(upbeat country music) - Hi, welcome to "The American Woodshop."

I'm Scott Phillips.

- And I'm Suzy Phillips.

- And today you're going to see her off grid wood shop or barn shop.

- Yeah!

(laughing) - We'll get into generators, how to power tools.

And inside there are two spectacular windows.

Which one's your favorite?

- Oh, wow.

That's hard to say, but I think the one that's going to add all the light to my barn, so that's it.

- Okay.

- Yep.

- So, don't go anywhere.

- [Announcer] "The American Woodshop with Scott Phillips" is brought to you by- - [Speaker 1] Since 1928, Woodcraft has been providing traditional and modern woodworking tools and supplies to generations of craftsmen.

Woodcraft, helping you make wood work.

(upbeat intense music) - [Announcer] Pro tools for tool pros.

(Upbeat music) Rikon Tools.

(music ending) - [Announcer] Woodcraft Magazine, projects, plans and web links designed to help you make wood work.

PS Wood, home of Timber Wolf, Swedish, silicon, steel bandsaw blades, and super sharp scroll saw blades.

A bed to sleep on, (upbeat music) a table to share meals, a house that feels like a home.

The Furniture Bank of Central Ohio, providing furniture to neighbors in need.

- Welcome to the battle of the windows.

Okay, this bevel art glass window came from a Mason Sonic lodge (music ending) in Cincinnati.

It's about 110 years old, type of leaded bevel glass with the zinc channel.

I mean, it's a masterpiece!

And this is going to be boxed out.

And I'll give you tips on the woodworking to box it in.

And we'll use special LED lights later.

So, this is my window.

Now, tell us about your gem.

- Oh, I love this neat old window.

We found it in an auction.

It's just- it's over 100 years old, too.

It's just amazing.

And the light that it's going to let in right over my workbench: perfect.

- One very important point.

Never lift from the center of window frames like this.

You'll crack 'em.

The panels can slide out.

This looks like it's lifted from a center point.

It's not; this engine hoist's chain powered.

No power to it.

It's all hand work.

It's actually bolted left and right, just like this frame has been bolted, so that when you lift, you're lifting from the side.

Now over here, the reason we got this for a steal was it needs to be reglazed, meaning we have to put in panels of glass to it.

So, we have to get the points out.

So, these old timey glazing points were just little pieces of zinc.

Now the new push type glazing points, really nice, and they're dimensional, meaning it gives you something to push onto right here, so that once we bring up the glass to replace the glass, and that's why we were able to buy this window.

It had a bunch of these busted out, and I cut these, and that's a perfect fit right there.

Just hold that in.

And then for a glazing point like this, a nice stiff putty knife, a good blade, you press along that point into good wood, and you never hammer these.

These are the push type, just like that.

You need two per pane like this, and awkward to do it, so that the camera isn't blocked.

There we go.

Okay, and that's home.

Now that's there.

And we're going to use latex window glazing.

It's come a long way in a caulk tube, and you want to make sure you buy the glazing.

And this used to be a royal pain to do, but now with the tube, as long as you're good with a gun, meaning good, steady pressure, not too much pressure.

And if it does take off to the races, don't sweat it.

Let that flow over.

And then just use a paper towel to clean that point.

Come back in here.

And the bad news is this has to dry overnight before you can paint it.

Okay, and release the pressure, so that stops.

I'll set this safely out of the way, and then just clean up the points.

Since this is latex, you can use your finger like that.

The corners.

What happened?

Yeah, that's okay.

No harm, no foul.

- [Suzy] That's right.

- Okay, now that little bit that's on there, let it dry.

And then just use the razor blade, single-sided and clean that off.

And that's how you can reglaze a window.

Now the next thing Suzy needs to do, you've painted this side.

Tell us what paint you used and why.

- It's just a good outdoor, oil-base paint.

It really seals in all the old paint, and it'll be really durable for outdoors.

- Okay, now- - Pretty easy.

- Let's do one thing.

We're going to use this engine hoist.

Again, it's hooked to the side, not to the top.

It would pull it apart, and look at that!

Oh my gosh, that's beautiful white oak, trim.

- [Suzy] I love this side; it's beautiful.

- This is going to be facing her workbench.

- [Suzy] Yep.

- And then behind us, you'll see that this space was cut open with a demolition blade through metal, wood, and insulation.

And that took some doing, but we just made cardboard templates.

Traced it out with a permanent marker, then cut that out.

So, we know this fits, 'cause we made the template.

Now Suzy's going to give you some finishing tips on how to restore this old finish, 'cause we want to preserve that.

- Yes.

- And you'll get set up on the bench here to do it.

And then I'm going to go outside and start cutting pieces for my window.

- All right, sounds good!

- So, let's see how this shapes up.

- Okay.

- Now sometimes an old finish just needs to be cleaned, okay?

And a furniture cleaner like this, it has a solvent in it.

So, always wear a glove.

Now Suzy wants to really make it shine.

So, you're doing the Restor-A-Finish.

So, tell us tips on how to use that.

And while you're doing that, I'm going to go outside and get ready for the light box, woodworking.

- All right, sounds good.

Well, I'm using Restor-A-Finish.

I got some safety glasses on.

And as you can see the gaping hole, I've got plenty of air ventilation.

So, you want to do it in a very well ventilated area.

I'm using a Golden Oak Restor-A-Finish.

I'm going to brush it on, and then I'll just wipe out the residue and make this oak just come alive.

Just kind of brush it in, go along.

Oh already, that's just beautiful.

We'll do this little trim piece.

You can really see, look at that.

Man, this is so pretty.

Wow.

And I'll just get a little bit more on, and then I'll wipe it out, and then just keep working along.

And that's it.

It's pretty easy.

This finish is great.

Wow, look at that.

- On the light box I'm making, I'm using inch and 1/2 thick walnut.

That's called 6/4 that's been hit or missed, two sides and straight line ripped.

And that's great, because then you only need to trim up the other edge on a table saw.

What sort of table saw do you like?

I like the portable one here at the off-grid wood shop, take it outside.

Don't have to worry about dust collection.

Wear a mask.

And then the cool thing about this portable saw is it has a disc that you can actually dial the speed down on the motor, and you can use it for edge sanding.

So, love it.

Now we're making four pieces of wood to box in the old frame of that bevel glass.

Make it rigid.

And also see that eye bolt in there?

That's to hold the chain.

We don't want to go wimpy.

Now to cut this, I'm using an ancient miter saw.

This is over 20 years old, but still cuts true, and it has a dust bag on it, handy.

And then the other thing is for power, 3,500-watt gas power generator, starts on one pull every time.

I love it.

We're going to work safely, read, understand, and follow all the instructions that come with the tools and products you use in your wood shop.

I have full-time, safety glasses and good hearing protection.

And I'll make the cross cuts that I need, 90 degrees, for the box.

And then I'm going to use some 4 1/2-inch profile baseboard.

And this is just a good grade pine that will trim out the face to hide the lighting.

So, I'll fire this up.

Do not be using 50-foot cords, 14-gauge.

You want to be using 12-gauge cords, no longer than 25 feet.

That way you can get enough electricity to your tools.

We'll fire this up, and let it go.

(saw buzzing) Okay, secure the work piece.

Make your cross cut.

(saw buzzing louder upon impact) (saw buzzing louder upon impact) (saw buzzing louder upon impact) (buzzing stopping) Now these are called construction fasteners, heavy duty.

And these have a special drive, not a square drive.

These have a star drive.

Make sure you get a driver when you buy these things, 'cause there are a million different types of drivers.

So, now what we're doing, we've pre-drilled all the holes in hardwoods.

You have to do that.

And I'm going to bring this piece up, line it up, and I'm going to drive the first four-inch fastener with this impact driver, being careful while Suzy keeps everything square.

Let's drive that.

(drill buzzing) Just like that.

Now we're coming down here to the bottom.

We're going to get one down here.

This is the bottom of the light.

And we will drive that one.

(drill buzzing) And then I can swap drivers out, and use the square drive on these screws that obviously stay well away from that glass.

(drill buzzing) And you don't want to over-torque these.

It would strip it out.

(drill buzzing) Boy, these impact drivers are handy things.

