Altar Instructions

From Liber XV:

“In the East, that is, in the direction of Boleskine, which is situated on the South-Eastern shore of Loch
Ness in Scotland, two miles east of Foyers, is a shrine or High Altar. Its dimensions should be seven
feet in length, three feet in breadth, 44 inches in height.”

We want our end product to be- 7 x 3 at 44 inches tall.

The design consists of five pieces. A front, a back, two sides and a top.

The front and back pieces are identical (With the exception of any frontispiece that may be added), and
the two side pieces, other than possible inconsistencies in the holes drilled for the bolts, are also
identical. The top is removable, and does not require a mechanical connection.

The only mechanical connections on the Altar are the eight side-bolts.

You will need:

4- 4x8 sheets of a high grade ¾ inch thick hardwood plywood. I like the ¾ inch rotary cut Red Oak.
Rotary Cut gives a “loud” grain pattern that does not have any splice lines. They make it by spinning
the log and shaving off as it turns, creating a long sheet that comes of f of the tree like a roll of paper
towels. Other types of cuts like “Quarter sawn” will have a different effect on the grain pattern. And
lend themselves to a less dynamic finish. (make sure there is edge banding available for your wood
before making a final decision on wood species)
2- 8 foot 4x4s

4- 8 foot 2x2s

1 roll of red oak heat and stick-style edge banding(or what ever wood you pick: make sure there is edge
banding available for your wood before making a final decision on wood species)

8- T-nuts like these: http://www.homedepot.com/b/Tools-Hardware-Hardware-Fasteners-Nuts-Tee-

Nuts/N-5yc1vZc2a4 -These eliminate the need for an inner nut, and make set up and tear down quick
and easy.

8- bolts at least 5 inches long, a little longer is better. These need to be the same thread pattern and size
as your t-nuts.

Table saw or circular saw and guide.

Sander and sandpaper 80 grit and 220 grit
wood glue
wood clamps
an iron
Drill/screw gun
Paddle-bit at the correct diameter to accept the bolts.
Saw Horses
Paintbrushes, at least one good finishing brush, something cheaper is fine for staining.
1 smaller 2 inch brush.
Polyurethane topcoat- a half/gallon is probably enough.
Stain of your choosing. I personally recommend an oil based stain, rather than a water/alcohol based
dye for this project, as dye is difficult to apply to larger surfaces without blotching and streaking.

I think that covers it, but there will be other unmentioned supplies that you will need like a ton of good
cotton rags and other basic shop necessities that I may have overlooked.

The Construction
Design:

The front and back pieces are both made by cutting two perfectly square sheets that are 43 1/4 inches
tall, and exactly seven feet wide.
The side pieces are cut from one sheet, one from each end, so as to maintain as many “factory” edges
as possible. They should be 43 ¼ tall, and 33 ½ inches wide.

The perfect factory edges of all front and side pieces should be the part of the board that touches the
ground.

Construct:

The 4x4's should be cut into four 36 inch lengths.

The 4x4s are glued to the inside of the front and back pieces. First a perfectly square line is drawn
vertically, 1 1/2 inches from the edge of each end. This will be the line that determines how the side
panel will sit in relation to the floor. A perfectly square line is important here to maintain a “plumb”
side. The side piece is intentionally inset 3/4 inch on each side to obscure the bolts and to increase the
stability of the altar (and the connection).

Place the 4x4 on the board and line it up. It should be closer to the floor than to the top. It should
almost touch the floor. It can touch(flush to the bottom), but I recommend setting it about 1/8 inch shy
of flush. This will make for better alignment of the side pieces. We want space at the top to allow the
upper portions of the sides and the front and back the ability to “give” a little. This is what we want.

Scribe a line along the top, bottom, and other side of the board. Do this on both ends of the piece.

Coat one surface of the 4x4 generously with wood glue, thick and even. Spread wood glue thinly onto
the spot you marked on the panel as well, really thin and even, not quite extending all the way to the
lines.

