrails,
picturerails,or both in conjunction
with baseboard(page23) and crown
molding(page33).

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MAKING
RAILS
CHAIR

thereeds
1 Milling
I tvtat<ing
one-piece
molded
chairrail
involves
cuttingreeds
typically
twosteps:
at right,
onthefaceof thestock,asshown
andthenshaping
theedgesbtep2). CUI
ihereeds
onyourtablesawusinga moldi n gh e a dw i t ha s e to f r e e d i nkgn i v e s .
Install
theheadandposition
theripfence
bycentering
theworkpiece
facedown
andbuttingthefence
overthecutters
theworkpiece
against
thestock.Secure
withtwofeatherboards,
oneclamped
to
fixedto thesaw
thefenceanda second
table.Bothfeatherboards
shouldbe in
l i n ew i t ht h ec u t t e r sC.l a m p
a support
feathboardat a 90' angleto thesecond
erboard.
Make
thefirstpasswitha cutting
height
of %inch;donotmakea full-depth
Tomakethecut,slowly
cut in onepass.
feedtheworkpiece
intothecutters
with
yourrighthand,pressing
it against
therip
Finishthe
fencewithyourlefthand(right).
cutwitha pushstick.Oneortwopasses
i s u s u a l lsyu fifc i e nwt i t ht h i sp a r t i c u l a r
orofile:raisethecuttersnomoreIhanYa
inchat a timebetween
oasses.

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MOLDING

r) Shaping
theedges
L Onceyouhavemilledthereedsin your
chairrailstock,
shape
theedges
ona router
table.Install
an edge-forming
bit in your
router;an ogeebit is shownat right.Then
mountthetoolin a table.Tosuooort
the
workpiece
forthiscut,usethreefeatherboards:
Clamotwofeatherboards
to the
fence,
oneoneachsideof thebit,anduse
thethirdopposite
thebitto press
thestock
against
thefence.Seta shallow
depthof
cutforthefirstpass.Toshapeeachedge,
slowly
feedtheworkpiece
intothecutter
(right);
finishthecut witha pushstick.
passes
Makea series
of deeper
untilyou
profile,
attainthedesired
increasing
the
cuttind
g e p t h%i n c ha t a t i m e .

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INSTALLING
A CHAIRRAII

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theheight
ofthechairrail
1 Determining
I U s ea c h a l kl i n et o m a r ka h e i g hlti n eo nt h ew a l lf o rt h e
molding.
Make
a markat eachendof onewall,typically
36 inchesoffthefloor.Aftermeasuring
theheight
of onemark,usea level anda long,straight
boardto makethesecond
markat the

samelevel,
asthefloormaynotbetrue.Drive
a finishing
nailinto
thewallat oneof themarks
andhookthechalklineonthenail
head.Aligntheotherendwiththesecond
heightmarkandsnap
thechalkline(above).
Repeat
fortheotherwallsin theroom.

31

t
MOLDING

r) Finding
thewallstuds
L neally,
molding
should
benailed
to the
Todetermine
theirlocation,
use
wallstuds.
a studfinderandmarkeachpointwitha
pencil(left).Studsaretypically
16 inches
lf youdo nothave
apart,center
to center.
t h ew a l l
a s t u df i n d e ry,o uc a nt a pa l o n g
froma hollow
witha hammer;
a change
sound
to a solidsoundindicates
a stud.

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in place
themolding
Q Nailing
r-J Cutthechairrailto len$handfasten
i t t o t h ew a l l su s i n ga h a m m eorr a n a i r powered
withthe
nailer.
Alignthemolding
i
n
c h a l kl i n ea n dd r i v et w on a i l s t oe a c h
stud(right),lf youareusinga hammer,
setthe nailheads.

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CROVTNMOLDING
Greekarchitecf) ootedin classical
I\ [ure,crownmoldingroseto prominenceduring lBth-CenturyEngland,
first appearingon furniture of the
Georgianperiod.Soonafter,the flowing patternsof thismoldingalsobegan
to adorntheceilingsof drawingrooms.
Today,single-piece
crownmoldingcan
be installedalongthe wallsand ceilings
of houseinteriors,or it canbecombined
with other elementsto makebuiltup ceilingmoldings,suchas crownand-flat (page22), or a formal cornice
(page36).Whenchoosingcrownmolding, makesureit is properlyproportionedfor theroom;moldingthat is too
wide will givethe effectof loweringthe
ceiling.Molding3 or 4 inchesin width
is about right for an average-sized
B-foot-highceiling.
Installingcrownmoldingis not much
differentfrom nailing on baseboardor
chair rails;outsidecornersaremitered
andinsidecornersaremiteredor coped.
Simpleone-piececrown molding is
nailedthroughthe flatsof the molding
into thewall studs,ceilingjoists,andtop
plate,which restson top of the wall
studs.Complexbuilt-up crownmolding, suchasa formalcornice,needsto

befastened
to furringstrips.
Wherethe
joistsrunparallelto
ceiling
thewall,gluingthemoldingto theceiling
will often

suffice.A pair of nailsdrivenat oppositeanglesinto the wall will hold the

moldingin placeuntil theadhesive
cures.

Becausecrown molding ispositionedon both the wall and ceiling,cornersmust

"upside
be miteredat compoundangles,and piecesmust be held
down and
backward" when they are cut. The jig shown in thephoto above,however,
allows the molding to be held on the chopsaw exactlyas it will appear on the
wall and ceiling,requiringno repositioningbefore
the cut.

INSTALTING
ONE.PIECE
CROWN
M()LDING
molding
corner
ataninside
1 Coping
place
I Before
installing
crownmolding,
nn
, ds n a pa c h a l kl i n eo n
it in positioa
thewallto markthe bottomedgeof the
m o l d i n gC.o p et h ee n do f o n ep i e c et o
piece
f it against
thefaceof anadjoining
(page27). SIarI
asyouwouldbaseboard
bymitering
theend,thenmakethecoped
cutusinga coping
saw.Inthiscase,secure
theworkpiece
in a visein thesamepositionit willbewhenit is installed.
Holdthe
coping
sawperpendicular
to themolding
throughout
thecut (/efi).

MOLDING

Installing
thecoped
molding
T e s t - f i t h e c o p e de n d a g a i n s t h e

piece
adjoining
of molding,
whichshould
already
benailedin place(/eff).Fine-tune
thefit, if necessary,
byfilingorsanding
the
coped
end.Nailthecoped
molding
to the
wallandceiling
asyouwouldbase-and(page
shoemolding
27).

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themiterangle
Q Determining
J atanoutside
corner
A sw i t hb a s e b o a rtdh,ef i r s ts t e pi n
installing
crownmolding
at anoutside
corneristo findthecorrect
miterangle.
Start
bydrawing
tworeference
linesontheceiling.Holding
a pieceof molding
in place
onewallandtheceiling,
markone
against
of thelinesalongitstopedge,extending
pastthecorner.
Repeat
fortheadjacent
wallto markthesecondline(right).

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MOLDING

Transferring
themiterangle
to a sliding
bevel
Drawa linefromthecorner
to thepoint
wherethetworeference
linesyoumarked
in step3 intersect.
Thenadjusta sliding
bevelsothatitshandlebuttsagainst
one
of thewallsandtheblade
withthe
aligns
lineyoujustmarked
ontheceiling(rghf).
Usetheslidingbevelto setupyoursawto
cutthemiters.

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themolding
f, lnstalling
r - , 1I n s t a ltlh ec r o w nm o l d i n a
g sy o u
w o u l db a s e b o am
r do l d i n ag t a n o u t s i d e
corner(page28). Usinga f inishnaileror
h a m m en
r ,a i lo n ep i e c ei n p l a c eT. h e n
position
theother(left).lt thefit is not
perfect,
backcutthemitersslightly
with
a utilityknife.Onceyouaresatisf
iedwith
thef it, applysomeglueto themitered
pieceof molding
endsandnailthesecond
in place.To prevent
themiterfromopening,nailthrough
themiterfrombothsides.

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MOLDING

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INSTALTING
A FORMAL
CORNICE

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nailing
strips
1 Installing
I A formal
cornice
isanantique-style
crownmolding
consisting
of a box-like
(installed
support
assembly
in steps1
and2) andthreepiecesof molding
(installed
in step3).Cutthefourpieces
of the supportassembly
from%-inch
stock.Thesepieces
areinstalled
thesame
(page26),withmiters
wayasbaseboard
at bothinsideandoutside
corners.
Start
nailerintothe
byscrewing
theceiling
joistswiththepieceflushagainst
ceiling
thewall.Thenscrewthewallnailerto
thewallsluds(above),
leaving
a %-inch
gapbetween
itstopedgeandtheceiling
nailerto allowforwoodmovement.

r') lnstalling
thesoffitandfascia
L Aipthefasciaandsoffitpiecessothat
whentheyareattached
to theceiling
and
willforma
wallnailers,
thefourpieces
box.Routa decorative
lip alongthebottom
jointhefascia
edgeof thefasciapiece,
and
soffitboards
withplatejoints,thenscrew
thefasciato theceilingnailerandattach
the soffitto thewall nailer(right).

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MOLDING

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Installing
themolding
T o m a k et h e w a l l m o l d i n gr,o u ta d e c o r a t i veed g ei n % i n c hs t o c k t, h e ns c r e wt h e p i e c ei n p l a c ew i t h i t s f l a t e d g e
a g a i n stth e s o f f i t .D r i v et h e s c r e w si n t ot h e w a l ls t u d sn e a r
will be concealed
top edge,wherethe fasteners
the molding's
e
d g eN
. e x t ,i n s t a l l
m
o
l
d
i
n
g
n
;
a
i
l
a
l
o
n
g
t
h
e
b
o
t
t
o
m
b yt h e b e d
( p a g e3 3 ) ,
y
o
u
m
o
l
d
i
n
g
m
o
l
d
i
n
g
a
s
w
o
u
l
d
c
r
o
w
n
thebed
F
t
n
a l l yc ,u t a n d
w
a
l
l
m
o
l
d
i
n
a
g
n
d
t
h
e
s
o
f
f
i
t
.
nailing
it tothe
m
o
l
d
i
n
g
b
e
t
w
e
e
t
n
h
e
f
a
s
c
i
a
a
n
d
t h ec e i l i n g
i n s t a ltlh e c r o w n
(
p
a
g
e
s
N
a
i
l
t
h
e
m
o
l
d
i
n
gt h r o u g h
a r o u n dt h e r o o m
33-35).
f
a
s
t
e
n
e
r
i
s
n
t
o
t
h
e
c
e
i
l i n gj o i s t s
i t s f l a t s e c t i o n sd,r i v i n gt h e
(above).
and the fascta

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37

'

"#fu
{

\,'

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PANE,LNG

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i n g . I n 1 6 t h - C e n t u r y E u r o p e , c a l l e d s t i l e s o r m u l l i o n s , a n d
horizontal ones,called rails.
Interiorwallshavebeengracedbyframe-and-panel
at the end of the Gothic fur"waynscottes"
Theflexibility offrame-andGroovesaremilled aroundthe
wainscotingforcenturies.
niture period,
insideedges
of theframe,allowpanelconstruction
allowsfor a widerangeof design
consistedof seasonedplanks
ing the panelsto float freely,
possibilities,
ornamentalpanels
of Balticoak coveringinterior
from theelaborate
andcontracting
with
expanding
oflacobean-style
walls. In Colonial America,
furniture to moremoderndesigns,
"wainscot"
changesin humidity.
seasonal
referred to pine
suchasthefull-wall panelingshownin thephoto
This customwainscotingcan
above,madebyPatellaIndustriesof Montreal.
boards that stretched from
transforma plain room into a
floor to ceiling,addinga rusmore formal space,replacingflat, monotonouswalls with
a wide
tic warmth to parlors.Today,wainscotingencompasses

althoughthetermmostfrequently
rangeof wall coverings,
panelsinstalled
onthelowerhalfof awall.
describes
wainscoting:
tongueTherearetwobasictypesof paneled
Tongue-and-groove
wainand-groove
andframe-and-panel.
scoting(pagea2) is availableat hardwarestoresand
paneling.
Made
interlocking
lumberyards
asready-to-install
softwood,
tonguefromstain-grade
hardwood
or paint-grade
panelingcomesin avarietyof profiles.Butyou
and-groove

exquisitelymoldedpanels.
to creto ceilings
Paneling
techniques
canalsobeadapted
lookfor a denor study(page52).Ina panatea sumptuous
aframework
of 2-by-4sis
sheathed
coffered---<eiling,
eled---or
inhardwood,withveneeredplywoodpanelssetintotheframes.
touch.
Crownandshoemoldingprovidethefinaldecorative
In anystyle,paneled
sudaces
cantransformordinaryrooms
retreats.
intorichlycomforting

A moldedcaprail is installedasthecrowningtouchtoframe-and-panel
role,thecaprailhidesthegap
wainscoting.
In additionto itsdecorative
rangefrom the
thewainscoting
and thewall. Caprail designs
betyveen
rail shownat left to moreelaboratemoldedchairrails.
simplechamfered

39

PANELINGSTYLES

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T()NGUE-AND-GR(1OVE
WAINSCOTING
(PAGE
42)
Capratl

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Daeeboard

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FRAME-AND-PANEt
WAINSC()TING
(PAGE
46)

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9ttle

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Kateed
floaLtn4
panel

thoe
moldinq

Dotl,om rail

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PANELING

Crownmoldinq

End attle

Median
ratl

DotLom
ratl

Daaeboard

thoe moldin4

TONGUE-AND.GROOVEWAINSCOTING
*}-

wainscoting
orrgue-and-groove
conI sists
of a series
of interlockins
boards
or panelswith an optionaldeiorative
profile.It is themostbasicandpopular
type of interiorpaneling.Traditionally
madefrom softwoodand givena clear
finish,tongue-and-groove
panelingcan
be installedfrom floor to ceilingto create a rustic look. It imnartsa more
whenusedas
sophisticated
appearance
wainscoting
andstained.
While you can buy tongue-andgroovewainscoting
ready-made,
youcan
alsomill yourownfiom 1-by-4or 1-by6 stockusinga tablesaw.Usea dado
headto cut tonguesin oneedgeofthe
in the otheredge.
boardsandgrooves
Switchto a moldingheadto milla decorativebeadin the front faceof the
boardsla selection
of wainscoting
profilesis displayed
at right.
Tongue-and-groove
wainscoting
is
typicallyinstalledfrom the floor to a
heightof 36 inches.Compensate
for
unevenfloorsby cuttingthe boardsa
littleshort.Thatway,thetopendsof the
boardscanall be installedat thesame
level;anygapsbetween
thebottomends
andthefloorwill beconcealed
by baseboard (page22). If there are nailers
behindthewall-typically 2-by-4blocking betweenthe wall studs-and you
know wheretheyare,fastenthe wainscotingto them,Otherwise,
anchorfi.rrring stripsto thestuds(page49)andnail
thewainscoting
to thefurringstrips.

A SETECTION
OFPANEL
STYLES
Daotct onqueand-groove

thiplap

Channel

FrofiledLonqueand-groove

Deadedtonqueand-qroove
Chamferedtonqueand-groove
Koundedtonqueand-qroove

TroftledLonqueand-4roove

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Btttting the edgeof a boardor panel

squarelyagainstan out-of-phmtbwall,
brickwork,or a wlll with contoured
ntoldingcar be a challenge.The logbuilder'sscribeshown irt the photo
at right rnakesafiting the edgeeasy.It
urved steelpirr
feoturesan ad.iustnble
and two levelvialsfor ncuu"atelytracing the wall profile onto thepaneling.

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PANELING

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MAKING
TONGUE.AND-GR()()VE
WAINSC()TING
Cutting
thegrooves
1
en the leading
I O u t l i n et h e g r o o v o
end
of one board;makethe groovewidthonet h i r dt h e s t o c kt h i c k n e s as n d i t s d e o t h
a b o u l / , i n c h .I n s t a lal d a d oh e a do n y o u r
t a b l es a w ,a d j u s t i n igt s w i d t ht o t h a to f t h e
grooveand the cuttingheightto the groove
d e p t h .I n s t a lal n a u x i l i a rw
y o o df e n c ea n d
c u t a r e l i e fn o t c hi n i t t o h o u s ep a r to f t h e
d a d oh e a dw h e ny o um i l lt h e t o n g u e isn
s t e n2 A
t. ,h e c r r t t i n m
s a r k sw i t ht h e
' " 'lbi" p n
d a d oh e a da n d b u t tt h e f e n c ea g a i n stth e
stock.To preventthe workpiece
fromtipp i n gd u r i n gt h e c u t , c l a m pa s h i m m e d
f e a t h e r b o atrodt h e s a wt a b l ei n l i n ew i t h
t h e d a d oh e a d .S e c u r ea s u o o o r bt o a r d
againstthe featherboard
for extrapressure.
P r e s tsh e w o r k p i e caeg a i n stth e f e n c ea n d
the tableas youfeed it edgedownintothe
dadohead(right).Completethe passwith
a pushstick.Usethe samesetupto cut the
grooves
in all the boards.

Auxiliaryfence

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Y---Tonque

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r) Cutting
thetongues
L Outline
thetongue
ontheleading
endof oneboaro,
usrng
youcut in step1 asa guide.Lower
a groove
thedadohead
sltghtly
sothetongue
willnotbottom
outin thegroove.
Then
a l i g no n eo f t h ec u t t i n gm a r k w
s i t ht h ec u t t e rasn db u t tt h e
fenceagainst
thestock;alsoreposition
thefeatherboard.
Feed
theboardasyoudidforcuttingthegroove,
using
a pushstick
tofinishthepass.
Turntheworkpiece
around
andrepeat
thecutto
(above).
complete
thetongue

43

Milling
thebeads
I n s t a lal m o l d i n gh e a df i t t e dw i t h b e a d i n gk n i v e so n y o u r
t a b l es a w .A l i g nt h e b o a r df a c ed o w no v e ro n eo f t h e k n i v e s o
t h e b e a dw i l l b e m i l l e da l o n g s i dt e
h et o n g u eB. u t tt h e f e n c e
againstthe board,reposition
the featherboard,
andclampa seco n df e a t h e r b o a trod t h e f e n c ed i r e c t l yo v e rt h e k n i v e sM
. ake
a s e r i e so f t e s tc u t s i n a s c r a pb o a r dt o d e t e r m i n teh e p r o p e r
d e p t h ,t h e n m i l l t h e b e a d s( a b o v e )Y. o uc a n a l s oc u t a s l r g h t
c h a m f eirn t h eo p p o s i teed g ew i t ha h a n dp l a n e .

PANELING

WAINSC()TING
INSTALLING
T()NGUE-AND.GRO()VE

-\n.
\\_F
\

Nailer
location
linea

l t

/ / q

/d$

Installing
the boards
1
I at an outsidecorner
Snapa chalklinearoundthe room(page
3I ) to markthe heightof the wainscoting.
M a k es u r et h e l i n ei s l e v e l - t h ef l o o rm a y
n o t b e . l f y o uk n o ww h e r et h e n a i l e r sb e h i n dt h e w a l la r el o c a t e da,l s os n a pl i n e s
f o r t h e m . l f y o u d o n o t k n o ww h e r et h e
n a i l e r sa r e l o c a t e di,n s t a l fl u r r i n gs t r i p s
( p a g e4 9 ) . S t a r ti n s t a l l i n gt h e b o a r d sa t
a n o u t s i d ec o r n e r D
. e t e r m i nteh e b e v e l
a n g l ey o uw i l l n e e da s y o uw o u l df o r b a s e board(page28),Ihen makethe cut along
To install
the grooved
edgesof two boards.
eachboard,alignthe cut edgewiththe corneranddrivea nailthroughthe tongueinto
the wallat eachnailerlocationline (left).
N a i lt h e c o r n e b
r oarda
s l o n gt h e m i t e r e d
furringstrips,
edgesaswell.lf you installed
nailthe wainscoting
to the strips.

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r) Installing
the boardsalonga wall
L Oncethe two boardsareinstalledat
the outsrdecorner,slipthe grooveof a new
. a i lt h e b o a r dt o t h e w a l l
b o a r di n p l a c e N
through
i t st o n g u em
, a k i n gs u r ea l l t h e
t o p sa r el e v e lC
. o n t i n u ae l o n gt h e w a l lt h e
s a m ew a y ,f i t t i n gg r o o v e so v e rt o n g u e s
(right)andnailingthe boardsin place.

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44

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PANELING

C h e c k i nfgo r p l u m b
Q
r . , f H a l f w a ya l o n gt h e w a l l , h o l d a c a r p e n t e r ' sl e v e la g a i n stth e t o n g u eo f t h e
l a s tb o a r dy o u i n s t a l l etdo c h e c kf o r p l u m b
(right).lf the boardis not perfectlyvertic a l , t a p e rt h e g r o o v e de d g eo f t h e n e x t
b o a r dw i t h a h a n dp l a n es o t h a t i t w i l l b e
o l u m bw h e ni t i s i n s t a l l e dC. o n t i n uteo t h e
e n d o f t h e w a l l .T o f i t t h e l a s tb o a r d u
, se
a l o g - b u i l d e rs' sc r i b et o t r a n s f etrh e p r o f i l e a n da n g l eo f t h e a d j o i n i nw
g a l lt o t h e
face of the board (page42).

P a n e l i nagn a d j o i n i nw
ga l l
T o i n s t a lw
l a i n s c o t i nagt a n i n s i d e
corner,butt the groovededgeof a board
a g a i n stth e l a s tb o a r dy o ui n s t a l l eodn t h e
a d j o i n i nw
g a l l ,t h e nn a i li t i n p l a c e( l e f t ) .
Nailalongthe grooved
edgesof the boards
a s w e l l .W o r ky o u rw a ya r o u n dt h e r o o m
u n t i l a l l t hw
e a i n s c o t i insgi n s t a l l e F
d i. n i s h
(page22)
the job by installingbaseboard
and addinga cap rail (page38).

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FRAME-AND . PANEL WAINSCOTING

wainscoting
conI rame-and-panel
l.' sistsof a frameof horizontalrails
andverticalstilesandmullionsenclosing raisedpanels.The framemembers
can be joined in a number of ways,
includingdowel,biscuit,mortise-andjoints.This
tenon,or cope-and-stick
sectionshowsyou how to cut thecopeand-stickon the shaper(page47).The
panelscanbe raisedon atablesaw(page
routerbits (pagea8)
49),burtspecialized
(page
109)do a faster
andshapercutters
and cleanerjob, and canshapecurved
profilesaswell.
Thistypeof panelingcanbeinstalled
over the lower portion of a wall, like
wainscoting,or it
tongue-and-groove
can coveran entirewall from floor to
youneed
celing(page4l). In eithercase,
of thepanto determinethedimensions
The
elingand its variouscomponents.
framepiecesand panelsmustbe sized
andproperlyproto fit eachwallexactly,
portionedsotheylookrightin theroom.
Besureto considerobstructionssuchas
andceildoorsandwindows,fireplaces
ing beams.Beforecuttinganywood,
makea scaledrawingof the room and
with differentdesigns.
experiment
When installingframe-and-panel
wainscoting,it is bestto work on one
wall at a time,preparingand installing
the framepiecesand panelstogether.
Thewainscotcanthenbe gluedup and
installedasa unit,or built up on thewall
pieceby piece.Ifyou follow the latter
method,youwill be ableto compensate
for anymistakesasyou go along.

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The cope-andstickjoint shownin

thephoto at right is an
easy-to-cutalternativeto the
mortise- an d - tenon tra diti on al-

in

lyusedframe-and
fi,)ili'*r,"
% "%;lT,^
scoting.It alsoaddsa decorativetouch:
-""'i:
The router bit that cutsthe groovesfor the
panel and tonguesin the stilesand rails also carves
a molding along the inside edgesof theframe.

