Black & Decker The Complete Guide to Outdoor Carpentry: Complete Plans for Beautiful Backyard Building Projects PDF
Preview Black & Decker The Complete Guide to Outdoor Carpentry: Complete Plans for Beautiful Backyard Building Projects
The Complete Guide to OUTDOOR CARPENTRY Updated 2nd Edition Complete Plans for Beautiful Backyard Building Projects Contents Introduction SEATING PROJECTS Side-by-side Patio Chair Knockdown Garden Bench Five-board Bench Sling-back Adirondack Chair Classic Adirondack Chair Porch Swing Porch Swing Stand Sheltered Swing Slatted Garden Bench Rose Bench Recyclables Bench Luxury Sun Lounger DINING & ENTERTAINING PROJECTS Outdoor Serving Cart Trestle Table and Benches Cedar Patio Table Teahouse Table Set Table To Go Folding Table Occasional Table Children’s Picnic Table Traditional Picnic Table Patio Prep Cart Pitmaster’s Locker Timberframe Sandbox YARD & GARDEN PROJECTS High-low Potting Bench Trellis Planter Versailles Planter Jumbo Cold Frame Pump House Compost Bin Pagoda Lantern YARD STRUCTURES Freestanding Arbor Large Arbor Firewood Shelter Cloud Lift Garden Gateway SPECIAL SECTION: GARDEN BRIDGES Conversions Credits/Resources Index Introduction ven more than inside the house, there are a vast number of carpentry projects that you can E make to embellish your outdoor living areas. The diversity reflects the incredible variety within landscape styles and yard topography and uses. The range of outdoor projects varies from some that are almost purely utilitarian—such as the Firewood Shelter on page 206—to those that are almost purely aesthetic, such as the Simple Garden Bridge on page 232, which can add immeasurably to your landscape even if there is no real reason for it to be there. Many of the projects in this book straddle the line between use and appearance. The Cloud Lift Garden Gateway on page 210, for example, is one of the most beautiful landscape structures you can consider. But it can also serve an essential function as a welcoming opening in a fence. This much is true to a lesser or greater degree of every project in this book; no matter what practical role it might serve, every one is attractive in its own right. Beyond looks, these projects are also a great way to build your carpentry and DIY skills. We’ve been careful to include projects that represent a wide range of skill levels, but even the hardest among these is doable for the average weekend craftsman. Put together the Traditional Picnic Table on page 134 and you’ll practice mitering different angles in the same structural member. Construct the Large Arbor on page 198, and you’ll gain experience in working with mortise-and-tenon construction and keeping structures plumb as you build them. The Folding Table on page 122 will give you unique insight into how to make a unit that breaks down and is portable. The woodworking and crafting lessons go on and on from there. The ultimate goal, however, is to make additions to your backyard (or front or side yard) that beautify the outdoor space and make it more usable. Whether you’re building a place to sit and get a tan, like the Luxury Sun Lounger on page 76, or adding a handsome workhorse like the Patio Prep Cart on page 138, you’ll find that all the projects in the pages that follow meet that goal in high style. You bring the tools and elbow grease and we’ll supply the photo-driven instructions for projects where function meets one-of-a-kind, beautiful form. Seating Projects ou’ll never fully enjoy your backyard without comfortable seating. Chairs, benches, and Y swings are mainstays of outdoor living. In this chapter you’ll find a dozen seating projects that range from fanciful to simple, classic to retro, and nautical to Eastern-inspired. Each design in this chapter has been carefully shop-tested for comfort. A couple of degrees of slant in a seatback might not appear to make much difference when you’re drawing up a plan, but your body can tell immediately. And if your seating is not comfortable, what use is it? You can be confident that the benches and chairs that follow have been subjected to hands-on (well, not hands exactly) testing from sitters of all sizes. If you are a relative newcomer to carpentry, consider starting with one of the simpler projects, such as the Knockdown Garden Bench or the Slatted Garden Bench. If your skills are a bit more advanced, think about tackling the Porch Swing and Porch Swing Stand or perhaps the Luxury Sun Lounger that’s crafted from mahogany and features stainless steel brightwork. In this chapter:
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