Now all the way around this old frame is that heavy walnut, and it's screwed in in a way that when I put the chains on these eye bolts here, it's not going to put pressure on the glass.

That zinc is just beautiful.

This isn't lead, this is zinc, which makes it even more special.

Okay, now the next thing is, we're getting ready to put on the trim, and I need to put on side shields.

These are safety glasses, but whenever you drive pneumatic nails, you have to have side shields on.

And I trimmed this flush right here, so that when this trim board goes up, it's perfect.

I used a low angle block plane for that.

Those are ideal for working in tight spots like that.

So, now I bring this up to the edge, and line up one corner, make it flush here, and battery powered Brad, (drill buzzing) 18 gauge Brad.

That looks good right there.

I'll come down here, tack it in.

And (drill buzzing) now, that one hit another nail.

It didn't go all the way in, so going to have to hit it again.

There, that's perfect.

Just enough to fill.

So, no harm, no foul.

I walked this trim all the way around, and this was cut earlier at the miter saw.

Just need to make sure everything lines up properly.

And I have this trimmed out.

Suzy left me, she's working on her window.

That looks good right there.

(drill buzzing) And I'll get this all fastened in place.

And then we can go on to finishing.

Looking good.

(drill buzzing) There's half a cup of dark walnut, Danish oil, and that is golden oak.

I just put a little bit to knock down how dark it is.

I wanted it to be just a little bit lighter.

And so now with Danish oil on this pine trim, I'm brushing this out, and I'll use this on the walnut as well.

And so, I'll get this all finished off.

Let it cure, because we don't want it off-gassing in the house.

Well, this goes in the house.

And the good tip on using Danish oil is have an all-cotton rag handy, because as it starts to drip and run, it's okay to wipe it out.

It will not smear it.

And whatever you do though, oh boy, look at that.

That's just pretty.

Okay, that's going to look so good.

I'll put a couple coats on.

Let this one dry first.

But whatever you do, make sure you get rid of the rags safely.

Open them up.

Hang them outside, away from dogs and animals, because if you wad those up, throw 'em in a trash can, they can spontaneously combust, bad news, okay?

Anything with linseed oil in it and tung oil, same deal.

You have to be very careful about that.

So, I'll get this all finished out, let it dry.

And as it's drying, let's go over and help Suzy set her window over her workbench.

I'm loving this.

Boy, this is worth the effort.

The moment of truth: we're cutting in J-channel.

That's metal channel that trims out the edges of this window, and then you caulk to that, and that makes it water tight.

And Suzy!

I'm ready now, go ahead and raise it just a bit, little bit more.

Okay, hold on.

Wait a sec.

Okay, tell me when it's flush down low.

- [Suzy] Okay.

- Okay, now drive the screws.

- [Suzy] Hang on, hang on.

- Whoop, I got it, I got it.

Drive the screws, I got this.

- [Suzy] Okay, - Top and bottom.

- [Suzy] Yep.

- This J-channel trims up these rims, so bugs and rain doesn't get in there, and we can put other trim on it like this to flash it out, make it look fancy.

Cut that in.

And then the other thing is, how do you trim out the top?

Well, once we have the J-channel screwed up and in position, just like that right there.

and cut off, screwed in, caulked, then what we do is take this product, and it's a plastic PVC-like product.

One side is grain like wood, and the other side is smooth.

You can clean this, it can be painted.

I really like the smooth, because the grainy side holds dirt.

So, let me just pop up to show you what I'm talking about.

Trimming this out, because people go, "Well, how do you trim that arch?"

It's very simple really.

You pop this into the J-channel on that side, and then you screw it in, and you match that arch in underneath the metal siding here, and caulk it.

I'll get that done, and we'll take a quick look at that.

It's the details that matter, and it makes it bug and water tight.

That window is there to stay, all the way around.

It's been fastened in with construction fasteners, level, plum, and square.

Now this is called the keystone.

We carved that on last season.

Be sure to check that out online.

But anyways, that keystone has reclaimed trim left and right, and it's been cut and pretested.

So, let me get my safety gear on.

I'm due for a new pair of safety glasses, and I'll take that.

