Lengthwise with chalk-line mark off eleven strips five eighths inch wide; cut them with splitting-saw and plane, the sides cut with fore-plane, making each strip JUST one half inch in breadth as well as thickness.
We will begin with the uprights for the front.
Take one of these strips, square one end: then measure a little over one half inch down the stick, and with try-square make a continuous line around the stick.
Find the centre of the end just squared by drawing diagonals, and then either with block-plane or knife, point the stick by putting the edge of knife on the continuous line on one of the faces of the square, and directing the blade toward the centre of end; a steady, firm pressure will give a good bevel. Finish the other three sides in the same way, and you will have a pyramid with square base for one end of your stick: cut the stick off square thirteen inches from the point. Finish two more sticks in the same way, and you will have your three front uprights.
Now take another piece; square one end as nicely as possible (everything depends in this job on the neatness and accuracy of your work), measure seven and five eighths inches from squared end; cut off and square: you will have a stick seven and one half inches long. Make another like this from the piece left. These pieces we will mark _A_: they are the short uprights in diagram. Now cut two pieces twelve and one half inches long: square both ends; find exact middle, measure one fourth inch in each direction from middle and draw lines with square _across_ the stick. Right and left on the side faces (_not_ the one underneath), draw lines parallel with top face one fourth inch from it. These last lines show how deep you are to saw on the first two lines with cross-cut saw. With chisel remove the little piece one half by one half by one fourth. Take care not to cut the stick deeper than the lines indicate. The sticks will look like fig. 1. These are the cross bars, _BB_.
From another stick cut three pieces six inches long: square both ends; these are marked _CCC_; two belong to the back, and one for the front connecting _CC_. From short pieces left cut two pieces two and three fourths inches long, of course squaring the ends: these are _DD_, and go at side of front.