Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Diy Step Ladders

Step ladders are versaitle enough to use in any home improvement situation.


Building a step ladder is a simple project that should take no more than a couple of hours to complete, according to the All Wood Working Plans website. A step ladder has a variety of uses that can put you in a dangerous situation. Because of this, it is important to exercise extreme caution when building a step ladder. Make sure that all of the parts are screwed and glued together tightly.


Instructions


1. Clamp the two 12-inch 2x4s together so that the ends are flush. Stand them straight up and down. The top and bottom rungs are 8 inches from the ends. Place a mark at 8 inches. These marks represent the top of the upper rung and the bottom of the lower one.


2. Make marks for the rest of the rungs. Using the previous marks made at the 8-inch level, measure 16-inches and make a new mark. A new rung will be placed every 16 inches. Use your square to square off the marks you made for the rungs in preparation for the notches being made.


3. Use your circular saw to cut notches along the lines that you made that are 1-1/8-inches deep. Make a series of cuts until the total of the cuts is 3 inches wide, which is the width of the rungs. Repeat this process for each notch and use a hammer and chisel to clean out the wood in the notches once the cuts have been made.


4. Cut the 2x3s into 19-inch lengths. You will need nine lengths to act as the rungs. Unclamp the uprights and set them down gently so they do not break.


5. Attach the rungs. Start with the top and bottom rung. Place wood glue in the notches and then place the rung in place. Make sure that it fits snugly. Secure the rung into place with 4 deck screws, two on each side. Repeat this process for each rung.

Tags: step ladder, Make sure, Make sure that, marks made, process each