COMPLIMENTARY WOODWORKING PLAN Bookcase This downloadable plan is copyrighted. Please do not share or redistribute this plan in any way. It has been created for Wilton Tools, a division of WMH Tool Group.
Features: Contemporary Styling Build to your own width Optional Doors Simple Oak Veneer Plywood construction Tools Needed: - Drill - Sander - Table Saw - Router (router table recommended) - Basic hand tools Instructions for basic dimensions Formulas given for customized width Parts List Cutting Diagrams 3D Assembly Diagrams Basic Dimension: 68 H, 36 W, 12 D
Choice of Materials: 1 The materials for this project consist of hardwood veneer plywood with matching solid wood edging, glued into place. Although you could choose any combination of woods that appeals to you, I recommend oak because it is relatively inexpensive and the grain masks the glue lines very nicely. A panel made from oak veneer plywood, edged with a 1/4" strip of solid oak looks like a panel made from edge glued solid stock. The edge strips are thick enough that you can even round them over with a router. The techniques used here are fairly simple and professional looking results are easy to obtain with a little care. Be sure to take your time to make sure that everything is done right. When selecting your solid wood edging, make sure that it is at least as thick as the plywood! If it is thinner, even by a hair's breadth, you will repeatedly be sanding right through the veneer of the plywood when trying to finish the panels. Tear Out: Tear out (ragged veneer edges left by the saw) is probably the greatest concern when working with this type of plywood. Tearout is caused by the teeth of the saw blade as they emerge from the cut. It occurs almost exclusively when cutting across the grain. Using a blade intended for cutting plywood will help minimize tearout but won't eliminate it. Generally, the more teeth on the blade, the smoother the cut. There are several techniques that can be used to minimize tearout. One way is to apply a strip of wide masking tape along the anticipated cut line. When doing a lot of cutting this can be tedious, expensive and the tape can actually stain the wood if left in place too long after cutting. Another way to prevent tearout is to score through the veneer with a sharp knife before cutting. This can result in perfection but a high degree of accuracy is a must. If your saw cut ventures on to the wrong side of your knife score, it will tear out badly. If your saw cut is too far away from the knife score it will remove all of the veneer up to the score line, leaving an unsightly white line along the cut. Since only one side of the plywood is affected by tearout you can simply ensure that it occurs on the surface that will be hidden from view in the finished piece. If cutting a part that requires both sides to be free of tearout, such as a door, use the masking tape or the knife score on the tearout side of the cut. Which side the tearout will occur on depends on the rotation of your saw blade. If you are cutting the pieces using a hand held circular saw, cut with the good side facing down as the tearout occurs on the upper side of the sheet. If you are cutting the parts to final size on the table saw, tearout will occur on the bottom side of the sheet, so cut the pieces good side up. If you are using a radial arm saw, the wood should be cut good side down. A good technique that works especially well on the table saw is to make the cut in two passes. The first pass is done with the blade elevated only about 1/16", to cut through the veneer only. The blade is elevated to full thickness for the second pass. Take the little bit of extra time to stop and think about where the tearout will occur before every cut you make and you will avoid the disappointment of ruining a highly visible part. Sanding Veneered Panels The protruding solid wood edges of your panels must be trimmed flush with the surface of the panel. If the solid wood strip is 3/4" wide or less, a great deal of sanding can be eliminated
2 by first trimming the excess with a flush trimming router bit. Since the base of the router must ride along the 3/4" wide edge of the panel, some sort of clamp on edge guide or auxiliary fence on the router table must be used. Another possible pitfall occurs when sanding your glued up panels flush with a belt sander. Since the veneer of the plywood is very thin, you can very quickly sand right through it, leaving an ugly white scar in your finished panel. This can be avoided by exercising a little care. Before sanding, your show wood edges MUST be flush with or protruding slightly above the surface of the plywood. When gluing the solid wood edges in place on the plywood panels, apply the glue generously. (Plywood is thirsty and will absorb some of the glue) When clamping, use your fingers to center the edge piece over the plywood edge. Clean up the excess glue that squeezes out by wiping it up with a wet rag. If the solid wood strip being glued is slightly warped, it will tend to protrude at the ends while being below the surface at the center of the plywood (or vice versa). This can be corrected by using three clamps. Clamp the center portion first, then flex the edge piece to the proper position while you tighten the end clamps. The glue will hold the piece straight when it dries. When sanding a glued up panel, use a belt sander with a fairly fine grit abrasive such as 120 or 150. Only when you have built up a bit of confidence should you attempt using 100 or 80 grit to speed the process of reducing the thickness of the solid wood edges. Concentrating on the protruding solid wood edges, use long circular motions to gradually reduce the thickness to match that of the plywood. Sanding should stop as soon as contact is made with the plywood. Use caution to keep the sander horizontal, not cocking it forward or to one side. If you are unsure of when your sander is actually contacting the plywood, make a wavy pencil line across the length of the glue line. Keep sanding until the portion of the line on the plywood disappears. When the line is gone from one area, concentrate on the areas where it is still visible. Further sanding beyond this should be done with an orbital sander using fine sandpaper such as 150 or 220. Depending on your sander, these are about the coarsest grits that do not leave visible circular scratch marks in the finished piece. Project Completion: When your assembly is complete, go over the entire project with an orbital sander, using 220 grit sandpaper. Determine whether you will be using colored or non-colored wood filler to fill in the imperfections. Non-colored fillers go on before the finish and colored wood filler goes on after the first coat of varnish. I suggest that you finish a piece of scrap with your desired finish, knock some holes into it, and test different colors of wood filler on it. Usually the best filler color matches the color of the darker grain markings in the wood. Note that some paint stores may even let you test the different colors on your test piece. Suggested finish: My prototype is finished with 3 to 4 coats of low luster polyurethane, with the first coat thinned by 15%. A quick sanding with fine sandpaper is needed between coats, especially after the first. The beauty of this form of finish is that it is simple to match to other similar pieces built from the same wood. Future damage repair is simple, as color match simply requires touching up the polyurethane.
