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PROJECT PLAN

Pine garden hutchThis article originally appeared in The Family Handyman magazine.

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92 APRIL 2004 THE FAMILY HANDYMAN

ouldn’t it be nice to have all your gardening tools and suppliesin one handy location? This pine hutch holds long-handledtools like shovels, rakes and hoes on one side, and smaller

tools and supplies on shelves on the other side.We designed this hutch for sturdy, functional storage. The copper roof keeps

the interior dry, so you can put it outside. The panels that make up the front,sides, back and doors are tongue-and-groove 1x8s glued together for rigidity.The curved parts for thefront frame, doors andtrim are simply cut from1x12 pine boards with ajigsaw. The rest of thecabinet is constructed ofstandard inexpensiveknotty pine boards.

In this article, we’llwalk you through theassembly process,including a slick pocketscrew technique for join-ing the door and faceframes. The rusticnature of this hutchmakes it a good projectfor an ambitious wood-worker, but it’s not forbeginners.You’ll needexperience working with

Pinegardenhutch

Keep all your gardeningtools close at hand in this solid pine cabinetby Jeff Gorton

W

THE FAMILY HANDYMAN APRIL 2004 93


Pine garden hutch

1/4"

1/2"1"

11"

39"

1/4"C

3/4" x 2-1/2" NOTCH IN R

2-1/2"

1/2"

EACH .SQ. = 1"

2-1/2"

TOP VIEW

SECTION VIEW

1/4"

3/4"

1"

COPPER TOP: SEE TEXT FOR BENDING AND CRIMPING

1/2"

1-1/2"

1/4"

SECTION VIEW

1-1/2"

L

4"

45

DETAILS AT BOTTOM

DETAILS AT TOP

BOTTOM PATTERNS

C2

C2

C2

C2

C1

C1

C1

C1 B1

B2

Q

R

R

P

L

L

N

DETAILS AT BOTTOM

C2C1

Q

R

P

L

N

J

H

P

M

X

X W

KT2

K

VA1

A1

A2

A2

B2B1

D

E1

E2

F1

F2

F2

G

H

H

H

J

J

L

L

M

N

N

P

Q

R

S

T1

T2

U

V

Fig. A — GARDEN HUTCH

version 2F 2/11/04Figure AGarden Hutch Assembly

power tools, including a table saw, powermiter saw and jigsaw.You’ll also need afull set of basic hand tools as well as apocket hole jig (Photo 4) to assemble theframes, and air nailers to assemble thecabinet. Allow a few full days to build thecabinet and several more hours to apply adurable finish.

It takes a surprising amount of pine tobuild this cabinet.You’ll have to round upa pickup truck, a minivan or an SUV toget the lumber home. Be choosy whenselecting the boards. Pick straight boardsthat look nice on both sides.You can getby with some defects on the boards thatface the back of the cabinet, though. Buy afew extra boards so you’ll have a betterselection when you start building. Wepurchased all the lumber at our localhome center for about $250. We found thecopper sheet (about $45) at a sheet metalshop that specializes in gutters and exte-rior metal. See the Buyer’s Guide on p. 102for information on buying the copper andthe door hardware.

Start by building the face frameBuild the face frame (Photo 3) first anduse it as a guide for assembling the doorsand cutting the curve on the back panel.

A full sheet of 3/4-in. MDF or particle-board set on sawhorses makes a goodworkbench for this project. Set up for

1Build a largecompass by

drilling holes in a36-in. long stickusing Figure B as aguide. Draw arcsfor the face frametop (A1) and doorframe tops (D) ona 4-ft. 1x12. On asecond 4-ft. 1x12,draw arcs for thecurved molding(A2) under thefront roof (Figure Bbelow).

2Saw out thecurved pieces

with a jigsaw. Usethe pattern on p.94 to draw thecurve on the faceframe bottom (C1)and saw it out aswell.