()FRAISED
PR()FILES
PANEL
A GALTERY

Kaiaedpanel
with ovolo frame

Covedpanel

Oqeebeveled
panel

Develed
panelraioed
from frame

Kabbeted
frame with
moldinq

46

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PANELING

MAKING
A COPE-AND.STICK
FRAME

Miter gauqe
extenaion

'l Cutting
tongues
in therails
I andmullions
S a wt h er a i l sm
, u l l i o n as n
, ds t i l e tso
l e n g t hT. oj o i nt h ep i e c eos f t h ef r a m e
joints,startbycutting
withcope-and-stick
tongues
at theendsof therailsandmullions,asshown
at left.Install
a piloted
coping
bit in yourshaper
andadjustthe
cuttingdepthbybutting
theendof a rail
against
thecutterandsetting
thetopof
theuppermost
cutterslightly
above
the
workpiece.
Position
thefenceparallel
to
themitergauge
slotandin linewiththe
edgeof thebit pilot.Foraddedstability,
screwa boardto the mitergaugeasan
extension.
Feedthestockfacedownwith
thegauge,
holding
theedgeof theworkpieceagainst
theextension
andtheend
against
thefence(/eff).(Although
a shaper
is usedhere,a table-mounted
routercan
joints.)
alsobeusedto cutcope-and-stick
Adjusting
thesticking
bit
Replace
t h e c o p i n gb i t w i t h a

prloted
sticking
bit.Toadjust
thecuttingdepth,buttthetongue
at theend
of a railor muntinagainst
thebitand
setoneof thegroove-cutting
teethlevel withthetongue(below).
Alignthe
fencewiththeedgeof thebit pilot.

PANELING

thegrooves
Cutting
profile
anddecorative
to securethe stock
Usetwo featherboards
C
l
a
m
pa s t a n d a rfde a t h t
h
e
c
u
t
s
.
during
table
oppositethe
to
the
shaper
erboard
board
at a 90" angle
a
support
bit; secure
shaperfeathClamp
a
featherboard.
to the
f
e
n
c
e
.
M
a
k
e
t
h
i sf e a t h e r t
o
t
h
e
erboard
the botby
curving
on
the
band
saw
board
series
cutting
a
a
2-by-4
and
tom edgeof
C
u
t
the
i
n
t
o
t
h
e
e
d
g
e
.
o f a n g l e ds l o t s
g r o o v ea
s n d d e c o r a t i vper o f i l ea l o n gt h e
i n s i d ee d g e so f t h e s t i l e sa n d r a i l s ,a n d
. ake
a l o n gb o t he d g e so f a l l t h e m u l l i o n sM
p
a
s
s
o
u
t
s
i
d
e
f
ace
with the stock
each
pressing
the
workpiece
against
the
down,
fence(lefil.Usea pushstickto complete
tne Dass.

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THEPANELS
RAISING

table
Raising
a panelontherouter
C u te a c hp a n etlo f i t w i t h i ni t sf r a m e ,
%rnchon all sidesforthegrooves.
adding
panel-raising
bit in your
a piloted
Install
andmountthetoolin a table.Set
router
thedepthof cutat %inchandclamptwo
to thefence,oneon each
featherboards
feedthe
thepanel,
sideof thebit.Toraise
down,
thetableoutside-face
boardacross
flushagainst
the
keeprng
theworkpiece
fenceandyourhandsclearof thecutter
(right).
cut intothe
tearout,
To minimize
e n dg r a i no f t h ep a n eflt r s ts, h a p i ntgh e
t w oe n d so f t h ep a n ebl e f o rteh es i d e s .
and
Testfit thepanelin theframegrooves
asyouneed,increasmakeasmanypasses
depthnomorethan%inch
ingthecutting
a ta t i m e .

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Fanel-raieinqbit

48

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PANELING

Raising
a panelonthetablesaw
Tosettheproper
blade
angle
forraising
a
p a n eol nt h et a b l es a w m
, a r ka c u t t i n g
lineonthepanel:DrawaYo-inch
square
at
thebottom
corner,
thenmarka linefrom
t h ef r o n tf a c eo f t h e p a n etlh r o u g thh e
inside
corner
of thesquare
to a pointon
thebottom
edgeX inchfromthebackface
(insef).
Installanauxiliary
woodfence,set
thepanel
against
it, andadjust
theangle
of thebladeuntilit aligns
withthecutting
line.Raise
thebladeuntilonetoothjust
protrudes
beyond
thefrontfaceof thepanel.Makea cut in oneendof theoanel
and
test-fitthecut in a groove.
lf thepanelsits
lessthan%inchdeep,move
thefencea
littlecloser
to theblade
andmakeanother
pass.
Tominimize
tearout,
bevel
theends
of thepanelf irst,thenthesides(rrghf).

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INSTATTING
FRAME-AND-PANEL
WAINSCOTING
Installing
furringstrips
1
I L i k et o n g u e - a n d - g r o opvaen e l i n g ,
f r a m e - a n d - p a nweal i n s c o t i ncga n b e f a s tenedto nailersbehindthe wall (page44).
l f y o ud o n o tk n o ww h e r et h e n a i l e r a
s re
l o c a t e do r w h e t h e trh e ye x i s t ,y o u w i l l
h a v et o a n c h o tr h e p a n e l i n g
to furring
s t r i p sS
. n a pt w oc h a l kl i n e so n t h e w a l lt o
h e l py o ui n s t a ltlh e s t r i p s F
. o rf r a m e - a n d p a n ew
l a i n s c o t i nogn, es t r i ps h o u l db e
l e v ew
l i t ht h e t o p r a i l ,t y p i c a l l3y 6 i n c h e s
o f f t h e f l o o r .L o c a t et h e s e c o n dc h a l kl i n e
a few inchesabovethe floor.Sawthe furringstripsfrom 1-by-3stock;cut onefor
t h e t o p r a i la n dt w o f o r t h e b o t t o mr a i l .
Determine
the locationof the studs(page
3 2 ) a n dn a i le a c hf u r r i n gs t r i pi n p l a c e
(left),driuingtwo nailsat eachstud.

49

PANELING

r") Installing
thestilesandrails
I f est-fitthe partsof thewainscoting
alignment
marks
forthemulandscribe
lionsalong
rails.Bevel
thetopandbottom
oneedgeof theoutside
corner
stileasyou
(page
paneling
wouldfortongue-and-groove
44).Posilion
thestileat thecornerand
s l i d ea s h i mu n d e r n e ai tt;ht h eg a pw i l l
allowforwoodmovement.
Tack-nail
the
stileto thefurring
strips,
making
surethat
stile
theboardis plumb.Holdthemating
i n p l a c et o m a k es u r et h a tt h em i t e r e d
edges
of thetwoareperfectly
aligned.
Then
applysomeglueto theendsof thebottom
railandjoinit to thestile,alsosetting
it
onshims.
Jointheinside
corner
stileto
thebottom
railandtack-nail
it to thefurringstrips,
it if necessary.
Lastly,
adjusting
screw
or nailtheassembly
to thefurring
strips(/eff).

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t
thefirstpanelin place
Q Setting
r-J Oncethreesidesof theframehave
beeninstalled,
setthefirstpanelin place
at the outsidecorner(right),makingsure
it fitssnugly
in thegrooves
cut in therail
andstrle.Donotapplyglueto thepanel
grooves;
thepanelmustbefreeto move
in theframe.

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PANELING

Installing
thefirstmullion
A p p l yg l u et o t h e b o t t o me n do f t h e
m u l l i o na n dt h e g r o o v ei n t h e b o t t o mr a i l ,
and setthe mullionin place(left).Make

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s r r r e f h c n a n p l s i i s i n t h p o r n n v p s/ - r r t i n

t h e m u l l i o n ' es d g e C
. o n t i n u ien s t a l l i n g
p a n e l sa n d m u l l i o n su n t i ly o ur e a c ht h e
s t i l ea t t h e i n s i d ec o r n e rS. l i pt h e l a s t
p a n ebl e t w e etnh e m u l l i o na n dt h es t i l e .

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I n s t a l l i ntgh et o pr a i l
f,
r , , A p p l yg l u et o t h e t o p e n d so f a l l t h e
m u l l i o n as n df i t t h e t o p r a i l i n p o s i t i o n
(right),makingsurethe top endsof the
p a n e l sm, u l l i o n sa,n ds t i l e sa l l f i t s n u g l y
i n t h e g r o o v er n t h e t o p r a i l .A n e x t r as e t
o f h a n d sw i l l m a k et h e j o b e a s i e rO
. nce
t h e t o p r a i l i s i n p l a c e y, o uc a n i n s t a l l
b a s e b o a rm
d o l d i n g( p a g e2 4 ) a n d a c a p
(
n
a
s
e
.
3 8 )P r o c e e tdo t h e n e x tw a l l
rail
a n dw o r ky o u rw a ya r o u n dt h e r o o m ,u s i n g
b u t tj o i n t sa t i n s i d ec o r n e ras n dm i t e r i n g
o u t s i d ec o r n e r s .

PANELEDCEILINGS
T) aneledceilinqs,alsoknown ascof.[- feredceilingslarean adaptationof
normally
frame-and-panel
techniques
walls.In conjunction
usedto decorate
with fiame-and-panel
wainscoting(page
46),apaneledceilingcanadddepthand
warmth to a den or study.
The illustrationbelowshowshow
a paneledceilingis installed.Startwith
a structuralframeworkof 2-by-4sanchoredto the ceilingjoists.Coverthe
frameworkwith I -by-ahardwoodstock,
suchasoakor birch,thenmakebox-like

facingsto fit insidetheframework,creating a grid of boxes.Finally,set a

veneered
plyruoodpanelinto eachbox
and installa frameof moldingto hold
thepanelin place.
Aswith full-wallpaneling(page41),
thesizeof thepanelsshouldbeproportionaltothedimensions
of theroom.A
ceilingof smallpanelsin a largeroom
can
lookscluttered,
whiletheopposite
Determinethe panel
appeartoo heaqu.
sizeby makinga scaledrawingof the
with differceilingand experimenting

()FA PANELED
ANANATOMY
CEILING

entdimensions.
A oanelsizebetween20
and]6 inchesis typicalfor mediumslzeorooms.
Youcantry variationson this basic
maybeIeftwhite
design.
Thepanelboxes
for contrastor crownmoldingcanbe
usedin placeof quarter-roundmolding-although this would involvecutIfyou
tingcopedjointsat insidecorners.
decideto usestain,it is a goodideato
applythefinishbeforeinstallingtheceiling, for workingoverheadon a ceiling
full of crevices
canprovetiring.

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PANELING

A PANELED
CEILING
INSTALLING
V
Dtrectionof
ceilinqjoiete

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Lonq2x4

ftamework
the2-by-4
1 Installing
I S n a pa g r i do f c h a l kl i n e so nt h e
onthesizeof yourpanels.
ceilingbased
Startfromthe centerof twoooposite
w a l l s ot h a ta n ys m a lpl a n e lws i l lb e
theedgeof theceiling.
located
around
forthewidthof
Remember
to account
the2-by-4s
asyoulayoutthechalk
of the
lines.Determine
thedirection
joistswitha studf inder,
then
ceiling
install
theframework.
Uselong2-by-4s
perpendicular
to the
to spantheceiling
joists;alignthepieces
withthechalk
themto thejoistswith
linesandfasten
2-by-4s
to
floorrng
screws.
Useshorter
andtoe-nail
fit between
thelongboards
themin place(above).

r) Installing
grid
thehardwood
is installL Oncethe2-bv-4framework
ed,usea finishnaiter
to mountthe 1-bygrid(left).Foraddedrigidity,
4 hardwood
perpendicular
to
install
thelong1-by-4s
can
Although
thenailing
thelong2-by-4s.
makes
the
a finishnailer
bedonebyhand,
workgo muchfaster.

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53

PANELING

thefacing
Q Installing
r-,f Wrthrn
eachframe,
install
fourfacing
p i e c e so f 1 - b y - 3h a r d w o o sdt o c kt h a t
m a t c h e tsh e w o o dy o uu s e df o r t h e g r i d .
Fora moredecorative
effect,rip the pieces
s o t h e ye x t e n db e l o wt h e g r i db y % r n c h .
F i t t h e n i e r ^ e: st t h e c o r n e r w
s r t h4 5 "
(right),
bevelcuts
Ihen naii them to the
2-by-4framework,

Gluing
thepanels
in place
O n c ea l l t h e f a c i n gi s i n s t a l l e dc,u t p a n e l sf r o mv e n e e r e dt h ec e i l i n (ga b o v eT)h. ea d h e s i vwei l lh o l dt h ep a n eul n t i y
l ou

(step5).Themolding
p l y w o ot o
d f i t w i t h i nt h ef r a m e sA. p p l yc o n s t r u c t iaodnh e s i v einstall
prestheshoemolding
willsupply
fora firmsluebond.
t o t h eu n d e r s i do ef e a c hp a n eal n dp r e s ist i n p l a c ea g a i n s t sureneeded

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PANELING

molding
Installing
thequarter-round
fi
r-,1 Securethe panelswith quarter-round
molding
i n s t a l l eadr o u n d
t h e i n s i d eo f e a c h
facingbox.Cutthe molding
to len$h,joining
t h e p i e c e sa t t h e c o r n e rw
s i t h4 5 ' m i t e r s .
N a i lt h e m o l d i n gt o t h e f a c i n gw i t ha f i n ish nailer (lefil.

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crownmolding
A Installing
install
\J Tof inishtheceiling,
crown
m o l d i nagr o u nidt sp e r i m e t eNra. i li t
andwallasyouwould
to theframework
on a plainceiling(page26), using
jointsat inside
corners
andmiters
coped
at outside
corners.

fu,'

/>,-

_+is

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\AIINDOWS

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Picture-frame
casing(pnge61)
I goodwindowletsallthelight
consists
of four piecesof molding:
1\ andbeautvof theoutdoorsin
a headcasing,
and
twosidecasings,
while keepingthe elementsout.
a sill casing,alljoinedat thecorners
Althoughtheydo thisin manyways,
with 45" miters.Stool-and-aoron
winreflecting
a widerangeof styles,
two
casing(page69)alsofeatures
parts:
of
two
basic
the
dowsconsist
sidecasings,
andmayincludedecframeand the sash.The formeris
orativecornerblocks,known as
much
like a doorjamb,and serves
(page73).
rosettes
purpose:
It
is
fixed
to
the
the same
In
the
exampleshownin this
when
window
is
installed.
studs
the
the
headcasingis butted
chapter,
holds
the
pane
of
Thesashactually
but these
againstthe sidecasings,
glass.The windowscoveredin this
joints
mitered.
Themost
can
also
be
popular
doublechapterfeaturethe
"return"
glued
the
apron
recosnizable
element
of
stool-andpage
A
mitered
is
onto
hungsash.As shownon
59,
however,
is thestool,
aproncasing,
both of
belowa window sill, or stool, to hide the end
they containtwo sashes,
which
grain
is
a
or
sill,
installed
at
the
bottom,
of
the
apron.
Stool-and-apron
whichcanslideup anddown.
juts
(page
out
from
the
window.
traditional
method
of
casing
a
window,
often
Oncea windowis installed
Whilemanyhomebuilders,parmade to match the room'sinterior trim.
thefiame
59),gapsremainbehveen
gaps
ticularly
thosein colderclimates,
The
molded
casinghides
the
between
and the surroundingframingof
jambs
for
precision
andinsulation
window
and
the
wall.
opt
the
the
studsand headers.Justas sills,
factory-made
windows,
elegant,
of
stools,aprons,and casingsare
made
in
the
with
specialhigh-quality
windows
can
be
shop
theexteinstalledon theoutsideof a windowto complement
"casedj'
(page
windows
require
fiamed
ized
sash
cutters
75).
Since
these
thickor
rior trim of a house,thewindowneedsto be
is
methods
than
most
cabinet
work,
a
shaper
the
stationary
usetwobasic
er stock
on theinsideaswell.Finishcarpenters
oowertoolof choicefor makinethem.
for thistask:picture-frame
andstool-and-apron.

glass-stop
Thefinal stepin makinga custom-fit
windowis installingthe
in place.
molding,thin stripsof shaped
woodthatholdthepanesof glass
Shaped
on a routertableandrippedto widthon thetablesaw,themolding
with mitersand nailedto thewindowsash.
striDsareioinedat thecorners

57

BASICWINDOW TRIM STYLES

ST(IOT-AND.APR(lN
CASING
(PAGE
69)

PICTURE-FRAME
CASING
(PAGE
61)

9ide
caeinq

CORNER
TREATMENTS

APR(INTREATMENTS

Roeett'eg

Qase73)

Uaed for deco-

rative effect
in atool-andaPronca,tnq;
eliminateathe
needfor miterin4 headcaeinq

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Butted sill aaeing

(page 65)
A variaf,ronof pictureframe caein4in whichthe
aill caoinqio buLted up
a4ainet the oidecaainqe
and extende beyondthem;
eliminateathe needfor
miterin7oide caeinqe

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INSTALLINGWINDOWS
I lthoughfitting a windowin place
Arnuy ulpp.urto"bea dauntingtask,
it canin factbe a straightforwardoperation.With thepre-hungwindow shown
below which alreadyincludesthe windowjambsattached
to thesashes,
allyou
needis a hammeror a screwdriver
anda
level.Whetheryour windowsarefactory- or shop-made,
theywill be installed
in thesamefashion.Thejambsarenailed
into theroughopeningin thewall,then
insulatedanddressed
with interiortrim.
Sometimes,
ajambextension(page61)is

installedon theinsideto bring thewindow flushwith the interiorwall.

A window shouldbe about %-inch
smalleron all sidesthanits roughopening. Sincerough openingsareseldom
square,level,or plumb, this will make
thewindoweasierto fit andshim,while
leavingsomespacearoundthewindow
for insulation.Remembernot to drive
the shimsin too far or you mav risk
bowingthewindow Testthewindbwto
makesurethat it slidessmoothlybefore
nailingit in place.

INSTALLING
A D(|UBTE.HUNG
SASH
WINDOW

A double-hungwindow
ispositioned
in itsroughopeningfromtheoutside.
Tohelphold thewindowin placeuntil
it canbeadjustedand secured
from the
inside,it will benailedor wedgedtemporarily to theframeoffurring strips
aroundtheopening.

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andcentering
thewindow
1 leveling
I Position
thewindow
in itsroughopening(photo,
above)and
temporarily
tack
orwedge
it in place.
Tohelpcheckthe
window
for levelasyougo,clampa carpenter's
levelto theunderside
of thehead
jamb.Insert
shimsbetween
thesidejambs
andstudsat thetop of the roughopening.(Shims
arewooden
wedges
usually
soldin bundles
at hardware
stores
and
lumberyards.)
Then,holding
up onecornerof thewindow,
slipa shimbetween
thewindowhornandthe roughsill (left).
Repeat
ontheothersideof thewindow.
Addshimsbetween
thesidejambsand
thestudsat themiddleandbottom
of
thewindow.
Useasmanyshimsasyou
needto centerthewindowin itsopening
(Toinstall
whilekeeping
thewindow
level.
morethanonewindow
at thesameheight
in a room,makea markonthestudat a
setdistance
fromtheheader
andshimall
thewindows
to themark.r

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WINDOWS

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Nailing
thewindow
in place
is level,
fastenit
Oncethewindow
nail
Drive
a finishing
to thewallframing.
through
thesidejambsandshimsintothe
studsat eachshimlocation
hbove).Cul
theshimsf lushwiththewindow
iambs
usinga utilityknife.

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thewindow
Q lnsulating
r-,1Oncea window
is nailed
in itsrough
installing
thecasing,
opening
andbefore
spaces
it is a goodideato f ill thehollow
jambsandthewall
between
thewindow
if you
studswithinsulation-particularly
livein a coldclimate.
Youcanusefiberglassinsulation
foam
or a low-expanding
workswellfor
asshownhere.Fiberglass
gaps,suchasthespace
between
the
large
headjambandtheheader
orthespace
is
between
thetwosills.Foaminsulation
spaces,
butuseit sparidealforthinner
thejambs
ingly;toomuchof it maycause
to bowinward.

60

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PICTURE-FRAME
CASING
.|)

four
icture-frame
casing
comprises
L pieces
of moldingmiteredat45othat
frame a window in much the same
wayasa pictureis framed.Commercial
in a
picture-frame
casingis available
numberof profiles.It canalsobemilled
on a tablesiw fittedwith a moldinehead
to pr6du..
usingthe sameprocedures
or anyothchairrail,custombaseboard,
er molding(backendpaper).
In orderto nailpicture-frame
casing
in place,the front edgesof thewindow
jambsneedto beflushwith theinterior
wall. If the jambsare set more than
Z inch backfrom the drywall,you will
needto build and installa iambexten-

sion(below).
Asthecasingwillhide the
extension,
thejoineryusedto attachthe
pieces
extension
togethercanbeassimpleasa butt joint.

A shop-madegaugeis usedto mark

out the narrow portion of the window jambs that will not be covered
with casing.This exposedportion of
thejambs-anywhere from'/' to',4n
"reveal."
It
inch wide-is called the
both enhancesthe visual effectof
the casingand makesit easierto
install. To make thejig, seepage 63.

INSTALLING
A JAMBEXTENSI()N

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theextension
1 Assembling
thatwillfit theinside
facesof thewindow
I Measure
thedistance
between
thefrontedges
of thejamband sizeto makea frame
jambs
pieces
your
with
reveal.
You
installthe
inside
wall.
Then
rip
extension
stock
to
this
width
from
a
slight
can
extension
the
jamb.Cutthepieces
intoa unit(above).
woodthesamethickness
asthewindow
to onebyone,or nailor screwthemtogether

WINDOWS

r) lnstalling
theextension
in placeas
Z Fasten
thelambextension
(page
youdidto installthewindow
59).
Position
overthejamb,using
theextension
thatit is level(righil.fhen
shimsto ensure
to thewallstudsthrough
nailtheextension
t h es h i m sA. d di n s u l a t i oi nnt h ee m p t y
theextension.
spaces
around

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Marking
thereveal
l f t h el a m be x t e n s i oi ns s l i g h t l p
y r o u do f t h e i n t e r i owr a l l ,

planeit down.lf it is setbackfromthewall,usea raspor a

(above,
left)Iocutthedrywall
downuntilit is flushwith
shaver
intoanypartofthewallthat
willnot
theextension.
Avoid
cutting
Next,markthereveal
around
thejamb
becovered
bythecasing.

o r t h e e x t e n s i o nA.d j u s ta c o m b i n a t i osnq u a r et o t h e d e s i r e d
reveal-typicallybetweent/zdrrd5Asinch.Then,startingat the
h e a dj a m b ,b u t tt h e s q u a r e 'hs a n d l ea g a i n stth e i n s i d ef a c eo f
t h ej a m b .W i t ha p e n c ifl l u s ha g a i n st th e b l a d es, l i d et h e h a n d l e
right).
downthe jambto markthe revealline (above,

62

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,t

A REVEAT
GAUGE
jig at rightmakesit easyto markthe
Theshop-made
jambs.Tomakethe
reveal
forcasing
around
window
gauge,
pieceof %-inchplywood
cut a square
or hardwood,thensawa different-sized
rabbetin eachof the
fouredges.
Eachrabbetwidthshouldcorrespond
to
a typical
reveal
width-inthiscase,%inch,%einch,
% inch,and%oinch.Markthewidths
oneachside.
youwill
Donotmakeyourreveals
toowide,otherwise
haveto drivethe nailsneartheedgeof thecasing,
jamb,a reveal
whichwillrisksplitting
it. Fora %-inch
gauge,
of % inchis aboutright.To usethereveal
butt
theappropriate
rabbetagainst
thejambandslideit
downthejambwitha pencil(page61).

INSTALLING
PICTURE.FRAME
CASING
Installing
theheadcasing
1
I Todetermrne
thelength
of thehead
casing,
measure
thedistance
between
the
jambsandaddtwicethereveal
window
to
yourmeasurement.
Miterbothendsof the
headcasrng
at 45' sothatthedistance
beyour
tweentheheelsof themiters
equals
result.
Then,aligning
thebottom
edgeof
thecasing
withthereveal
line,fasten
the
headcasing
in place
witha hammer
orfinishnailer(/eff).Space
a pairof nailsevery
6 inches,
driving
oneintothejambandthe
otherdirectly
above
it through
thewalland
intotheheader.

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WINDOWS

r-) Installing
thesidecasing
I Delermine
the lensthof thesidecasandmiterttieirendsasyoudid
ingpieces
in place;
Setthepieces
theheadcasing.
joint
the
fits poorly,
correct
if eithermiter
starting
on page66. Once
fit asdescribed
youaresatisf
a litiedwiththefit, spread
miters
tle glueon twoof thecontacting
in
andposition
onepieceof sidecasing
place.
Starting
at thetop,nailthecasing
to thejambandwallstudsfrghf).Donot
for now;
driveanynailsnearthebottom
youmayneedto adjustthecasing
slightly
fortheother
Repeat
to fit thesillcasing.
sidecasing.

