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Step 2Measure and Cut
Once you have gathered the materials, and you have decided on the dimensions of your finished product, start by cutting the legs to length. Measure and mark each of the four leg components first, by marking them out to 6-foot lengths. Be careful and take into account the amount of wood your saw takes off- the tungsten teeth on my saw took out almost 1/8in. I used a tape measure and a square to mark the lengths, and I compared them as they were cut. This is important, because if they are not cut to the same length, the board can lean...
Now cut each leg out with your saw. Note that I got all kinds of sawdust on my wife's car, so I probably should have taken it out of the garage first.
I corrected slight variations with my sander, so don't despair if they are not _exactly_ perfect.
After you have all the leg lengths, set them aside and measure and cut the two feet the same way, which are 2 feet long each. They do not need to be as exact as the legs, but you should probably be careful anyways.
At this point you can also cut out the optional foot supports if you want them- be careful and use the angle-cutting feature on your saw to accomplish this, and watch the cuts to make sure that they are in the correct direction. If you use four 8-foot 2x4s as I suggested, and you don't make any mistakes, you will have just enough for everything.
Now go ahead and mark the two pieces of showerboard and the middle piece of MDF/plywood/whatever to size. I found it easier to mark and cut the showerboard first and used the MDF as a "table" to support it. That showerboard is very floppy, and subject to creasing and damage if it folds over too much. I clamped it to the MDF, and used a length of angle-iron C-clamped down as a saw guide, and that both held the showerboard firmly and made for a very straight cut. If you don't have a table saw, this is a neat technique. If you are following my plans exactly, you should mark each of the main board parts at 4 feet high by 5 feet long. That long bit of angle-iron came in handy for marking the straight edges, too.
Once you have all three parts cut out, clamp them together carefully (I used the rubber-faced bar clamps to as not to mar the finish of the showerboard.) Now you can sand the edges so that they all meet cleanly along the sides. (That is the part that you see- feel free to sand the top and bottom, too, but I was being lazy.)
Now cut each leg out with your saw. Note that I got all kinds of sawdust on my wife's car, so I probably should have taken it out of the garage first.
I corrected slight variations with my sander, so don't despair if they are not _exactly_ perfect.
After you have all the leg lengths, set them aside and measure and cut the two feet the same way, which are 2 feet long each. They do not need to be as exact as the legs, but you should probably be careful anyways.
At this point you can also cut out the optional foot supports if you want them- be careful and use the angle-cutting feature on your saw to accomplish this, and watch the cuts to make sure that they are in the correct direction. If you use four 8-foot 2x4s as I suggested, and you don't make any mistakes, you will have just enough for everything.
Now go ahead and mark the two pieces of showerboard and the middle piece of MDF/plywood/whatever to size. I found it easier to mark and cut the showerboard first and used the MDF as a "table" to support it. That showerboard is very floppy, and subject to creasing and damage if it folds over too much. I clamped it to the MDF, and used a length of angle-iron C-clamped down as a saw guide, and that both held the showerboard firmly and made for a very straight cut. If you don't have a table saw, this is a neat technique. If you are following my plans exactly, you should mark each of the main board parts at 4 feet high by 5 feet long. That long bit of angle-iron came in handy for marking the straight edges, too.
Once you have all three parts cut out, clamp them together carefully (I used the rubber-faced bar clamps to as not to mar the finish of the showerboard.) Now you can sand the edges so that they all meet cleanly along the sides. (That is the part that you see- feel free to sand the top and bottom, too, but I was being lazy.)
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