Cabinet crown mouldings are the finishing touch for a kitchen renovation but you need to plan for them early in the project. Once the cabinets are bought (or built) and installed your options are limited to the situation you have in front of you.

Using cabinets of varying heights or "landscaping" as we call it, is a common way to add visual interest to a kitchen. This requires a bit more up-front planning and thought in order to be successful – especially when it comes down to the crown mouldings.

Return or die

As I wrote in my previous article "Cabinet Crown Moulding Tips", crown mouldings need to end in one of two ways:

•  return to a wall or cabinet face (usually) at a 90 degree angle
•  butt or "die" into the side an adjacent cabinet at 90 degrees

I’ve seen examples where people have tried other workarounds and  “fixes" – and that’s exactly what they look like.

Three typical crown moulding examples

I’m going to show three examples of ways to deal with crown moulding at different heights. There are of course, more variations, but these three examples cover the basic design aspects that you need to consider during the planning stages.

Example # 1

This scenario includes both ways to end a lower level crown on adjacent cabinets. The left end of the lower crown dies into the side of a fascia and the right end returns to the face of a recessed light valance above the sink.

The key is that the taller cabinets MUST be deeper than the lower cabinets if you want the crown to die cleanly into the side. A typical 3" high crown will likely have a projection of less than that, but a good rule of thumb is that the taller cabinets should be at least 3" deeper than the lower level cabinets. 

This is most commonly seen on corner wall cabinets with the face at 45 degrees. Have a look at the display kitchens set up in your local building supply store and you’ll most likely see at least one of these.

At the right is a three – dimensional view of the cabinets shown in elevation above. There is just enough depth at the fascia above the corner cabinet to land the lower level crown cleanly into the side.

You may also want to consider a smaller scale crown on the lower cabinets with a projection of 1 1/2 – 2 inches. If you have frameless cabinets, adding a panel to the side of the taller cabinet that’s flush to the face of the door will maximize the space to land the lower crown.

Example # 2

This scenario shows frameless wall cabinets flanking a framed cabinet with open shelves.

The arched top rail above the open shelves adds a design element as well as providing landing space for the lower crown to return.

Note that in the examples above that the upper part of both the open shelves and the window valance extend beyond the cabinets beside them.

Example # 3

This example shows one way of dealing with varying height cabinets that are all the same depth.

Adding a fascia above the lower cabinet provides a place for the lower crown to return even though it’s on the same plane. Although the cabinet above the microwave is shorter, it becomes a focal point in the room by raising the crown to the ceiling and adding a design element to break up what would otherwise be a large blank surface.

Lots of options

Planning for all your mouldings early in your project will offer the most flexibility and give you the best results. Get moulding samples and measure the height and projection rather than guess and discover after the fact that you "could have" made something work.

There’s plenty more to cover on the subject of crown mouldings and I’ll look at other aspects in upcoming articles.

Image: CabinetsByQueenstown

In my previous article a little while back – 5 Reasons to Photograph Your DIY Projects – I suggested several good reasons why you should take progress photos at various stages of your home reno or woodworking projects.

Now I’ll share a few simple photography lighting tips that will help you end up with better images.

This is not a guide to taking magazine-quality photos by any means. That’s in a whole different category.

Camera Equipment

For the purpose of this article I’m assuming that you have a basic point-and-shoot digital camera or cell phone camera with auto focus and auto exposure. If you’re working alone and the pictures you want require you (or your hands) to be in the picture, a small tripod or camera clamp mount are useful.  

Camera shake

Blurry pictures are a result of camera movement while the picture is being taken. This invariably happens in low light conditions when the aperture is wide open and the shutter speed is slower than 1/60th of a second. There are two ways to get around this – add more light or stabilize the camera.

If adding light isn’t an option, then steady the camera using a tripod or other camera mount. You can often achieve reasonable results by pressing your arm against a wall or post, or resting it on a sawhorse, stepladder or car roof and gently squeezing the shutter button.

Some cameras have a self-timer which delays tripping the shutter for a few seconds after you press the button. If you place the camera on a tripod or a stable surface, you can press the button and let go of the camera. This feature is useful for reducing camera shake in low light or if you need to be in the picture to demonstrate a procedure.