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thesillcasing
Q Installing
the
r-,1 Measure
thegapbetween
andcutthesrllcasing
sidecasings
to
to f it. Again,it maybe necessary
f ix the miters(page66). Spreada
the
littleglueonthemiters,position
s i l lc a s i n ga,n dn a i li t t o t h ej a m b
Thenfinandtheroughsill (below).
in place.
ishnailing
thesidecasings

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64

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Cross-nailing
themiters
T o c o m p l e tteh e i n s t a l l a t i odnr,i v ea
n:il

inin tho pdoo nf tho cido eecino np:r

the top so that the nailpenetrates

the head
casing(right).Repeatat the remaining
t h r e ec o r n e r o
s f t h e c a s i n gT. h r ss t e pw i l l
h e l pe n s u r teh a tt h ej o i n t sd o n o to p e nw i t h
s e a s o n aml o v e m e n t .

M()DIFIED
PICTURE-FRAME
CASING
lnstalling
a buttedsill casing
Y o uc a ns i m p l i f yt h e i n s t a l l a t i oonf p i c t u r e - f r a mcea s i n gb y u s i n gb u t t j o i n t sa t
t h e b o t t o m ,i n s t e a do f m i t e r sA
. sshown
i n t h e i l l u s t r a t r oant l e f t ,m o d iife dp i c t u r e f r a m ec a s i n gi n v o l v em
s i t e rj o i n t sa t t h e
t o p , b u t y o uc a nc u t t h e b o t t o me n d so f
t h e s i d ec a s i n ss o r r a r eT h e nc r o s s c u t
b o t he n d so f t h e s i l lc a s i n g
t o s p a na l i t tle beyondthe sidepieces.Fordecorative
e f f e c t y, o uc a n c u t a s h a l l o wm i t e ra t
e a c he n do f t h e s i l lc a s i n gT. h e ns i m p l y
b u t t i t s t h i c k e re d g eu p a g a i n stth e s i d e
c a s i n gasn dn a i li t i n p l a c e .

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WINDOWS

MITERS
PO()R.FITTING
C()RRECTING
Cfosing
a gapal theheel
Youcanfixa gapin a miterjointbyadjustingthecuttingangleonthepower
miter
saw.Butinstead
of resetting
thesaw's
angle,it issimpler
to change
theangleof
theworkpiece
onthefence.Toclosea
gapat theheelof themiter,setthecasingagainst
thefencewiththetoeof the
miterextending
slightly
beyond
thefence.
(lnthiscase,anauxiliary
fencehasbeen
fenceto helpline
attached
to theregular
upthecut.)Thenslipa thinwedge
between
t h ec a s i n ag n dt h ef e n c e1 o r 2 i n c h e s
fromtheendof theboard.Nowmakethe
bythedottedlinein the
cut (represented
illustration
thelointand
at left).Test-fit
moving
repeat
thecut,if necessary,
the
wedge% inchfartherawayfromtheend
of thecasins.

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Closing
a gapatthetoe
Toclosea gapat thetoeof a miter,place
fromtheendof
thewedge5 or 6 inches
t h ec a s i n a
g n dm a k et h ec u t .A ss h o w n
the heelof
at right,thesawwillshorten
it thejointandrepeat,
the miter.Test-f
if necessary,
moving
thewedge% inch
closer
to the boardend.

66

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WINDOWS

a miter
Back-cutting
thesolulf a miterjointisopenalongitsentirelength(inset),Iry
joini
page
is
open,
remove
some
lf
the
still
on
66.
tronsdescribed
pieces.
You
can
do
of
one
of
the
stockfromthethebackedge
power
with
miter
saw
on
the
thecorrective
cuts
thisbyrepeating

above
to raiseit slightly
shimplacedunderthecasing
a second
themiterwitha sharputility
thesawtable,or byback-cutting
Youcanalso
cuttingawayfromyourbody(above).
knife,always
usea blockolane.asshownbelow.

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a miter
Back-planing
in a visesothe
thecasing
secure
a miterusinga blockplane,
Toback-cut
parallelto
Holding
theplaneat anangle
theworksurface.
miteris roughly
of lightcuts(abovd.
to thebackedgeof themiter,makea series

67

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WINDOWS

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T r i m m i npgr o u dc a s i n g
A m i t e rl o i n tm a yf i t w e l l ,b u t o n eo f t h e
, r raised
m a t i n gp i e c e sm a yb e p r o u d o
l f t h e o t h e rT
s l i g h t l ya b o v et h e l e v e o
. o
r e m e d yt h e p r o b l e mg, e n t l yp a r ed o w n
t h e p r o u dp i e c ew i t h a c h i s e l( a b o v e ) .
A v o i ds a n d i n gw, h i c hw i l l l e a v ea p o o r
s u r f a c feo r f i n i s h i n og r p a i n t i n ga,n d
w h i c hi s m u c hm o r ed i f fi c u l tt o d o o n
m o l d e dc a s i n gT. o a v o i dd a m a g i ntgh e
p r o f i l eo f i n t r i c a t m
e o l d i n gy,o uc a n
i n s t a lal s h r mb e h i n dt h e p i e c et h a ti s
r e c e s s eads a n a l t e r n a t i vt eo c h i s e l i n g
t h e p r o u dp i e c e .

llj Jl tlililt dlllilijllllillt lll llli,1l,i ilj lll Jrllllltrl

1HO?TI?
An auxiliarytable for
the powermiter saw
An auxiliary
trablemakes
it mucheasierto lineuV
otraight and bevelculs, Use
'/o-tnch
for Lhetable
Vlywood
and securett,in VlacewiLh
double-f
aced Nape, l'/ake
EhreekerfsacroooNheauxiliaryLable:one90" anqle
cuLand a 45" cut
on eilhereide.To
ueelhe Lable,aliqn
Nhecultinq mark
on yourworK?tece
luot to Lhewaste
sideof the aVVropriatrekerf and
maKethe cut.

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STOOL-AND.APRONCASING
"traditional"
window
A lsoknownas
A casing,stool-and-apron
casingis
more difficult to makeand installthan
picture-framecasing.However,its use
of thebutt joint allowsdifferentmoldings to be combinedfor contrasting
effect.Thestoolis cut to fit thewindow
"horns"
that extend
openingwith two
beyondthe sidecasing,typicallyby the
sameamountthat the stoolprotrudes
from thefaceof thecasing.Thiscanbe
anywherebetweenluto'l inch,depending on the profile of the moldingyou
sellstoolcaps
areusing.Lumberyards
window installation,
for assembly-line
but you caneasilymakeyour own stool
usinga router.To balancethe window
pasttheside
theheadcasingalsoextends
Theheadcasingcanalsoinclude
casings.
decorativerosettes(page73),

A window sill,or stool,isfastenedto thewall studswith afinish nailer.Cut tofit

hornsthatextendpastthewindowframe.
thewindowopeningthestoolfeatures

CASING
INSTALLING
ST()OT.AND.APRON

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thehorns
1 Marking
These
will beyourlinesfor cutI Shape
theoutside
edgeof thestoolandcut it to length. wallmeetsthestoolhbove).
bothhornlinesto
of the horns.Extend
sill. tingthe insideedges
Markthecenterof boththestoolandtheroughwindow
T h e nm
. a r kt h ep o i n t os ne a c hs i d eo f t h ew i n d o w h e r teh e thefrontedgeof thestoolwitha try square.

69

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r) Marking
andinstalling
thestool
yourcutting
Z- to finisf'marking
linesforthehorns,
adjust
gapbetween
a compass
to thewidest
thefrontedgeof therough
sillandthedrywall.
Holding
thestoolagainst
thewallwiththe
c e n t em
r a r k sa l i g n e ds,e tt h ec o m p a spso i n ta t t h ee d g eo f
thewallandscribea lineforeachhorn(above,
/eff).Todeterminehowmuchstockyouneedto trimfromtheinside
edgeof
thestool,keepthesamecompass
setting
andmarka linealong
pointalong
thelenghofthestool,running
thecompass
thefront
(above,
edgeof theroughsill
right),Cutoutthehornsaswellas
thewaste
stripfromtheinside
edgeof thestool.
Thennailthe
jambsareflushwiththewall,
stooltothestuds.lf thewindow
(step4).Otherwise,
install
thesidecasing
mounta modif
ied
jambextension
(step3).

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jambextension
a modified
Q Installing
r-,, Builda modified
iambextension
(page61)withnobotfompiece.Fit
jambs
theextension
overthewindow
(right)andshimit in place,making
s u r et h a ti t i s c e n t e r ei dn t h eo p e n ing,square,
andlevel.
Thennarlthe
extension
to theiambs.

/tJ

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lnstalling
thesidecasing
around
theiamb
Markthereveal
extension(page62) to matchthe reveal
t h e s t o o la n d r o u g hs i l l .T h e n
between
c u t t h e s i d ec a s i n g tso l e n g t hs, a w i n g
b o t he n d ss q u a r e I, n s t a ltl h e s i d ec a s casingsas youwouldfor picture-frame
ing (page65), nailingthem into the winSpacethe
dowjamband studs(above).
n a i l s6 t o 8 i n c h e sa p a r t .

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Installing
theheadcasing
R
r - , 1C u t t h e h e a dc a s i n gt o t h e s a m e
l e n g t ha s t h e s t o o l c, e n t e ri t o n t h e s i d e
c a s i n gp i e c e sa, n d n a i li t i n p l a c e( / e f f ) .
D r i v et h e n a i l si n t ob o t ht h e h e a dj a m b
andthe roughheaderevery6 to 8 inches.

7l

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WINDOWS

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Installing
theapronandreturns
4i
\ , f O n c et h e s t o o la n d c a s i n ga r e i n
p l a c ec, o m p l e t teh e w i n d o wb y i n s t a l l i n g
t h e a p r o nb e n e a t h
t h e s t o o l .S t a r tb y
m e a s u r i ntgh e d i s t a n c e
b e t w e etnh e o u t s i d ee d g e so f t h es i d ec a s i n gasn dc u tt h e
a p r o nt o y o u rm e a s u r elde n g t hs, a w i n g
4 5 ' b e v e l sa t b o t he n d so f t h e a p r o nT. o
c o n c e at lh e e n dg r a i n g, l u eo n m a t c h i n g
end pieces,knownas returns.Makethem
r i t e rs a wb y c u t t i n ga 4 5 '
o nt h e p o w e m
p
i
e
c eo f s c r a pm o l d i n w
b e v eiln a
g i t ht h e
p
r
o
f
i
l
e
same
a s t h e a p r o nt,h e nc u t t i n g
off a narrowwedgeof stockat the end of
the piece(above,
left).Nailthe aproninto
the roughsill andthe wall studs(aboye,
rieht).lhensluethe retrrrns
to the ends
' ' O ' / t

'

nf thc :nrnn

(naop
\ P v bv

6 7 )/ '

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iti U Ji ][ iiiilll '1filli d u i l t ] i i $ i l , , *l

I

5HO?Tt?
Atemporarybrace
to holdwindowa?rone
Tofree uo bolh vour
hand,s
for nailinqa window
aVronin place,ueea brace
boardlikeLheoneehownaL
righL.Cut,lheboardfrom t,hin
ocraVotockeliqhLly
lonqerLhan
the apron
the distancebetween
and lhe floor,and wedgeiI tiqhrly
belween
lhe aVronandLhefloor
untiltt bowooliqhLly

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WINDOWS

ROSETTES
MAKING
ANDINSTALLING
a drilling
iig
1 Making
(page58)
fortherosettes
I Sizeblanks
sothattheyareslightly
widerthanthe
willalign
andtheiroutside
edges
casing,
Youcanalso
withtheendsof thestool.
maketheblanks
thicker
thanthecasing.
Tocuttherosettes
onthedrilloress.
jigto secure
theblanks.
makea drilling
plywood
base
Center
a blankon a %-inch
andbuttstopblocks
of thesamethicknessaround
threesidesof theblankand
screwthemto thebase.Screwdowntwo
moreblocks
ashold-downs
at a angle
to
formed
bythestopblocks,
thecorners
Markthecenter
of thejig andsetit on
a brad-point
thedrillpress
table.Install
bit,alignthejig'scenterpoint
directly
underthebit (lett),andclampthejig to
t h et a b l e .

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r) Securing
theblankto thejig
L lnstalla rosette
cutterin thedrillpress
followdrilling
speed
andsetthemachine's
Place
ingthemanufacturer's
instructions.
jigandlockit in place
a blankinthedrilling
b yc l a m p i nagn o t c h ehdo l d - d o wb nl o c k
overiI tight).

73

WINDOWS

t) Cuttins
therosettes
<'
r.J Turnonthedrillandlower
thequill
untilthecutterlightly
contacts
the
wood.
Continue
cuttinguntiltherosette
profile(above).
hasthedesired
Install
therosettes
withtheendgrainonthe
topandbottom
afternailing
theside
casings
in place(page71);thencutthe
headcasing
to fit between
therosettes.

ilIllllllllllllllllllllllll]illllllfiilrllllllrl]ltrllJ
lllllrllll1
illl
5HO?Tt?
A ohop-maderooette auf,ler
Youcan cuL roaeltee by modifyinga drill preoofly cuf,ler wilh a
beadinqbladefrom a Lableeawe moldinqhead,Noich lhe fly cutler arm l,o accommodaNe
bhe beadinqblade,locatin4
LhecuLler
aboutl inchfrom the endof the arm.
Makesure il fits securelyin lhe notch
so it cannoLohilAdurinquee.Dorea
h o l e t h r o u q h t r ha er m a n d u s ea b o l L ,
washer,and nu|lo faslen the blade
in place,iIo flal f ace loward

74

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MAKING A WINDOW SASH

ASSEMBLING
THESASH

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Medianrail

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9pline

theiob
1 Planning
I Thewindow
sashshownaboveconsists
of twovertical
s t i l e st,w oh o r i z o n traali l sa, m e d i a rna i l ,a n dt w om u l l i o n s
t h a td i v i d et h es a s hv e r t i c a l lTyh. ep i e c eas r ec o n n e c t ebdy
jointscutona shaper.
cope-and-stick
Thejointsbetween
the
stilesandrailsarereinforced
bysplines.
Tosizeyourstock,
makethestilesequalto theheight
of theopening
forthesash.
Fortheraillength,
takethewidthof theopening
andsubtract
twicethestilewidth.Thenaddtwicethedepthof thecoping
cutsyouwillmake(step2),lf, forexample,
thewidthof the
window
o p e n i nigs 3 2 i n c h e st h, es t i l e a
s r e3 %i n c h ew
s ide,
andthedepthof thecoping
cutsis % inch,eachrailshould
be
26 inches
long.Youcanalsomakethebottom
railwiderthan
theotherpieces
to accommodate
handles.
To determine
the
length
of eachmullion,
taketheheight
of theopening
andsubtractthewidthof thethreerails.Thenaddfourtimesthedepth
of thecopingcuts.Divide
thetotalbytwo.

Pairedwith a shop-mademortising jig, a router cuts a mortise in one of the stilesof a window sash.Thejig ensuresthat
the mortiseis centeredon the edgeof the stock.A matching
mortisewill be cut in the end of the adjoining rail and a spline
will reinforcethejoint betweenthe two pieces.

75

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WINDOWS

t
t
)tickin7 cutter eet

r) Making
thecoping
cuts
L es shownabove
fortherailsandstiles
at left,theloinery
Thecopingcutter
is doneby matching
cutters
on theshaper.
s .h es t i c k i ncgu t i s u s e do nt h ee n d so f a l l r a i l sa n dm u l l i o nT
t e rs h a n etsh e i n s i d ee d s e so f t h es a s hn i e c e sT.o s e tt h e
h e i g hot f t h ec o p i n cg u t t e rf,i r s ti n s t a tl lh es t i c k i ncgu t t e irn
theshaper
andadjustits height
sothetopof thecutteris leve l w i t ho n eo f t h es a s hp i e c e s e tf a c ed o w no n t h et a b l e .
Makea cut (step5) in a testpiecethesamethickness
asthe

s a s hs t o c k .T h e ni n s t a l tl h e c o p i n gc u t t e ra n d r u b b e a r i n go n
t h e s h a p ea
r n d b u t t t h e c u t e n d o f t h e t e s t p i e c ea g a i n stth e
. o rt h e c o p i n gc u t s ,p o s i t i o n
c u t t e rt o s e t i t s h e i g h t F
thefence
s l i g h t l yb e h i n dt h e r u b b e a r i n g
a n d b u i l da c o p i n gl i g ( p a g e
9 0 ) . U s et h e i i s t o f e e d b o t he n d so f t h e r a i l si n t o t h e c u t t e r
( a b o v er,i g h t ) , I oc o p et h e e n d o f t h e m e d i a nr a i la n d m u l l i o n s s, h a p ea w i d ep i e c ea n d r i p t h e w i d t h sy o u n e e do n t h e
iehlp

R i p p i ntgh em e d i a n
r a i la n dm u l l i o n s
Q
r - , 1 O n c ey o u h a v em a d et h e c o p i n gc u t s
o n t w o w i d eb o a r d sf o r t h e m e d i a nr a i l
a n d m u l l i o n sp,o s i t i otnh e t a b l es a wr i p
f e n c ef o r c u t t i n gt h e m e d i a nr a i l - t y p i c a l l y o n e - t h i r tdh e w i d t ho f t h e s t i l e s F
. eed
the boardintothe bladewitha pushstick
( r g h f )R
. e p o s i t i ot n
h e f e n c ef o r t h e m u l l i o n sa n d c u t t h e mf r o mt h e o t h e rb o a r d
rnesameway.

76

carnr/<tan

?)

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WINDOWS

Setting
upthesticking
cutter
O n c ea l lt h e r a i l sa n dm u l l i o nas r eD r e -

pared,
remove
thecoping
cutterandrub
bearing
fromtheshaper
andinstall
a stickingcutterset.Theoneshown
features
a
straight
cutter,
whichshould
bethesame
widthasthetongue
leftbythecoping
cuts.
T h i ss e t u p
w i l ls h a p teh ei n s i d e d g eo f
allthesashpieces
andcutrabbets
to supporttheglass.
Buttoneof therailsagainst
thebrtto settheheight
of thesticking
cutter (left);the tip at the top of the cutter
should
bealigned
withthelip,orquirk,at
thetopof thecopedend.

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Making
thesticking
cuts
f,
l-,l To makethestickingcuts,adjustthe shaper's
fenceto T h e nm
, a k et h es t i c k i ncgu t si n t h e i n s i d e d g e os f t h er a i l s
m a k ea f u l l c u t i n t h ee d g eo f t h es t o c kt;h ec u t t e sr h o u l d andstiles,feeding
thestockat a steady
rale(above)
anduse
justtouchthewidestpointof theworkpiece.
Alsoinstallcom- a p u s hs t i c kt o f i n i s ht h ec u t s .R e p e at h
t i sp r o c e sf so rt h e
mercial
hold-downs
ontheshaoer's
fenceandtableto secure m e d i arna i la n dm u l l i o nbsu tt h i st i m es h a p i nbgo t he d g e s
t h es t o c kd u r i n gt h ec u t sa n dp r e v e nkti c k b a cakn dc h a t t e r . o f t h eo i e c e .

77

WINDOWS

joints
Strengthening
thecorner
the stiles
Reinforce
the jointsbetween
a n dt h e t o p a n d b o i t o mr a i l sw i t h s p l i n e s .
S t a r tb y r o u t i n gm o r t i s efso r t h e s p l i n e si n
t h e e n d so f t h e r a i l sa n dt h e i n s i d ee d g e s
o f t h e s t i l e s( p a g e7 5 ) .T h es p l i n es h o u l d
f i t t h e m o r t i s essn u g l ya n db e s h o r t etrh a n
the combined
depthof the two matingmort i s e sY
. o uc a nc u t a l l t h e s p l i n e fsr o ma
s i n p l eh o a r dT o d o t h e i o bo n t h e t a b l e
saw,screwa woodenextension
to the miter
g a u g eE. n s u rteh a ta l l t h es p l i n ew
s i l lb e
t h e s a m el e n g t hb y m a r k i n ga r e f e r e n c e
l i n eo n t h e e x t e n s i o A
n .l i g nt h e e n do f t h e
boardwiththe lineandholditsedgeagainst
the extension
to cut eachspline(/eff).For
maximum
s t r e n g t hc,u t t h es p l i n e s ot h e i r
g r a i nw i l lr u n i n t h es a m ed i r e c t i oanst h e
g r a i no f t h e r a i l s .

Keference
lrne
:l

Keference
line

totherails
7, Gluins
- themullions
Startbygluing
therailsand
/ Glueuptheframein twosteps.
mullions
together,
asshown
above,
thenaddthestiles(sfep8).
reference
linesacross
thejoints
marking
Test-fit
the pieces,
w i t ht h em u l l i o nt so h e l py o ua l i g nt h ep a r t sd u r i n g l u e - u p .

F o rt h e r a i l sa n dm u l l i o n sa,p p l yg l u et o t h e c o n t a c t i nsgu r f a c e s
o f t h e b o a r d sA. s s e m b lteh e p i e c e sa n d i n s t a lal b a rc l a m pt o
securethe mullionsto thetop and bottomratlsGbove);usewood
oadsto orotectthe stock

7B

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WINDOWS

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Gluing
thestiles
to therails
I n s e rt th es p l i n ei sn t h er a i l sa n da p p l g
y l u et o t h ej o i n t s
between
t h e r a i l sa n d s t i l e s S
. p r e a dg l u ei n t h e m o r t i s eas n d
o n t ot h e s p l i n e sT, u r nt h e w i n d o wo v e ra n ds e c u r et h e s t i l e si n
) .l i g na c l a m pw i t he a c hr a i l ,
p l a c ew i t h b a rc l a m p s( a b o v eA
e n s u r i n tgh a tt h e e n d so f t h e s t i l e sa r ef l u s hw i t ht h e e d g e so f

therails.Usewoodpadsto protect
thestock.Assoonasthe
clamps
aretight,checktheassembly
forsquare
bymeasuring
thesashfromcorner
to corner
in bothdirections.
Thetwodiagpressure
onalsshouldbeequal.lf not,readjust
theclamping
slightly
untilthesashis square.

INSTALLING
THEGLASS
ANDGLASS-STOP
M()LDING
molding
1 Makingglass-stop
I G l a s s - s t ompo l d i n gw i l l h o l dt h e g l a s s
a g a i n stth e r a b b e t si n t h e w i n d o ws a s h .
T o p r e p a r et h e m o l d i n gw i t h a r o u t e r ,
i n s t a lal d e c o r a t i vme o l d i n gb i t i n t h e t o o l
a n dm o u n ti t i n a t a b l e .S h a p eb o t he d g e s
o f a w i d eb o a r dl o n ge n o u g h
t o y i e l da l l
y o uw i l l n e e d t, h e nr i p t h e
themolding
m o l d i n gs t r i p sf r o mt h e s t o c k .U s et h r e e
f e a t h e r b o a r dt os s u p p o rt h e w o r k p i e c e
d u r i n gt h e c u t : t w oc l a m p e dt o t h e f e n c e
o n e r t h esr i d eo f t h e b i t a n do n ec l a m p e d
to the table.Feedthe boardintothe cutter
w h i l ek e e p i nigt f l u s ha g a i n stth e f e n c e :
f i n i s ht h e p a s sw i t ha p u s hs t i c k .R e p e a t
to shapethe other edge(left).Cut the
m o l d i no
g f f t h e b o a r do n t h e t a b l es a w ,
t h e n s a w r t t o l e n g t hm
, a k i n g4 5 ' m i t e r
c u t sa t t h e e n d o f e a c ho i e c e .

79

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WINDOWS

r) Installing
theglassandthemolding
I
S e tt h e s a s ha n d s l a s so n a w o r k
s u r f a c et ,h e np l a c et h e m o l d i n gi n p o s i t i o n . B o r ea p i l o th o l ee v e r y6 i n c h e s ,
n a i l i n t oe a c hh o l e ,
i n s e r at f i n i s h i n g
a n d d r i v ei t h o m e .T o u s ea b r a dd r i v e r ,
as shownabove,adjustthe jawsagainst
t h e s a s ha n dt h e n a i l ,t h e nt r g h t e nt h e
l o c k i n gn u t . H o l d i n gt h e s a s hs t e a d y ,
soueeze
the iawsto setthe nail.

lil ili llljil, dlllilli|Jililtllilriillilill lli iliil;ildlitlj ib

5HO7Tt?
lnotallingthemoldingwibha hammer
moldinqin
lf you are uoinqa hammerLo nailqlaee-eNop
place,prolec|the qlaooby placin4a pieceof cardboard
on it ae youdriveeachnail,as shownhere.