Pine garden hutch

1x12 PINEBOARD

FACE FRAMETOP

CENTER LINE

DOOR FRAMETOPS

3/4” MDFTABLE

21-5/8"

FACE FRAME

TOP(A)

DOOR FRAMETOPS (D)

CURVEDMOLDING

(A2)

SCRAP

21-5/8"

32-5/8"

32-5/8"

31-1/8"

22"

29-1/8"

26-3/4"

C

3/4" x 11-1/4" x 48" PINE BOARD

3/4" x 11-1/4" x 48"PINE BOARD

3-1/2"

L

CL

1-1/2"

2-3/8"

SCRAP

TRIM END

CUT D IN HALFAND SLIDE

SEE PHOTOS 3 AND 6FOR CUTTINGEND ANGLES

B1

E2

A1

A2

D

D

Fig. B — Arc Patterns

SCREW POINT

SCREW POINT

version 2F 2/11/04

21-5/8"

32-5/8"

32-5/8"

31-1/8"

22"

29-1/8"

26-3/4"

C

3/4" x 11-1/4" x 48" PINE BOARD

3/4" x 11-1/4" x 48"PINE BOARD

3-1/2"

L

CL

1-1/2"

2-3/8"

SCRAP

TRIM END

CUT D IN HALFAND SLIDE

SEE PHOTOS 3 AND 6FOR CUTTINGEND ANGLES

B1

E2

A1

A2

D

D

Fig. B — Arc Patterns

SCREW POINT

SCREW POINT

version 2F 2/11/04

Figure BArc Patterns



Pine garden hutch

4 Drill pocketholes on the

backside of theface frame pieceswith a pocket holejig. Glue the jointsand connect themwith pocketscrews.

5Cut backingcleats (B2 and

C2) that overlapthe face framejoints (Figure A,parts A1, B1 andC1). Predrill andscrew them to theback of the faceframe.

marking the arcs (for the curved pieces) bydrawing a center line parallel to the longedge of the sheet. Center a 4-ft. length of1x12 on the line. Line up the top edge withthe edge of the workbench and clamp it.Screw the point of the homemade compassin the center line 21-5/8 in. below thebottom edge of the 1x12 (Photo 1). Drawthree arcs for the face frame top and doortop pieces (Figure B, p. 95). Then replacethe 1x12 with another 48-in. 1x12 and relo-cate the screw point (see Figure B). Drawtwo arcs to outline the 1-1/2 in. wide curvedroof trim molding. Cut out the curves(Photo 2).

Even with careful jigsaw work, you’ll haveto sand the curves for a smooth arch. Use80-grit sandpaper on a sanding block toeven out the curve and remove saw marks.Then sand again with 100- and 120-gritpaper. For the best-looking finish, sand allthe boards before assembly. Use a randomorbital sander or hand-sand with the grainof the wood.

When you’re done cutting and sandingthe curved pieces, rip the remaining faceframe and door trim pieces to width and cutthem to length according to Figure A andthe Cutting List. Use the pattern on p. 94 tocut the curve on the 39-in. long 1x6 bottomframe piece (C1). Cut the same curve on the44-in. long x 5-in. wide piece (C2). Use thisfor the bottom cleat (Photo 5). Assemblethe face frames and door frames and backframe with pocket screws. (See “UsingTools,” Feb. ’03, p. 23. To order a copy, see p. 9.) Photos 3 and 6 show how to mark forthe angle cuts where the curved pieces jointhe straight ones.

You can use your miter box to cut angleson the ends of the curved pieces, but you’llhave to steady them by supporting themwith one of the scrap concave corners cutfrom the 1x12. Place the straight edge of theconcave scrap against the fence and nestlethe curves. Then sight along the blade andadjust the angle to cut along the line. Usethis same technique for cutting the angleson the ends of the curved door frame tops(D) as shown in Photo 6.

After assembling the face frame, flip it

SQUAREDRIVER

POCKETSCREWCLAMP

POCKETHOLE JIG

STEPPED BITFOR POCKET

SCREWS

OVERLAPPINGCLEAT

OVERLAPCORNER

1”

1-1/4” DECKSCREWS

CURVEDBOTTOM

CLEAT

3Cut the sidepieces (B1) to

length with 22-degree angles onthe tops. Snug theface frame sides tothe bottom (C1)and to a 39-in.long spacer andclamp them to thetable. Scribe lineson the curved top(A1) and cut offthe ends.

