Plans for a Cookbook Holder
A cookbook holder is a great helper for any chef. In addition to holding your open book out of the way of spilled ingredients, a cookbook holder takes up a little less space on your counter than your typical large cookbook opened flat. Also, the plexiglass shield protects your book from splashes while holding your page. By building your own cookbook holder, you can make sure that when it's not being used to prop up your favorite recipes, you'll like the way it looks on your counter top. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Hard wood, 1/2-inch thick and 15-by-8 inches
- Eye and ear protection
- Dust mask
- Jigsaw
- Circular saw
- Belt sander
- Sand paper
- Hard wood, 3/4-inch thick and 7-by-15 inches
- Hard wood, 3/4-inch thick and 3-by-4.5 inches
- Plexiglass, 1/8-inch thick and 12-by-15 inches
- Waterproof wood glue
- Clamps
Instructions
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1
Use a jigsaw to cut a 15-degree angle into one of the 15-inch edges of the 15-by-8-inch wood piece. This will be the bottom edge of the back piece; the angle will allow the cookbook to rest on a tilted surface. Sketch out a design for the back of the holder, if desired -- you could round off the corners, cut a hole into the back to make the finished holder lighter, or sketch a more complicated shape -- and cut the design out with the jigsaw. Sand the back piece smooth.
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2
Cut a series of 15-inch slots into one surface of the 7-by-15-inch piece of wood (the base of the holder) with a circular saw. You'll need one 1/2-inch-wide slot near one edge of the surface -- this is where the back piece will fit into the base. Space four more 1/8-inch-wide slots evenly between the larger slot and the opposite edge of the base. Make all slots 1/4-inch deep and angled 15 degrees in the direction of the side of the piece with the wider slot. Use the jigsaw to round off the edges of the base, and sand the entire piece.
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3
Draw a line across one surface of the 3-by-4.5-inch piece of wood, which starts at one corner and forms a 15-degree angle with one of the 4.5-inch sides of the piece. Use the jigsaw to cut along this line. This piece will be the back support for the cookbook holder. Sketch and cut out any additional embellishments to the shape of the back-support piece (curved edges, etc) as desired. Sand the piece.
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4
Apply waterproof glue to the 1/2-inch slot in the base and insert the angled edge of the back piece so that the back angles away from the base. Apply glue to the sloped side of the back support and attach to the center of the back side of the back piece so that the bottom of the back support is even with the bottom of the base. Clamp the pieces together and allow them to dry overnight.
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5
Sand the edges of the plexiglass. To use, set the cookbook on the base and rest the plexiglass in the front slot to hold the book open to the right page and protect it from spills.
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