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A GLAZINGBARHALF-LAPTOINT
' '
Tlrcglnzingbar half-tnpjoint showrrat right fornrs a stronger
joint for corutectingthe nuillion and
bortdthnn the cope-and-stick
rnedianrail of a divided window snsh.Thepieces,calledglazingbars,are
.ioinedby ntiteredhalf-laps.Rabbetsare cut along the backedgesof the
barsto nccontmodntethe glassand glass-stop
ntolding.The endsof
joints.
the bnrsarejoined to the roils and stileswith cope-and-stick

MAKING
A GTAZING
BARHALF-LAP
J()INT

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Moldingtheglazingbars
I T h e l o r n ti s m a d ei n t h r e es t a g e sS: t a r tb y c u t t i n gt h e
propep
r r o f i l ei n t ot h e g l a z i n gb a r s ,a s s h o w na b o v en; e x t ,c u t
r a b b e t si n t ot h e o p p o s i t e
s i d eo f t h e b a r st o h o l dt h e g l a s sa n d
m o l d i n gs t r i p s( s t e p2 ) ; f i n a l l y ,p r o d u c et h e m i t e r e dh a l f - l a p
( s t e p s3 t o 5 ) . F o rt h e f i r s t s t a g e ,i n s t a l la p i l o t e dr o u n d - o v e r
b i t i n a r o u t e rm
, o u n t h e t o o l i n a t a b l e .a n d a l i g nt h e f e n c e
w i t h t h e b i t ' sp i l o tb e a r i n gT. h es t o c ks h o u l db e w i d ee n o u g h
s o t h a t m a k i n ga p a s so n e a c hs i d eo f t h e b a rw i l l l e a v ea % i n c h - w i dlei p b e t w e etnh e c u t s .S u p p o rtth e w o r k p i e cdeu r i n g

t h e o p e r a t i ow
n i t ht h r e ef e a t h e r b o a r dCsl:a m po n et o t h e t a b l e
opoosite
t h e b i t a n d t w o t o t h e f e n c eo n e a c hs i d eo f t h e c u t t e r .( l n t h e i l l u s t r a t i o n
r dn t h e o u t f e e ds i d eo f
t h, e f e a t h e r b o a o
t h e f e n c eh a sb e e nr e m o v e fdo r c l a r i t y . F
) e e dt h e b a r i n t ot h e
b i t u n t i ly o u rf i n g e r sa p p r o a c thh e c u t t e r ,t h e n u s et h e n e x t
p i e c ea s a p u s hs t i c ko r m o v et o t h e o t h e rs i d eo f t h e t a b l e
a n d p u l l t h e w o r k p i e cteh r o u g ht h e c u t . R e p e atth e p a s so n
t h e o t h e rs i d eo f t h e b a r ( a b o v e )P. r e p a r a
e n e x t r ab a rt o h e l p
s e t u o t h e c u t i n s t e o3 .

81

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WINDOWS

r) Cutting
rabbets
fortheglasspanes
widerthanthe
I lnstalla dadoheadonyourtablesawslightly
rabbets
arecut
remaining
afterthe
rabbets.
Thetongue
desired
fence
a wooden
auxiliary
at least
%inch.Install
should
measure
of the
thickness
depthon it-the combined
andmarktherabbet
glass
fence
theauxiliary overthe
strip,Position
andthemolding
thatthemetalfenceis clearof thecutters.
dadohead,ensuring
crankupthedadoheaduntilit forms
Turnonthesawandslowly
Iine.Turnoffthesawandmarkthe
a reliefcutto themarked
bar.Butt
endof theglazing
widthof therabbets
ontheleading
theouterbladeof thedadohead,then
oneof themarksagainst
position
thebar.Usethreefeatherboards
thefenceflushagainst
boardto
a support
theworkpiece
asin step1, adding
to support
provide
clamped
to thetable.
forthefeatherboard
extrapressure
(Again
sideof
ontheoutfeed
in thisillustration,
thefeatherboard
Feedthebarsbyhand
forclarity.)
thefencehasbeenremoved
(left)unlilyourfingers
thenusethe
approach
thefeatherboards,
Complete
thecutonthefinal
nextworkpiece
to finishthepass.
it fromtheoutfeed
stdeof thetable.
workpiece
bypulling

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Making
themitercuts
Adiust
a crosscut
blade.
Remove
thedadoheadandinstall
to the
extension
thebladeangleto 45" andattacha wooden
bar
holdtheextraglazing
Tosetthebladeheight,
mitergauge.
youcut in step2 is flushagainst
onthesawtablesothetongue
thelowshould
belevelwith
Thetopof theblade
theextension.
thebladeheight
ersideof thelip.Makea testcutandadjust
Thenmarkthe
the lip (inset).
untrlthecuttingedgejustscores
the
mitercutson bothsidesof thebars;at theirwidestpoints,

Vsshould
bethesamewidthasthestock.Tomakethecut,hold
and
themitergaugeextension
of thebarflatagainst
thetongue
withtheblade.
Butta stopblockagainst
alignoneof themarks
forsubsequent
theendof thestockandclampit to theextension
to theextension
andfeedtheglazing
cuts.Clamptheworkpiece
the
it firmlyin place.Rotate
barintothebladewhileholding
pieceandmakethesamecutontheothersideof theV. Repeat
sideof thebar(above).
theprocess
to cuttheV ontheopposite

82

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WINDOWS

rl
t

Cleaning
uptheV-cuts
0 n c ea l l t h em i t e rc u t sh a v eb e e n
made,usea narrow
chiselto pareaway
thewaste.
Thewidthof thechannel
at the
bottom
of theV shouldequalthewidthof
thelip.Holding
thechiselbevelsideup,
pareawaythewaste(left)untilthe bottom
of theV issmooth
andflat.Workcarefullv
to avoidtearout.

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thehalf-laps
f, Gutting
dadoheadin yourtablesawandadjustit to
r,l Reinstallthe
thewidthofthebar'slip.Setthecuttingheight
to one-half
the
stockthickness.
Youwillbecuttinga half-lap
in thebottom
of
oneglazing
bar,thenmaking
an identical
cut in thetopof the

piece.
mating
Setupthecutbyaligning
themiddle
of theV-cut
withthedadohead,
whileholding
thebarflushagainst
themiter
gauge
extension.
Keeptheworkpiece
flatonthesawtableand
(above).
flushagainst
theexiension
asyoucutthehalf-laps

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l

-1

{,

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DOORS
properdoor,like a proper
most
chair,maygounnoticed

environmentof an interior door

is lessharsh,a lifetimeof usestill
demandscarein construction.
of the time. It will swingeasily,
Oncea door is selected
or built,
closewith a satisfyingthud, and
it still must be hung. In many
restsquarelyin its opening.Its sryle
ways,hanginga door is the most
and weightwill complementits
demanding
choreof thefinishcarBut like a smiling
surroundings.
penter.Techniques
varywidely,but
face,a well-built,well-hung,and
several
thejob typicallycomprises
well-frameddoor meetsfriends
distinctsteps,eachof which must
and strangerswith an unspoken,
betackledwith carefulattentionto
welcome.
but warm-hearted
detail.Normally,a carpenterwill
For all its workadaynature,a
frame the rough openingfor a
A length of head casingisfixed over a door
door and its surroundingsareno
door,whichshouldequalthewidth
and setagainsta rosettecorner block.Framing
simplethings.Thedoor,frame,and
of the door plusthe thicknessof
a door with decorativemolding servesan
trim mustbe both sturdyand decthe sidefambsand an additional
imDortantestheticfunction in a room.
orative.This chapterrevealsthe
1-inch spacefor shimsthat are
anatomyof a door and showsjust
a fewof themanysrylesin use.Startingon page90,youwill see usedto plumb and straightenthe jambs.Door jambs(page
doorjambsshould
95)aremadefrom %-inchstock;exterior
how to build one of the most elegantand populardesigns,a
task,but
be l- to l%-inchthick.Oncethejamb is plumb andlevelin
frame-and-panel
door.Buildinga dooris a challenging
the opening,it is nailedin place.Next,the door is installed
the result-a door that is uniquelysuitedto its settings-is
with butt hingesmortisedinto the door edgeand the hinge
one of woodworking'smostgratifring accomplishments.
Doors,of course,serveboth interiorand exterioruses. jamb (page100).Forveryhearydoors,thehingesarescrewed
through the jamb into a wall framing membercalledthe
Exteriordoorshavegreatstructuraldemandsplacedupon
trimmer stud.Finally,the casing,or door trim, is installed
in heatand humidity insideand outthem;the differences
sidealonerequirethat an exteriordoor be built of heavier (page112)to concealthe roughopeningandact asa gusset,
tyingthejambto thetrimmer.Eachphaseof thedoor-hangmaterialthanan interiordoor,that its designbe suitedto its
is shownin detailin this chapter.
ing process
use,and that thejoinerybe of thehighestquality.Whilethe

A leafof a brassbutt hingeisfastenedto theedge

door.Oncetheotherhalfis
of aframe-and-panel
screwed
to thedoorjamb, thedoorcanbehung.
A pin will holdthehingeleavestogether.

ANATOMYOFADOOR

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f) oorscanbe broadlydividedinto
LJ nvo groups:exteriorand interior.
While their stylesmay be similar,the
constructiondiffers.Exteriordoorsare
tlpically 1%inchesthick and B0inches
high,althoughin olderhomesdoorsare
often 82 to 84 incheshigh. The width
varieswith location.Frontdoorsareusually36incheswide.Backdoorsandother entry doorscanbe asnarrowas32
inches.Interiordoorsrangefrom 24 to
36incheswideandaretlpically 80incheshigh andl% inchesthick.
Most doorsin North Americaare
eitherframe-and-panel,
solid-core,or
hollow-core.In frame-and-panel
doors,
a frameworkof stiles,rails,andmullions
supportssolidwoodpanelsthatfloatin
groovesmilledin the insideedgesof the
joints
framework.Mortise-and-tenon
are commonlyusedto assemble
the
joints are
framework.Cope-and-stick
anotheroption,but theymustbe reinforcedwith splinesto withstandstress.

Solid-coredoorsconsistof a plvwood
veneergluedovera particleboirdcore.
Hollow-coredoorshavea lightweight
interior,usuallycardboard.As shown
on page87,therearemanydoorstylesto
choosefrom.
Hanginga door involvesbuilding
and installinga jamb to fit the rough
opening.Roughopeningsaretlpically
framedby king studson eachsidewith

Kinq
stud

Mitered
casing
Cornera
joined with
miterjointa

tsutted caaing
)ide caeinq
butta aqainat
head piece

"comSimple
orcomplex,
thecasing
visually
pletes"a door,covering
gapsbetween
the
jambandthewall.lt alsoblocks
drafts
and
protects
theroughopening
andjambfrom
damage.
Threecommon
designs
areshown
above.
Asa rule,molded
casingshouldbe
joinedat thecorners
withmitersor butted
plinthblocks.Flatcasing
against
canbe
joinedwitheitherbuttor miterjoints.

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Head
jamb

Hinge

TRIM
STYTES
Eloaked corner
Caaingpiecea
butt aqainet
corner blocka

Cripple
eLud

a trimmer studattachedinsidethe king

studs.A headerrestson the trimmers
and constitutes
the top of the rough
opening.Whenyou build your jamb,
allow Z inch of clearance
betweenthe
jamb and the headerand trimmersto
allowfor shimming.Theanatomybelow
showsa typicalroughdoor openingand
a door with the jamb,and the casing
installedon oneside.

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Trimmer
eLud

Hinge
JamD

thima

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DOORS

DOOR
STYLES
=z^=

:-/_==:

Frenah
)uitable for indoorand outdoor uae

9olid-core
9uitable for indoorand outdoor

Frame-and-panel
Suitablefor indooraid outdoor uae

o o

-ii----.o

oo

ll[
Olasa-a nd- wood-pa neled
Onlvauttablefor outdoor uae

o
oo

Victorian screen
Onlvauitablefor outdoor uae

o
o

o
o

o
o

Board-and-batten
Suttablefor tndoorand outdoor uae

TOOLSANDDOORHARDWARE

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Rosette cutter
Usedin conjunction
with a drill preee to cut
roaettee: availablewith a
wideselection of cuttera
to create variouapatterna
Port'able
eleatric planer Foweredby a 3- to
lO-amp motor, rotary
cuttei turns at 12,OOOto
23,OOOrpm to planeeurfacea:
can be aei to cit bevelafrom 15"in
one direction to 40'in the other

Doorjamb jig
Uaedfor inatallinadoor
jamba. )toak ia faatened
to vertical leaeand adiuatable
head rail of ji1; ji7 ia then inaerted in
rou1hdoor openin7and tacked to walla

Lock-face template
Adjuotable template used for routin4 lock mor1iaea;automatically
oelf-centerinq,the ji7 comeawith
a tem/ate quidefor a router

Butt gauge
A metal template
struck with a hammer
or mallet to acore hinqe
outlinea;availablein vanoua
aizea for atandard hinaea
Hinge-mortiaing jig
Adjuatable templatejiq clampe
to doors and doorjambe to

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Hingemoriiaing eyetem
Adjuatable templatee
and raila used for routinq
door hin4emortiaee:adjueto
for two- or three-hinqeoetupe
and for 3-by-5 to 4-by-4 hinqea

Plumb bob
Fear-ahapedwei4ht
euapendedon a cord to
checkwhethera framing
memberia perfectly vertical, or plumb

Adjuatable vettiaal viee

5prin4-loadedjawe hold
doora edae-upfor mortiainq or planin1;may be
uaed freeatandin4 or
attached to floor or
bench.Holdeup to
2-inch-thickatock

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DOORS

t
Entry
Ioakeet
Featurea
bellhandlea and
a Keyea
entry lock

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Flair
handle

9pring-activated door etop

Uaed to prevenLscreen doora from
opentnaLoofar: brackeLsare ecrewed
l.o door and door caoin7

Door entry handle

Two-piece
door enLry
aet: eeparate lock cytinder provtdeeadditional
eecurtLy.Availablein a
widerangeof atylee

Privaay
lockaet
Orbit-etyle
handlewith
privacylock

Glaee handles
Typicallyuaed wiLh
Frenchdooro

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La|ch ptaLeie ocrewedto door

jamb, allowinqdoor to be lockedahut

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Butt.hin6e
htn7el;yptcallyuaedfor hanqtn4sl,andarddoore:wetqhLta
Kectan7ularplain-bearinq
aupported by Lhe htnqe knucklea.Heavterdoore ehould be hunq on commercial ball-bearinq hinqee. Vartoue Ltp Lypea are available;ehown from left to ri4ht are ball, eteeple, button, and Lwo decoraLivedeet4ne. )ee pa4e 1OZfor a char| of aLandard htnge otzea.

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89

FRAME-AND -PANEL-D OORS

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A shaperis itrvoluable.for makingli"ame-and-paneldoors.

Fitted with cope-and-stick
cttter sets,it will preparethe stiles
"floating"
and rnilsfor assentbly,
ctrttinggrooveslbr the
panels
that lill theframe and carvinga decorotivemoldingalong the
insitleedgesof theJionte at the sametinte. Then,ecluipped
with n panel-raisingbit, the shapercanfornt bevelson the
ponel edges,asshown in thephoto at right. The largeshopnurdefeatherboardclantpedto theshaper's
fenceprotectsthe
userJront the cutter nnd holdsthepanelJlat on the table.
Step-by-step
instructionsfor building a six-panelFederalstyledoor nreprovided belowand on thefollowingpages.

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MAKING
A FRAME-AND-PANEL
D()()R

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M a k i n gc o p ec u t so nt h er a i l s
1
I As shownon page86, a six-panel
doorfeaturestwo stiles,a
top andbottomrail,twomedianrails,andthreemullions.
Cutyour
s t o c kt o s i z e ,t h e n i n s t a l a
l c o p i n gc u t t e rs e t a n dg u a r do n t h e
s h a p e rT. o f e e dt h e r a i l s b
, u i l dt h ec o p i n gj i g s h o w ni n t h e j n s e t .
jig
The consistsof a plywoodbase,a miterbarscrewedto the
underside
of the base,a 2-by-4supportboardfastened
flushwith
the backedgeof the base,and a plywoodbackupboardscrewed
t o t h e s u p p o rbt o a r dT. o p r e v e nt te a r o uot n t h e r a i l s t, h e b a c k u p
boardshouldsupporttheworkpiece
forthefull widthof cut.Screw

I
two toggleclampsto the supportboard.Next,markthe tongue
l o c a t i o on n o n eo f t h e r a i l s c, e n t e r eodn t h e e d g eo f t h e b o a r d .
P o s i t i otnh e j i g o n t h e s h a p etra b l e s, e tt h e o n eo f t h e r a i l so n
t h e j i g a n da d j u s t h e c u t t e rh e i g htto a l i g nt h e c u t t e rw i t ht h e
t o n g u em a r k .T h e nc l a m pt h e r a i lt o t h e 1 i g a
, l i g n i n tgh e b o a r d
e n dw i t ht h e e n do f t h e b a c k u pb o a r ds o t h e c u t t e rw i l l s h a p e
t h e e n t i r ee d g e N
. o wm a k et h e c u t , p u s h i n g
t h e j i g a c r o s tsh e
table.Repeatthe cut on the otherend of the rail (above),
then
m a k et h e c u t so n b o t he n d so f t h e r e m a i n i nrea i l sa n dm u l l i o n s .

90

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DOORS

r) Adjusting
thestickcutter
L O n c ea l l t h e c o p ec u t sa r em a d e ,
replace
the copecutterwiththe matching
s t i c kc u t t e rs e t .T h i ss e t u pw i l ls h a p et h e
^^r -^;r^
p d o p s n f i h p c , t i l p q , .m. r. -r l. l.;t^u^|^) , o
ilu Ic|)

Hei7htadjuotment wheel

w i t ha d e c o r a t i pv reoifl ew h i l ec u t t i n g
grooves
thetongues
and
to accommodate
panels.
Tosetthecutting
herght,
buttthe
endof oneof thecopedrailsagainst
the
stickcutter,
thenadjust
theheight
of the
spindle
sothegroove
cutteris levelwith
thetongue
ontherail(/eff).

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Makingthe stickcuts
Q
r../ Adjustthe fenceto shapethe entireedgeof the stock.Also
i n s t a lcl o m m e r c i aolr s h o p - m a dheo l d - d o w nosn t h e f e n c ea n d
s h a p etra b l et o s e c u r et h e s t o c kt h r o u g ht h e c u t sa n d p r e v e n t

k i c k b a c kS.h a p eb o t he d g e so f t h e m e d i a nr a i l sa n d m u l l i o n s ,
feedingthe stockacrossthe tablewith both hands(above),but
shapeonlythe insideedgesof the stilesandtop andbottomrails.

t
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Routing
mortises
inthestilesandrails
Reinforce
thejointsbetween
thestilesandrailswithsplines.
Todetermine
theirlocations,
test-assemble
thestrles
andrails
andmarkthecenterof thejointsbetween
them.Takethe
assembly
apartandsecure
a stileedge-up
ona worksurface.
guide
Usea routerfittedwitha mortising
bit anda template
to cutmortises
forthesplines.
Toguidethetool,buildthejig
shownabove,
madefroma pieceof %-inchplywood
witha slot
in the middleandtwo2-by-4jawsscrewed
to the bottomof
thetemolate
to straddle
thestile.Theslotshouldbethesize

youwishto cut plusthediameter

of thegroove
of thetemplate
guideyouwillattachto therouter.
Clampthejig to thestile,
thensetthecuttingdepthto cuta 1%-inch-deep
mortise
in the
stile.Turnontherouterandmakethecut,guiding
thetemplateguidealongthe insrdeedgesof thejig slot(above,
left).
Repeat
thecutat theotherendof thestile,at bothendsof the
otherstile,andat thecenter
of median
rails.Next,secure
the
railsendup androutgrooves
in theirendsthesameway
(above,right).

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thejoint
f, Test-fitting
r.,f Onceall thegrooves
arecut,make
splines
thatf it themortises
andareshorterthanthecombined
depthof twomortises.Thegrainof thesplines
runin
should
thesamedirection
astherails.Testfit one
glue-up(righil.fhe
of thejointsbefore
jointshould
fit together
smoothly
without
b i n d i n gl f. t h ef i t i s t o ot i g h t ,t r i mt h e
splineandtest-fit
thejointagain.
Finally,
makereference
markson alltherailsand
stilesto helpyouassemble
themproperly
(page94).
duringglue-up

92

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DOORS

Raising
thepanels
Tohelpyousizethepanels,
assemble
t h ed o o rs t i l e sm
, ulliona
s ,n dr a i l sa n d
measure
theopenings.
Add%inchto each
d i m e n s i ot ona l l o wf o rt h e%i n c ha l o n g
theedgeof thepanel
thatwillfit intothe
grooves.
Cutthepanels
to size;yourstock
should
benothicker
thanthestockused
forthestilesandrails.lnstalla oanel-raisi n gb i ta n dm a t c h i nrgu bb e a r i ni gn t h e
shaper,
andadjustthefenceevenwiththe
rubbearing.
Thenadjust
thecutterheight
willpensotheraised
edges
of thepanels
etratethegrooves
by %inchwhenthe
panelis cuton bothsides.
Clamp
a wide
featherboard
to theshaper
fenceto shield
youfromthecutterandholdthepanelflat
. e e de a c hp a n e l
o n t h es h a p etra b l e F
f a c e - u ipn t ot h ec u t t e ru, s i n gy o u rl e f t
handto keeptheworkpiece
flushagainst
shape
thefence(righil.fo prevent
tearout,
, n dt h e nt h es i d e s .
t h ep a n eel n d sf i r s t a
O n c eo n es i d eo f t h e p a n ehl a sb e e n
shaped,
turn it end-for-end
andrepeat
on
theotheredge.
Thenturnthepanelover
andreoeat
theseries
of cuts.

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thefit ofthepanels
I Testing
/ Onceyouhaveshaped
thefirstpanel,
fit it intooneof thegrooves
in a stile(/eff,).
Thepieces
fit together
should
snugly,
with
thepanelextending
%inchintothegroove.
lf not,adjustthecuttingheight,
repeat
thecutsandtestthefit again.
Onceyou
aresatisfied
withthefit, raisetheremainingpanels.

93

DOORS

Assembling
thedoor
Layoutallthepieces
of thedoorclose
thedoor
at handsothatyoucanassemble
quickly
to set.Start
before
thegluebegins
a stileedge-up
building
thedoorbysetting
in
onthefloor.Applygluein themortises
railsaswellason
thestileanditsadjoining
Donotspread
anygluein the
thesplines.
panel
grooves.
in thestile
Insert
thesplines
mortises
andfit therailsin place.
Usethe
reference
marksyoumadeearlier
to help
youassemble
properly,
thepieces
Tapthe
witha malletto
topendsof therailslightly
between
closethejoints.Now,seatpanels
andrails.Continue
in thisfashthestiles
grooves
i o n ,a p p l y i nggl u ei n t h es p l i n e
andonthesplines
andfittingthepieces
in place(left)until
thedooris assembled.

Clamping
thedoor
Layfourbarclamps
onthefloor,one
foreachrail.Caref
ullylaytheassembled
sothebarsoftheclamps
doorontheclamps
your
withtherails.To protect
arealigned
stock,placewoodpadsthe lengthof the
doorbetween
theclampjawsandthedoor
justenough
Tighten
to
edges.
theclamps
Thenclampthedoorfrom
closethejoints.
lf youdo
topto bottom
along
themullions.
to span
nothavea clampthatis longenough
positioning
them
thedoor,usetwoclamps,
eachother
contact
sothattheirtailstops
nearthe middleof the door.Useshorter
woodpadsto protectthe doorfromthese
threemoreclamps
across
clampjaws.Install
thebars
thetopfaceof thedoor,aligning
rail.Finish
withthetop,bottom,
andmiddle
untilgluesqueezes
tightening
alltheclamps
outof the joinlstight).Thenusea trysquare
of thedoorare
to checkthatthecorners
s q u a r ea;d l u stth ec l a m p i npgr e s s u rief ,
necessary.
Oncethegluehasdried,usea
paintscraper
anyremaining
adheto remove
sive.Whenthegluehascured,sandand
finishthedoor.

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DOORIAMBS
If you will be hangingseveraldoors,a
commercialdoorjamb jig couldprove
to be a worthwhileptn'chase.Itsframework of ntetal legsand rails will keepa
jantb squareond hold it in positionin the
rough openingwhile you setit leveland
plumb, and fastenit to the trimmer stud.

