Matt Estlea
The Book Stand
The book stand project is a great project for beginners who want to practice some hand cut joinery. Not only are the joints themselves very beginner friendly, but the material used in this project can be easily sourced from any DIY supplier should you have trouble sourcing hardwood. This project can of course double up as a tablet stand and makes a great gift to a lucky recipient.
Want to follow exactly what I'm doing?
Project Overview
In this project, I show you how to make a book stand using cheap timber purchased from your local DIY merchant. It costs less than £10 to make and can be made over a weekend. Free plans for this project can be downloaded from my website: www.mattestlea.com/shop
Project Overview
You will learn:
- What you need to begin this project
- How the course is structured
- What processes you will learn
- How to use the resources available
Tool List
Unsure you have all the right tools for the project? This handy guide helps you choose not only the tools you need, but also gives my recommendations in order of preference. It also provides various options to suit different budgets.
Tool List
You will learn:
- Tools required for this project
- Tools recommended for the project
- My first, second and third choices
- What to avoid
#1 Preparing Material
In this lesson, I show you how to cut timber, orient timber with a focus on aesthetics and how to measure and mark joints ready for cutting.
#1 Preparing Material
You will learn:
- Where to source timber
- How to square and dimension components
- How to orient components
- How to measure and mark joints
#2 Cutting the Dovetails
In this lesson, I show you the process to accurately cut and fit all 6 of the dovetail joints used to hold this frame together.
#2 Cutting the Dovetails
You will learn:
- How to layout the joinery
- How to cut dovetails
- How to fit dovetails
- How to refine the joints
#3 Assembling the Hinge
In this lesson, I show you how to construct the wooden hinge for the back of the frame that allows it to be tilted to various angles.
#3 Assembling the Hinge
You will learn:
- How to size the back leg
- How to use a rasp
- How to construct a hinge
- What hardware to use
#4 Gluing and Finishing
In this lesson, I show you how to perfect the hinge joint that angles the frame, how to add the shelf that the book sits on, and experiment with staining the timber.
#4 Gluing and Finishing
You will learn:
- How to glue the frame
- How to sand the frame
- How to finish soft wood
- How to stain wood (Optional)