How to Build a Cheap, Good-Looking Firewood Rack: 2-by-Guy

• DIY
• woodworking
• 2-by-Guy

I come by my nickname, “the 2-by-Guy,” honestly. Whenever I’m scoping out new tools as an editor for HGTVPro, in the back of my mind I’m imagining how they will advance my first interest: building projects with 2 x 4s, 2 x 6s and so on. Typically, this lumber is used for decks and framing walls, but there’s nothing like it for experimenting and honing your basic woodworking skills—without investing a lot on materials or devoting too much time to a single project. The wood rack shown on the next page is a good example. It’s simple but good-looking, and it takes just a few hours and commonplace tools to build. Best of all, it proves that not every worthwhile project requires gossamer-fine precision and lots of little pieces. Come winter, I’ll store hardwood logs on the rack to feed my wood stove. And during a recent warm-weather remodeling project, the structure proved to be ideal—appropriately—for safely storing 2x stock off the ground.

Before You Begin a Job

• Untreated hemlock fir is inexpensive and easy to find, but it’s susceptible to the elements and wood-eating bugs. A few coats of deck stain can offer protection.

• Pressure-treated lumber (PT) suitable for ground contact lasts a long time but is often wet when you buy it—expect movement in the joints as the wood shrinks.

• Western red cedar staves off weather naturally and resists insects. It’s readily available, fairly affordable and dry when purchased.

• TimberSIL (the material we used) appears to have everything going for it, except its limited distribution. The inert treatment process used to make TimberSil renders it a green material that looks (and works) a lot like wood. It’s dry, affordable and resistant to rot.

Don’t purchase randomly piled 2 x 6 studs, which are likely to be warped. You’ll find the best wood still on the pallet, banded together and stored straight. At home, if your project is on hold, bundle the boards with duct tape and store them off the ground.

Take measurements carefully—then measure again to be sure. Position the blade (whether you’re using a circular or miter saw) to cut on the “waste” rather than the “keep” side of the line. If the tool is a circular saw, employ a square as a guide.

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