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MAKING
ANDINSTALLING
A DO()R
JAMB
'l

B u i l d i ntgh ei a m b
I S e l e c st t r a i g h t - g r a i n Z
e -di n c h - t h i c k
s t o c kf o r y o u rj a m b .R i pt h e s t o c ka s w i d e
a s t h e t h i c k n e sosf t h e w a l l ,t h e nc u t t h e
s i d ea n d h e a dj a m b st o l e n g t h M
. a k et h e
s i d ej a m b ss l i g h t l yl o n g etrh a nt h e h e i g h t
of the doorso theyextendroughlyfromthe
f l o o rt o t h e h e a d e rT. r i mt h e h e a dj a m bt o
t h e w i d t ho f t h e d o o ro l u s% ' i n c ht o a l l o w
%zinch of clearance
on the door'slatch
s i d ea n d X ui n c ho n i t s h i n g ee d g e .l f y o u
w i l l u s ed a d oj o i n t st o j o i nt h e h e a da n d
s i d ej a m b s ,a s s h o w na t l e f t ,a d d t h e
d e p t ho f t h e d a d o e st o t h e l e n g t ho f t h e
h e a dj a m b .O n c ey o uh a v ec u t t h e d a d o e s ,
f i t t h e e n do f t h e h e a dj a m b i n t oo n eo f
t h e s i d ej a m b sa n d s c r e wt h e p i e c e s
t o g e t h e rR. e p e afto r t h e o t h e rs i d ej a m b .
F i n a l l yc, u t a s p a c e ro, r s p r e a d e tr o, t h e
w i d t ho f t h e j a m b ' so p e n i n gT.h i sb o a r d
w i l l b e s e to n t h e f l o o rb e t w e e n
theside
l a m b st o k e e pt h e a s s e m b lsyq u a r ea s i t r s
b e i n si n s t a l l e d .

DOORS

r) Setting
thejamb
I tacXabracing
board
diagonally
across
of thedooropening
to
eachtopcorner
keeptheedges
of thejambflushwiththe
walls.Position
thejambin theopening,
buttingit against
thebraces,
andplace
thespreader
onthefloorbetween
theside
jambs.Tapshimsbetween
thesidejambs
at bothendsof the headjambto center
theassembly
in theopening;
insert
the
shimsin pairsfromopposite
sidesof the
jamb.(Shims
aretapered
wedges
of wood
soldin smallbundles
at
thatareusually
hardware
andlumberyards.)
Then
stores
levelto checkthe head
usea carpenter's
jambforlevel(left)and
shifttheassembly
In the process,
one
slightlyif necessary.
of thesidejambsmayberaised
offthe
floor.lf so,measure
thegapandtrimthe
opposite
sidejambbythesameamount.
Reposition
thejambin theopening,
centeringandleveling
it again.
Bothsidejambs
willnowbeonthefloor.Nailthejambto
opening
through
theshimsinto
therough
thetrimmer
studs.
Setthenailheads.

forplumb
Q Checking
thesidejambs
r,l Tapshimsbetween
andthewallat bothendsof thesoreader.
Tosetup
Thencheckthejambforplumb.
t h ep l u m bb o b ,m a r kt h ec e n t eor f t h e
your
headjambat oneedge,thentransfer
markto thespreader.
Tacka smallf inishingnailintotheedgeof theheadjambso
t h e p l u m bb o bc o r dw i l l h a n gd i r e c t l y
thebob
below
thecentermark.Susoend
fromthenailsothepointof thebobhangs
justabovethe spreader.
Taptheshims
in or outto alignthe
beside
thespreader
underthebob.Drive
centermarkdirectly
f i n i s h i nnga i l st h r o u g thh es i d ej a m b s
andthe shimsto secure
thesidejambs
at thebottomof theopening.

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DOORS

Squaring
thesidejambs
lnsertthreeadditional
oairsof shims
behind
eachsidejamb,positioning
them
at thehingeandlockstrikeplatelocations.
Theshimsshouldbewedged
in tightly.
Although
thesidejambsareplumb,
they
fromtopto bottom.
maybeslightly
bowed
press
Toensure
thejambsarestraight,
a
straightedge
against
thejambto f lattenit
asyounailthrough
theshims(right).ln
thiscase,straight
1-by-4stockis used;a
levelwill also
6-foot-long
carpenter's
workfine.

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theshims
f, Trimming
r-,10nceyouhaveshimmed
thejamb,
cuttheshimsoffflushwiththewallusing
a utilityknife.Holdtheendof theshim
(left)unlil
andsliceacrossit repeatedly
thewastepiececanbebroken
offeasily.

97

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DOORS

D(l(lRSTOPS
INSTALLING
outthedoorstops
1 Laying
I Doorstoos
canbeinstalled
afterthedoor
is in placeor,asshownat left,oncethe
j a m bi s i n s t a l l e M
e rt h e
d .a r ka g u i d e l i nf o
witha combination
square
anda
doorstops
pencil.
Adjustthecombination
square
to the
thickness
of thedoorandbuttthehandle
against
thedoor-opening
edgeof the latch
jamb.Starting
at thetopof thejamb,hold
thepencilagainst
theendof therulerand
runthesquare
downthejambto markthe
line(left).Before
marking
the hingejamb,
inchto allowclearance
forthehinges
?dd'Aa
andprevent
thedoorfrombinding
whenit
is closed.

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r') Preparing
thedoorstops
I Youcanuseeitherflatormolded
stock
Thepieces
forthedoorstops.
canbejoined
at thecorners
withbuttjoints,miters,or
flatstockis
copedjoints.Inthisexample,
beingjoinedwithmiterjointscutona chop
saw;youcanalsousea miterboxandcut
Adjustthesaw
the pieces
witha handsaw.
fora 45"cutandbuttthefirstpieceagainst
thefence.Clampa guideboard
to thesaw
the
stock
flush
against
the
tableto secure
fenceandmakethe cut (right).Miterboth
doorstop
andthe
endsof the head-jamb
lf you
topendof theside-jamb
doorstops.
molded
make
areusing
stock,
surethe
flatedgewill buttagainst
thedoorwhen
it is closed.

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98

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DOORS

Installing
the head-jamb
doorstop
Q
r-,f Onceall the doorstops
arecut, install
themon the jamb.Startwiththe head-jamb
doorstop.
Alignthe edgeof the piecewith
t h e l i n e sm a r k e do n t h e s i d ej a m b sa n d
tack it in placewith f inishingnails(right).
M a k es u r et h e m i t e r e de n d sa r ef a c i n g
d o w n .D o n o t d r i v et h e n a i l sf l u s h ,a sy o u
mayhaveto reposition
the doorstops
once
t h e d o o ri s i n s t a l l e dT.h eh e a d - j a mpbi e c e
w i l l b e s l i g h t l ya s k e wb e c a u s o
ef the Xuinchoffsetbetweenthe two suidelines
on
t h e s i d el a m b s .

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Installing
thelock-jamb
doorstop
A l i g nt h e d o o r s t ow
p i t ht h e g u i d e l i n e

onthejamb,buttits mitered
endagainst
t h ee n do f t h eh e a d - j a mdbo o r s t oapn d
tackthepiecein place(left).Makesure
themiterjointistight.Donotinstall
the
hinge-jam
s tbo pu n t i yl o uh a v ec u t m o r t i s e sf o rt h eh i n g easn dh u n gt h ed o o r
(page100).

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99

HANGINGADOOR
A chiselparesaway the wastefrom
a hinge mortisein a doorjamb.
By usinga chiselthat is the same
width as the mortise,you can tap
the chiselwith a mallet to score
a seriesof cutsacrosslhe morlise
and around its outline. Thenpush
the chiselbevel-sideup to shear
off the wastewood and clean up
the bottom of the cavity.

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()NTHEJAMBBYHAND
CUTTING
THEHINGEMORTISES
Chiseling
outthehingemortises
Therearenof irmrulesfor locating
door
hinges,
buton an 80-inchinterior
door,
positioned
theyaretypically
7 inches
from
thetopand11 inches
fromthebottom
ofthe
door.lf youchoose
to usea thirdhinge,
locateit midway
between
theothertwo.
M a r kt h el o c a t i oonf t h eh i n g eosnt h e
j a m b a, l l o w i nf g
hinge
o r% i n c ho f c l e a r ancebetween
thedoorandtheheadjamb.
Youcanusea routeranda shoo-made
t e m p l a tj ei g t o c u tt h eh i n g em o r t i s e s
(pagel0l), or a commercial
hingemortisingsystem(page102).Todothejob by
hand,youcanusea buttgauge
to score
thehingemortise
outlines
onthejamb.
Aligning
thegauge
stopssetsthedevice
a u t o m a t i c ai n
l l yp l a c ed i r e c t loyv e trh e
bottomhingemark.Nowstrikeitsface
w i t ha h a m m e rR. e o e at o
t outline
the
remaining
mortises
onthejamb.Thenuse
a chiselto cutthemortise,
asshownin
thephotoabove.

100

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DOORS

()NTHEJAMB
THEHINGE
MORTISES
ROUTING
I
jig
a router
template
1 Making
I Toroutouthinsemortises
on a door
jamb,usethetemplate
jig shownat left
w i t hy o u rr o u t e ra, s t r a i g hbt i t ,a n da
guide.Makethejig fromtwo
template
pieces
plywood;
of %-inch
thetemplate
shouldbewideenough
to support
the
router.
Outline
thehingeleafonthetemplateandcut it out,compensating
forthe
guideandadding
template
thethickness
of thefence.Fasten
thefenceto thetem'
plate,countersinking
thescrews.

ROUTER
TEMPTATE
JIG

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r') Routing
themortises
I
ltlarV,the
hingelocations
onthedoor
jamb(page100)andclampthejig to the
jamb,aligning
withoneof the
thecutout
marks.Buttthejig fenceagainst
thedooro p e n i negd g eo f t h ej a m b .A d j u stth e
router's
deothof cut to the combined
thickness
of thetemplate
andthehinge
leaf.Thenturnontherouter
and,holding
it firmlyin bothhands,
cutthemortise,
keeping
thebaseplateflatonthejig and
guideflushagainst
theedges
thetemplate
of thecutout(righil.Movetherouterin
smallclockwise
circlesuntilthebottomof
is smooth.
Reposition
thejig
themortise
mortise
thesameway.
androutthesecond
youareusingarerectangular,
lf thehinges
witha
square
thecorners
of themortises
chisel;
forhinges
withradiused
corners,
themortises
canbeleftrounded.

101

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ROUTING
HINGEMORTISES
ONA DOOR
Routing
themortises
Hingemortises
on a doorcanbecut by
hand(page100),or routedwiththeaid a
shop-made
lig(page101)ora commercial
mortising
system,
suchastheoneshown
at left.Thesystem
canalsobeusedto rout
themortises
onthedoorjamb.Although
thedoorshown
willbehungwithonlytwo
hinges,
thejig features
threeadjustable
mortise
templates
connected
withmetal
r a i l sI.n t h i si n s t a n cteh,ec e n t ehr i n g e
template
isonlybeing
usedto holdthejig
together.
Assemble
thejig following
the
manufacturer's
instructions,
thensecure
thedooredge-up
witha pairof vertical
visesor shop-made
doorbucks(page104).
Markthehingemortises
onthedooredge
andsetupthejig,aligning
thetemplates
overyourmarks.
Adjustthesizeof the
templates
foryourhinges,
making
sureto
guideyouwill
compensate
forthetemplate
usewithyourrouter.
Tackthejig in place
(inset).
withtheduplexnailsprovided
Install
a %-inch
straight
bitanda template
guidein therouter,
turnit on,andcuteach
m o r t i sbeyr u n n i ntgh eg u i d ea l o n g
the
(left).Square
insideedges
of thetemplates
thecorners
of themortises
witha chisel.

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To makesurea door
opensand closes
free\,
w i t h o u tb i n d i n go n
thejamb, its latch edge
shouldbe beveledslightly
toward the side that contactsthe doorstops.A
portableplaner,like the
oneshownin thephoto
at right, can be setto
the desiredbevelangle,
enablingyouto prepare
severaldoorsquickly.

r02

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DOORS

A D()OR
M(lUNTING

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pilot
1 Drilling holesforthehingescrews
I O n c ea l l t h em o r t i s easr ec u t i n t h e
j a m ba n dt h ed o o rp, o s i t i oena c hh i n g e
leafin place.Markthescrewholeswith
anawl.thenborea pilotholeat eachlocamakingsureyouholdthedrill
Iion(above),
asvertical
asoossible.

HINGE
STANDARD
SIZES
DOOR
THICKNESS
1%"- lYB"

Doorwidth

1%'1Tr"

Upto 32"
Morethan32"
32' - 36',
36'-48'
Morethan48"

Morethan1%"

Upto 43"
Morethan43"

Hingeheight
3Y2'- 4'
4 ' ,- 4 y 2 ' ,
5u
5" (Heavy-duty)
6u
5" (Heavy-duty)
6" (Heavyduty)

Thechartabove
will helpyouchoose
hinges
of appropriate
heightforyour
(the
correct
hingewidth
combined
widthof thetwo
door.Todetermine
gapbetween
leaves
andthepin),firstsubtract
thebackset-the
theedge
of thedoor,thenmultiof thehingeandthedoorface-fromthethickness
plytheresultbytwo.Thetypical
backset
is %inch.Thecalculation
fora
wouldbe:(I%' - y4')x 2 = 3". Hingesizes
1%-inch{hick
door,forexample,
in heightfirst,thenwidth.
areexpressed

103

DOORS

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DOOR
BUCKS
Doorbucksserveasan inexoensive
alternative
to commercial
vertical
visesfor securing
a dooron edgefor
p l a n i no
g r c u t t i n gh i n g em o r t i s e s .
Theoneshown
in theillustration
can
quicklyfromplywood
beassembled
provided
Thedimensions
scraps.
will
suitmostdoors.
To makethejig,startbycutting
plythejawsandfeetfrom%-inch
plywood,andthebasefrom%-inch
wood.Screwthefeetto the underside
of thebaseflushwithitsends.Then
f ix thejawsto the base,drivingthe
fromunderneath.
screws
Countersink
Besuretheedges
all yourfasteners.
of thejawsalign;leavea l%-inch
soacebetween
themsothebuckwill
holdanydoorof standard
thickness.
Doorbucksareusuallyusedin
pairsto securea dooredgeup.Set
thebucksonthefloora fewfeetapart,
thenslrdethedoorbetween
thejaws.
Thebase
willbuckle
slightly
under
the
weightof thedoor,pullingthejaws
together
to gripthedoorandholdit
in place(right,bottom).

%"xB"x19"

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DOORS

Mounting
thehingeleaves
Remove
thepinsfromthehinges
and
separate
the leaves.
Position
oneleafin
themortise
in thedooredgeandscrewit
in place(right).Besureto drivethescrew
headsf lushwiththe hingeleaf. Fasten
theotherleafto thejamb.Repeat
at the
remaining
mortises.

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Hanging
thedoor
Onceallthehinges
areinstalled,
it is
timeto hangthedoortemporarily.
Thiswill
youto checkitsfit andbevelthe
enable
dooredge,asshownin step5. Working
with
a helper,
if possible,
liftthedoorintopositionsothe hingeleaves
onthedoorand
jambengage.
lf youhaveto workalone,
holdthedoorupright
andslidea fewshims
underitsbottom
edge.Bracing
thedooron
jointhetophingeleaves
theshims,
together.Thenpivotthedoorto jointhebottom
hingeleaves.
Slipeachhingepinpartially
in place(left)Io lockthe leaves
together.

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105

DOORS

Markingthe
bevel
/
-T
Doors
require
typically
a 3' to 5" bevel on the latchedgeto closeproperly.
Standon the doorstoo
sideof the door
a n dp u l li t s h u t .l f t h ej a m bw a ss i z e d
properly,
thefrontedgeof thedoorwillhit
theedgeof thejamb,preventing
thedoor
fromclosing
fully.Tomarkthebevel,
hold
thedooragainst
thejambandusea pencilto scribe
a linedownthefaceof the
doorwhereit meetsthesideiamb(left).

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Beveling
thedooredge
f,
power
planer
r./ Youcanusea portable
to
bevelthe edgeof the door(page102),buI
willalsoworkwell,Remove
a lackplane
the
doorfromtheopening
andsecure
it latchedgeup.Transfer
the bevelmarkon the
faceof thedoorto theend.Then,starting
at oneend,guidetheplanealong
thedoor
edge(right),
walking
nextto thepieceuntil
youreach
theotherend.Holdthetoolat
thesameangleasthemarked
bevel
angle.
Continue
untilyouhave
cuttotheline,then
rehang
thedoor.Thedoorshould
contact
latch-jamb
the
stopwhenyoucloseit. Now
(page99),
installthe lock-jamb
doorstop
it
butting against
thedoorandtheheadjambstop.Check
thef inalf it of thedoor;
thereshouldbeslightgapsbetween
the
doorandthejamb.Youcanusethethicknessof a dimeanda nickelto measure
gaps.Pass
these
a dimealong
thelockjamb
to checkfortheX-inchmargin
between
the
hrnge
lambandthedoor.Usea nickelto
measure
therequired
%,-inch
spaceat the
topandalong
theotherside.lf necessary,
remove
thedooragainandplanedownany
where
spots
thegapis insuff
icient.

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LOCKSETS

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With the latch assemblyfastenedto the

edgeof the door, the doorknobsarefitted
in place.The knob coverplate will then
be screwedto the assemblvto comolete
the lo ckset installation.

A PRIVACY
INSTALLING
L()CKSET

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L'-/2
\-v

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thelockset
1 Positioning
I Locksets
usually
comewitha template
formarking
theholes
youwillneedto drillforthelatchassembly
anddoorknobs.
Start
theheight
of theknobs
bymarking
onthedoor-typically
36
inches
offthefloor.Thentapethetemplate
overyourmark.Use

pointonthefaceof thedoor(above,
anawlto markthedoorknob
leftl-eilher23/e
or 2%inchesfromthedooredge,depending
onthemodelof lockset-then
thecenterpoint
forthelatchassemright).
blyholeonthedooredge(above,

107

DOORS

r ) D r i l l i n tgh eh o l ef o rt h ed o o r k n o b s
L l n s t a lal h o l es a wi n y o u re l e c t r i cd r i l l ,
r e f e r r i n tgo t h e t e m p l a t ef o r t h e c o r r e c t
d i a m e t e rT. h e h o l es a ws h o w na t r i g h t
features
a centerpilotbit. Setthe pointof
t h e p i l o tb i t i n t h e a w l m a r ky o um a d ei n
s t e o1 . t h e nb o r ei n t ot h e d o o ru n t i lt h e
pilotbit emerges
fromthe otherside.Keep
a rt h e d o o rt h r o u g h t h e d r i l lp e r p e n d i c u tl o
o u t .N o wm o v et o t h e o t h e rs i d eo f t h e
d o o r ,i n s e rtth ec e n t e p
r i l o tb i t i n t h es m a l l
openingyoupiercedthroughthe door,and
c o m p l e tteh e h o l e .D r i l l i n tgh e h o l ei n t w o
s t e p sw i l la v o i ds p l i n t e r i nogf t h ew o o d .

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thelatchassembly
hole
J<' Boring

r . - f R e p l a c teh e h o l es a ww i t h a s p a d e
hit. eo:in

rpfpr tn thp tpmnletp

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fnr ihp

a p p r o p r i a tbei t d i a m e t e rS. e tt h e t i p o f
the bit in the awlmarkandborethe hole,
k e e p i n tgh e d r i l lp e r p e n d i c u tl a
o rt h e
dooredge(below).Fora narrowdoor,you
c a n c l a m pw o o db l o c k so n t h e f a c e so f
t h e d o o ro n e a c hs i d eo f t h e h o l et o p r e ventthe woodfromsplitting.
Stopdrilling
w h e ny o u r e a c ht h e h a n d l eh o l e .S o m e
l o c k s e trse q u i r et h i s h o l et o b e d r i l l e d
beyond
t h e e n d o f t h e d o o r k n ohbo l e
forclearance.

108

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thelatchassembly
faceplate
,{ 0utlining
-T
Slidethelatchplateassembly
intothe
h o l ey o ud r i l l e di n t h ee d g eo f t h ed o o r
a n ds e tt h ef a c e p l a tf el u s ha g a i n st h
te
dooredge.Holding
thefaceplate
square
to thedooredge,traceitsoutlinewitha
pencil(right).

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thelatchassembly
f, Installing
you
r.,f Usea chisel
to cuta shallow
mortise
withintheoutline
marked
in step4. Startbyscoring
theoutline
of themortise,
thenpareoutthewaste(/eff)toa depthequalto thethickness
of thelatchassembly
faceplate.
Using
thechisel
withthebevel
facingdownwillhelpyoucontrol
thedepthof themortise.
Stop
periodically
andtest-f
it thefaceplate
in themortise.
Continue
untilthefaceplate
sitsin themortise
flushwiththedooredge,
thenmarkthescrew
holes
withanawl.Drilla oilotholeat each
mark.Finally,
slidethelatchassembly
in theholeandscrew
the
faceplate
to thedooredge(above).

109

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DOORS

t
theheight
of
4i Marking
\J thelatchholeonthedoorjamb
to thedoor,firstfitFasten
thedoorknobs
asshown
tingthemto thelatchassembly,
on page107,thenscrewthemtogether
Close
thedoor
through
theircoverplates.
partially
against
the
sothelatchis resting
thehole
edgeof thelatchjamb.Outlining
for the latchon thelambis a two-step
Marktheheight
of theholefirst,
operation:
asshownat left,thenthewidth(step7).
U s ea p e n c itlo m a r kl i n e so nt h ej a m b
alongthetop andboitomof the latch
(left)anda combination
square
to transfer
themarks
across
thefaceof theiamb.

Latchjamb

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thewidthofthelatchhole
I Marking
tapeto determine
/ Usea measuring
of thelatchonthedooredge
thelocation
(righil.f ransferyourmeasurement
to the
j a m b ,m e a s u r i nf rgo mt h e l a t c h - j a m b
d o o r s t oaon dm a r kv e r t i c al il n e so n t h e
in
thoseyoumarked
lambthatintersect
of
step6. Thelineswillformtheoutline
hole.
thelatchclearance

t10

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DOORS

Cutting
thelatchclearance
hole
Youcan usean electricdrillfittedwith

a spadebitor,asshown
at right,a chiselto
formthe latchclearance
hole.Theexact
s i z eo f t h eh o l ei s n o tc r r t i c asl ,i n c et h e
s t r i k ep l a t ew i l lc o v em
r oso
t f i t , b u ti t
m u s ta c c o m m o d a
t ht e l a t c hw h e nt h e
dooris closed.
Tousea chisel,
f irstscore
theoutline
of themortise,
thenclearout
thewaste(ilghil,fesltitthelatchperiodicallybyclosing
thedoor.

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1trike plate
ton0ue

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Installing
thestrikeplate
A l i g nt h es t r i k ep l a t eo v e tr h el a t c h
h o l ea n d m a r ki t s o u t l i n ew i t ha p e n c i l
( l e f t ) .f h e n c h i s e la m o r t i s ew i t h i n t h e
o u t l i n et o a d e p t he q u a tl o t h e s t r i k ep l a t e
t h i c k n e s s0.n c et h e p l a t ei s f l u s hw i t ht h e
j a m b ,h o l di t i n p o s i t i o a
n n d m a r kt h e
s c r e wh o l e sw i t ha n a w l .B o r ea p i l o th o l e
at eachmarkand screwthe strikeplateto
t h e j a m b .T o c h e c kt h e i n s t a l l a t i o cnl,o s e
t h ed o o rT
, h ef a c eo f t h e d o o rs h o u l dr e s t
f l u s ha g a i n stth e d o o r s t o p sl f. t h e d o o r
d o e sn o t c l o s ep r o p e r l yy, o u c a n a d j u s t
t h ef i t b y b e n d i n g
t h e s t r i k ep l a t et o n g u e
s l i g h t l iyn o r o u t .

