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by:
Craig Iseke
photos: Roger Yip
illustration: Len Churchill |
MAGNETIC PERSONALITY |
| Hold
down your clutter with this magnetic message board |
A fresh supply of recent snapshots are fun to have on hand,
but because I wanted a nicer place to show them than my refrigerator
door, I built this magnetic display board. It looks better than
the fridge, while still offering the freedom to update your
photos easily, anytime.
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This
Easy-to-build message board project makes
efficient use of simple
joinery. The low-key design highlights the unique
material combination of the simple blonde frame
and bright sheet metal |
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Begin
by making the long and short frame pieces out of any kind of
wood you have. A tablesaw is ideal for cutting these pieces
to width and length. If you can find wood that is already the
right width off the shelf, then you can get along fine with
a chop saw or even a good Japanese handsaw. Prepare 3/8"
x 2 1/4" x 2 1/4" lap joints on both ends of all frame
parts. A tablesaw with a dado blade is the ideal tool for this
task, although a handsaw and chisel are quite reasonable low-tech
options.
It’s difficult to make attractive
joints that include both end-grain and edge-grain surfaces.
That’s why I chose to highlight the joint with a routed
V-groove instead of trying to hide it. The easiest approach
is to run a 45° chamfer around the perimeter of all the
forward-facing edges. That creates a nice look all of the way
around, with matching V-grooves across each joint.
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| The
end grain, edge grain combination highlights this
simple overlapped corner joint and the routed V-groove
adds attractive detail |
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After
cutting and routing all your pieces, it’s time to assemble.
Four small C-clamps and one web clamp do a great job here. Apply
a thin film of glue to all joint surfaces, then lightly C-clamp
each corner. Be sure to put scraps of wood under the clamp jaws
to prevent the jaws from marring the frame as you tighten the
clamp. Next, wrap the web clamp around the frame and tighten
it up. Check to ensure that the frame is square by taking two
diagonal measurements from corner to corner on the frame and
comparing the two measurements— they should be equal.
If they are, your frame is square. If not, adjust to equalize.
Once you’re sure your frame is square, tighten up the
C-clamps and clean up any glue squeeze-out.
After the glue has dried, remove
the frame from the clamps, rout a 3/8"-wide rabbet around
the back inside edge to accept the sheet metal and backer board,
then square off the rabbet’s corners with a chisel. Adjust
your rabbet depth to match the combined thickness of the back
board and sheet metal you’re using, plus an additional
3/16" to 1/4" for a bead of caulking used to secure
the sheet metal to the frame.
Now is a good time to apply a
finish. I used a simple recipe, but it really brings out the
grain. Start with pigment-free natural stain. The stain has
no colour, but is designed to highlight the natural grain of
the wood. Complete the job by applying a couple of coats of
polyurethane as a protective top layer.
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| CLICK
ABOVE TO ENLARGE |
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Cut
your sheet metal and backer board to size, then put the two
pieces into the frame before running a bead of silicone caulking
all around the perimeter to hold them in place. Install hooks
and wire to hang the board. Remember that this frame can be
hung horizontally or vertically.
This project could also be used
to frame a variety of other materials, such as a mirror, a dry-erase
whiteboard or, of course, even a picture. |
| You
Will Need |
| Part |
Material |
Size |
Qty. |
| Short
frames |
pine |
3/4"
x 2 1/4" x 16" |
2 |
| Long
frames |
pine |
3/4"
x 2 1/4" x 40 1/2" |
2 |
| Back
board |
hardboard |
3/16"
x 12 1/4" x 36 3/4" |
1 |
| Magnetic
surface |
light-gauge
sheet metal |
12
1/4" x 36 3/4" |
1 |
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