Lighting

The origins of the word photography essentially come down to "drawing with light". In a nutshell, the better the lighting – the better the picture. You’ll likely have three potential sources of light depending on your situation and time of day.

1. Natural ambient light from windows (ie. daylight)
2. Artificial room lighting (ie, fluorescent, incandescent, halogen)
3. On-camera Flash

Natural, diffuse (indirect) light from a window will usually give you the best results. The light reflects off all the surfaces in all directions without creating harsh shadows like direct sunlight will.

Cameras often don’t handle the difference in brightness (contrast) between direct sunlight and the surrounding area very well. Sometimes changing your location or camera angle to avoid the sunny area or just waiting twenty minutes for the sun to move can make all the difference in your results. In pinch, you can also try shooting with the flash on – the flash might help to brighten up the dark areas.

Artificial lighting mixed with natural window light will likely give you some colour variations within the image. Daylight (and flash) tend to look blue, incandescent lighting has a yellow cast and fluorescent can look a bit greenish. Your camera will try to determine what is "white" but you’ll inevitably end up with different colours in different areas of the image. Severely off-colour pictures can be improved somewhat with free or inexpensive computer software.

I try to reserve the on-camera flash as a last resort because it can create harsh shadows and presents a very "flat" look. But it does the job when you need it – like in the corner of a basement or late in the day when there is no other light source available. Light from a flash only travels so far, so foreground objects will be much brighter than objects further away.

The picture on the left was taken with the on-camera flash. The picture on right was taken under the exact same shop lighting with the flash disabled.

Auto Exposure

Exposure refers to the total amount of light that reaches the imaging sensor which is achieved in two ways – aperture size and shutter speed. Most of today’s cameras can automate this function to achieve what it "sees" as the best combination of these two variables. The camera’s auto exposure function works quite well in most situations, but there are times when it doesn’t give you what you need.

The most common situation where auto exposure fails is when you’re taking a picture that has a window (or a patch of direct sunlight) in the frame. The camera aperture will close down to "estimate" the middle between the brightest and darkest parts of the image. Usually the scene outside the window will look fine but the interior of the room will be very dark. You can trick some digital cameras by setting the exposure correctly for the interior and then re-framing your shot to include the the window.

Shooting with a window in the picture:

1. Frame the picture you want to take and look at your display. The room interior will likely be very dark with few visible details.
2. Move the camera just enough to place the window at the edge or outside the edge of the display. The wall should brighten up so you can see the details you want. NOTE: it’s better to tilt the camera up or down to keep the auto focusing distance closer to the final framing.
3. Press the button part way  – your camera should try to autofocus and determine the correct exposure.
4. Hold the button and re-frame your shot as you want it. Many cameras will hold the exposure as long as you don’t release the button.
5. Press the button the rest of the way to take the picture.

The picture on the left was taken by just pointing and shooting. The picture on the right was taken using the steps described above.

To get the correct interior exposure with my DSLR, I had to switch to manual exposure since it continuously adjusted for the light entering the lens.

Hopefully, these tips will help shed some light on how to get better results in your DIY pictures under less than ideal lighting situations. I’ll follow up in the final article in this series with a few tips on subject matter and reference points.

Our four-legged family members have become an integral part of our lives and we’ll do almost anything to make them happy.

And by “them” of course, I really mean “us”.

Here’s a statistic that will blow your mind. In 2011, in the worst economy in decades, US households spent $50.96 billion on their pets.

Of course this includes everything – from food & veterinary bills to treats, toys and yes – cat trees.

So what’s a cat tree?

Cat trees are pretty much a "jungle gym" for cats. You can buy them ready-to-assemble in all shapes and sizes. When "Ridiculously Big HUGE Cat Trees" turns up in your Google search, you just KNOW you have to check it out to see exactly HOW RIDICULOUSLY BIG & HUGE cat trees can be.

Any cat-fancying DIYer can build a custom cat climber with a few tools and the right materials. And there’s no shortage of design inspiration for any size you want.

