Raising Goats For Dummies. Cheryl K. Smith

the headpiece itself is the stanchion) separately. For bigger goats, there is one that the head rests on instead of having a locking mechanism.

The simple, wooden milk stand in Figure 4-2, is for miniature goats and is easy to make. If you want to make one for a larger breed, you can lengthen the plywood and the side boards and make the legs longer. A similar milk stand can also be found online for only about $100.

      FIGURE 4-2: A milk stand.

      Before you dive into hammering, gather your materials and equipment. You’ll need the following from your local lumberyard:

       One 2 x 4 measuring 8 feet in length

       One 1 x 6 measuring 10 feet in length

       Two 1 x 4s measuring 10 feet in length

       One 2 x 2 measuring 8 feet in length

       One sheet of 5⁄8-inch plywood measuring 36 x 21½ inches

      Pick up the following hardware:

       One box of 100 1-inch deck screws

       One box of 50 2-inch deck screws

       One ¼-20 2½-inch bolt

       One ¼-20 lock nut

       One 4-inch hook-and-eye latch

      Finally, make sure you have the following tools handy:

       Drill

       Drill bits: 1⁄8 inch and inch

       Saw

       Sandpaper (and a sander, if you have one)

       Pencil

       Square

       Tape measure

       Screwdriver

       Clamp

      The following sections cover all the steps for building.

      Cutting the lumber into parts and marking the pieces

      Start by doing the following:

      1 Cut the 2 x 4 into four 14-inch-long leg pieces, and label each of these pieces A.

      2 Using the remainder of the 2 x 4, cut a 20½-inch piece for the feed holder, and label the piece N.

      3 Cut the 1 x 6 into two 20-inch end pieces and label each of these pieces B.

      4 Using the remainder of the 1 x 6, cut two 36-inch side pieces, and label these pieces C.

      5 Cut one of the 1 x 4s into four 21½-inch pieces, and label these pieces G, H, I, and J, respectively.

      6 Using the remainder of the 1 x 4 from Step 5, cut one 18½-inch piece and label it F.

      7 Using the remainder of the 1 x 4 from Step 5, cut two 4½-inch pieces, and label these pieces M.

      8 Cut the second 1 x 4 into two 36-inch pieces, and label them K and L.

      9 Using the remainder of the 1 x 4 from Step 8, cut one 18½-inch piece and label it E.

      10 Using the remainder of the 1 x 4 from Step 8, cut two 12-inch pieces for braces and label it O.

      You’re done cutting the lumber!

      Attaching the legs to the base

      Lay one end piece (B) on your work surface and screw two of the legs (A) to the inside of one end of the end piece (B) using 1-inch screws. Make sure that the screws are flush with the top and side of the end piece. Repeat with the other two legs and end piece.

      

If you have a partner to hold the pieces, it will go faster. If you’re working alone, use a clamp to secure the pieces before screwing them together.

      Attaching the side pieces to the base

      Screw the side pieces (C) to the end pieces (B) using 2-inch screws. The legs and ends should be on the inside of the side pieces.

      Finishing the platform

      Turn the structure so it’s standing upright on the legs. Lay the plywood across the top lengthwise, making sure that one end of the plywood is flush with the end of the base. When you’re sure it’s square, drill holes with the 1⁄8-inch drill bit. Screw it all together with 2-inch deck screws.

      

It’s easier if you drill 1⁄8-inch starter holes first.

      Preparing the stanchion

      To prepare the stanchion, follow these steps:

      1 With a tape measure, measure over 2½ inches from the top corner of piece F, and mark with a pencil.

      2 From the same corner, measure down the side 5¾ inches, and make a mark across the piece.

      3 Using your square as a ruler, draw a line from the first mark to the second mark.

      4 Cut with your saw along the line.

      5 Place the stanchion supports (E and F) on a table.

      6 Place piece H flush with the top and side and place piece G across the lines you drew, 4 inches across.

      7 With the cut facing inward on the piece labeled I, predrill holes for 3 screws at each end of pieces G and H.

      Assembling the stanchion

      To assemble the stanchion, follow these steps:

      1 Turn the stanchion upside down, with piece H on the top, and place pieces I and J on top, aligned with G and H in the same location as G1 and G2.

      2 Drill holes with your 1⁄8-inch drill bit and screw it together on both sides.

      Creating neck pieces

      To create the neck pieces, follow these steps:

      1 Take pieces K and L and mark a line across each piece at 4 inches and 16 inches from the top.

      2 Mark a vertical line between the two marks you made in Step 1, 1½ inches from one side.

      3 Using your saw, make a cut that curves from the top line, horizontally, then down the vertical line, and then curving into the bottom line horizontally. A jigsaw works best for this.

      4 Measure over from one end of piece J and piece I to the center and mark the center line with a pencil.

      5 Measure ½ inch over from each side of the center line.

      6 Measure and mark 3½ inches from the inside bottom of piece L.

      7 Measure up from the bottom and mark at 2¾ inches.

      8 Draw a line between the two marks and cut this angle.

      9 Sand these two pieces so they’re smooth.

      Adding the neck pieces to the stanchion

      To add the neck pieces to the stanchion, follow these steps:

      1 Place neckpiece L between pieces I and J on the stanchion support ½ inch from the center and extending 4 inches below the bottom piece I, with the cutout area facing inward and flush with the bottoms of pieces E and F.Clamp, if needed, before proceeding.

      2 Place