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DOORS

DOOR
CASING
BUTTED
INSTALLING
thereveal
1 Marking
around
a door,
installing
casing
I Before
enough
remove
thedoorto giveyourself
overlaps
normally
roomto work.Casing
of thejambedge,leaving
onlya portron
portion
partof it exposed.
is
Thisexposed
jambs
On%-inchlhick
known
asthereveal.
shouldbe%
likethoseshown,
thereveal
willclear
surethecasing
to %uinch.Make
usea shopTomarkthereveal,
thehinges.
maderevealgauge(page63)or a combiWiththesquare,
adlusttt to
nation
square.
the
reveal
width.Then,butting
thedesired
thetopofthehinge
square's
handle
against
jamb,holda pencil
theendof the
against
andthepencil
bladeandrunthesquare
downthejambto thef loorto markthe
(left).Repeat
ontheoththeprocess
reueal
theheadjamb.
ersidejambandacross

theplinths
O Installing
plinths
and
slightly
thicker
I Cuttwo
youplanto use,and
widerthanthecasing
youplanto
higherthanthe baseboard
p
l
i
nt
i n s t a lol n t h ew a l l .T h e n t hs h o w a
r i g h ti s c u tf r o m1 - i n c h - t h i sc tko c ka n d
Alignthebeveled
ononecorner.
beveled
lineand
edgeof theplinthwiththereveal
fastenit to thewallandjambwitha hamm e ro r a f i n i s hn a i l egr u n .T h ep l i n t h
f loor.lf
should
restf lushonthefinished
set
hasnotyetbeeninstalled,
theflooring
under
theplinthduring
a pieceof flooring
cleartherequired
installation
to provide
theplinthonthe
to install
ance.Repeat
otheriamb.

t12

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DOORS

theheadcasing
Q Installing
r.,l Cutthe headcasingsothat it will
extendslightlybeyond
bothside-jamb
Alignthecasing
withthereveal
casings.
l i n eo nt h eh e a dj a m ba n dn a i li t t o t h e
wall and jamb(right).

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Installing
thesidecasings
C u tt h es i d ec a s i n gtso f i t s n u g l y
between
theplinthsandheadcasing.
Set
in position,
its
oneof thepieces
aligning
edgewiththereveallineonthe janb (left),
andnailit in place.
Repeat
to install
the
second
sidecasing.
Nowsetallthenails.

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STAIRS

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risersclosethe verticalsDaces
n a simplelevel,a run of
betweenthe treads(page123).
stairsis nothing more
Thestaircase
is anchoredat the
from one
than a conveyance
top andbottomby newelposts
floor to another.Functional(page128);the balusters(page
ly, a well-built staircase
seems
1j6), or verticalpostsbetween
self-effacing-climbedor desthe stepsandthehandral (page
cendedwithout thought or
132),are doweledor doveattention.But esthetically,a
tailedinto the treadsandnailed
staircasemay capturemuch
joineryand
to the handrail.
attention.Precise
poorlydesigned
Because
and
ampleuseof finewoodshelpa
executedstairsare accidents
staircase
transcendroughcarwaiting to happen,building
of a 1-by-4clampedto a carpenpentryand riseinto the cateA simplejig consisting
codesgovernmanyaspectsof
ter'ssquareis usedto mark therise-and-run-the
gory of fine woodworking.
their construction.
For examstringer.
width of thetreadsqnd risers-on a staircase
Theelaboratestairways
often
ple, handrailsshould not be
with grandentrance
associated
newelposts, morethan 34inchesabovethe treads.In someareas,wide stairs
halls,featuringcurvedhandrails,goosenecked
andspiralingtreadsand risersbelongto a bygoneera.Crafts- musthavea handrailon both sides.Codesalsocarrystipulations
governingheadroom;6 feet8 inchesis usuallythe minimum.
menwho specialize
in this tlpe of work arc ararcbreed.But
theoneshownon page Besureto checkwith your localbuildingcodebeforeembarkevena simplestraight-runstaircase,like
116,canbecomethe focalpoint of a home-and a challeng- ing on a staircase.
A basicprincipleof staircase
designis theso-called17/. -nch
ing but feasibleprojectfor anywoodworker.This chapterwill
showyou how to getthejob done,from designto installation. rule.Thecombinedwidth of onetreadand heightof onerisarebuilt in muchthesame er shouldequallT'/'inches.Forthetypicalstair,thiscanmean
Simpleor complex,all staircases
a treadwidth of 10inchesand a riserheightof 7 %inches,
way:from the ground up. All you needis an openingin the
featuredin this
but dependingon the needsof the stair'susers,somevariafloor aboveanda solidfloor below Thestaircase
chapteralsofeaturesa landingabouthalfiuaybetweenfloors, tion is allowable.
As professional
stairbuilderScottSchuttnermentionsin
whichshouldbe madeandincorporatedinto thewall framing
is important.
his introductoryessayon page10,consistency
beforethe stairsaredesigned.
mustbethe samewidth andall the
thetreads-rest on notched All thetreadsin a staircase
Thestepsofthe staircase--called
risersthe sameheight.Evena slightdeviation-while not easboardscalledstringersor carriages(page118).Astaircaseof
by the eye-will not go unnoticedby the pertypicalwidth,about36inches,will usuallyneedthreestringers, ily discernable
one on eachsidewith a third in the middle.Boardscalled sonusingthe stairs.

A staircasecan be as simple as a straight run of stepsthqt lead into

a cellqr or as elaborateas the structure shown at left, with hardwood
treadsand risers,turned balusters,and a gracefulcurved handrail.

115

ANATOMYOF A STAIRCASE
Floating handrail
lnetalled on wall aide of ataircaae;
may be required by buildinqcode.
Attached to wallby metal brack'
eta acrewedinto walletude.
Handrail
Frta atop balueters:bottom is
qroovedor doweledto accepL
lnna

nf

Baluster
lneLalledbetween
handrailand treade on
eide of starrcaae away
from wall. Twobaluetero
are neededfor each
tread; ueuallyequidietant. Typtcallenqth
is 31 to 39 inchea.

balttafera

Cloaed at'ringer
Ueuallya 2-by-1Oor 2-by-12that
eug0ort6 the enda of the treada
anidrreere alonq a wall;off,en
mortiaed to accommodatethe
treada, risera, and wedgee.

Tread
1tzed accordinqLo local buildin4code;ueuallya
minimumof 1 '/aincheathick and 36 incheelong.
Treadwidth (unit run) and riaer heiqht (unit
riee)ahouldequal17%tnchea.)upportedat
each end and at the middlebv a atrinaer.

Riser
Cloaeaverttcal epace
betweentwo treadg; uoually no widerthan 7% rnch'
ea. End fit6 into mortiae
tn cloaedatrtnqer;other
end is beveledto fit fluah
aqainet openaLrln4er,

Fit into morttee

in cloeedetrinqer
to aecure tread
or riaer; ueually
made of hardwood.

Center atringer
Uauallya 2-by-1Oor
2-by-12that providea
additional eupport
to etaire wider than
about.SOinchea:on
narrower ataira, two
atrinqereare uaually
adequate,

Tread noainq
Koundededqe
of tread overhanqarreer
below.

Open atringer
Ueuallya 2-W-1Oor 2-by-12that eupporto Lheenda of the Lreadeand riEerE
away from a wall;the edqee f,hat buLt
a4ainotthe rieera are ofren beveledto
concealf,heend qrain ofthe rieere.
Kicker
Tart of houseframin7aervinqto anchor
bottom enda of strinqere; etrin4ere are
notched to fit around kicker.

116

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STAIRS

Dovetailjoint
Anqledpin at bottom of
baluaterfite into aocket cut
in Lread; coveredby reLurn
noeinq.Daluaterecan alao
be doweledinto treada.

Return noeing
End of tread over'
hanginqopenatrrn4er;
a aeparate pieceqlued
and nailed Lo tread
end to concealbaluater dovetailaand end
7rain of tread.

lrorrr..otNc

LENGTH
THER''E-AND-RUN
ANDTHE'TRTN'ER

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Determining
thekeydimensions
startbymeasuring
Tocalculate
thelengthof thestringers,
f loorbelow
fromthef inished
thetotalrise-thedistance
your
t o t h ef i n i s h efdl o o ro r l a n d t nagb o v eT.h e nd i v i d e
willbe
sothattheresult
measurement
bya wholenumber
lf, forexample,
thetotalriseis
between
7 and8 inches.
by 14 equals
7%
dividing
thismeasurement
105 inches,
risers.
Thestaircase
wouldhave14 7%-inch-high
inches.
thetotalrunof thestairs,
Next,usethisresultto determine
multiplied
bytheunit
of treads
whichisthetotalnumber
in ourexamole
wouldhavethesame
run.Thestaircase
number
of treads
asrisers,14. SinceIhe I7% inchrule
s t d e( 1 7 %l e s s
d i c t a t et sh a tt h et r e a dw
s i l lb e 1 0 i n c h ew
t h er i s e rh e i g h to, r 7 % ) t, h et o t a lr u ne q u a l s1 4 t r e a d s
Once
theyouknow
by 10 inches,
or 140inches.
multiplied
thetotalriseandthetotalrun,youcanusethe Pythagorean
calculator
to calculate
the length
theorem
anda pocket
form
Therise,run,andstringer
of a staircase
of thestringers.
withthetotalrise(A)andthetotal
a right-angled
triangle
sidesandthestringer
asthelongest
run(B)astheshorter
(C).ThePythagorean
formula
states
side,or hypotenuse
sidesaddedtogether
equals
of theshorter
thatthesquares
(A2+82=C'z).
ln thiscase,
thesquareof the hypotenuse
andthetotalrun
thetotalrise(105x 105= 11,025)
square
( 1 4 0x 1 4 0= 1 9 , 6 0 0a) n dc o m b i nt eh er e s u l t(s3 0 , 6 2 5 ) .
atthe
T h e nt a k et h es q u a r reo o to f t h i sf i g u r et o a r r i v e
e7
, 5i n c h e s .
s t r i n g el er n g t h - i nt h i se x a m p l 1

Total Riee = A
(meaeuredfrom finishedfloor
belowto finiahedfloor above)
Total Run = E
(Numberof treada multiplied
by unit run)
Total length of atringer = C

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tt7

THE STRINGERS
tl- h. stringers,
alsoknownas carI riages,
pieces
that
arelhe diagonal
supportthetreadsandrisers.Theprinciplebehindsizingandnotchingthemis
haveknown
a simpleonethatcarpenters
for centuries:
Forstairsto beascended
or
descended
comfortablyand safely,an
exactratiomustbemaintainedbetween
users
theriseandtherun-the distance
moveup or downandthedistance
they
moveforward.This is oftenexoressed

"17
asthe
Z-inchrule":Thesumofeach
rise-and-run
shouldecuall7 Z inches.
(Seecalculations
on pageI 17.)
Stringers
canbeeitheropenor closed.
An openstringeris simplya boardwith
notchescut to supportthe treadsand
risers;it is usuallyusedon the sideof a
staircase
awayfrom the wall.A closed
strhserhouses
theendsof thetreadsand
riseri,oftenwith mortises;
thewall-side
ofa stairwayusuallyhasa closedstringer,

Most of the notching of the centerstringer can

be donewith a circularsaw,but usea crosscLtt
saw to completethejob. Make sureyou hold
the saw verticallyasyou cut into the corners.

MAKING
ANDINSTALTING
THESTRINGERS
'l

Marking
thecenter
stringer
t
I Oncevouhavedetermined
theunitrise
andunitrunof yourstairs
andcalculated
prepare
length,
thestringer
thestringers.
Cutthemto lengthfrom2-by-12
stock.
you
Startbylaying
outthecenterstringer;
willuseit asa template
to marktheothers.Setoneboardfacedownon a work
surface.
Tolayouttherise-and-run,
attach
twocommercial
stairbuttons
to a caroenpositioning
ter'ssquare,
onefortherise
andtheotherfortherun.lf youdonothave
jig shown
stairbuttons,
usetheshop-made
onpage115.Then,
starting
about12 inchesfromoneendof theboard,
holdthestair
buttons
against
oneedgeof thestockand
markthef irstunitrise-and-run
alongthe
inside
edgeof thearmsof thesquare
with
a pencil.
Slidethesquare
along
andrepeat
(/efil,ensuring
thatthenextunitrise-andrunstartsexactly
wherethefirstoneends.
marking
Continue
untilyoureach
theoppositeendof theboard.
Onceall thesteos
aremarked,
addcuttinglinesat 90' for
thetopandbottom
of thestringer.
Also
m a r kt h en o t c h et h
s a tw i l lf i t a r o u ntdh e
kickerat thestaircase
bottomandthe
ledger
board
at thetop.

118

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STAIRS

Cutting
thecenter
stringer
C l a m pt h e s t r i n g ebr o a r df a c eu p
a c r o s sa p a i ro f s a w h o r s easn dc u t a l o n g
yourmarkedlinesusinga circularsaw(left).
Whenyoureachtheendsof the board,repoDo
sitionit on the sawhorses
as necessary.
n o tt r y t o c u t r i g h t o t h ec o r n e rosf c u t t i n g
f i ,n i s h
l i n e sw i t ht h ec i r c u l asra w .I n s t e a d
(photo,
page11&.
the cutswitha handsaw

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Layingoutthe openstringer
Q
r - J S e tt h e o p e ns t r i n g e br o a r do n a w o r ks u r f a c ea n d l a yt h e
a g a pb e t w e e tnh e e d g e s
c u t - o u tc e n t e rs t r i n g eor n i t , l e a v i n g
o f t h e t w o b o a r d se q u a lt o t h e w i d t ho f y o u rr i s e rs t o c k .M a r k
t h e r u n e d g e so f t h e c e n t e rs t r i n g eor n t h e o p e ns t r i n g ebr o a r d .
T n m a r kt h e r i s ee d p e so f t h e s t r i n p e rt.a k ea n i e c eo f r i s e r
s t o c ka n ds e t i t o n e n d o n t h e o p e ns t r i n g ebr o a r db, u t t i n gi t s

f a c ea g a i n sot n eo f t h e r i s e - e d g eosf t h e c e n t e rs t r i n g e rM
. ark
a l i n ea l o n gt h e r i s e rb o a r df r o mt h e e d g eo f t h e o p e ns t r i n g e r
Repeatat
boardto the run-edge
of the centerstringer(above).
a l l t h e o t h e rr i s e - e d g eosf t h e c e n t e rs t r i n g e rT. h i ss e c o n ds e t
o f c u t t i n gl i n e sw i l l c o m p e n s aftoer t h e b e v eyl o uw i l l n e e dt o
s a wi n t h e r i s e - e d g eosf t h e o p e ns t r i n g e r .

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for theclosedstringer
f, Makingthewedges
. - , 1 B e f o r ey o uc a n o u t l i n et h e m o r t i s e isn t h e c l o s e ds t r i n g e r ,
y o uh a v et o m a k et h e w e d g e tsh a tw i l l s u p p o rtth e t r e a d sa n d
risersin the mortises.
Cutting
theopenstringer
Use%-inch{hick
hardwood
for the wedges
Cutouttheopenstringer
thewayyoucutthecenter
stringer, andcut themon yourtablesaw.Screwa boardto the mitergauge
f o l l o w i n tgh e c u t t i n gl i n e sy o um a r k e di n s t e p3 , F o rt h e b e v e l
a s a n e x t e n s i oann dc l a m oa s t o ob l o c kt o t h e e x t e n s i oanb o u t
c u t s ,s e c u r et h e s t r i n g esr t o c ke n d u p i n a b e n c hv r s e .A t t h e
% i n c hf r o mt h e b l a d e A
. n g l et h e m i t e rg a u g es o t h a t y o uw i l l
o u t s i d ec o r n e ro f e a c hs t e p ,u s ea c o m b i n a t i osnq u a r ea n d a
c u t w e d g e tsh a t w i l l t a p e rf r o ma b o u l ' / ui n c ht h i c kt o a b o u t%
p e n c i tl o m a r ka l i n ea I a 4 5 " a n g l ea c r o s tsh e r u n - e d goef t h e
i n c ht h i c k .H o l d i n yg o u rw e d g es t o c kf l u s ha g a i n st th e m i t e r
g a u g ee x t e n s i osno t h a t i t s g r a i ni s p a r a l l etlo t h e b l a d e ,c u t
s t r i n g e rT. h e ne x t e n dt h e l i n ea t a 9 0 " a n g l ed o w nt h e i n s i d e
faceof the stringer.Usea crosscut
sawto cut the bevel(above), the wedges(above).
Turn the boardoveraftereachpass.You
s t o p p i n gw h e ny o u r e a c ht h e b o t t o mo f t h e r i s ee d g e .R e m o v e m a yn e e dt o m a k ea f e wt e s tc u t sa n da d j u s t h e m i t e rg a u g e
angleuntilthe wedgesarethe rightsize.(Caution:
Bladeguard
t h e w a s t ew i t h a h o r i z o n t aclu t . B e v etl h e o t h e rr i s e - e d s eosf
removed
for clarity.)
the openstringerthe sameway.

Marking
themortises
ontheclosedstringer
4l
\,f The mortisesin the closedstringermusttake
intoaccountthe treads,the risers,andthe wedges
S i n c et h e t r e a d sa r eh o u s e di n t h e c l o s e ds t r i n g e r ,
startby markinga clearance
linealongyourstringer
s t o c ka b o u t2 i n c h e sb e l o wt h e t o p e d g e .T h e n ,
o u t l i n et h e c e n t e rs t r i n g eor n t h e c l o s e ds t r i n g e r
b o a r da, l l o w i n ge n o u g hs p a c es o t h a t w h e nt h e
treadmortiseis cut it will not projectbeyondthe
c l e a r a n clei n e .P o s i t i oan p i e c eo f t r e a ds t o c ko n
e n d o n t h e b o a r df l u s hw i t h t h e c e n t e rs t r i n g e r
o u t l i n ea n dm a r ki t so u t l i n ea t e a c ht r e a dl o c a t i o n .
Repeat
witha pieceof riserstock.Finally,position
a w e d g ef l u s hw i t h e a c ht r e a da n d r i s e ro u t l i n e
and markits outline(left).Makesureto position
t h e t h i n e n do f t h e w e d g ea t t h e j o i n tb e t w e e tnh e
treadand riser.Extendall vourlinesto the bottom
cdoc nf fhp cfrinopr

t20

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jigs
Makingthe closedstringermortising
I
r ith
/ l t i s e a s i e stto r o u tt h e m o r t i s e tsn t h e c l o s e ds t r i n g ew
j
i
g
s
a
v
a
i
l
a
b
l
f
e
o
r
this
c
o
m
m
e
r
c
i
a
l
a
r
e
l
t
h
o
u
g
h
t h e h e l po f a 1 i g A
.
t a s k ,y o uc a ne a s i l yb u i l dy o u ro w n .M a k eo n ej i g f o rt h e m o r t i s e s
housing
t h e t r e a d sa n dt h e w e d g e su n d e rt h e m ,a n da s e p a r a t e
j i g f o r t h e r i s e r sa n d t h e w e d g e sb e h i n dt h e m .M a k et h e t r e a d m o r t i s i njgi g f i r s t .S t a r tb y s e c u r i n tgh e s t r i n g efra c eu p o n a
w o r ks u r f a c ea n d p o s i t i o n i ncgl e a t sa l o n gi t s e d g e s I. n s t a lal % i n c hs t r a i g hbt i t i n y o u rr o u t e ra n d a l i g nt h e b i t w i t h o n ee d g e
o f a t r e a do u t l i n e S
. c r e wa b o a r da s a n e d g eg u i d et o t h e c l e a t s
p a r a l l etlo t h e t r e a d ss o t h a t i t s e d g ei s f l u s ha g a i n stth e r o u t e r

t i t h a s e c o n de d g eg u i d ep a r a l l etlo t h e
b a s ep l a t e .R e p e aw
. r n c et h e f r o n te d g e so, r
o p p o s i t e d g eo f t h e t r e a do u t l i n e S
n o s i n g so,f t h e t r e a d sa r er o u n d e dy, o uw i l l n e e da r o u n d e d
e d g eg u i d ea l o n gt h e f r o n to f t h e t r e a dm o r t i s eA. d j u s ta c o m passto the distancebetweenthe edgeof the routerbit and base
plateT
. h e n ,h o l d i n gt h e c o m p a s p
s o i n ta t t h e c e n t e ro f t h e
t r e a dn o s i n gd, r a wa n a r co n t h e s t r i n g e rC. u tt h e t h i r dg u i d et o
f i t b e t w e e tnh e e d g eg u i d e ss, a w i n ga n a r ce q u a lt o t h e t r e a d
n o s i n ga n dt h e r o u t e rb a s ep l a t eo u t o f o n ee n d ,t h e ns c r e w
it in place(above).

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intheclosed
stringer
Routing
themortises
jig overoneof the tread-and-wedgep i n gw h e nt h e b o t t o mo f t h e c a v i t yi s s m o o t hR
. e p e afto r t h e
Alignthe tread-mortising
. l u n g et h e r o u t e b
o r t i s e sM. a k et h e r i s e r - m o r t i s i n g
r e m a i n i ntgr e a d - a n d - w e dm
ge
r i t i n t ot h e
o u t l i n ea
s n d c l a m pi t i n p l a c e P
j i g t h e s a m ew a y ,o m i t t i n gt h e r o u n d e d
e d g eg u i d e ,s i n c et h e
s t o c k r, i d i n gt h e b a s ep l a t ea g a i n stth e e d g eg u i d e st o r o u tt h e
. o v et h e r o u t e ri n s m a l lc l o c k w i scei r c l e s f r o n te d s e so f t h e r i s e r sa r es o r i a r eT. h e nr o u tt h e r i s e r - a n d e d g e so f t h e m o r t i s eM
w a s t ef r o mt h e m o r t i s e( a b o v e )s,t o p - wedgemortises.
t o r e m o v et h e r e m a i n i n g

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Installing
theclosed
stringer
Onceall themortises
in theclosed
youcaninstall
stringer
havebeenrouted,
thestringers.
Staftwiththeclosed
stringer.
Holdit f lushagainst
thewallandfasten
it to thewall,driving
screws
intoevery
wallstud.Usescrews
thatarelongenough
to reachthestuds,making
sureto drive
thefasteners
belowthetreadmortises
(righ).fhis way,thescrewheadswill not
b ev i s i b l e .

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theopen
n Installing
I \-,t andcenterstringers
Butttheopenstringer
against
theheadboardandmarka lineonthe headboard
alongthetopedgeof the notchin the
stringer.
CUIa 2-by-4to thewidthof your
staircase.
Aligntheboard
withthemarked
Irneontheheadboard
anduselagscrews
to attachit to the header.
Checkwitha
carpenter's
levelto makesurethe board
is levelasyoufastenit in place.
The2-by4 willserve
astheledger
boardto support
thetopof theopenandcenterstringers.
Repeat
to position
andinstallthe kicker
at the bottomof thestringers.
Oncethe
ledger
boardandkickerarein place,
set
theopenstringer
in position
andfasten
it to thetwoboards,
drivingscrews
at an
angle
through
thestringer.
Repeat
to install
the centerslringer(left).

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TREADSANDRISERS
Anatomy
ofa treadandriser
woodstairsareoften
Although
thetreadsandrisersin prefabricated
withscrews,
classic
stairbuilding
together
andjoined
simply
butted
joinery
at right.Tread
stockis
techniques,
asshown
usessturdier
pre-milled;
lf youare
allyouneedto do is cutto length.
available
thickif you
cutthem1%inches
making
treads
fromroughlumber,
To prepare
thickfor hardwood.
andIYoinches
areusingsoftwoods
cut a rabbetalongthebackedgeof each
thetreadsforassembly,
in theriser
lipwillfit intoa groove
one(page124);theresulting
nearthefront
in thetread's
underside
Thenrouta groove
above.
Fortherisers,
cutthegroove
theriserbelow.
edgeto accommodate
thelip in thetread
to accommodate
in thefrontfacenearthebottom
ontheopenstringer
thebevel
below.
Bevel
theendthatwillfit against
(page120).0nce
andglued
andrisers
areassembled
thetreads
glueblocks
Glueand
to reinforce
thejoints.
cuttriangular
together,
joint,locating
at thebackof eachtread-riser
nailtwoorthreeblocks
for
Finally,
makea length
of covemolding
themnearthestringers.
jointandglueandnailit to thefrontof thejoint.
eachtread-riser
is strictlydecorative.
Thecovemolding

ANDRISERS
PREPARING
THETREADS

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Rounding
overthefrontedges
ofthetreads
youneedto shape
the
I Onceyourtreads
arecutto length,
thatoverhangs
theriser
frontedgeof eachoneto formthenosing
piloted
round-over
bitin yourrouter
and
lnstall
a%-inch
below.
. l i g nt h ef e n c ew i t ht h eb i t ' sp i l o t
m o u ntth et o o li n a t a b l eA
to thefence,oneoneach
bearing
andclamptwofeatherboards

witha shallow
cuttingdepth,feed
sideof thecutter.Starting
the
thetable,pressing
thefrontedgeagainst
thetreadacross
passes
oneachface,
fenceandthepilotbearing.
Makeseveral
increasing
thedepthof cutby%incheachtimeuntiltheedges
arerounded
over(above).

t23

STAIRS

r) Cuttingthe rabbetsat the

L nac?ofthetreads
Makethe joinerycuts in the treadson your
t a b l es a w .I n s t a lal d a d ob l a d e a
, djusting
i t s w i d t ht o s l i g h t l ym o r et h a n % i n c h .S e t
lip in the
t h e d e p t ho f c u t s o t h e r e s u l t i n g
t r e a dw i l lf i t s n u g l yi n t h eg r o o v e
i n t h er i s er (seeanatomy,page 123). Then attach
fenceto the sawandcut a reliel
an auxiliary
notchin it. Usetwofeatherboards
to brace
thetreads,
clamping
oneto thefenceabove
t h e d a d oh e a da n da n o t h et ro t h et a b l ei n
l i n ew i t ht h e b l a d e sP. o s i t i otnh e f e n c e
f o r a c u t t i n gw i d t ho f % i n c ha n df e e dt h e
t r e a da c r o s st h e t a b l e ,h o l d i n gt h e b a c k
edgeflushagainstthe fence(/efl).(Caution:
Bladeguardremovedfor clarity).