 
Most cat trees are sturdy wooden structures covered with pile carpet, jute or sisal rope. While the carpeting may not be your first choice in home decor, remember those few little claw picks in the couch are just the beginning of a life-long kitty-workout regimen that’s guaranteed to end badly – for your couch.

Feline funhouse

There are a bunch of good reasons that cat trees & climbers have become incredibly popular in cat-loving households:

• Many cats now live exclusively indoors
• Cats need to sharpen their claws regularly
• Cats need daily exercise
• Cats like heights & small spaces
• It’s fun to watch them play

In a nutshell, it all comes down to encouraging healthy exercise that will prolong the life of your cats (and your furniture).

Buy or build?

If you just want one to magically show up on the doorstep in a couple of days you can likely find what you want at Amazon.com. They’ve got an amazing variety of designs and sizes at prices ranging from about US $25.00 to several hundred dollars.

If you’re looking for something a bit different be sure to check out catsplay.com. They have a wide variety of unique designs including a eco-friendly natural cedar tree that would suit even the most elegant home decor.

If you’re itching for a DIY project you can do with your feline friends, there are plans available to guide you through the process. CatTreePlans.com offers 10 designs + 2 bonus scratching posts for $9.95.

Or check out these free instructions at showcatsonline.com for building a cat tree.

Besides a few pieces of lumber and plywood, look around for recycling opportunities – you can use up leftover sections of concrete form tubes, PVC pipe, sisal rope and carpet remnants.

Designer Ideas

If you just can’t live with a carpet-covered jungle-gym or don’t have a big budget, there’s no reason you still can’t draw inspiration from top designers.

These simple and beautiful trees, shelves and scratch pads from squarecathabitat.com would be relatively easy and inexpensive to recreate by substituting poplar, pine or recycled lumber for the $200.00/ sheet Plyboo.

These nifty metal "cat clouds" wall shelves from therefinedfeline.com could also be adapted in wood for a DIY project if you have the proper tools.

Whether you buy or build, providing a playground for your frolicking feline is a great way to keep her (and your furniture) happy and healthy. In return, she’ll reward you with hours of crazy-cat entertainment & dangling cat napping sessions.

Of course, if you REALLY loved her, you’d fork out the $9500.00 for the real deal.

 
Images: CatTreePlans.com; amazon.com; CatsPlay.com; SquareCatHabitat.com TheRefinedFeline.com

Odds are most of you reading this article either have a digital camera or a cell phone that can take pictures – maybe both.

This is the new reality that allows us to document our lives in ways we never would have 10 or 20 years ago.

We get instant results on colour displays that give us a "do over" option on the spot. And you can take thousands of pictures for the price of recharging the batteries and transferring your images to a computer or other storage device.

My life on Kodachrome

My father was a professional portrait photographer so it’s no small wonder I make a point of keeping a camera handy when I’m working on a project. He captured an incredible account of our growing family and local events from the 1940′s to the 1990′s – from the serious to the silly. His basic rule was get the picture – then extract us from whatever stupid situation we got ourselves into.

And I’ve got the embarrassing pictures to prove it.

The point I’m trying to make here is, you can’t go back and get the pictures you didn’t take at the time. This applies to DIY as well. You may not think you’ll want or need pictures now, but what about next week, or next year?

The 5 reasons to take pictures during your project

These are in no particular order but they’re all good reasons to keep your camera handy:

1. Sharing with your friends & family (Facebook, email, Twitter)
2. Getting DIY help on web sites and forums
3. Documenting for house inspection/real estate transactions/insurance
4. Reviewing enclosed spaces to locate pipes, wires, blocking, etc.
5. Creating woodworking plans or blog articles after the fact

SHARING

Digital photography and the internet are made for each other.

It’s so easy to share pictures on Facebook or through email that we can keep our family and friends up-to-date on home renovations along with our other activities. It doesn’t matter if you shoot 100 or 1000 pictures, the idea with this type of sharing is to be selective in what you share. 5 or 10 pictures will bring them up to speed – 50 will send all but the most interested followers scrambling for the delete key.

