Yellow poplar or red gum makes a rake that is light to handle, and holds the nails securely.
Select well-seasoned lumber, free from knots, about ¾ to ⅞ inch thick. Rakes made from thinner wood give in the middle and are not satisfactory.
The opening within the rake can be cut out with a keyhole saw, or better still with a jig saw or a band saw, if such is available.
The rakes must be well-planed and sandpapered, and no roughness left anywhere to catch the wool when knitting.
The dimensions for the rakes are given in Figs. [1], [2 and 3].
The long rakes ([Fig. 1]) are set with 1 inch finishing nails or with 1 inch, No. 16 wire brads. The nails must be set carefully as indicated in the drawing and project evenly ⅜ inch above the surface of the wood.
The small double round rake ([Fig. 2]) is set with 1 inch finishing nails.
The large round rake ([Fig. 3]) is set with 1½ inch No. 10 wire brads, or with wooden pegs whittled from ⅜ inch doweling, leaving a small head to prevent the yarn from slipping off too easily. The pegs should be securely glued into holes drilled just the right size to take them. Many patients prefer the wooden pegs in the round rakes. Such a rake was sold in some stores during the war and used for knitting hospital stockings to cover surgical dressings.