Featherboard

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Cutting
thegrooves
in thetreads
Q
r.,l Onceall therabbets
arecut in thetreads,
readjust
thedado
headto a widthof % inch-thethickness
of theriserstock.
Set
thecuttingdepthat %inchandreposition
thefenceto locate
thegroove
llo inchfromthetreadnosing.
Again,usetwofeath-

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e r b o a r dtso b r a c et h e t r e a d sr,e p o s i t i o n i n
t hge o n eo n t h e s a w
t a b l ea s n e c e s s a rFy e
. e dt h e t r e a di n t ot h e d a d oh e a d ,k e e p i n g
: lade
t h e n o s i n gf l u s h a g a i n s t h e f e n c e( a b o v e )(.C a u t i o nB
guardremovedfor clarity).

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treadsforreturnnosing
/ Preparingthe
T Tohidetheendsrainofthetreads
at
theopen-string.r.nJ,
cuta pieceof stock
fromtheendof eachtread,leaving
a bevel
(page
will
mate
with
return
nosing
that
the
is
139)Ihat applied
oncethestairsare
assembled
andthebalusters
areinstalled.
Clamoa treadastride
sawhorses
asshown.
yourcut,marka straight
Tooutline
lineon
inches
from
thetooof thetread1%
the
open-stringer
end.Thenmarkanother
line
at a 45'anglestarting
fromthefrontcorner
andintersecting
thefirstline.Usea crosswiththe
cutsawto makethecuts,starting
fortheothertreads.
bevel(right).Repeat

INSTALLING
THETREADS
ANDRISERS

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lnstalling
thebottom
riser
I Prepare
a riserwithnogroove
in its
frontfaceandsetit in position
withthe
beveled
endflushagainst
theopenstringer
andthestraight
endseated
in themortise
in theclosed
stringer.
Usefinishing
nails
to fastentheriserto theooenandcenter
stringers.
Drivea wedgeintotheclosed
stringer
mortise
behind
theriserto secure
it in place(/eft).

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STAIRS

r) Assembling
theremaining
L teadsandrisers
riseris in place,
the
Oncethebottom
remaining
treads
andrisers
areassembledandinstalled
in pairs.lf youare
usingdovetails
to jointhebalusters
to
in the
thetreads,
firstcutthesockets
treads(page127).Tojoina treadand
gluein therabbet
at the
a riser,spread
in
backof thetreadandin thegroove
together.
theriserandfit theboards
Then,holding
thetreadandriserona
worksurface
asshown,
drivea screw
every
3 or4 inches
through
thebackof
Ihe riser(left).

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Installing
thetreads
andrisers
O n c ea l l t h e t r e a d sa n d r i s e r sh a v e

b e e na s s e m b l ei dn ,s t a ltlh e mo n ea t a
at the bottomof thestairs.
timestarting
in theunderside
Applygluein thegroove
of thetreadandfit it overthe lastriser
nailsto fasten
the
rnstalled.
Usef inishing
Then
risertotheopenandcenter
stringers.
screwthetreadto boththeopenandcenter
Counterbore
thescrewholesso
stringer.
thatyoucancoverthescrewheadswith
woodplugs.
Tapa wedge
intotheclosed
every
stringer
undereachtreadandbehind
riser(right).Youmayhaveto cut someof
onesin
thewedges
shortto f it adjoining
glueblocks
place.
to
Glueandnailtwoorthree
t h eu n d e r s i doef e a c ht r e a d - r i sjeori n t
(nape12.3):locatethe blocksnearthe
s t r i n g e rFs i.n a l l yg,l u ea n dn a i lt h ec o v e
m o l d i nign p l a c ea n ds e ta l ly o u rn a i l s .
\ F v b v

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PREPARING
TREADS
FOR
BALUSTERS

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Cutting
dovetail
sockets
Markthe position
of the balusters
on eachtread(page138)
before
assembling
thetreads
andrisers.
Thenclampthetread
endup in a vise.Usea dovetail
square
anda pencilto outline
the
sockets
ontheendof thetreadat eachbaluster
location
mark
(above,
lefil.fhemarks
shouldbecentered
withintheoutlines.
Extend
thesocket
outlines
withstraight
linesacross
thetopface
of thetreadabouI3/o
inchin fromtheendof thetread.Marka line

ontheedgeof thetreadforthedepthof cut.Cutthesockets

with
a router
fittedwitha dovetail
bit,or usea chiselanda mallet.
In eithercase,clampthetreadfaceupto a worksurface.
Tocut
thesockets
byhand,
score
theoutlines
withthechisel
anda wooden mallet,
holding
thechisel
vertically
withthebevel
facing
the
waste.Thenpareawaythewastein thin layers(above,
right),
pushing
thechiselintotheendgrainwiththebevel
facingup.

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Drilling
mortises
lf yourbalusters
willbemortised
intothe
youcandrilltheholesafterthe
treads,
treads
andrisers
areassembled.
ln this
case,
thereturn
nosings
willhavealready
beenfastened
to thetreads(page139).
Turna tenononthe bottomendsof the
(page137),andmarktheirposibalusters
tjonsonthetreads(page138).Fitanelectricdrillwitha spade
bit.Holding
thedrill
perfectly
straight,
borea holeat each
baluster
location
mark(left),penetrating
thetreadslightly
deeper
thanthelength
of thebaluster
tenon.Locate
theholesso
thatthebalusters
willbealiened
withthe
centerof the neweloosts

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NEWELPOSTS
newelpostsanchorthe
Q tructurally,
rJ handrailandbalusters
of a stairway.
But theycanalsoserveasimportantdecorativeelements.Newelscan be very
elaboratestructureswith boxedenclosuressurroundingmetalsupportrods
andcarvedwoodencapsor simplepieces
of solidor glued-upa-by-astock.And as
shown below, wood newelscan be

or tapered,
turnedon a lathe,chamfered
for each.
with manyvariationspossible
Howevercomplexor straightforward
theirdesign,thestrengthof a newelpost
derivesfrom how solidly it is attached
to thestairs.
Thenewelpostat thetop of a staircase
is calledthelandingnewel;theoneat the
bottom is known asthe startingnewel.

Asshownonpage129,thejoineryattachingeachoneto thestairsisdifferentfrom
Asageneral
rule,
thatusedforbalusters.
shouldbeabout4 feet
startingnewels
long.Landingnewels
rangefrom5 to 6
lengthof a
feetin length.Theprecise
at
neweldepends
on howit is fastened
thebottom.A newelthatisboltedto the
floorframingwill needto belonger.

POST
FOUR
NEWET
STYLES

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Insteadof a conventionalsinglenewel
post,the staircaseshown aboveusesa
seriesof severalbalustersarranged in
a tight circleto servethe samevisual
purposeand to anchorthe handrail
at the bqseof the stairs.

Turned

Chamfered

Stop tapered

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STAIRS

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A NEWET
P()ST
TURNING
AND
ANATOMY
OFSTARTING
TANDING
NEWELS
Landing newel
Notched to fit
aqatnat firat riaer
and tread of atair
aboveIandrn4.

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Starting newel
Ertenda to floor at bottom of
ataira; notched to ftt around
open-etrrnqerend of boLtom
rreerand Lread.Couldbe made
lonqerto exLendthrouqh subfloor and be bolted to floor
jotet for added aupport.

Dowel
Making
a newelpostona lathe
piece
Prepare
a 4Joot-long of 4-by-4stock
andmountit onyourlathe.
lf yourmachine
tsead
willnotaccommodate
sucha longprece,
youwillneedto sawtheblankin two.The
bestpointto cutthe blankis justbelow
at thetop.
thesquare
section,
or pommel,
Thenmountthesection
below
thepommel
onthelathe.Forthedesign
shown
above,
usea skewchisel
to definetheoommel
at
gouge
a V-cutdirectly
aboveit. Usea roughing
thebottomof thepost,making
fromtherestof theblankandturnit intoa
to cutawaythebulkof thewaste
gouge
Switch
to a skewchisel
orspindle
to turnthebeads
anda spincylinder.
(above).
gouge
forthecoves
Forall thesecuts,keepthebevelof thecutting
dle
thebladeonthetoolrest.
toolrubbing
onthestockat all timeswhilebracing
at thetoponthe
Oncethebottompartof thepostisturned,mountthe pommel
end.Torejointhetwosections
latheandmakea rounded
bevelcutat its bottom
andborea dowelhole
of thepost,install
a Jacobs
chuckin thelathetailstock
hf
a b o u3t i n c h eisn t ot h ea d j o i n i negn d so f e a c hp i e c eC. u ta 6 - i n c hl e n g t o
Press
dowel,applyglueintotheholes,
andinsert
thedowel.
thetwosections
(inset)andclamp.Turntheothernewelpostthesameway.
together

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t
A NEWEL
P(IST
CHAMFERING
Using
a router
anda power
mitelsaw
Define
thesquare
sections
at thetopand
bottomof the newelpostbymarking
lines
across
all foursidesof theblank.Tocut
thedecorative
chamfers
alongthecorners
of thepost,clamptheblankto a worksurfaceandusea routerfittedwitha oiloted
chamfering
bit.Stopthecutsat yourmarked
lines.Onceall fourcorners
areshaped,
chamferthetop of the poston a power
mitersaw.Settheblankonthesawtable
andadjust
theblade
to a 45" angle.
Cut
offa smallwedge
of wood,rotate
theblank
by90'on thetableandrepeat
thebevel
cut.Repeat
twicemoreto f inishchamferingthetopof the post(left).

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INSTALLING
THENEWEL
POSTS
newel
thestarting
1 Preparing
I Position
newelonthecorner
thestarting
of thebottomtread
sothatthemiddleof the oostis in linewiththedovetail
sockets
forthebalusters.
or mortises
Usea penciltomarkcuttinglineson
the bottomof the postso it will buttagainst
theriserandopen
stringer.
Extend
thelinesuptheinsidefacesof thepost.Todeterminewhereto stopthesecutssothatthepostrestsonthefloor,
measure
fromthetopof thebottomtreadto thefloorandtransferyourmeasurement
to thepost,marking
cuttinglineson its
insidefaces.Cutintothepostalongtheselineswitha handsaw,
stopping
thecutsatthefirstsetof cuttinglines.Maketheremainingcutsonyourtablesaw.Tosetupthesaw,setthepostonthe
sawtableandraisetheblade
to thehorizontal
cuttingline.Then
alignthefrontendof thebladewiththehandsaw
cutsyoumade,
post
butta boardagainst
theendof the
andclampit to therip
fenceasa stopblock.Finally,
alignthevertical
cuttinglineon
theendof thepostwiththebladeandbuttthefenceagainst
the
stock.Feedthepostwithbothhands,
running
it against
thefence
untilit contacts
thestopblock.Rotate
the post90", reposition
thefence,if necessary,
andrepeat
thecut (right).Usea chisel
piece
anda malletto detach
thewaste
fromthepost.Test-fit
the
postonthetread;to ensure
it overhangs
bothtreadandriserby
youwillhaveto trimthetreadnosing.
thesameamount,
Thiscut
is shownin step3 (pagel3l). (Caution:
Bladeguardremoved
for clarity.)

130

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r') Preparing
newel
thelanding
newelis prepared
thesamewayasthestartL m" landing
sinceit will
ingnewel,
except
thatit is 6 to 8 incheslonger,
youwill
forsupport.
Asa result,
extend
to theopenstringer
youmade
thecut-out
needto makeoneadditional
cut.Measure
themeasurement
bythe
in thestarting
newelandlengthen
in lengthbetween
thetwoposts.Markcuttinglines
difference
newel
neweland
notchit asyoudidthestarting
onthelanding

(page130).Besurethetopsof the newels

will bethesame
Now,measure
height
whenthepostsareinstalled.
thegap
between
thelanding
andthetreaddirectly
aboveit, andtransferthemeasurement
to thefaceof thepostthatwillextend
to
A decoraCutthe newelwitha handsaw.
the landing(above).
tivebevelonthe bottomof the postwillgiveit a lighter,more
finished
appearance.

Installing
thenewelposts
Thenewels
will befastened
to the
stringers
withlagbolts,drivenintoadjoiningsidesof theposts.
Witha helperholdingeachnewelin position
on thestairs,
workfromthe insideof thestarrcase
to
thestringer
drivetwolagboltsthrough
andintothe oosi.

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131

HANDRAILS
,{ handrailcanbe themostcomplex
f\ anddecorative
elementof a sfaircase.But it alsooerformsthe more
pedestrian-butvital-task of guiding
the peoplewho climb and descend
the
stairs.Whethera handrailis aselaborateasa curvedassemblymadefrom
laminatedstripsof wood,or assimple
asthe straightexamplefeaturedin this
section,
mostbuildingcodesgovernseveral aspectsof its construction.For
exampli,a handrailis usuallyrequired
on any staircase
with threeor more
treads.It is typicallyscrewed
or bolted
to the newelpostsand attachedto the
topsof thebalusters.
A rail shouldalso
typicallynot encroachmorethan 3 Z
inchesinto the minimum width of the
staircase.
Mostcodesrecuirestairswider
than 44 inchesto havea handrailon
both sides.A handrailalonsa wall is
calleda floatinqhandrail-iso-called

it is suspended
because
abovethetreads,
attachedto the wall abovethem (page
135).Commercialrailsandhardwarefor
floatinghandrailsgenerally
satisfybuild1n8 COOeS.

This sectionwill showyou how to

makeand installa handrailalongthe
open-stringer
sideof a staircase
aswellas
how to mount a floatinshandrail.The
designs
shownbelowcanbemadeon a
shaperor routertableusing2-by-3stock.
Thegroovealongthebottomof therail
is cut on the tablesawand housesthe
topsofthe balusters.

The handrail shownat right culminatesin a spiral-shaped

form, known
as a volute, at thefoot of the stairs.

()FHANDRAIT
ANINVENTORY
DES]GNS

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STAIRS

A HANDRAIL
SHAPING

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theprofile
1 Routing
and
in yourrouter
topprofile
a bitwiththedesired
I Install
bit is
a round-over
mountthetoolin a table.Inthisexample,
the
Tosupport
Alignthefencewiththebit pilotbearing.
shown.
to thetablein line
it,clampa featherboard
handrail
asyoushape
sothatthe
a shimunderthefeatherboard
withthebit.Place

pressure
of thestock.Feedtherail
isapplied
nearthemiddle
and
shape
theotheredgeof the
turn
it
around
down,then
upside
profile,
thebit.Inthis
replace
left).To
form
the
side
Iopbbove,
rail
acrossthe
is
used.
Feed
the
handrail
bit
case,a specialized
(above,
passes
right).
right
side
up
this
time
again,
tablein two

groove
inthehandrail
thebaluster
Cutting
T o a c c o m m o d at h
t eet o pe n d so f t h e b a l u s t e rssa, wa
g r o o vdeo w nt h e m i d d l eo f t h eh a n d r a i lu' sn d e r s i dIen.s t a l l
a d a d ob l a d ea, d j u s t i ni tga sw i d ea sp o s s i b lyeo; uw i l ll i k e l y
needmorethanonepassto cut thefull widthof thegroove.
Adjustthecuttingheightto aboul%inch,thenmarkthegroove
Thewidthof the
endof thestock.
of theleadine
in thecenter

Clamp
groove
of thebalusters.
beequalto thethickness
should
featherboard
to thesawtablein linewiththedado
a shimmed
blade,
butt
marks
withtheinside
head.
Alignoneof thegroove
andfeedthestockintothe
thehandrail
theripfenceagainst
thecut (above).
around
andrepeat
cut.Turnthehandrail

r33

STAIRS

INSTALLING
THEHANDRAIL
'l

Cutting
thehandrail
to lengh
position
I Onceyouhaveshaped
thehandrail,
it onthe
treads,buttingan edgeagainst
the newelpostsat thetop
andbottomof thestairs.Holding
therailin place,mark
linesacross
itsedgeat bothpointswhereit meetsthenewels.
youselect
Depending
onthemethod
to attachthehandrail
youcanmakethe rail
to the startingnewelpost(below),
slightly
longer,
sinceyoumayneedto mortise
thebottom
endof therailintothepost.Thenadjusta slidingbevelso
t h a ti t sh a n d l ies p a r a l l e
t ol t h er a i la n di t sb l a d ei s f l u s h
on the landingnewel(right).Usethe bevel's
settingto set
up yoursawto the proper
anglefor cuttingthehandrail,
thencuttherailto length.

HANDRAIT
ATTACHMENT
METHODS
ATTACHMENT
METHOD
AT LANDINGNEWEL

ATTACHMENTOqflON' AT STARTINGNEWEL

Kailbolt
and nuT.

Choosing
anattachment
method
Thereareseveral
waysof fastening
a handrail
to thenewel
posts;
threemethods
areshownabove.
Mostfinishcarpenters
relyon oneof twooptions
forthestarting
newel.
Thetraditional method
involves
usinga railbolt.A clearance
holeforthe
boltisdrilledintothebottom
endof therailanda oilotholeis
boredin thenewel;
anaccess
holeis alsodrilledintothebottom
faceof therail.Theboltis thendrivenpartway
intothenewel
andthehandrail
is slipped
overtheprotruding
endof thebolt.
A special
nutistheninserted
through
theaccess
holeandonto

thebolt,andtightened
usinga smallscrewdriver.
A woodplug
is gluedin theaccess
holeto conceal
thebolt.Thesecond
methodinvolves
cuttinga mortise
in thenewelfortheendof
therail.Therailis fittedin themortise
andscrewed
to the
newel.
Thebestoptionat the landing
newelinvolves
simply
butting
theendof therailagainst
thepostandscrewing
it in
place.Inthiscase,sincethescrews
aredrivenintothetopface
oftherail,theholes
arecounterbored
andtheheads
arecoveredwithplugs.Screws
areshownin thestepthatfollows.

r34

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to thenewels
thehandrail
Q Attaching
to newelposts
r-,1Tofastena handrail
and
withscrews,
holdtherailin position
therailand
holethough
drilla clearance
At thetopof
a pilotholeintotheposts.
holes
and
thestairs,
drillcounterbored
through
thetopfaceof
drivethescrews
with
thescrewheads
therail.Conceal
At thebottom,
workfromthe
woodplugs.
the
underside
of therailandcountersink
screws(/eff),

HANDRAIL
A FLOATING
INSTALLING

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thehandrail
Attaching
(page133),omitting
in the f l o a t i n gh a n d r a ial g a i n stth e w a l lp a r a l l et lo t h e o t h e rh a n d r a t l
handrail
thegroove
Makethefloating
wall brackon it. Screwcommercial
to thesamelen$hasthehandrail and markthe stud locations
andcutthehandrail
underside,
(above,
location
rail
left)
atlhe
stud
underside
of
the
above etsto the
Themodelshown
sideof thestaircase.
ontheopen-stringer
your
Reposilocal
building
code.
marks
at
intervals
specified
by
asa tactilereminder
to thevisually
features
a returnthatserves
s
c
r
e
w
h
o
l
e
s
b
,
o
r
ep i l o t
h
a
n
d
r
a
i
o
l
n
t
h
e
w
a
l
l
,
m
a
r
k
t
h
e
of thestairs. t i o nt h e
at thetopor bottom
rmpaired
thattheyarearriving
(above,
place
right).
position
rail
in
wall,
and
fasten
the
the holesintothe
thewallsideofthestair.Then
Locate
thestudsalong

135

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BALUSTERS
balusT ikenewelpostsandhandrails,
I: terscanbe madein a widevariety
ofdesigns.
Fourpopularstylesareillustratedat right.Althoughbalusters
can
beboughtready-made,
theycanbefashionedeasilyin theshop.On thefollowing pageareinstructionsfor turning
balusters
on a latheandmakingtapered
balusters
on a jointer.
Asshownin theillustration
on page
138,not all the balusters
arecut to the
samelength.Thebalusterat thebackof
eachtreadis longerthanthe oneat the
front,owingto theslopeof thehandrail.
The squaresectionat the top of the
balusters-if thereis one-is typically
the samelengthon all of them,but not
that at the bottom.Most balusters
are
cut to thelengthof thegapbetween
the
handrailandtreads,addingabout%inch
for the tenonor dovetailyou will useto
attachthebalusters
to thetreads.Balusterswith roundedtou sectionsshould
be longerto accommodate
the tenon
thatfits into thehandrailmortise.

INVENTORY
OFBATUSTER
STYTES

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Chamfered

Tapered

Turned

Turned

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MAKING
BALUSTERS

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Turningbalusters
onthe lathe
M o u n ta b a l u s t ebr l a n ko n y o u rl a t h ea n d m a r ko f f t h e s q u a r e
s e c t i o n sa t t h e t o p a n d b o t t o m .D e f i n et h e s es e c t i o n sa s y o u
d i d f o r t h e n e w e lp o s t s( p a g e1 2 9 ) ,t h e nu s ea r o u g h i n g o u g e
r etween
t h e s q u a r ea r e a s
t o t u r n t h e b l a n kr n t oa c y l i n d e b
( a b o v el,e f t ) .T u r na n yo t h e rd e s i g ne l e m e n t ss, u c ha s b e a d s
. hen
o r c o v e su, s i n ga s p i n d l eg o u g ea n d a s k e wc h i s e lW

t u r n i n gr e l a t i v e ltyh i n s e c t i o n ss,u p p o rtth e b l a n kw i t h y o u r

l e f t h a n dt o p r e v e nct h a t t e r( a b o v er.i g h t ) .l f y o u a r e u s i n g
t e n o n st o j o i nt h e b a l u s t e rt so t h e t r e a d st,u r na % - i n c h - l o n g
t e n o na t t h e b o t t o mo f e a c hb a l u s t eur s i n ga p a r t i n gt o o l .T h e
d i a m e t eor f t h e t e n o n s h o u l dm a t c ht h e m o r t i s ecsu t i n i h e
treads(page127).

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Makinga taperedbaluster
Movethe guardout of the wayfor this operation
a n da d j u st h ej o i n t efro r a %i n c hc u t . M a r ko f f
t h e s q u a r es e c t i o nas t t h e t o p a n d b o t t o mo f
e a c hb a l u s t ebr l a n ka n ds e tt h e b l a n ko n y o u r
j o i n t e ra, l i g n i n tgh e m a r kf o r t h e t o p s q u a r e
sectionwiththe frontedgeof the outfeedtable.
Butt a woodblockagainstthe end of the stock
a n dc l a m pi t t o t h e o u t f e e dt a b l ea s a s t o p .
R e p e awt i t ht h e o t h e rm a r kt o c l a m pa s t o p
b l o c kt o t h e i n f e e dt a b l e .T o m a k et h e f i r s t
p a s sb
, u t tt h e e n d o f t h e b l a n ka g a i n stth e
i n f e e ds t o pb l o c ka n dl o w etrh e b l a n ko n t ot h e
k n i v e sk,e e p i n rgt f l u s ha g a i n st th e f e n c e F
. eed
t h e b l a n kw i t h a p u s hs t i c k ,u s i n gy o u rl e f t
h a n dt o p r e s st h ew o r k p i e caeg a i n stth e f e n c e
u n t i l i t c o n t a c t tsh e o u t f e e ds t o pb l o c k ,t h e n
l i f t i t o f f . M a k eo n e p a s so n e a c hs i d eo f t h e
b l a n k t, h e ni n c r e a steh e c u t t i n gd e p t hb y
% i n c ha n dr e o e atth e D r o c e sosn a l l f o u rs i d e s .
C o n t i n u ei n, c r e a s r n
t hge c u t t i n gd e p t hu n t i l
y o uo b t a i nt h e d e s i r e dt a p e r .

