Bookcase.pdf

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How to Build a Bookcase: Step-by-Step Woodworking Plans

On permanent display: mahogany, solid biscuit jointsÏand a whole lot of class.

By Joseph Truini

Photographs by Scott Jones

Published in the July 2008 issue.

I built my first bookcase in middle school. A multitiered assemblage of wooden

planks laid across stacks of bricks, it was reminiscent of pieces from the early Flintstone

PeriodÏand I was proud to have made it myself. Since that masterpiece, I've built 50 or

60 more, most while working as a cabinetmaker for an interior design firm, where I

learned the carpentry skills, design guidelines and construction techniques used in the

bookcase shown here. Basically consisting of three plywood boxes fitted with a

hardwood face frame, this piece looks built-in because it spans from wall to wall, and is

trimmed with molding at the ceiling and floor. I used 3/4-in. birch plywood for the cases,

4/4 sustainably harvested African mahogany for the face frames and 3/4-in. mahogany

plywood for the sides surrounding the doorway. With moderate skills and some

patience, it wouldn't be hard to make this project fit any space.

Making Choices

Two pieces of plywood form each side of the cases. I separated them with 1/2-in.-thick

plywood strips, so that when I attached the 2-in.-wide mahogany stiles, they'd align flush

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with the plywood sides. (In contrast, the horizontal mahogany apron attached to the front

of each shelf overhangs the plywood.)

The shelves fit into dado joints routed into the case sides. Since the shelves were going

to be glued and screwed into the dadoes, they couldn't be adjusted later. So I measured

my books before I decided how tall the shelves should be. As a rule, a bookcase with

shelves between 7 in. and 14 in. apart accommodates most everything. While books

generally fit on 8- to 9-in.-deep shelves, I prefer deeper bookcases, so I ripped the

plywood to a width of 11 7/8 in.

I chose to attach the wooden face framesÏstiles, rails, valance and apronsÏto the

plywood cases with a biscuit joiner so that fasteners wouldn't mar the mahogany. But

the quickest, easiest approach would be to use a pneumatic finishing nailerÏthen fill the

nail holes with putty.

+ Click to enlarge

CONTINUED: Step-by-Step Guide With Photos >>>

Getting Started

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The Right Wood: Birch veneer plywood is ideal for building bookcases, and it was affordable at

$45 per 4 x 8-ft. sheet. The mahogany was $7 per board footÏand certified by the Forest

Stewardship Council.

Start by building a base out of 1x or 2x lumber. Make its depth 1 1/2 to 2 in. less than

the depth of the bookcase itself. Its height must be 1/8 in. taller than the baseboard

molding you plan to install to make sure the molding slips in easily. Set the base into

position and check for level right to left and front to back. Fasten it to the wall studs

using 3-in. drywall screws [ 1 ] . Also drive angled screws through the inside of the base

and into the floor.

Rip the 3/4-in. plywood to width for the case sides and shelves using a table saw or

circular saw and straightedge guide. Crosscut the case sides to length, making them 2

in. shorter than the distance from the top of the base to the ceiling. Then, cut all the

shelves to length. The shelves should be no longer than 36 in. to keep them from

sagging under heavy loads. Before proceeding, finish all the plywood pieces.

Routing the Dadoes

Clamp two opposing case sides edge-to-edge and mark each dado location with a

pencil. Be sure and mark the location of the case tops far enough down on the case

sides, so that the tops provide a joining surface for the valance. Next, clamp a

straightedge guide across the two sides. Position the guide square with the plywood

edge, install a 3/4-in. straight bit into the router and adjust it to cut 3/8 in. deep. Slowly

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push the router along the guide, crossing both plywood pieces. If you plan to use

biscuits to attach the face pieces, cut the necessary slots with a biscuit joiner [ 2 ] . For

the tall sides, space the slots about 12 to 14 in. apart. Cut three slots into shelves that

are 18 in. long or less, and four into longer shelves. (I cut slots for No. 20-size biscuits.)

Assembling the Case

Apply carpenter's glue to the dadoes, set the plywood shelves in place and secure them

with 1 5/8-in. drywall screws [ 3 ] . Since the bookcase has no back, you need to install

a wood strip, or hanging rail, to screw each case to the wall. Cut the rail from a 1 x 3 or 1

x 4 to fit between the two case sides. Position it directly above the case top, and attach it

to the case sides with glue and screws.

Set each assembled case on its base [ 4 ] and use a 4-ft. level to check for plumb.

Next, secure the cases by driving 3-in. drywall screws through the hanging rails and into

the wall studs.

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Nail 1/2-in. plywood spacer strips to the case sides [ 5 ] . Use six strips total: two each

at the bottom, center and top of the sides. Attach the neighboring case, if there is one.

Otherwise, clamp a side panel to the plywood spacers, creating 2-in.-thick case sides.

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