Bookcase

[MattK]

Since all of us here are readers I figured I would share a bookcase I designed and built last year. It has since come to my attention (usually around midnight with a loud thud!) that the peg connections on the back of the shelflettes weren't terribly durable. So I've been working on replacing them with keyhole hangers (like the stationary connection on a chain lock for a door) that are much stronger and won't slip on me.

I always got frustrated with bookcases that had movable shelves, only because I almost always ended up wasting a lot of space with one really tall book. So I wracked my brain--and what a struggle it was--to try and solve the problem. Here's the result:



Full Frontal.


Closer look at the scroll-work on top.


Underneath of the shelflette.


Detail of the back of the shelflette.


Bottom half of the case. Part of my TP collection is in there.

[Tonyblack]

What a lovely bit of wood! What type of wood is that Matt? The grain on it is gorgeous - love the design too.

[MattK]

Thanks Tony. Everything but the back is solid maple. My aunt's maple tree got struck by lightning so she decided to plane it into boards. I got the wood off of her really cheap. The back is 3/4" birch plywood. Backings aren't normally that thick, but with how everything connects I had to go that route. It's incredibly heavy.

[Who's Wee Dug]

Well you certainly would want that to fall you Matt,I have all but one of my shelfs adjustable not talented enough to build one.

[Trish]

That is nice...

I need about 6 bookcases that size. We have 4 floor-to-ceiling in the den, 3 4-footers in my bedroom, 1 floor-to-ceiling in my daughter's and her 2 short bookcases. Plus the big one in the living room and the one in the kitchen.

Yes, the books are taking over the house....

[MattK]

All those books in one place... be careful of L-space. You don't want to go looking for a book and wind up in the 12th dimension. And thank you.

If anyone wants the specs and the how-to, let me know. I'll have to convert to metric if you're... well, anywhere but the U.S. But that shouldn't be a problem.

[Batty]

That bookcase is amazing, MattK.
The full frontal photo gives the best overall design. The wood looks lovely, but surely you will need very strong floorboards to stand it on?

[MattK]

Thanks Batty.

I can't imagine you'd need anything special. The house I'm in is just an old stick-built house from the '60s. When we ripped up the carpet a few years back to change it, there was just the standard sub flooring underneath. The bookcase is still really heavy, but I was able to get it upstairs no problem with a helper. It's no heavier than a dresser or armoire. While I was finishing it (happy fumes, happy fumes!) I could carry it outside by myself no problem. All in all it's probably about 25-30 kg.

Edit: I forgot to add in the original post that the connection holes drilled in the back are every 4 inches (err ~10 cm.), so you can pretty much customize it as you want.

[Stultus Saxum]

Now that's a gorgeous bookcase.

*mutters to self "I wants one, I wants one"*

I'll have to go looking for a tree I can 'strike' with lightning. Timber at our local timber merchant doesn't come cheap... and the birds that used to sit in the trees from which it all comes don't go cheep in them anymore, either...

[Trish]

All those books in one place... be careful of L-space.

I forgot the 4 metal shelves pressed into service in our 'sunroom,' 2 completely full of books. The others handle Easter baskets. light bulbs, thermoses, extension cords, extra nuts /bolts /wall anchors and the necessaries of a house.

And the gun cabinet. It's old, dates about 1885 and has "wavy" glass.
My father converted it from a china closet; half boxlocks and half books.

L-space is happening in Ohio. Definitely.

[chris.ph]

very nice bookcase matt. id use 4inch nails to secure the shelves

[MattK]

very nice bookcase matt. id use 4inch nails to secure the shelves

But then they wouldn't move.

Damn, I should start selling these since everyone likes them so much.

[chris.ph]

dont knock the nails in all the way then you can sdjust the height of the shelves by ripping the nails out and hammering them back in at the required level (can you tell im a builder)

[Tiffany]

A very clever idea Matt. I like their design.

[Tonyblack]

We were never allowed to use nails when I did woodwork in school - everything had to be done with joints.