TM TM MESSAGE CENTRE
Safety First! Use eye protection, always! Use ear protection with loud power tools Stay with children while they work! Follow tool manufacturers safety guidelines Page 1
TOOLS Drill Countersink bit and square-head driver bit combo Painting Equipment Small paint roller handle with foam roller or foam brush Tray to fit roller Craft paint brushes in various sizes Saw Japanese-style pull saw (recommended) or traditional hand saw Sander/sand paper 80 and 120 grit sand paper or sanding sponge Small electric palm sander Clamps 2 Irwin one-handed clamps - 12-inch minimum [30.48 cm] Several ratcheting spring clamps Rafter square Pencil Tape measure Putty knife Bastard file!! Hair dryer (optional) Scissors! Offset tinsnips! Rolling pin Mitre box Jobs for kids and adults together Adult-only jobs Page 2
SUPPLIES Plywood One 12 x 24 piece of 1/4-inch plywood [30.5 cm x 61 cm] Wood scraps for magnets 2 x 2 poplar sawed into thin slices, or other wood scraps Galvanized sheet metal flashing (sold in rolls of 10 width) Moulding Miscellaneous moulding and trim Unsanded grout powder Carpenter s glue White glue Gap filling adhesive Vinyl, rubber or nitrile gloves Rags for clean-up 100-120 grit sand paper or sanding sponge Painter s masking tape Valspar metal paint Paint Permanent marker Scrap of foamcore (from office supply store) Self-adhesive cork shelf-liner Magnets Page 3
MESSAGE CENTRE Page 4
Overview A cool communications hub for the whole family; this magnetic message centre is also a bulletin board and a chalkboard! 1. Cut Start the message center by cutting a 12" x 24" [30.5 x 61 cm] piece of quarter-inch plywood into the shape of a house. It's easy to cut plywood using a Japanese style hand saw, which cuts on the pull stroke so it's amazingly fast and efficient! 2. Sand Buff the fresh-cut edges with a sanding sponge to make sure there are no slivers. 3. Measure Next, measure and mark a 10" x 16" [25.5 x 40.5 cm] piece of galvanized steel flashing, (available in 10-foot rolls in the roofing aisle at Lowe's). Page 5
4. Cut Cut the flashing with offset tinsnips, taking care to almost-butnot-quite bite through the metal at the end of each squeeze of the tinsnips (this will minimize jagged spots on the finished edge). 5. File File the cut edge smooth using a bastard file. 6. Squeeze Apply a generous amount of gap-filling adhesive to the back of the flashing. 7. Spread Use a putty knife to evenly spread the blobs of adhesive. Page 6
8. Press Place the flashing gluey side down on the plywood backing, taking care to centre it. 9. Wipe Wipe off glue residue with a damp cloth. 10. Roll Grab a wood or stone rolling pin from the kitchen and roll it over the flashing to ensure that the metal bonds thoroughly to the plywood base. 11. Paint Next, roll on a primer coat of Valspar metal paint. It dries really fast and bonds beautifully to the metal surface. Page 7
12. Pour Now it's time to mix up some homemade chalkboard paint to cover the primer. Start by pouring a little regular paint into a paint tray. 13. Add unsanded grout Then scoop up a small spoonful of unsanded grout powder and add it to the paint in the tray. This powder gives paint a perfect texture so you can write on it with chalk once it s dry! 14. Mix Use a foam roller to mix the grout powder into the paint until all of the lumps are gone. 15. Paint Roll the chalkboard paint on over the metal primer coat. You might need a couple of coats of chalkboard paint to cover the primer thoroughly. Page 8
TIP You can use a hair dryer to speed up drying time! 16. Measure Time to add trim to the message centre! Measure and mark two 16-3/4 [42.5 cm] pieces of side trim. You can use any trim you have on hand; we used 'plywood cap' (from the moulding and trim aisle at Lowe's) because it creates a nice overlapping edge. 17. Cut Cut the trim using a mitre box clamped to your work surface. Kids can do the sawing as long as they put one hand behind their back so they can't possibly hurt themselves. 18. Select Assemble some additional scraps of moulding for the remaining trim pieces. They don't even have to match! Page 9
19. Sand Always sand freshly-cut edges to remove slivers! TIP You can use the mitre box to cut trim ends at 45-degree angles so the pieces make a nice point at the peak of the 'roof'. 20. Glue Squeeze out a nice squiggle of carpenter s glue along each piece of trim. 21. Press Put the trim in place and press it gently with your fingertips. Page 10
22. Clamp Because trim is lightweight it tends to twist and warp, so it's best to clamp the pieces in place for at least 20 minutes while the carpenter's glue bonds. 23. Tape After removing the clamps, it's time to paint the trim! Apply some painter's tape around the edges to protect the chalkboard surface from paint splotches. 24. Paint Now use all of your favourite colours to paint the trim. Keep going till you're happy with all of your designs! 25. Cut and squiggle Next cut a triangle of foamcore to match the roof gable area and coat it with some squiggles of white glue. Page 11
26. Spread Using your putty knife, spread the white glue evenly over the back of the triangle. 27. Press Press the foamcore into position on the gable. 28. Cut and apply Next, cut a matching triangular piece of self-stick cork shelfliner (from the storage and organization aisle at Lowe's). Press the cork onto the foamcoare to make a surface that's easy to press thumbtacks into. 29. Draw Now make some customized magnets on cut-off pieces of 2x2 poplar lumber or other pieces of scrap wood. Draw your designs with paint or permanent marker. Page 12
30. Affix magnets Apply a dollop of white glue to the backs of each square and then press a magnet into the glue. The glue will need at least 30 minutes to dry. Now draw, tack or magnetize some notes onto your new message centre! Page 13
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DISCLAIMER Almost any do-it-yourself project involves risk of some sort. Your tools, materials, and skill will vary, as will the conditions of your project site. Lowe s Companies Inc., and its subsidiaries ("Lowe s") have made every effort to be complete and accurate in the instructions and other content contained in this publication. However, neither Lowe s nor the publisher will assume any responsibility or liability for damages or losses sustained or incurred in the course of your home improvement or repair project or in the course of your use of the item you create or repair. Always follow the manufacturer s operating instructions in the use of tools, check and follow your local building codes, and observe all standard safety precautions. Prices and supply may vary, so check the cost of materials and labour in your area before beginning any home improvement project. We strive to be accurate, but unintentional errors may occur and we reserve the right to correct any error. See a Lowe s store for information regarding product warranties and any available protection plans. All prices, products and promotions are limited to Canada locations only. This Family Fun video is for informational purposes only. Lowe s assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of the information contained herein and disclaims any liability for omissions, errors or the outcome of any project. Lowe s assumes no responsibility or liability for damages, losses, or injuries sustained in the course of your project or in the course of your use of any item you repair or create. Always follow the manufacturer s operating instructions in the use of tools, and take proper safety precautions when taking on any project. It is your responsibility to ensure that participants engage in age-appropriate activities and that children are appropriately supervised. If there is any question or doubt with regard to any element of a project, please consult with a licensed professional. No part of this video may be reproduced in any form or by any means without prior written permission of Lowe s. Lowe s, the gable design, and Lowe s Family Fun Projects and Learning Through Building are trademarks of LF, LLC. All rights reserved. Page 15