First attempt at making a furniture piece

[Al Launier]

I've have some experience making small items as a hobbyist woodworker, but my daughter just asked me to make a bookshelf, something better than an off-the-shelf book case (pun intended). It's to be perhaps 4' tall x 18" wide. I plan on gluing poplar into panels since the local plywood is available from Lowes or HD and the finish ply is very thin and I don't have any experience applying edging strips. Plus the porosity turns me off. I also plan on using peg boad as a template to drill the shelf adjusting holes. I'll apply wood conditioner & pre-treatment before staining. I'm also thinking perhaps a bead board backing and a fixed shelf mid-span with the above/below shelves height adjustable.

So now I'm wondering and would appreciate whatever tips you more experienced woodworkers might offer; strong joinery, etc.

[Terry Beadle]

How wide will the shelf be? An important consideration as you may need some central
shelf support(s).

Be sure to soften the edges of the front of the shelf(s) and the ends too.
Consider a small 3/8ths to 1/2 in strip in front of each shelf and possibly the top too.
In preparation, you may want to measure the biggest and smallest books or objects to
make sure your planned peg board holes will accomodate.
What do you plan on doing to the bottom of the shelf/book case? Will it be elevated or
will it just be some pads with rubber or leather protections?

Lots of design options to consider.

Good Luck

Terry

[Ron Citerone]

Google blind dados. Also sand everything you can before assembly.

Get your daughter involved at some level so she will ave some ownership!;)

[Grant Aldridge]

Sounds like you're on the right track, no need for joinery more involved than rabbets and dadoes really, if you want a challenge go for broke with a dovetailed carcass though! I like to incorporate a fixed shelf in the middle or so to keep everything in place. I have done the holes for adjustable shelves but next time I think I'll use the metal strips, just cut dadoes and screw them in place.

[Harvey Miller]

If you're starting on furniture, it's time to visit lumber yards, not big box home 'improvement' places. You'll end up with a much nicer piece (even their plywood is better).

[Bryan Lisowski]

I wouldn't use plywood if this will be a stand alone bookcase. If you are going to paint, then poplar would be a good choice. As for joinery, you could do dados, dowels, dominos, or even butt joint and screwed to the case. If you use screws just sink enough to plug.

[Al Launier]

Thanks to all for your suggestions, they were thoughtful and appreciated.

First it was a narrow book case, then that was changed to a night stand/bedside table up to 18" wide with a drawer & (2) shelves. So I then came up with a concept and compared it with several designs on the Internet. I soon discovered that my cost of raw materials (grained hardwood lumber, stains, hardware, etc.) would exceed the cost of comparable local store bought night stands. The comparable retail cost of raw materials that I would pay is far more that what manufactures pay at wholesale, and that didn't include the many hours of my labor which would tie me up for a really long time (I do take my time in the shop so I can enjoy the ambiance). Plus, the size was starting to reach the limit of my shop space.

So, I decided to forego making the night stand and asked her to pick out what she would like & I would purchase it for her. Sometimes it's easier, better, and more practical to simply buy things.

Now I need to find a project. ;)

[Dan Hahr]

Well that’s kind of sad. I hope the responses didn’t scare you off from a project your daughter would treasure forever. With some patience and a little direction, you can build a simple table or nightstand for very little in materials. I urge you to reconsider your project.

Pricing lumber at a big box store will shock anyone trying to build something nice for the first time. But if there is anyone building cabinets in your area, you should be able to purchase a small amount of wood from them at much lower prices. I built two nightstands like you are describing from oak and only have about $40 apiece in them. You could not buy them anywhere for that. You could build them in a weekend if you used a pocket hole jig.

I’m sure you can find some more suggestions for making this project doable.

Good luck with whatever you choose.

Dan

[Lee Schierer]

So, I decided to forego making the night stand and asked her to pick out what she would like & I would purchase it for her. Sometimes it's easier, better, and more practical to simply buy things.

Now I need to find a project. ;)

There are lots of decent plans out there for various pieces of furniture. Norm Abrams made a lot of really nice pieces and his plans are pretty good.

[Phil Mueller]

I have quickly come to the conclusion that most furniture I build could be purchased for less. Particularly if you try to factor in time.

