Thread: Builder Boards

Originally Posted by jmk89

1. To notch the builder boards accurately, the author of the book suggests that a template be made and a router with an edge trimming cutter be used. That makes sense to me. However, he then goes on to say that a plywood template is no good because the notches will gradually increase in width because each pass of the bearing of the cutter will fractionally push the edge of the template back - and there are a lot of notches to cut to make enough boards to make a kit of boards big enough to build a cubby house. So he recommends using an aluminium template.
   Do you those who are constant router users think this is right? Could I use something like melamine faced MDF or masonite to avoid the problem? (The notch does need to be quite accurate as too much "slop" will prevent the boards knitting together sufficiently strongly and too little will make them too hard to put together).

Honestly, I'd build a sled with stops on it and gang cut these with dado. It would be a heck of a lot faster than a router and accurate enough once the dado width is set right. I calculate the slot depths at 19/4 right? No problem for a standard 8" dado stack.

This would eliminate a lot of your problems.

If you insist on using a router, I think MDF would work fine. If not, cut one out of a 1/4" sheet of lexan or delrin or whatever plastic you can get your hands on.

Really neat idea.

Thanks TWR

Unfortuantely, when I said, Table Saw, I should have said Triton workcentre. I don't believe that the Triton will take a Dado Blade 3/4" wide.

So I think I will have to stick with the router (But I should be able to do two boards at a time with a suitable edge trimmmer).

If you used a template guide instead of a bearing guided pattern follower, you'd probably get more wear out of a template.

Don't forget to allow for the thickness of the finish when sizing the notches

is this wahat you mean, silentC?

No, a template guide is a ring that fits to the bottom of your router's base plate. It is slightly bigger in diameter than the router bit, which protrudes through it. You make you templates smaller than the finished product to compensate. The ring runs around the template much the same way that a bearing guided bit does, but because it isn't spinning, there's very little wear on the template by comparison.

This will give you the idea.

Epoxy coating makes sense but glassing doesn't.

See my FAQ about wet on wet application - saves heaps of time - and two lots of sanding and does a better job.
http://www.storerboatplans.com/Faq/faqindex.html

Glass would be a disaster waiting to happen - a few knocks on the edges and it will delaminate (when we build boats we are careful to avoid this situation) from the surface just in the area of contact. The raised glass then will cut hands and worse if they brush up against it.

For minimum maintenance i would always paint an epoxied surface.

If you want to varnish and are using it outside - or there is a chance of using it outside more than occasionally - you need to use a "spar varnish" which has an extra load of UV inhibitors.

If it was ONLY being used outside I would choose Goldspar Varnish - it tends to stay a bit soft initially but has excellent UV resistance. If it is outside part of the time then any spar varnish would work.

But a painted surface will reduce maintenance manyfold.

Michael Storer

Jeremy, This sound like a lot of work that you are undertaking - good for you. I'd be very interested in learning more about the system, so if you can post some diagrams etc would be helpful- I am an early childhood playground designer so I'm always on the lookout for inspiration.

It also gives me an insight into the mindset of the staff of different centres, so the first thing i would suggest is to make sure that they are very enthusiastic about your proposal prior to commencing so you don't go through the exercise for nothing.

I'm also very up to-date with the Standards and regs and from what I am picturing you won't have a problem but depending on what the kids will construct the staff may have to place the play on a soft-fall zone.

From a safety concern would be the weight of each board. What type of timber are you planning to use and what sort of weight of each board? The board will have to be strong enough that a kid or two can bounce on it if it was only supported at the ends, but light enough that they can lift it and carry it.
Good luck with it,
Cheers.

I wonder if brown house paint would give enough protection. My guess is you're after a working life of a few years rather than decades. Perhaps a coat of primer and one or two coats of house paint would do the job.

Tex

This is what he means here
looks like there 4 different sizes of corresponding scale ie 1, 1+1, 1+1+1, 1+1+1+1(1,2,3,4).

You could cut the slots on your triton, just gang about 10 boards together and cut each shoulder then remove the waste.
A dado set would be the ideal tho.

Originally Posted by silentC

No, a template guide is a ring that fits to the bottom of your router's base plate. It is slightly bigger in diameter than the router bit, which protrudes through it. You make you templates smaller than the finished product to compensate. The ring runs around the template much the same way that a bearing guided bit does, but because it isn't spinning, there's very little wear on the template by comparison.

thanks, I see. I think I will use harry's suggestion and gang up a number of the boards and use the triton with a cross cut sled to cut the edges of the slots and then remove the waste. When in doubt, use technology you are familiar with....If that doesn'ty work, see my signature line

Originally Posted by Boatmik

Epoxy coating makes sense but glassing doesn't.

See my FAQ about wet on wet application - saves heaps of time - and two lots of sanding and does a better job.
http://www.storerboatplans.com/Faq/faqindex.html

Glass would be a disaster waiting to happen - a few knocks on the edges and it will delaminate (when we build boats we are careful to avoid this situation) from the surface just in the area of contact. The raised glass then will cut hands and worse if they brush up against it.

For minimum maintenance i would always paint an epoxied surface.

If you want to varnish and are using it outside - or there is a chance of using it outside more than occasionally - you need to use a "spar varnish" which has an extra load of UV inhibitors.

If it was ONLY being used outside I would choose Goldspar Varnish - it tends to stay a bit soft initially but has excellent UV resistance. If it is outside part of the time then any spar varnish would work.

But a painted surface will reduce maintenance manyfold.

Michael Storer

Thanks Mik. I thought (having read your FAQ several times) that that was the answer, but I just wanted to make sure.

I will look into spar varnishes and do a little test run first.

Originally Posted by Tex B

I wonder if brown house paint would give enough protection. My guess is you're after a working life of a few years rather than decades. Perhaps a coat of primer and one or two coats of house paint would do the job.

Tex

The advantage of epoxy encapsulation is that it is quick and very effective and not much pricier than house primer and paint (also quite good to apply, once the technique is learned. The problem is that the best wood to use for this (stability vs strength vs weight) is ply and the delamination problem makes that a pest if you use house paint. So let's take advantage of what Mik and the boat boys have invented...

Originally Posted by Bleedin Thumb

Jeremy, This sound like a lot of work that you are undertaking - good for you. I'd be very interested in learning more about the system, so if you can post some diagrams etc would be helpful- I am an early childhood playground designer so I'm always on the lookout for inspiration.

It also gives me an insight into the mindset of the staff of different centres, so the first thing i would suggest is to make sure that they are very enthusiastic about your proposal prior to commencing so you don't go through the exercise for nothing.

I'm also very up to-date with the Standards and regs and from what I am picturing you won't have a problem but depending on what the kids will construct the staff may have to place the play on a soft-fall zone.

From a safety concern would be the weight of each board. What type of timber are you planning to use and what sort of weight of each board? The board will have to be strong enough that a kid or two can bounce on it if it was only supported at the ends, but light enough that they can lift it and carry it.
Good luck with it,
Cheers.

Thanks Bleedin'

Harry's link gives you some idea of the things - and the fact that it is used in the US gives me comfort that even our safety laws will not be offended by the things. But any thoughts you have would be greatly appreciated, as always.

I will post some pictures tomorrow (or tonite) to give you some further idea of the sizes and weights, bearing in mind the planks will be made from 3/4" marine ply.

On enthusiasm, I will take the idea up with the woman who owns and runs the pre-school, to see if she wants to receive the gift - I agree that there is no point doing the project if she doesn't want the gift.

Once I finish the project I would be happy to lend you the book, if you like.