Idea Shop 6, Paycheck 5: Rack 'em Up
Building projects requires boards and plywood, and that requires places to store those materials. Part of this check's budgeted amount buys the plywood, lumber, screws, and casters to make a rolling rack that doubles as a sheet-goods cutting station. Store full sheets on one side and sheet cutoffs between the supports. Roll it away from the wall to load or unload sheets, and back against the wall to conserve space. Supports along the bottom edge elevate a sheet so you can cut it down to size with your circular saw. Download the sheet-goods cutting station plan here.
To help build the rack, add a jigsaw (sometimes called a sabre saw) and some blades to your collection for cutting curves and making interior cuts, such as the notches in the center support of the sheet-goods rack. You'll find many blade types, each suited for cutting different materials and offering various cut qualities. This article helps you select the right types of blades for various jobs.
The Ryobi jigsaw we purchased (JS481LG) features variable speed which allows for adjusting the up-and-down speed of the blade simply by how far you squeeze the trigger. Slower speed provides finer control, while faster helps you power through cuts. The saw also features adjustable orbital blade action. This forward-and-back motion added to the blade's up-and-down motion provides a more aggressive cutting action, useful when tackling thicker or denser materials. However, orbital action causes more chip-out and a rougher cut surface. This model provides several settings for the orbital action, including shutting it off. Check ReviewATool.com for opinions from WOOD magazine editors and readers on other jigsaw choices.
After these purchases, bank about $10–$15 from this check. Then start building the rack. Here are a few tips for the build:
Select the straightest 2x4 and 2x6 stock you can find.
Don't worry about getting an exact 3" radius at the top of the ends and divider. Tracing around a one-gallon paint can or something similar is close enough.
When cutting the notches in the divider, don't try to turn the jigsaw to cut the corners. Instead, make the two cuts straight in from the edge. Then, starting at the edge of the sheet, cut at an angle from one of those kerfs toward the opposite end of the other kerf, as shown below. It's now a simple matter to cut away the remaining waste following the line.
Here's what's next with Idea Shop 6 - Paycheck 6.