[Illustration:  Fig. 7.—­Perspective view of bookstand.]

The shelves a and b are 15 inches long, exclusive of the lugs c, c, c, c, and 4-1/2 and 4-3/4 inches wide respectively.  As will be seen from Fig. 8, b overlaps a.  Both have their top edges rounded off to prevent injury to book bindings, but their bottom edges are left square.

As the neatness of the stand will depend largely on a and b fitting closely against the sides, their ends should be cut out and trued carefully, special attention being paid to keeping the shoulders between and outside the lugs in a straight line.  The wedge holes in c, c, c, c measure 1/2 by 1/4 inch, and are arranged to be partly covered by the sides, so that the wedges cannot touch their inner ends. (See Fig. 9.) This ensures the shelves being tightly drawn up against the sides when the wedges are driven home.

[Illustration:  Fig. 8.—­End elevation of bookstand.]

The wedges should be cut on a very slight taper of not more than half an inch in the foot run, in order to keep their grip.  Prepare a strip as thick as the smaller dimension of the holes, 3/8 inch wide at one end, and 7/8 inch wide at the other.  Assemble the parts and push the piece through a hole until it gets a good hold, mark it across half an inch above the hole, and cut it off.  Then plane the strip down parallel to the edge that follows the grain until the end will project half an inch beyond the lug next fitted.  Mark and cut off as before, and repeat the process until the eight wedges are ready in the rough.  Then bevel off the outside corners and smooth them—­as well as the rest of the woodwork—­with fine glass paper.

Shelves and sides should be wax-polished or given a coat or two of varnish.

[Illustration:  Fig. 9.  Plan or bookstand shelf.]

Don’t drive the wedges in too tight, or yon may have to lament a split lug.

If the stand is to be used for very heavy books, or the shelves are much longer than specified here, it is advisable to bring the angle of the shelves down to the bottom of the standards, to relieve the shelves of bending strain at the centre; or to use stouter material; or to unite the shelves at two or three points by thin brass screws inserted through holes drilled in the overlapping part.

IV.  A HOUSE LADDER.

The preparation and putting together of the parts of a ladder having round, tapered rungs let into holes in the two sides is beyond the capacity of the average young amateur; but little skill is needed to manufacture a very fairly efficient substitute for the professionally-built article—­to wit, a ladder of the kind to which builders apply the somewhat disparaging adjective “duck.”