BILLY BOY’S WORKSHOP

Taranaki Daily News, 5 July 1930, Page 24 (Supplement)

BILLY BOY’S WORKSHOP

MAKING A SMALL STEP LADDER. This week I .want to tell you how to make some useful household steps. You will see by the first diagram that there are three treads and the top piece, forming four steps in all. The first parts to make are the two side pieces, each of which is cut from a 2ft 5m length of rvood, 3in wjde by fin thick. Mark out on the side of one piece the slantinj lines which give the positions of the treads. These lines, and those at the top and bottom ends, slope at an angle of 30 degrees, so you can mark them with the aid of a setsquare of the required angle. The measurements are given in diagram A* Now, with your tenon saw, cut through the wood on the three pairs of sloping lines to a depth of jin and with a chisel remove the wood between the saw-cuts to form slots Jin deep. Saw off the top and bottom ends of the side piece, and then mark out and finish the other piece in the same way, making the slanting slots on the side which faces the first, of course. The treads come next, and these are sawn from wood fin thick to the sizes given at C. Each one is fixed in position by three stout nails at either end, driven in from the side pieces, as showm in the bottom left hand diagram. For the back supports of the steps, two pieces of 2in by fin wood will be required, each Ift Ilin long, and to these are screwed two cross-pieces D.D., which are jin thick. Make, a Jin hole in each support, as shown in diagram B, and also in each side piece to allow a peice of rope to pass through. The part E, which is nailed to the back of the side pieces at the top, is a piece of fin wood Ilin long, and to this the back supports are fixed by two strong hinges which should be screwed in position as showm in diagram B. This hack part must have the top edge planed to the same angle as the tops of the side pieces. Use wood fin thick for the top part F, and nail this in position, so tlrat an equal amount overlaps on each side. To complete the steps, fix the two pieces of strong rope, each 2ft long, knotting them at the ends after passing them through the holes in the sides and back pieces. The Hut Carpenter.