Propagation Station (3 Designs)

This propagation station build was a blast! It mounts to the wall with hidden keyhole mounts and looks like a floating shelf. My wife asked if I could make her a propagation station. Now, full disclosure...I had no clue what she was talking about at the time. But after she showed me some photos, I thought, heck yeah, I can make that! This is a full step by step overview of the build. I had a lot of fun making this one, and it turned out great! I really enjoyed laying the pieces out to get the best grain displayed on the pieces' front. And now we have a lot of room to propagate plants all year long. I hope you enjoy the build as much as I did!

This is a great project for some leftover cutoffs from other projects!

As always, leave any questions you might have in the comments, and I will be sure to answer, enjoy the build!

Check out the plans!

Supplies

• Wood of your choosing (perfect project for off cuts)
• Table Saw
• Crosscut Sled
• Drill Press
• Forstner Bit
• Router
• Keyhole Bit
• Drill
• Glue
• Penetrating Oil
• Anchors
• Glass Tubes
• Plant Cuttings :)

Step 1: Cut Out the Blanks

1. Layout the blanks on your tree slices
2. Use a bandsaw to rough cut the blanks. You can use a jigsaw here but I find using a bandsaw to be more efficient.

Step 2: Joint the Pieces

1. Joint one edge at a table saw using a crosscut sled or jointing sled
   • Hang the board on the outside of the sled, clamp them down, and cut a clean edge.
   • Do this for each of your blanks.
2. Swap the ripping blade for a crosscut blade.
3. Using the jointed edge as a reference on the back of the sled, cut away enough material to make a perfect 90 degree angle.
   • This is will give a perfectly square edge to work off of for the rest of the project.
   • Do this for each of your blanks.
4. Reference the newly cut edge to the table saw fence, rip each of the pieces. You will now have 3 square sides.
   • Using a feather board here will help reduce and kickback from the table saw.

Step 3: Cut Pieces Down to Final Size

1. At the crosscut sled, set up a stop block to cut the boards down to their final dimensions. (see plans)
   • Using a stop like this will ensure that all pieces are exactly the same and they are all square (this will save you work later on the open style pieces)!
2. Use the same process to cut down the smaller blocks.
3. To make the final pieces the same overall dimensions, cut down the length on the top of the smaller blocks to make room for the sides of the frame.

Step 4: Layout the Holes

For the Small Blocks (open design)

1. Using a double square, layout the holes for the smaller blocks. Each block will have 4 holes for the tubes.
   • The thickness of the sides will offset the hole placement here.
2. At the drill press, use a 1" Forstner bit to drill all the way through the blocks (make sure you have a sacrificial board at the bottom to drill into).
   • You can build a small fence that ensures all of the holes stay centered on the blocks.
   • Use an F-style clamp to hold the workpiece down while drilling will help reduce tearout.
   • Periodically, remove the bit from the hole completely to clear out the chips.

For the Large Blocks (angled and live edge design)

1. Layout the 4 holes per block using the same method as above.
2. Drill the holes to a depth of 2.5"
3. My drill press bottoms out at a 2" depth. So, I finished the remaining 1/2" with a hand drill using an extender.
   • I clamped each piece into a vice. Then, using the same forstner bit, tape off a stop line a drill the remaining 1/2".

Step 5: Cut the Top Bevels and Bevel for Angled Station

1. Tilt the table saw blade to 56 degrees to cut the bevels for each piece.
   • Make sure the front face is down when cutting
2. For the angled version, cut the same bevel into the sides of the workpiece.
3. The open face version goes through the same way. Just make sure you mark your top and face so you don't cut the wrong side.

Step 6: Make the Sides and Bottom for Open Style Stations

1. Use off-cuts to make these!
2. Cut them down at the table saw.
3. Use a miter gauge to cut the angles for the sides.
4. At the bandsaw, cut the strips down to just about their final thickness. I ran them through a drum sander to get them down to their final thickness, but you can use a planer too.
5. Use the crosscut sled to cut them down to their final thickness.

Step 7: Assemble the Open Style Stations

1. Cut rabbet joints to the bottom piece using a stop block and remove material with a few passes over the blade.
2. Glue up using blue painters tape to add some tension to the rabbet joints and clamp the side pieces to the top.

Step 8: Make the Faux Live Edge for the Live Edge Stations

1. Use a belt sander to create the faux live edge profile in the organic style pieces. This is really a personal preference and is up to you on how you want the finished pieces to look.
   • My suggestion would be to try to follow the grain pattern on your workpiece for the best results.

Step 9: Sand and Add Key Holes

1. Sand all the pieces from 80 grit up to 220. Just be careful not to sand away too much of your live edge.
2. At the router table, use a keyhole bit and some stops to plunge the mounting hole.
   • This method creates a mount that is hidden on the final piece.

Step 10: Add Finish and Mount to a Wall

1. Finish with a penetrating oil of your choosing to let the grain shine and protect the wood from fading in the sun!
2. To mount the pieces, use a template with two screws glued into two keyholes to mark where the anchors should the drilled. Then screw in some anchors into the wall.
3. Mount your propagation stations add the tubes and your cuttings!

Watch your plant roots grow!