Translations:AY Honors/Wood Carving/Answer Key/34/en

Bookends can be carved from two short sections of 4"x4" lumber, but make sure it is not pressure treated. Cut off two sections 4 to 6 inches long, making sure the cut is square. The end grain of this cut will be the bottom of the bookend. Most commercial 4x4 lumber will be softwood, so if you want hardwood, you will have to look a little harder. If you cannot find a hardwood 4x4, you can make one from smaller pieces of stock by laminating them (that is, gluing several pieces together). Make it interesting by laminating both dark and light-colored species of wood. You can also use chunks of firewood. If you use firewood, you will need to plane one surface and saw another flat. The sawn surface will serve as the bottom, and the planed surface will support the books.