This node contains plans for some easy to build
and not too bad looking
bookcases. This is one
way. There are others, some better, some worse.
Here's another way:
jwz: the industrial bookcase
You will need the following materials and tools:
When you buy the lumber, try to find boards that are
straight and flat, free from any warps, bends, twists, bows,
knots, bark, paint, sap, staples, or other defects.
Now you have to decide how each of the 6 foot boardi will
be used in the construction of the bookcase. Two of the boards
will form the vertical sides, and two will be cut in thirds to
make six horizontal shelves between the two vertical boards.
Imagine where your bookcase is going to be, and imagine
which parts will be visible. If it's filled with books
for example, the shelves will be mostly hidden except for
the front edge. If one bookcase is wedged between two others,
the inner faces of the vertical sides will be visible, but
the outer faces will not. Or maybe the outer face of one of the
sides will be visible. With all that in mind decide which of
the boards will be used for which parts, and which side of each
board will face which way, with an eye towards making the nicest
looking wood show the most while hiding as many defects as possible.
You can stick post-it notes on the boards so you don't forget, or
write directly (but lightly!) on the boards with a pencil.
Take the two boards that will make up the shelves, and cut each
into thirds, to make six 2-foot boards. Use the T-square to make sure
the cuts are square. (If you have a table saw, even better.)
Also, make sure that all the boards are exactly
the same length. If one of your 6-foot boards is a bit too long
or two short, make adjustments and/or extra cuts as necessary so
that your 6 boards will all come out to be the same length.
Sand the boards to taste.
Take the two boards that will be the vertical sides and lay them
down so that the inner faces are facing up. The two boards should
be exactly the same length, trim one if necessary.
The shelves will be supported by short lengths of the 1"x2" boards.
So the bottom shelf will be about 2 inches (1.5 really) above the
floor, while the top "shelf" will be flush with the top of the vertical
sides. You want to divide the space into 5 equal parts to determine
where your shelves will go. Calculate it like this:
I will make the following unsafe assumptions:
Your vertical boards are exactly 6 feet long.
Your 1"x2" boards are actaully 1.5" x 0.75" boards.
Your 1"x12" boards are actually 0.75"x11" boards.
6.0 feet = 72.0 inches
72.0 inches - 1.5 inches - 0.75 inches = 69.75 inches
69.75 inches / 5.0 = 13.95 inches.
So the vertical distance between the top surface of
one shelf and the top surface of the next shelf is
13.95 inches, in case my assumptions are all true. Your numbers
may come out a little differently. Measure everything like crazy.
Cut twelve 9-inch lengths of the 1"x2" boards. These will
be the supports that hold up the shelves. Lay six of these supports
across the inside face of each of the two boards that make
up the vertical sides with 13.95 inches between each. The bottom
support should be flush with the bottom of the vertical side,
and there should be 13.95 inches between the bottom of first
support and the bottom of the second support. The top support
should work out so there's just enough space left above the top
surface for one of the shelves (0.75 inches).
Mark the positions of each support carefully. Make sure that
they are square, otherwise your shelves won't be level. Now glue
them in place. Use enough glue, but try not to use so much
that it squeezes out and gets all over the wood. Let dry overnight.
Now, drill two holes through each of the supports and the vertical
sides to which it is glued. Actually it's better to drill through
starting from whichever side will be seen, so as not to mar
the woud. Usually that means from the outside of the board to
which the supports are glued. Then cut lengths of dowel that are
the same length as the thickness of the vertical boards and the
support boards. Glue the dowels into the holds. Try not to get
glue everywhere, and wipe it up quickly if you do. Any dried
glue that remains should be sanded off. It's easiest to drill
all the holes at once, cut all the pieces of dowel at once, then
glue them all in at once.
At this point, you should have the two boards that make up
the sides of the bookcase each having 6 support boards glued to
it. Now you can assemble the bookcase, resting the shelves on
the supports. Gravity should hold it together. You can put one
board up against a wail, and lean another board against the
opposite side of the bookcase. With all the shelves in place,
push things around until everything is square and the sides are
truly vertical. Then, one by one, glue the shelves to the supports
upon which they rest, and to the sides of the bookcase, frequently
checking that the sides are still vertical and that everything is
square. Let dry overnight.
Next, for each shelf, on each side, drill a couple of holes
through the outside face of the sides of the book case to penetrate
the edges of the shelf. Put glue and a length of dowel through
the hole.
Finally, cut a length of 1"x2" board just as wide as each shelf.
This piece fits under the front of the bottom shelf. Glue and dowel
it in place.
I finished mine with an oil based wood stain (Sears
"Colonial Maple") followed by an easily applied wax finish
and they came out pretty well.
Caveat Emptor: I built my shelves quite a while ago, making
it up as I went along. I have not tried to actually build any by
following these instructions, which I also just made up. Though
I believe them to be correct, you should check my (and your) math
and understand what you're doing and not just blindly follow
these instructions. (In other words, don't come crying to me
when you saw a board in half in the wrong place and have to go
get another board.)
Here is a PostScript program that will draw a 1/12th scale
exploded diagram, perhaps that will make the above a bit clearer. (You know I can't make a node without code.)
%!PS-Adobe 1.0
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/ft {72 mul} def
/inch { 12 div ft } def
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/sixfootboard {
boxdict begin
/y exch def /x exch def
x y 6 ft 0.75 inch 11 inch BOX
end
} def
/shelf {
boxdict begin
/y exch def /x exch def
x y 0.75 inch 2 ft 11 inch BOX
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} def
/support {
boxdict begin
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} def
SLW
2 ft 7 ft sixfootboard
6 ft 7 ft sixfootboard
3 ft 84.00 inch shelf
3 ft 70.05 inch shelf
3 ft 56.10 inch shelf
3 ft 42.15 inch shelf
3 ft 28.20 inch shelf
3 ft 14.25 inch shelf
2.5 ft 83.25 inch support 5.5 ft 83.25 inch support
2.5 ft 69.30 inch support 5.5 ft 69.30 inch support
2.5 ft 55.35 inch support 5.5 ft 55.35 inch support
2.5 ft 41.40 inch support 5.5 ft 41.40 inch support
2.5 ft 27.45 inch support 5.5 ft 27.45 inch support
2.5 ft 13.50 inch support 5.5 ft 13.50 inch support
3 ft 12.50 inch 1.5 inch 2 ft 0.75 inch BOX
SP