Barrister Bookcase

[George Bokros]

Planning a barrister bookcase style cabinet and looking for a source for the door hardware. I know Rockler has some in two sizes - 9 /1/2" and 14". Is this good quality or is there another source?

Anyone made one and have suggestions for design and hardware?

I am making this out of1" thick rift sawn white oak.

Thanks.

[chase standifer]

I used (and modified) the wood whisper plans. This design doesn't use hardware. Instead it relies on stopped dados in the case with dowels in the door which. I highly recommend his plans and videos for this book case. 352980 I have no idea why this picture is oriented wrong.

[James Gunning]

I built a three case set from the Woodsmith plans. I liked these because they are built as modular boxes with a top and base. They are modeled after the traditional "Hale" bookcases. Can be made to any size and much easier to move around. I have another barrister bookcase purchased before I started woodworking that is a three shelf single unit. It is so heavy it takes three or four guys to move. I did change the dimensions somewhat from the plans. I have a bunch of "coffee table" books that required a larger case to fit. I didn't use any special hardware to hang the doors. Each door has a 1/4" steel pin on each upper corner that runs in a routed slot in the case side. The case has a 1/4" plywood floor that provides a stop for the door in the bottom position. The only hardware is the knobs for each door. You don't need any lowering hardware for the doors. The air pressure in the case will stop the doors smoothly before the bottom stop, even if dropped from maximum height.

353004 Sorry for the crummy photo. My case is tucked into a corner in my office that is very tight.

[Justin Ludwig]

I used (and modified) the wood whisper plans. This design doesn't use hardware. Instead it relies on stopped dados in the case with dowels in the door which. I highly recommend his plans and videos for this book case. 352980 I have no idea why this picture is oriented wrong.

Right click the photo and select Rotate Clockwise.

Nice set of daggers.

[James Gunning]

George, if you didn't get a reply PM, please let me know. I rarely use the PM feature and I can't see where it was sent.

Here is a poor photo of the hardware (such as it is) that the doors open on. It looks like Chase used the same method on his case, just using dowels instead of metal pins. I chose metal because I have seen older cases with the dowels broken off and one that was almost worn through. So as not to confuse, the upper pin showing in the photo is a reflection.

The lower pin showing, supports the door when it is open. Just above the pin and under the door, you can see a horizontal black area. That is the front of the slot where the door pins ride peeking out from under the door. In the photo I'm holding the door up to expose that slot (dado). The doors are inserted from the rear through a removeable section of the back.

353011

[chase standifer]

We did use the same system. I used wooden dowels but I didn't glue them in so they can be easily replaced. The wood Smith plans sound very similar to the wood whisper plans. His plans are modular as well. I just modified them to make a single unit... That was way more of a headache than expected lol.

[James Gunning]

Chase,

I really like your case. As much art as furniture. I think I built mine before the wood whisperer plans were out. (Started 2001-finished 2009 How's that for procrastination! :eek:)

[chase standifer]

Thanks, the stained glass was a whole other learning curve. The work gets better from the bottom window to the top one lol.

[Charles Taylor]

I've spent several weeks repairing, restoring, and making new pieces for a Hale bookcase from the 1930s-1950s (I'm guessing), which uses an equalizer mechanism to reduce racking of the door when pushing it back. Those of you who simply used dowels or pins in stopped dados, do you have any trouble with the door racking?

[George Bokros]

I have a purchased barrister that slides on dowels and I have very little trouble with it racking. I have to really try to make it rack.

[George Bokros]

Thanks to all who have contacted me via PM regarding the barrister. It is much appreciated.

[chase standifer]

The key to preventing racking with the dowels is the same as drawers. The dowels need to fit precisely so that they is no side to side play. I need to adjust the dowels in my bottom door so they fit better.

[James Gunning]

Maybe I was lucky, but I have never had any of the doors rack at all. Some of the barrister cases used two knobs spaced closer to the sides of the door. If you used just one to open the door, I could see the door trying to rack in the opening from the asymmetrical force on the door. There is not a lot of clearance around my doors and the use of one centered knob tends to mitigate against racking.

[Charles Taylor]

The key to preventing racking with the dowels is the same as drawers. The dowels need to fit precisely so that they is no side to side play.

That makes perfect sense, of course. These doors of mine wouldn't slide well without the equalizer mechanism. I've been looking at them for so long that I'm just not thinking about other ways to do it.

[Marty Schlosser]

Thought I'd mention that I like your knife collection shown to the upper left of your nifty cabinet. Care to share any info about it and how you mounted them?


I used (and modified) the wood whisper plans. This design doesn't use hardware. Instead it relies on stopped dados in the case with dowels in the door which. I highly recommend his plans and videos for this book case. I have no idea why this picture is oriented wrong.

[chase standifer]

Thought I'd mention that I like your knife collection shown to the upper left of your nifty cabinet. Care to share any info about it and how you mounted them?


Thanks,
They are mostly from travel or gifts. The top knife is Randall made knife that was a commissioning present from my dad. The second is a damascus kukri made by a blacksmith friend of mine name Iron John Logan. The third knife is a cheapo souvenir from our trip to Rome. The black Kabar is an award from when I was in ROTC. The gold sheath is called a khyber knife and if from a government sponsored field trip to Afghanistan. Next up is an e-nep from a training trip to Thailand. Last is a Jambiya from Iraq. I also have an Ulu knife from living in Alaska that is made from a walrus jaw bone that I haven't mounted yet.

The mount is made out of cherry and each support piece was just laid out for each individual knife's position and secured with a couple of screws through the back. The blade side supports are all kerfed out on the saw while the handles are were drilled out and then sawn in half to hold the handles. Still can't figure out how rotate the pictures.
353151