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Legal Information All contents copyright 2010 by Springbok Publishing. All rights reserved. No part of this document or the related files may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means (electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the publisher. Limit of Liability and Disclaimer of Warranty: The publisher has used its best efforts in preparing this book, and the information provided herein is provided "as is." The publisher makes no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaims any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose and shall in no event be liable for any loss of profit or other commercial damage, including but not limited to special, incidental, or consequential damage. Trademarks: This book identifies product names and services known to be trademarks, registered trademarks, or service marks of their respective holders. They are used throughout this book in an editorial fashion only. In addition, terms suspected of being trademarks, registered trademarks, or service marks have been appropriately capitalized, although the publisher cannot attest to the accuracy of this information. Use of a term in this book should not be regarded as affecting the validity of any trademark, registered trademark, or service mark. The publisher is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. Copyright 2010 Springbok Publishing All Rights Reserved- www.woodensaddlerackplans.com Page 2

Introduction Thanks so much for your interest in building your own saddle stand. We re happy to help! Here s some general notes about this plan: The advantage of this plan is that all lumber is standard lumber dimensions. This means you can easily buy the necessary lumber at any home center or lumber yard. This plan allows for hidden screws so your saddle stand can have a furniture grade appearance. To accomplish this, it s recommeded that you use a pocket screw jig such as the Kreg Jig R-3. If you don t have one, you can order one from Rockler, or Sears or even Amazon online. You can also choose to build the stand with standard screws if you don t want or need a saddle stand that looks like a beautiful piece of furniture. This plan notes places where you can subsitute regular wood screws for the hidden Kreg screws. For finishing, we recommend using a wood conditioner on all soft wood pieces (like the pine) then following with a stain and finishing up with at least two coats of polyurethane for extra protection. You ll find a material list as well as a list of tools that will help you have everything on hand before you begin. So, let s get started! Copyright 2010 Springbok Publishing All Rights Reserved- www.woodensaddlerackplans.com Page 3

Materials List: (1) One 2 x 2 sheet ¾ plywood (factory sanded on one side for smooth finish) cut to two 12 x 24 pieces for the two end pieces of the saddle stand ( 6) 1 x 4 x 28 Select Pine for slats (2) 1 x 6 x 28 Select Pine for slats (2) 1 x 8 x 27 Select Pine for legs (2) 1 x 3 x 22-3/8 Select Pine for I-Beam support section (Before cutting these boards, verify the 22-3/8 dimension AFTER legs are mounted) (1) 1 x 4 x 22-3/8 Select Pine for I-Beam Support section (Before cutting this board, verify this dimension AFTER legs are mounted) (2) 1 x 4 x 16 Hard maple for feet suggested for strength, but can be Select Pine if extra strength not required (6) 3/4 x 1/2 x 4 general molding for legs-to-end-pieces mounting guides. (1) 1 x 6 x 6 Pine for jigs (does not need to be Select Pine) (50) #8 x 1-1/4 Wood Screws (40) Optional #8 1-1/4 coarse Kreg washer-head screws. (NOTE: if pocket screws are not going to be used, add this number to the wood screws quantity above) (30) 18 gauge brads ( 6) Screw covers to match wood finish Wood Glue 3/4 Blue painter s tape Wood conditioner (if using soft woods like pine) Wood Stain (choose your color) Polyurethane Finish Brushes for wood conditioner, wood stain and polyurethane finish 150 grit sandpaper 400 grit sandpaper Copyright 2010 Springbok Publishing All Rights Reserved- www.woodensaddlerackplans.com Page 5

Tools Needed: Jig Saw 5-1/2 or larger Circular Saw optional for cutting the plywood for the end pieces, 1 x 4s, etc Miter Saw or Hand Saw or Jig Saw can also be used for cutting 1 x 4 s, 1 x 6 s, etc. Drill Drill Bits 7/64 and 11/16 #8 Counter Sink (drill bit & counter sink combination) Kreg Tool Model R3 Junior - Optional Router and/or Router Table Optional Round-over Router bit - Optional Brad Nailer Optional Phillips Screw Driver 4 Irwin Quick Grip Clamps or equal Measuring Tape Pencil Copyright 2010 Springbok Publishing All Rights Reserved- www.woodensaddlerackplans.com Page 6