Remember you always wear safety glasses with side shields when you are driving Brads like this, 18 gauge Brads.

And that goes up, and that's a perfect (drill stapling) alignment right there.

And you only do as many as you think you need in order to keep it there.

You don't want to over nail it in case you wanted to trim it out down the road.

- Ooh, it's looking pretty.

- You happy, babe?

- I'm very happy.

- Suzy's barn workshop.

Can't beat it.

- That's right.

Prettiest window in any barn I've ever seen.

(Scott laughing) - That's what a guy who built it likes to hear.

Okay, and this oak trim looks really nice.

(drill stapling) So, a little bit of caulk, and I'd say you have a work bench window for the ages there.

- I know, I love it.

It let's so much light in, it's awesome, yay!

- Okay, now happy birthday, Suzy.

- Thank you, dear.

- Now, let's go over and look at the other window, and see how you add lights.

This is the back of the light box, six inches wide.

It's free standing.

I have a hoist on it, so I can lift it up to show that it carries load properly.

But today what we're focused on is getting the light done.

And the cool thing about this tape light is you pull off this backer right here, and it's self adhering.

And so what I want to do is make sure that I plan it properly, so that the bottom is where the plug is, because that's down low on where it's going to fasten into the wall, and it would not be seen.

So, what you do is you press this back all the way behind this ledge.

Remember this is the back side of the front of the light box.

And as you're looking up at the light box, you don't want to see the lights.

So, that's where you want to put it.

And make no mistake, this will get warm, not hot.

So, they, in the kit that you buy for $30, that includes everything to do this.

They have little brackets that you can put over this with screws to hold in place if the adhesive gives out.

So, I'm going to get this all positioned, and we will turn it on.

You'll see how it looks.

Now let's check this out.

That's always encouraging.

We have power.

Now remember, we aren't hooked to the grid.

And look at the LED lights here.

I put it on fade.

And so with fade, look at the full spectrum of colors that it cycles through.

Now this is the inside or the backside of the light box.

And then whatever color you want, you just press on the remote, the color that you want it to hold on.

And that's what it'll stay on.

Now, full sunlight is going to be hard to see the lights, but let's unplug that right now.

And here's one very important thing for you to remember.

This is an inverter, and this is a lithium iron, 100-amp hour battery.

And with this inverter, it converts DC current to AC output to run smaller tools, okay?

And all the lights in the wood shop.

Now, you hook a series of these batteries together, then put it to solar array on the roof.

And for under $2,000, you can have all the electricity that you want that recharges from the sun every day.

And where do you get that stuff?

Online.

There are too many scammers right now out there in the world that are charging a fortune for solar installs.

Do your research.

Now, Suzy, let's spin this around gently.

This is the back.

This is- we need to show them the show side.

Lift up gently.

Very good.

Okay, that's good.

One more time, right there.

Perfect, right there.

And there we have it, ladies and gentlemen.

It's one for the ages.

And where's this going to go?

- In the house up above the front door.

It's going to be amazing.

That afternoon sunlight coming in, hitting the stained glass or art glass, yep.

(upbeat country music) - You just can't beat it.

- Nope.

- So, that's it for this week from "The American Woodshop."

Really appreciate you being with us.

Now, whatever you do, go out there and make something for somebody that you love.

See ya.

- See ya!

- [Speaker 1] Since 1928, Woodcraft has been providing traditional and modern woodworking tools and supplies to generations of craftsmen.

Woodcraft, helping you make wood work.

(upbeat intense music) - [Announcer] Pro tools for tool pros.

(upbeat intense music) Rikon Tools.

(music ending) - [Announcer] Woodcraft Magazine, projects, plans and web links designed to help you make wood work.

PS Wood, home of Timber Wolf, Swedish, silicon, steel bandsaw blades, and super sharp scroll saw blades.

A bed to sleep on, (upbeat music) a table to share meals, a house that feels like a home.

The Furniture Bank of Central Ohio, providing furniture to neighbors in need.

- For more information (upbeat country music) about "The American Woodshop," you can watch free episodes 24/7 on our website, and you can find us on these social media platforms.

(upbeat country music continuing) (music ending)