Bookshelves-dimensional lumber or ply?

[paul cottingham]

I'm looking for suggestions and comments. I am making a set of shelves for the living room. They will have cupboards on the bottom, and be about 7 feet tall. What I am wondering is whether plywood or maple would be better....or maybe a hybrid, a plywood box for the cupboard and maple for the shelves.
Any pros or cons would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

[Will Overton]

http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd75/Bill_de/bc-finished.jpg?t=1279678036 (http://s225.photobucket.com/albums/dd75/Bill_de/?action=view&current=bc-finished.jpg) http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd75/Bill_de/BC-2.jpg?t=1279677931 (http://s225.photobucket.com/albums/dd75/Bill_de/?action=view&current=BC-2.jpg)

I built this out of oak, only using ply for the back. I've never had much luck getting oak ply to actually look the same as solid wood.

If your finishing skills are better than mine (not hard), maple ply would be stable and maybe easier to work with as there should be no need to glue up panels.

[Joe A Faulkner]

This is one of those issues of personal preference. Most kitchen cabinets, even those with exposed ends, are made from sheet goods on the sides with solid wood faceframes, drawer fronts, and doors, and they turn out looking nice. If your shelves are over 24" in length, then I would either go with hardwood or put a hardwood band (3/4" wide) on the front and back. You can join with biscuits or just face glue. This will add to the strength of the shelf and keep it from sagging.

Check out Patrick Gross's "My First Built In" thread in the woodworking projects forum. It is primarily sheet goods, and looks great. http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=142728

[Kent A Bathurst]

FWIW - I tend to (but not always) go with solid wood, but that's a personal preference.

not sure of your specific design; this might help:
http://www.woodbin.com/calcs/sagulator.htm

[Paul Johnstone]

I'm looking for suggestions and comments. I am making a set of shelves for the living room. They will have cupboards on the bottom, and be about 7 feet tall. What I am wondering is whether plywood or maple would be better....or maybe a hybrid, a plywood box for the cupboard and maple for the shelves.
Any pros or cons would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Plywood will be easier and faster.
Solid wood can be done, but you have to remember that it is not as dimensionally stable as plywood, so the design has to take that into account.
Solid wood has a bigger "coolness' factor, IMO, but it takes a lot of time to do all that jointing/glue up/etc.

Most of my bookshelf projects are made out of plywood, edged with hardwood. Hardwood face frames and doors.. It just gets the project done faster.

[John McClanahan]

For the shelves, I feel solid wood can withstand the weight of the books better than ply without sagging over time. Books can get quite heavy.

John

[Tom Hammond]

Will Overton:

I looked at your photo album. I need to ask a question... ... ... ... how in the H-E-doublehockeysticks do you EVER get a shop that clean????

[Will Overton]

Will Overton:

I looked at your photo album. I need to ask a question... ... ... ... how in the H-E-doublehockeysticks do you EVER get a shop that clean????

Clean is easy. A dust collector for the big tools, a Festool CT22 for the small tools and a leaf blower for whatever they miss. Although I preferred my basement shop in my last house, being able to open the garage doors and use a leaf blower is a lot easier and quicker than vacuuming. I also clean as I go, rather than waiting until the end of the day.

Organized is another story. I see pictures of other shops where the cabinets are neatly lined up against a wall or two. I build smaller cabinets when and where I need them. Drill bits and accessories near the drill press, saw accessories near the saw, etc. That way when I'm done using a tool, even if only temporarily, it's no effort to put it away, rather than dropping it on the bench.

In the long run it saves time and frustration and makes my time in the shop more enjoyable, but it's not for everybody.