[Malcolm McLeod]

I went looking for a desk one time. 95% of what I found commercially was made of particle board and/or MDF. The other 5% used plywood. The wood grain is painted on, or they splurged and used a printed paper 'veneer'. I could see the moisture in my breath degrading the joinery, even while I looked at the hot-melt and staples holding the drawer boxes together. ...And this was in the expensive stores.

I still have nightmares about the cheap-stuff-stores.:eek:

If you have tools, time, and some skills, you can build the items you find at Thomas Moser. This is one quality, low-volume builder that I'm aware of (perhaps you know of others?), and is of comparable quality to what I see from most of the SMC postings. Moser's production is heirloom quality (IMHO), and is probably what you should compare your build costs against. This from their site:

AMERICAN BUNGALOW NIGHTSTAND
$2,170.00 – $4,340.00

FWIW, I could probably build this in some pretty sharp materials for less...?? Bet you could too. Enjoy!!:D

[Yonak Hawkins]

I have quickly come to the conclusion that most furniture I build could be purchased for less. Particularly if you try to factor in time.

For me, the thing about being a hobbyist woodworker is, the time I spend working on a project is not chargeable or time taken away from life, it's part of the enjoyment of life. I do woodworking because I enjoy the endeavor and the problem-solving. I don't think of it as the production of an item, the item is a side benefit of the enjoyable process.
..Strictly my philosophy and my 2¢.

[Charlie Jones]

For me, the thing about being a hobbyist woodworker is, the time I spend working on a project is not chargeable or time taken away from life, it's part of the enjoyment of life. I do woodworking because I enjoy the endeavor and the problem-solving. I don't think of it as the production of an item, the item is a side benefit of the enjoyable process.
..Strictly my philosophy and my 2¢.

Amen. That is my philosophy. I look at thing I made years ago and come away with a little smile..

[Phil Mueller]

+1. My point was exactly that. I don’t work with wood for hours and hours to save money. I do it because I enoy every minute of it.

[Scott Bernstein]

I started off with a small nightstand for my daughter with some very inexpensive pine from the local lumber yard. It's a place that caters more the contractor crowd as they stock plywood, and S4S "domestic" wood like cherry, poplar, pine, walnut, and maple. Much cheaper the big box stores, and I didn't have a jointer or thicknesser yet. I made the nightstand with a benchtop table saw and a pocket hole jig. Then my daughter and I painted it together with the colors she chose. I had just bought a Laguna 14SUV band saw and I used it to make a little heart-shaped knob for the drawer. That was 4 years ago and she still loves it. Next I built her a 5' tall 20" wide bookshelf with white maple. There's an apron at the top that supports the top, into which I did 4 heart-shaped inlays with purpleheart wood. I know in the end the purpleheart will turn brown and maybe not look so hot, but she wanted it. I coated the heart inlays with anti-UV marine-spar varnish, 3 coats, and it still looks bright purple.

In terms of cost, well, it's probably not really a money-saving pursuit unless you are building really high-end pieces that you would never be able to afford (or want to buy even if you could). Yes, inexpensive furniture is inexpensive and you can't make it cheaper. But I think if you are building something that would only be available custom - or a piece out some expensive of unusual wood, you do save money over buying it.

I could have bought that pine nightstand, but not in the color she wanted and not with the fun of building it. It's only because I did those smaller projects that I learned how to do the big things.

[Ellen Benkin]

A bookcase is an excellent first "furniture" project and there must be a million plans available on the internet. Also EVERY woodworking magazine has plans at least twice a year. It can be made of painted plywood or really nice hardwood with a minimum of power tools and is something that you or the recipient will keep forever. I encourage you to build one even if your daughter says she doesn't want it. A nightstand is much more complicated. And, yes, good hardwood is expensive but it's a project from father to daughter.

[Al Launier]

I went looking for a desk one time. 95% of what I found commercially was made of particle board and/or MDF. The other 5% used plywood. The wood grain is painted on, or they splurged and used a printed paper 'veneer'. I could see the moisture in my breath degrading the joinery, even while I looked at the hot-melt and staples holding the drawer boxes together. ...And this was in the expensive stores.

