DIY Network

Christmas Special: Constructing the Puzzle Doghouse From "Special Presentation" episode DBAR-S

In this special Christmas episode of Barkitecture, it's time for Kenny to build the new puzzle doghouse for Tess.

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	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C
	Figure D
	Figure E
	Figure F
	Figure G
	Figure H

Materials:

Table saw
Circular saw
Jig saw
Drill
Router (w/ 1/2" plunge bit)
Large "T" square
Clamps
Belt sander
Orbit sander
Colored stain
Brushes
Clean shop towels

Constructing the Puzzle Doghouse

1. The first step is to mark the Baltic birch plywood. The starting size of the plywood is 36"x60". Make a mark on the center of the 36" side. From the mark, draw a line 36" high. This is the centerline of the front and back walls of the house (figure A). From either side of the 36" end of the plywood, mark up 6" and in 2". These marks will then be connected to the crest of the centerline. From the same points, make a line to the bottom of the wall pieces.

2. On this same wall you will need to make the marks for the tenons that will hold on the roof panels. On either side, mark up 4" from the bottom and down 4" from the top of the side of the wall to create the tenons. They are 2" high and 23-3/8" long. The measurements for the other pieces of the house are as follows:

2 – small side walls = 10 7/8" x 36" with 7" tenons on either end.

2 – roof panels = 36" x 34" with mortises to receive tenons on front and back walls.

3. Once the walls are marked out on the plywood, use a jig saw to cut them out (figure B). Be sure to stay on your lines and use the belt sander to smooth out the cuts once you are done. You can use the first wall as a template for the next wall.

4. To make the mortises (or receiving notches for the tenons), use a router with a 1/2" plunge bit. Set a fence 3" from the location of your mortise (all routers are different, so check the distance from the bit to the edge of the router guard for how far to set your fence). The key to making a nice straight mortise is to firmly hold onto the router when you are sinking the bit into the wood (figure C). The depth of the bit should be slightly more than 1/2" so you clear the whole width of the wood.

5. The next step in the process is going to be to use the router to make a bull nose on all the edges (figure D). This will remove any sharp edges and give the house a nice finished look. Using a roundover bit on the router, first go along the edges of one side of the walls and then the other.

6. The wood is now ready for a finish. The choice of color and finish is purely an individual choice so be creative and choose what best suits your needs. We used a tinted stain so we could see the grain of the wood when we were finished. We spread it on with clean shop rags and then wiped away the excess (figure E).

7. The last step in the building is to make the removable stencils for the roof of the house. These were made from 1/8" ply sheets and using a jig saw on its scrolling mode. Carefully, we cut out the design that we had come up with (figure F). Once the design was cut out, we stained it to match the house and were done. This piece simply sits on the roof between the tenons and adds some seasonal flare to the house.

8. Assemble the puzzle house (figure G).

9. The doghouse is ready (figure H)!

RESOURCES :

Young-Williams Animal Center
Website: www.knoxpets.org

The American Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA)
Website: www.aspca.org

Petfinder.com
Website: www.petfinder.com