FACE FRAME

SPACER

MARK ANGLE

22 DEGREES

C1

B1

A1


over and screw on the cleats (B2 and C2;Photo 5). The cleats overlap the joints toadd strength and serve as a nailing surfacefor the floorboards and side panels.

Take your time building the doorsUse the completed face frame as a guide tocheck the fit of the doors as you build them.The goal is to end up with a 1/8-in. spacebetween the doors and the face frame andbetween the two doors. Sand or plane themas needed to create an even gap. Build andfit the door frames first. Then use them as aguide to cut out the tongue-and-grooveboards that make up the door panels(Photo 7). Rip the groove off the first boardin each door panel and then rip the lastboard to fit. Glue and nail the boards to theframes and then sand the edges flush. A beltsander works great for this task.

Next build the side and back panelsThe panels for the sides and back areconstructed just like the door panels.You’llhave to rip the tongues and grooves fromthe outermost boards after figuring out howwide they should be (Photo 8). We can’tgive you the exact ripping widths becauseyour boards will probably vary from theones we used. The easiest approach is totemporarily assemble the tongue-and-groove boards, using clamps if needed todraw them tight together. Then mark thepanel widths on them, making sure to cen-ter the tape so you’ll remove an equalamount from the outside boards. Rip theoutside boards to width. Then assemble thepanels. Run a small bead of water-resistantwood glue along the tongue of each boardbefore sliding it into the groove. Clean upany squeezed-out glue right away with adamp cloth. When the glue hardens, thepanels will be rigid and strengthen the cabi-net. Use construction adhesive to glue thepanels to the frames and/or cleats.

Here are a few special considerations forbuilding the panels. First, use a framingsquare to make sure the panels are perfectlysquare before the glue dries. Cut the curve

7Temporarilyassemble the

door panels andcenter the framesover them. Markthe bottom, sidesand top. Rip thesides and cut thetop curve. Cut thebottoms 1/4 in.shorter thanmarked. Then glueand nail theboards togetherwith wood glueand fasten them to the frame withconstruction adhesive.

Pine garden hutch

6 Assemble thedoor frame

with pocketscrews as shown.Then cut thecurved top (D) inhalf and cut angleson the ends to fit.Attach them withpocket screws aswell. Place theassembled doorframes in the faceframe to check thefit. Plane and sandas needed to allowa 1/8-in. spacearound andbetween the doorframes.

8 Assemble theback frame

(M and N) withpocket screws.Glue and nailtongue-and-groove boards toit to form the cab-inet back. Rip thefirst and lastboards to fit.

DOOR FRAME

POCKETHOLES

MARKANGLE

WATER-RESISTANT

WOOD GLUE

TRACETOP

RIPEDGE

CONSTRUCTIONADHESIVE

V-GROOVESFACE BACK

BACKPANEL

BACKFRAME

on the back panel after it’s constructed(Photo 9). The beveled top cleat on the sidepanels (K) is a little tricky. Study Photos 10

and 13 and Figure A to see its location andorientation.

Assemble the cabinet, then mount the doorsGlue and nail the completed panels and faceframe together (Photo 10). Then add thefloorboards and center panel (Photo 12).Center the curved molding (A2) and nail itto the top of the face frame. Finally, glue andnail the roof boards along the curve (Photo

13). Start with 1x4s aligned with the ends ofthe curved molding. Then complete the roofwith 1x3s, working from both sides to thecenter. To make sure you’re off to a squarestart, temporarily tack the 1x4 in place.Then set four of the 1x3s on the roof withtheir ends perfectly aligned and measure thefront overhang to make sure it’s consistent.If the overhang is getting larger or smaller,move the back end of the 1x4 down or up,respectively, to correct the problem.

