|
Here you can see the backs of the
columns as they will stand during
use. Obviously the back dimensions
differ, since one side (right unit
as shown on the left of this rear
view photo) will house the gargoyles and the other side will
house the expansion chamber and fog
ducting. The construction of the
 boxes
here are simple; butt-joined yellow
water resistant woodworker's glue
(Titebond II) and 1 1/2" staples in
each joint. You can substitute 2"
drywall screws for the staples if
you
 are
careful to predrill each hole.
Notice in the photo above right
(double click images for expanded
view) that the sides of each box
fully overlay the front and 3/4"
backs. Also, each column has a
floor mounted at the ground level
inside the four walls, but the top
is overlaid down onto them. This is
so when our entry is exposed to
rain, we will not have the end
grain of our walls on the top where
water could possibly stand for
extended time, since the box itself
is the armature to this build
we will rely on for it holding up
over time. That is why the
finished columns are
 80" high and
the sides and front in the cut out
are 79 1/4". Before assembling your boxes, measure to the entry point
on the right side of the column
shown on the far right of the above
photo and cut out a 2 1/2" hole for
the fog inlet pipe. Before closing
up the bottom area of this column,
mount your
Vortex Column Fog Delivery Mini
inside and suspend with a few 6"
shelf brackets below the Vortex at
the right level for the duct to
exit the hole. Here is
a look again at the back view of this
complete system.
A quick breakdown of its elements
are;
(A) 1"
PVC quick disconnect
(B) 1" PVC valve
(C) 1" PVC pipe
(D)
Vortex Column Fog Delivery Mini
(E) 2" ABS clean out 90 degree
elbow
Next we will need to put the
decorative trim on the boxes as
shown here. Each piece will be
fully overlaid to the box. You can
make these using the same 3/4"
waferboard material as the box.
Notice the front of each column is
recessed 3/4", giving depth to the
structure. This is obviously an
extra step that can easily be
skipped if you wish, but this
how-to will detail creating this
feature. You will have a choice of
cutting out the openings out of
sheets of the wafer board with a
jig
 saw
or another slick way of achieving
clean, straight lines on these
inside edges is to assemble these
as face frames. You cut out each
section and assemble them together
using a pocket bore jig, machine,
or
you can make a wooden jig yourself
if you will only be using it a few times. The one shown is a
Pock’it Jig Kit
you can order from a tool supply
like Woodcraft
. You will need this drill bit as well, so your center hole and counter sink are
correct. Also the long square drive screw driver bit is needed if you are using
the square drive pocket bore screws as shown.
Then on the back side of each rail
(horizontal piece of any face
frame) so you can hold the joint
flat against a table, place glue
between the joint and then drill a
small headed face frame screw
through it and into the stile
(vertical piece of any face frame).
Stiles are always top to bottom of
the outside parameter of a frame,
while rails are always the distance
between the stiles as denoted by
the dotted lines in the blue print
above. Here are the cut outs for
the two face frames only;
(2)
16 1/2" x 80" front -or-
(4) 3" x 80" stiles
(2) 10 1/4" x 10 1/2" rail
(2) 18" x 10 1/2" rail
-----------------------
(2) 14 1/4" x 19 1/2" front -or-
(4) 3" x 14 1/4" stile
(4) 3" x 13 1/2" rail
Here is a look at the columns with
all the trimmings from a rear view.
You will notice on the top of each
are 5 1/4" tall assemblies that
have been added to each original
box with glue blocks (A), which are
3/4" x 3/4" pieces of wood that we
can screw through and into the
bottom of the assembly and then
through and into the top of the
column. Remember to use glue on
these joints and either screw or
staple on. These are the light
shields needed to keep the light I
will have illuminating the
gargoyles from shining back down
 in the eyes of the TOTs. Here is a
closer look at the exact dimensions
of each. Some important items to
notice are the outside trim pieces
extend back 3/4" behind the column
box, and there is a 1 1/2" x 16"
piece of wood attached 5 7/8" below
the rear edge of the top (B). This
is a seat for your sign to fit
into, which is obviously
detachable.
 Looking
at the aerial view down on the top
of the two columns as well as down
on the light shield, you can see
clearly which pieces overlay, or
"butt" to which mating piece.
Not shown here is the hole you will
need up through the center of each
top for the fog duct which must be
measured precisely for once you
have fitted your gargoyles with the
 appropriate hose as will be covered
later in this how-to. You will
however see the two 1 1/2" holes
needed in each top for your
gargoyle display lights. You can
then simply mount some ceiling lamp
bases as shown here which can be
found at any hardware store,
underneath the top. Just mount with
screws up through the base of the
socket flanges and into the
underneath side of the top.
|
