HandyWorks Your vote will help decide who wins this month. Next time, enter a project of your own. by: Jenny Stanley Online Rating: (10/10)

Voting for this issue will end November 30, 2009. The winner will be announced in the February/March 2010 issue. To have your project considered for future issues, send: 1. A photo of your project 2. A detailed description of your project Address to: HandyWorks c/o Jenny Stanley HANDY P.O. Box 3410 Minnetonka, MN 55343-2110 or e-mail to: HandyWorks@HandymanClub.com We regret we cannot acknowledge or return submissions. CRITICS’ CHOICE AWARD Winner: Gerry Hale of Lake City, Florida Project: “Early Auto Replica,” June/July 2009 Prize: Gerry will receive an official certificate and TK. Congratulations, Gerry!

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Under-tree house Life member James Terry of Redford, Michigan, wanted to build his daughter a treehouse but didn’t want to damage his tree, so he designed this elevated playhouse instead. He first built a 10-ft.-high deck with pressure-treated lumber and then topped it with a 6 x 10-ft. structure that includes a small porch and an overhanging roof. He incorporated a trapdoor in the floor and added four Plexiglas windows that open for airflow. Nylon rope on the stair railing adds a colorful touch.

 

Dishing out a gazebo Club member Thomas Miles of Loretto, Kentucky, repurposed an old metal-and-mesh satellite dish for the top of this one-of-a-kind gazebo. To make the decorative posts and railing, he used pieces of wrought iron left over from previous projects, so the entire structure was nearly cost-free. Thomas even used found rocks to build the circular patio. He finished off the project by adding a table and chairs, creating a breezy and beautiful outdoor sitting area.

 

Fab family-room floor To create an interesting new look for his home’s lower level, Club member Tom White of Cape Girardeau, Missouri, stained the concrete floor. He used two different colors of acid stain to make a checkerboard pattern that extends throughout three rooms. Tom admits that the staining process was labor-intensive, but he’s proud of the result — and of how much money he saved compared with other flooring options. “I did my entire basement for less than $400!” he says.

 

Intricate intarsia To make this wood-mosaic motorcycle, Club member Ron Selchert of Waukesha, Wisconsin, carefully measured, cut and sanded pieces of different hardwoods, which gives the project several color and grain variations. He then glued the pieces together and coated the project with a clear, protective finish. “It took me about 3-1/2 months to complete,” Ron says. “It was tedious but very rewarding.”

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