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| by:
Rick Campbell
photos: Bert Klassen
illustration: Len Churchill |
TEAK DOORMAT |
| Add
a homey touch to any entryway with this attractive teak doormat. |
You can build this wooden mat in a couple of hours, and it will
serve you well for many years. The segmented design lets the
mat lay flat, even on irregular surfaces. I used teak because
of its beautiful grain and durability. For a more economical
alternative consider white oak or ash.
Making the Segments
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Dust
eater: Although it’s
stylish enough for the front door, this teak mat is ideal
for the shop door too. The open areas trap sawdust well
and prevent the mat from clogging up |
Begin by
ripping 1"-thick material into 1 1/2"-wide strips.
Crosscut these to make the 50 mat segments using a chop saw
or the mitre gauge on a tablesaw. A short board clamped to the
saw’s fence serves as a stop block, but be careful; it’s
important that your work piece must be clear of the stop block
as it encounters the tablesaw blade. If not, the workpiece could
bind between the stop block and blade, causing a kickback. Number
the segments as they were cut to maintain the original grain
pattern in the finished mat.
Sand the segments and apply a 1/8"-wide bevel to all edges
using a table-mounted router and a 45° bearing-equipped
chamfer bit. Since the segments are small, use a push block
or hold them in a wooden clamp to keep fingers safe.
Holes for the brass rods come
next. A simple drill press jig speeds things up and ensures
that all holes are aligned.
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| CLICK
ABOVE TO ENLARGE |
Line up the jig on the drill press table so the bit is centred
1" from the end of the segment. Then clamp the jig to your
drill press. To check alignment, drill a few 17/64" test
holes in scrap segments; flip these over to see how the drill
bit lines up with the inverted holes. If they’re centered,
the bit should slip right in. As an added precaution, always
orient the face of the segments in the same direction so minor
deviations in hole location will always be on the same side,
ensuring the completed mat will be flat. Drill only one hole
in each of the 12 end segments and one hole in both ends of
the remaining segments.
Assembly
The
mat is held together with a brass rod that slides through brass
washers that separate each segment. Cut the brass rod to rough
lengths of 18" with a hacksaw. Clamp each rod firmly in
a vice, with the end sticking up about 1/4". Place a 1/4"
washer over the end of the rod and peen it over with a hammer
until the rod has mushroomed enough to stop the washer from
coming off.
Due to slight inconsistencies
in the thickness of the washers, I found that each rod must
be marked for final cutting in a specific position while the
mat is temporarily assembled. Thread the rods through the segments
with a single washer on each end and two washers between each
segment. With all the segments united, mark the rod for cutting
so that 1/8" extends beyond the side of the mat. Remove
the rods, then trim the excess brass with a hacksaw leaving
a square end.
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| CLICK
ABOVE TO ENLARGE |
Reinsert the rod with the washers in place and peen the protruding
end to secure the segments. This is best accomplished with the
mat resting on-edge against a solid surface like a concrete
floor. The segments should be tight enough to prohibit movement
back and forth on the rod, yet loose enough to allow the mat
to flex.
I finished my mat with three
coats of Circa 1850 Tung’n Teak Oil for protection from
the elements. Film-forming finishes won’t dry on teak because
of the oils in the wood. |
| You
Will Need |
| Mat
segments |
hardwood |
1"
x 1 1/2" x 5 1/2" |
50 |
| Connection
rods * |
brass |
.188"
dia. x 18" |
8 |
| Washers |
brass |
1/4"
inside dia. |
176 |
| *
Rod is available at metal suppliers and most home centres |
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