If books overflow onto your desk, are stacked here and there in your living room forcibly tucked into plastic milk crates, it may be time for a new bookcase. Building one is easy. In this guide you will find a list of steps to build a small bookcase, but you can easily change the measurements to make one more suited to your needs.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Part 1: Preparation
Step 1. Design and measurements
You can build a bookcase that fits a particular corner of your home or make a standard-sized one that fits just about anywhere.
- Measure the space where you intend to place the bookcase. Decide how tall you want it to be when finished, and how wide it should be. Bookcases normally have a depth of 30 or 40 cm; of course, you can customize it to better suit your needs.
- Decide if your bookcase should have an open or closed bottom. If you keep the background open, the books may protrude behind the shelves or touch the wall.
- Determine if you will use it for paperback, hardcover, or small books. For maximum versatility, our project uses adjustable shelves to fit books of any size.
- Standard bookshelves come in versions with two, three, four or five shelves, but you can design one with as many shelves as you want.
Step 2. Choose the type of wood
The wood you use will have a major impact on the final appearance of your bookcase, as well as on cost and durability.
- You can use solid wood panels to build the bookcase, but it will cost you a lot. Oak wood for a 2.40m bookcase could cost thousands of euros. A cheaper option might be to use plywood panels with wood veneer.
- Choose 2 cm plywood for the structure and shelves of the bookcase; you will also need a 0.5mm piece for the bottom.
- A plywood panel is 122 cm wide, but remember that a circular saw cuts off another 0.3 cm. Calculate how many 2.4m boards you can cut out of a panel and use this information to figure out how many panels you will need. To carry out the project explained in the next steps, one panel will be sufficient.
- Visit lumber yards in your area to find veneer plywood. If you want a special wood, such as mahogany, teak, walnut or cherry, chances are you need to order it, as it is rarely available in stores.
- Birch is the best wood to use if you plan to paint your bookcase, and maple lends itself to a variety of colors. If you decide to order a particular wood, the recommendation is to use light finishes, so that the beauty of the wood can stand out more.
Method 2 of 4: Part 2: Cutting
Step 1. Choose the right saw
Use a table saw or circular saw to cut the boards. Cutting plywood can be difficult and dangerous, so it's important that you prepare properly to succeed.
- If you're using a circular saw, get a carbide tipped blade designed for plywood. If you have a table saw, invest in an 80 TPI plywood blade, designed for cross cuts (miter saw) or straight cuts (circular table saw).
- When using a circular saw, make sure the good side of the plywood is facing down; in the case of a table saw, it should be facing up.
- Push the wood into the saw at a constant speed. This will help make a cleaner cut.
- Get help from a friend. One of the biggest challenges when working with plywood is that it is sold in very large panels, 2.5 x 1.22m, so it can be difficult to handle them yourself. Use saw stands or roller tables for extra support.
Step 2. Cut the side posts
Start by cutting the two panels to the desired width. Remember that the standard measurements are 40 or 50 cm; in our example, let's assume that the depth of the bookcase is 40 cm.
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Cut a 32 cm wide board from a 2 cm piece of plywood.
If you use a circular saw, be sure to use a guide
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Cut the board into two 106 cm parts to get the two side uprights.
You can modify this measurement by making the two uprights higher or lower, according to the final height you want to obtain
Step 3. Cut the bottom and shelves
Remember that the width of the saw blade is 3mm, and take this into account when measuring the width.
- Cut a 30.2 cm wide board of 2 plywood for the shelves.
- Cut a second board 30.8 cm wide to make the top and bottom.
- Cut the two boards into 77.5cm pieces to make the top, bottom and two shelves.
Step 4. Create grooves for the notches
A groove is a notch cut in a piece of wood. In this case, creating the grooves for the joints will allow the upper part of the bookcase to rest firmly and securely on the two side uprights.
- Set the saw to make a 1cm cut. Cut a strip at the end of the top by making a series of straight 32mm cuts perpendicular to the end until the groove is as wide as the thickness of the plywood posts.
- Alternatively, use a vertical cutter with a ball bearing driven groove to make the cuts.
Step 5. Drill the holes for the adjustable shelves along all the side posts of the bookcase
Since the sizes of books vary, and your needs may vary over time, it is best to make the shelves adjustable, so that you can arrange them in different ways, moving them according to your needs.
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Clamp a pegboard by holding it in place (this will serve as a guide for the holes) so that the first holes are 10 centimeters away from the center shelf, top and bottom.
