From the few things I’ve read, it almost seems like a right of passage to build a set of bookshelves as one of, if not the, first project as a woodworker. The cliche wasn’t enough to dissuade me. It didn’t hurt that we had boxes and piles of books strewn across the house, either. I was feeling creative, so I came up with this design:
Five shelves, angled side profile, and an interesting lattice work to keep books from falling out the back:
Being this was my first attempt at building, let alone designing, a piece of furniture – I ended up keeping things simple. The whole bookcase (four feet wide, about 6 feet tall) was constructed from two 4′ x 8′ sheets of 3/4″ oak plywood. The shelves rest in 3/8″ deep dados on each side. The back lattice work is joined with half-lap joints, assembled separately, and then added to shelf/side assembly.
Although this piece is not something I could sell to anyone, I’m proud of how things turned out and what I learned from it all. I’ve picked up tips on tear-out, on the true width of 3/4″ plywood, on how my collection of clamps is woefully insufficient, etc. My favorite lesson has become my motto in my garage – “It doesn’t help to measure twice, if you only think once.”
Update: Here’s a picture of the bookcase in use:
I love the bookshelf, though I think that 4ft might be a bit big for other projects