Cutting the Pieces 1. Trace the end piece pattern onto one of the 12 x 24 x ¾ plywood pieces and flip to outline one complete end piece as shown in Figures 1 & 2. Figure 1 Repeat to outline the second end piece, and then cut out both pieces with the circular saw or the jigsaw. Figure 2 2. Cut 6 pieces of ½ x ¾ general molding each 4 long, as guides for mounting the legs inside the end pieces. 3. Cut six 1 x 4 x 28 and two 1 x 6 x 28 for the slats 4. Cut two 1 x 8 x 27 for the legs. 5. Trace the pattern for the feet two times onto the 1 x 4 stock. Cut out both feet with the jigsaw. Sand smooth, including the edges. Copyright 2010 Springbok Publishing All Rights Reserved- www.woodensaddlerackplans.com Page 7

NOTE: At this point, you are not yet ready to cut the pieces for the I-Beam section. You will need to do this later, as the actual length of the I-Beam needs to be verified after the Saddle Stand is assembled. More on that later. 6. Optional Step: Using a round-over bit, rout all edges of the slats, all edges of the feet (except the bottom edge) and the long edges of the legs (but not the top edge or the bottom edge of the legs). See Figure 3. Note: The edges of the feet could be sanded to produce a beveled edge instead of routing. Figure 3 7. Optional step for hiding the screws Using the Kreg tool, make 16 screw slots on each end piece (2 slots for each slat that will be mounted to the end pieces) as shown in Figure 4. Ream the screw holes with an 11/16 drill bit to make it easier to slip in the #8 Kreg screws later. Figure 4 Copyright 2010 Springbok Publishing All Rights Reserved- www.woodensaddlerackplans.com Page 8

Applying the Finish If you will be applying a finish to the saddle stand, it will be easier to do that now, prior to assembling the pieces. NOTE: If you are using soft woods like pine, you ll want to apply the wood conditioner prior to applying the stain in the steps below. After applying the stain, you ll want to add two or more coats of polyurethane to protect the wood finish, sanding between polyurethane coats with 400 grit paper. Before applying the finish, you will want to mask off some areas with blue painters tape. These areas are places where glue will be applied to strengthen the joining of two pieces. The glue will adhere better to unfinished wood, hence the need to mask off the areas noted below. 8. For the slats, mask on one side of each slat with painter s tape 1-7/8 from each end. See Figure 5. Apply the finish to only the 1-7/8 area on each end. 9. When dry, turn the slats over and apply the finish to the entire top and edges as in Figure 6. This will be the top side of the slats when assembled. Figure 5 Figure 6 Copyright 2010 Springbok Publishing All Rights Reserved- www.woodensaddlerackplans.com Page 9

10. Mask legs on both sides as shown in Figure 7. The top 5 are not finished. On one side of each leg, mask off the area at the bottom, as shown in Figure 8. This is where the feet will mount to the legs. Figure 7 When the one side of the legs is dry, turn the legs over and apply the finish to the other side and also to the edges. Figure 8 Copyright 2010 Springbok Publishing All Rights Reserved- www.woodensaddlerackplans.com Page 10

11. For the feet, mask an area 6-3/4 long in the center of one side and finish as shown in Figure 9. This is where the legs will mount to the feet. When dry, turn the feet over and apply finish to the entire second side (without masking), as well as all of the edges. Figure 9 12. Apply finish to one side of each end piece you cut back in Step 1 (the smooth side as shown below in the left photo, not the side with the Kreg screw holes as shown in the photo on the right). Do not apply finish to the edges (this will allow for better glue bonding later). Copyright 2010 Springbok Publishing All Rights Reserved- www.woodensaddlerackplans.com Page 11

Making the Jigs - Optional (but very helpful) Step: While the finish is drying, you may want to make up the jigs that will make assembling the pieces much easier. The jigs will hold the pieces together, to ensure that all pieces are aligned correctly while you insert the screws. 13. End Piece Jig: To make it easier to mount the slats to the end pieces, construct 2 jigs as shown in Figure 10 to hold the end pieces during assembly as shown in Figure 11. Using 1 x 4 s, cut 4 pieces 3-1/2 long and 1 piece 25 long for each jig. Assemble as shown in Figure 10 with #8 1-1/4 screws. Figure 10 Figure 11 Copyright 2010 Springbok Publishing All Rights Reserved- www.woodensaddlerackplans.com Page 12

