Step 3: Nail Corner Blocks into the Doorframe

Mark Powers uses a pneumatic brad nailer to attach corner blocks to the door frame of a dog crate
Photo: Laura Moss
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Place the decorative grate on top of the doorframe so that its lip rests inside the frame's edges. Then flip the frame and grate over, so that the grate's decorative side faces up within the doorframe. Cut four triangular corner blocks from 1x2 oak for the frame's interior to hold the grate in place. Apply wood glue to the corner edges of each block, hold them flush against the corner of the grate, and nail them to the adjoining pieces of the frame using a pneumatic brad nailer and 1 3/8 inch brad nails. Remove the grate, fill fastener holes with wood filler, and sand down the projecting faces of the corner blocks till they're flush with the rest of the frame. Finish the doorframe with a coat of shellac.
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    Tools List

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    • miter saw
      Pneumatic brad nailer
    • pneumatic brad nailer
      Speed Square
    • speed square
      Screwdriver
    • Phillips screwdriver
      Jigsaw fitted with a plywood blade
    • jigsaw
      Miter saw
    • miter saw
      Drill/driver and various bits: 5/16-inch, 3/32-inch, and #6 countersink
    • drill
      24-inch bar clamps
    • bar clamps
      Tin snips or heavy-duty wire-cutters

    Shopping List

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    1. 14-by-14-inch inch reproduction floor heating grate

    2. Decorative cabinet grille Get enough to cover the window cutouts on the side and back panels.

    3. Dog tray for a plastic or metal crate, sized to your dog's weight.

    4. 4-by-4-foot piece of ½-inch oak veneer plywoodfor the crate's sides, back, and top.

    5. 8 feet of 1x2 oak

    6. 6 feet of 1x3 oak

    7. 2 feet of 1x4 oak

    8. 5.2-mm Lauan plywood for the crate's floor.

    9. ¾-inch square dowels to make floor supports and cleats on the back of the face frame.

    10. 3/8-inch square dowels to hold the decorative grille in place.11. 1 5/8-inch oak crown molding and ½-inch oak glass bead molding to trim the top.

    12. Pivot hinges

    13. Latch

    14. 3-inch finish-head screws for the door and face frame.

    15. 1-inch drywall screws to assemble the box and install the decorative grille.

    16. 5/8-inch brad nails to secure all trim pieces.

    17. 1 3/8-inch brad nails to secure cleats, blocking, and crown molding.

    18. Stainable wood filler

    19. Shellac and lint-free rag