Build a cookbook stand

All cookbooks should be spiral bound for ease of use. Same goes for woodworking books that wont lie open when you are trying to follow a plan. I suppose the main drawback for publishers is that a spiral-bound book cant display its title while on a bookshelf.
Usually I end up setting a heavy object on the open book to keep it open while Im using it. Of course, this eventually ruins the binding.
So a few weeks ago Ryan Mackey posted a picture on Facebook of a cookbook stand he made. This immediately got me thinking about building one of my own to finally put an end to my frustration.
Heres my version. It solves the problem of spring-loaded books and it keeps them upright at an easier angle to read.

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Kindle iPad case and stand

Got the Kindle Fire case done!
Its funny how sometimes the simplest concepts can pose the most challenging problems. This project began by just wanting to make a stand for my wifes new Kindle Fire. She reads constantly: several books a week. An e-reader saves me a lot of trips to the library. But I noticed she had to prop up the tablet to read while sitting at the table.
Keeping it sleekAfter playing with a lot of ideas for a stand, I realized it would be nice to make a case that converts into a stand. My criteria was that it would look sleek, like the Kindle itself, and wasnt complicated to build.
As it turned out, this case is very simple to build and is infinitely adjustable as a stand.
WWMM viewersBut I struggled with it and could not have built this without your help. You guys are incredible. Earlier this week I asked for some suggestions on the design and solutions to problems. I received over a hundred emails. I am continually amazed by how creative you all are! Some outstanding ideas that got me thinking maybe I ought to revisit this project and make another case eventually. I got a lot of ideas incorporating a swinging lid. The idea of a modified cassette case is intriguing: thats a perfect stand. Anyway, THANK YOU all for your help. I couldnt have built this without you.
Simplicity is hardIf I had a mantra, it would be, "keep it simple". I force my brain to tell that to me all the time. We all begin new woodworking projects with complicated ideas that work themselves into complicated designs. Funny how our brains work like that. Its only when we take a step back and maybe sleep on it, that we discover simplicity.

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Make a corner stand

Marriage is never boring. Having a wife means having an endless, "You know what we need?" list.
My wife decided we needed a plant stand for some plants that were getting unwieldy on the kitchen window sill. She even showed me where she wanted it to go, which really helped to focus my design.
We have a small, unused corner of our dining room, right next to a large bay window: a perfect spot for a few potted plants.
I came up with this design so that it would be sturdy and the slanted legs would keep it from tipping. This is an easy project you can make in an afternoon using scrap lumber. The only tricky part is deciding what angle to slant the legs. I made this stand 36" high and angled the legs at 15 degrees. If you wanted to make it taller, you would probably want to angle those legs at 10 degrees or so.
*****

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Making a hat stand

I was asked by Wyatts director if I could make a Victorian style hat stand for a play they are working on. Usually stage props are inexpensively made and not meant to be seen at close distance, but I decided to try to make a real hat stand instead. Like a stage prop, I made mine inexpensively using cheap poplar. Unlike a stage prop, this took me a lot of time to build!

All poplar!

Poplar is often thought of as a cheap, secondary wood not meant to be the star of the show. But if you take the time to dig through the poplar bin at your home center or lumberyard, you will find pieces of all different colors.  The darkest board I used for this project almost looks like walnut.
This project threw me a lot of challenges. Most of them revolved around how to connect the turned sections and the legs. I used  sliding dovetail joints to attach the legs and the spindles are joined together with round tenons.
Mostly, now that its all done, I can finally take a deep breath and relax. This one wore me out!

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