If you’re going to share pictures by email – do everyone a favour and size them down to fit a typical computer screen (i.e. 1000 x 700 pixels is reasonable) – making your mom scroll around a full-size, 6 megapixel image to figure out what it shows defeats the purpose.

DIY FORUMS

DIY is a learn-as-you-go endeavour and we all run up against situations where we need to consult with experts or experienced amateurs who’ve been down your road that can offer guidance.

Posting pictures of your situation gives others a better idea of what you’re trying to do (or undo) than trying to explain a complex problem. Frequently, the first response to a question on a forum is "can you post some pictures so I can see what you’re talking about?"

FOR THE RECORD

If you ever sell your house, a home inspection will likely be required. Inspectors can only see what’s on the surface, and look for evidence of insulation, structural problems or potential problems.

The days of flipping real estate for a quick buck are pretty much done. Unless you’re trying to hide an inferior reno job, having progress photos of an addition or renovation would be useful for an inspector or potential buyer. It becomes a visual record that can be useful to future homeowners. It shows that you have nothing to hide and just might help to close the sale.

SHOOT FIRST – ANSWER QUESTIONS LATER

I start with before pictures and shoot pictures at all stages of a project – hundreds of them. Some of them are lousy, and I don’t know if I’ll ever need them, but more often than not I go back to look at pictures for reference several times before the project is done.

Pictures are really handy for reviewing where studs, pipes or wires are after you’ve drywalled. Where EXACTLY is that baseboard heater wire your buddy forgot to pull through the drywall while you were at the hardware store? If you’ve got pictures of key plumbing and wiring within the exposed stud walls, you can zero in pretty close to your target and correct the problem with the least amount of damage or re-work.

Websites and plans

If I didn’t take pictures of my projects this website wouldn’t exist – or if it did, it wouldn’t be all that useful. You may not have any thoughts of starting a blog or turning your woodworking project into a full set of plans to sell, but you never know what opportunities could arise in the future.

If you’re an avid woodworker designing your own furniture or cabinets, having a set of in-progress photos in your archives gives you the option to develop plans or write an article after the fact.

Once I’ve completed a project, it can be a year or two before I get around to writing out the instructions, finishing the detail drawings and preparing my woodworking plans. The photos help me to recreate the steps in the process so I can write them up in the correct order and remind me of exactly what I did.

Photo archives

I’ve only used a fraction of the photos that I have taken during our bathroom renovation and the veranda/mudroom addition in articles on this blog and in my Stonehaven Life woodworking plans.

As time allows, I intend to upload them to Flickr Creative Commons to make them available to a broader audience.

I’ll follow up this article soon with a few tips on taking photos of your DIY projects.

When I built the railings for our veranda project, I pre-painted all the components before assembly. Pre-painting allows you prime the end cuts to prevent moisture wicking, you don’t have to kneel or squat for hours on end, and you can do a better overall paint job.

I had about 80 balusters that needed one coat of primer and two finish coats of semi gloss. I painted the balusters in batches of 20-30 as needed to build the railing sections.

Preparing for painting

• You’ll need a couple of packs of small screw eyes and 1 1/2” 4d finish nails.
• The first thing to do is mark the centres on the ends of the balusters. 
• Drive a nail about a 3/8” into the bottom end.
• Insert the the screw eye in the top of the baluster.
• Drill a 1/8” hole about a 1/4” deep near the edge of a scrap board and clamp it to your workbench.

Watch the video

Painting technique

Work from the bottom to the top so you’re always brushing into the wet edge. It’s easiest to paint the bottom half holding it in your hand. Paint the end grain first and work your way up, while rotating the piece and smoothing out any drips or sags.

Once you have the bottom half done, set the nail in the hole. Use the same technique, rotating and tilting the piece to make sure you have good coverage without drips.

As you reach the top end of the piece, shift your hand to the screw eye. Use it to steady and rotate the piece as you finish painting, including the end grain.

Once you’re done just lift it out of the hole and steady the lower end with a finger on the nail.

Hang them up to dry

I have exposed joists in my basement shop so I drove a bunch of 1 1/2” 4d common nails into the lower edge of the joists about 6” apart for hanging the balusters to dry between coats.