14. Slats Jig: Make two jigs as shown in Figures 12 and 13. These jigs will help to space slats evenly when attaching to the end pieces as in Figure 14. Using leftover ¾ plywood or any scrap plywood, cut 2 pieces 3-1/2 x 4-1/2 and 2 pieces 2-1/4 x 2-1/4 square. Using a 2 x 4, cut 2 pieces 5-1/2 long. Assemble two mirror image jigs as shown in Figure 13 and tack in place with brads. Figure 12 Figure 13 Figure 14 Copyright 2010 Springbok Publishing All Rights Reserved- www.woodensaddlerackplans.com Page 13

15. I-Beam Jig #1: To simplify getting the I-Beam assembly lined up evenly, make 2 jigs as shown in Figure 15, using a scrap piece of 3/4 plywood and the included pattern. Cut two pieces. Figure 15 16. I-Beam Jig #2: To center the I-Beam when mounting to the legs, make a jig as shown in Figure 16. Cut 2 pieces of 1 x 4 x 6 and cut 1 piece of 1 x 4 x 2-3/4. Rout or sand the inside edges and the corners as shown in Figure 16. Figure 16 This will help protect the finish on the legs and I-beam during assembly later. Assemble as shown in Figure 16 and secure with the brads or screws. Copyright 2010 Springbok Publishing All Rights Reserved- www.woodensaddlerackplans.com Page 14

17. Feet Jig: To accurately mark screw holes on the legs where the feet will be attached, make a jig as shown in Figures 17 & 18. First, cut 1 piece of 1 x 4 x 8-3/4. Figure 17 Next, cut 2 pieces of 3/4 x 1/2 utility molding, 3-1/2 long. Then, cut 1 piece of the utility molding 7-1/4 long. Mount the molding to the 1 x 4 as shown in Figure 17, tacking with brads. Turn the assembly over and drill three holes as shown in Figure 18, using a 7/64 drill bit. Figure 18 Copyright 2010 Springbok Publishing All Rights Reserved- www.woodensaddlerackplans.com Page 15

Assembly: Attaching 3/4 x 1/2 molding pieces to the end pieces: 18. Mount one 3/4 x 1/2" x 4 strip centered on the end piece and 7 from the bottom as shown in Figure 19. Next, mount two 3/4 x 1/2" x 4 strips 3-5/8 from the center line of each end piece as shown. This will ensure that the legs will mount squarely to the end pieces and ensure the entire saddle stand will sit level on the ground. Attaching slats to the end pieces: 19. Place end pieces in jig as in Figure 20 and clamp lightly. Figure 19 Copyright 2010 Springbok Publishing All Rights Reserved- www.woodensaddlerackplans.com Page 16 Figure 20

20. To carefully remove the blue tape from the slats, use a utility knife to gently score the finish edge of the tape before pulling off the tape. This will ensure that the tape does not pull off any of the finish when you remove it. Once the tape is removed from all the slats, you ll want to apply wood glue to the top edge of the two end pieces as you add a new slat. Keep the glue slightly away from the outside edge to avoid glue running onto the finish when the slats are applied. Start approximately ¼ from the top of the end pieces and fasten slats to the end pieces from underneath if using Kreg screws, or from the top if using common wood screws. Leaving a ¼ gap at the top will allow airflow and ventilation for your saddle. Start with the 1 x 4 slats on top, and end with one 1 x 6 on the bottom of each side. See Figure 21. Each slat requires 2 screws at each end. Figure 21 Copyright 2010 Springbok Publishing All Rights Reserved- www.woodensaddlerackplans.com Page 17

Making screw holes in the legs for attaching the feet: 21. To mark screw holes for the feet, use the jig you made previously in Step17. a) First, lay the leg with the unfinished bottom area face down on a work surface. b) Then, clamp the jig to the bottom of the leg (Figure 22) and drill 3 marking holes with a 7/64 bit. c) Remove jig and counter-sink and drill the marked holes, using the #8 counter-sink bit. Repeat on the other leg piece. Figure 22 Attaching the legs to the End Pieces: 22. Remove the blue tape from the legs. Then, screw the 1 x 8 legs to the 2 end pieces (See Figure 23) using five #8 x 1-1/4 wood screws in each leg. (Note: legs are shown not finished in this photo for clarity). Figure 23 Copyright 2010 Springbok Publishing All Rights Reserved- www.woodensaddlerackplans.com Page 18

