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Thread: Second Opinion On MidCentury Modern Bookcase Plans

  1. #1
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    Second Opinion On MidCentury Modern Bookcase Plans

    My son is building this bookshelf https://s26462.pcdn.co/wp-content/up...ntBookcase.pdf as a 4-H project.

    The plans are as most plans go, reasonably detailed, but measurements for placing the dados are not included in the plans.
    As I was review this, something isn't adding up for me. Does anyone else see a problem with the dimensions circled in the plan?
    Attached Images Attached Images

  2. #2
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    Yes, they forgot to account for the thickness of the vertical piece. I also suspect the length of the shelves in that section are off as well.

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    That's my thinking as well. I'm guessing that the Medium-long shelf is supposed to be 10" in length. With 1/4" long tenons on each end, that shelf would have a 9.5" exposed length between the side of the case and the vertical divider and now the numbers add up.

  4. #4
    The bottom measurement is right; the top should be 17 3/8, not 16 7/8.

    If you add up all the measurements across the top as is, it comes to 34 1/4. not 34 3/4 as shown. So 1/2 needs to be added to the top right space.

  5. #5
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    That is is a common error in drawings with what is know as chain dimensioning.

    Many in the industries that use mechanical drawings have switched to single point of origin dimensioning.

    Errors still creep in.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  6. #6
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    Maybe I'm missing something. The cutlist indicates the vertical dividers are 1/2" material, and there are two spots (lower left and in the center) where shelves join the vertical divider at the same point from either side. If you cut a 1/4" dado in each side in 1/2" stock, there's nothing left, is there?

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Gary Ragatz View Post
    Maybe I'm missing something. The cutlist indicates the vertical dividers are 1/2" material, and there are two spots (lower left and in the center) where shelves join the vertical divider at the same point from either side. If you cut a 1/4" dado in each side in 1/2" stock, there's nothing left, is there?
    The problem is the drawing has a dimension at the top of an inside rectangle listed as 16-7/8":

    Bad Dims.png

    At the bottom are two dimensions for the same distance listed as 6-7/8" from the bottom inside edge of the same rectangle to one side of a divider and 10" from the other side of the divider to the other inside edge of the rectangle.

    Either the divider takes no space or the rectangle is actually a trapezium. The drawing doesn't look like the opening is tapered and it wouldn't make sense to not mention is in the write up.

    One of the lower dimensions should have been omitted from the drawing.

    Or as Warren said the other measurement should have been changed.

    jtk
    Last edited by Jim Koepke; 06-08-2019 at 3:15 PM.
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  8. #8
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    Thanks Warren, that makes sense.

    Gary, you're observation is correct. The author suggests stopping the dados 1/2" from the front and back and cutting the tenons with a 1/2" shoulders. He also suggests cutting those dados where the shelves are aligned a little on the shallow side and trimming the tenons. I'm leaning towards 1" - 1.25" shoulders.

    Mid-century modern is not my cup of tea, but surprise to anyone with teenagers, my son's taste in decor does not always align with mine. Though I do think with the figured maple drawer front and the small chest of drawers, this is very striking piece.

  9. #9
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    Ah - I just looked at the one page you posted and didn't read the article. I'd definitely go with a wider shoulder on those tenons!

    Also, after reading the article, I realized there's no back on the unit. I'd worry a bit about whether that arrangement of shelves and vertical dividers with just dado joints provides sufficient racking resistance. I'm sure others here have a better understanding of the mechanics than I do - but I'd feel a lot better if there were a back panel, or maybe a face frame on the unit.

  10. #10
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    The numbers look right to me. Do not forget to add 1" for the verticle dividers (2) on the top 1 on the bottom. 1/2" into the 3/4" plywood side is about right for the material. When you read the cut list for the top and bottom you will find what you need. I probably would not do that build quite that way. Well glued with all of the staggered verticles it should hold up ok as a shelf for light weight things.
    Jim

  11. #11
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    This is pretty clear to me:

    "The case interior is joined with 1⁄4" x1⁄4" dados, stopped about 1⁄2" from theedges of the boards. A simple plywoodjig (shown below, left) guides the routerfor making these cuts.Mark the location of the dados, alignthe cut in the fence with your marks,position the router, plunge and plow.Note that where two shelves line up oneither side of a divider, the dados willcut all the way through the plywood,leaving solid stock only at either endof the cut.Take care when handling the unassembled 1⁄2"-thick dividers to avoidbreaking the workpiece – or set yourrouter a little shallow for these cuts,then trim the corresponding tenonsto fit.Tenon the ends of the interior partswith a rabbeting bit (router) or dadostack (table saw), then notch the endsof the boards for the stopped dados.You’ll need to round over the tenonsor square the dados with a chisel toget the parts to fit."

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