Once the the first batch of 30 balusters was dry and ready for assembly, I removed the screw eyes and nails and reused them to prep the next batch for painting.

This technique makes it easy to paint, stain or clearcoat entire pieces without the mess or fingerprints in the finish.

You have handles at each end and can hang them to dry between coats.

Why not give it a try on your next project.

Related Articles

How to Build Traditional Porch Railings

Build No-Sag Gates for Your Porch or Deck

How to Build Porch Skirting, Soffits & Fascias

Stopped flutes are one of my favourite woodworking details. They add an air of sophistication that can turn a nice design into an eye-catching heirloom.

You commonly find stopped flutes on columns and newel posts, as well as on fireplace and cabinet pilasters.

If the work piece is less than 42" long, you can make them quickly and easily using a table-mounted router. Full height pilasters for a tall cabinet are easier to cut using a handheld plunge router with a jig.

Overview

In this example, I was making 2" wide pilasters with two 3/8" wide flutes for a pine recycling cabinet which has a tier of drawers that are 3/4" deeper than the base cabinet. The fluted portion of the pilasters stopped about 7" from the upper end and 4" from the lower end and plinth blocks were added as another detail. The drawings illustrate a stopped flute that begins and ends 2" from the each end of the work piece.

The setup and routing technique is similar to the one described in my How to Make Stopped Chamfers article.

Here’s what you do:

 
Mark guide lines on your work piece to indicate where you want your flutes to start and end. I determined my start and end points using the plinth blocks that would be attached.

To keep things simple, I marked reference lines offset 2" from the start & end points, towards each end of the pilaster. These lines were extended to the back of the stock so I could see them when the work piece was face down during the routing operation.

Install a 3/8" Core Box bit in your table-mounted router and adjust the height so the widest point is just level with the router table.

Move the fence close to the bit. Slide a block of wood up to the edge of the cutter on the left and mark a pencil line on the fence. Repeat this on the right side of the bit. You now have two lines 3/8" apart which indicate where the cutter is during the routing operation.

Mark pencil lines on the fence 2” to the left and 2" to the right as measured from the marks you just made on the fence – these are your start and stop lines.

Move the fence back from the bit to where you want the centre of the flute. In my case the centre of the two flutes were 9/16 from the edges.

Start with a test piece to check your marks, practice your technique and determine the correct feed rate. To avoid burning, start moving the work piece as soon as it’s flat on the router table and lift it as soon as you reach the end mark.

Turn on the router. Hold the stock firmly against the fence with the left end raised above the bit. Align the end (or mark on the back) of the work piece with the start line on the fence. Lower the left end onto the bit and start sliding it smoothly to the left. Keep downward pressure on the piece near the bit to keep the cut depth consistent. Be sure to keep an eye on the end mark so you can be ready to stop the flute.

When the right end (or mark) reaches the right pencil mark, lift it away from the bit to stop the cut. Be sure to keep the edge flat against the fence when you’re lowering and lifting the work piece.

Rotate the piece end for end and repeat the operation to make the second flute.

Sand them by hand with 100 -150 grit paper and a sanding block. If the flutes need sanding, wrap 220 grit sandpaper around a 3/8″ drill bit. Pay particular attention to any open grain areas at the ends of the flutes. If you’re going to use stain instead of paint a final sanding with 220 grit paper is recommended.

Three flutes

If you’re cutting three or five flutes, set up the router to rout the centre flute first. Then adjust the fence and do the outside flutes as described above.

Hand held method

As I mentioned earlier, you can make stopped flutes using a handheld plunge router with a fence attached and stops clamped to the work piece or bench.

There’s also a very good article at World of Wood that describes a technique using shop-built “ramps” at the ends that allow the bit to smoothly exit the work piece, creating a tapered end.

See How to Make Stopped Chamfers

A couple a weeks ago I wrote about the basics of how to make window jamb extensions.

Today, in part 2, I’m going to illustrate 3 three different real life door and window "jambs" that I had to deal with when I trimmed out a mudroom addition a few years ago.

