Joseph Truini

Build a Portable Platform

outdoorlife-editor — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 12:26:33 -0400

Tent camping has long been a favorite way to experience the natural wonders of the great outdoors. However, the novelty of sleeping on the ground-even with an air mattress-gets old quickly during extended trips. If you're an outdoorsman who spends weeks or even months camping, consider building a tent platform.

This tent platform, designed for Outdoor Life, features a 2x4 frame covered in ½-inch-thick exterior-grade plywood. The really cool thing about this project is that the platform is completely portable: It can be erected and disassembled using only a screwdriver and hammer, and it folds up to fit in the back of most pickup trucks.

This 12- by 16-foot platform accommodates a 10- by 12-foot canvas wall tent. The extra 4 feet in front creates a small "front porch" that allows you to get out of the tent without stepping onto the ground.
A detailed building plan of the platform is available online. Lumber and hardware will cost $450 to $500.

What You Need

Six 4- by 8-ft. sheets of ACX ½-in. plywood

Ten 12-ft. 2x4s (for joists)

Four 8-ft. 2x4s (for sides)

Four 8-ft. 2x4s (for legs)

Twelve 6-in. Stanley LifeSpan strap hinges (No. 78-1515)

Nine Stanley 3-in. utility hinges
(No. 75-2060)

Four Stanley 3-in. butt hinges with
removable pins (No. 08-3031)

Ten 3/8x8-in. Stanley eye bolts
(No. 13-0290)

Ten 5/16x2x5-in. Stanley square
U-bolts (No. 13-4250)

Ten 3/8x7/16-in. tee-nuts

Twenty 5/16-in. wing nuts

Twenty Â¼-20x20mm insert nuts

Twenty 1-in. washers

Twenty Â¼-20x1-in. flathead machine screws

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Building Guide

1. Hinge the Frame

Join two 8-foot 2x4s to form the platform's 16-foot-long sides. Fasten together the 2x4s, end to end, using a heavy-duty 6-inch strap hinge. Next, saw ten 12-foot 2x4s into twenty pieces, each 70½-inches long. Join pairs of the 2x4s with strap hinges to create 10 floor joists, each 11 feet 9 inches long.

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2. Build the Legs

Cut ten 2x4s to 10 inches, and another ten to 13½ inches. Screw the shorter 2x4s
to the longer ones to create the legs. Use a
C-clamp to hold the leg to the platform's frame, then bore a 7/16-inch-diameter hole through both. Remove the clamp and hammer a tee-nut into the hole on the back of the leg.

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3. Set the Floorboards

The surface of the tent platform is made up of six 4- by 8-foot sheets of ACX ½-inch fir
plywood. Join the sheets with 3-inch narrow
utility hinges to create three folding panels. For a stronger connection, bolt the hinges in place with short machine screws, washers and hex nuts. Apply marine varnish to the plywood.

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Field Assembly

4. Lay Out the Frame

Begin setting up the tent platform by first laying out its perimeter frame to form a 12- by 16-foot rectangle. Bring together each corner of the 2x4 frame, making sure the two hinge leaves fully interlock. Then, push the hinge pin down into place, locking together the two leaves and securing the frame's corner. Repeat for the other three corners.

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5. Attach the Legs

The tent platform is held off the ground by 10 legs, each 13½ inches tall. Attach each leg with an eye bolt. Thread the bolts through the frame and into the tee-nuts on the backs of the legs. Hand-tighten each bolt. Use the eye bolts to tie the tent down.

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6. Install the
U-Bolts

Each of the ten 11-foot 9-inch-long floor joists is supported at midspan by a single 2x4 leg. Attach the legs with square U-bolts and wing nuts. Tap each U-bolt through the holes with a hammer, then hand-tighten the wing nuts.

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7. Secure the Floor

Bore an 11/32-inch hole 1 inch deep into the top of the 2x4 frame at each screw location. Use a
6mm Allen wrench to thread the
insert nuts into the holes. Then bore Â¼-inch screw-shank clearance holes into the plywood. Tighten
the 20 screws.

Boot Bench

outdoorlife-editor — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 20:00:00 -0400

A boot bench provides a comfortable place to sit when you're putting on or taking off boots and shoes. This handsome, compact bench has a beautiful red-oak top and painted pine base. Store hiking boots, camp mocs and running shoes on the lower shelf.

Measuring about 16 inches high and 24 inches long, the bench will fit nearly anywhere. You can make the bench wider or taller, but 16 inches is a comfortable sitting height for most adults.

