Free Plan: 1912 Music Rack and Bookstand
Fewer than ten parts, one afternoon, and a top that tilts to any angle.
Free download. No signup required.
- Complete cut list, under ten parts
- Brass rod tilt mechanism
- Base assembly that will not rock
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An afternoon project. What decides how clean it comes out?
The plan is yours to keep. Almost every cut on it is a hand-tool cut — if that is the part you want to get sharper at, the guide below covers it.
Download didn't start? Get the plan here.Sawing, paring, layout, sharpening
The Beginner's Guide to Woodworking with Hand Tools covers the techniques this project runs on, for shops without a wall of machines.
Show me the guide → →Disclosure: I may earn a commission if you buy through this link. It doesn't cost you extra.
This is the smallest project in the collection, and that is the point. One post about three feet tall, a crosspiece and two crossbars for the base, two braces, and a reading surface the size of a cereal box lid. A brass rod and a brass rail let the top tilt and lock wherever you set it. Eight round-head screws hold the rest together.
It was drawn in 1912 for sheet music. It works just as well for a book, a recipe, a repair manual, or a tablet, which is why people still build it.
The plan covers the full cut list, the cross-lap base, the brace layout, the brass tilt mechanism, and the drilling sequence for the hardware.
Project at a Glance
- Difficulty
- Beginner — the simplest build in the collection
- Main materials
- 1-1/8" square stock for post and base, 1/2" poplar or plywood for the reading surface, 1/4" brass rod and brass rail, eight round-head brass screws
- Build time
- An afternoon
- Tools needed
- Hand saw or miter saw, drill, chisel, machine vise or clamps, sandpaper and finish supplies
- Safety
- Brass drilling — clamp the work, see the shop tip below
- Source
- Popular Mechanics Handbooks, 1912 (public domain)
Two things worth knowing before you start:
Glue the base cross on a surface you have actually checked — a jointed board or a saw table, not the bench. Four feet that are not coplanar give you a rock, and on a stand this tall a rock is what lets the whole thing go over sideways when somebody leans on it. Second: drill the brass rod in a vise, never by hand. Brass grabs hard right as the bit breaks through and will spin a loose piece out of your fingers. Clamp it, back the hole with scrap, and go slow.
A project like this one is finished before the afternoon is. That is what makes it a good entry point — and it is also why it tends to raise a question rather than answer one.
Almost everything here was cut, pared and fitted with hand tools. Doing that well is a skill set of its own, and it is the one that decides how clean the next project comes out.
Recommended Next Step
The skills behind a clean hand-cut joint
The Beginner's Guide to Woodworking with Hand Tools covers the techniques this kind of project runs on: sawing to a line, paring with a chisel, laying out accurately, and keeping an edge sharp enough to cut cleanly.
It suits builders working without a machine-heavy shop. If you already cut and pare confidently, the plan above is all you need here.
The Beginner's Guide to Woodworking with Hand Tools
Sawing, paring, layout and sharpening — the techniques a hand-tool project depends on.
Disclosure: I may earn a commission if you buy through this link. It doesn't cost you extra.
Start with the music stand plan
Download the plan and build at your own pace. It is yours whether or not the guide ends up on your shelf.