From “Yard” to “Favorite Gathering Place” – Woodcraft Tips for Spring Home Projects

Customize your outdoor living space and enhance your home’s curb appeal with a new landscaping plan, colorful door treatments, more furniture or a fresh coat of paint for outdoor structures. Woodcraft can help you with tools, supplies and how-to resources to create an appealing and functional family “hangout.”

Build a potting bench to be headquarters for designing and planting flower gardens and bushes at strategic locations to mark dining, relaxing and playing sections of the yard. Build more outdoor furniture and game boards if needed to “furnish” these areas. Paint exterior doors to add a touch of color. Accent door/entryway areas with benches or garden planters. Repair, clean, and finish or paint porches, railings and fences to refresh their look.

PRODUCTS FOR BUILDING

Woodcraft Magazine Classic Project Plans are detailed guides for building furniture and accessories, including the Full Service Potting Bench pictured here, along with chairs, tables, benches, planters, and more. For a different Adirondack chair design, see “The Haycock Adirondack” project in Woodcraft Magazine Issue 101 (June/July 2021). Plans and Issue 101 are available at woodcraft.com.

Helpful how-to articles on woodcraft.com include Restoring Outdoor Projects and Woodsense: Spotlight on Outdoor Projects

Pocket-hole pro.

Efficient cutter.

Kreg 720PRO Pocket-Hole Jig The latest innovation in pocket-hole joinery, this jig was engineered with features like one-motion Automaxx clamping, which automatically clamps and sets the material thickness setting for pieces 1/2"- to 1-1/2"-thick., GripMaxx anti-slip material construction and a steel-reinforced spine.

Bosch Barrel Grip JigsawA powerful 7.0 amp, variable-speed motor with Constant Response circuitry maintains the desired speed. Features include an ergonomic body, a tool-less blade-change system, and a blade ejection lever.

Precise drill/driver.

Surface prep expert

FESTOOL T18 Easy Cordless Drill Plus SetExpand your drilling capabilities with features like the new generation brushless EC-TEC motor and electronic torque setting for precise screw driving and drilling wood or steel. A metal keyless chuck allows for the use of most drill bits, from 1/16"- to 1/2"-diameter.

Porter-Cable 5" Random Orbit Sander – This lightweight sander is ideal for surface preparation for smoothing seams and for removing paint, varnish and old coatings. Accepts 5" 8-hole hook-and-loop paper.

Handy adjustable cart.

Easy transport for material to saw.

WoodRiver Panel Cart Move large sheets of material from a truck bed or trailer to your table saw with minimal effort using this handy cart. Tilting carriage and frame are adjustable.

DOORS AND OTHER FINISHING OPTIONS

Make exterior home doors and furniture the center of attention with colorful paint that brightens even cloudy days. Refresh the look of garage doors, porches, shutters, railings, fences, and storage buildings with a new coat (and maybe color) of paint.

Colorful covering for outdoor projects.

Enhances milk paint’s durability.

Extra protection for exterior oil stain and finishes.

GENERAL FINISHES Milk Paint in 33 premixed colors works well for wood doors and furniture, as well as other structures. Be sure to add GENERAL FINISHES Exterior 450 Varnish in satin, gloss, semi-gloss or flat to enhance the milk paint’s durability.

GENERAL FINISHES Outdoor Oil Finish is ideal for exterior weather conditions and may be used over other brands of exterior oil stain or exterior clear oil finishes for additional protection.

Protection for marine environments.

Epoxy sealer for above and below the waterline

System Three Marine Spar Varnish is designed for exterior surfaces and provides long-lasting protection against water and marine environments.

System Three Clear Epoxy Sealer S-1 is a two-part clear, penetrating, waterproof, epoxy sealer. It is completely waterproof and suitable for use above and below the waterline.

Outdoor finish and sealer combo
Outdoor finish and sealer combo

Defender against the weather and caustic conditions.

Waterlox Original Marine Finish and Original Marine SealerThese premium tung oil-based products work together to penetrate and waterproof wood that lives in the outdoors. Both go on easily with brush, lamb’s wool applicator, cloth roller or a sprayer.

U.C. Coatings Corporation Nano-Guard Premium Wood Sealer is a clear, non-film forming sealer that allows the wood to age naturally without decay. It deeply penetrates the wood’s surface to protect and stabilize wood against weather and caustic conditions.

White China Bristle Brush.

Synthetic Bristle Brush.

Super sprayer.

•To apply coverings by hand, consider Redtree Onyx White China Bristle Brushes (solvent-based finishes) or Redtree Matey Synthetic Bristle Brushes (water-based finishes) available in three sizes.

•For spraying, the EARLEX Super Finish Max features a built-in 450-watt sprayer – no hose or motor to move around. Spray milk paint, chalk-style paint, latex paint, enamels, primers, urethanes, stains and varnishes.

Visit your local Woodcraft store, call (800) 535-4482 or log on to woodcraft.com to learn more about these and other Woodcraft products.

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