Book Holder/stand

Reading has always been a source of knowledge, relaxation, and inspiration, but holding a book for long periods can sometimes be tiring. This is especially true when studying, cooking, or working on a project that requires referencing a book hands-free. That’s why I decided to design and build a custom book stand—one that not only holds a book at a comfortable angle but also includes a small built-in lamp for night reading.

This project is a part of my journey into digital fabrication and carpentry, combining both traditional woodworking techniques and modern maker tools. Through this process, I will explore various materials, test different mechanisms, and refine my design through trial and error. My goal is to create a functional, aesthetically pleasing, and user-friendly book stand while documenting each step to share insights, challenges, and lessons learned.

Join me on this journey as I turn an idea into a tangible product, bridging creativity with practicality!

Supplies

1. 8 mm PLY wood sheets ( 100 *100 cm )
2. Hinges(2)
3. L shaped hinges ( 4)
4. Wood glue
5. Sanding paper (320)(500)(600) + sanding machine
6. Wood sticks for applying the glue
7. Wood stain ( water based)
8. Sealer
9. Varnish
10. Gold spray paint
11. Airbrush spray gun for spraying the sealer and the varnish
12. Screws ( small)
13. Electric drill
14. Acrylic sheet
15. Thinner
16. Wood sticks to spread the glue
17. thick wire 50cm

Step 1: Design

Software:

used fusion 360 as it helps in design, assemble all the parts of the design together, and extrude it to see it as a 3D design, then saving these files in the form of STL. format or DXF. format.

The design process:

Before i start i searched for inspiration.

The project consists of 4 main parts:

1. The main body ( where the book rests)
2. The base/ back
3. Shelves(2)
4. 2 back panels

Designing of each part

1- Main body:

1. I started by saving the file on fusion, named it, created new component ( main body) and created a new sketch.
2. made a rectangle with the following dimensions ( 320*290 mm)
3. Then I clicked on finish sketch, extrude to give the main body the thickness of PLY wood which is 8 mm.

2- Shelfs:

1. Created new component, create sketch.
2. Drew a rectangle with the following dimensions ( 320* 100 mm)
3. Finish sketch and extrude ( 8mm thickness)
4. do the same steps one more time to create the other shelf.

3- back:

1. Created new component, create sketch.
2. Drew a rectangle with the following dimensions ( 150*230 mm)
3. Finish sketch and extrude ( 8mm thickness)
4. To make the parts where the metal rod will be to adjust the angle i designed small rectangles with the following dimensions ( 15*150mm) about 5 of them)

4- back panels:

1. Created new component, create sketch.
2. Drew a rectangle with the following dimensions ( 25*100mm)
3. Finish sketch and extrude ( 16 mm thickness) these parts need to be thick as this where we will insert the metal rod.

5- Connecting the parts:

1. to connect these parts I added brackets, 90 degrees, and made holes on both the main body and the shelves to join them together.

6- Export as DXF. :

1. I exported the file as DXF as I preferred to cut the parts using the laser cutter not the table saw, as the thickness of the wood is so thin, but I used the table saw later on to cut the back panels as they are thicker, and added an extra piece on the back.

Step 2: Cutting the Parts

Laser cutter:

I used the laser cutter to cut the main parts of the project to get a clean cut and as i was worried to use the table saw at first but then used the table saw to cut few parts ( the back panels and the back )

After uploading the file on laser works, I arranged the parts along side each other to take the most out the wood.

To cut wood using carbon dioxide laser you need to adjust the speed and the power of the laser beam to cut the wood according to the thickness, as the wood sheet was 8mm thick, the power needed to be stronger, and the speed is slower than if you will cut the 3mm wood.

Speed was 10, and power was 75.

For the space in the 2 shelves for the acrylic sheet I designed a rectangle with the following dimensions ( 29.5*3)

then engraved this on the shelves using the laser cutter withe the same speed and power.

Table saw:

To cut the back panels on the table saw as these 2 pieces were thick about 16 mm, of course you need to be well prepared to cut the wood on this machine, use the googles to protect your eyes.

Adjust the blade to the height of the piece that you are cutting.

Step 3: Sanding the Pieces

For sanding I used 2 main things, the sanding machine, use it with the direction of the wood, then I used sanding paper 300 (fine).

Sanding is an important step before staining.

Step 4: Making the Base

The base consists of strips of wood each one is 1.5 cm and between each on and the other is 1 cm.

Used wood glue to glue each one to the main piece.

Step 5: Engraving the Back and Base

Used the wood chisel to engrave the place to put the hinges.

I took the mismeasurements to make a fit place for the hinges, then used the chisel and the hammer to make the space for the hinges.

And I repeated the same thing in the base as the back.

You need to make the space identical in both pieces.

Step 6: Staining

To stain the wood you need sanded pieces.

I used water based wood stain.

Used water to dissolve the powder and the you can use any material to spread the stain i used cotton wrapped with mesh.

Applied more than one coat to reach the desired shade and between each coat and the other I left the wood to air dry about 30 minutes.

One small problem about the ply wood that after staining the wood had this strange texture, so i sanded again with sand paper (330) to remove any undesirable texture.

Step 7: Spraying the Hinges

The original color of the hinges didn't suit the shade of the stained wood, so I sprayed the hinges with gold spray paint.

Step 8: Making Space to the L Shaped Hinges

Used the driller to fix the L shaped hinges on the main body for the shelves, the space between the 2 shelves was about 5 cm. was fixed with small screws.

Step 9: Sealer

After finishing the drilling and the steps that may cause a scratch it's time to seal the stain and protect the wood from water.

You can use any type of wood sealer you like.

To use it put equal parts of sealer and thinner, stir well, the you have 2 options, to use a paint brush to put the sealer or to spray the sealer with the pressure spraying machine.

I used the second option to distribute the sealer equally.

Between each coat and the other 1 waited about 2 hours to make sure the the sealer dried.

You need to consider that the sealer makes the stain 1 or 2 shades darker, so take this into consideration while staining the wood.

After the sealer dries I sanded the pieces lightly with a sand paper (600).

Step 10: Varnish

The last step is to put varnish on your project to protect it from water and add a shiny layer to your project.

Used the same method with the varnish as the sealer.

Mix it with the thinner, and spray it.

But I only sprayed 1 layer of varnish, and let it dry completely for at least 6 hours.

Step 11: The Wire

To shape the wire of the project I used heat gun to soften the wire and shape it easily, then inserted it in the back panels to support the book holder.