I’ve included a section drawing and before & after photos for each situation.

1. Triple Vinyl Window

I’m not sure if this is the case for all or most vinyl windows, but mine had a 3/4″ wide moulded channel around the edge, designed to accept jam extensions. Too easy. 

I measured the depth from the bottom of the channel to the face of the drywall and ripped the (select pine) boards slightly narrower to make sure I could get them flush to the drywall if the depth varied around the perimeter. I cut the top jamb extension the full length of the channel as well as the sill* (*see footnote) and cut the side jambs to fit between them (the ends butt into the top and sill).

All sides were primed and the exposed surfaces painted before installation.

To install this type of extension, you should insert the jamb extensions most of the way into the channels, leaving them slightly proud of the drywall and use a (straight) 16" long 1×3 board as a guide to make sure the jambs are flush to the drywall surface. Just hold the board diagonally across the corners where the jamb extensions meet with both ends overhanging the drywall. 

  A gentle tap on the board with a hammer will set the jamb flush to the drywall. Re-check all the corners before nailing. Use shims and a square to support the front edge of the jamb extensions where you’ll be nailing it.

Cut and nail the casings, allowing for a 1/8 – 1/4" reveal on the edge of the jamb extension.

2. Exterior Door

The jamb for the pre-hung exterior door was correctly sized to suit the depth of the wall framing and sheathing. But I added 1" thick rigid insulation to the exterior of the wall. That left the jamb about an inch short of the drywall.

The remedy for this was to add a short extension to reach the face of the drywall The first step was to .measure the depth at various places around the opening to determine how wide the extensions needed to be. I ripped the stock to width and cut the pieces to proper length.

I marked a 1/4" reveal line on the pre-hung jamb. The extensions were shimmed and nailed to the rough opening. I primed and painted the jamb and extensions before installing the casings and corner blocks, which were also pre-painted.

You can see in the picture that there are two reveals - one at the extension and another at the casing. If you’re installing corner blocks, you need at least a 1/4" reveal in order to centre the block on the casing.

3. Kitchen Door

The door between the kitchen and the mudroom was installed several years prior to the mudroom addition. It’s a pre-hung exterior door with vinyl brickmold on the mudroom side.

You can see in the picture that this wall was originally an exterior wall. It’s full-dimension 2×4 studs, two layers of 1" thick boards, and faced with clapboards. The mudroom space is unheated so I added 1" rigid foam insulation. The strapping was located for attaching the drywall and casings.

The vinyl brickmold was slightly proud of the original door casing before adding the rigid foam. After the insulation and drywall were installed, the brickmold was recessed 7/8" from the wall face.

Since I couldn’t nail the extension to the foam and drywall, the only option was to attach it to the vinyl brickmold. I ripped 7/8 x 1" strips from 2 x 4 stock. After marking a 1/4" reveal line on the vinyl brickmold, countersunk holes were drilled in the 1" wide face of the jamb extensions. These were offset enough to be covered by the casing and leave a 1/4" reveal. The pre-painted extensions were installed with 2" #8 screws, on the assumption the brickmold just had airspace in the centre.

The casing and corner block installation was the same as the window and exterior door.

The end result

Although each situation was slightly different, the overall impact of the door and window casings is consistent and gives the impression that the mudroom is part of the original 100 year-old house.

The multiple reveals add to that sense of sophistication and "mass", reminiscent of the grand old houses of the past.

*Footnote:
I initially planned to do a "picture frame" casing (mitred at all four corners) but changed my mind to go with the corner blocks and larger casing to match most of the original casings in the house.

I had already cut and installed the sill to be flush to the drywall. Rather than tear it out, I added a 1 1/2" wide strip to the front edge of the installed sill that also extended beyond the rough opening for the side casings to land on. I rounded off the front edge and ends of the strip, then pre-drilled several small holes for 2 1/2" finish nails along the front edge.

I applied  wood glue along the back edge, inserted nails in the holes and tacked the strip into position, making sure that the top surfaces were flush or slightly higher than the installed sill. After the glue was dry, I recessed the nails with a nail set and filled the holes as well as the joint between the two pieces that make the sill.  After sanding and painting the joint was (and still is) invisible.

