bookcase idea help [Archive] - Sawmill Creek Woodworking Community

cody michael

01-31-2010, 1:06 AM

i want to make a book case to cover most of a wall. i currently have 3 seperate bookcases of about 4 feet wide by 7 feet tall. I want it to be set up like 3 matched bookcases but only have one "side or wall" in between shelves. so the shelves on inside will have two shelves meeting in the middle with a straight up and down support there. and i need to be to able to be taken apart without to much trouble. any ideas how to make the two shelves meet and still be held together? any ideas on how to make it look a little fancy. i still want it pretty much a basic bookshelf thanks

John Thompson

01-31-2010, 9:05 AM

i want to make a book case to cover most of a wall. i currently have 3 seperate bookcases of about 4 feet wide by 7 feet tall. I want it to be set up like 3 matched bookcases but only have one "side or wall" in between shelves. so the shelves on inside will have two shelves meeting in the middle with a straight up and down support there. and i need to be to able to be taken apart without to much trouble. any ideas how to make the two shelves meet and still be held together? any ideas on how to make it look a little fancy. i still want it pretty much a basic bookshelf thanks

Pretty tall order IMO Cody.. I thought about this for about 10 minutes and concluded I have no earthly idea how it could be done. Of course I am probably not the brightest light on the Xmas tree as this is going to take a stroke of brillance as I see it. :)

Good luck with this one...

Matt Meiser

01-31-2010, 9:25 AM

A few ideas:

1) Make face frames that are 1.5" wide or wider. On the ends the shelves would sit 3/4" behind the stiles where on the middle the stile would cover two cabinet sides. But the difference wouldn't be noticable. The middle cabinet would only have the rails of the FF which would borrow their neighbors' stiles to complete the look.
2) Make the outside sides double thickness to start.
3) Use knockdown fasteners (http://www.leevalley.com/hardware/page.aspx?c=2&cat=3,41306,41319,40049&p=40049). Built the two outside units as complete cabinets, then just top/bottom shelves for the middle that fasten to either side.