If you don't have a perforated panel, you can make a template to serve as a guide for the holes from a 2cm pine board the same length as the side posts of the bookcase. Use a guided drill with a 0.6 bit to drill a series of evenly spaced holes in the board that will serve as a guide
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Use a tip that has the same diameter as the shelf supports and drill holes 5 cm from the edge at a distance of 5 cm from each other.
Drill holes that are approximately 3mm deeper than the length of the supports. Use electrical tape or a depth limiter on the drill bit to help you drill the hole to the right depth, also taking into account the thickness of the guide
Method 3 of 4: Part 3: Assembly
Step 1. Attach the top to the side posts
Apply glue to the groove along its entire length and put the top in place. Secure the top with wood screws.
Step 2. Add support blocks
If you want, you can use support blocks in the middle and lower shelves; they will strengthen the structure without adding excessive weight. If you use these support blocks, be aware that you will not be able to move the central shelf; you will not be able to adjust it.
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Glue 2.5 x 5 support blocks in their position in the middle and lower shelves; secure them with nails.
Tap the nails until the head is just above the surface of the wood; use a punch to beat them further until they are just below the surface
- Drill the pilot holes for the top of the bookcase and drill them. Attach it with glue and 5cm wood nails.
Step 3. Put the middle and bottom shelves in place
Once the top of the bookcase is attached, attach the lower shelves.
- Apply wood glue to the support blocks and set the shelf in its position.
- Drill and then drill the pilot holes for the top of the bookcase and attach the shelf with glue and 5cm wood nails.
- If you have decided to use support blocks for the central shelf as well, install them at this point; just like you did for the bottom shelf.
Step 4. Attach the back panel
A back panel allows the bookcase to give a sense of completeness and protects the paint on the wall behind it.
- Make sure the bookcase has square corners. If necessary, tighten the screws to make the shelves stay in place at right angles.
- Measure and cut the back panel.
- Start at one corner and use 1-inch pegs to secure the back panel.
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Apply 2.5 x 5cm frames to the side and bottom edges of the bookcase with glue and tacks.
You may wish to join the corners of the frame pieces at right angles; the final look is up to you
- Once the frame is in place, use a milling machine with a 1.5 mm circular cutter to smooth out the sharp edges.
- Attach the frame by gluing the edges and fixing them with pegs to the shelves, being careful not to split the frame itself.
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If you prefer a more elegant look, use strips of veneer instead of the frame to cover the edges of the plywood.
- Apply the strip of veneer to the front edges of the uprights, shelves, plywood tops and bottoms, using a low-heat iron.
- Then, use a bubble roller to firmly adhere the edge to the plywood. Cut the edge lengthwise with a utility knife.
- Use a veneer blade to remove the protruding part of the edge, and sand the edges with 120 sandpaper so that it sits flush with the plywood.
Method 4 of 4: Part 4: Final Touches
Build a Bookshelf Step 12 Step 1. Sand down the library
Proper sanding is essential to give a definitive appearance to any surface and contributes to the result of the final paint. The paint will appear dark and stained if the surface is not properly sanded.
- For best results, use 150-gauge sandpaper to remove all traces of manufacturing and any imperfections.
- A sanding pad and / or a sander to sand 100% of the surface while maintaining even pressure.
Build a Bookshelf Step 13 Step 2. Paint or polish the bookcase
The finishing touch is to give your new bookcase a protective coating whether it's paint or a clear finish.
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Apply primer and paint. The primer helps the wood to absorb the paint more evenly to give a better look to the finish. Give a coat of primer and let it dry. Lightly sand the bookcase and remove dust with a soft or cotton cloth, and give it a coat of paint. After the first coat has dried, sand again, dust and give one last coat.
Choose a white primer if the paint is light in color; choose a gray color if the paint has a dark color. You can also put a primer whose color matches that of the paint
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Apply a clear finish. If you've chosen a more exotic wood for your bookcase, you'll want to use a clear polyurethane finish to bring out the natural beauty of the grain. Apply a first coat and let it dry before sanding with a fine-grit sandpaper. Dust with a soft or cotton cloth and give it a second coat. Again, let it dry before sanding with a fine-grit sandpaper. Give a third and final hand.
Don't spend too much time applying the paint, switching over and over again. It is sufficient to give a light and even pass. Most of the bubbles will go away on their own, or you will get rid of them in the sanding phase
