Panelling
The first lesson was the use of the Festool saw and runner plate to cut straight lines. The runner plate is an aluminium straight edge that is backed by rubber. It lies on the plywood very snugly and so it does not shift as the saw is run along it. The saw is marvelous, with variable speed start-up and stop and a gentle spring action to lower the blade into the wood. The results are fabulous; far better than with an ordinary circular saw and well above those achieved with simply following a straight line drawn on the board. This saw is a must for anybody cutting panels on board, and is well worth the extra cost over the standard DIY brands.
The second lesson was to cut each panel to do a single function. If you need a piece to fit between two windows then only do that - don't try and fit under the window as well, or worse, try and cut the curve to match the top out of the same piece. This approach leaves a lot of joints, which are to be covered with a filler and wallpaper, but most importantly the joints can be managed to fit together. When one undertakes to do too many functions with a single sheet, unless the worker is a cabinet maker, one or more of the dimensions will invariably be wrong and require adjusting or re-work.
We got on with the less critical implementation of the below the deckline spaces. By building one box area at a time we were able to keep site of the electrical wiring and thereby avoid putting screws through the wires instead of struts. Further, we were better able to manage the construction with a back panel, two side panels supported by small studs that could attach to the next unit, a top and a floor. If the box floor needed support at the front and back then we simply placed running boards along the main floor. When the box was complete we either panelled the front if it was a radiator box, built door surrounds if it was a cupboard, or built in shelves if it was a bookcase.
We left a gap between the bottom of the front panel and the box in the case of radiator spaces so that air couild enter at the base of the rad and exit at the screen at the top. We also stapled light insulation material to the sides, back and top of the rad box to better channel the heat out through the screens.