When the cabinet is complete, tip it on itsback to install the doors (Photo 14).Youcan use any strong, gate-type hinge. Justmake sure to leave an even space around theperimeter of the doors and between them.Use a belt sander to trim tight spots.

Crimping tool simplifiescurve of the metal roofStart with a 24-in. x 60-in. piece of 16-oz.copper sheeting. Screw down a 2x4 frameon your bench top to provide clearance forbending down the edges. Start by snippingthe corners of the copper with a tin snips(Photo 15). Then hand-bend the edges ofthe sheet down over the 2x4s (Photo 15).The last step is to crimp the edges with thecrimping tool (see Buyer’s Guide, p. 102) tocurve the sheet (Photo 16). Keep thecrimps parallel by aligning one of thecrimping blades in the previously madecrimp before squeezing it. Crimp about 12in. on the front. Then crimp 24 in. on theback to even up the curve. Continuealternating until you reach the end.You canadjust the arch for an exact fit once the cop-

10Assemblethe side

panels (Figure A).Then glue and nailthe side panels tothe back panel andthe face frame.


Pine garden hutch

9Center theface frame

over the backpanel and line upthe bottoms. Markthe top curve. Sawit out with ajigsaw.

11Screw in thecrosspiece

(Q) with pocketscrews to supportthe floorboards.Notch the firstfloorboard (R) tofit around the faceframe and glueand nail it down.Cut the back floor-board to fit andnail it in.

TRACECURVE

FACEFRAME

BACKSIDEUP

BACKPANEL

FLOORCLEATS

FACEFRAME

BEVELEDCLEAT

BACKPANEL

FLOORCLEAT

FLOORCROSSPIECE

BASE

CONSTRUCTIONADHESIVE


13Nail thecurved

molding (A2) tothe face frame.Then glue andnail the ceilingboards to thetop of the cabi-net. Start byoverhanging the1x4s as shownand work fromboth sides to thecenter with the1x3 boards. Cutthe last piece tofit.

12Glue andnail

together the cen-ter divider andattach it to thebottom and backwith cleats (T1and T2) andscrews. Attachthe top to theceiling boardsafter they’reinstalled (Photo13).

Pine garden hutch

14 Screwtemporary

cleats to the backof the face frameto support thedoors. Set thedoors in place andtrim them if nec-essary to allow1/8-in. clearanceall around. Predrillfor hinge screwsand screw on thedoor hinges andhardware.

Cutting ListKEY PCS. SIZE & DESCRIPTION

Face frame

AA11,, DD 1 48" x 3/4" x 11-1/4" (curved frame and door tops)

AA22 1 48" x 3/4" x 11-1/4" (curved molding;

cut curve and ends)

BB11 2 68" x 3/4" x 3-1/2" (sides)*

BB22 2 66" x 3/4" x 2-1/2" (side cleats)*

CC11 1 39" x 3/4" x 5-1/2" (bottom; cut curve to pattern)

CC22 1 44" x 3/4" x 5" (bottom cleat; cut curve to pattern)

Doors

DD 2 Curved tops (cut from ”door top” above)

EE11 2 68-5/8" x 3/4" x 2-1/4" (door sides)*

EE22 2 61" x 3/4" x 2-1/4" (door sides)*

FF11 2 14-13/16" x 3/4" x 2-1/4" (door bottom rail); see Figure B

FF22 4 14-13/16" x 3/4" x 4" (intermediate rails)

GG 6 72" t&g 1x8 (door panels); cut to fit

Sides

HH 6 68-1/4" t&g 1x8 (19-1/2" x 68-1/4" side panels)

JJ 2 5" x 3/4" x 17-1/4" (bottom cleats)

KK 2 5-1/2" x 3/4" x 17-1/4" (top cleats; bevel top to 45 degrees)

Back

LL 7 78" t&g 1x8 (44" x 78" back panel; cut top curve)

MM 2 3-1/2" x 3/4" x 68" (frame sides)

NN 3 3-1/2" x 3/4" x 37" (frame crosspiece)

PP 1 5" x 3/4" x 42-1/2" (bottom cleat)