Place the 4x4 on your lines perfectly, and clamp tightly. Pay attention, as the clamps have a tendency to
slip and push your board off the line. Get everything locked in just right.. Do both sides, and let the
glue sit for longer than the product directions suggest. I wouldn't release the clamps for at least a couple
of hours. Longer if it is cold outside.

Repeat this process on the other piece. Remember to always pay attention to which side is the “good
side” and the top vs bottom of your wood. You want all of your best looking pieces showing.
Do not stress the glue joints for at least 24 hours. I would give it longer.
Once the glue joints are completely dried, get a friend or two to help you. Put the sides and the front
and back together and just hold them in place to make sure everything looks right.

Mark and drill 8 holes. The holes should be in the side panels. They should go all the way through the
side piece and the 4x4. Use the paddle bit that corresponds with your bolt diameter. The holes should
be as perfectly straight and true as you can drill them, and be centered on the 4x4, at least 5 inches from
the ends of the 4x4s (remember they don't go all the way up and down..

Mark the insides of your wood to indicate which piece is which (I used north south east and west).

Take everything back apart and set the side pieces aside.

The t-nuts are now installed on the back side of the 4x4s. DO NOT beat them in with a hammer! DO
NOT do this with the side pieces on, they will get damaged. Insert the bolt through the 4x4 and start it
into the t-nut on the back side(the inside) and screw it together tightly until the t-nut is seated in the
wood. Really crank it down tight. You should try to keep everything as straight as possible to make dis-
assembly and reassembly quick and easy. Remove the bolts.

Reassemble the altar and bolt it up lightly to make sure everything matches up well. You should always
be using fairly large washers to prevent damage to your side-pieces.
The Top:

The top for the Altar should be exactly 7 feet long and 3 feet wide. It will meet with the exact length of
the front and back, but will overhang ½ on the front and back of the Altar, and 3/4 inch on the actual
side pieces.

The 2x2 serves to both add stability to the Altar's top, and to serve as a “lip” that the sides and top will
push against lightly to keep it in place. The top does not have a mechanical connection to the rest of the
Altar.

If everything was cut correctly, the measurements to this lip from the edge of the top should be:
1 ¼ from the front and back (East and West), and 1 ½ from the sides (North and South). I recommend
checking these measurements diligently to ensure a proper fit. You might even put the altar back
together and get inside while someone aligns the top perfectly and mark your corners from inside with
a flashlight for certainty. The Idea behind it is that you will build a square frame that will be just a
mildly snug fit when put into place. You want the sides and front to push against the lip ever so slightly
when you put it all together.

Scribe lines and glue/screw it all down making sure that you force the 2x2 to conform to your line,
They are not always straight, so it is important to force them to stay on the line! You will then place
some cross beams on the underside of the top as well to further improve its rigidity. Glue alone is
probably strong enough for these connections, but I added a few screws on these pieces along with the
glue. This helps force the wood to the lines, and eliminates the need for clamping. Be careful to use
screws that will not push through the top of the Altar.
Once this is all dried do a dry-fit. Put the whole thing together and make sure everything is fitting
nicely. At this time, put a mark on each plywood edge that will be showing. It should be the edges all
the way around the top, and the sides of the front and back pieces. This is where you will place your
edge banding.
Install the edge banding on all of these edges. Plywood edges are ugly, and this gives a much more
professional look. Cut each piece one at a time, and tape it roughly into place. Use an Iron to stick it to
the edge, keeping the more visible side perfectly flush with the edge. Iron it on in short sections, and
use a block of wood to really push it down, running it across the warm spots repeatedly while applying
downward pressure to make a nice strong bond while the material cools. Then move along repeating
the process until the piece is firmly installed. Carefully trim the overhang. They make a specific tool for
this, but you can do it with a razor knife if you are careful. Repeat this on all showing edges.
Finishing:

Sand each piece inside and out, top to bottom with the 80 grit sandpaper. Be careful not to sand too
deep, as the plywood layers are thin, and you do NOT want to break the top layer. I recommend a
vibrating sander. STAY OFF OF THE EDGES WITH THE 80 GRIT!!!

