Bookcase done -- thanks to Kent Bathurst and Sam Murdoch

[Chris McLeester]

I finished the bookcase that the forum helped me out with. Special thanks to Kent Bathurst, Sam Murdoch, and others. I think it's pretty good for a first effort. I learned a lot of good lessons along the way. I'm sure they're rudimentary for most, but some things you only learn by doing.

1. Buy wood that's as straight as possible.
2. Use less glue.
3. I still need to learn how to do dados and tongues with the table saw. I used a router (with table for the tongues). The tongues were difficult to get to perfect, even width (requiring me to really press the wood down to the table and make many passes). The dados didn't up perfectly straight. Even when I used machine-edge of plywood to make my square/jig, I still had about a 1/32 difference over a span of the 19 shelf inches (I routed both sides together).

Anyways, I'm happy with the results. Thanks to everyone for the help. I hope to one day be able to provide some help myself.

Best,

Chris

[glenn bradley]

That came out very well and it sounds like you got to learn some things along the way. I'd call that a win-win. I learn something on almost every piece I make. Its part of what makes woodworking so wonderful.

[Bill Huber]

That really looks great, now you can fill it with woodworking books.

What type of finish are you going to put on it?

[Sam Murdoch]

Yes indeed - looks great from here :) and will last for lifetimes. Nicely done. I was glad to help.

[Chris McLeester]

That really looks great, now you can fill it with woodworking books.

What type of finish are you going to put on it?

It will be painted white to match my daughter's furniture. I wish that it was being stained (I love the grain on the back)...maybe someday years from now I'll strip it and get to enjoy that.

I put a coat of primer on it already...painting in corners sure is tricky. Have you ever finished a piece before glue up? I assume you don't paint the joints or else it wouldn't quite fit...

[Sparky Paessler]

Looks Great! I struggled for years getting shelves to fit into dados. Ended up using my shaper with a cutter that would cut a 1/2" tongue on the end of the board and used a dado blade setup for 1/2" to cut the dados. That way if the board varied in thickness the tongue didn't. Now I just use biscuits! Not as strong but works well and is easy. If I was doing a bookcase I was going to load up I would probably go with dados.

[Jim Foster]

Nice effort, show us a pic when it's painted.

[Paul M Miller]

It will be painted white to match my daughter's furniture. I wish that it was being stained (I love the grain on the back)...maybe someday years from now I'll strip it and get to enjoy that.

I put a coat of primer on it already...painting in corners sure is tricky. Have you ever finished a piece before glue up? I assume you don't paint the joints or else it wouldn't quite fit...

I don't normally finish before glue up, but I finish before I attach the back with screws. This way I don't have all the blind corners to deal with.

Paul