BDR - Bookcase Design Review

[davejones]

Howdy All,

I am in the planning stages of my first real project and need some help so I don't learn all the lessons the hard way! :BangHead:

I am going to build a built-in bookcase to fit in a nook in my home office. Here is a rough sketch of the design I have so far. And just in case you are wondering (as my wife did), I am planning to put two doors on the lower cabinet. :gar-La;

I decided to do frame and panel for the both the lower cabinet and the upper portion of the bookcase. I plan to attach the different frames with pocket screws to build the carcass. The frames will be made from the Red Oak which came from our yard. I can easily get enough if I mill down to 3/4 thick. Is this sufficient, or should I shoot for 7/8 to 1 inch? To go this thick I may have to be selective on what boards I use.

For the panels I think I want Furniture Grade ply. I only need 1 side to be good as the other sides will be against a wall. Any suggestions on material and sources for the panels? If I want to finish it with BLO or just poly, will the ply look OK or does it need to be stained?

The only way I have to make the grooves in the frame is using my table saw, so I plan to make the grooves the entire length of the boards. In order to do this I would need to make the tenons and the plywood panels the same thickness. I am thinking 3/8 if the frames are 3/4. Is 3/8 ply readily available? Any other suggestions for how to make the grooves?


For the top portion of the bookcase I was planning on splitting the frames in half so I don't have to deal with making tenons on long boards (50+ inches). The tenons will also be done on the table saw with a jig, so 50 some inches + saw height gets pretty close to the ceiling. I think it will be sturdy since I plan to attach the whole thing to the wall as well. Based on your experience will this frame be strong enough to hold a lot of weight? Are there any major downsides to splitting the panel this way?

Thanks in advance for all your help. :icon_thum


Dave

 

[woodguy1975]

Dave,

Some nice handsketching there dude! I would go ahead and make the long style continuous on the upper cabinet from the very top to the very bottom with your rails connecting to the sides of the style. This way all you would have to do is mortise the styles and tenon the rails.

I'd go with 1/2" plywood, 1/4" grooves, and rabbet the plywood 1/4" to match the groove. this will give you a flush face on the backside of the panel for the inside of your bookcase.

Just some suggestions.... Good Luck with your first adventure. I remember mine well.

Thanks,

John

 

[davejones]

:widea: Ah Ha!

Thanks John, those sound like great suggestions. I would do everything the hard way if it wasn't for this site!

Do you know any rules of thumb for how far the ply should extend into the frame? Same for the tenons?


Thanks again,
Dave

 

[Joe Scharle]

Not sure why the dwg of the base is 38" wide and the top is 56".
Anyway, I would skip tenons and pocket hole all of the joints.
Next Q is what type of shelf supports do you plan to use?
And I personally would make 2 easy to handle boxes, then add the top trim last to give it a built-in look.

 

[Kicbak]

I would suggest using a shelf pin jig and making the shelf inside the cabinet and all but the middle shelf in the top(fasten it for lateral strength maybe) so you can adjust the shelves. I don't know how many time I have build cabinets or bookcases and have something just a little taller then my shelf....

I don't have pocket hole equipment so I used biscuits and glue. It was hard to get the face frame to line up so I clamped individual pieces and routed them flush so all the biscuits would be the same when referenced from the outside of the cabinet.

I would also suggest taking the extra time for rabbets and dados on the build up panels. Some of them aren't needed for an extra strength but it really helps with the glue up for alignment. And the glue up for me seems like the hardest part since it is time sensitive, ei the glues a' dryin'...hurry!

Wes

 

[davejones]

Joe,

The dwg of the top is rotated. I didn't explain that. I'll bet you thought I was gonna have a tough time fitting it in my 38-inch wide nook. That would take a big hammer! :rolf:

I was thinking of using pocket holes, but I am not sure how that would work with the groove running the entire length of the stiles/rails. Would the screw split the wood if it goes through the thin part?

I'm not sure what type of shelf supports to use yet, but was thinking of making them adjustable as Wes suggested.

"And I personally would make 2 easy to handle boxes, then add the top trim last to give it a built-in look."

Do you mean to make the top in two pieces?

 

[JimmyC]

One suggestion is that you use good ply on both sides, but only if it's going to be free standing in the nook, if you are making a built in and attaching to the wall nevermind. If it's free standind and you decide that there may be a chance that it can be moved, you'll kick yourself for not spending a couple of extra dollars on the extra ply.

Just MHO, and good luck !

 

[woodguy1975]

You'll be fine with stub tenons (3/8" deep) and groove at 3/8" for the plywood. that way you can run your groove at one depth, stub tenon your rails and your jointery is done. Good luck!

 

[Joe Scharle]

Joe,

The dwg of the top is rotated. I didn't explain that. I'll bet you thought I was gonna have a tough time fitting it in my 38-inch wide nook. That would take a big hammer! :rolf:
OK, got that. But pocket hole construction makes use of squaring support frames, like web frames, at the top and bottom of boxes. Kreg's website has some good info.

I was thinking of using pocket holes, but I am not sure how that would work with the groove running the entire length of the stiles/rails. Would the screw split the wood if it goes through the thin part?
As for the doors; I'd build them with glue, pocket hole would be overkill and somewhat ugly. As for the grooves in the doors, you can fill them in on the stiles with sized strips after your panels go in and trim/sand flush.

I'm not sure what type of shelf supports to use yet, but was thinking of making them adjustable as Wes suggested.
Always get the hardware for any project first. May be out of production by the time you're ready for it. A friend built a lacewood/ebony vanity for a 42" countertop. When he was ready to mount it, they were now 41 5/8".

"And I personally would make 2 easy to handle boxes, then add the top trim last to give it a built-in look."

I'd build the bottom or base unit and fit it into the nook. Then I'd build the upper unit and fit that. 2 screws will hold them together and 2 more into the wall will anchor the top unit. You're likely to find that the opening of the nook varies from bottom to top and separate units will be easier to adjust to those differences. Also, the shelf support system should be installed on the sides before attaching the sides.

Do you mean to make the top in two pieces?

I was thinking crown mldg because I built one early this summer and knew that I'd have to adjust the facia board for the desired reveal when I added the crown. Sorry for the senior moment! BTW, that bookcase was entirely pocket hole, no glue, except for built up trim pieces and the crown was pinned.

PS, if any of that drywall gets in your way; chip it out!
Good luck,
Joe

 

[jeff...]

I was thinking crown mldg because I built one early this summer and knew that I'd have to adjust the facia board for the desired reveal when I added the crown. Sorry for the senior moment! BTW, that bookcase was entirely pocket hole, no glue, except for built up trim pieces and the crown was pinned.

PS, if any of that drywall gets in your way; chip it out!
Good luck,
Joe

Yeah just don;t forget to add the extra width and length plus 3/4 or an 1" extra to the top - ummm... don't ask me how I know this :frown3qg: