Edited by Nancy W.

Ringer
Cover design by
Wendy Palitz &
Vicky Vaughn
Text design by
Wendy Palitz
Text production by
Karin Stack
Cover and interior
photographs by
Edward Judice
Illustrations by
Alison Kolesar
Indexed by Susan
Olason, Indexes &
Knowledge Maps
Copyright 2004 by J. Craig and Barbara Robertson
All righl s n:served. No part of this book may be reproduced without written
permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief pas
sages or reproduce illustrations in a review with appropriate credits; nor may
any part of this book be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted
in any form or by any means - electronic, mechanical, photocopying, record
ing, or other - without written permission from the publisher.
The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge.
All recommendations are made without guarantee on the part of the authors or
Storey Publi shing The aULhors and publisher disclaim any liability in connec
tion with thc nse of thi s information. For additional information please contact
Storey Publishing, 210 MASS MoC Way, North Adams, MA 01247.
Storey books are available for special premium and promotional uses and for
customized editions. For further information, please call 1-800-793-9396.
Printed in the United States by Edward Brothers
10 9 8 7 5 5 4 3 2 1
Library of Congress Cat aloging-in-Publication Da ta
Robertson, J. Craig.
Kids' building workshop: 15 woodworking projects for kids and parents to
build together /]. Craig and Barbara Robertson.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical reJerences and index.
ISBN 1-58017-488-4 (pb : alk. paper) - ISBN 1-58017-572-4 (hc: alk. paper)
1. Woodwork. 2. Woodworking tools. 1. Robertson, Barbara. II. Title.
TTl85.R6562004
684.08-dcn
2004001521
The authors - Craig, Barbara, CamiLLe, and ALLegra - wouLd li ke to thank
everyone who heLped out with this book. SpeciaL thanks go to our
photo-shoot carpenters: Sarah, Katherine, and Melissa Brink; Lucas and
Trudy Ames; Orelia and Geneva Jonathan; Gregory and Jacob Goldstone;
KeLsey Shanley; HaiLey Newbound; Zachary, Amalia, and Sophia Leamon;
Kimberly Houston; and Benjamin and DanieL JosLyn. What a gang!
Words of gratitude are due to the members of our first buiLding crews:
DyLan and Evan Dethier (a.k.a. our first , and best. lemonade saLesmen);
Nancy Nylen; and Isaiah, Naomi , and Otha Day. Thanks aLso to John
KLeiner and his two sons Matthew and Aaron for sharing their birdhouse
des ign with us.
One Last thank-you goes to Nancy Ringer, our editor, for her patience,
flexibility, and calm ways.
tio . ~ ................ .. ......1 tr
PART 1
your toLl
H ERI G ..................6
IN . .. ........ '* ,. ill' 10
Furniture Factory . . .........16
RILLING .....................20
You Name It ..... .. ....24
BL CK PL E ...... .. .......26
The Perfect Curl ... ..... ....28
A URING ..... .. .. .. ....30
Checkerboard ...........34
VI
PART 2
String Art .............. . ......... .40
Twin Birdhouse . .46
Single Birdhouse .... ..... ... ... .52
Sturdy Stool .. . 56
Cricket Cage .. .. ...... ...62
Perfect Toolbox .............68
Horse Sawhorses 74
Flip It . ............. . . . ............82
AlleCJra's Table . 92
Bookhouse ................. .......102
Lemonade Stand .......... ......114
Puppet Theater 126
i d ...... . ...... ... ........ ... . ..136
VII
ho isn't at least a little delighted by a shiny new
hammer? And who doesn't feel just a littl e empow
ered by successfully drilling a clean hole through an
01 herwise solid board? When kids first encounter hammers, they
almost instantly know what -hey are for. If they're lucky, nails and
wood are nearby, as welL as willing paren ts who will allow them to
drive nail after nail, experinlenting vvith various ways of pulling out
the crooked ones and trying a var- ety of methods to keep a wiggly
board slilL Some parents, noting that tools can be heavy, sharp, and
even a biL dangerous, don't allow their children access to carpentry
Lools_ This well-intentioned effon to avoid blackened fingernails and
Band-Aids may also mean that the children don't get to master the use
of simple tools at a young age.
With this book we hope to share enough tips , give enough good
advice, and creaLe enough enthusiasm to allow paren ts and children to
de Telop basic carpentry skills We've mapped out a variet y of proj ects
- rrom simple to more complex - Lhat allow families to work together
to create some fun, well-designed items. Ou r hope? That these proj
ects will be only the beginning! If you make the projects in this book,
if you become the pr ud producer of everythi ng [rom decorative string
art and perfecLly curled wood shavings to a drawing table and a
lemonade stand, you should be ready to take on carpentry projects of
your own design and maybe even in your own home _
We wrote this book a a family, each of us bringing our own skills
and perspective to the proj ect. Craig is a build r who has remodeled
many homes , including two of our own when our daughters were
young. He has m re than twenty years of experience in carpentry.
Barbara is the director of education at an art museum and has spent an
equal number of years teaching art to children and writi ng curricul um
and lesson plans . When we began the process of writing this book,
Camille wa eleven and Allegra was nine. (The "to kids" boxes scat
tered throughout the book are written by Camille. ) They'd both been
swinging hammers f r many years and had plenty of opini ons they
were eager to share about the subject of carpentry. Having lived
through m ny building projects together, we thought it might be fun
to WIite a book abo ut carpentry together, too. And it has been. We
hope you'll have as much fun learning carpently with your family.
A word about safety: There will always be some danger in work
ing with carpentry tools and beginners need to be made aware of
potential hazards. Even if you are tackling the simplest proj ects in this
book, make sure you are comfortable wi th the task you have set for
yourself and your family. Read and reread the sections on tool use,
take your time, and pay close attention when working with a sharp or
powerful tool. Remember, the competent use of a tool will always be
the safest u e. We have done our best throughout the book to point
out where risks li e and strategies fo r coping wi th them. But we can't
put in wri ting every solution to every potential danger; use common
sense and seek more help if you need it.
The organization: This book is organized into two basic secti ons.
The firs t gives you information and tips for usi ng the tools that will
become your trusted friends and companions in carpentry. Read thi. s
s clion fi rs t ! For each tool , we have provided safety tips and handling
advice , as well as a proj ect that will help you get started using that
LOol correctly.
The second section con tains woodworking projects, arranged in
order from the Simplest to the most complex. Read through an entire
Introduction
2
project before you begin, e en before you purchase your materials!
Thoroughly preparing before you begin your proj ect will save you
time and money and encourage blessed family happiness. Make sure
you know everything you can about the tool , materials , skills, and
estimate 1 time it will take to make a proj ect before you begin.
We have written the directions for projects as though a chil d would
be doing each step. But that doesn't mean that you should enforce a
child-only regime. Tl ere will be times when an adult will want to take
over, especially for some of the more challenging me suring and cul
ting and the more repetitive ta ks. Work together and choose the most
appropriate person on your team to do each j ob. Over time, you may
fi nd that the children's skills outpace the parents' ! Approach each proj
ect with an eye [or maximizing family fun. Save Lhe best j obs for the
kids, and let them experiment and make some mistakes, too.
FOR KIDS
Ha dsa
Bloc pi n
Dr II
Ham nces
Meas nnq ta
Clamp
cr drivers Phillip nd lot d
Compass
pe d qu r
Combination s uare
Ruler
Awl
Nail e
Nail apron
Safety glasse
FOR ADULTS
C' saw
Jjgsaw
Cordle drill
Utility km e
Staple gun
E r prot c Jon tn adpnon 0
plugs for us With pow r a
Saf tv glass 5
Introduction
3
ti
Y r ooLI
5
THE B SICS
riving a naiL through two pieces of
wood to fasten them together is prob- I
abLy the most basic task in carpentry.
And the hammer itself is probabLy the I
most basic carpenter's tool. Not onLy
does your hammer help you drive naiL after nail,
but it aLso doubles as a pry bar, a digging tooL, a
hatchet, or a handy extension of your own arm.
HAMMER
NAIL SET
6
The first key to hammering is
momentum. The gathering force
you can create by the swing of
your arm, elbow, wrist, and hand
is what powers the blow of your
hammer. Imagine that you are
swinging a weight at the end of a
string. While you could grab the
weight in your hand and hit an
object directly with it, the blow
will be much stronger if you can
line up all the forces required to
swing it in an arc.
The farther your grip is from
the hammer head, the more force
you will be able to get from each
blow. You should grip the ham
mer as far from its head as you
can manage while still control
ling the swing.
The second key to hammer
ing success is to hit hard I
Much of the forc e of a ham
mer strike goes into convincing
the nail to overcome its own
inertia and the substantial resist
ance of the wood fibers. If it
takes 50 pounds of force to drive
a nail into a piece of pine, then
all the 45-pound bl ows in the
world will not make that nail
budge. It is not hard to imagine
that a lO-pound blow will be far
more effect ive than a half dozen
52-pound blows'
This principle also applies
when you're starting a nail.
Many people swing cautiously,
worried perhaps about hitting
their fingers instead of the nail.
The result is a multitude of inef
[eclive taps and a greater num
ber of chances to hit those
fingers. When it comes to ham
mering, hold the nail firmly, aim
carefully, and swing like you
mean it. The nail will know that
you mean business'
Raise your hammer high,
swing like you mean it, and
drive the nail home.
Hammering
choking up: no arc
and no momentum!
all the power comes
from your arm and
not from your swing!
v e r y ~
small
arc
\
correct angle:
hammer head is
aligned with nail
will bend nail away from board--...A'
incorrect angle: hammer head
mmering
rong
There are, of course, a few things
that typically go wrong. Bending
a nail is the result of a hammer
swing that does not align proper
ly with the shank of the nail. To
avoid bending a nail, take a good
look at where the nail is pointing
and try to make your swing
come down as if it intended to
pass through the head of the nail
and down the shank all the way
to the point. If you do bend a
nail , you can straighten it using
the claw of the hammer and then
drive it again, but it is likely to
bend again. Usually it's best to
pull out the bent nail and start a
fresh nail in the same hole.
Another frequent hammering
mishap is the crooked or misdi
rected nail. If your nail does not
go where you want it to, pull it
out and start again. But don't put
your nail back in the same hole
l
This will simply tell your nail
Lhat you want it to take the same
misguided path. Instead, start
the nail in a new spot.
And finally, pulling out a nail
is a tri ck all of its own. You can
use your hammer claw for this .
Slip the claw under the head of
the nail so that the nail shank
rests in the V of the claw. Insert
a block of wood under the ham
mer head; the block will give you
better leverage for pulling the
nail and protect your workpiece
from damage. Hold the board
down firmly, grip near the end of
the hammer handle, and pull the
handle back toward you.
Hammering
8
Don't feel bad if you have to
pull out a mil from time to time.
Look carefully at the tool in your
hand and you'll see that it was
made just as much to remove
nails as to drive them in 1
n us
Certain projects demand a fin
ished surface - one that is not
interrupted by a pattern of nail
heads. The best way to achieve
this is with a nail set, a simple
little tool that helps you set a
nail head flush with, or below,
the surface of a board. Setting a
nail also ensures that the head of
the nail is pulled tight against
the wood, which maximizes its
holding power.
To use a nail set , grasp its
body with your free hand. Set the
tip on the head of the nail you
wish to sink and align the body
with the shaft of the nail (this
can be a little tricky and involves
guesswork at times). Hold the
nail set tightly, aim carefully, and
hit the top of the tool firmly with
your hammer. Check the result ,
reposition the nail set, and hit it
again. Continue until the nail
head is sunk just below the sur
face of the board.
Camdle
'Ha'llmer,ng I
one of my
favorite parts of
\tJhen
'via yo neer. I
'via d VI t my dad's on-
s rJ tlO I and h&n
mer nad n J rap wood
for hour H8rnrn rl!"l S
someth n9 almos ev
project has You sho Id
try to set good at hal 1
menng right at the ben
ntng that 'Way, 'When yo
get 0 t e h mtnerns
part you II eruoy thernl
Hammering
I
9
the kids who built proj ects with
us found working with a pull
saw much easier and more satis
fying than working with a tradi
ti onal push saw.
If you turn a saw upside
down and sight down the row of
teeth, you'll notice that the tips
of the teeth curl outward. This is
called the set of the teeth, and it
allows the saw to cu t a kerf
(groove) into the wood that is
wider than the main body of the
saw blade. When you use the
saw to make a cut , the set of the
teeth determines the width of the
kerf. If you compare two saws,
you may also notice that one has
more teeth per inch (t.p.i.) than
the other. A saw with fewer teeth
and a more pronounced set will
make a wider kerf, cut faster, and
leave a rougher edge behind. A
finish sa,v will have more teeth
per inch and a narrower set. It
will make a smaller kerf, cut more
slowly, and leave a smoother
edge behind.
For kids, the best balance is a
saw with small teeth and plenty
of set. With small teeth, each one
will take a small er bite into the
wood. The greater set provides a
wider kerf, which will mean less
of a chance that the saw will
bind (catch in the wood or rub
against the sides of the cut)
Some new, shorter saws are
manufactured without any set to
the teeth at all. These saws bind
very easily and should be avoided.
A good first saw is a crosscut saw
15 to 20 inches long with nine to
twelve teeth (or points, as they are
sometimes called) per inch.
Keep YGULeyeS on =
your-saw cut! =
f
U in H n sa
The key to making any handsaw
work is alignment. Properl y
lined up, a saw will glide
through the kerf it has made in a
piece of wood with only the cut
ting teeth resisting the carpen
ter's push. If the saw starts to
bind against the sides of the cut,
it will become harder to push
and may become impossible to
move altogether ! The extra exer
tion of Lt ing a saw that keeps
binding will tire you out , and the
extra pressure you'll have to use
will make the saw blade more
likely to pop out of the cut ,
which can be dangerous. So keep
focused on your alignment!
To properly use your saw, start
by positioning your body:
Assuming you are right-handed,
stand \\lith your left foot in front
of your right foot, almost perpen
dicular to the board you're going
to cut. Your right arm should be
able to move freely back and
forth across your body You'll use
your left hand to steady the board
you're cutting, keeping your fin
gers well away from the cU l. If
you're left-handed, stand the
opposite way, with your right foot
in front of your left and your
right hand steadying the board.
As you push and pull the saw
to make the cut, your shoulder,
elbow, wrist, and saw should be
lined up A long, even stroke is
best. You might want to try a few
warm-up strokes for practice,
making the saw travel in a per
fectly straight line in the air
above your board before adding
the com plical ion of dragging it
along the board's surface.
A carpenter will start a cu t by
selling the saw teeth on the wood,
resting his thumbnail against the
blade, and dragging the saw care
full y in the opposite direction of
the saw's cutting motion (toward
himself for a push saw or away
from himself for a pull saw). The
thumb remains on the board as
a guide for the fi rst couple of
strokes, until a groove has formed
in the wood.
Because this method leaves
fingers in harm's way, we came
up with a safer method for family
woodworking. We often clamp a
piece of scrap wood against the
line that we want to cut. Then we
draw the blade against this guide
until the blade has cut a deep
groove in the wood. In fact , the
guide block can be left in place
for the entire cut. It keeps the saw
blade properly aligned until the
job is done, helps prevent crooked
cuts , aud boosts young carpen
ters' satisfaction in their work.
Sawing
12
machine foot. The blade runs up
and down through the plate.
vVhen you are ready to cut, rest
the front of the soleplate on the
board with the blade not yet
making contact with the wood.
Pull the trigger to start the saw,
and when it is running smoothly,
ease it into the cut.
The saw should cut through
the wood readily; you should
not have to apply much pressure
for the saw to make steady
progress. Keeping the soleplate
flat against the wood, steer
slowly and carefully, guiding
the saw blade along the line
you've marked.
keep the soleplate
flat on the board
Usmg a ~ i g
The Jigsaw is lhe most practical
type of saw to n Sf to cut along a
curved line (like the ou tline of
an animal shape or a wave). Our
kids were leery of using the jig
saw at first, but they quickly got
the hang of it. They were really
proud of thems elves when they
fe ll they'd mastered it. Always
draw the cutti ng line first so that
you are not trying to design
while you cut; full attention to
cutting will be needed I
The front of the plate at the
bottom of a Jigsaw - called the
soleplate - resembles a sewing
If you have drawn a line that
curves too sharply for the saw
blade to follow, try backing it up
just a bit and cutting along the
inside edge of the kerf. By widen
ing the kerf in this way, you give
the blade more space to pivot.
You may have to repeat the
process several times to complete
the cut. Do not try to force the
blade through a sharp turn;
twisting the blade will not help it
make the turn and may snap the
blade off.
Finally, remem ber to wear
safety glasses while operating the
jigsaw, as you should when using
any power tool.
I
13
straight
cut
angled
cut
bevel
cut
compound
angLe cut
I
I
I
I
I
I
: cross
:
I
cut
rip cut
I
~ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ~
I
t
Ripp ng
Cros cu
Every carpenter should be famil
iar with the terms rip and cross
cut. To crosscut means to make a
cut across the grain (the direc
tion of the wood flbers) of a
piece of wood. Since the grain
almost always runs the length of
a board, this cut is usually made
across the width o[ the piece.
The term crosscut is also used to
bOard!aCe )
describe cutling across the width
of a sheet of plywood or other
material LhaL may not have a
consi.stenL grain direction.
To rip means to cut in the
same direCti on as the grain of a
piece of wood. Ripping a board
usually means cutting it along
its length This cutting opera
tion is frequemly performed on
a table saw, which will rip a
board to any width consistently
and quickly.
king Angl d nd
B v I Cuts
Most of the projects in this book
call for making square cuts, or cut
ting straight across the board at a
90-degree angle to its top face and
perpendicular to its sides. We use
the term angled cut to designate a
cut made at a 90-degree angle to
the top face of the board but at
another angle (say, 45 degrees) to
its sides. A bevel cut is a cut made
at any angle other than 90 degrees i
to the face of the board. When
you are laying out a bevel cut, the
angle will be drawn on the edge
of the board. A cut that simulta
neously angles across the face of a
board and bevels the board along
the cu tting line is called a com
pound angle cut.
Making an angled cut with a
handsaw or jigsaw is not much
different from making a square
cut. If you're using a handsaw,
you can even clamp a scrap-wood
board edge
Sawing
14
guide at the correct angle to help
you stay on course.
Using a handsaw to make a
bevel cut can be tricky
/
The first
step is to layout the cut on all
sides of the board. Use your
Speed Square to draw a line at
the correct angle on both edges
of the board and to square a line
connecting them across the top
and bottom of the board. Start
the cut at the corner away from
you, and keep the saw blade fol
lowing the lines along the edge
and the face of the board as you
cut. Try to get a feel for how to
position your body in order to
cut along the marked angle, and
hold that position steady as you
cut. Check your progress along
the underside of the board from
time to time, making sure that
the cut is not veering off the lay
out line. If it is, back up your
saw and reroute it.
You can use a jigsaw to make
a bevel cut by setting the blade
to cut at any angle (follow the
long point
(
~ short point
manufacturer's instructions to
adjust the base to the correct
angle). Be sure to unplug the
tool before making the blade
adjustment Then position your
'
self so that the angle of the jig
saw blade matches the angle
you've marked across the edge of
the board and cut straight across
the board, following the line
you've drawn across the face .
When you've finished mak
ing a bevel cut, the board will
end at an angle, with a long
point (the edge of the face that
extends farther out) and a short
point (the edge of the face that is
cut shorter). W hen the project
instructions call for you to make
a measurement [rom the beveled
end of a board, they will specify
which of these points to use.
lany a workpiece has been mis
cut because of a measurement
made from the wrong point of
the bevel or because a bevel has
its angle headed in the wrong
direction. Checking twice before
cutting - always a good idea in
carpentry - is especially impor
tant when working with bevels.
15
Sawing
r I
he name says it aLl. Your goal: to become a human furniture factory! And
while you're at it, to get plenty of practice sawing and nailing. ALLegra and
CamiLLe came up with the idea for this project one summer on Martha's
Vineyard. They spent hours with hammers and nails turning construction-site
scrap wood into pint-sized furn iture for themselves and their stuffed animaLs.
What You'll Need
T OL
Clamps
Pencil
Straightedge (ruler,
combination square, or
Speed Square)
A variety of handsaws
Hammer
A variety of boards
in lengths between
20 inches and 40 inches
Scrap wood to use as a
saw guide
F T E
Nails (any type)
Saw, Saw, Saw
I Clamp a board to your work
surface. Using your pencil and
straightedge, square a line 6 to
10 inches from one end.
Clamp a piece of scrap
wood right up agains t the line
you just marked to make a guide
for your cut.
Saw through the line you've
marked, keeping the saw blade
straight against the guide. Make
the longes t stroke you can. The
longer each stroke, the fewer it
will take to finish your cut.
When you are done with a
cut, grab anot her board (or make
a new line farther down on the
same board), reposition the
clamps and guide, and make
another cu t.
scrap
wood
Continue marking, clamp
ing, and sawing until you have a
good supply of pieces. They
should be of all different SIzes.
You can even use a Speed Square
to mark angled cuts , giving you
triangles and other odd shapes.
17
Furniture Factory
Hammer, Hammer, Hammer
Gather together your multi
~ i : c d , multi-shaped blocks of
\ I) d. Look them over; size them
up . Then begin fitting them
t ' g ' lher in various combinations
w make furniture. If you have a
f;l\-orite stuffed animal, doll , or
e,en small pet , you might want
to build a bed or chair especially
for him or her.
When you're happy with a
particular furni ture design , grab
your hammer, nails , and clamps
and go to work fast ening it
together. This stage makes for
good practice in both hammering
and clamping. If you can't figure
out a good way to clamp a piece
of furniture together so that you
can drive nails into it , ask a
grown-up for help.
Camille says "} used to
choke up on the hammer
and sVllnS as hard as 1
could. and I thought ham
mer'ins was a hs pawl My
dad Vlould say. Let th
hammer do the work'
Finally I cau9ht on toJust
lettlns the hammer ----..
drop. so that it
does the driV
Ing \-.Hchout me
usin9 physlGal
strength NQ\.v' I
ave hamrnerinsl"
Furniture Factory
18
bamyard.bench-
r
. .. ".' _. o":.c_
19
Furniture Factory
TH
=(
=!
~ ( . - - ~
POWER DRILL
)
chuck
IT- NO-BRAe
HAND DRILL
DILL
"tWist"
rs n r
unt rSlnk
asicaLLy. driLling is making a hoLe by
pressing something hard against a sur
face and spinning it around and around
untiL it bores ri ght t hrough. While the
concept might be basic. there are a
few t hings you shouLd keep in mind before you go
t urning everyt hing in si ght int o Swiss cheese.
Bits and Tidbits
There are as many ki nds of drill
bi ts as there are kinds of holes
that need to be drill ed. The proj
ects in this book, however,
requi re onl y "twist" bits, Forst
ner bits, and countersink bits.
"Twist " bits are what you
probably think of as ordinary
drill bits. They are used for most
projects in this book, and the
size required is always noted.
Forstner bits make holes wi th
smooth sides and bottoms. You
can use paddle bits, which cost
less, instead, but they tend to bind
and jam and make a rougher hole.
We vo te for using the Forstners
despite the added expense.
The countersink bit makes a
hole with a tapered recess at the
top. The recess is necessary
when you are predrilling for a
screw that you want to be flush
with (not protruding from) the
surface of the wood.
You might encounter Fuller
bits at your lumber supply store.
These bits have a tapered shaft.
They make a hole that matches a
parti cular size of wood screw and
also coun tersinks the screw in
one operation. Since we use dry
wall screws for proj ects in this
book, Full er bits aren't necessary
20
kin Your
The best way to mark the spot
where you're going to drill a hole
is not with a pencil dot. If you
mark drilling holes ahead of
time, a pencil dot can be hard to
find later, and it doesn't mark the
drilling spot with accuracy.
Instead, draw crosshairs - two
small perpendicular lines whose
intersection marks the exact spot
where you' ll drill .
Drillin M eh nle
For basic drilling - and that is
what this book calls for - hold
ing the drill as straight as possible
is crucial. If you're drilling straight
down into a piece of wood, keep
the bi t aligned vertically. If you're
drilling from the side, keep the bit
aligned horizontally
As you' re drilling, apply
steady pressure to keep the bit
going forward into the wood. If
you're right-handed, use your
right hand to rotate the handgrip
on a brace drill or to pull the
trigger on a power drill, and use
your left hand to push. If you' re
left-handed, do the opposite. You
can use your body weight to help
you push by leaning into the
drill. Just be sure not to push the
drill away from that vertical or
horizontal alignment I
Most important, keep your
eyes focused (through safety
glasses , of course) on the work at
hand at all times.
Ke ping It CI n
When you're using a power drill ,
sometimes the bit will get clogged
and will stop progressing through
the wood. If this happens, with
draw it from the hole, with the
drill still running, to clear lhe
sawdust from the hole and the bit.
If the sawdust doesn't rall a.vay as
you pull the bit out of the hole,
wait until the dri ll stops turning
and then clear the packed sawdust
from the channel in the bit using
the tip of a screw or nail. Be care
ful: The bit may be very hot!
'vVhen you're using a Forstner
bit , run the drill at a slow speed
so that it will cut lhrough the
wood effiCiently. The proper
speed will make nice helical
shavings pile u p around the
deepening hole. Drilling too fast
will just scrub the cutting edge
around the bottom of the hole
and heat up and dull the bit.
21
DriLling
Camille says.
'Before 1had
Jsed a ddt1
81'w'ays kept my
distance 'w'hen
my dad 'w'a....
using one. So 'w'hen my
dad told me I should use
the drill tor" one of the
pt"'oJects in this book. 1
\,v'8sn't so sure it 'w'as a
good idea "But my dad
unplu8sed the drill and
sho'w'ed me ho'w' to use it
Then he It in
showed me 'Where
to dnll thp. hole, and told
me to try it
"] pulled the trlsger
and started pushnS as
tra,sht as 1could. The
drill was vlbr'atlng and It
felt 'Weird 'But I did ItI
"When 1have to drill
through harder pieces of
'w'ood, ] have to get my
morn or' dad to elp me
because 11Y1 not strong
enough to push the drill
throush by myself'
Dr iLling
Using d Bit
One of the oldest types of hand
powered drills is the brace. You
use a brace with a self-feeding bit
tha l has a pointed screw at its tip.
As you turn the brace handle, the
screvv turns, driving the cutting
edge of the bit into the wood.
To use a brace, put your
weaker hand on the big round
top handle and push down while
rotating the handgrip with your
other hand. You can exert more
force with your upper hand by
leaning against it with your
chest. (Some early braces were
actually designed wi th two
handgri ps a nd a Oa t surface for
your chest to push against.)
Keep steady pressure against the
brace , or the screw will strip out
(pllll out of the wood, taking
with it the wood fibers needed to
hold it in place).
A brace is a perfect tool for
two kids to work together, one
holding and guiding and the
other cranking the brace around
with both hands. Its slow turn
ing speed makes it one of the
safer cutting tools, anel its pow
erfulleverage makes it a good
choice for turning large Forstner
bits. Although it's not intended
for them, a brace chuck usually
will hold ordinary drill bits, so
you can use this tool for many
drilling tasks.
U ing Po r rill
Once you have the basi c dri lling
mechanics down, using a power
drill is relatively easy, as long as
you are caut ious. Hold the body
22
of the drill with your weaker
hand and pull the trigger with
your stronger. As is the case with
all power tools , kids using a
power drill should be supervised.
There are two basic risks in
using a power drill: One is acci
dentally making a hole where a
hole doesn't belong, such as in a
tabletop, the porch floor, or
someone's finger. The other, more
serious risk is for a sleeve or a
lock of hair to get wound around
the bit or chuck. Remember,
even at a relatively slow speed a
power drill is turning at hun
dreds of revolutions per minute I
So the first rule of using a power
drill is No loose ends. If you
have long hair, wear it up; if you
have long sleeves, make sure
they're not floppy at the ends.
A related risk is having the
drill bit bind up and stop turn
ing. Suddenly the drill itself will
be doing all of the turning,
which can twist your wrist
around quite forcefully. Thus the
second rule: Always keep a
firm grip on the drill. In most
circumstances you should have
one hand on the handgrip of the
drill and the other steadying the
body. Keep in mind that a larger
diameter bit is more likely to
bind up than a smaller one, and
a paddle bit is more likely to
give your wrist a yank than a
Forstner bit.
A drill bit that binds can
make the board you are drilling
suddenly swing into motion. To
prevent this, you should always
follow rule three: Clamp your
workpiece tightly.
Drill bits are specially hard
ened so they can keep a sharp
edge. As a result , they are more
brittle than other types of steel,
and when they are bent they can
snap into sharp, flying pieces.
The first time our kids worked
with a power drill, they flexed
the bits and nearly broke them.
And this leads to rule four: Wear
eye protection whenever you
are using a power drill.
And the final rule: Unplug
all power tools whenever
they are not in use. This
means that after you are clone
making a hole, out comes the
plug. It also means that when
ever you are changing a bit, the
drill must be unplugged I
Pr drilling (M k ay
for th Sc:r w!)
In today's world a screw gun, or a
drill with a driver bit, is often
used for driving screws, which
makes predrilling unnecessary.
However, we strongly recom
mend that all carpenters learn to
drive screws by handl It is a basic
skill that should be mastered, and
it is an independent endeavor
that does not require adult super
vision. However, driving a screw
through two pieces of wood
using a screwdriver is hard work.
Doing so without first predrilling
a hole for the screw to travel
through will often lead to broken
or misdirected screws and a dis
appointing finish to your job. So
in almost every instance in this
book that calls for using screws,
we have also called for predrilling.
flat-head
Phillips-head
screwdriver
screwdriver
~ ~
drywall screw
23

.-$ . --. -A
I . ~

.. e


- ." .
. - - ~ , - ~ . . ~ - e
.e. !
. t
/. ee
... -. . . . .Q
' . - e-- '.


Il _ - C
,4t

ere's a skiLL buiLder that wiLL provide pLenty of drilling practice. Not
onLy that, you'll end up with your name in lights (sunlight, that is). Set
up two or more drills (of a variety of types, if you have them) with the
different bits; this way, instead of spending your time changing bits, you can
just swi t ch tooLs whenever you want to make a different-size hoLe.
What You'll Need
T OL
Electric or cordless
drill(s)
%-inch drill bit
y..-Inch drill bit
Yz-inch drill bit
Pencil
Clamps
Safety glasses
T
A small piece of y..-inch
luaun or birch plywood
Scrap wood (plank or
plywood)
Ribbon, rope, or braided
yarn
Playing the Name Game
With a pencil, write your
name on your plywood board.
Block letters will make for the
most straightforward work, but if
you want a greater challenge, try
some fancy cursive.
Make marks along your
name where you will drill holes.
If you want the holes to be even
ly spaced, use a measuring tool
to mark drilling spots at regular
intervals. Take a look at your
marks to determine if they are
too close or far away from each
other. Remember, taken together
the marks should be readable as
your name
l
Place a piece of scrap wood
under your name board and
clamp both pieces securely to
your work surface.
Put on your protective eye
wear and get to work drilling
holes at all the marks you have
drawn. Use the same bit for all of I
them or mix up your bit sizes .
Just be sure to drill each hole
straight and all the way through
your board.
Let the Light Shine
Through
To make a handy hanging
mechanism, drill a hole in each
upper corner of the board. Push
a length of ribbon, rope, or
braided yam through the holes
and tie the ends together to form
a loop
Hang your name board in
a window. vVhen the sun's out,
the light will shine through the
letters of your name.
25
You Name It
BLOCK PLANE
ten ion
If arlsm
iron
./
iro -"
(underneath)
front
knob
adjuster
sole
hen ALLegra was four years oLd,
we did a carpentry demonstration
at her preschool. After a bit of
taLking, all the kids got down to
the reaL business of pushing a
bronze bLock pLane aLong a clear pine board. Long
white curLs of wood soon covered the fLoor: the
perfect creat ive mess. OnLy the arrivaL of Lunchtime
persuaded the kids to stop working, and they aLL
wanted a shavi ng t o take home.
But it's not just four-year-olds Proper Planing
who love the block plane. We used
a plane at some point for every Proper planing technique begins
one of the proj ects in this book - with securing the workpiece by
to smooth an edge, to shorten a clamping it down or by setting
board that was just a little too one end against a stop (a fi xed
long, or to remove an unSightly block that prevenLs the board
surface. Craig and his building from sliding) . If you're right
crew keep their planes handy at handed, place your left hand on
all times , using them (and sharp the knob at the front of the
ening them) frequently Be sure to plane; this hand will gUide the
keep your block plane close by stroke of the plane. Wrap your
whenever you're building I right hand around the body of
An experienced carpenter the plane ; this hand will provide
using a sharp block plane can fit the push. If you're left-handed,
a joint so tightly that a piece of set up the opposite way: right
paper cannot be slipped into it. hand on the knob, left hand on
For aspiring school-age carpenters, the body
a plane will be useful for smooth Bring your body close to your
ing a sawed edge or making a workpiece, bending your elbows
chamfer (bevel) on the edge of a and tucking them in close to
board to give it a finished look. your sides. Position the front end
26
of the plane sole on the near end
of the board, where you want to
begin planing. Then push for
ward, leaning a bit into the
stroke and extending your arms
in front of you as you plane.
Most of your effort will go into
making the iron slice through
the wood. Just a little downward
pressure (and a sharp edge) is
needed to keep the tool from
skipping free from the edge of
the board.
The more of your body you
can put into the stroke , the bet
ter. Be sure to lean forward from
the waist and extend both arms
as you complete the stroke. Keep
an eye on the shaving as i t makes
its curly exit through the frog of
the plane. The shaving should
maintain a consistent thickness
and width.
a i 9 d"ustm nt
Sometimes you will need to
adjust the plane to make a cut of
a different depth. In almost all
cases, the setting that produces
the thinnest continuous shaving
will be the best. Different planes
may have different mechanisms
for adjusting the depth of cut;
many use some type of screw
driven mechanism. The follow
ing directions for making
adjustments will apply to most
block planes:
To adjust the iron, loosen the
tension mechanism on the handle
of the plane. Turn the plane
upside down and sight along the
sole into the light. The iron will
appear as a thin shadow just
above the surface of the sole.
Push on the back of the iron to
move it until the shadow is
equally thin at all points above
the sole. Tighten the tension
mechanism. The tension of the
screw may push the iron farther
out, changing the adjustment.
Test the plane and, if necessary,
redo the adjustmen t, trying to
anticipate the change that tighten
ing the tension screw will make.
After making an adjustment,
try the plane on a scrap of wood.
You may find you have to adjust
it again. When you like the way
it cuts , the adjustment is right!
27
BLock PLane
his "project" is actuaLLy just a chaLLenge: How Long and perfect a shaving
can you make with a bLock pLane? ALL you need is a pLane and a nice
clear piece of wood. But since controLling the board whiLe pushing the
pLane aLong one edge can be a chaLLenge (particuLarly for a young carpenter),
consider buiLding the quick support weJve described here. You might be sur
prised by what you can make, and by how much fun you'll have learning to
handLe your bLock pLane.
28
What You'll Need
T
Block plane
Handsaw
Hammer
Clamps
To Make the Support
I Using the handsaw, cut your
board into two equal lengths.
Lay one piece down and
drive three nails in a straight line
lengthwise down its center until
they poke out through the oppo
site surface .
Stand the other board on its
edge. Place the board with the
nails on top of it to form a T
shape. The protruding nails will
help keep the pieces aligned.
I. Use the hammer to drive the
nails into the on-edge board.
Turn your T upside down
(nail heads down) and clamp it
securely to your work surface.
To Make the Perfect Curl
Leaning over and exerting
steady pressure, run your plane
along the exposed edge of the
board. Notice what happens.
L
One 2-foot length of
1x4 or 1x6 (as free of
knots as possible)
Needle and white thread
(optional)
ER
Three nails
Concentrate on the relationship
between the pressure you exert
and the look of the ribbonlike
shaving that comes rippling out
of the plane's throat. Try pu hing a
little harder; try leuing up on the
pressure. Move quickly and then
a bit more slowly. Experiment
until you have made the most
perfect curl you can I
Vvith a needle and 'vvhite
thread, you can easily turn your
curls into delicate hangings for
your window, Christmas tree, or
chandelier. If you hang a few
from a branch or twig, you can
make a beautiful mobile.
Hold down the front
of the plane firmly.
the nail tips should
_ ~ _ just poke t3Ugh
29
ASU ING
HE BASICS
ULE
SPEED
SOUA
COMBINATION
SOU
...
...
FRAMINC! ,.,
"I ;'"
, , 1:"'T.","'T,,:"'"I:""1:"',"r.'", ilS
jO. , , I .. Or t" I
TAPE
t can take a whiLe for young carpenters to get
to the point where they trust their own
measuring and marking skilLs. Competence
with measuring tooLs is a must for happy
buiLding. but onLy time and practice wiLL bring
about this contented state. This section describes
some of the basic tooLs for measuring, as well as
how to handle and use them to best effect.
The uring T p edge for drawing lines but as a
nd Rul r tool to measure long lengths.
One thing to note about the
The ruler is the Simplest of meas measuring tape is that the
uring tools and is also a handy hooked end that is riveted onto
straightedge for drawing lines. the tape alwa s seems loose. This
The retractable metal-bladed motion compensates for the
tape measure is the preferred thi ckness of th tape end when
measuring tool of most carpen you are making inside and outside
ters. It's used not as a straight- measurements .
30
Use squares for
measuring, marking,
and drawinglines.
Hold the flanged side of
the Speed Square tight
against edge of board.
Thr
The Speed Square is a great tool.
You can use it to measure short
lengths or to square a line (draw
a line at a 90-degree angle to one
side of a board), but you can also
use it to layout lines at an angle.
The Speed Square makes it espe
Cially easy to draw a square line
because it has a lip, or flanged
side, that rests firmly against the
edge of a board. Use a tape meas
ure to mark out lengths on a
long board, but when it's time to
draw an angled or a square line
at those points, the Speed Square
is the tool of choice.
The combination square is
similar to the Speed Square, and
it can be used for many of the
same jobs. The basic difference is
that its rule has measurements
marked on it, and that rule is
movable. By loosening a knob ,
you can reposition it to conve
niently measure any distance
from the edge of a board. The
combination square also contains
a level, which can come in really
handy at times'
In the hands of an experi
enced carpenter, a steel framing
square is an essential tool for
complicated tasks like laying
out rafters and stairs. Kids ,
however, are more likely to
appreciate the framing square as
a right-angled ruler. Because it
has scales marked on all four of
its long edges, the framing
square is the perfect tool for
measuring "over and in." You
can measure 12 inches over
from the end of a board, square
a line to mark that length, and
locate a point 4 inches in from
the edge along that line - all in
a single step'
The long side of a framing
square measures 24 inches and is
called the body or the blade. The
shorter side of the tool is 16
inches long and is called the
tongl,le. The blade is 2 inches
wide, while the tongue is P/2
inches wide; these widths corre
spond to the dimensions of
rough-sawn and dressed lumber.
Measuring
31
32
qu ring a Lin
Squaring a line simply means
drawing a line perpendicular (at
a 90-degree angle) to a straight
edge. In most cases, you'll square
lines across a board.
To square a line, hold one
edge of your square (the flanged
side of the Speed Square, the
handle of the combination
square, or the body of the fram
ing square) against the edge of
your board. Slide the square until
the upper corner (where the two
sides of the square meet at a
right angle) reaches the place
where you want the line to begin
and draw a line :'\cross the board
there, keeping your pencil steady
against the straight edge of the
square.
Out an
Lin
Grasp the Speed Square by its
flanged side. Align the corner
(where the two short sides meet)
with the point where you want
your angled line to begin. Locate
the reading for your desired angle
on the scale stamped into the
longest edge of the tool. Pivot the
square until the correct mark
lines up with the edge of the
board. Draw off the angle against
the top edge of the tool.
ct Measur m nt
One of the best ways to handle
any measurement task (without a
lot of tools) is to place the piece
you need to cut in the spot
where it needs to fit and mark
the required length on it directly.
There will be no numbers or
fractions of inches involved and
no adding or subtracting to con
fuse you! When you are building
a project from this book and one
of your pieces has to fit in a par
ticular spot, try marking it off
directly, instead of relying on the
calculated dimensions. You'l l be
following in the footsteps of pro
fessional carpenters like cabinet
makers and stairbuilders , who
often create their own "ruler" of
a room by marking lines on a
length of board to indicate the
position of windowsills, door
edges, and electrical outlets .
Along the same lines, if you
need multiple pieces of one pan,
it's possible that cu tting one and
using it as a pattern to cul the
others will be simpler than meas
uring and marking each one.
he Pap r Rule
The trouble with the measuring
system we inherited from the
English is how complex it is to
use. Its basic premise is simple,
however. A Single unit, the inch
- derived from the length of
three grains of barley laid end to
end - is divided in half, then
simply divided again and again
until we get to the 32nds of an
inch marked on most rulers.
A good way for young car
penters to learn to understand
the bewildering profusion of
markings on a ruler is to make
their own. In the process, they'll
make a handy fraction reference.
Get a piece of unlined paper
(approximately 8Y2 by 11 inches).
Fold the paper in half lengthwise.
Open it up and make a line along
half the length of this crease and
label it 112. Now either side of
this fold (from the line to the
edge of the paper) represents half
of the overall length of the paper.
Fold in one of the outer edges so
it aligns with the 112 mark in the
center of the paper and crease it
down. Open up the fold, mark
about a quarter of the length of
:
mark every 3 inches
mark every 2 inches
the crease, and label it 114. Repeat
this process on the opposite side
of the page Continue diViding
the sheet by halves , worki ng from
the outside edges toward the last
fraction you marked. The result
will be a double-ended "ruler"
that can be used to measure
household objects in fractions of
a sheet of paper. To measure an
object that is more than half a
page long, you'll have to add the
fractions together to arrive at the
correct length It might be a bit
confUSing at first , but it's good
measuring practice.
oard int
This is a neat measuring trick.
Let's say that we want to divide a
1x8 board into three equal
widths. This board is actually
7
1
4 inches wide, so it's not a sim
ple calculation! But there is a
simple layout method for divid
ing any width into equal parts.
To divide a width into thirds
(or three parts), we can use any
multiple of three that is larger
than the dimension to be divided.
In our example, nine (3 x 3) is
the first multiple of three larger
than 7
1
k Lay a square or a ruler
on a diagonal across the width of
the board so that the end of the
ruler touches one edge and the
9-inch mark aligns with the
other edge. Now make a mar k at
each 3-inch incremenL (3 inches
and 6 inches). The distance from
the edge of the board to the mark
neares t that edge is one Lhird the
width of the board
If you wanted instead to
divide the board into five equal
parts, you could use any multiple
of five larger than 7%. Fifteen
would work, but ten (5 x 2) is
the logical choice. Lay the ruler
across the board wi th one end on
one side and the lO-inch mark
on the other and mark at every
2-inch increment. The illustra
tion above shows these examples.
33
Measuri ng
ractice your measuring and make a good rainy-day game at the same
time! Traditional game boards are full of measured straight lines, and as
you work on laying them out just right. your measuring and calculating
skiLLs will get sharper and sharper.
What yourll Need
lx12 clear pine board (at
least 1 foot long)
Paint in two colors of
your choice
TO L
Handsaw
Block plane (optional)
Ruler (optional)
Framing square
Sandpaper
Paintbrush
How Big Are the Squares?
A checkerboard has eight
squares along each of its sides.
The board also needs a border
around the "playing field." We
will make it half the width of
one square. This means the pine
board needs to be divided into
nine equal sections (eight
squares plus two half-squares
equals nine squares).
Our l x 12 pine board is 1 U ~
inches wide. To divide 11\ ~ inches
into nine equal secti ons, we'll
use the measuring trick you just
read abou t (page 33). The first
multiple of nine that is larger
than 11 ~ is 18 (9 x 2 = 18). Lay
a ruler or a frami ng square diag
onally across the board, with
the left end of the ruler or square
at one edge of the board and the
18-inch mark on the opposite
I
edge of the board. From the
18-inch mark, measure back
2 inches and make a mark on
your board there. Pick up the
ruler or square and use it to
measure from the edge of the
board to the mark. The distance
should be 11;::/ inches away. Now
you know that one ninth of 111;:;
inches is ll/j inches. You have
just used a ruler instead of a cal
culator to solve your math prob
lem
l
Each square on the
checkerboard will be 1 ~ inches
wide and 1 ~ inches long.
I
I
I
' \
) IS" mark
o

I
I
I
I
~ I
::..: I
_, I
16" mark
end of ruler
35
Checke rboard
draw a cut line
along the
Inside edge
Laying Out the Board
Since the checkerboard is
going to be 11% inches (the
width of the pine board) square,
we need to mark a cut line this
distance from the end of the
board. Hold the body of the
framing square against the far
edge of the board, wi th the end
of the body pOinting toward the
end of the board and the tongue
extending across the face of the
board. Align the 11 \t,\ -inch mark
on the inside edge of the square's
body with the end of the board.
Holding the square fi nn l)' in
position, draw a line along Lhe
inside edge of the tongue. This
single step should yield a nice
square line at the proper di men
sion on the board.
Rotate the fra ming square so
that the inside of the body rests
against the far edge of the board
and the inside of the tongue rests
against the end of Lhe board.
Hold the square flush with the
face of the board so you will be
able to make layout marks there.
The border around the
checkerboard will be half the
width of a square, or %inch wide.
Slarti ng from the inside corner of
the square, make a mark on the
board beside the %-inch line on
the square's LOngue. This marks
the edge of the border around
the playing fiel el
Move 1 v.; inches (ns inches
total ) along the tongue and make
a mark there; this marks the edge
of the first square. Keep marking
at 1%-inch increments until you
end up 51s inch short of the near
edge of the board.
fter you have compleLed
the layout along the tongue of
the square, return to the inside
corner and repeat the measuring
andlllarl< ing process along the
body. When you reach the cut
line (the first line you drew), the
layout is complet e.
Checkerboard
36
Shde the framing square
along the face of the board until
the inside of the tongue lies along
the cut hne. Repeat the measur
ing and marking process along
the inside of the tongue, again
beginning with a mark at %inch
and then marking at l%-inch
increments. Be sure not to make
your marks along the outside
edge of the tongue , because its
scale is offset from the one on the
inside of the tongue
Use any side of the square
as a straightedge to connect the
measured points on the end of
the board with the correspon
ding points on the cut hne.
Align the inside of the
square's body with the far edge of
the board and the inside of the
tongue with the cut line. Slide
the framing square toward the
end of the board, stopping at
each mark you made along the
far edge to square a line across
the board.
Using a handsaw, cut along
the cut line to free your game
board from the pine board.
Finishing
I If your board has any
rough spots, sand them smooth.
If you want , chamfer the edges of
your board with a block plane.
Paint the squares in alt er
nating colors. Who says that a
checkerboard has to be black and
red? You made the board, so you
get to choose the color scheme!
Allegra painted her
checkerboard yellow
and blue!
37
Checkerboard
u
Dro; I
39

I
40
his project gives carpenters plenty of practice hammering, cutting, and
measuring - and some quality stringing time, too! A beautiful work of art
wiLL resuLt from carefuL measuri ng and pLanning, but an intrigui ng piece
can aLso be made by f ree-form cutting, unpLanned nailing. and wi Ld abandon.
What You'll Need
TOOLS
Handsaw
Your favorite measuring
tools
Hammer
Pencil
ATER. L
Wood scraps
St ring or yarn
F STE ERS
Nails (4d galvanized box
nails or shingle nails)
Camille says:"I loved this
project! There's no end to
all the patterns you can
make. One of my projects
used sixty nails! My sister
Allegra is tVv'o years
younger than -----..
1am and Vv'e
both had fun.
so this project
isn't just for
little kids - it's
for big kids too!"
Getting Started
I. Grab a piece of wood that
appeals to you. It can be any size,
but the results will be better if it's
at least 12 inches long.
If you want the board to be a
different size or shape, cut it with
a handsaw. You could also nail
one or more pieces of wood
together for a three-dimensional
String Art sculpture.
To Measure or
Not to Measure
If you want to pursue a
totally improvisational (free-form)
course, skip ahead to step 5.
Otherwise, use a pencil and a
measuring tool- a ruler or
square for straight lines or a com
pass for circles - to draw on the
board a line (or lines) to mark the
future placement of the nails.
On the line(s) you just drew,
measure and mark at even inter
vals the exact locations where the
nails will go .
Straigh lines
To space nails evenly on a straight
line, use a ruler or measuring
tape, marking every Y2 to 1 inch.
Circles
To space nails evenly around a
circle, set a compass so that its
two legs are )/2 to 1 inch apart.
Place the compass point on your
circle line. Swing the pencil-hold
ing leg of the compass around
until the pencil crosses the circle
line; make a mark there. Move
the compass point to the mark
you just made and make the next
mark where the pencil now
crosses the circle line. Repeat all
the way around the circle. If the
last marks are not perfectly
spaced, adjust them by eye.
II
4 1
String Art
Grab Your Hammer
Drive nails at all the spots
you've marked or, if you're mak
ing a free-fo rm piece, wherever
you like. Drive the nails j ust
until they are fi rmly set in your
board; don't hammer them all
the way into the board. Make
sure that, when you' re done, the
nail heads are all at about the
same height
Stringing
6. This is the finale! Tie your
string firmly onto the fi rst nail ,
close to the head. If you're t1i.ng
ing a circle, start wi th any nail. If
you're stringing a line, start with
a nail at the end of the line.
If you're worki ng on a
free-form piece, str ing away' If
you're working on a symmetrical
design, foll ow a stringing pattern,
such as the Sunset, Sunshine,
Arrow, or Double Bridge (see the
diagrams on pages 44-45).
Whichever pattem you decide
on, be sure to keep the string
pulled taut as you work.
vVhen you're done, tie your
string securely to the last nail
and trim the ends of the string
with scissors.
String Art
42
Wrap the strings any way
you lIkel Here, Camille works
on a three-dimensional
Double Bridge pattern.
43
8
6
1
4
2
Cstart lIere
7
5
(nails in ircle):
Tie the string to any nail. Pull the
string to a nail seven nails to the
right of your starting nail. Wrap
it once all the way around this
nail , then bring it back to the nail
just to the right of your starting
nail. Wrap the string all the way
around this nail and then pull it
to the nail seven nails to its right.
Again, wrap the string all the
way around the nail and then
head the string back to the nail
just to the right of the previous
nail. Proceed this way around the
entire circle - seven forward , six
back. (Seven is not a magic num
ber; you can create this pattern
skipping forward any number of
nails you choose. Just pick a
number and stick with it.)
1 3
3
6 9
I II
5 \
2

44
lu Ip
(a semicircle of nails
facing a single nail)'
Tie the string to the single nail. Pull the
string to the left-most nail of the semicircle.
Wrap it once all the way around this nail ,
then bring it to a nail six nails to its right.
Loop it around this nail, then bring the
string back to the single nail. Loop the string
around the Single nail , then bring it to the
second nail of the semicircle. Loop it once
around this nail, then pull it to a nail six
nails to its right. Loop it around this nail,
then bring it back to the Single nail.
Continue in this fashion, working your way
from each nail in the semicircle to its neigh
bor six nails away and then back to the sin
gle nail, until every nail has been looped
once. Tie your string at the last nail in the
semicircle or the single nail and you're done'
tit.. arro
(nail in a V s
Turn the board so the V is upside
down. Tie th string to the last
nail on the right-hand line. Then
pull the string to the nail at the
point of the V shape. Vhap the
string once all the way around
this nail, then bring it back to
the next-to-Iast nail on the right
hand line. Wrap the string all the
way around this nail, then pull it
to the first-from-the-point nail
on the left-hand line. Pull the
string all the way around this
nail and lead it back to the nail
two places away from your
starting nail. Continue this way,
moving your string along one
nail at a time down both lines.
1
3
~ 8 6 4
\ start here, then string by number
1S 1 9--------
--'-
,
5
oub.. rldCJ
7
(th ee-dimensional):
9
Tie your string to the to p nai I on ne of the verti
cal rOws of nails. Pull the string to the las t nail
on one of the horizontal rows 0 11 the same siele of
the board. Loop thc stri ng arou ncl lh i - na il, then
pull it to the nail second from lhe LOr 0 11 tht: v [
tical line. From there, go to 'cond nail on the
horizontal , back to the third nail on the venical,
and so on, until YOll have wrapped the stri ng
around all the nails on those hor izontal and ver
tical rows. \ Vhen you reach the end of the hori
zontal row, pull the string [rom tbe nail at the
end of that row to the top nail on the oUler verti
cal row ark your way back along the nails on
the same horizont al row (each one already has a
loop of string around it) HIllU you reach the end.
Now pull your string to the t o p m o ~ t nail on the
fir t ve rt ical row Repeat the process along lhe
other horizon tal ro\V until you aF done
i
45
String Art
/
/
his is a simpLe, quick, appealing project that yields hours of fun come
springtime. A friend of ours and his sons built the first version of this
birdhouse, turning Leftover pieces of clapboard siding into a spiffy new
house for the locaL bird popuLation. We've modified their project a bit for this
book, giving you the option of making either a back-to-back two-family bird
house or a single-family residence. The instructions for the twin version start
here; the single birdhouse instructions begin on page 52.
46
Measuring and Marking
I. Hook your tape measure on
the ri ght-hand end of the lx6
pine board. Moving toward the
left, mark points at 5 inches, 11
inches, 16 inches, 28 inches , and
33 inches. Square a line across
the board at each of these points.
On the first two lines (5
inches and 11 inches from the
right-hand end of the board),
mark center points , which
should be 2
3
4 inches in from
either edge of the board. These
will be the centers of the
entrance holes you will drill later
in front #1 and front #2.
3. From the point where the
5-inch line ends at the top of the
board, use your Speed Square to
draw a line down and toward the
left at a 45-degree angle. From
the bottom of the 5-inch line,
draw a line up and toward the
left at a 45-degree angle. Extend
the lines until they intersect at
the center of the board; this inter
section point marks the top of
gabled front #1 of the birdhouse.
J.. Move down to the line at
11 inches. From both ends of this
line, draw a line at a 45-degree
33" 28"
center
partition
What You'll Need
Jigsaw or handsaw
Speed Square
Drill
X-inch drill bit
lX-Inch Forstner bit
#6 countersink bit
Phillips-head screwdriver
Hammer
Tape measure
Carpenter's glue
Clamps
Safety glasses
angle headed to the right, toward
the first set of angled lines. The
intersecti on of these two lines
marks the top of gabl ed front #2.
One 4-foot length of 1x6
#2 pine board
One 4-foot length of
Yz-inch x 6-inch cedar
clapboard
X-inch dowel or short piece
of tree branch
Scrap wood
Paint (optional)
F TE RS
Six lX-inch drywall screws
One package l-inch brads
6. Put the 1 1f.1 -inch bit in the
drill chuck. Clamp the board
down on top of a length of scrap
wood. Starting the spur of the bit
at the center point you marked
on the first line at the right-hand
end of the board, drill all the way
through the piece and into the
scrap to make the first entrance
hole to the house. Then move to
the center point on the second
line and drill another hole for
the second entrance.
11 " 5"
gabled
front #1
Move down to the last line
(33 inches from the end). From
both ends of this line, dravv a
line at a 45-degree angle headed
to the left , toward the end of the
board. The intersection of these
two lines marks the top of the
gable of the center partition.
16"
bottom gabled
front #2
Twin Birdhouse
47
,
11" from side
roof side roof side
-- - --- --13"-- ----- - - ----- - 13" - -- - -- - - .. ... - -- -- - -12"- - - - - - - - - -- - - -12"- - ----
mID
i..
1" from side T 1" from sid + :------6" from end - - ---- - ------1
i
I
I
botltom
I
5Yz"
3/8"from end
I
1" from side T T 1" from side 1" from side T
i. .1.
On the length of clapboard,
measure and square lines to mark
two 12-inch-Iong pieces for the
birdhouse sides and two 13-inch
long pieces to make the roof
pieces. Cut them to length and
set them aside.
Cutting Out the Pieces
7 Clamp the board dovm so
tha t the righ t- hand end extends
at least 12 inches beyond the
work surface. Use a jigsaw or
handsaw to make the two cuts
along the first set of angled lines.
This will free the birdhouse front
#1 from the workpiece.
o Cut along the next set of
angled lines on the right-hand end
of the board. Then turn the board
around, reclamp it, and cut along
the angled lines on the other end.
Make the two crosscuts along the
remaining layout lines. These
cuts will free up the birdhouse
front #2, the bottom, and the
center partition. Note: Do not cut
along any layout lines that inter
sect angled cuts I They are for
locating the entrance hcles only.

10. On the birdhouse bottom,
mark a point in each corner,
about 1 inch in from the closest
side and about 3/s inch in from
the closest end.
I Square a line 6 inches in
from one end of the bottom.
Mark tvvo points along this line,
about 1 inch from either edge.
I . Put the countersink bit in
the drill chuck and use it to drill
a hole at each of the six spots
you've marked on the birdhouse
bottom.
49
Twin Birdhouse
front #1
Putting It All Together
13. Set front #1, front #2, and
the center partition in a row on
edge on the work surface, with
their peaks pointing away from
you. Place the birdhouse bottom
on edge against the bottom edges
of the two fronts and the center
partition, with the countersunk
holes facing you.
1 Align the center partition
with the holes in the center of
the bottom piece and drive two
1
1
4-inch drywall screws through
the holes into the bottom edge
of the partition. Align one front
piece with the holes in the end of
the bottom piece and drive screws
through the holes to fasten these
two pieces together. Repeat the
process with the other front
piece . (Using screws instead of
nails will allow you to remove
the bottom for cleaning after the
birdhouse's first inhabitants have
moved on.)
With the assembly still
lying on its side, place one of the
12-inch pieces of clapboard
against the side of the birdhouse,
with its thick edge at the bottom.
Using two or three brads at each
location, nail the clapboard onto
the two fronts and the center of
the birdhouse. Don't get carried
away and nail the clapboard to
the bottom. That would become
a sure source of consternation at
clean-out time
l
50
Twin Birdhouse
1
6. Turn the birdhouse over
and nail the seconJ piece of
12-inch clapboard to the other
side in the same way.
17 Set the house upright and
place one of the 13-inch clap
board roof pieces on top of the
walls, with its thin edge at the
peak. The clapboard will hang
over the enel of the walls by
about hal f an inch. Nail the roof
piece in place by dr iving two
brads through the roof into the
center and two front pieces
1 Place the second 13-inch
roof piece in place, with its thin
edge flush to the surface of the
first roof piece (this will make it
harder for rain to enter) Drive
two brads through the roof into
the center and two front pieces.
The Perch
19. If you want to include a
perch, put the 1,4 -inch bit in your
drill chuck. Bore into one of the
fronts of the birdhouse about
3,4 inch below the bottom edge of
the entry hole. The hole should
be about 1;2 inch deep.
hammer gently
to avoid splitting
the clapboard
----
Cut a 3-inch length of
l/; -inch dowel , roll one end in a
bit of car penter's glue, and push
or tap it into the hole you j ust
drilled. H you prefer to Llse a
short length of tre branch for a
perch, si mply cut it to length and
shape the end 'vvilh a knife until
it fits into the drilled hole.
I. If you want to have perches
on both fronts of the birdhouse,
repeat steps 19 and 20 on the
other house front
Finishing
Pai m pol ka dOls, stri pes ,
or any palle rn you lhink the
nCigborhood birds might l ike
l
However, because this is an out
door birdhouse , make sure you
paint wi th waterproo f, prder
ably semigloss or glos - pain t.
If you have 11 ade your bird
house ll l i rely from cedar, con
sider not painl ing at all, lett ing
the weather do t he fin ish work
for you natural ly.
51
Twin Bird house
hy make a singLe-famiLy birdhouse rather than a two-famiLy? This
version is no simpLer or more difficuLt to buiLd than the Twin
Birdhouse (page 46), but perhaps the birds in your neighborhood
wouLd prefer a littLe more privacy!
52
Measuring and Marking
Hook your tape measure on
the right-hand end of the lx6
board. Moving toward the left,
mark points at 4 inches, 9 inches,
18 inches, and 23 inches. Square
a line across the board at each of
these points.
1 Mark the center point ,
which should be 2% inches in
from either edge of the board, of
the first line (4 inches from the
right-hand end of the board)
This will be the center of the
entrance hole you will drill later.
From the point where the
4-inch line ends at the top of the
board, use your Speed Square to
draw a line down and toward the
right at a 45-degree angle. From
the bottom of the 4-inch line,
draw a line up and toward the
right at a 45-degree angle.
Extend the lines until they inter
sect at the center of the board;
this intersection marks the top
of the gabled front piece o[ the
birdhouse.
1, Move down to the last line
(23 inches from the end). Repeat
the layout of step 3 to draw two
23"
What You'll Need
OLS
Jigsaw or handsaw
Speed Square
Drill
Y..-inch drill bit
l Y..-inch Forstner bit
#6 countersink bit
Screwdriver
Hammer
Tape measure
Carpenter's glue
Clamps
Safety glasses
lines heading to the left at a 45
degree angle and intersecting at
the center of the board; this
intersection marks the top of the
gabled back of the birdhouse.
Pu t the 1 J/4 -inch bit in the
drill chuck. Clamp the board
down on top of a length of scrap
wood. Start the spur of the bit at
the center point you marked on
the first line and drill all the way
through the piece into the scrap.
18"
One 4-foot length of lx6
#2 pine board
One 4-foot length of
Yz-inch x 6-lnch cedar
clapboard
Y..-inch dowel or short piece
of tree branch
Scrap wood
Paint (optional)
Four lY..-inch drywall screws
One package l-Inch brads
9" 4"
back bottom f ront
53
SingLe Birdhouse
roof roof side side
.. --------- 10.. --------- ..... ---- - ---- 10"---- -----_..---- --- 9" -------- ..... ------- - 9"--------
Cutting Out the Pieces
Clamp the board down so
that the right-hand end extends
beyond your work surface. Use a
jigsaw or handsaw to cut along
the two angled lines of the
gabled from piece.
II
Turn the board around and
make the angled cuts for the
gabl ed back piece. Then make
the two crosscuts along the lines
in the center of the board (at 9
and 18 inches). Note Do not cut
along the two layout lines at
either end of the boardI The e
are onl y for marking the ends of
the gabl es.
On the length of clapboard,
measure and square lines to make
two 9-inch-long pieces for the
birdhouse sides and two lO-inch
long pieces for the roof. Cut them
to length and set them aside.
On the birdhouse bottom,
mark a point in each corner,
about 1 inch in from the closest
side and about %inch in from
the closest end.
I . Put the counters ink bit
in the drill chuck and use it to
drill a hole at each of the four
spots you've marked on the
birdhouse bottom.

. 1" from side I" from Side T
i i
bottom
3/B" from end
5 Y ~ "
T 1" from side 1" from side T
______ ____________________
i
~ ~ i
Single Birdhouse
54
Putting It All Together
I. Set the front and the back
on edge on the work surface,
with their peaks pointing away
from you. Place the birdhouse
bottom on edge against the bot
tom edges of the front and back,
with the countersunk holes fac
ing you.
I . Align the end of the bot
tom with the face of the front
and drive two 1 lA-inch drywall
screws through the holes and
into the front piece. Repeat the
process to align and fasten the
bottom to the back.
I With the assembly still
lying on its side, place one of the
9-inch pieces of clapboard
against the side of the birdhouse,
with its thick edge at the bottom.
Using two or three brads on each
end, nail the clapboard to the
front and back of the birdhouse.
Do not nail the clapboard to the
bottom piece!
Tum the birdhouse over
and nail the other 9-inch length
of clapboard on the opposite side
in the same way.
Set the house upright and
place one of the lO-inch clap
board roof pieces on top of the
walls, with its thin edge at the
peak. The clapboard will hang
over the ends of the walls by
about half an inch. Nail the roof
piece in place by driving two
brads through the roof into the
front and back pieces.
16 Place the second roof
piece with its thin edge flush to
the top surface of the first roof
piece. Drive two brads through
each end of the roof into the
front and back of the birdhouse.
Finishing Touches
I To finish the birdhouse
with a perch and coat of paint,
see steps 19 through 22 for the
Twin Birdhouse (page 51).
"
- \
~ . - ..----.--
SingLe Birdhouse
55
looL
We tried standing on
this sturdy little piece of
furniture in every corner
and in very odd posture
you can Imagine and still
it wouLdn't tip over.
56
hen Craig buiLt the prototype for this project, ALLegra Looked at it and
announced, "It makes our oLd one Look bad." She was right. This st ooL
makes aLL the rest Look shoddy, and it makes aLL others seem tippy. too.
Measuring and Layout
What You'll Need
Place the board on your work
surface. Square a li ne 16 inches
from th right-hand end. In that
16-inch-long space, measure 10
inches in from one of the long
sides of the board in a couple of
places. Using a straightedge,
draw a line through the t,vo
marks, parallel to the edge of the
board, from the end of the board
to the line at 16 inches.
1 Square a line across the
board at 18 inches, 28 inches,
38 inches, and 48 inches from
the same end. Mark all these
lines with an A for "angle." (You
will be making bevel , or angled,
Cll ts along these lines)
Measure to the middle of
the board (5 % inches) at a cou
ple of points and draw a center
line from the line at 18 inches
through the line at 38 inches.
Iw Move to the left-hand end of
the board. Draw a line parallel to
the near side of the board, about
48"
TOOLS
Jigsaw or handsaw
Ruler, framing square, or
combination square
Speed Square
Drill
Yo-inch drill bit
Yz-inch Forstner bit
Phillips-head screwdriver
Block plane or sandpaper
Measuring tape
Clamps
Safety glasses
18 inches long and 31(2 inches
away from the edge. U e a _'peed
Square to draw a li ne at a 15
degree angle that starts at the
edge of the board and intersects
the paraHelline. From this poim
of intersection, measure 10 inche
along the parallel li ne and rl.1ark
that point. Using the Speed
38" 8"
LS
One 6-foot length of
% x 12 #2 pine board
Yz-inch wooden plugs
Carpenter's wood glue
Primer (optional)
Semigloss or satin paint
(optional)
F T E S
2-inch drywall screws
1O/S-inch drywall screws
-quare again, draw a li ne that
_tans at the edge of the board ancl
intersects the paralicllinc at the
spot you j ust mJ rked, at a 15
degree angle opposite the fiht
one. The line will-rcate a rhom
bu with its base along the edge
of [he board <m el a top edge 10
inches long. Tbis is the stretcber.
1 16"
A A A A t
I
I
I
150 5
e 10"
top subtop
,
I
I Leg leg

,
I
cut line
't
3 Yz' !11 stretcher '\

57
St urdy Stoot
T oJ
I
Bevel Cuts
If you're using a jigsaw, tilt
its base to cuL at a I S-degree
angle If you' re working with a
handsaw, review the instructions
for making a bevel cut on pages
14-15. When you make these
cutS, make sure that the layout
line is centered in I he saw kerf
(A carpenter calls lhis "splitting
the line. ")
6 Make the first bevel cut at
the I 8-inch mark, wi th the saw
angled toward the long portion of
the board. The piece that is cut
free is the stool top. The beveled
end will be trimmed off later.
7. The ne,t two cuts, at the
28-inch and the 38-i11Ch marks,
should be made with the saw
angled in the same direction as in
the previous cut. These two
pieces are the legs of the stool. Do
not cut at the I6-inch mark yeti
stretcher
A
subtop Leg Leg
1
fourth bevel cut third bevel cut
A
second bevel cut
Don't forget that the fourth bevel cut is made in the
opposite direction from the first three! You may need to
walk around the board and make this cut from the other side.
The fourth cut, for the
subtop, is made with the saw
blade angled in the opposite
direction. Before you cut , look to
make sure that the long point of
the bevel will be on the top of
the board. Then make the cut
and free the subtop from the end
of the board.
Square Cuts
If you are using a jigsaw,
reset the blade to cu t at a 90
degree angle.
Clamp the top piece to
your Vvork surface. Crosscut it to
its I6-inch length along the line
you have already drawn. Then
rotate the board, clamp it down,
and rip it along the line parallel
to the edge. Use sandpaper to
make the edges and top nice and
smooth. You can use a plane to
chamfer the edges for a more fin
ished look.
top
first bevel cut
Sturdy StooL
58
16"

10"
T
I
rip here

long point
of bevel
... ---
%" 3o/t
Leg f

:
stretcher
third cut second cut
(.ng point of bevel is closest to your body
II. Lay the sub top fl at so that Starting [rom the and make the three cuts to com
the long points of the beveled measure along the short point of plete the stretcher piece This
ends are on top. Measure 7 % the bevel 3% inches to the left will be easiest and safes t if you
inches in from one edge in two and to the right along the top leave the piece attached to the
places , then use a straigh tedge to edge of the board and mark these main length of board fo r as long
connect the two marks, drawing two points. Connect each of as possible while you cut it OUL.
a line parallel to the edge and these points with its respective Rip along the top edge first, cut
running the length of the piece. lower corner to make a rhombus. ting an inch or two past the cor
Clamp the piece and rip along ner of the piece. Then make the
this line. Then measure 3% inches I Layout the other leg in angled cut near the end, again
from one edge in two places and the same way. cutting past the corner. Finally,
draw a centerline the length of make the opposite angle cut,
the piece. Se t the subtop aside. 1 Clamp the leg pieces down running the saw past the corner
and cut along all four lines to until the piece drops free.
I .. Place one of the leg pi eces create the finished legs.
with the centerline facing up and 16. Use your block plane or
oriented so that the long poin t of Clamp the remainder of sandpaper to smooth the rough
the bevel is closes t to your bod y. the board to your work surface spots on your sawed edges.

crosscut here
I
1.
rip here t
subtop
long points of th/
bevel are on top
first cut
stop cut here
')
59
Sturdy Stool
T
1._' __~ _________~ ~
subtop should align with the
Putting It All Together
shoulders of the stretcher. Check
I . Gather the stretcher, the that the overhang is the same on
subtop, and your drill and screw either side. At evenly spaced loca
driver. Stand the stretcher upright tions opposite the penciled center
with its longest side resting on line, drill three pilot holes using a
the worktable. Lift the subtop lis-inch drill bit. Drill through the
and balance it on top of the subtop down into the stretcher as
stretcher. The long points of the far as the bit will travel. Then
I ,
, ,
: :2"
, ,
I
.,
:i.
I
I
I
! 4 "
I
t I
.t.
leg
drive a 2-inch dryvvall screw into
each hole and tighten it until the
head is slightly recessed below
the surface of the board.
10. Bring the two legs to your
work surface. Lay them down
wiLh the cemerline facing up and
the short ends facing away from
you. On the centerline, mark two
points, one 2 inches and the other
4 inches from the top edge. Along
the top edge of the leg, mark two
more points, one 2 in hes to the
left and one 2 inches to the righ l
of the centerline, about 14 inch
down from the shoulder.
I Fit the ForsLner bit in the
drill chuck. Drill about %inch
deep at the four points you just
marked. This is call ed counter
boring a hole. After a screw is
driven in, each recess will be
concealed by a wooden plug
1. Fit the l/i;-i nch bit in the
drill chuck. Clamp the T -shaped
piece you assembled in st p 17
to your work surface, upside
down and with one end close to
the edge of the work surface.
Place one of the legs upside
Sturdy StooL
60
down against one end of the
assembly. The angled short end,
or top, of the leg should rest
snugly against the work surface.
Drill through one of the counter
bored holes along the centerline
and into the end of the stretcher,
starting the bit in the depression
left by the spur of the Forstner
bit. Drive a screw into this hole
and tighten it to hold the align
ment in place. Drill another
pilot hole into the second coun
terbored hole along the center
line and drive another screw
into the stretcher. Then drill two
pilot holes in the counterbored
holes along the top edge of the
leg, into the subtop, and drive
screws into both holes.
I Unclamp the assembly, tum
it around, and repeat the work of
step 20 to attach the other leg.
ll. Find the stool top and
place it with its best face against
the work surface. Place the rest
of the stool assembly upside
down on top of it. Center the
assembly by measuring from
both sides and ends to the edges
of the top. When you have it just
right, mark the location of the
edges on the top piece in case
the pieces shift during drilling.
Drill pilot holes about
11/2 inches deep (make sure you
don't drill too deep) through
each corner of the subtop into
the stool top. Drive a 1 %-inch
drywall screw into each hole.
1 . Bring the glue and wood
plugs to your work area. Spread
some glue on a piece of scrap
wood. Roll the edges of a wood
plug in the glue , then pu h the
Plug away!
plug into one of the counter
bored holes. Keep plugging until
all the counterbored holes are
filled. After the glue is dry, use a
block and sandpaper to sand the
plugs flush.
Finishing
5. If you decide to paint your
stool, be sure to apply primer
first, followed by multiple coats of
semigloss or satin paint. Camille
traced her footprints on heavy
paper and used them as a stencil
for our stool top.
Camille's footprints
stenciled on top!
we opted to leave
the holes open
61
Sturdy StooL
r
ricket cages have been' made for thousands of years In eastern Asia,
where crickets are believed to bring good Luck and intelligence; harming
a cricket is thought to Lead to great misfortunel
This cage can be a temporary home to any littLe critter, but it is especiaLly
suitabLe for a visiting cricket. We find a Lot of curious bugs and animaLs, and we
li ke to keep them around for a few days of study before we release them back
into their own habitat. If you do take in a cricket, you can feed him rolled oats,
potato, chunks of carrot, or a piece of an orange. Crickets aLso like to hide, so
put in a few curLy leaves or a piece of bark.
62
Making the Cage Top and
Bottom
I. From the Ix 6 board, cut two
pieces that are each 7 inches long
and 4
3
/q inches wide.
Select one of these pieces to
be the top of your cage. On the
less attractive side of this piece,
draw a line 1/2 inch in from each
of the four edges. Starting at any
point vv'here the lines meet, make
a small mark every 3;8 inch along
each line. If you have measured
and cut accurately, you should be
able to make 15 marks along the
long sides and 8 marks on the
short sides. If your marks are not
perfectl y even, you can adjust
them a little by eye.
The other piece will be the
cage bottom. On the nicer side,
draw a line Y2 inch in from the
edge on the two long sides and
on unly one of the short ends.
(The unmarked end is where the
door bottom will rest.) Make a
small mark every %inch along
these lines, the same way you did
[or the cage top
I.. Take a good look at your
measured and marked top and
bottom pieces. With the excep
tion of one short end on your
bottom piece, they should be
marked identically.
With an awl, make starting
holes for the drill at every small
mark and at the corners on the
top and the bottom pieces
What You'll Need
OOL TE I LS
Handsaw lx6 board
(at least 2 feet long)
Fine finish saw or hacksaw
Five 48-inch lengths of
Ruler, Speed Square, or
}Ie-inch dowel
combination square
Carpenter's wood glue
Drill
Masking tape
%4-inch drill bit
One or two toothpicks
Parting bead
Clamps
(%" x %" or other
Allen wrench
thin molding, at least
9 inches long)
Awl
Scrap wood
One sheet of 120-grlt
sandpaper
mark every %" l
along the lines I
-.- } - ". , I ' ;,
J.
t
+
r
cage .:t
cage
I 7"
top
bottom
1
,I
,
I
I
I
_____ _________ .-.1
,
~
-'
I
I

------ - ..,......,
I
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - ~ ,
,.-------- 4%" 4%"
63
Cricket Cage
.-____________________________________________~ ____--------------------__~ ___l ~ ~ __
measure and mark
one piece first
C
\
%" from the end
of the board
the remaining
lines are %If
from each other
transfer the lines to
the other piece using
a combination square
Camille says: "One
reason that
crickets are
held in such high
esteem IS for
their 'sons,' or'
chirping Only
male crickets actually
chirp.Try this out: Once
you have a little cricket in
your case, count the num
ber of times he chirps in a
minute, divide by four, and
add thirty-seven. This will
tell you the temperature
of the air in degrees
rahrenheitl"
Cricket Cage
Making the Door Top and
Bottom
6. From the parting bead or
molding, cut two lengths that are
each 4
3
;8 inches long. These will
be the top and bottom pieces of
the door.
On one door piece, make
a mark '/2 inch in from each
edge, and then make a mark
every %inch between the two
marks. You should be able to
make ten evenly spaced marks.
Lay the two door pieces next to
each other and, using your com
bination square, draw a line
across both pieces at each mark.
This job is most eaSily done by
two peopl e together: one person
holding the combination square
and the other drawing the lines.
With an awl, make starting
holes for the drill in the center of
every line you've drawn on one
of the pi eces. You can probably
judge where the center of this
very narrow piece of wood is by
eye, but if you prefer, you can
measure. Thispiece will be the
door bottom.
On the other piece, skip the
lines at each end and make holes
with the awl at the center of the
other eight lines. This piece will
be the door top.
Cutting the Dowels
I o. Using a finish savv or hack
saw, measure and cut your dowels
into forty-two pieces that are each
4 inches long and eight pieces
that are each 41(2 inches long.
Keep the different lengths in two
separate piles! Put a rubber band
around each group of same-size
dowels and set them aside.
64
Drilling
Prepare the %4-inch bit by
wrapping a piece of masking
tape around it so that V2 inch
of the bit extends beyond the
tape. Then put the bit in the
drill chuck.
I Clamp the top and bottom
pieces of your cage to your work
surface. Carefully drill at each
awl mark just until the tape
reaches the surface of the wood.
The tape marks the depth you
want the drill bit to penetrate.
Don't exert too much pressure or
you will drill too deep.
' ow get out your top and
bottom door pieces and clamp
them to your work surface.
Reset the tape so that about
l;4 inch of the drill bit extends
beyond it, then drill a hol e at
each awl mark.
.. Put the 1l!G4-inch drill bit
in the drill chuck. Clamp the
bottom door piece to your work
surface and drill all the way
through the two holes at the
ends. The bars of the door will
slide through these larger holes.
I .. ow find the cage top
piece and clamp it to your work
surface. Use the larger bit to
drill all the 'vvay lhrough all the
holes except the corner holes
along one of the short ends.
() .. Sand all the pieces you
have drilled to remove any burrs
(rough spots) created by the drill
and to get rid of pencil lines. Tap
your pieces vigorously to get
sawdust out of the holes.
maskinq tape
)
Yz" inch of bit , .
is exposed ( ll :
~ b . ; '
door
bottom~
..
e'

..
..
..

..

"
..

..
..
cage top
..

..
..

cage
bottom


65
Cricket Cage
~ - -
Assembling the Cage
17 Get out the 4-inch dowels ,
the bottom piece of the cage,
some glue, and a piece of scrap
wood. Make a little puddle of glue
on the scrap wood. Dip the tip of
a dowel in the glue so that it cov
ers the end and a little bit of the
sides. Insert the gluey end of the
dowel into a hole in the cage bot
tom, push it all the way in, and
adjust it so iL s lands up straight.
Carnille says: "'Puttlne in
the dowels was very sat
isfying' the pieces of
wood began to make
sense and the cricket
case took shape I liked
rolling the dowels in glue
and sticking them
in the holes.The
'.v'ork Vle.nt really
-1u,ckly and the
dowels looked
cool when the
case VIas done"
Cricket Cage
1 Keep gluing and fitting
dowels until all the holes are
filled.
1 Hold the door bottom
with its row of holes facing up.
Thread the dowels that are in the
corners of the open end of the
cage bottom through the larger
holes at either end of the door
bottom. If the door bottom binds
against the dowels, sand it until
it slides freely.
1 . Now grab your cage top
and use a toothpick to put a nice
dab of glue into each of the
small er-diameter holes in the
piece. (Do not put glue in any of
the holes that are drilled all the
way through)
To ease the dowels into the
top piece without displacing them
from the bottom, you will need
four or more hands, all working
patiently together. Carefully turn
over the cage top and gently res t
it over the dowels set in the bot
tom piece, lining up the dowels
with the holes in the top piece.
Starting at one corner, urge each
dowel into the corresponding hole
in the cage top Keep pressure on
the top, and as each dowel is
al igned the top will begin to slip
into position Kids' fingers can
easily grasp the dowels , but adults
may want to use an extra dowel
to help push them in place
ll. When your cage has a top
and bottom, you are almost
done
l
Now you need to put the
door together. With your tooth
pick, dab glue into the holes in
the door bottom piece that is
already part of the cage. Then
thread your 4 V2- inch dowels
through the holes in the cage top
and down into the glue-filled
holes in the door bottom.
13. Finally, while one person
holds the bottom of the door
about an inch above the cage
bottom, the other builder must
dab glue on the tops of the dow
els that protrude above the top of
the cage Slide the dowels into
the holes on the door top. Gently
squeeze the door, from the top
and bottom, to push the dowels
as far into the holes as they can
go. Slide your door up and
down. You did itl
66
Working with friends
makes lining up the
pieces easier
..
Finishing
All of the exterior surfaces
of your cage are suitable for paint
ing The interior will eventually
be covered by leaves and twigs.
We recommend leaving the bars
and interior bare. Remember, this
cage will be a temporary home for
your visiting cricket, so make
sure it's welcoming I
67
Cricket Cage
What You'll Need
TOOLS
Speed Square
Framing square or
straightedge
Handsaw
Phillips-head screwdriver
Electric drill
1 Y.-inch Forstner or
paddle drill bit
Y.-inch drill bit
Countersink bit
Four clamps
Wood mallet or hammer
Block plane
ATERIAL
One 6-foot length of lx6
pine board
One 6-foot length of lxl 0
pine board
One 3-foot length of
1Y. - inch hardwood dowel
100-grit sandpaper
Carpenter's wood glue
Wood scrap with at least
one straight edge
Weatherproof finish (such
as polyurethane)
Paintbrush
FASTENERS
One pound 2-inch drywall
screws (you will have
some left over)
On one end of the lxlO
Pencil Work
board, make a small mark on onc
On the 1X6 board, square a edge 5 -A inches m from the end
li ne 24 inches in [rom each end. Repeat on the opposite edge of
The"e two 24-inch sections will the board (you can use a (raming
become the sides of your tool square to make a matching malk
box. The leftove r portion in the directly across from the fi rst one)
middle of the board will be scrap.
Fi nd the center of the end of
2. On the 1x10 board, square a the board and make a small mark
line 12 inches in Lom eac h end. there. From this point, measure
These two 12-inch sections will 1 inch to the left and 1 inch La the
become the end pieces of your right along the end of th e board
toolbox. and mark those poinb. Using the
framing square or a straightedge,
3. On the lx 10 board, square a draw a line connecting these
li nt: 24 incbes away from one of points with the 51l -ii1ch marks
the lines you just drew. Thi 24- on either edge of tIle board. These
inch sec Li on will become the bot lines will become the sl oped
tom of the toolbox. sides of your toolbox ends.
lx6 board



24"
24/1
l x10 board
end bottom
1--- - - - -- - - --I 1..-- ----- - --- -- -- --- - -- - .. - -
12" 24"
end piece detail
Make sure the ends of
the 1x6 and lxl0 boards
are square before you
get started!
1"
end
1"
1------ 12' -- -----
69
Perfect Too Lbox
Place the flange of the
Speed Square against one of the
long edges of the lx10 board,
near the end you are working on.
Sel your pencil on the center
mark and slide the Speed Square
up to it. Pulllhe square and the
pencil together down the length
or the board, drawing a center
line a coupl e of inches long.
Measure 11/2 inches from the
end of the board along your cen
lerline and mark this point. This
point will be the center of the
hole you'll drill later for the tool
box handle.
Repeat steps 4 through 7 on
the other end of the l xlO board.
lxl0 board
Making the Cuts
Place lhe Ix 10 board on
your work surface 0 Ll at about
1 foot of board extends beyond
the surface. Clamp the board to
the work surface.
Place a piece of scrap
wood along the inside of the
angled cu t line, so you can just
see the line. Clamp the scrap
wood in place; this will be a
guide for your saw.
Position yourself at the end
of the board so that the angled
cuts are converging toward you.
When you cut from this pOSition,
the saw will fo llow the grain of
the wood. Keeping the saw blade
riding against the guide board,
make the fi rst angled cut.
1. Move the scrap-wood
guide to the second angled li ne
at the end of the board and make
t he second cut there.
I . Move the scrap-wood
gUide to the line you squared
across the board 12 inches from
the end and crosscut the board
along that line.
I J,. Flip the board around so
that its other end extends from
the work surface. Repeat steps
11, 12, and 13 to complet e the
other end piece.
scrap bottom end
1..... --- --- --- ----- -24"-- - -- ----- --- -- - -- ...1..... ----- 12.. -- - - - - - -"'1
Perfect Toolbox
70
I Double-check the meas
urement from the end of the
board to the cut line for the bot
tom piece. It should be 24 inches.
Redraw the line if necessary.
Then repositi on the scrap-wood
guide and make the crosscut.
Using the scrap-wood
guide, crosscut the two sides
from the Ix6 board.
Cut your wooden dowel
to 261(2 inches.
Drilling
I Place a piece of scrap wood
under one of the end pieces and
clamp both to the work surface.
I . Put the 1III -inch Forstner
or paddle bit in the drill chuck.
Holding tbe drill as vertical as
possible, drill a hole at the center
point you marked earlier, through
the end piece and into the scrap.
1 . Drill the other end piece
in the same manner.
Perfect Toolbox
Align the end and
bottomat the
edge of your work
surface
Assembly
I Take a minute to match up
the pieces and double-check
their sizes. The sides and the
bottom should be the same
length but different widths. The
two ends should match and the
holes in them should line up. If
the saw cuts are a little ragged,
clean them up with a block plane
or coarse sandpaper.
Assembly of the toolbox
will go better with extra hands to
hold things in position while
they are being aligned, drilled, or
fastened. If another person is not
available, we advise the liberal
and creative use of clamps to
hold the toolbox parts still. Place
the bottom piece, better side fac
ing up, near the edge of your
work surface. Set one end piece,
better side faCing outward, in
place against the bottom piece.
Align the edges of both pieces
and set them at the outermost
edge of your work surface.
Put the countersink bit in
the drill chuck and tighten it.
Drill four straight holes through
the end piece and into the bottom.
Keep the holes at least 3/t inch
away from the sides of the piece
to reduce splitting and 3/s inch
above the bottom edge of the
end. To do this, you'll have to
keep the drill body clear of the
work surface.
1. Use the screwdriver to
drive a drywall screw snugly into
each hole. Be careful not to over
drive the screws so that they tear
their way down into the wood;
that will weaken rather than
strengthen the joint.
Repeat steps 22 through
24 to attach the other end piece
to the bottom of your toolbox.
Slide the sides into posi
tion betvveen the end pieces. Drill
three holes through the end pieces
and into the ends of the side
pieces, for a total of twelve holes.
Perfect TooLbox
72
17 Drive a drywall screw
into each hole.
10. Turn the toolbox upside
down over sawhorses or a corner
of your worktable. Drill a row of
holes through the bottom piece
and into the bottom edge of each
side. Then turn over the toolbox
and drill a row of holes on the
other side of the bottom.
10 Drive a drywall screw
through each hole in the bottom.
30. Set the toolbox upright
and insert the dowel handle
through the holes in the end
pieces. Make sure it extends
equally beyond the end piece at
both ends.
31. Insert the %-inch drill bit
into your drill so that it is
extended to its maximum length
(keep at least 1/2 inch in the drill
chuck). Starting at one of the
sloped edges of one of the ends,
drill through the end and into
the center of the dowel. Drill as
deep as you can.
31. Keeping the drill running,
pull the bit in and out of the hole
a couple of times to remove all
the sawdust from the hole. Keep
the drill aligned in the hole as
you're doing this so you don't
aCCidentally make the hole big
ger, which will make for a sloppy
fit for the dowel.
33. Cut a length of %-inch
dowel about an inch longer than
the drill bit you just used .
". Spread a Ii ttle wood glue
on a scrap of wood. Roll one end
of the dowel in the glue. Insert
the glued end into the hole you
just drilled and gently hammer
the dowel into the hole until it
stops traveling.
Repeat steps 31 through
34 to pin the handle at the other
end of the toolbox.
6 Use a handsaw to cut off
the extra dowel pin as close to
the surface as possibl e Try not
to scratch the toolbox with the
saw teeth. Use a piece of 100
grit sandpaper wrapped around
a block of wood to sand the
dowel pin flush with the surface
of the wood.
Finishing
You are now ready for
finishing I Using a paintbrush,
apply spar varnish, clear
polyurethane, or some other
type of weatherproof coating
Paint is not advisable for the
inside of your toolbox because
the wear and tear of tools would
soon do it in.
tongue biting
is optional
Perfect TooLbox
73
very carpenter needs a good pair of sawhorses. Two horses and a coupLe
of strong pLanks equaL a great work surface; it's portabLe and can be
rearranged to suit aLL needs. These "horse" sawhorses have an added
bonus: They're as suitable for pLaying with as they are for working on! And if
you modify these pLans a little bit, you couLd become the first family on the
block to own a pair of saw dogs or saw pigs!
74
Horse Heads and Rumps
From the l xlO, cutlwo
pieces, each about 42 inches long.
Each piece \" ill become the body
and head of one of the two h o r ~ c .
Starting from one nd of
each of the two boards r ou j ust
cut, dravv a pencil line about
40 inches long, parallel to and
6 Yt inches ahove the bollom
edge of each board These
straigh t lines will be the "backs"
of tbe borses and tIt e wo rking
top edges of the smvhorses.
Thi <; step ""ill be chall eng
ing but fun: Drav a h or e's heael
on the end of cael boa rd! Begin
the upper pan of the horses'
n ecks at the end of the 40-in ' h
line you just drew. The lo\\.' er
part of the horses' ne ks should
end at the bOllol11 of the board.
Stan wit h a light outline to get
the silhou lle to fiL on [he
"head
J
' end of IxlO board
the head begins 30 inches from
the left-hand end of the board
I

:

M
\0 .
I
I
the neck ends at the
I
I
I
bottom of the board \
I
t
~
What You'll Need
TOOLS
Handsaw
Jigsaw
Hammer
Framing square
Speed Square
Block plane
Clamps
Safety glasses
Scissors
avail able sp ce on the boards,
and dar ken t he outlines when
you arc sure of them. If you'd
like a different look - i.e. , a
saw clog or saw pig - draw the
profil e that s uits your choice.
One 8-foot length of lxl0
Two 12-foot lengths of 1x4
One 4-foot length of lx8
One lO-foot length of
1%" or wider stock
(at least Yz inch thick)
%"-thick scrap wood
Colorful yarn or raffia, as
pictured on the cover
F T E
One pound 4d galvanized
box nails
Horse Sawhorses
75
- -4 "- - ..:
,
,
30-inch-long line
,
,
draw layout lines
for the cl eats
~ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . - - - - - - - - - - ~
..- - - - - - - - - - - - ~ I I I I
5" S:y.... 21W' 28"
Camille 58Y5: "Electric tools
can seem scary and dan
gerous before you set to
KnoW' them The jigsaw
seemed like It wasjust
IonSlng to saw off my hand
"But trying it for the first
tillle was different fr'om
hoW' 1thought it W'3S going
to be The jigsaw moved
through the wood much
faster and rnol e easily than
a handsaW' I greW' used to
Its loud sawing noise and
constant Vibrating
"It takes time to get to
knoW' tools. just Iik e it
takes time to set to know
people. It's fine if you
~ - - ' decide you don't
like the jigsaw, but
rna e sure to
jiVe it a fair
chance, just like
y00 would a new
per'son"
Horse Sawhorses
At the opposite end of the
boards, draw the downward
curve of the horses' rumps slart
ing about 6 inches in from the
end of the boards, along that
same 40-inch-Iong pencil line.
ow you're ready to mark
the location of the cleats that will
hold the legs in place when the
proj ect is assembled. Stack your
two boards with their heads
pointing in the same direction.
Measuring from the rump end,
make layout marks along the bot
tom edge of one of the pieces at 5,
5%, 2Jli4 , and 28 inches. Square
these lines across the bottom
edges of both boards.
6. Using a Speed Square, draw
a line at a IS-degree angle from
76
the four layout marks across each
face of the boards. The lines will
angle away from the ends of the
board, toward the middle. Mark
all four board faces this way
Pu t on your safety glasses,
plug in your jigsaw, and use it to
carefully cut out the horses' heads,
backs, and rumps, follOwing the
lines you marked on the boards.
Horse Haunches:
The Cleats
The cleats are cut from the
1~ - i n c h stock, anQ there are a lot
of them: eight per sawhorse, or
sixteen total. Each cleat is a par
allelogram 6 ~ inches on both
long sides, with IS-degree angles
on the ends. Make the first piece
as accurately as you can and use
it to layout all the other cuts. It's
repetitive work, but the cuts
don't have to be perfect. If you
are plowing through with a
handsaw, you can stack a few
pieces, clamp them together, and
cut them as a gang.
Set the horse bodies on
your work surface. Place a cleat
along the outside of one of the
cleat lines you marked in step 6,
with one end flush wi th the bot
tom of the board. Nail the cleat
on with three box nails , making
sure the layout line remains fully
visible next to the cleat.
Continue plaCing and
nailing on cleats until you have
nailed four cleats on each side of
each sawhorse body.
T
,
,
a parallelogram like
,
,
,
this cleat has four
\
sides, with the oppo
..
,
I
,
,
,
,
,
I
,
,
,
,
,
. the cleat
site sides parallel and
,
I
, equal to each other
,
\
I
,
I
I
,
6%" '.
%" slot
between
cleats
Horse Sawhorses
77
15 angle
leg
I ~ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 30.. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ~
At Long Last, the Legs
I Grab your two lengths of
Ix4, a pencil, a Speed Square,
and a saw. Layout a IS-degree
angle across the end of one of the
Ix4 boards. Cut along that line
with the saw.
I From the long point of the
cut you just made, measure 30
inches down the board and use
that point as the short point of
another IS-degree-angled line.
Cut along that line with the saw.
Your two cuts should be parallel;
the finished piece should be a
long parallelogram.
I . Each horse needs four legs,
of course, for a total of eight. Cut
the remaining seven legs now,
following the same method you
used to cut the first one.
I . The horse legs must be
plumb (vertically straight) at the
point where they attach to the
horse body To mark a plumb
cut on a leg, choose one end of
the leg to be the top. Measure
I ~ inches from the short point
of that end, along the shorter
side of the leg, and mark that
point. Using a framing square
and starting at the point you just
marked, draw a line perpendicu
lar to the end of the leg, extend
ing toward its bottom. This line
will run down the leg and should
reach the other edge of the board
after about 61+ inches. (See the
photo above.)
IS. Clamp the board onto a
worktable and cut along the
plumb-cut line with a saw. Clean
up the cut with a couple of passes
with your block plane. If the first
piece looks accurate, use it as a
pattern for tracing cut lines onto
the remaining pieces. Cut and
plane, cut and plane, until you
have completed eight legs
Horse Sawhorses
78
\ . : - (
l1Yz"

tie tie tie tie
scrap
piece piece piece piece
15angles

11W'
I . Now you're ready to cut
the tie pieces that hold the legs
together. On the 1x8 board, draw
a 15-degree-angled line across
one end. Measure 111/2 inches
down the board from the long
point and draw another 15
degree-angled line the opposite
way from the first. You will have
drawn a trapezoid.
1 Move to the opposite side
of the board and measure 11 V2
inches from the end of the last
line that you drew. At that point,
draw another line at a 15-degree
angle in the opposite direction,
so that you make another trape
zoid. Repeat this process until
you have laid out four of these
tie pieces.
16. Cut out all four trapezoids
and set them aside.
I Clear off the worktable.
Gather two legs, one tie piece, a
piece of scrap wood
for a spacer, a handful of box
nails, and a hammer. Place the
legs with their bottom ends
near one edge of the worktable
and their plumb cuts faCing each
other. Place the tie piece on top,
so that the assembly is shaped
like the letter A Align the top
edge of the tie piece 6 inches
down from the top of the A Place
the scrap-wood spacer so that its
thickness separates the two
plumb cuts at the top of the pair
of legs. (A spacer that is 6 inches
square will both measure and
space for you Simultaneously.)
Check the alignment of all the
pieces and adjust them as need
ed. A couple of clamps may help
hold things in place at this stage.
10. Trace around the tie piece
with a pencil so that if it shifts
position during hammering, you
can eaSily realign it. Drive five or
six box nails through one end of
11 Yz"
the tie piece and into the leg.
Nail the other side the same way,
making sure that the spacer can
SLill move freely in the gap
between the two legs.
\.eg

a
, . hoard as asp' cer
tie piece I to make sure your
, opening is th
I right size
j
I
79
Horse Sawhorses
1
tie
piece
I. Slide your horse body onto
the leg assembly. Does it fit
7
If
not , do a liltl e adjusting with a
plane, and be sure to take this
adjusting into account when you
make your next leg assembly.
ll. You need to make two
complete leg assemblies for each
horse . .. so work hard, work in
teams , and take breaks when you
need them!
1 When all the leg assem
blies are built, put together the
horses. If at first they don't slip
together easily, don't be dis
mayed. You need to get the angle
between the body and the legs
just right , so keep tryingl
Horse Sawhorses
80
Now for the Mane and Tail
11.. Grab the yarn, a I ammer,
some box nails, and s issors. To
make the mm e, hold one arm in
front of you wit h your elbow
bent at a right angle and your
hand straight up. Grab the loose
end of the yarn between ' our
thumb and fi rs t finger. With your
other hanel , make large loops
with the yarn, winding it under
your elbow and then between
your thu mb and first finger, over
and over again, keeping it fairly
taut. Continue until you have
made about tw Hty or su loops.
15. Carefully remove the
yarn from your ar m and lay it
evenly across the neck of your
horse. The yarn should naturally
fall in two bunches , one from
each side of the loop. Use a pair
of scissors to snip both ends of
the yarn 10 p
16. Hammer a nail abo uL
one third of tlle way into th e
edge of t he horse's neck just
above one b unc h Then use the
hammer to bend I he res t of the
nail dO\V11 over tIe yarn La hold
it in place. Hammer another nail
down in the same manner to
secure the other bunc h of yam .
17. If you want a thicker
mane, yuu can make another sel
of loops, creating four bunche
of yarn instead o[ t\vo.
16. Make the t. ail the same
way as the mane : Wrap the yarn
from ell ow to flnge rs aboul fon y
times. This time, \-"hen you
r move the yarn from your arm,
simply snip all the yarn at one end
of the loop, creating forty ni ce
long pieces of yarn. Tic all these
pieces together with a small piece
of yarn abouL 1 inch from the end.
19. Hold th e lail against the
rear of a horse, where a tail
shoul d be. 5! li t the yarn into two
gr ups , left and right. Hammer a
nail about one third of the way
into the board, between and just
below the groups of yarn. As you
did to secure the mane, bend the
rest of the nail up to hold the
yarn in place. Now braid it , brush
it , or put in a ribbon!
30. Repe:.1L the mane- and
tail-making processes for the sec
und s, whorse.
I. Painting is optional , but
pai1lled eyes are a nice touch, as
are ears made of cardboard or
another sliff m<l. Lelial. Just remem
ber lhal these are work animals
don't make them so beautiful that
you won't wanI to use them for
future carpenrry projects (or a ride
around the yard) I
81
Horse Sawhorses
I
his is a game that Barbara pLayed {and Loved} at schooL as a chiLd, and it
is now one of CamiLle and Allegra's favorite games. It's a simpLe but
compelling game that includes moving parts, quick action, and math.
Making your own set is a chaLLenge, but it wiLL be well worth the effort.
82
What You'll Need
OOLS
Handsaw
Finish saw
Hacksaw
Ruler, combination square,
or framing square
Drill
%dnch drill bit
Ye-inch drill bit
- Hammer
Nail set
Awl
Metal file
Scissors
Sanding block
Block plane
Clamps
Safety glasses
M S
One 4-foot length of PA6
inch L-shaped outside
corner bead molding
One small piece of ~ - i n c h
plywood, 10 inches
x 10 inches or larger
One 3-foot length of Ye-inch
brass or steel rod
One 4-foot length of Yz-Inch
x %-inch parting bead
Fourteen Ys-inch steel or
brass washers
One sheet of 120-grlt
sandpaper
Carpenter's glue
Fine-point indelible pen
Colored highlighter or mark
ing pens
Felt (approximately
10 inches x 10 inches)
Two short lengths of scrap
wood
Cutting and Assembling
the Frame
Place the L-shaped corner
bead molding on the work sur
face with its outside corner fac
ing up. Square lines along both
faces at 10 inches and 20 inches
from one end. Use a finish saw
or hacksaw to make straight cuts
through the molding at each line.
The two lO-inch pieces you cut
wi ll be the sides of the game
board frame.
From the remaining corner
bead molding, measure, mark,
and cut two 9
1
/s-inch lengths for
the top and bottom of the frame.
FLip It
84
These two pieces should have
smooth, flat ends so that you will
be abl e to make tight, strong glue
joints, so take out any roughness
on the ends with sandpaper and
a sanding block.
3 Clamp one of the lO-inch
lengths of molding to the edge of
the work surface, with one leg
of the molding upright , so that
the piece extends a couple of
inches past the edge. Square a
line 1
5
1i6 inches in from the end
across the bottom leg of the
molding.
Use your finish saw or
hacksaw to cut along the line
you marked. Stop the cut when
you reach the inside of the
upright leg.
Lay the saw blade against
the inside of the upright leg,
using it for a gUide, and rip
through the base leg until you
intersect the first cut. Remove
the piece you've cut out.
Assembl e the corner as
shown in the photo at right to
check the fit. If the corner joint
is not tight, you can adjust it by
cutting away more with the saw
or by sanding.
7. ll nclamp the notched piece
and rotate it so that the opposite
end extends past the edge of
your work surface, with the same
leg upright as before. Clamp it
down and repeat the measuring,
marking, cutting, and sanding of
steps 3 through 6. When you fin
ish, one leg of the L-shaped
molding should be notched on
both ends.
6 Make the same notch cuts
on both ends of the other 10
inch piece of corner molding.
Then test-assemble the game
board frame as shown in the
photo at right. If any of the cor
ner joints don't fit tightly, sand
down bumpy, irregular, or
uneven spots until they do.
Cutting Out the Bottom
and the Felt
9 Bring the plywood to your
work surface and orient it so that
the grain runs left to right. With
a framing square or combination
square, mark two points 9 inches
apart along the top edge of the
plywood. Square two lines down
from these points. On each line,
mark a point 9%3 inches from the
top edge. Draw a line connecting
these marks to complete the lay
out of the bottom piece.
I Use a finish saw to cut
along all three lines. Make the
two crosscuts (longer lines) first
and then the rip cut. The piece
you cut out will be the bottom of
the game board. Place it inside
your frame pieces to check the fit ,
and trim it if necessary. A small
gap around the perimeter is ideal.
II. Use the plywood bottom
piece as a pattern to make the
felt covering. Place the plywood
bottom on the felt and trace
around it. Cut the felt about
Va inch bigger all around than
the pattern you traced; the felt
should be a bit larger than the
plywood bottom.
9"
~ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ~
~ - - - ~ - - - - ...
direction of grain
,
I
I
9Ye" I
9Ye"
make the crosscuts first
,
i
then make the rip cu0
Flip It
85
round
~ h e e n d
metal'file
' ... ".
Cutting the Metal Rods
Measure and mark two
914-inch lengths on the metal
rod. Cut the rod at these points
with a hacksaw. Round the sharp
edges with a few passes of a file
or sandpaper.
I

9%" :

I
I
I
I
..!..

I
I
I
t
metal rod
J
cut two equal
lengths
Putting the Game Board
Together
I . Clear off your work sur
face and gather a couple of short
lengths of scrap wood, two
clamps, the carpenter's glue,
and the game-board frame pieces
and bottom.
1.1.. Clamp one of the scrap
pieces at a right angle to the near
edge of your work surface. Use a
square to align the scrap block
accurately, as the rest of the
assembly depends upon precise
right angles I
Set one of the notched
frame side pieces against the
scrap block P siti on the
unnotched top and bottom
pi eces in the two notches and
make sure the nearer one is
parallel with the edge of the
table. Place the other notched
side piece in position. (The
frame shoul d look just as it did
in step 8; see page 85.) Check
to see tha t the frame looks
square. I ow is the ti me for any
final adjustments to make the
joints fit ti ghtly.
16. Take note of how the
end surfaces of the unnotched
moldings meet the notched
moldings. Pick up one of the
unnotched pieces and spread a
little bit of carpenter's glue on
the L-shaped surfaces at both
ends of the piece. Replace the
piece and slide it into the notches
so that the glue makes contact
on both ends.
7. Li ft up the other unnotched
piece, spread glue on both of its
ends, and slide it into place.
I ., Check that the closer
unnotched side is still parallel
to the table edge. Clamp the
second block of scrap wood very
loosely just next to the free side
of the assem bled frame. Slide
the block gently against the
frame to put a littl e pressure on
the glue joints , making sure not
to distort them. This might
require a couple of tries, and it's
easiest with one person working
the clamp and another adjusting
the block When the block is
pressed up against the frame
and the frame looks just right,
tighten the clamp.
Flip It
86
19. Carefu lly check LO sec that
the plywood bottom will fiL inlO
the assembl ed frame, and trim it
with sandpaper or a block plane
if it doesn't. There should be a
small gap around the perimeler
of the plywood bol1om inside
the game- board frame, which the
felt will cover w1 en your game
boarcl ls fi nished.
10. Place the plywood bot
lom on your work surface with
its bel ter side facing up. Squeeze
a thin line of carp m er's glue
arouncl the perimeter of the
bottom, about %inch in from
lhe edge. Spread out the glue
wILh a fi ngerti p or a scrap of
\vood , work ing il tovvard the
oLl lside edge.
-
11. Turn over the bOl tom
piece and sel It gently inside
the frame. Find something
heavy that fits inside the fTame
to weight down the bolt om
piece while the glue sets. Let
the glue harden for an hour
or more before movi ng the
frame. Meamvh ile, th ere is
more work to do I
87
Fli p It
.
Making the Flip Keys
Place the length of part
ing bead on your work surface
so t hat one of its wider faces is
up. Starting from one end, make
a mark every 2 inches until you
have laid out fifteen small
pieces. These will become the
flip keys for the game. (Only
twelve flip keys are needed, but
making extra will all ow you to
discard a few if they don't turn
out perfectly.)
With a framing square,
draw lines across the face of the
parting bead at each point you
marked. Then extend the lines
around to both of the narrow
sides, so that the lines are marked
on three of the four sides
Set the parting bead on
edge with the same end you
measured from in step 22 on the
right. Measuring fro m this end,
mark the center of the short face
(roughly %inch in from either
edge) at a point %inch to the
right of each of the lines. Your
first mark should be at 1 ~ inches,
the second at Ytt inches, and so
on. This is where you will drill
through the keys lal er.
Turn over the piece and
mark the drHli ng centers the
same way on the other short face.
Use an awl or a nail tip to
make a small indem ation at each
of the drilling poi nts.
Clamp the marked part
ing bead on top of a piece of
scrap wood. Put the % ~ - i n c h bit
in the drill -huck
1 . You are going to drill
straight through each marked
key, with the drill bit starting at
one of the indentations and com
ing out at the matching one on
Lh e other side. Start by drilling
the first piece all the way
through. Unclamp the part ing
bead and see how well you did.
If the hole is not quite perfect,
you can drill back from the exit
side to correct small inaccura
cies. Noti ce the direction of the
error and try to correct your aim
when you drill the next key
20. After you have drilled all
the holes, use a handsaw to cut
each fl ip key from the parting
bead. Keep it clamped on edge
and saw along the layout lines.
88
Use the lines on the wide face of
the board as guides to help keep
the cut square.
Finishing Touches
30. Using the l20-grit sand
paper and a sanding block, sand
all surfaces of the keys, including
the corners, until they are
smooth. This might seem a little
time consuming, but the smooth
feel of the keys is part of the
enjoyment of playing the game.
31 Color twelve of the flip
keys , on both sides and on the
edges, too. The quickest way we
found to color the keys is with
highlighter pens. If you would
prefer to stain the keys, you can,
but do not paint them. If you
want alternating colors on your
board, do half the keys in one
color and the other half in
another color.
31. Making sure the drilled
holes are at the top of the keys,
use an indelible fine-point pen
to number the flip keys 1
through 12, marking one num
ber on each key.';umber just
one side of each key. Make your
numbers big and bold.
3". Bring the game-board
frame to your work surface and
look it over. If the ends of the
sides are n ot perfectly fl ush with
the top anc1 bottom moldings,
gently run the sanding block,
with sandpaper, along the length
of the tops and bottoms of the
moldings until the ends are
flush. Take your time. Pushing
too hard might cause the glue
joints to break open.
31.. Move to the tops and bot
toms of the corners and sand
them until they follow the curve
of the molding where the joints
come together. Again, work gen
tly and patiently.
the corner
before sanding
the corner - ~
after s-anding
Flip It
89
top piece J
J S. Choose one of the short
(unnotched) sides of the frame
to be the top of the game board.
On the outside of one side piece,
ligh tl y square a line 1 inch
down from the top On that
line , mark a point 3ftfi inch down
from the upper edge of the side.
Use an awl to set the marl< into
the wood. Repeat this process
on th e opposite upper corner of
the frame
6. On one side piece, light ly
square a line 2)\1 inches down
from the top. On that line, mark
a point Yt6 inch down from the
upper edge of the side. Usc an
awl to set the mark. R peat the
process on the upper corner of
the opposite side.
Put the 'Is-inch bi t in the
drill chuck. Drill through the
sides of the frame at the four
points you just marked. Try to
k ep the hol '5 as sLraight as pos
sible. Alignment is crucial'
30. Spread a thin, even layer
of glue along the surface of the
bottom piece. Gently lay the
piece of fdl over the gl ue , edging
the bottom corners into place
fi r t amI. then s moothing the felt
to the top vvith your ri ngers.
Stringing and Placing the
Flip Keys
9. Gather the metal rods ,
the flip keys, and the washers .
Push the fir t rod through one of
the lower holes , across the game
board, and into the drilled hole
on the opposite side. Use the nail
set and hammer to tap it into
final position. This rod will be
the key rest. It should be
recessed slightly from the surface
of the frame on both sides.
1.0. Slide the second rod a lit
tle way through the upper hole on
the right-hand side and begin
stringing on the keys. Begin with a
washer, then the number 12 key,
and then a washer. Slide the rest
of the keys onto the rod in numer
ical order, with a washer between
each pair. End with a washer.
Then set the end of the rod in the
final remaining hole and tap it
into position ,vith the nail set.
90
Flip It
' - ~
Flip It can be
Find t he sum of the Continue rollins and
played by any
b
number of
~
people. The
Vlinner is t he lucky player
Vlho has the IoVlest score.
Have funl
To set up the same,
put all keys in t he dOVln
P-0sition
1. Roll tVlO dice out onto
the felt.
numbers rolled.
Flip up the key
marked Vlith this sum, or
flip up tVlO or more keys
Vlhose numbers t osether
add up to the amount
rol led. For example: If you
roll a 3 and a Lt,you can
choose to put up t he 7,
the 6 and 1, the 5 and 2.,
or t he 3 and 't
f lippinS up keys until you
are unable to flip up keys
for the number rolled.
(Once a key has been
flipped up, it cannot be
put dOVln or used asain)
6. Add up the numbers
on the keys still dOVln
The tot al is your score.
Try to set t he IoVlest
score you canI
91
Flip It
r
hen we asked ALLegra to describe the tabLe of her dreams, she knew
just what to say. It wouLd be a tabLe bUiLt for drawing pictures on} it
would be small enough to fit in her room, and it would be just the
right height to work on while sitting on her Sturdy StooL (see page 56). You can
vary the dimensions to make your own dream tabLe. These basic plans can be
used to make anything from a card table to a low Japanese-style table. The
dimensions given will produce an 18Yz-inch by 32-inch tabLe tall enough to
accommodate a chiLd's chair.
We recommend that you put a clear finish on your table. Polyurethane var
nish is a good choice. It comes in either an oil-based or a water-based formuLa
tion. The oil-based finish will Impart a rich goLden hue to most woods, while
the water-based finish will yieLd a clearer, less modified Look.
What You'll Need
TOOLS
Jigsaw or handsaw One 6-foot length of %xl0 Four lYz-lnch corner Irons and
clear or #2 pine board matching screws
Tape measure
One a-foot length of %x4 A handful of 2-inch drywall
Hammer
clear or #2 pine board screws
Combination square or
Four 36-inch square pine or
Speed Square
cedar baiusters
Framing square
%-Inch or Yz-inch wood plugs
or buttons
Drill
Carpenter's wood glue
Ya-Inch drill bit
120-grlt sandpaper
%-inch or Yz-inch Forstner
bit (same size as wood
150-grit sandpaper
plugs)
Polyurethane varnish (or
Phillips-head screwdriver
finish coat of your choice)
combination
Block plane
Paintbrush
square
Two or three bar clamps
Wax paper or newspaper
about 24 inches long
Rags
Safety glasses
93
ALLegra's TabLe
(length: 36"
If you've made a good
joint, the line between
the boards should be
almost invisible
Making the Tabletop
I. Cu t th e 6-foo t length of
31+xlO buard in halfb), measuring
36 inches in from either end,
squaring a line across, and cut
ti ng along the l ine. The cut edges
'vvill be tri mmed off later, so this
rough cut does not need to be
made perfect ly.
Place the two pieces you
j ust cut side by side on a fl at
work surface, with their most
at tractive surfaces facing up.
Cll ck the joint between the
boards to make sure there aren't
any gaps. Try turning Lhe board
width: 18 Yz"
over or flip ping them end to end
until you have th e Li ghtest possi
bl e j oint between them.
Position two bar clamps
about 8 inches in from each end
of the tahletop and adjust them
so you can clamp the boards
together. Tighten the clamps and
then look closely at the joint,
which should be nearly invisible.
If iL is, you are ready to glue. If
it's not, try tightening the clamps
a liLtle more. You can also reposi
tion the clamps or use more
clamps. Glue will fill small cracks
between the board , hUL its best if
the joi nt is nice and tight.
small bar
clamp
94
ALLegra's TabLe
Use your fingers to
align the boards flush
heach other
The Great Glue-Up
I.. Spread a length of wax paper
or newspaper beneath the joint
in the tabletop to protect your
work surface, since glue \vill ooze
out of the joint as the clamping
pressure increases. Place a damp
rag nearby for wiping away
excess glue and cleaning fingers.
Loosen the clamps and put them
where they can be repositioned
easily. Once the glue is spread,
you won't have much time before
it begins to set, so you'll want to
have everything close at hand.
Making sure not to change
the orientation of the boards, tilt
the nearer one on edge and
spread glue on the surface where
it \Nill be joined.
6. Use a scrap of wood, a
piece of cardboard, or your
finger to work the glue into a
thin, even layer along the length
of the board. Too much glue will
make the pieces slide out of
alignment when you clamp
them; with too little, your glue
joint may not bond well and
could come apart later.
7 . Realign the two tabletop
pieces and position the clamps in
the same spots they were in for
the dry run. Tighten each clamp
only enough to keep it in place.
A little glue may ooze out of the
joint at this point.
6. Afler all the clamps are in
pOSition, check thal lhe ends of
the boards are even and the top
surfaces of the boards are flush.
If they're not, push down on the
higher one until they are. Loosen
the nearest clamp if you need to,
but be sure to tighten it gent ly
once the boards are back in
proper position.
When the joint looks good,
tighten the clamps evenly all
around. An even row of tiny
beads of glue squeezed out of the
jOint is a sure sign of success; it
indicales that you spread enough
glue to make a sound glue jOint.
Wipe away the excess glue with
a damp rag.
10 Leave the tabletop undis
turbed in the clamps for at least
two hours; the longer the drying
period, the better.
Wipe away the excess
glue with a damp rag
95
ALLegra's TabLe
The Four-Piece Apron
1 Bring your %x4 board to
your work surface. If you are
using a jigsaw, sel it to cut at a
45-cl egree angle. If you are using
a handsaw, reread the instruc
tions for making a bevel cut
on pages 14-15.
11. Square a line across the
boarel a couple of inches away
from the ri ght-hand end. From
the ends of this line, mark a 45
degree angle on both edges of the
board. Then make the cu t. The
board will now have a bevel cut
on one end.
3. 1-1 a k your tape measure
on the long point of the end
with the bevel cut, measure 28
inches clown the board, and
square a line across at that point.
Clamp the board to the work
surface so that the marked por
tion hangs over the right -hand
edge. Fron! this line, mark a 45
degree angle on the edges of the
board, wi lh the long point of
this cut on the same side of the
14 Yz"
board as the long point of the
cul you made in the previous
step. Then make the cut (you
probably will have to vvalk
around to the other side of the
board to al ign the saw blade
properly). The piece you cu t off
will be one of the long sides of
the apron.
11.. Turn over the remaini ng
part of the board so t11at its long
point is on top Repeal step 13 to
cut a matching long apron piece.
1 Again, turn over the
remainder of the board so that
the long point of the bevel CUl is
on top. Measure 14V2 inches
down the bo::trd from the long
point and square a line there.
Mark a 45-degrec angle on the
edges of the board, Wilh the long
point of this cut on the same side
of the board as the existing long
point. Then make the CLl l to free
one of the sh on apron ends from
the board.
I Repeat tep 15 lO make
the other shon apron encl.
The Legs
7 Bring the balusters to your
work surface. We used square
cedar porch-rail balusters, but if
you want a fancier table, you
could make your legs from turned
stair balusters . To fit the table
to the seat of your choice, the
legs should be 10 to 12 inches
taller than the top of the seat. We
cut our balusters to 20 inches .
Square a line across each baluster
at the appropriate measurement
and make a square (90-degree)
cut there.
28"
~ - - - - - - - - - - - - ~ ~ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ~
short side
apron
short side
apron
Long side apron Long side apron
~ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ~ ~ - - - - - - - - - - - - ~
14 Yz" 28"
)
measurements are from
long points of bevels
all bevel cuts are 45
0
Allegra's Table
96
Drilling the Apron and
the Legs
o Lay one of the short sides
of the apron flat on your work
surface with its two long points
on top. Square a line across the
fa ce of the piece ~ inch in from
one end. Mark two points along
this line, 3 ~ inch in from each
side of the board. Repeat this
process at the opposite end of
the board.
19. Measure and mark the
other short side the same way.
10 Fi t the Forstner bit in the
drill chuck. Drill a hole about as
deep as your plugs (usually %
inch or so) at each of the eight
points you marked.
11. Lay one of the legs on
your work surface. On one side,
mark a point 3,4 inch down from
the top, in the center of the leg,
with a generous X. Turn the leg
so that an adjacent si.de faces up;
ED
mark a point 2% inches down
from the top, in the center, with
another X.
li. Measure and mark the
other three legs the same way.
3. Put the liB-inch drill bit in
the drill chuck and bore a pilot
hole through the legs at each of
the points you marked. You can
use a countersink bit if yo u want
the leg to look very tidy under
the table
Allegra says;
"Making a bevel
cut is hard
when 1 made
them for this
table, I had to
keep checking
to make sure 1 \-las cut
ting on the lines. l'his \Vas
the most complicated
part of budding the table.
The funnest part \Vas
putting in the plugs at the
end. It \-las so simple and
it made the table look
great) 'But overall. the
\-Ihole table \-las fun, even
if it \-las hard."
the pilot holes
are on adjacent
sides of the leg
2%" from
the end
)
97
Allegra's Ta bLe
_______~ ~ __________________________________________________~ - l - - ___
Apron Assembly
J. Fastening together a
mitered joint is easier when you
have a clamping block to fasten
the pieces LO while you set your
screws. Find a piece of scrap
wood (a 2x4 piece will work
well) with a square end. Screw or
clamp it down to your work sur
face near one of the corners,
leaving enough room that you
can lay one of the apron pieces
outside of the clamping block
and have it still rest on the table.
Set one of the long apron
pieces on edge against the longer
side of the clamping block, align
ing the inside of one of its
mitered ends with lhe comer of
the block. Clamp the apron piece
in place Then set one of the
short end. of the apron against
the adJacent side of the clamping
block, fitting the two angled
enels together to make the
mit ered corner.
6. Holding the short side in
place, drill a Vs-inch pilot hole
through the cent er of one of the
predrilled Forstner holes into the
Allegra's Table
end of the long apron piece.
hen drive a 2-inch drywall
screw into this hole to fasten the
corner together. Check the align
ment of the mi ler joim; you can
loosen the screw and adjust the
joint if necessary When you' re
satisfied wi th the joinl, drill a
pilot hole and drive a screw into
the other predri lled Forstner
hole. Tigh[en both screws [0
compie[e the corner.
7 . Continue clamping,
drilling, and screwing together
the rest of the joints until you
have a completed rectangular
apron. You may have to reposi
tion your clamping block in
order to work all of the joints.
98
Glue and Plug
16 pread a thi n layer of
wood glue on a sl11 0Il scrap of
wood. If you are using wood
plugs, turn one of the plugs on
edgt> and roll it in the gl ue. fi l the
plug into one or Lhe holes in the
apron. Place a li ltle block of wood
ver the plug and hammer the
wood. The block ensures lhal the
plu
a
doesn't get driven Loa fa r int o
he 11Ole. H you are llsing buttons,
u e Cl sli er or 'vvood to pu t a li llIe
glue on the sidewall5 of one of lhe
holes in the apron <l nd Lhen fi t Lhe
button into the hole. Tap it g nl1)'
into place wi th a hanuner.
eep gluing and plugging
until all the holes are fill ed. If
you 've used plugs, aft er the glue
is set you can ei.ther sand the
plugs flush with the rest or the
a ron - the us ual way of treat
ing Lheln - or leave them, Land
i ng out or proud, as a carpe nter
wa ul I say.
99
Allegra's Table
__-----------------------------------------------------------------------------T
Putting It All Together
30 Now you're rE>ady to
trim the tabletop to its finished
lengLh Square a line across
the width of the tabletop about
2 inches in from one end From
thi s li ne, measure 32 inches
across the face of the table and
square another line across there.
Cut along both of these lines.
31. Sand the entire surface of
the tabletop with nO-grit sand
paper The nd grain on the edges
is hard to sand, but the r5ult is
worth it
1
Then go over the top
again with ISO-grit sandpaper
2. Mount a corner iron on
the in terior end of one of the
long sides of the apron, close to
the outside corner Set the LOp
flange (arm) of the iron slightly
below the top edge of the long
side so that the Labletop can be
pull ed down Light to the apron.
Fasten the corner iron in place
with the crews lhat came witll it.
Mount a corner iron to
the ot her end of the same long
apron piece. Then mount a corner
iron at each end of the other long
apron piece
Turn over the table apron
so that the top flanges of the cor
ner irons face the work surface.
Stand a table leg upside down
(with it LOp resting on the work
surface) inside one of the apron
corners. Ro tate the leg until both
of the layout Xs are visible on the
inside of the apron frame. Then
slip a co in or a thi n flat scrap of
wood underneath the leg to serve
as a spacer. Drive a 2-inch dry
wall screw lhrough eacb pilot
hole and into the table apron to
secure the table leg.
ALLegra's TabLe
100

..'
__ :.:. - , " - 4
-I : ' ;c ...~ :--: , . . .: ....... ,. ,
. '
. .
'.
-.
.. .... -". . ~ .
' ..
3 Fasten the remaining three
legs to the apron in the same way.
Turn the tabletop face
down on a smooth surface tha t
wo n'L scratch or mar the pi ne,
such as a clean piece of plywood
or an old towel. Turn the assem
bl ed apron and legs upside down
and place them on top of it.
Adjust the leg-and-apron assem
bly until the tabletop has an even
2-inch overhang on all sides of
the apron. Fasten the corner
irons to the tabletop Vv ilh the
screws that came with them.
Finishing
Sand the table with 120
grit paper. Brush away Clllthe
dust , then apply a coat of
polyurethane varni sh.
After the first coaL has
dried, sand the table ligh tl y vvith
lSO-grit paper, then apply a sec
ond coat of polyurethane.
101
ALLegra's TabLe
o
his project has it all: sawing, nailing. driLling, and shingling. It's aLso an
opportunity to be creative and to make something usefuL at the same
time. We have mapped out the steps for making a house-shaped book
case, compLete with an upstairs, a downstairs, and an attic for arranging
smaLler books, furniture, or a famiLy of stuffed animals. You can add a swing
ing front door, moldings, and miniature windows if you want to really make
your Book House a home.
What You'll Need
TOOLS
Handsaw or jigsaw
Phillips-head screwdriver
Flat-head screwdriver
(if needed for the hinges)
Hammer
Framing square
Speed Square
Drill
Ye-inch drill bit
Y.6-inch drill bit
Nail set
Awl
Clamps
Safety glasses
TERI L
One 4-foot by a-foot sheet
of Y4-inch luaun plywood
One 14-foot length of lxl0
(cut to 10'6" and 3'6" if
necessary for transport)
One 4-foot length of lx12
One 2-foot length of 1 %-inch
lattice or panel stock (about
% inch thick)
Short (10 %-inch) length of
lx6 board (optional)
One bundle 15-lnch white
cedar shingles
s
One pound ad stainless
or galvanized ring-shank
siding nails
One packet l-inch white
paneling nails
Four 1 Y4-inch drywall screws
One pair small (1 Y2 inches by
2 inches) hinges, with
screws
103
Book House
Marking and Cutting the
Back Piece
I. Place the sheet of plywood
on your work surface. Square a
li ne 24 inches from one end
across the width of the sheet.
Use a saw to crosscut the sheet
along tha t line.
Draw a line lengthwise
down the center of the 24-inch
wide piece, 12 inches from either
edge. On the centerline, mark a
point 37
1
/2 inches down from one
end of the piece. From that same
end, mark a point 25
1
/2 inches
down on both edges. Draw lines
connecting the marks on t he
sides to the mark on the center
line. These lines trace the peaked
roof of the back piece. Cut along
the layout lines with a saw, and
set the back piece aside.
Marking and Cutting the
Sides and Shelves
3. Bring the lxl0 (the longer
portion of the board, if you had
to cut it to get it home from the
lumberyard) to your work sur
face. Square a line 26 inches in
from one end of the board. This
is the long point of the bevel cut
you are going to make. sing
your Speed Square, draw a line
from this point at a 45-degree
angle on the edge of the board,
angling back toward the end of
the board you measured [rom.
I.. If you're working with a
handsaw, reread the in tructions
for making a bevel cut on pages
Book House
14-15. If you're working with a
jigsaw, set the saw to cut at a
45-degree angle. Take a good look
aL the jigsaw blade to make sure
iL is going to cut the angle you
have drawn. Checl and recheck
your reference line! Then cut
straight across the board. You have
just cut oul tll e first side piece.
Take a look at the beveled
edge of the remaining part of the
board. If it is very irregular, you
might need to make a new bevel
cut; turn your board ov r, square
a line, and make a new cut across
it. Once you have a good clean
beveled edge, you' re ready to cut
the other side piecE'. If you're
using a jigsaw, reset the saw to
cut at 90 degree.s. quare a line
26 inches from th long point of
Lhe beveled edge and make the
cut at a 90-degree angl . Set both
side pieces asi de.
6. Cut three 22112-inch lengths
from the remai ning l xl0. These
pieces will be the bottom, mid
dle, and top shelves. Keep the
shelves together as a group and
set them aside.
Cutting the Roof Parts
Becaus the roof joint is
lapped, the two roof pieces are
different lengths - somethi ng
you' ll need to remember when
assembly time comes. Bring the
4-foot length of lx12 to your
work surface. Draw a line down
its length 10
1
4 inches in fro m
one side and then use a saw to
rip the board along thalline.
Crosscut the ripped board
into two pieces, one 20 %inches
long and the other 21 inches long.
The rest of the board is scrap.
Clamp the lattice or panel
stock to your work surface so
that about 12 inches hangs over
the edge. Square lines across iL
101(2 and 21 inches from one
end. Use your saw to make cuts
at both these marks. The two
10 1/2-inch pieces you cut free are
the ridge boards that will be fas
tened to the roof at its peak. Set
the ridge boards aside with the
other roof parts
Cutting the Cubby Sides
and the Door
I Bring the remaining
length of Ix 10 to your work
surface. Draw a line down its
length 8% inches in from one
side and then rip the board
along that li ne.
I . Crosscut the ripped board
into two pieces, each 11 inches
long. These will be the sides of
the cubby (the front entrance
hall of your Book House), and
their front edges will be con
cealed by the door.
The door is a simple
rectangle 10
3
4 inches long and
5
1
12 inches wide. If you have on
hand a short piece of lx6 board
(which , of course, is 5
1
/ 2 inches
wide), you can cu t the door
from it. Otherwise, cut your
door to size from the remaining
lxl0 board.
104
4x8 pLywood
I

I
I
,
I
25Yz":
-- --- ------- - 24"---- ------ -- ..
12" 12" I
..
I
I
back
layout for the
back piece on a
sheet of plywood
....... !---crosscut along this line
37Yz"
IxlO board
measure the side pieces from
the long point of the bevel
26"
-4--- ------ .---------....
sheLf sheLf sheLf side side
"

___________ ...
22Yz" 22Yz" 26"
edge of board

..
,
,
11 y..":
roof
Ixl2 board
21"
,
I
roof
20 Y.. "
t
I
: 10W'
rip the
board here
I
I
I
I
,
I
t
.-J

..
11 "
11 ..
I
I
9W' :
(xiO board
I
cubby cubby
side side
,
cubby It

I
door
: SYz" :

I
:sv.."

100/."
t
rip the
board here
105
1
Book House
Mark up two ident ical shelves.
Only two of the shelves are marked up with lines
and Xs. The third shelf remains blank.
sheLf
x x
......
2%'" .y,.
x , x
center
line
x x
llW'
-------------.
..-._._--------- ---------------------_._.,.
22Yz"
x x llW'
,"-
........
._------------.
2 ~ " %" X sheLf
x x
~ -
c nte
Ii e
X
x x
..------------------------ - --------------.
22 Y.! "
.. --- -
x
Note that the
roof pieces
are marked up
differently.
X
x
21"
- ------------------------------.
X
roof
X
16%"
----------------------------.
x
Mark up two identical sides.
x
2!I.'
x
x
2!I.'
~
14"
x
side
x
x
24"
x
x x
the long point of the
bevel should be on top
X x
side
14"
----------_._--------- ....
X X
24"
--------------_._-------------------------.
Marking the Assembly
Layout
I Measure and draw layout
lines and Xs on the pieces you've
cut as sho'wn in the illu:.t ralions
above. Pay clo e atlention to
where to put the Xs when you
are drawing these li ne _ The Xs
will be co red by other part s
during assembly. A visible X in a
compl 'ted piece means that
something is mnis. I
x X
20Y.&"
..------------------------------------.
x 15%"
.. -- ------------------------.
X
roof
x
Cubby Assembly
I Bring tl c cubby sides and
the two shelves that have been
marked wi th lin s to yom work
table. Turn one of the shelves so
that the lined side faces do'A'Tl
and stan an 8d nail opposite each
of the six Xs. driving th m most
of the way through th ' board_
I Stand the cubby side
pieces upright and parallcl to
Book House
106
each other about 6 inches apart,
with their better sides facing out.
Place the shelf that you started
nails in on top of the cubby sides
so that they cover the Xs. Align
one cubby side precisely on the
line for naili ng, with the back of
the cubby side flush with the
back edge of the shelf. Drive the
nails through the shelf and into
the cubby side.
6 Align the other cubby side
WiLh the remaining layouL line,
vvith its back edge flush wiLh the
back edge of the shelf. Drive the
nails through the shelf and mto
the cubby side. Make sure you've
hit your mark w ilh all the nails
l
17. Turn over the assembly so
that the other ends of the cubby
sides point up. Start six nails in
the ot her shelf, then nail it to the
cubby sides. It should be much
easier to align things this time.
Remember to keep track of which
is the front and which is the back
l
Bookshelf Assembly
1 Bring the two bookshelf
side pieces to your work sur
face. Start six nails in one of
them on the face opposite the Xs,
so tha t the bo ttom and middle
layou L li nes each have three nails
pro truding sligh tly lhrough
them, next to the Xs. Each set
of three nail s will support Oll e
end of a shelf.
19. Choose the worst- Iookmg
outer face of the s helves you've
insLa ll ed on the cubby assembly
as the bottom piece. Lay the
cubby assembly on its side wi th
its bottom faCing to the right and
the back faCing you. Take one of
the bookshelf sides and align it
on top of the cubby assembly,
wi th the 100"' er lines matchi ng up
to the shelf ends. The long point
of the bevel shoule! be underneath
and pointing left. Drive the nails
through the side piece and into
the shelves of the cubby assembly
1 . Flip the assem bly over.
Start six nails in the other side
piece on the face opposite the Xs .
Align the side on top of the cubby
assembly and drive in the nails.
I Get the Lhird shelf arid
choose its best side as the top
Sli de it between the bookshelf
sides, so that it covers the Xs on
both sides, and nail i t in Lo place
using three nails on each end.
Book House
107
Roof Assembly
Bring the two roof pieces
to your worktable. Take a look
at lh end of the longer piece.
On lhe end with the rougher
cut , mark a series of Xs. Turn
the board over and s tart three
nails about 1/ 2 inch in from the
end with the Xs. Your nails
should be in a line across the
board directly pposite the Xs
on the other side.
J. Working wi th a partner,
stand the shorter roof piece on
its end and lay the longer piece
on top of it, so that the end of
the long piece is flush wi th the
outer face of the short piece.
Drive home the nails you just
started. Handle this L-shaped
section carefully to avoid flexing
it and levering the joint apart.
11.. Fit the lis-inch bit in the
drill chuck. Stand the roof in an
upright position, resting on the
side pieces of the shelf assembly
The back edge of the roof must
be flush with the back of the
bookshelf, and the front will
overhang. The layout lines will
be visible on the underside of the
bottom edges of the roof. On
each side of the roof, drill two
pilot holes about '/2 inch below
the layout lines and perpendicu
lar to the plane of the roof, spac
ing them about 4 inches apart.
Raising the Roof
1 Keeping the bookshelf in
an upright position, start a
screw in one of the pilot holes
on the roof pieces. Before the
screw starts into the beveled
edge of the bookshelf, your
partner should make sure that
the long point of the beveled
side piece is on the layout line
inside the attic (on the inside
face of the rooD .
16. While your partner holds
the pieces tightly together, drive
the screw in by hand with a
screwdriver until the joint is
Book House
108
pulled tight. Then drive the
other screw on the same side. If
there is a gap in the Joint , you
may need to back the screw out,
make sure the pieces are ti gh t
against each other, and then
drive it in again.
17. Drive the two screws on
the other side of the roof. Then
set the Book House upright and
admire your work'
6. Fit the %6-inch bit in the
drill chuck. On one side of the
roof, drill three holes vertically
through the roof into the end of
the bookshelf side. You should
be able to dodge the screws by
drilling one hole in the center
and one hole in each outer edge.
Remember that the roof has an
overhang on the front, so the
hole on that side will be farther
in from the edge.
10 Drive ring-shank nails
into each of the holes you
drilled. Set the nails using a nail
set, so that the heads of the nails
are recessed below the surface of
the roof. Remove the screws with
a screwdri ver.
30. Repeat the process on the
other sicle of the roof: Drill three
pilot holes, drive and set the
ring-shank nails, then remove
the screws.
I Lay the Book House face
down. Use a framing square to
check that thc sides and shelves
are square to each other and
adjust them as needed. Then
position on the frame the ply
wood back you cut earlier. FaSlen
the back to the frame wit h I-inch
panel nails, driving a nail every
6 inches or so arouncl the perime
ter of the bookshelf and driving
three or four nails into each shelf.
109
Book House
first roof shingle
%" from
edge)
7" from"
bottom
Shingling the Roof
W hen we shingled our
Book House, we hung the shin
gles a bit over the bottom and
front edges of the roof to mimic
the way shingles are applied on a
real house. The easiest way to
do this is to use the butt (the
thick end) of an extra shingle as
a spacer.
Slart by placing a shingle on
the front bottom edge of the
roof, with its thicker end at the
bottom. Hold the butt of the
spacer against the bottom edge of
the roof and set the bottom edge
of the roof shingle flush with the
edge of the spacer. Then move
the spacer to the front edge of
the roof and align the side of the
Book House
shingle WiLh it. Now you can put
the spacer down for a minute.
Holding the roof shingle in
place, drive two I-inch panel
nail s through it and into the
roof. The nails should be set
about 7 inches up from the bot
tom end and 14 inch in from each
edge of the shingle.
inel a shingle that is
wide enough to fill the rest of the
roof space next to the li rsl shin
gle and extend a bi l past the back
edge of the roof. Use your spacer
to give it the proper overhang at
the bOltom edge of the roof and
nail it in place. The portion of
the shingl e that overhangs on the
back side of the Book I-l ouse will
be tri mmed off later.
Start the second course
of shingles by drawing a light
pencil line 5 inches up from the
bottom edge of the first course
of shingles; this line marks the
bottom of the second course.
Select a shingle that is 1'/2 inches
or so wider or narrower than the
first shingle you put on (so that
the joints between the lower
shingles will be covered by the
shingles above them). Align
the bottom of your shingle on
the pencil line, use your spacer
to give it the proper overhang
on the front of the roof, and nail
il in place.
3 Find another one or two
shingles to complete the roof's
second course.
110
the edge of the
second ridge board
is flush with the
face of the first
3 . Apply the third and fourt h
courses of shingles. Drive the
nails of the last course as close La
the ridge as you can so that the
nails wi ll be covered by the ridge
boards. Don't worry that the tops
of the shingles will extend past
the ridge of the roof, beGlllSe
they wil l be trimmed offlat r.
Using a handsaw, trim the
tops of Lhe shingles even "vi th
the ridge, using the slope of the
roof on the opposite side as a
guide for your saw blade.
36. Lay the Book I-louse face
down. Saw the shingles on the
back edge of the roof flush with
the back of the Book Hall -e, using
it a a guide for your 3vV hlade
Repeat steps 32-38
shingling lour courses ancll rirn
ming them at tht: ridge - on the
other side of t he rooL
J. 0 To finish the roof, use
panel nails to fasten on the t \va
ridge boards . The fi rst ridge
board hould be set with its LOp
edge flush WiLh the roo f on the
opposite side. The second ridge
board should be set on the other
side of the roof, \\l ith it lOp edge
fl ush with the lOp edge of the
first ridge board, as shown n the
ph ) LO below.
Camille says.
'''Building the
Book House
'1 I
titne I had shin- d
gled A feW' years
ago 1helped shin
gle part of' our house. But
it Vias a lot easier to shingle
the Book Housel For one
thing. the Book House
(unlike rny real house) is a
lot smaller than me
"Shingling is like a game:
You have to pick the right
Vlidth of shingle so you
don't get tViO courses
Vlith their joints lined up
Also you get to do one
of my favorite parts of
carpentry: hammering."
Book House
the ridge
The joints in each course
are offset from the joints
in the course below.
the eaves
Hanging the Door
I. Bring the door and the
hinges to your work surface. Lay
the door Qat, with its back side
facing up and its bottom facing
you. Open the hinges, holding
them so that the beveled side of
the screw holes is visible on both
leaves ( the flat plates of a hinge).
1.2. Place one of the hinges on
the right-hand edge of the door,
about l. inch down from the top,
with its banel (the cylinder in
the middle of the hinge) hanging
just past the edge of the door.
Mark the pOSition of the screw
holes with a pencil. Remove the
hi nge and make starting holes
with an awl or the tip of a finish
nail. Put the hinge back in place
and dr ive in the screws.
1.3. Repeat this process with
the other hinge, positioning it
about l. inch up from the bot
tom, making sure that the hinge
barrels are aligned so that the
door will not bind.
1.1. Stand the door up on the
shelf, to the left of the cubby,
with its ri ght-hand hinge leaves
lyi ng over the front edge of the
cubby side. The hinge barrels
should be centered betvveen the
door and the cubby side. Use a
pencil to mark the centers of the
screw holes. Use an awl or the
tip of a finish nail to make starter
holes slightly above the center
marks you Just made. Drive the
hinge screws in place When the
screws are tightened, the bottom
/.
of the door should li ft just a bit
off the ~ h e l f to keep it from rub
bing when it opens and closes.
Painting and Decorating
1.5. The sky (or at least the
roof, whi ch doesn't need any kind
of treatment, be ause shingles are
best left just the way they are) is
the limit when it comes to fi nish
ing your Book House. A simple
coat of paint and contrasting u"im
will look great. But there are as
many ways to decorate your Book
House as there are ways to deco
rate real houses. Add a doorknob.
Hang a paint ing. Have fun!
11 3
Book House
T
ICI
Forstner bit
hen we first built this project, our kids invited some of their friends
over and we made two lemonade stands at the same time. It was
hectic at moments. but it was great to have pLenty of hands on deck
when it came time to assembLe the frames. The paint was bareLy dry when our
first Lemonade stand was set up on the sidewaLk. It was a hot summery day
and the young entrepreneurs soLd a Lot of lemonade. shaded by the awning
they'd made for themselves. For the rest of the week. the lemonade stand
moved from one friend's house to another.
Making a lemonade stand will take your famiLy many hours. It wiLL probably
be chaLLenging, maybe even difficult at times, but you wilL get to Learn and
practice many new carpentry tricks. ALtogether it is a very satisfying project. It I
begins with measuring, cutting. drilling. and nailing and ends with return on
investment and marketing savvy - not to mention a nice coLd drink.
What You'll Need
T
Handsaw or jigsaw
Drill
1Y4-inch Forstner bit
Y-a-inch drill bit
Ys-inch drill bit
Phillips-head screwdriver
Hammer
Framing square
Awl
Combination square or
Speed Square
Utility knife
Staple gun
Clamps
Pencil
Measuring tape
Safety glasses
One 4-foot by 8-foot sheet
of Y-a-inch luaun or birch
plywood
Six lO-foot lengths of lx4
One lO-foot length of lxl0
Four 7-foot lengths of n-;6-lnch
closet pole
One 16-inch length of Y-a-Inch
dowel
One sheet of sandpaper
Colorful cloth for the awning
(approximately 42 Inches x
76 inches)
Colorful cloth for the pennants
Cloth ribbon (optional)
Colorful paint
Pai ntbrushes
One pound 1 Y-a-inch drywall
screws
One pound 2-inch drywall
screws
Two pounds 4d galvanized box
nails
o/16-inch staples
Carpenter's wood glue
Fabric glue
115
Le monade Stand
____ _
--. cutting d"iagranis,
4x8' pLywood sheet
M
M
front paneL side paneL side paneL
8" 23" 23"
scrap
two Ix4
~ ________L_o_n_g_s_id_e________~ ______e_n_d______~ ___f_IL_le_r____~ __~ t I
boards
55" 30" 23"
two Ix4 upright upright upright Ishelf support I
boards
31 Yz" 31 '12."
21 Y'z"
two Ix-4 front lateral side lateraL side lateral
boards
55" 30" 30"
IxlO board detaiL
IxlO board
table sheLf table shelf
I I
54'1;:"
I ~ ~
,
I
~
I::"N
~ ,
, ~ '
'M M'
L
- - - - - ~
4Yz" 4'12"
table shelf with notches
54'1;:"
Lemonade Stand
116
Getting Started:
Layout and Cutting
I. You' re going to start by
cutting all the wood to size, so
set up a comfortable cULling sta
tion. You'll need a sturdy work
surface (such as a table or a pair
of sawhorses), a handsaw and/or
a jigsaw (and an electrical outlet
nearby so you can plug it in),
clamps, a pencil, a meas ur ing
tape, a combination square or
Speed Square, and safety glasses.
Measure and rip the sheet
of plywood so that iL measures
33 inches by 96 inches . Cross
cut this piece into the front
panel, measuring 48 inches by
33 inches, and two side panels,
each measuring 23 inches by
33 inches. Keep these pieces
together as a set and put them
aside for now
ext you'll cut the lengths
for the awning roof frame. Stack
two of the 10-foot lengths of lx4
boards with their ends even. Cut
two 55-inch pieces; these will
become the long sides. Cut
another pair 30 inches long;
these will become the ends of the
frame. Finally, cut two 23-inch
lengths; these will be t he filler
pieces Keep these parts together
as a set and put them aside.
J, Stack two more lO-foot
lengths of lx4 board. Cut three
pairs (six pieces) 31 Y2 inches
long. These are the uprights. ow
eut two more pieces at 21 Y2 inches.
These will be the shelf supports.
Keep these pieces together as a set
and put them aside
5. Stack the two remaining
10-foot lengths of lx4 board.
Cut one pair (two pieces) at
55 inches for the front laterals
and two pairs (four pieces) at
30 inches for the side laterals.
Keep these pieces together as a
set and put them aside.
6. Cut the lxlO board into two
54
1
i2-inch length . These will be
the sh(:'lves inside the lemonade
stand. One of the boards needs to
be notched to fit correctly. Lay
out a notch at each end of one of
the pieces, as shown on the fac
ing page The notches measure
4
1
/ 2 inches along the length of the
piece and3
1
i2 inches along its
width. Using a handsaw or jlg
smv, cut our the notches. Keep
the two pieces together as a set
and put them a ide.
crosscuttmg
Lemonade Stand 117
Awning Assembly
7 . Now it's lime to transform
your worktable into an assembly
station. Bring the picc s of the
awning roof frame to the table .
Place the 30-inch end pieces
parallel 10 each other on the
tabl e. Lay I he 55-inch side pieces
perpendicular to the 30-inch
pieces, with their ends resting on
top of the nds of the 30-inch
pi.eces, so that the pieces form a
rectangle. Set the 23-inch fille r
pieces on top of the 30-i.nch end
pieces , betwee n the ends of the
55-inch si de pieces. You should
now have a rectangle in one
plane on the top ')quare up the
pieces using a framing square
along the oll ter edges.
Car full lift up the filler
pi ces and put wood glue along

thei r bottom surfaces. Replace
them and recheck th alignment
wi th a frami ng square. Drive
three PI+-inch screws through
each [iller into the end piece
below to [as ten t1 e two pieces
together. (These screws will be
covered later by the avvning fab
ric, so if the pieces lip out of
ali gnment v,: hiL y O L l ' P ~ dri lling,
j ust remove the screw, reali gn I he
parts , and d rive in the crew at a
11e\ location close by)
9 Lift up one of the 55- in h
side piect s and pm wood glue on
the top surfaces of the two ends
beneath it. Replace the side
piece. Holding the si de in place,
drive a llA- inch screw through
each enu, il1tO the end piece
b neath These screVl 5 will serve
to clamp the pieces toget her
while the glue sets and will be
remo ed later. Repeal the process
wi th the other side piece.
10. Now check the align
meM one last time and lry to
gel the fra me as close to squa re
as you can . (Perfection is not
required.) Then et the awning
roof frame aside .
Lemonade Stand
118
Drilling
I You're now going to drill
holes in all the laterals and in the
four corners of the awning roof
frame. Bring all the lateral pieces
to the table. Mark the center of
both ends of all the pieces by
measuring 1~ inches in from the
end and 1~ inches in from either
side. Then use an awl to punch a
small hole into the center marks.
I Put the Forstner bit in the
drill chuck. Place one of the
marked lateral pieces on top of a
piece of scrap wood and clamp it
down. Running the drill at a slow
speed, drlll all the way through
the piece at the center mark at
each end Repeat at both ends for
all the pieces When you are fin
ished, you should have two 55
inch front pieces and four
30-inch side pieces with holes
drilled through at both ends
I Bring to the table the
awning roof frame you worked
on before. Remove the cen ter
screws holdi ng the corner joints
together. Turn the frame over
and lay out holes centered on
Keep the drill straight!
each comer, 1~ inche ' in from
either side of t he corner. Punch
the cent er of each hol e with an
awl, then use the Forstner bit to
drill a hole all the way through
both pi ces of each frame corner.
The Awning Roof
1.,. Position the aWll in
o
roof
frame so that the fi1l er pieces face
11/2 inches of the fabric over the
long side and staple it al0l1g the
back edge of the frame.
Fold the cloth back oU the
frame and spread some fab ric glue
along the top surf ace of the fram ' .
Apply a circle of glue around each
of the holes; this vvill help pre\'C'nt
the fabric from frayi ng when iL is
cu t ou t from over these h oles
up Bling the awn ing cloth to the
tabl . Position one of the longer
edge of the fabric so that it is
centered lengthwise on one long
side of th e frame. Fold about
center the cloth
on the frame and
pull it taut
. ", f
later. Lay the cloLh back into posi
tion and staple i Laround the re5t
of the perime ter, pulling i L taut as
you go. For a polishecllook, glue
cloth ribbon over the staples.
119
Lemonade Stand
When someone else
Is nailing nearby.
watch your fingers!
120
I After the glue has thor
oughly dried, use a utility knife
to cut the fabric out of the holes
you drilled in the frame.
The Framework
Gather the laterals, the
uprights, the shelf supports, and
the plywood panels. Clear off
your assembly station and set
up the drill with a Ys-inch drill
bit. Also grab the Phillips-head
screwdriver and the 2-inch
drywall screws .
Lay the two 55-inch front
laterals flat on the table. Square a
line 3
1
12 inches in from each end
of both laterals. These lines mark
the pOSition of the outer edges of
the ul rights. Then set the later
als on edge, parallel to each
other, with the layout lines fa\:
ing each other.
Set the 31
1
/2-inch uprights
beLween - perpendicular to
the laterals, positioning their
outer edges just inside the layout
lines. This is a good time to use a
clamp or to get a helper to hold
pieces in alignment. At each joint
where a lateral meets an upright,
predrill two holes through the
lateral into the end of the upright,
then drive a 2-inch drywall screw
into each hole You have now
successfLllly built the front frame I
Assemble the side frames
the same way, using the 30-inch
laterals and the 31
1
/2-inch uprights.
Camille says:"There are
many hard parts to buildinc
the Lemonade Stand so "n
comparison, on
the plY'w'ood 'w'as easy 1t's
funny that 'w'hen 1'v/orK on
projects \-lith other people.
my dad tells them the
I Choose one end of each
side fr ame assembly to be the
bottom of the frame. Hook your
tape measure on the bottom of
the frame, measure up 27 inches,
and square a line at that point
across the inside of the upright.
This line marks where the top
edge of a shelf support will go.
Repeat for each upright on each
frame, for a total of four lines.
same thing he used to
tell me. Let the --
hammer do the
'w'ork) Once you
set it. hammering
is one of the
most fun parts
of carpentry"
1.ler.1
Lemonade Stand
lateral ~
ll. Align a 21 V2-inch shelf
support between the uprights in
each frame, with its top edge just
below the lines you marked.
Using the Vs-inch drill bit, drill
two pilot holes through the
uprights into each end of the
shelf supports Then drive a
2-inch drywall screw (eight
screws total) through each hole
to fasten the pieces in place.
Applying the Plywood
13. Match each of the three
pieces of plywood to a frame
The grain of the plywood should
run horizontally. Working one at
a time, lay the frames flat on
your work surface, wi th the ply
wood panels aligned on top of
them. Drive box nails through
the plywood into the frame
every 6 to 8 inches around the
perimeter. Locate the shelf sup
pons on the side frames and
drive a couple of box nails
through the plywood into them
for added strength
11.. When you're done fasten
ing the plywood, check over
all your frames for protruding
nails. 1 you find one , pull it out
and drive in another in a new
spot nearby.
Lemonade Stand
122
Flags Up!
lS. Verify that each length of
closet pole is exactly 7 feet in
length If it's not, cut it to size.
16. Put the ~ - i n c h bit in the
drill chuck. Measure and mark a
point 12 inches in from one end
of each flagstaff. At that mark,
drill a hole all the way through
the flagstaff. At assembly time, a
dowel pin slipped through this
hole will hold up the awning roof.
7. lit four 3-inch lengths
of the ~ - i n c h dowel to serve as
pins Round the ends by rubbing
them on sandpaper. This is a
good task for the youngest mem
ber of the work crew.
10. Cut two pieces of pen
nant cloth as shown in the dia
gram (above right). Fo ld over
each cloth along the dotted line
as shown, and staple the two
layers together along the solid
line. You now have created a
sleeve for the flagstaff to fit into.
Sew or staple the top of each
sleeve so that it will stay in place
on the i1agstaff.
A Painting Party
19. Painting and decorating
the Lemonade Stand should be a
fun and relaxed activity. Br ight
colors will attract more cus
tomers, and don't shy away from
bold designs Take apart the
stand so that you can work on
each section separately. Count on
using two coats of paint, and let
the paint dry between coats.
Leaving the flagstaffs bare is th e
most practical course, because
paint can make the fla gstaffs
stick during a_ scmbly Theres no
need to paint the inside of the
Lemonade Stand because the
public will not -ec it.
When you buy the pai nt , fi nd
out whether the Sl ore carries
blackboard paint. Once you' ve
applied a few coats of blackboard
paint to a surfa ce, you have a
perfect place to wri te your mcnu
and prices. You might even con
sider painting the fro nt pand of
the stand \I"ith blac1..ho<lrd paint.
Lemonade Stand
123
Setting It Up!
The Lemonade Stand is designed
so L1lat selling it up and taking it
clown will be manageabJ e for two
or lh ree capable chi ldren. It may
take a li ttle practice. Proceeding
in the right order will helpl
I. Arrange the three panels in a
horse hoe shape \\lith their ends
ov rlappi ng and the fl ag taff
holes ali gned . The ends of the
center panel should rest on top
of the ends of the side panels.
1. Have one or two people
hold the front corners of the
stand steady while ano ther per
son spreads the ends of the two
sides apart and slips the two
tabletop helves in place. Put
the notched sh If in fi rst, with
the notches faciIlg toward the
fron t of the lemonade stand.
The notches will fit around the
corner joint and allow the shelf
to fit snugly against the plywood.
Then pull I he two sides back
into place in the horsehoe shape.
Lay the awning roof fl at on
top of the stand. Align the [our
holes in the awni ng roof with the
four holes on Lhe top of Lhe
stand. Lift the flagstaffs high and
slide them down through the
awning roof holes, through the
holes in th e top of the stand, and
through the mat ching holes at
the bottom of the stand. Here is
where your careful drilling will
p y off. It may take a li ttle
j ostli ng and adj usting to get the
poles to go down through, but
you'll qUickl y get the hang of it.
align the holes in
the corners
set the notched
shelf in first
124
Lemonade Stand
Have two of your tallest
crew members lift the awni ng
roof up high. The trick her - is to
keep the roof level as it goes up
and not let it bind up and pull
the flagstaffs au t of their holes.
If you're having trouble wi th one
or more of the flagstaffs, have an
extra person turn that tl agstaff,
spinning it in its hole, as the
roof goes up. (This should be a
chaotic, laughter-filled moment.)
Keep lifting until the roof frame
goes past the holes you drilled in
the flagstaffs for the dowel pins.
Then insert the pins in the hole .
Settle the roof frame on top
of the dowel pins. Slip the pen
nants onto the tops of fl agstaffs.
Bring out your lemonade, set up
some chairs, and you are ready
for business I
a
Align the holes in the
front and side panels
before pushing the
flagstaffs into place!
125
u
good puppet theater is an invitation to pLay. Climb in. crouch down.
and put on a show. Your audience can see your puppets but they
can't see you!
The Puppet Theater is actually the Lemonade Stand (page 114) with a
different roof. Like the Lemonade Stand. it is a compLex project and can take
a few days of hard work to finish. You'll need to decide what coLor to paint it,
what cloth you'd like for the curtain and the ruffle. and whether or not you
want some fancy gold embeLlishments here and there. Once you're done, you'LL
have a theater made to your every specification. Let the show begin!
What You'll Need
T OL
Handsaw or jigsaw
Tubing cutter or hacksaw
Drill
1Y.a -inch Forstner bit
o/,6-inch drill bit
!Is-inch drill bit
Screw gun or Phillips-head
screwdriver
Framing square
Clamps
Staple gun
o/,dnch staples
Scissors
Pencil
Safety glasses
Clothes iron
Two lO-foot lengths of lx6
Two 6foot lengths of
Y.a-inch copper refrigera
tion tubing
11 feet of colorful cloth
(width no less than 42
inches) for the curtains
11 feet of colorful cloth for
the ruffle
15 feet of colorful ribbon for
seaming the ruffle
24 curtain loops with clips
Materials for building the
Lemonade Stand bottom
(if you haven't built it
already; see page 115)
One pound 1 Y.a -inch drywall
screws
Four l-inch #12 sheet
metal screws
Carpenter's wood glue
Fabric glue
127
Puppet Theater
____________________________________r__~ ~
Setting the Stage
I. If you've built the Lemonade
Stand, you already have most of
what you need for this project. If
you haven't built the Lemonade
Stand, turn back to page 114 and
get started. You'll need to build
the three bottom panels and cut
the fl agstaffs to size. Don't make
the shelves , though - they'll
only get in the puppeteers' way!
two Ix6 boards
Constructing the
Curtain-Top Frame
Stack the two lx6 boards
with their ends even. Cu t two
pieces 59 inches long; these will
become the long sides of the
curtain-top frame . Cut another
pair 34 inches long; these pieces
will become the short sides of
the frame. Finally, cut two
23-inch lengths; these will
become the fill er pieces.
59" 34"
J. Place the 34-inch side
pieces to your left and right on
your work surface. Set the 59
inch front and back pieces per
pendicular to the 34-inch side
pieces, wi th their ends resting on
top of the ends of the 34-inch
pieces, to form a rectangle. Set
the 23-inch filler pieces on top of
the 34-inch end pieces , between
the ends of the 59-inch front and
back pieces. You should now
have a rectangle in one plane 011
23"
Long side short side
fiLLer piece I I
128
Puppet Theater
\ ;:::ide
long sides
the top. Square up the pieces
using a framing square along the
outer edges.
1.. Carefull y lift up the filler
pieces and put carpenter's glue
along their bottom surfaces.
Replace them and recheck the
alignment with a framing square.
Drive four 1
1
4-inch screws
through each filler piece into the
end piece below to fasten the two
pieces together.
5. Lift up one of the long sides
and put glue on the top surfaces
of the two ends beneath it.
Replace the piece. Holding the
long side in place, drive three
1l,4-inch screws through each
end , into the side piece below
Avoi d driving a screw in the
extreme outside corner of each
corner; you'll be drilling holes
for the curtain rods there later.
6. Repeat step 5 with the
other long side.
7. Check the alignment one
last time and try to get the frame
as close to square as you can.
(Perfection is not required.)
Puppet Theate r
129
Drilling
6 When the glue is dry, turn
Lh . frame over. At each corner,
sqnare a line 3-% inches in from
each oll tside edge, so that you
have two lines that intersect. Use
an awl to punch each inLersec
tion poin t.
o Put the 1lA-inch Forstner
bit in Ll1e dri ll chucL Set the
:,pur rthe bit in one of the small
holes you punched vvith the awl.
Drill a hole all the way through
the lOllg side and the end. piece
beneath it. Repeat at the other
three corners.
10. Turn the curtain top frame
upside down on your work sur
faces , with the fill er pieces faCing
down and the short sides to your
left and right. Square lines across
the nearer long side 28 inches in
(rom either end. On on of these
lines, mark a point 1 inch in
from the near edge of the frame.
On the other line, mark a point
2 inches in from the near edge of
the frame.
II. Reach across to the long
side away from you and square a
line 1 inch in from each edge at
one of the far comers. Mark the
point wh re the two lines inter
sect. Do the same on the other
far corner. If there is a screw in
the way at these crosshair5, rake
it out now.
I Put the 51i6-inch bi t in the
drill chuck. Drill a hol e all the
way through the frame at each of
the four points you've marked.
These smaller holes are [or the
curtain-rod ends.
Making the Awning Ruffle
I . Cut your rulDe cloth into
three 12-inch-widc stlips. (Each
one will measure 11 f 'ct by 12
inches.) Fold each piece in half
lengthwise and run a hot iron
. along the folds. You should now
have three 11-foot by 6-inch
lengths of cloth.
II.. Turn the curtain-top
frame so that the fil ler pieces
face up and one of the long s ides
hangs about 2 inches off th e
front of your wad, surface.
Clamp the frame in place. Then
find lhe center of lhe front edge
of the fr ame and make a small
pencil mark there.
130
Puppet Theater
cloth stapled at
midpoint to
center of frame
IS. Find the midpoint of one
of the pieces of rume cloth. At
the midpoint, staple the unfolded
edge of the cloth to the center
of the front edge of the frame,
keeping the edge of the cloth
flush wi th the top edge of the
frame. Take a look: The unfolded
edge of cloth should be stapled
to the wood and the folded edge
should hang down.
16. Grab hold of the top edge
of the cloth a few inches to the
left of the midpoint. Bring that
top edge back against the mid
point staple, making a loop of
cloth that points out toward you.
Keeping the top edge in position,
flatten the loop to the left and
staple its end to the edge of the
frame. The new staple should be
Just about an inch away from the
midpoint staple. You've just
made one pleat
l
17 . To make the next one,
grab the cloth a few inches to
the left of the pleat, pull the top
edge back to the staple you just
placed, fol d the loop of cloth
down to the left , and staple it
flush to the top edge of the frame
vVorki ng to Lhe left, create a
series 01 nat , fold ed pleats across
the LOp of your theater, like those
at Lh e tops of old-fashioned cur
tains. Try to make your folds
ven, stapl ing every i11 ch or so.
(Pleating llI ay be an ca ier task
vvi.Lh two people worki ng together,
one to fol d and hold Ihe cloth
and the other to st pic.)
6 When you reach the end
of the cloth, staple tbe end to the
frame, get another length of fab
ric, and keep going. Overlap the
new fabric over the "ruffle" of
the old fabric by an inch or so.
When you get to the corner of
your frame, turn ancl reclarnp the
frame on t he work surface and
turn tl e corner with your fabri c.
Keep the pleats
flush with the top
( edge of the frame.
19. Continue pleating until
you reach the eud of the shon
side. There, cut the fabric aboUl
Y2 inch longer than you need and
fold this e, lra underneath before
you put the last staple in jusl
before the corner.
Puppet Theater
131
Go back to the middle of
the front and repeat the pleating
and stapling process, working
to the right, until you have com
pleted the ruffle all the way across
the front and the other short side.
I Glue a long piece of rib
bon along the top of the ruffle to
hide the staples, starting at the
end of one short side, moving
across the front, and finishing on
the other short side. Cut off the
excess ribbon when you are fin
ished. Gluing, smoothing, and
holding the ribbon in place may
require a few extra sets of hands.
The result will be a beautiful fin
ished ruffle .
Puppet Theater
132
Crafting Curtains
Cut the curtain fabric
in half. Each piece should be
5
1
/2 feet long (but longer is okay).
Lay one of the pieces of
fabric flat on your work surface.
On one of the long sides, fold
over 1 inch of the edge, iron it
down, and staple it in place.
Repeat this process on both short
sides. Then bring the other piece
of fabric to your work surface
and iron and staple the same
three folds.
Now you're ready to fold ,
iron, and staple the remaining
long sides. Figure out how much
you'll have to fold over to make
the final wi dth of each cloth 36
inches. If your fold is more Lhan
2 inches, use two or even three
rows of staples to hold it down.
Or you can trim off some of the
extra cloth to make your fold
less than 2 inches.
Cli p the curtain loops to
one of the long sides of each
piece, sLarting at a corner and
placing a clip every 6 inches or so .
133
Puppet Theater
1
--
Push down with
your thumbs!
sw'
copper
tubing
31%"
36%"
60%" -
66%"
\
SECOND CURTAIN ROD
bend #3 bend #1
the curtain rods bent to shape
Shaping the Curtain Rods
26. ncoil the two lengths of
copper tubing, bending them
until they are basically straight.
To bend (or straighten) the tub
ing, grasp it with both hands,
with your thumbs pointing
toward each other and about an
inch apart. Gently push in with
your thumbs until you feel the
tubing move. Shift your hands
along the tubing and press down
again with your thumbs , bending
the tubing just a little in each
place along its length to avoid
creating kinks.
27. When the copper tubing
is straightened, lay the two
lengths side by side and mark
them together at 5:;4, 3 n ~ , 36
1
/2 ,
60 Y2 , 65
1
,4 , and 66:;4 inches from
one end.
26. Grab a length of tubing
in both hands , with the end you
measured from in your right
hane!. About 1112 inches from the
end, begin bending the tubi ng
Bend a little, move your hands
farther down, and bend a little
more. \,tVhen you reach the first
layout mark on the tubing, stop
bending and check your progress.
Your goal is to make the tubing
turn 90 degrees evenly between
the end of the tube and the first
layout mark. Adjust your curve
by bending more (or unbending
if necessary), spreading your
efforts along the whole length of
bent tubing. (Perfection is not
reqUired, and you will be able to
make adjustments later.)
9. Grip the tube at the sec
ond mark (31:;4 inches from the
end), with the bent end on your
134
Puppet Theater
right and pointing up. Begin
making a second bend along a
horizontal plane, trying to com
plete a 90-degree turn by the
time you reach th third layout
mark. You should end up \\ ith a
left-hand bend.
30. Hold the tubing with the
unworked end on your left , the
second bend pOinting down
ward, and the first bend pointing
toward you. Position your
thumbs at the fourth layout
mark and begin bending along a
horizuntal plane, trying to com
plete a 90-degree turn as you
reach the fifth layout mark. Use a
tubing cutter or a hacksaw to cut
the piece at the la t mark.
31. The second curtain rod
will be a mirror image of the first.
Repeat step 26 to make the first
bend. To make the second bend,
hold the tubing with its curved
end to the left of your hands and
pointing up, and move your
hands to the right as you bend.
For the final bend, hold the rod
so that the second bend is to the
left of your hands and points
downward, and move your hands
to the right as you benel Cut the
piece at the final layout mark.
31. Place the curtain frame
upside down wi th the 5;16 -inch
holes in the corners closest to
you. Hold the completed curtain
rods up to the curtain frame to
check their alignment, remem
bering that they overlap at the
center of the frame. Lnsert the
ends a short wa into the 5;1r,-inch
hole until the rods support
themselves. The rods should
curve around the outside of the
la r"ger holes (so that on opening
night the curtain can follow the
same path around the pole that
wilt run through the holes) If
your rods are out of ali gnmem,
bend them into positio11 now.
3. Re move the curtain rods
one at a time and slip the cur
tains onto them. Insert the e nels
of the rod back into the %i -inch
hol es. Work the >nds of the rods
d wn into the hol es until they
reach all the way through the
frame to the work surface.
31.. Set the frame on edge with
its top surface faCing you. Drive
the :till sheet-metal screws into
the tubi ng unlil the screw head
co ntacts the wood frame. Thi is
an unorthodox use of screws and
copper tubing, but wi.th some
extra force, the threads sh oL1l d
bite into the copper and (hr e it
tigh t agai nst the sides of the
drilled hole.
3 Assemble your puppet
theater using the directions for
the Lemonade land (pages
124-125) . Grab your puppns
and put on a show r
135
Puppet Theater
__ ________T,_ _ J
Page numbers in itali cs indicate
illustrations and photographs.
A
Adding measurement s, 36
Allegra's Table, 92, 92-101
Angled cut, 14, 14-15
Apron, for Drawing Table, 96, 96,
98,98
Arrow String Art, 45, 45
Awning roof, for Lemonade Stand
118-19,118-19,124-25,125
B
Bevel cut, 14-15, 14-15, 58, 58
Birdhouses, 46, 46-55, 52
Bits for drilling, 20, 20, 23
Blade binding, 12
Block plane, 26-29, 26-29
Book House, 102, 102-13
Bounce when hammering, 122,
122
Brace and bit, 20, 22, 22
Buttons, 99, 99
Cage, Cricket, 62, 62-67, 67
Checkerboard, 34-37, 34-37
Circles, compass for, 41, 41
Clamps, 94, 94, 98, 98
Combination square, 30, 31
Compass for circles, 41, 41
Compound cut, 14, 14
Countersi nk drill bit, 20, 20
Cricket Cage, 62, 62-67, 67
Crosscut saws, 10, 10
Crosscutting, 14, 14
Crosshairs, marking, 21, 21
Curl , Perfect, 28-29, 28-29
Curtain rods, shaping, 134-35,
134-35
Curtain top, for Puppet Theat er
128-30,128-30, 130-32, 130-32,
133-35,133-35
Direct measurement, 32
Dividing, equal, 33, 33-34
Double-Bridge String Art, 43, 43,
45,45
Dowels, cutting, 64, 65, 66
Drilling, 20-25, 20-25, 88
Drywall screws, 23, 23
F
Finish coat, 101
Flags, 123, 123, 125, 125
Flat -head screwdri ver, 23
Flip It, 82, 82-91, 91
Forstner drill bit, 20, 20
Framing square, 30, 31,36-37,
36-37
Furniture Factory, 16-19, 16-19
Gluing, 95, 95, 99, 99, 100
H
Hammering, 6-9, 6-9, 18, 18, 122,
122
Hand drill, 20-22, 20-23
Handsaw, 10-12, 10-12, 15
Hinges, 113, 113
Horse Sawhorses, 74, 74-81
House, Book, 102, 102-13
t
Iron, adjusting on a block plane,
27
Ji gsaw, 10, 13, 13, 15
K
Kerf, 10, 11
Kids' building workshop, 1-3
Lemonade Stand, 114, 114-25
Mane for sawhorses, 81, 81
Math and measuring, 32, 36
Measuring, 30-37,30-37
Momentum, when hammering,
6- 8,7-8
Nail set, 6, 9, 9
Painting, 51, 55, 61, 67, 73, 81, 113,
123
Paper rule, 33, 33
Pennants, 123,123
Perch for birdhouse, 51, 51
Perfect Cur l, 28-29, 28-29
Perfect Toolbox, 68, 68-73
Phillips-head screwdri ver, 23
Planing, 26-29, 26-29
Pleating ruff le, 131, 131-32
Plugs, 99, 99
Polyurethane varnish, 93, 101
Power drills, 20-21, 20-23
Predrilling, 23, 23
Pulling out a nail, 8 -9, 9
Pull saw, 10-12, 10-12, 14
Puppet Theater, 126, 126-35
-

Push saw, 10, 10-12

Ripping, 14, 14
Ruffl e, awning, 130- 32, 130-32
Ruler, 30, 30, 32-33, 33,35,35
Safet y, 2
Sanding, 89, 89, 100, 100
Sawhorses, 74, 74- 81
Sawing, 10-19, 10-19
Screws, 23, 23
Shelves, 104, 105- 7, 107
Shingling, 110-12, 110-12
Singl e Birdhouse, 52, 52-55
Spacers, 100, 101
Speed Square, 15, 30-31, 31, 32
Square cut, 58-59,58-59
Squares, 30-32, 31
Squaring a line, 32, 32
Stand, Lemonade, 114, 114-25
Stapli ng, 131, 131-32, 133
Stenciling footprints, 61, 61
Stool , Sturdy, 56, 56-61, 61
String Art, 40-46, 40-46
Sturdy stool, 56, 56-61, 61
Sunset String Art, 44, 44
Sunshine St ring Art, 44, 44
Table, Allegra's, 92, 92-101
Tail for sawhorses, 81 , 81
Theater, Puppet, 126, 126-35
Toolbox, Perfect , 68, 68-73
Tools, 3
Twin Birdhouse, 46, 46-51
" Twist" drill bit, 20,20
Utility knives, 84
W
Wood plugs and buttons, 99, 99
You Name It, 24-25, 24-25
136
.'

I
If you think Popsicle-stick projects are fun, wait until you
start buildi ng with lumber and using hand tools, It's easier
than you t hink! Start with the essentials - the proper
way to drive a nail, the safe way to drill a hole, the
importance of measuring (and measuring again!)
and in no time you'll be ready to tackle it all.
Build these
kid-tested,
parent-approved
projects:
Checkerboard
String Art
Twin Birdhouse
Stur dy Stool
Cricket Cage
Perfect Toolbox
Horse Sawhorses
Fli p It
Allegra's Table
Craig Robertson is a
Bookhouse
skilled carpenter with
Lemonade Stand
20 years df experience
designing and building
Puppet Theater
houses and furniture.
Barbara Robertson
A nd more!
is the director of education at the Wil
College Museum of Art and the foul
ISBN 1-58017-572-4
director of "Kidspace @ MASS MoC
child-centered contemporary art Si.
and gallery. Their daughters Camille, 13,
11 11 111 11 111111 111111111
9 781580175722
www.storeykids.com and Allegra, II, helped write this book.
KI DS/ BUILDING $22.95 US / $32.95 CAN