Replies

1. 
   pins | Sep 03, 2006 11:49pm | #1

   Describe what a 'kneeling altar' is, if you would.

   John

1. 
   citrouille | Sep 04, 2006 12:29am | #2

   I think it's called a "prie-dieu".C.

   Edited 9/3/2006 5:33 pm ET by citrouille

1. 
   pins | Sep 04, 2006 12:47am | #3

   There are two types. I have made both but I don't have photos and I didn't use plans.See if you can follow this, if not email me privatly if you wish and I will try to sketch them for you, or the one you need. Or you can just reply on the list.The first:Is just a horizontal board between 24" and 36" long by 6" wide and is upholstered with foam and fabric for comfort. This board is supported about 6" off the floor by, on the right side, a 'leg.' The 'leg' on the left side continues up to about 30" as a support for the left hand of the person who is about to kneel. The 'leg' is just a board that, in the case(s) of the ones I made, is the same width as the board on the top and wider at the bottom and an inverse "U" cut into it to make it as two 'legs.' The second:Same horizontal upholstered board but; it is supported by verticals on both sides that rise to about 24" above the height of the horizontal upholstered board and those two risers are connected, horizontally by another board, sometimes slanted from the front to the back to accomodate the forearms of the person who is praying.This horizontal board on the bottom, called the 'kneeler' can be as wide as you want depending on how many people are expected to use it at one time. If the kneeler spans a distance you will need a support, or more, in between to support the kneeler. For an extended length you will also have to support the upper armrest.They are usually made with red oak but other quality hardwoods are acceptable.I forget to mention that on the second type the upper horizontal is forward of the lower horizontal so the base has to be engineered differently and in many cases the upper horizontal and the uprights are the major factors in the design and the lower horizontal is made so that it can swivel up to be inside the verticals for storage. Does that make sense?JohnEdited 9/3/2006 5:51 pm ET by pinsEdited 9/3/2006 5:52 pm ET by pins

   Edited 9/3/2006 6:39 pm ET by pins

1. 
   pins | Sep 04, 2006 02:47am | #4

   Further research yielded the following photo of the first example that I cited:

   
2. 
   bernie22 | Sep 04, 2006 06:30pm | #5

   Try this website it has many plans that are free.

   http://www.woodworkersworkshop.com

3. 
   tomg | Sep 05, 2006 05:12pm | #6

   I'm in the process of making my own plan for a kneeler. I've hunted for plans, and was not able to find any that I liked. However, the results of some Internet research suggest the following dimensions:
   - a width of 26 in.
   - the top of the board that the knees rest on should be 7"
   - total height should be about 31 in.
   For mine, I'm going to set it up to fit me (elbow height, knee board height, etc).
   One design consideration is making sure that the kneeler will not tip forward when a person is getting up or down. To prevent that, there should be a projection on the front end of the kneeler. Generally, kneelers have a distinct "L" shape when seen from the side, but for mine I am going to kick out the bottom of the front side to make it stable. I'll post a drawing when I have it done.
   Regards,
   -Tom