Interior Parts

QQ 1 2" x 3/4" x 16-1/2" (floor crosspiece)

RR 2 9" x 3/4" x 44" (floorboards)

SS 3 72" t&g 1x8 (17-1/4" x 72" center panel)

TT11 1 3/4" x 3/4" x 72" (center panel cleats)

TT22 2 3/4" x 3/4" x 17-1/4" (center panel cleats)

UU 8 1-1/2" x 3/4" x 17-1/4" (shelf cleats)

VV 8 8-5/8" x 3/4" x 21-5/8" (shelf boards)

WW 3 3-1/2" x 3/4" x 21-1/2" (roof boards)

XX 18 2-1/2" x 3/4" x 21-1/2" (roof boards)

* Cut top angles at 22 degrees

SHELFCLEATS

CENTERPANEL

3/4"x 3/4"CLEAT

3/4" x 3/4"CLEAT

BEVELEDCLEAT

1x3s

1x4

CURVEDMOLDING

TEMPORARYCLEAT

GATEHINGE

1/8"SPACE

16Crimp thefront and

back edges toform the curvedtop using a specialsheet metal crimp-ing tool. Alternatebetween the frontand back until youreach the end.

17Drill 1/16-in. pilot

holes (throughthe copper only)about every 12 in.along the edges.Drive small cop-per or brassweatherstripnails through the copper into thewood slats tohold the copperroofing in place.

15Center the 24-in. wide

copper sheet overthe cabinet topwith a 1-1/2 in.overhang in front.Mark along theback, front andends with apermanent marker.Add 1-1/2 in. tothe ends and cutthe copper sheetto length with atin snips. Snip thecorners as shown.Bend the front,back and endsdown over the 2x4frame.


Pine garden hutch

per is back on top of the cabinet. Hold off,however, on nailing the copper in place(Photo 17) until you’ve applied a finish tothe hutch.

Since the hutch is pine and will rotquickly if left unprotected outdoors, we rec-ommend applying a durable finish. We usedoil stain and three coats of spar varnish. Besure to seal the bottom edges thoroughly. Ifyou’re going to put the hutch in a wet loca-tion, install metal or plastic feet on all fourcorners to elevate it slightly. Setting thehutch on an uneven surface can cause thedoors to bind or fit poorly.You may have toshim under the cabinet to level it.

Art Direction • MARCIA WRIGHT ROEPKEPhotography • BILL ZUEHLKETechnical Art • EUGENE THOMPSON

Buyer’s GuideMalco C4 5 blade downspout crimper is available on-line from www.amazon.com ($20.99 plus shipping),or call Seven Corners Hardware (651) 224-4859 toorder one by mail.

The Kreg Rocket R2 pocket hole system is availableon-line at www.kregtool.com ($64.99), or call (800)447-8638 to find a retailer near you.

The hinges (CK-02010642; $6.99) and primitivelatch (CK-02006027; $3.89) are available from VanDyke’s Restorers, (800) 787-3355,www.vandykes.com.

The 16-oz. copper sheet is available from SheridanSheet Metal Co., (763) 537-3686. Call for the currentprice and shipping cost.

Shopping ListDESCRIPTION QTY.

1x2 x 8' pine 3

1x3 x 8' pine 9

1x4 x 6' pine 4

1x4 x 8' pine 3

1x6 x 6' pine 4

1x10 x 8' pine 3

1x12 x 8' pine 1

1x8 x 6' t&g pine 15

1x8 x 8' t&g pine 7

8" gate hinges 4

Latch 1

Tubes of construction adhesive 2

Magnetic catches 4

Water-resistant wood glue

1-1/4" finish nails

Copper or brass weatherstrip nails

Pocket screws and jig

2' x 5' 16-oz. copper sheet

BACK EDGEOF HUTCH

1"

SNIPCORNERS

FRONTEDGE

BEND 1-1/2"DOWN

CRIMPINGTOOL

1/16" PILOTHOLE

THROUGHCOPPER

project plan - woodworking edge

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