Sand all showing sides (The outside) thoroughly with the 220 grit sandpaper, again, I recommend a
vibrating sander. Be careful on the edge banding. You DO want to sand it with the 220, and you want to
get the corners and edges feathered in, but be gentle, as you don't want to sand away the edge banding.
A little on the very edge is fine, as you want a smooth look, but not too much. Someone with
experience should easily be able to make this look great.

You can do all of the sanding and finish-work one piece at a time if you choose to, but I think it is
better to get all of the sanding and construction out of the way now, clean your shop up thoroughly and
remove as much sawdust from the environment as possible to avoid getting it in your finish..

You are now ready to finish your altar. Staining and clear coating takes time, focus, and forethought.
Here are some tips:

Staining Tips: when applying stain, FLOOD the surface with the stain. Keep it wet. Do not let the stain
dry, if you let it dry on the edge of a brush stroke, it can cause an uneven tone. Cover the whole piece
and keep going back to make sure everything stays wet. When you have the piece covered, continue
keeping the stain thick and wet for 5 minutes or so. Then wipe off the excess with cotton rags. Try to do
it as quickly and evenly as possible. Don't try to take it all off in one pass. Leave it a little wet and work
from the same side that you started applying it from. Then use a clean rag to get everything wiped up
on a second pass, again starting from where you originally applied it. Stain sits mostly on top of the
wood, so try to use even strokes and pressure when removing the stain to avoid streaking.

Allow the stain to dry completely before moving on to clear coat.

At this point, if you plan to affix a symbol to the Altar, you should use wood glue to do that. Be sure the
glue is completely dry before you clear coat the piece.
I chose to dye the wood after staining (as pictured above), but dye can be tricky. If you are not
experienced, I suggest just working with stains..

Clear Coating Tips:

If you plan to coat the inside with a coat of the clear to seal it, I would do that first. Make sure your
pieces are visibly marked (North South East West) and put a single layer of the clear coat on. Allow it
to dry for 24 hours or so.
I do not sand between coats. I believe it is unnecessary, and that people who advocate it are
perpetuating a myth. Unless a piece has cured for 1-2 weeks, or has imperfections that warrant being
sanded out, it is not necessary. However, I do recommend that the coats be applied when the previous
coat is just barely tacky. Close to dry, but not quite.
You should apply at least 3 coats of the polyurethane topcoat. A very thin layer, followed by a thick
layer, and finished with a thinner layer. The second coat should be thick enough to fill any
imperfections and flow out nice and level.

When applying the clear coat, cover the entire surface and then go back across everything with your
brush using long, intentional strokes that span the length of the piece, to even everything out and
eliminate as many brush marks as you can. You want everything to be as smooth and even as possible
before you leave it to dry.

IF there are imperfections after the second coat, you may wish to wait for the piece to dry well, and
sand with a 320(or higher) grit sandpaper to even it out before the final coat.

If it's not shiny enough, put on another coat..

Once all pieces have been finished and dried at least 48 hours each, put them aside in your shop and
forget about them for 2 weeks. The longer the better. The topcoat will appear dry in a day or two, but it
takes a couple of weeks(or longer) for it to really cure out hard and be a more protective finish. And
actually, it will cure further over the first month. During this time, great care should be taken so as to
avoid denting or scratching the finish. Pieces can stick together and other things can stick and leave
marks until the topcoat has fully cured.

I believe I have covered everything here. I encourage you to scrutinize my measurements and make
sure that I have not made any measurement errors here. I have not kept track of my original
measurements, and you should use your own common sense to check and re-check all of your
measurements to make sure things work out correctly, but this should give you a great starting point.

I also recommend that if you are not experienced with finishing, that you take the time to watch a
bunch of Youtube videos about it. You will get to see the techniques for yourself, and get a better Idea
of how to make the finished product as good as it can be. The same with the edge banding in particular,
you should watch some videos about how to install it. Along with anything else you need to.
I do hope this will be helpful to you, and wish you many wonderful Masses with it! I would love to see
some pictures!

Fraternally,
Frater Oz