The youth room at Eagle’s Nest Worship Center in Naples needed a sturdy lectern. More than a music stand, one that could hold notes and books and a drink for the preacher/teacher/speaker. So I made one. I started with rough-sawn Florida cypress for the top, bottom and face frame. Then planed it smooth and straight. For sturdiness and natural appearance I used oak dowels instead of screws. And to help with portability I mounted non-marking rubber tires beneath and made two of them locking for stability. To bring out the natural colors of the wood I applied a hand-rubbed urethane finish.

Ready for use.

Here is the main board before running through the planer. It’s 1 1/2″ thick.

Main cypress board after going through the planing machine. I count 45 rings.

Oak dowels protruding will be cut off flush and sanded smooth.

Structurally sound. Now ready for sanding and urethane.

The original wheel placement did not work. The front (top of photo) were too far back making it unstable.

The dense cypress made this lectern top-heavy. So I bought a 50# slab of 1″ thick steel and mounted it underneath. The new front wheels are more forward and go straight only for more security.

Applied laminate to the top lid and attached an oak base with “biscuits” and glue.

I lined the floor of the top with self-adhesive cork.

This triangle is the cut-off from the top of the lectern.

I ran it through the band saw for two matching sizes with grain.

Then cut them to create the horizontal plane.

Making a negative cross image for the front.

I needed to get this cross centered and level before gluing.

Shelves to be installed next week.