Part 1 – How to Make Window Jamb Extensions

If you ever wondered why it’s so hard to resaw large pieces of stock on the bandsaw – you’re about to find out.

Engineer/woodworker Matthias Wandel builds woodworking tools out of wood – the kind of tools most of us buy – so we can build stuff out of wood.

He’s written a great article with a video on his woodgears.ca website: The physics of bandsaw resawing

He uses a "sawdust board" and a wood blade to very effectively demonstrate what happens as the bandsaw blade cuts through boards.

Sawdust overload

Resawing 3" or 4" wide stock stock is faster and requires less effort than 8" stock. Much of this difference relates to how many teeth are in contact with the stock and the amount of sawdust they create in the process.

Matthias explains, as the thickness of the stock you’re resawing increases, the blade has to carry more sawdust out of the cut than the blade can handle.

"Once the space between the teeth is full, some of the sawdust gets squeezed into the kerf next to the blade, which then causes more friction. The sawdust may be forced more to one side than the other, which can lead to the blade wandering.

The solution, it would seem, is to cut slower. But as the blade gets slightly dull, the tip of each tooth becomes slightly rounded instead of a perfect point. When the tooth isn’t pushed into the wood fast enough, that round causes the tooth to just rub on the edge of the cut instead of biting into the wood. So really slow feed rates only work when the blade is very sharp."

Blade deflection and tension

A blade with fewer teeth per inch will allow more space between teeth to carry sawdust out of the cut. But as the stock gets wider, more feed pressure is required, and this can cause blade defection – which only adds to the problem.

A wider blade can help keep it from deflecting as more force is applied. Higher blade tension can also help overcome blade deflection.

Here’s Matthias’s video demonstration of the physics behind it all.

More articles from woodgears

There’s a ton of really fascinating stuff at woodgears that you won’t find elswhere. If you’re interested in bandsaws and portable sawmills here are a few more woodworking articles from Matthias Wandel’s unique perspective as an engineer.

Building a bandsaw out of wood

Testing his homemade portable bandsaw mill

A gear-cutting "showdown" between a bandsaw and CNC router

images: woodgears.ca

Several years ago we replaced our two old water-guzzling toilets and installed water-saving, dual-flush toilets. You’re thinking, a toilet’s a toilet right?

Well sort of. They may look about the same, but performance can be dramatically different from one style or manufacturer to the next.

Why replace working toilets?

We really didn’t have to think too hard about this decision. Both the old toilets were installed in the late 1950′s – back when nobody gave a second thought about water conservation. With every flush, each of those old toilets used about 20 litres (5.3 US gals.) of the best tasting well water you can find – not to mention the electricity required to pump it.

Even with just two (coffee-drinking) adults using the facilities, when you do the math, that’s an incredible amount of potable water going down the drain every day.

What are dual-flush toilets?

Today’s standards call for virtually all new toilets to be "low flow", requiring a maximum of 6 litres/1.6 USgals of water per use.

Without getting too far into the details – dual flush toilets allow you to choose between two different volumes of water based on what you need to send on it’s merry way. I’ll use the old  “#1” & “#2” designation we learned as kids.

Typically:

• # 1 volume is 4 litres / 1 US gal. per flush
• # 2 volume is 6 litres / 1.6 US gal. per flush.

Bargain “head” hunting

We made the plunge (so to speak) when we were taking advantage of a Government-sponsored home energy efficiency retrofit program – which included a $50 refund for each low-flow toilet installed.

My research consisted of touring the home improvement stores looking for the best price for dual-flush toilets. It was a toss-up between the a large regional home improvement store and Home Depot. Well HD won out with their "Pegasus" house brand – on sale for about $90 bucks the each. Two toilets for a net $80 bucks sounded good to me.

So where does the Caroma come in? Read on…

Beware of the 10" rough-in

Fortunately I decided to swap out the ground floor bog first. It was when I tried to install the Pegasus that I discovered there wasn’t enough room between the bolt holes and the wall for the toilet. Huh?

