Countertop Greenhouse

Step 2 Rip and/or cut the wood to length

First step - cutting the 1x4 into thirds so I can rip it easier. To do that and to cut the 3/4" sq pieces to length, I used a miter saw. You could use a miter box and hand saw if you needed to, it's just more work.

After cutting the 8 foot long board into roughly thirds, I started in with the ripping. Ripping in woodworking is making a wide board into a skinny board with the grain. So I was taking a board that's 3.5" wide (the true width of a 1x4) and cutting out 4 pieces that are 3/4" wide. With the saw kerf, I was left with a shaving after that last cut.

Once I had the entire board cut down to 3/4" square, I had 32 linear feet (8 feet long x 4 cuts = 32) to play with. I tried to make sure the dimensions of the piece would fit within 16 linear feet (2 mouldings) so I had plenty to play with and make mistakes.

For this project you need:

• 3/4" sq x 10.5" - 6 pieces
• 3/4" sq x 9" - 7 pieces
• 3/4" sq x 7.5" - 6 pieces
• 3/4" sq x 6" - 2 pieces

That's 183" linear inches, should fit into the 196" you get from two 8 foot moulding pieces

It was time to start cutting to length. Not that exciting, just use a stop on your miter saw and take your time and it's all good. A few years ago I almost lost an eye from rushing with a miter saw and not wearing safety glasses. Trust me, I'm in not such a hurry these days. And yes, I make sure about the safety glasses as well.