Hello there! I am Pat Simpson. Today I am going to show you how to build an entry level wood working project. It is very simple to do. Even the most “novice do it yourselfer” can do it. We are going to use basic tools and you can probably even use some scrap lumber that is lying around the house.
I am going to show you how to build a flowerbox. Technically, it is window flowerbox one that you can attach to a garden shed or even underneath a kitchen window. Simple to do, the first thing we need to do is cut the pieces of wood to length. So what we are doing is using a miter saw. We are cutting the 24 inches and it is not necessary to use a square when using a miter saw because the miter saw is going to make the square cut across the there any way.
Just line it up to the mark, there. And you got a nice square cut. Now we are going to use the table saw to make the bevel cuts. The reason we need that is because the bottom of the planter box and the front of the planter box are not a 90 degree angle because we want the front of the box to tilt away from the house. Therefore the bottom has to have a bevel cut along this edge.
Now we have taken the blade guard off to the table saw so that you can see the cut more clearly but typically there is a blade guard on the table saw and if you have one you should keep your blade guard on there safety purposes, eye protection and ear protection.
So as you can see that bevel cut is moved all the way down, 15 degrees and then the front of the box will be skewed outward just the way we want it. Now this is the front of the planter box and because this is going to be skewed out, that means we need to also bevel the top edge of this, so it will be flat across the top. And the bottom edge of this so that it is flushed with the bottom of the planter box. So I am going to bevel this edge and this edge once again using the table saw.
And what you will see is, you have parallel angles on each side. This is the front of the planter box. Okay, so now the first three of only five pieces of this project are cut. And the way they will fit together is like so. And the bevel cuts on the table saw worked well and you see now why we had to do those bevel cuts so that you get an angle along here that leans away from the house. We have a nice tight fit.
So what we will do now is lay a bead of glue inside here and fasten it using a pneumatic nailer. Now when you do this you will want to use a waterproof glue and as you run the glue, make sure you have a nice solid bead, not too much. But if you do, once you fasten the pieces together, then all you have to do is wipe it off with a rag. So we have got the glue in because it is going to be in the weather 100 percent of the time. Now we are going to use our nailer and got the safety glasses on when using power tools. And if you do not have a pneumatic nailer, that is not a problem. This is a very simple project, you will just use a hammer with some finish nails. Same thing on the other side, another beaded glue all the way down and then slide it over to the edge.
Now I am using an inch and a half long finish nails in the nailer, and there we are. The first three pieces are assembled. Now we need to cut two more pieces, one for each end. Got some wood left over and now this is so easy to do. All you have to do is get the remaining piece of wood. Try to make your cuts away from these knots if you can. So I am going to turn it this way, flush it up along the back, trace it, same thing on the other end, flush it up there, then we will take this to the saw, and cut it out.
Okay now we have the last two pieces cut for either end. And we will go here and like so. Now we are going to do the same thing here that we did on the sides. We will run a bead of glue and nail this, the only difference is, kind of lift it up this way because you may have to spread the wood just a bit to make it fit properly. Then make sure we have a flush fit on one side, nice tight fit here, here and here along the bottom. So we will do the same thing on the other side. And you are good to go.
Okay, now what we need to do is sand it down smoothly along any rough edges. And we will do that with a belt sander with about an 80 grit belt on there. So the next step that we need to complete is drilling some holes through the bottom of the planter box so that as it rains and you water the plants, the moisture can go all the way through and drain out the bottom. You do not want it settling in the box. To do that we are going to use a paddle bit on an electric drill, it is a 5/8 inch bit, a half inch hole or so is large enough. So we will drill about three to four holes on the bottom so the moisture can drain all the way through it.
We are going to lay the planter on the top of a scrap piece of wood. Number one, so we do not damage the workbench. But also, so when you drill through it makes a cleaner cut on the bottom. So we will do this about four times all the way through. And this pilot holes will be where we are going to put the screw through when we got it to the area to mount the box.
Now think about this, when you put your potting soil in, you do not want all of your soil to be wasted through this weap holes. So use a piece of aluminum screening or as we are using a piece of fabric screening just lay it in the bottom of the box over those holes and when you put your potting soil in, the weight of that will hold the screen in place. Put your plants in, put them in the house, water it and you are good to go.
And now we are all gone all that. All that is left to do to finish the box is to prime it coat all sides inside and out with a latex primer. Let that dry and then you can paint it the color that you want to match the house or wherever you are going to place it. Let that paint dry, put your soil in, plant it and enjoy your simply made window box.
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