Ron stops off in Arvada, Colorado to visit the Miller family home where the fabulous Colorado Mountains provide a breathtaking backdrop to this picturesque neighborhood. In Lori Miller's kitchen and dining area, there is a large picture window that looks out into her garden, horse pastures and the mountain range beyond. Naturally, everyone gravitates toward this spot, which did provide a seat of sorts, but it was narrow and uncomfortable.
Click Here For a list of what
you will need in order to complete this project.
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Lori and Greg would like to construct a cozy window seat with a hinged lid to provide additional storage…but they need Ron's help. Once her new window seat is completed, Lori can't wait to curl up on soft, fluffy pillows with a hot cup of tea and enjoy the inspiring view.
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1. Remove existing wood trim:
- They began the project by removing some of the existing woodwork and trim. Using a small pry bar, they removed the shoe molding at the base of the wall below the window. They used a putty knife to protect the baseboard from dents while they worked.
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- Greg cut through the caulking at the top of the baseboard. This helped to keep them from tearing the wallboard as they pried off the woodwork. The trim on the edge of the old ledge and the wooden corner molding were removed next. Finally, Greg and Lori used their pry bars to remove two layers of plywood from the old window seat. After removing some of the remaining nails, it was time to take measurements.
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2. Measure and cut window seat:
- Ron took the dimensions of the existing window and created a sketch of what the new wooden box was going to look like.
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- Ron selected 4' x 8' sheets of birch veneer plywood and the first piece they cut was for the existing ledge underneath the window. Using an 8-foot aluminium self-clamping straight edge, they were able to make their cuts with the accuracy of a table saw. They measured and marked the desired width of each panel, then use the built-in clamp to secure the straight edge in place.
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- They placed the sheet of uncut plywood on top of parallel strips of lumber leaving a space underneath. The saw blade was adjusted so that it cut through the plywood but not into the work surface below. Then they began cutting.
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3. Assembly:
- They used a combination of wood glue and nails to secure the pieces firmly together. First, they applied a bead of glue to the edge of an end panel and then placed it in position. They used a clamp on the bottom to secure the pieces and prevent them from moving.
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- They used the nail gun to securely fasten the window seat together placing one nail every two to three inches along the edge of the box.
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- Ron recommended adding a brace across the center of the box to provide additional support to the top of the seat.
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- Next, Ron mixed up a batch of polyester resin. This is actually car body filler that they applied to the exposed plywood edges. The advantage of this material was that it dried very quickly allowing them to go move ahead to the painting.
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4. Lid assembly:
- They cut the lid from a single piece of plywood to which they added strips of molding. Using the power miter box, Lori made 45-degree cuts on the ends of the molding.
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- They once again used wood glue and applied it to the edge of the plywood. They slid the piece of molding into place so that the inside of that miter was right at the edge of the wood.
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- They used a smaller nail gun called a pin nailer to attach the molding to the edge of the window seat lid. The fine brads used by the pin nailer helped to keep the molding from splitting. Once the front molding was in place, they applied glue to the end pieces and the miter, slipped them into position and nailed them into place.
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5. Paint:
- After the box was completed, but before it was secured in place under the window, Ron recommended painting it. This saved considerable time because painting the box in the garage was a much easier job.
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6. Final Assembly:
- The first step to installing the finished window seat was to replace the old plywood that was removed earlier from the window ledge. This piece just slightly extended over the edge.
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