| Baker's Rack: Better Baking by Design (9 a.m. - 11 a.m.) |
From "Warehouse Warriors"
episode WHW-202 |
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The Teams: Brainiacs with brawn -- both teams consist of physicists, engineers and attorneys The Project: A challenge to build a baker's rack with panache The Timeframe: 8 hours (9 a.m. - 5 p.m.) Since creativity weighs heavily in this competition, these guys will need to call upon their skills and experience. Let's meet the teams: Red Team Robert Beck
Howard Miller
Barry Naft
Blue Team Andrew Zuckerman
Peter Daniel
Jeff Schwai
Warehouse Warriors Fact: Baker's racks were originally built to hold baked goods as they cooled. Now, baker's racks are often used as decorative storage -- with a multitude of uses -- in modern homes. Red Team Activity Journal (9 a.m. - 1 a.m.) - After finding a pre-assembled metal baker's rack, the Red Team decides to use the rack as a foundation for their design. The team plans on building a wooden rack around the metal support rack, then add decorative tiles and a wine rack.
- To get started, the team first assembles the metal rack (figure A). During the assembly, the team discovers that some of the adjoining threads are imperfect, causing the metal rods to curve when connected.
- To remedy the problem, the team uses a vise to straighten the curved areas (figure B). The team finishes assembly of the metal frame.
- Next, the team measures and cuts 1" x 2" pieces for bottom (49"), sides (76"), and shelves (48") of wooden frame. The team cuts the lumber from 3/4" poplar and 3/4" birch plywood using a table saw.
Blue Team Activity Journal (9 a.m. - 11 a.m.) - The Blue Team's right brained approach is to focus on precision and craftsmanship in their original design. The team designs a traditional oak frame with copper racks and a storage area in the base.
- With the design concept in place, the team gets to work. First, the team aligns 5 glass blocks side-by-side to create the front base of the rack.
- The team cuts 1/4" sanded oak plywood to a dimension of 39" x 24" to create bottom of base.
- Next, the team cuts two 2 x 4s to temporarily support the base (figure C).
- After a white framing system is drilled adn secured along the front of the oak plywood base, glass blocks are place into the framing system. Liquid nail adhesive holds the blocks into place.
- With the glass blocks in place, the team places white plastic wedges between each glass block to help hold the blocks together.
- A 1" x 4" is ripped down to 1" x 2" with a table saw, then the team cuts it to a length of 42-1/4". The 1" x 2" is attached to the front of the base to cover the white framing system (figure D).
Ed's Tip: Glass blocks can be aligned or stacked. Factory inserts often come with the blocks, enabling them to be hooked together. Adhesive caulks or mortar can be used to seal the seams once the blocks are "locked" together. Want to know more about the products used on Warehouse Warriors? Click here for a complete list of tools, materials and supplies available to our teams.
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