The two projects at a glance
| Build | Difficulty | Time | Parts | Tools |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pair of bookends | Beginner | An hour or two, plus finish | Two 5 in bases and two 6 in uprights, all 3/4 × 5-1/2 | Saw, pocket hole jig, drill/driver |
| Desk riser | Beginner | An hour or two, plus finish | One 18 in top and two 3 in legs, all 3/4 × 5-1/2 | Saw, pocket hole jig, drill/driver |
Both come from one 48 in board sold as 1 × 6 (3/4 × 5-1/2 in dressed).
Laying out the board
Cut parts from a long board rather than buying short pieces: a long board is easier and safer to hold at the saw, and its offcuts are small. The layout places all seven parts in a row. Their lengths add to 5 + 6 + 5 + 6 + 18 + 3 + 3 = 46 in; each of the seven cuts removes a kerf about 1/8 in wide — measure your own blade's — so the board must be at least 46-7/8 in long, leaving about 1-1/8 in. If the board has a knot or split, move the 18 in riser top to clear wood first and fit the short parts around the defect.
| Part | Qty | Size (in) | Material |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bookend base | 2 | 3/4 × 5-1/2 × 5 | 1×6 board |
| Bookend upright | 2 | 3/4 × 5-1/2 × 6 | 1×6 board |
| Riser top | 1 | 3/4 × 5-1/2 × 18 | 1×6 board |
| Riser leg | 2 | 3/4 × 5-1/2 × 3 | 1×6 board |
Final sizes. Screws: 1-1/4 in pocket screws for 3/4 in stock, as Kreg's chart gives for its K2000 and Rocket jigs — four per bookend, four per riser leg.
Build 1: the bookends
Making a pair of bookends
Drill the pockets
Set the pocket hole jig for 3/4 in stock — on Kreg's K2000 or Rocket, the collar 3-1/2 in from the bit's step — and drill two pockets in the underside of each base, at one end. Clamp the jig and the work; Kreg says never to hold the jig by hand while drilling.
Join base to upright
Stand the upright on its bottom end and butt the base's pocketed end against its face, bottoms flush. Glue, clamp flush and drive the screws, so the base sticks out 5 in in front of a 6 in upright.
Finish
Ease the edges, sand, and finish. Add felt pads under the bases if they will sit on a finished surface.
Build 2: the desk riser
Making the desk riser
Drill the legs
Drill two pockets in the inside face of each leg, at its top end, with the same 3/4 in setting.
Attach the legs
Mark lines 1 in in from each end of the top's underside. Glue and screw each leg with its outside face on a line, the legs standing on edge across the top's width.
Check and finish
Check the riser sits without rocking, sand, and finish. It is a small desk shelf; no load rating is claimed, so judge what you put on it.
Safety— Short parts at the saw
Cut the 3 in legs from the end of a longer piece with a stop on the saw, never by holding a short offcut against a blade. Follow your saw's manual and woodworking safety rules; pocket-hole drilling is covered in the pocket hole guide.
Before cutting the board
- Board at least 46-7/8 in long, flat, defects marked
- Kerf of your blade measured
- Longest part placed in the clearest wood
- Pocket hole jig set for 3/4 in stock
- Stop set for the repeated parts
A box made from a similar short board is in box plans; a toy in toy plans; every small project is mapped in wood craft ideas. Boards are measured and priced as explained in the board foot calculator.
More project plans
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Sources
Both builds are BenchRoot designs; every dimension is on the drawing and in the cut lists. Pocket-hole settings are Kreg's for its own jigs; other jigs have their own charts. Kerf depends on the blade; 1/8 in is used for the layout. The designs were not built for this page; no load rating is claimed and no downloadable plan is offered.
- 1.
NIST Handbook 130 (2026), IV.B Uniform Regulation for the Method of Sale of Commodities. National Institute of Standards and Technology, 2026.
Used for: Softwood lumber sold by nominal size, with a nominal 1 × 6 dressed dry to 3/4 × 5-1/2 in under the American Softwood Lumber Standard.
- 2.
Kreg Jig® Owner's Manual — Rocket™ Jig, K2000 Kreg Jig® and Mini Kreg Jig®. Kreg Tool Company (retailer-hosted copy).
Used for: Pocket holes in 3/4 in stock with the K2000 or Rocket jig: the depth collar 3-1/2 in from the bit's step and 1-1/4 in screws, fine thread in hardwood and coarse in softwood; the jig and work clamped, never held by hand.
About this guide
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