I still have nightmares about the cheap-stuff-stores.:eek:

If you have tools, time, and some skills, you can build the items you find at Thomas Moser. This is one quality, low-volume builder that I'm aware of (perhaps you know of others?), and is of comparable quality to what I see from most of the SMC postings. Moser's production is heirloom quality (IMHO), and is probably what you should compare your build costs against. This from their site:

AMERICAN BUNGALOW NIGHTSTAND
$2,170.00 – $4,340.00

FWIW, I could probably build this in some pretty sharp materials for less...?? Bet you could too. Enjoy!!:D

I just checked out the Thomas Moser site ( https://www.thosmoser.com/product/american-bungalow-night-stand/) for a night stand with a shelf. $4340 for Walnut, only $3,770 for Maple. What a deal! Without too much thought I think that is beyond my means, legacy or not. Incredible! Nice handle though!
https://www.thosmoser.com/wp-content/uploads/moser_occasionaltables_amerbungalownightstand_shel fdrawer_silo_701x720_72_rgb-600x618.jpg

[Ron Citerone]

Thanks to all for your suggestions, they were thoughtful and appreciated.

First it was a narrow book case, then that was changed to a night stand/bedside table up to 18" wide with a drawer & (2) shelves. So I then came up with a concept and compared it with several designs on the Internet. I soon discovered that my cost of raw materials (grained hardwood lumber, stains, hardware, etc.) would exceed the cost of comparable local store bought night stands. The comparable retail cost of raw materials that I would pay is far more that what manufactures pay at wholesale, and that didn't include the many hours of my labor which would tie me up for a really long time (I do take my time in the shop so I can enjoy the ambiance). Plus, the size was starting to reach the limit of my shop space.

So, I decided to forego making the night stand and asked her to pick out what she would like & I would purchase it for her. Sometimes it's easier, better, and more practical to simply buy things.

Now I need to find a project. ;)

Blanket chest or a Jewelry box would be cherished by a daughter. Look into Basic Box Building by Doug Stowe if you get a chance.

[Mike Walsh]

you also have a great lumber supplier (selection, pricing, service) not to far away in Brentwood

[Al Launier]

Thanks for the referral to Highland Hardwoods in Brentwood, NH, but actually I think the New England Forest Products in Peterborough, NH has better prices.http://www.neforestproducts.com/ , http://www.neforestproducts.com/uploads/DOCS/2017%20price%20book.pdf

I like to get my raw lumber there. They have a good selection of various woods. Check out their brochure.

[Malcolm McLeod]

... I think that is beyond my means, legacy or not. ...

Al, I hope you didn't think I was implying you buy this. It was simply a counter-point to the idea that 'you could buy cheaper than you could build'. If you are working in solid wood, it is not a great stretch to produce similar quality - even if the design is modified/simplified to match your taste, tools, and/or skills. ....I make the leap of faith you'd not go to the shop and strive to build semi-disposable 'Rooms-to-Go-esque' stuff.

Just a SWAG, but for a one-off like the nightstand, I'd figure 20bdft @ $15per (Premium B.Walnut on my last trip to the yard) = $300 in lumber, then add $40 pull, $20 in finishing, and $10 in consumables (sandpaper, etc). So $370 in materials. Figure 40 hrs to build it. Not that it's any of my business, but what's your time worth? You could 'pay' yourself $100/hr and basically come out a wash with the Moser price (not counting tax & shipping).

Then you add the value of the princess' comment, "My Daddy built that for me!" :D:cool: Even at my SWAG prices, home-built starts looking pretty cheap! ...YMMV

[Al Launier]

Malcolm your comments are appreciated, I didn't think you implied that, not at all. It was simply an attempt to show what a presumed "ultimate" small piece of furniture sells for and to hopefully express how I feel that it is so far overpriced. I would never entertain the thought of purchasing it. For something like the piece shown, which I feel I could build for much less as you have pointed out, it is still more of a project that I would want to make.

As I alluded to, I do feel some projects can be purchased at a quality level that is less demanding on my personal time & budget. By quality I'm not referring to plywood, particle board, or other substitutes for good material selection and construction practice.

Given all that, I simply can't see myself spending a whole lot of time on a single piece project. Frankly, my enjoyment with woodworking is taking my time, doing precision work, and making smaller projects for family and friends. I simply get tired of the same project & run out of patience - I need to move on to another, different project if it takes too much time. Obviously I could never engage in a personal business, I can't handle repetitive work.