Every week we’ll be bringing you a step-by-step guide to a DIY, craft or needlework project. Today, in conjunction with toolmakers DREMEL, here’s a guide to building your own dog kennel:

IT’S often said that a pet is the heart of the home. If your furry family member is due a birthday or perhaps a Christmas present. Then why not make him or her their own home. If you have a kitchen or conservatory that’s big enough, it can stand in a corner or on the back patio, terrace or garden outside.

Fill it up with soft cushions and it’s a palace for your dog. Your children will probably end up playing inside it too!

Step 1 Go to your local DIY store and buy the redwood pine ship lap, ply and pine softwood. Cut your ship lap down to the required sizes using your Dremel DSM20 and the Dremel DSM500 Multi-Purpose Cut- Off Wheel.

Step 2 Cut out the doorway and roof as follows using your Dremel DSM20 and DSM500 Multi-Purpose Cut-Off Wheel: Drawa line onto a piece of your 18mm ply vertically fromthe bottom of the 1044mm length to a height of 760mm. Then drawa parallel line 560mm, vertically on each side of the line you’ve just drawn, 186mm fromeach edge of the width of the piece of ply.

Drawa line to connect the top of the two parallel lines to intersect with the apex of the entrance to the kennel at 760mm in the centre.

Then mark on the left and right edges of the ply at 677mm and drawa line up to the edge of the board in the centre to form the roof pitch. Place on the other sheet of ply and mark up using the first as a template for the roof pitch only.

Then cut out using your Dremel DSM20 and Dremel DSM500 Multi-Purpose Cut- Off Wheel and sand with your Dremel Corded Multi-Max, as necessary.

Step 3 Place 5 x 200mm strips of ship lap onto the front of your dog kennel and butt them up tightly together. Then using a pin gun or hammer and pins, pin them on making sure that the first one is flush with the bottom and the inside edge of the door. Repeat on the other side of the doorway. This will give you an overhang of 14mm on the outside of the panel which is correct.

Step 4 Take two pieces of the 760mm ship lap, place them on a table or workbench and butt them up tightly together, then place the kennel front on top of them, face down. Scribe/drawa line along the inside edges of the top of the kennel onto the ship lap.

Step 5 Then cut the pieces of ship lap with your Dremel Moto-Saw.

To finish off the top, place the 600mm and then the 350mm length of ship lap and scribe/drawa line along the outside edges of the top of the kennel and cut with the Moto-Sawas before. Pin onto the front of the kennel leaving the last piece off for the time being.

Repeat this process for the rear of the kennel again pinning all the pieces in place but leaving the last piece off.

Step 6 Then, take your 1 metre lengths of ship lap and stand the kennel front up on a flat surface and hold it, then working fromthe bottom pin 1 metre lengths of ship lap to construct the side elevation. It will take 6 lengths to complete.

Repeat this step on the other side to form the other side of the kennel.

Step 7 Once you have done this, position the rear elevation of the kennel which you have previously cut out of ply onto the back and pin it into place to form the final side of the kennel.

Step 8 Next, make the roof strut by taking the piece of 45mm x 45mm pine softwood 964mm long and fix it, using a drill driver and two 50mm countersinking screws at each end, flush with the apex of the kennel. This makes the ridge of the kennel.

Step 9 Pin a 600mm x 1028mm roof panel in place on the left hand side of the roof and pin into the ridge and along the verge. Then take the 612mm x 1028mm right hand roof panel and overlap it at the apex by 12mm and pin it into place

Step 10 Drawyour design for the eaves of the kennel onto the 612mm x 80mm piece of ply. Cut it out using the Moto-Sawand fine wood cutting blade MS51, making a 45 degree cut on one end, and use it as a template for the other side. Pin in place flat against the face of the kennel on the front.

Step 11 Drawyour crown design onto the piece of 120mm x 80mm 12mm ply, cut it out on the Moto-Saw and pin it onto the kennel above the door.

Step 12 Paint to desired finish using animal-friendly non-toxic paint.

Introduce dog to kennel.

NOTE: Use your Dremel Corded Multi- Max to sand any rough edges as you go. If your kennel is going to sit outside, it will need a floor and to be painted using external paint.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

Tools :
Dremel DSM20 with the Dremel DSM500 Multi- Purpose Cut-Off Wheel
Dremel Moto-Saw with fine and coarse wood blades MS51 and MS52
Dremel Corded Multi-Max MM40
Other :
Pin gun or hammer and pins
Drill driver
50mm countersinking screws
Paint

Cutting list:
22.74 metres of redwood pine ship lap 120mm wide x 14mm thick for cladding walls of dog kennels, cut to the following lengths:
Back and front of the kennel: 10 x 200mms long
9 x 760mms long
2 x 350mms long
2 x 600mms long
Sides of the kennel:
12 x 1 metre long
12mm ply lengths:
4 x 612mm long x 80 width for the eves of the kennel
1 x 600mm width x 1028mm long for the left hand roof panel
1 x 1028 long x 612 wide for the right hand roof panel 18mm exterior ply lengths:
2 x 1044mm long x 732mm wide for the front and back of the kennel
45 x 45mm pine softwood
964mm long for the roof strut
1 x 120mm x 80mm 12mm ply for the crown

Difficulty rating : – intermediate