Attaching the feet to the legs: 23. Set legs on two flat 2 x 4s (Figure 24) and glue and screw legs to feet using three #8 1-1/4 wood screws. (Remember to start the screws from the inside of the legs using the holes you made previously). Cover the screw heads with screw head covers to make them less noticeable. Figure 24 Constructing the I-Beam support: Now that the saddle stand is standing on its own, carefully measure between the two legs. This dimension should be 22-3/8 but may be different depending upon whether or not you used the jigs to help in the assembly. If the width is different, you ll need to change the length dimension in the following instructions: 24. Cut two 1 x 3 x 22-3/8 and one 1 x 4 x 22-3/8 for the I-Beam supporting the two legs. Drill 2 pocket screw holes with the Kreg tool on each end on one side of the two 1 x 3 boards. See Figure 25. Ream the pocket screws with the 11/16 bit as you did in Step 7. Figure 25 Copyright 2010 Springbok Publishing All Rights Reserved- www.woodensaddlerackplans.com Page 19

25. Take the two 1 x 3 boards with the Kreg slots you just made and rout the top edges (the side opposite the Kreg slots) as shown in Figure 26. 26. Mask glue lines on the 1 x 3 boards as shown in Figure 27. Note: On one of the boards, you ll be masking the side with the Kreg slots as in Figure 27 and 28, and on the other board, you ll be masking the opposite side as shown previously in Figure 26. Figure 26 Figure 27 Figure 28 The center area to be masked is 5/8 wide. The easiest way to cover this area with ¾ painter s tape is to first use a straight-edge to mark off ¾ in the center of the board. Then, split a length of tape 23 lengthwise. Apply each of the two tape pieces approximately 1/16 from the line you drew previously, overlapping the tape pieces slightly. See Figure 28. This will ensure that no unfinished areas of wood show through when you assemble the I-Beam pieces. Be sure to also mark the 3/4 center area on each end as shown in Figure 28. You ll need it to align the I-Beam pieces in the next step. Copyright 2010 Springbok Publishing All Rights Reserved- www.woodensaddlerackplans.com Page 20

For the 1 x 4 board, you will tape off all four of the edges. You will not apply finish to the edges as this will allow better bonding when glue is applied to the edges. Apply the finish to both sides of the board and allow to dry before assembling. 27. After the finish has dried, it s time to assemble the I-Beam. First, remove the tape from all the boards. Turn the two 1 x 3 boards with the Kreg screw slots facing down. Those boards will become the top and bottom of the I-beam. Turn the 1 x 4 board so its long edges match the unfinished strips on the top and bottom 1 x 3s as in the model in Figure 29. To simplify getting the assembly lined up evenly, use the 2 jigs you made in Step 15, placing one on Figure 29 each end of the 1 x 4. Fasten the jigs with two #8 x 1-1/4 screws to the end of the 1 x4 board in the middle, as shown in the model in Figure 29. This will allow you to see the alignment lines you drew in step 26. Apply glue to the top edge of the 1 x 4 and center the top 1 x 3 board first (You ll be adding the bottom board next). Tack the top board in place with brads. Remove the jigs, turn them upside down and screw them again into the 1 x4 so you can now line up the bottom board. Apply glue to the 1 x 4 edge as before, center the bottom board, tack it in place with brads or screws, then remove the jigs. Copyright 2010 Springbok Publishing All Rights Reserved- www.woodensaddlerackplans.com Page 21

28. Take the assembled I-Beam and raise it between the two legs of the saddle stand, resting the I-Beam on two 2 x 4s, one horizontal and one vertical (Figure 30). Figure 30 29. With the I-Beam resting on the 2 x 4 s, use the I- Beam Jig #2 you made in step 16 to center the I- Beam on the legs. Clamp the I-Beam jig to the legs as in Figure 31 and attach with Kreg pocket screws. NOTE: If you are not using Kreg screws, you ll need to use wood screws from the outside of the leg and screw into the I-Beam. Figure 31 Copyright 2010 Springbok Publishing All Rights Reserved- www.woodensaddlerackplans.com Page 22

Your saddle stand is now complete! We hope you have enjoyed creating your own saddle stand. Remember, beautiful saddle stands make wonderful and memorable gifts, too, so we hope you ll use this plan to build more than one! Copyright 2010 Springbok Publishing All Rights Reserved- www.woodensaddlerackplans.com Page 23