With the front and back bars complete -- each now sporting an impressive top decked out in baseball memorablilia -- McMichael and Reveiz move on to two other key elements of this space: a baseball glove display grid and a unique and functional bat display rack. When creating a room devoted to sports-theme items, keep in mind that every item tells a story. In McMichael's case, each of his gloves represents a different event and / or time period of his life: from an old Little League glove to a special red and blue New York Mets glove to a glove a friend had made for him in Japan, which features his name in Japanese. (Plus six more!) - To display the selected nine gloves, McMichael and Reveiz have designed a wall grid that will be constructed from four 2x4s, with the same layout as a tic-tac-toe gameboard (three rows of three spaces). Each of the nine gloves will be each centered in its own square.
- The first step is to cut the four 2x4s to 47" long. Once McMichael and Reveiz have this job out of the way, they measure and mark a point 15" from each end of each 2x4, where they make about six small cuts in a row using a jigsaw (figure A). Each cut extends halfway into the board's thickness.
- On each set of cuts, a chisel is used to chip out the small pieces, resulting in an even notch 15" from the end of each board (figure B).
- After dry-fitting the grid together with the notches, McMichael drills pilot holes at each intersecting point, then screws the unit together (figure C).
- Now it's time for paint! McMichael and Reveiz brush on a coat of matte black paint, giving the grid a strong, bold presence.
- Once the unit is dry, the two meausre and pre-mark the points on the concrete wall where the grid will be secured over the back bar cabinet. Then they pre-drill several holes in the wall using a concrete bit.
- Next they secure the grid to the wall by toe-nailing self-tapping concrete screws into the pre-drilled holes (figure D).
- Finally, they hang the gloves on concrete screws that have been anchored within each square of the grid. For hangers (figure E), they create custom hooks by cutting and bending coat hangers to shape. (The hook of each glove is fashioned differently to accommodate its particular size, style and shape.
- The finished result is a striking design element that provides a great conversation piece and makes an attractive complement to the black-framed, black-and-white photos on either side (figure F).
With the gloves in place, McMichael and Reveiz turn their attention to the bat display. Of the many bats he's collected over the years, McMichael has chosen 31 to include here (figure G) and like the gloves, each has its own distinctive history and appearance. The group includes several World Series bats, a few vintage bats and a special painted bat, designed and given to McMichael by a local artist.
- Since display will showcase the bats in one long line beneath a row of high, narrow windows, McMichael and Reveiz begin by measuring and marking the row's length, which they set at 14 feet.
- Next they determine the spacing between the bats, working with a simply sketched diagram (figure H).
- Once the spacing is determined, McMichael sets to work marking and drilling pilot holes in the 14-foot length of a chain-link fence pole. Then he moves on to secure a flexible broom hanger in each hole (figure I).
- After all hangers are secured in place, McMichael caps both ends of the pole with fencing caps (figure J), then he and Reveiz find and mark the wall studs and secure the pole to the wall using pole brackets (figure K).
Note:To ensure ample support for the 31 bats, wall anchors are used with the screws that secure the brackets to the studs, and additional brackets are evenly spaced and secured on the wall between the stud-mounted brackets for extra reinforcement.
- Finally, McMichael and Reveiz hang the bat collection along the length of their newly-finished display (figure L), then stand back to admire the grand-slam results (figure M).
RESOURCES :
The Complete Manual of Woodworking
Author: Albert Jackson
Publisher: Knopf
ISBN: 0679766111
The Complete Illustrated Guide to Woodworking
Author: Lonnie Bird, Andy Rae and Gary Rogowski
Publisher: Taunton
ISBN: 1561586021
Hardball Warehouse
Hardball Warehouse
Duluth, GA 30096
Phone: 678-957-0885
Fax: 678-957-0887
Email: info@hardballwarehouse.com
Website: www.hardballwarehouse.com
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