So I measured the distance from the wall to the bolt holes – several times. Each time I came up with 10". Most of today’s toilets are made to fit a standard rough-in, which means minimum 12" between the wall and the centre of the flange (ie. the bolts). I removed some moulding and contemplated cutting the baseboard, knowing that just wasn’t going to do it. So began my search for a toilet to fit a 10" rough-in…

The incredible ingeniousness of the offset adapter

Other than some obscure brand that I knew I’d never be able find any actual details about, let alone lay my hands on, Caroma seemed to be the brand with the answer. After repeatedly watching the Caroma YouTube video (below) with endless fascination for a few days, we took possession of a Caroma "Sydney" for about $350.00 (ouch!).

What’s so ingenious about the Caroma toilets is the offset adapter that fits both 10" and 12" rough-ins. The offset is designed so that rotating it 180 degrees changes the offset from 12" to 10". Simply brilliant! And the installation was a breeze.

Performance counts

You really have to see the difference to appreciate it but the Caroma is clearly the winner between our two toilets. The flushing action of the Pegasus is kind of like a rising tide that reaches a peak and then leaves the bowl. We’ve had to plunge it a few times in the past few years (although I think the cast iron pipe may be rough inside and impeding the exit).

The Caroma has a larger trapway and quickly flushes out with an injection of water – sort of like flinging an extra large soft drink container full of water into a sink from two feet away. I can’t count how many times friends and family have commented on how impressive the flushing action is.

Here’s my favourite Caroma YouTube video (they have a bunch).

I’m absolutely sold on the Caroma design and they now appear to be available here at more competitive prices (even amazon has them).

Some friends of ours recently found Caroma toilets on sale at a local hardware store, so they bought three of them – and their house only has one bathroom.

Details on jamb extensions for windows and doors seems to be one of those areas that gets glossed over in the DIY how-to arena.

There’s lots of information online about how to install windows and doors, much of it showing a pre-hung door or window with a jamb that is just the right depth to be flush with the drywall when it’s installed. Believe me, it ain’t always like that.

And if you’re upgrading an old house – all bets are off.

What’s a jamb extension?

A jamb extension does precisely what the name suggests – it’s a frame that fills the depth of the wall space from the inside face of the window frame or " jamb" to the face of the plaster or gypsum wall. Jamb extensions are typically 3/4" boards, or MDF and create a clean edge for the the casing trim to be nailed to.

Here’s a section view of a typical wood window, and casing.

You’ll see all kinds of variations which may look something like this or nothing like this, but the principles are the same. The jamb extensions for the sides and top match the depth of the opening to make them flush to the wall face. Unless you’re making a “picture frame” casing, the sill or stool will need to be deep enough to allow the side casings to land on the top, with about a 1/2" in front and 1" or so on the wall side of the casing.

The sill also needs to be notched at each end to fit into the rough opening. The depth of the cuts will be almost the same as the width of the side and top extensions. It’s best to cut them a bit shallow and then trim them to the right depth which means nice tight joints both where it meets the window frame and where it meets the wall. You can be a little less precise on the width because the side jambs will cover the cut.

Build the frame and install it

If you’re extending a jamb that butts to a flat window jamb (like the illustration) it’s easier to assemble the frame on a flat surface and then install it in the opening. The extension frame will be smaller than the rough opening so it will need to be shimmed to get it centred and keep it square.

This video from FCCOH gives a good overview of the installation process. It’s not a great camera view for details, but you’ll get the idea.

Reveals make the difference

Getting a consistent reveal where the casing meets the jamb makes for a professional looking job. 1/8" to 1/4" reveals are typical for window and door casings.

In the video, the installer used a "reveal block" which is an easy jig to make in the shop. 

The shop made guide will do the job, but you can buy a Trim Gauge (at amazon) which is adjustable and looks rather handy for doing more than just trim work.

You can see the trim gauge in action in this window trim installation video. Although I’m not crazy about the way he builds and installs the trim, it is a great demonstration of this nifty little tool and there are a few useful tips in it as well.

I’ll follow up on this in a future post and share my experience “getting out of jambs” while trimming out the vinyl window and doors in our mudroom.