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137

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INSTALLING
THEBALUSTERS
'l

Planning
theoperation
ea n y
I B u i l d i ncgo d eds o n o tp r o v i dm
governing
rigidguidelines
baluster
installation,
butmostcodes
require
themto be
nomorethan6 inches
apart.
Asshown
at
right,stairs
typically
feature
twobalusters
pertread;
forvisual
balance,
space
them
a n e q u adl i s t a n caep a r tT. h ef r o n to n e
just
positioned
oneachtreadistypically
behind
thenosing.
Thebackbaluster
is
thenpositioned
halfway
between
thefront
b a l u s t earn dt h ef r o n tb a l u s t eornt h e
treadabove.

TYPICALEALU?TER
LAYOUT

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r) Cutting
dovetails
onthebalusters
L Forbalusters
posithatwillbedovetailed
intothetreads,
tiona baluster
upagainst
theendof thetreadandoutline
the
youcut in it onthebottomof thebaluster.
socket
Thensecure
thebaluster
in a viseandcutthedovetail
usinga dovetail
saw
(above).
Usethef inished
baluster
asa template
to outline
the
remaining
orres.

balusters
to lengh
Q Cutting
\,, Fitthebottom
of thebaluster
intoitstreadand,holding
it
perfectly
upright
against
thehandrail,
marka lineon it along
theunderside
of therail(above).
Marka second
lineabove
thefirst,offsetfromit bythedepthof thegroove
in therail.
Sawthebalusters
to length
alongthissecond
marked
line.

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STAIRS

the balusters
in place
,{ Fastening
T O n c ea l l t h e b a l u s t e rasr ec u r r o
l e n g t hi,n s t a ltlh e mo n ea t a t i m e .P o s i t i o n
t h e b a l u s t ebr e t w e e tnh e t r e a da n d t h e
h a n d r a ial ,n dd r i l lt w op i l o th o l e sf o r f i n i s h
n a i l st h r o u g ht h e t o p e n do f t h e b a l u s t e r
i n t ot h e u n d e r s i doef t h e r a i l .G l u et h e b o t tom of the balusterto the tread.lf youare
u s i n gd o v e t a i l sa,l s od r i v ea n a i lt h r o u g h
the dovetail
and intothe tread;for tenoned
b a l u s t e r tsh, e a d h e s i vies a d e q u a t eT.h e n
a d d g l u et o t h e t o p e n d o f t h e b a l u s t e r ,
b u t t i t a g a i n stth e h a n d - r a ial ,n dn a i li t r n
place(right).To hidethe gapsin the handr a i l g r o o v eb e t w e e nb a i u s t e r sc,u t w o o d
s t r i p sa b o u t% i n c ht h i c k ,c a l l e df i l l e t s .
G l u ea n d n a i lt h e mi n p l a c e .

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upthejob
f, Finishing
r-,f Onceall the balusters
arein place,
complete
thestaircase
byinstalling
return
nosings
to cover
theendgrainof thetreads
ontheopen-stringer
side.Makethenosings
byripping
themfromrounded-over
tread
stock;thewidthof the pieces
shouldbe
t h es a m ea st h eo v e r h a nogf t h et r e a d
nosings
fromthe risers(page125).Saw
thereturnnosings
to extend
to theopen
stringer,
mitering
theendsto matchthe
miteryoucutonthetreads.
Glueandnail
thenosings
in place
andsetthenails.
To
conceal
theendgrainof thereturnnosings,
s i t ho n e4 5 " a n g l ea n d
c u te n dp i e c ew
(left).Holdthe
gluethemto thenosings
e n dp i e c e isn p l a c ew i t hm a s k i ntga p e
u n t i lt h ea d h e s r vc eu r e s .

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139

GLOSSARY
A-B.C
Apron: In stool-and-apronwindow
casing,a horizontal pieceof window
trim installedbeneaththe stool.
Baluster: A vertical post mounted
betweenthe handrail and treads
oppositethe wall sideof a staircase.
Baseboard:Decorativetrim installed
around the perimeter of a room at
the baseof the walls.
Bead:A convexprofile, usually
semicircular.
Bedmolding: A type of crown molding featuring reversedcurves;often
usedaspart of a formal cornice.
Bevelcut Sawingat an anglefrom
faceto facethrough the thicknessor
along the length of a workpiece.
Built-up baseboard:A type of baseboard built up from severalelements,
suchasbase-and-shoe
baseboard.
Cap rait A molded rail installedat
the top of wainscoting.
Casing:Decorativetrim usedto
frame a window or door.
Chair rait Decorativetrim installed
on walls, usuallyabout 3 feet above
the floor. Tiaditionally servedto prevent chair backsfrom damagingwalls.
Closed stringer: A 2-by-10 or 2-by12 that is mortised to acceptand
support the endsofthe treadsand
risersof a stairway;usually adjacent
to a wall. Seeopenstringer.
Compound cut: A cut through a
board at anglesother than 90" relative to the faceand edgeof stock.

Cope-and-stickjoinery: A method
ofjoining stilesand rails in frameand-paneldoors and windows. Cut
with a router or shaper,the joint
featuresmating tonguesand grooves
and a decorativemolding along the
inside edgesof the boards.

Furring strip: A narrow strip of

wood nailed to wall studsto support
molding or wainscoting.

Copedjoint: A method ofjoining

two piecesof molding at an inside
corner.The end ofone board is cut
so that it fits preciselyagainstthe
contoured faceof the mating board.

Glazingbarhalf-lap joint A method

ofjoining the rails and mullions of a
window sashwith mitered half-laps.

Countersinking: Drilling a hole that

enablesa screwheadto lie flush
with or slightly below the surface.
Cove molding: Trim featuring a
concaYeprofile.
Crosscufi Sawingacrossthe grain
of a workpiece.
Crown molding: Decorative trim
installedaround the perimeter of a
room at the top of the walls;also
known ascornicemolding.
D-E-F-G-H-I
Dado: A rectangularchannelcut
into a workpiece.
Double-hung window: A type of
window consistingof two sashes
that slideverticallywithin a jamb.

Glass-stop molding: Decorative

strips of wood usedto hold a pane
of glassin a window sash.

Glueblock In stairbuilding, a
triangular pieceof wood glued and
nailed under the joint of a tread
and riser to reinforcethe ioint betweenthem.
GooseneclcA nearlyvertical piece
of railing connectinga handrail to
the upper newelpost of a staircase.
Half-blind dovetait A joinery
method involving interlocking pins
and sockets;commonly usedto ioin
balustersto treads.
Hinge jamb: The sideof a door
jamb adjoining the hinge sideof
the door.
l-K-L-M-N-O-P-Q
famb extension:A wooden frame
installedon awindow jamb to bring
it flush with the interior wall.
Joist A horizontalsupport for a floor.

End grain: The arrangementand

direction of the wood fibersrunning
acrossthe endsofa board.
Formal cornice: An elaboratetype
of crown molding built up from a
box-like soffit-and-fasciaassembly
decoratedwith strips of crown and
bed molding.
Frame-and-panel door: A door
consistingof panelscontained
within a framework of stiles,rails,
and mullions.

Kicker: A2-by-4 attachedto the

subfloorto anchorthe stringersat
the bottom of a staircase.
Kingstud: Avertical framing member adjoining the rough opening for
a door.
Ledgerboard: A2-by-4 attachedto
the headboardat the top ofa staircaseto support the stringers.

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LeveLHorizontal; parallelto the

floor or ceiling. Seeplumb.
Miter cut A cut that anglesacross
the faceof a workpiece;seebevelcut.
Moldinghead: A solid metal wheel
installedon the arbor of a table saw
or radial arm sawfor forming moldings;holds three identical knives.
Mortise-and-tenon joint: A joinery
techniquein which a projecting
tenon on one board fits into mortise
in another.
Mortise: A hole cut into a pieceof
wood to receivea tenon.
Mullion: A vertical member between
two rails of a frame.
Nailer: A 2-by-4 installedhorizontallybetween wall studsto support
wall paneling.
Newel post A wooden post fastened
to the handrail and treadsat the top
and bottom ofa staircase.
Open stringer: A 2-by-10 or 2-by12 that is notched to support the
endsofthe treadsand risersofa
stairway;usuallyawayfrom a wall.
Seeclosedstringer.
Picture rai} Decorativetrim installed
on walls, usuallyabout 6 feet above
the floor, for hangingpicture frames.
Pilot hols A hole bored into a workpieceto prevent splitting when a
screwis driven; usuallymade slightly smallerthan the threadedsection
of the screw.
Pilot bearing: A free-spinningmetal
collar on a piloted router bit that
follows the edgeof the workpiece
or a template to keep the cutting
depth uniform.

Plinth: A decorativewood block

installedbetweenthe sidecasingof
a door and the floor.

Run: The horizontal spanofeach

stepof a staircase;alsoknown as
unit-run. Seerise.

Plumb: Vertical;perpendicularto
the floor and ceiling. Seelevel.

Scarfjoint A methodofjoining
two lengthsof molding end to end
by bevelingboth pieces.

Preacher:A U-shapedjig usedto

mark the length of a pieceof molding that butts againstdoor trim or
a plinth.
R-S
Rabbet A step-likecut in the edge
or end of a board; usuallyforms
part of a joint.
Rait The horizontal member of a
frame-and-panelassembly;seestile.
Return nosing: A pieceof tread
stock nailed and glued to the openstringer end ofa tread to concealthe
end grain ofthe tread and the bottom endsof the balusters.
Reveal The gap betweenthe inside
faceof awindow or door jamb and
the inside edgeof the trim installed
on it.

Soleplate: A horizontal framing

member installedon the subfloor
to support the wall studs.
Stair button: A commercialjig
attachedto a carpentert squareto
lay out the rise-and-runof a staircaseon the stringers;usuallyused
rn parrs.
Stile: The vertical member of a
frame-and-panelassembly.Seerail.
Stool The horizontal component
of stool-and-aproncasingthat juts
out and forms the sill of the finishedwindow.
Wall stud: A vertical member forming walls and supporting the framework of a building.

T-U-V.W-X-Y-Z
Rip cufi A sawcut that follows the
grain of a workpiece.
Rise The vertical distancebetween
two adjoining stepson a staircase;
alsocalledunit-rise. Seerun.
Riser:A board that closesthe vertical spacebetweenstair treads.
Rosette:A decorativewood block
installedat the upper cornersof
window or door casing.
Rough opening: The wall opening
into which awindow or door iamb
is installed.

r4l

Top plate: A horizontal framing

member installedalong the top of
the wall studs.
Tread: Forms a stepof a staircase.
Treadnosing: The rounded front
edgeofa stairtread.
Volute: A spiral sectionof a staircasehandrail, usually ending at the
newelpost.
Wainscoting: Wall panelingthat
coversthe lower part of a wall.

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INDEX
Pagereferencesin italicsindicate an
illustration of subjectmatter. Page
references
in bold indicate a Build
It Yourselfproject.

A-B-C-D
Balusters,136
Chamfering,l3T
Installation, 138-139
Tiead preparation, 127
Twning,I3T
Baseboards,
12,23
Base-and-sh
oe,24
Built-up,25
Installation,26
insidecorners,26-27
outside corners,2B-29
store-boughtcorner pieces
(ShopTip),29
foinery, 2i,26-29
Bevelcuts, 18
Doors,102,106
Build It Yourself:
Doors
door bucks,104
Windows
revealgauges,53
Butted sill casings,65
Cap rails, 38
Carpenter'ssqtares,front endpaper
Trr;'eing,front endpaper
Casings:
Doors,85,86,112-113
Windows, 12
butted sill, 65
correcting poor-fitting miters,
66-68
picture-frame, 58,61-65
stool-and-apron,57, 58,69-72
temporary braceto hold
window aprons(Shop
Tip),72

Ceilings:
Paneled,52-55
Chair rails, 12,30-32
Coffered ceilings,52-55
Combinationplanes,25
Compound cuts, 18
Coping saws,15
Crosscutting,IZ
Crown moldings, 12, 30,33-35
Formal cornices,36-37
Doors,7, 13,85-86
Beveling,102,106
Binding,102,106
Casings,85,86, 112-113
Doorstops,98-99
Exterior,85,86
Frame-and-panel, 90-94
Hanging,85,86, 105-106
Hardware,89
locksets,107-111
Hinges,103,105
butt hinges, 84
mortises,100-102
sizes,103
Interior,85,86
lambs,95-97
hinge mortises,100-102
Styles,86,87
E-F-G.H-I
Eakes,Jon,8-9
Finish nailers,14,21
Frame-and-panelconstruction:
Ceilings,52-55
Doors,90-94
Wainscoting,39, 40, 41, 46-51
Glass-stop moldings, 79-80
Glazingbar half-lapjoints, 8l-83
Handrails,132-133
Floatinghandrails,135
Installation,134-135

142

Hardware:
Doors,89
locksets,107-111
SeealsoHinges
Hinges:
Doors, 89
butt hinges,84,89
mortises,88,100-102
sizes,103

I-K-t
|igs:
Doors
door bucks,104
hinge-mortisingjigs, 88
jamb jigs, 88,95
Moldings
preachers,23
Stairs
calculatingrise-and-run,I 15
Windows
auxiliary tablesfor power
miter saws,68
mortising jigs for routers, 75
revealgauges,63
|oinery:
Baseboards,
23,26-29
Paneling
cope-and-stickjoints, 46, 47-48
tongue-and-groove,43
Windows,76,78
glazngbar half-lap joints, 8l-83
Log-builder's scribes,42
Lumber.SeeWoods
M-N-O-P-Q
Miter boxes,15
Miter cuts, 17
Baseboards
inside corners,26
outside corners,28

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Crown moldings, 34-35

Windows
correcting,6G6T
Moldings,8,12,2I-22
Cap rails, 38
Chair rails,30-32
Crown moldings, 30, 33-35
formal cornices,36-37
Fitting
scribing, /ro nt endpaper
Glass-stopmoldings, 56,79-80
installing the molding with a
hammer (ShopTip), 80
Milling, backendpaper
Picture rails, 30
Rosettes,58,73-74
shop-maderosettecutters
(ShopTip),74
SeealsoBaseboards;
Casings
Mortises:
Door hinges,100-102
Nails:
Finishing, backendpaper
Newel posts,128-129
Chamfering,130
Handrail attachments,134-135
Installation, 130-I 3 1
Twning,l29
Paneling,12
Cap rails, 38
Ceilings,52-55
Frame-and-panelwainscoting,
39,40,41,46
cope-and-stickframes,47-48
installation, 49-51
raising the panels,48-49
Tongue-and-groove,39, 40, 42-43
installation, 44-45
Panels:
Raised,46,93
Patchingcompounds,backendpaper
Picture-framecasings,58,61-65
Picture rails, 12,30

Portableelectric planers,88
Powermiter saws,l5 6B

R-S-T-U
Railings. SeeBalusters;Handrails;
Newel posts
Ripping, 16
Rosettes,58,73-74
Shop-maderosettecutters
(ShopTip),74
Routers:
Mortising jigs, 75
Thbles,14
Router tables, 14
Schuttner,Scott,l0-1 1
Scribing,/ront endpaper,42
Shapers,-14
ShopTips:
Moldings,29
Windows,68,72,74,80
Sliding compound miter saws,15,
16,18
Stairs,lI, 12-13,114-II5
Anatomy,116-117
Rise-and-runcalculation,1 15,117
Risers,125-126
Stringers
installation, 122
length calculation, 117
making, 118-121
Tieads
balusters,127
installation,126
making, 123-125
SeealsoBalusters;Handrails;
Newel posts
Stool-and-aproncasings,57, 58,
69-72
Thblesaws,14, 16-17
Taylor, Grant,6-7
Tongue-and-groovewainscoting,
39,40, 42-45

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r43

Tools:
Carpenter'ssquarcs,fr ont
endpaper
Combination planes,25
Coping saws,15
Finish naifers, 14,21
Log-builder's scribes,42
Miter boxes,15
Molder/planers,15,20
Portableelectric planers, 88
Powermiter saws,15, 68
Routers
mortising jigs, 25
tables,14
Shapers,14
Sliding compound miter saws,
15,16,18
Thblesaws,14, 16-17
Vertical vises,88

V-W.X-Y-Z
Vertical vises,88
Wainscoting. SeePaneling
Windows,12,57
Casings,12
butted sill, 65
picture-frame, 58,61-65
stool-and-apron,57, 58,69-72
temporary braceto hold window aprons(ShopTip), 72
Double-hung,59-60
Glass-stopmoldings, 56,79-80
installing the molding with a
hammer (ShopTip), 80
Glazingbar half-lapjoints, 8l-83
lambs,61-62
Rosettes,58,73-74
shop-maderosettecutters
(ShopTip), 74
Sashes,75-79
Wood, 19
Patchingcompounds, back
endpaper

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Theeditorswishto thank thefollowing

Machineo,n"r,..Ltil1l:":fftHl:""?*:ttt"tt
DeltaInternational

GA;
werroolsu.s.A.Ltd.,Norcross,

|et Equipmentand Tools,Auburn,WA; Tool TrendLtd.,Concord,Ont.;Williamsand HusseyMachineCo.,Inc.,Wilton, NH

MOLDING
AdjustableClamp Co., Chicago,IL; Delta InternationalMachinery/PorterCable,Guelph,Ont.; GreatNeck SawMfrs. Inc.
(Buck Bros.Division), Millbury, M,L; JetEquipmentand Tools,Auburn, WA; LeeValleyTools Ltd., Ottawa,Ont.; Blair McDougall,
Brome Lake,Que.;RichardsEngineeringCo., Ltd., Vancouver,BC; SandvikSawsand Tools Co., Scranton,PA;
Tools,Division of the StanleyWorks, New Britain, CT; Tool Trend Ltd.,
Sears,Roebuckand Co., Chicago,Ii; Stanle-y
Concord,Ont.; Walter Tomalty EnterprisesLtd., Montreal, Que;Williams and HusseyMachineCo., Inc., Wilton, NH
PANELING
AdjustableClamp Co., Chicago,IL; Delta InternationalMachinery/PorterCable,Guelph,Ont.; Hitachi PowerTools U.S.A.Ltd.,
Norcross,GA; JetEquipmentand Tools,Auburn, WA; LeeValleyTools Ltd., Ottawa,Ont.; RichardsEngineeringCo., Ltd.,
Vancouver,BC; Shopsmith,Inc., Montreal, Que.;StanleyTools,Division of the StanleyWorks, New Britain, CT;
Tool Tiend Ltd., Concord,Ont.; Williams and HusseyMachine Co., Inc., Wilton, NH
DOORS
AdjustableClamp Co., Chicago,IL; AmericanTool Cos.,Lincoln, NE; Delta InternationalMachinery/PorterCable,Guelph,Ont.;
De-Sta-Co,Troy,-Ml/WainbeeLtd., Montreal, Que.;GeneralTools ManufacturingCo., Inc., New York, NY; GreatNeck SawMfrs.
Inc. (Buck Bros.Division), Millbury, MA; Hitachi PowerTools U.S.A.Ltd., Norcross,GA; JetEquipmentand Tools,Auburn, WA;
LeeValleyTools Ltd., Ottawa,Ont.; Putnam Products,Old Saybrook,CT; RecordTools Inc., Pickering,Ont.; Sears,Roebuck
and Co., Chicago,IL; StanleyTools,Division of the StanleyWorks, New Britain, CT; Tool Trend Ltd., Concord,Ont.
WINDOWS
AdjustableClamp Co., Chicago,IL; AmericanTool Cos.,Lincoln, NE; Delta InternationalMachinery/Porter9able, Guelph,Ont.;
De-Sta-Co,Troy,-Ml/WainbeeLtd., Montreal, Que.;GeneralTools ManufacturingCo., Inc., New York, NY; GreatNeck SawMfrs.
Inc. (Buck Bros.Division), Millbury, MA; fet Equipmentand Tools,Auburn, WA; Marvin Windows and Doors Inc., Toronto, Ont.;
Blair McDougall,Brome Lake,Que.;RecordTools Inc., Pickering,Ont.; RobertSor\ Ltd., Sheffield,U.K./BusyBeeMachine Tools,
Concord,Ont.; Sears,Roebuckand Co., Chicago,IL; StanleyTools,Division of the StanleyWorks, New Britain, CT;
Tool Trend Ltd., Concord,Ont.; Vermont AmericanCorp., Lincolnton, NC and Louisville,KY
STAIRS
AdjustableClamp Co., Chicago,IL; AmericanTool Cos.,Lincoln, NE; Colonial EleganceInc., Montreal, Que.;
Ont.; GreatNeck Saw
Delta InternationalMaihinerylPorter Cable,Guelph,Ont.; FreudWestmoreTools,Ltd., Mississauga,
Mfrs. Inc. (Buck Bros.Division), Millbury, MA; LeeValleyTools Ltd., Ottawa,Ont.; RecordTools Inc., Pickering,Ont.;
SandvikSawsand Tools Co., Scranton,PA; Sears,Roebuckand Co., Chicago,IL; Skil Canada,Ltd., Toronto, Ont.; StanleyTools,
and Equipment,Division of the Ivy Group, Inc.,
Division of the StanleyWorks, New Britain, CT; ThoroughbredSawhorses
Valparaiso,IN; Tool Trend Ltd., Concord,Ont.; Vermont AmericanCorp., Lincolnton, NC and Louisville,KY
in thepreparationof this book:
Thefollowingpersonsalsoassisted
Lorraine Dor6, Graphor Consultation,GenevidveMonette

PICTURE CREDITS
Cover RobertChartier
6,7 Alan Briere
8,9 Marie LouiseDeruaz
10,11CharlesMason
30 CourtesyOrnamentalMouldings
39 CourtesyPatellaIndustries,Inc.
114CourtesyBoiseriesRaymond,Inc.
128CourtesyBoiseriesRaymond,Inc.
132CharlesMason

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WORKSHO
GPU I D E
MIttINGELABORATE
MOLDINGS
Youcanusea combination
of router
bits,shaper
cutters,
or molding
head
knives
to millan impressive
array
of
molding
designs
ona workpiece-for
a fraction
of thecostof a specialtv

cutteror a lengthof custom-milled ogeecurvecuttermounted

onthe
molding,
A decorative
molding
bitand tablesawcancreatecrownmolding
coreboxbit,forexample,
cantrans- (below,right).
forma boardintoa chairrailmolding
(below,
left).A beadcutterandan

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W(|OD
PATCHING
COMPOUNDS
TYPE

CHARACTERISTICS

USES

COMPATIBITITIES

Wood
filler

Solvent-or water-based;
depending
on type,can be tintedwith stainor
purchased
pre{inted

Fillinglargeholes,gouges,
cracksand dents

Compatible
withmostfinishes;
applyeitherbefore
or afterstain

Waxstick

Wax-and resin-based;
availablein
a varietyof colors.

F i l l i n gs m a l lh o l e ss, c r a t c h e s
and cracks

Maybe incompatible
withlacquer;
a p p l ya f t e fri n i s h i n g

Shellac
stick

S h e l l a ca- n dr e s i n - b a s eadv; a i l a b l e
in a varietyof colors.Setsquickly
to form a hardsurface

Fillingscratches,
dentsand
gouges

M a yb ei n c o m p a t i b
wliet ha l c o h o l or lacquer-based
finishes;
apply
eitherbefore
or afterfinishing

Shop-made
filler

Sawdustmixedwith binder,such
a s g l u eo r s h e l l a cc; a n b e t i n t e d
with stain

Fillingnanowcracks,gaps
a n ds m a l lh o l e s

Compatible
withmostfinishes

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FINISHING
NAITS
"Penny"
Rating:
Untilthedevelopment
of cutnailsat the
TENGTH
beginning
of the19thCentury,
nailswereforged
individual"penny"
"PENNY''
ly by hand.The
system
nowassociated
withthe
sizeof nailsreflected
theircostbased
onthegreater
metal RATII{G INCHES
content
of larger
nails.Thesystem
isstillcommonly
used, 2d
butit is moreconfusing
thanhelpful.
Forsizesupto 10d,
3d
I%
youcancalculate
a nail'sactuallength
bydividing
thepenny- +o
ty,
sizeby4 andadding
%inch.Forexample,
a 6d nailis 2
5d
I%
inches
long(6 divided
by4 plusY,inch= 2 inches;.
6d

DIAMETER
(Gauge
number)
SHANK

HEAD

16%
15%
I5
15

13v,

t5

I2%

T2
I2
10