A Simple Approach to Raised-Panel Wainscot - …

1 82 FINE HOMEBUILDINGA Simple Approach toRaised-PanelAUGUST/SEPTEMBER 200483 Drawings: Bob La Pointeaised-panel Wainscot speaks of a time whencraftsmen had an abundance of skill and thetime to display their talents. But building tra-ditional Raised-Panel Wainscot is a complex,time-consuming process that few people can afford. I vesimplified the process. I can build good-looking Raised-Panel Wainscot in place using basic carpentry tools and arouter table. The 12-ft. by 18-ft. room pictured here tookme three days to the materials I use to make Raised-Panel Wainscot arereadily available. The bolection molding that bridges thegap between the Wainscot frame and the raised panel isa stock molding from White River Hardwoods/Wood-works Inc.

2 ( ; 800-558-0119). Becausethe Wainscot will bepainted, I can usemedium-density fiber-board (MDF) for theraised panels . MDFprofiles well and isstabler and less expen-sive than solid with adetailed layoutBefore I cut any wood,I snap horizontalchalklines to representthe top and bottomrails to see if the wain-scot height is appropriate for the room. Next, I determinehow many panels I need. They should be wider than theyare tall, and to my eye, an odd number of panels looks this project, five panels fit perfectly on the longest determine the panel width by subtracting the totalwidth of the stiles (vertical pieces) from the length of theRStock molding and MDF panelstransform a roomWainscotThe writing is on the wall.

3 A full-size layout onthe wall lets the author see the Wainscot s pro-portions and serves as a guide for GARY STRIEGLERPLEASING PROPORTIONS FROM TOP TO BOTTOMA lthough small in section, the moldings in this wainscothave a big impact on its overall rail12345678 Bolection-molding capBolection molding MDF raised panelBottom railCleat9 Shoe moldingPanel moldingMDF baseboard84 FINE HOMEBUILDING wall. I take into account that one panel will overlap another in corners and that the lapped stile should be 3 4in.(the thickness of the stile) wider. Then I divide the resultby the number of panels . Once I have the panel width fig-ured out, I use a level to lay out the stiles on the wall.

4 Ifany electrical boxes fall on a stile or panel edge, I have myelectrician move the longest frame firstBecause it s easier to make fitting adjustments to thesmaller frame of the shorter wall, I assemble and installthe longer frame first. The frame stiles and rails must bethe same thickness, so my first frame-making step is torun all frame stock through a portable planer. I also usethis machine to plane all rails to width by running themthrough the machine on clean, straight lumber in 18-ft. lengths is nearlyimpossible, so I use pocket screws to assemble the top andbottom rails from two shorter pieces. I make certain thatthe top rail s butt joint breaks on a stud and is not in thesame panel as the bottom rail joint.

5 I make the overall raillengths 1 8in. shorter than the wall to ensure that the railsfit easily. Any gap will be covered by the adjoining wall soverlapping cut all the stiles on a miter saw using a stop block foraccurate repetitive cuts. Next, I lay out the lumber for thetop and bottom rails against the long wall. I transfer thelayout from the wall to the rails using a speed I lay the stiles along the rails layout lines (photo p. 83). (Remember, the lapped corner stiles are 3 4in. widerthan the others.) To assemble the rails and stiles, I use apocket-hole jig and connect the pieces with yellow glueand pocket screws (photos above). Glue should seep outaround the joint and will be sanded smooth once it sets support the frameI nail a series of cleats along the wall to support the frameand raise it to the height of the chalkline I snapped ear-lier.

6 The cleats are the same depth as the frame and alsoact as nailers for the baseboard that is installed need help to tip the frame into place. Theframe isn t that heavy, but it s awkward for one person toQUICK, EASY POCKET-SCREW JOINERYCREATES A STRONG FRAME THAT IS SETIN PLACE AS A SINGLE UNITUse a pocket-holejig to drill thestiles for out the railsand stiles alongthe wall, then glueand screw themtogether. Getsome help liftingthe frame intoplace because buttjoints along therails could support theframe for nailingand serve asnailers for theframe next to the wall11 4-in. pan-headscrewPocketholeTop railStilelift into place. And although the pocket-screw joinery isextremely strong, the butt joints along the rails are theweakest point of the assembly and could flex if not sup-ported the frame is up, I set it on the cleats so that I cannail it to the studs using a 15-ga.

7 Finish nailer. I thensmooth the rail-and-stile joints with a 120-grit sandingdisk in a random-orbit panels are shaped at the router tableThe bolection molding that I chose for this Wainscot pro-jects 11 2in. into the frame s opening. To keep the Raised-Panel profile from being concealed, I size the panel to fitinside the frame and I knew the profile of the raised panel to bemade, I determined that the bolection molding shouldoverlap the raised panel by 3 8in. This amount of overlapcovers the thin, flat edge of the panel without hitting theraised profile, gives me enough wiggle room to adjust thebolection molding, and covers the brads used to fasten theraised panels to the cut a 11 8-in.

8 Gauge block (the 11 2-in. molding projectionminus the 3 8-in. overlap) from scrap lumber and use it tolay out the raised panel in the frame. I mark only the cor-ners because they determine both the placement and thesize of the MDF raised panels . I make the panels out of 3 4-in. MDF on a tablesaw. Because of the fine dust that is created when cutting MDF,it s necessary to wear a respirator, even in a well-ventilatedarea. After the rectangular panels are cut to size, I bringthem to the router table to shape them into raised panels (inset photo, center).I don t rout the MDF in one pass; instead, I make threepasses for each side. This process can be a bit time-consuming, but by setting the router depth once and in-creasing the cut by moving the fence to reveal more of therouter bit with each pass, I get a smoother profile, keepthe router from overheating, and reduce the chances thatthe panel will kick back.

9 Plus, I don t have to duck underthe table to readjust the work this phase like a production line. I rout four sidesof every panel, increase the depth of cut, run every panelthrough again, and repeat the process. This Approach ensures uniform panels cut to the same install the panels , I simply rest the panel on a 11 gauge block along the bottom rail and position thepanel along the layout lines I made earlier. Along thepanel edges, I drive 2-in. brads into the studs. I can nailthe MDF panels to the wall because they are extremelystable and won t move with swings in bridges the gap between the raised panel and frameThe bolection molding has a rabbet on its back, allow-ing it to seat itself in the framed opening while coveringany joints.

10 To cut a piece of bolection molding properly,the rabbet is elevated by a sacrificial block the same depthMDF PANELSARE FLAT,SMOOTH, AND STABLESize, raise, and install the panelTop rail11 8-in. gapMDF panelThe author uses agauge block todetermine thepanel size and markits layout lines (topphoto). Cutting theraised-panel profilein multiplepasseson theroutertable ensuressmooth results(center photo).He then installseach panel bydriving 2-in. bradsthrough the flatpanel edge(bottom photo).86 FINE HOMEBUILDINGL arge photo, facing page: Brian Pontoliloas the rails and stiles; then it s just a matter of making 45 miters and fitting the molding to the cutting the molding, I use a 23-ga.