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Materials:
- 2" x 4" cedar or redwood
- 3/8" or ½" cove molding
- Exterior grade carpenter's glue
- Lots of freshly cut branches
- Scrap of fairly thick oil-tanned leather
- 3" exterior grade screws
- 1" brass screws
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Tools
- Drill and drill bits
- Knife
- Pruning shears
- Leather punch
- Scissors
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Steps:
New growth is straight and flexible |
Old growth is more rigid and has more joints |
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| Find recently pruned or wind-downed tree branches and trim
off half-inch diameter and smaller branches to use in constructing
your garden screen. Depending on the season, you may also find
freshly pruned piles of branches where utility companies have
trimmed branches away from power lines. Always ask first before
taking them. You never know if some utility person is thinking
about mass-producing garden screens.
Trim all the leaves from the branches you've chosen, exposing
the shape of the branch. New growth tends to be straight and
more flexible. Old growth tends to have more bends and knuckles
and it will be more rigid.
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Cut the ends square |
Peel the bark off the end with a knife |
A cylindrical end will make a much better joint than a conical
one |
| Prep the ends of the branches by cutting them off cleanly
with your pruning shears. No smooshed ends. Remove one inch
of bark from the end of the branch using a knife. Take a look
at the end of the branch and if it's not quite circular, whittle
it into a circular shape since you want it to fit nicely into
a drilled hole. Be careful not to taper the end. It needs to
be cylindrical, not conical like a sharpened pencil. |
|
Screw the corners of the frame together |
Mark the centre of the frame along the inside |
Find the correct drill bit size by testing the branch in the
drill index |
Design Decisions
Determine the size of the screen you want to build. Mine is
six feet high with three panels (one three-foot wide panel,
and two two-foot wide panels). There are rules though, so look
at the proposed location and guestimate the best size.
Cut to length your 2" x 4" boards and screw the
corners together with exterior grade 3" screws. Mark
a dotted line all along the inside of the frame right in the
center of the boards; this line will guide you when you're
placing the branches.
Lay out a few branches it their expected final position.
They can intersect the frame at an angle or they can be perpendicular
to it. Mark the spot where the branch will insert.
TIP: Use your drill index to help determine the size
of the hole to drill. Pull out a drill that appears to be
the correct size and try putting the branch end into the hole.
Keep trying until you find a hole that fits the branch very
snugly. Use the bit from that hole to drill into the frame.
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|
Start the drill straight to drill an angled hole |
Then move the drill to the proper angle |
Fit the branch to be sure it's snug |
ONE MORE TIP:
If you want your branch to fit at an angle, start by drilling
perpendicular to the frame and, after the bit gets started in
the wood, angle it in the desired direction.
Continue drilling holes and fitting branches. After dry-fitting
about five branches, glue them in position using outdoor carpenter's
glue. Work up one side of your panel, wiping off excess glue
as you go. Switch sides and work up that other side in the
same manner.
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Continue along, filling in the space with branches |
Glue the ends in place with exterior grade carpenter's glue
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When finished, the branches will be very wild and rowdy |
| If some of your branches are really long, you'll need to peel
bark from the tips and glue them into holes drilled in the opposite
side of the frame. Gluing branches from side to side or even
end to end helps stabilize the branches and the frame. |
|
Weave them together to flatten and strengthen the structure
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Then they all sort of pull together into a flat plane |
When finished, the woven mat will be quite springy |
| After all the braches are glued in place, weave together the
twigs that stick out coaxing them into the flatter plane of
the frame. If your branches are green enough, they should bend
easily around the others, making a springy mat. |
|
Hold the cove moulding in place and mark the length |
Cut it at a 45-degree angle at the mark |
Glue the piece in place |
| Trim the inside of the frame with cove molding, mitering the
corners. When all trim pieces for one side of the frame are
cut to fit, glue and clamp them to the frame. Flip the panel
over and repeat on the other side. |
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Cut a piece of leather in the shape of a hinge |
Use a leather punch to make holes for the screws |
Set hinges about 11 inches from the ends, plus one in the middle
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Pre drill for screws |
Attach the hinge with 'pan head' screws |
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|
Install leather hinges on the frame. Leather hinges work
well in this application because the screen is likely to be
placed on uneven ground, so the flexibility of the hinges
will help it remain stable.
Make the hinges so they look like a door hinge. Cut out three-inch
squares of leather. Then punch holes with a leather punch
where the screws go. (If you don't have a leather punch, an
awl will work too. Pre-drill and screw the hinges in place
using brass or other exterior grade pan head screws. Use small
washers under the screw heads if the leather wants to pull
away from the screw.
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Finished screen - three panels |
Finished screen - detail |
Finished screen - cove and branches detail |
| Now set up your privacy screen in an arty location and privately
enjoy a beer. |
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Artisans'
work featured on this episode:
(click pics for Artist info and larger
images)
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