January 17, 2023

To Build A Ladder

Summary

When we had our Spring Market, I realized a little late in the game that we needed a way to display hanging things like wreaths and mirrors. We were going to have a tent but no walls. Epiphany! Ladders! They are very popular right now, the older the better. They make great shelves, quilt racks, or just conversation pieces. They sometimes are even called into service as actual ladders. So I decided to make five to handle all our goods.

When we had our Spring Market, I realized a little late in the game that we needed a way to display hanging things like wreaths and mirrors. We were going to have a tent but no walls. Epiphany! Ladders! They are very popular right now, the older the better. They make great shelves, quilt racks, or just conversation pieces. They sometimes are even called into service as actual ladders. So I decided to make five to handle all our goods. But I wanted them to be more than merely decorative, in case someone actually wanted to stand on one. Before I go into how they were made, you need to know about one of my newest faves which was essential to this project. Forstner bits. (Huh?)

THE BEAUTY OF FORSTNER BITS

So what is so great about these bits? Well, I’ll tell you. If you want to make a hole that does not go all the way through the wood and has a flat bottom, these are what you need. They make a really smooth cut and are perfect for using dowel rods or just making indentations to hold things like candles. They come in all sizes in fact I just bought one that is 3” in diameter.

 

 

MATERIALS

2- 8’x 2” X 4”

1 closet dowel rod

Forstner bit

glue

nail gun

framing square

miter saw

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Decide the overall length you need and at what angle you want the ladders to sit.

  2. Using a miter saw, cut the desired angle on the bottom (and top if you want) of all the ladder sides.

  3. Determine how far apart you want the rungs.

  4. Lay the sides together and using a framing square, mark for all the rungs at once.

    5.  Using a Forstner bit, drill holes approximately 1/2” deep.

    6.  Cut the dowel rods for the rungs to the desired length. Be sure to take into account the 1/2″ on either side that will be inside the sides of the ladder.

    7.  Generously apply glue to all the holes and insert dowel rods.

  8. Add the second side of the ladder. An extra pair of hands is beneficial for this     step.

   

    9.  Tack rungs into place with a nail gun. If the ladder is going to be stepped on, use screws .

There you have it!