The top of the bench is cut from a red-oak stair tread, which is sold at home centers and lumberyards. The 11½-inch by 48-inch tread costs $25-$30 and comes sanded smooth with a rounded bull-nose profile along one edge. Looking for a more affordable alternative? Use a pine stair tread, which costs about $12.
You will need a cordless drill/driver with assorted drill bits and screw-driving tips, saber saw, portable circular saw, hammer, tape measure, combination square, Phillips screwdriver, paintbrush and foam-rubber brush.

What You Need >>

1 oak stair tread

1 pine one-by-ten, 6 feet

1 pine one-by-four, 6 feet

1Â¼-inch drywall screws

15/8-inch trim-head screws

2-inch drywall screws

Latex primer and high-gloss paint

Polyurethane
varnish

120- and 220-grit sandpaper

1. Begin by cutting the two sides and lower shelf from a pine one-by-ten. Use a one-pound coffee can to trace the outline of the curved feet onto each of the one-by-ten sides. Position the curved outline 1½ inches from the edges and end, as shown in the illustration. Cut out the curved feet with a saber saw, then sand the cut smooth with 120-grit sandpaper.

2. Next, cut the apron, base and cleat from a pine one-by-four. Make each part 20½ inches long. Use the coffee can to mark 4-inch-diameter curves onto the apron and base. Cut out the curved shapes with a saber saw. Note that the apron and base were ripped down to 3 inches wide to better match the scale of the bench. However, you could skip this step and use the one-by-four at its full width of 3½ inches.

3. Set the apron and cleat between the two sides, and hold them flush with the top. Be sure to inset the apron Â¼ inch from the sides to create
a shallow reveal. Secure the apron and cleat with
15/8-inch trim-head screws driven through the sides.

4. Use a circular saw to cut the oak stair tread to 24 inches long. Lay the oak top face down and set the partially assembled bench on top. Fasten the bench to the top by driving screws through the apron (2-inch screws) and cleat (1Â¼-inch screws).

5. Install the lower shelf between the two sides; position it 3 inches from the bottom. Attach the shelf with 15/8-inch trim-head screws. Slide the base piece between the sides and push it tight against the underside of the shelf. As with the apron, inset the base Â¼ inch to create a small reveal. Secure the base to the shelf with two 2-inch screws driven up from below.

6. Use wood putty to fill the holes created by
the trim-head screws, wait for the putty to dry and sand it smooth. Apply one coat of primer and two top coats of high-gloss paint to all the pine.
Use a foam brush to apply a coat of semigloss
polyurethane varnish to the top. Allow the varnish
to dry, then sand it lightly with 220-grit sandpaper.
A second coat will add protection.

Tree Stump Removal

outdoorlife-editor — Sun, 31 Oct 2004 19:00:00 -0500

You've secured a new deer lease for the season, and you'd like to put a small shelter on the property. You've already taken the first step, clearing several trees from the plot. The second problem is more of a hassle: getting rid of the stumps after the trees have been cut down.

To remove a 30-inch-diameter tree stump, I rented a stump grinder from a local dealer for $125 per day. (Half-day rentals are usually available.) The powerful machine has a 25-hp gas engine, sophisticated hydraulic system and 16-inch cutting wheel armed with wood-chewing teeth. The machine is relatively simple to operate but weighs nearly 1,000 pounds, so you'll need a trailer hitch to tow it home. (Most rental dealers will deliver it for an additional fee.)

THE FIVE-STEP PLAN

Use a pointed shovel or mattock to dig out any rocks or stones from around the base of the stump [photo 1]. Next, check to see how high the stump sticks out of the ground. If it protrudes more than about 4 inches, cut it close to the ground with a chain saw [photo 2]. You could skip this step, but it takes much longer to grind off the excess wood than it does to saw it away.

Start the stump grinder and use the appropriate hydraulic lever to raise the cutting wheel a few inches above the stump. Drive the machine forward until the wheel is over the front edge of the stump [photo 3]. Use the levers to slowly swing the cutting wheel from side to side to clear out a circular swath of wood. Lower the spinning wheel another few inches into the stump and repeat this side-to-side cutting action.

Once the stump is gone, rake up the wood chips and fill the resulting crater with screened topsoil [photo 4]. Sprinkle grass seed over the area [photo 5], and lightly rake it into the soil.

For more information, go to www.outdoorlife.com/diy

DIY TIP Grind the stump with a side-to-side motion. If the blade is spinning, don't let it touch the ground.

Build A Portable Platform

outdoorlife-editor — Tue, 31 Aug 2004 20:00:00 -0400

Tent camping has long been a favorite way to experience the natural wonders of the great outdoors. However, the novelty of sleeping on the ground—even with an air mattress—gets old quickly during extended trips. If you're an outdoorsman who spends weeks or even months camping, consider building a tent platform.