3 This bookcase, which can also be used as a display cabinet, can be built in the design width of 36 or can be varied to whatever width you prefer. The advantage of this is you can customize the finished piece to fit a particular location. The bookcase can be built in multiples to fill an entire wall, varying the width to suit the given space, giving a built in appearance. The doors are optional and can be left out to give room for more open shelves. The shelf above the doors is at a set height to allow the trim to line up visually with those of the adjacent units. The top shelf, although movable, should also line up visually with those of adjacent units. Customizing Width: When determining your bookcase width, keep the shelf loading in mind. The 36 width is the widest shelf that can support a moderate load of books without additional support. If planning on displaying a heavy load of books, the edge trim shown on some of the shelves will provide some additional rigidity, along with a comparable reinforcing member along the rear edge of the shelf. This will allow you to widen the bookcase a bit. The parts list has a column of dimensions for building the standard width of 36 and a column for customized width. Choose the appropriate column and block out the irrelevant one with paper and tape to prevent errors caused by looking at the wrong dimensions. The bookcase can be built as a stand-alone unit, a straight wall combination with two or more units or corner combination units. Choose the sections of the parts list that pertain to your version.
4 Materials List Qty Description 1 1/2 sheets 3/4" oak veneer plywood 16 linear feet oak 1X6 (8 board feet) 1 sheet 1/4" oak veneer plywood 4 Blum hinges, inset doors (optional) 1", 2", 2 1/2" finishing nails 1 3" metal L bracket (corner version only) If building a custom width, the dimensions in the parts list refer to W as the case width. This is the outside dimension of the case, not counting the overhang on the top. The dimensions of the parts will add or subtract to W to give you the part dimension. Example: If you decide to build a 30 width and the part dimension is W+1 ½, the part dimension will be 31 ½. Parts Common to All Three Versions Parts List 36" Width Variable Width All measurements in inches Part # QTY DESCRIPTION L W T L W T Material 1 2 side panels 67 1/4 11 1/4 3/4 67 1/4 11 1/4 3/4 3/4 plywood 2 3 fixed shelves 35 1/4 11 3/4 W-3/4 11 3/4 3/4 plywood 3 1 back 65 35 1/4 1/4 65 W-3/4 1/4 1/4 plywood 4 4 loose shelves 34 3/8 10 3/4 3/4 W-1 5/8 10 3/4 3/4 3/4 plywood 5 3 loose shelf edge strip 34 3/8 3/4 1/4 W-1 5/8 3/4 1/4 3/4 solid stock 7 1 skirt 36 3 3/4 W 3 3/4 3/4 solid stock 8 2 side trim 63 1/2 1 3/4 3/4 63 1/2 1 3/4 3/4 3/4 solid stock 11 1 Arch 32 1/2 2 1/2 3/4 W-7 1/2 2 1/2 3/4 3/4 solid stock 12 1 front trim 32 1/2 1 1/4 3/4 W-7 1/4 1 1/4 3/4 3/4 solid stock 16 2 Door panel 18 5/8 15 1/8 3/4 18 5/8 (W/2)-2 7/8 3/4 3/4 plywood 18 4 Hinge Shims 2 1 1/2 1 2 1 1/2 1 spruce or pine 19 4 Door Horizontal edge 16 1/8 3/4 1/2 (W/2)-1 7/8 3/4 1/2 3/4 solid stock 20 4 Door Vertical edges 19 5/8 3/4 1/2 19 5/8 3/4 1/2 3/4 solid stock Stand-Alone Version Parts 36" Width Variable Width All measurements in inches Part # QTY DESCRIPTION L W T L W T Material 13 1 top 36 12 3/4 3/4 W 12 3/4 3/4 3/4 plywood 14 2 end trim 12 3/4 1 1/2 3/4 12 3/4 1 1/2 3/4 3/4 solid stock 15 1 top trim 37 1/2 1 1/2 3/4 W+1 1/2 1 1/2 3/4 3/4 solid stock Straight Wall Combination Version Parts 36" Width Variable Width All measurements in inches Part # QTY DESCRIPTION L W T L W T Material 13 1 top 36 12 3/4 3/4 W 12 3/4 3/4 3/4 plywood 14 1 end trim 12 3/4 1 1/2 3/4 12 3/4 1 1/2 3/4 3/4 solid stock 22 1 top trim 36 3/4 1 1/2 3/4 W+3/4 1 1/2 3/4 3/4 solid stock Corner Combination Version Parts 36" Width Variable Width All measurements in inches Part # QTY DESCRIPTION L W T L W T Material 17 1 Corner Top 48 12 3/4 3/4 W+12 12 3/4 3/4 3/4 plywood 14 1 end trim 12 3/4 1 1/2 3/4 12 3/4 1 1/2 3/4 3/4 solid stock 23 1 top trim 36 3/4 1 1/2 3/4 W+3/4 1 1/2 3/4 3/4 solid stock 21 1 Angle brace 66 1/2 3 1/2 1 1/2 66 1/2 3 1/2 1 1/2 2X4 spruce stock
5 Step 1: Cut the side panels (#1) to size according to the parts list. Choose which side of the plywood to face inwards and mark the locations of the dados as shown. Cut the dados as described, using a ¾ straight cutter in a router. Along the rear edge, cut a rabbet to allow the back to be recessed. Ensure that you are creating two mirror image sides. The rabbets should be ¼ wide, 3/8 deep. Drill an array of holes to fit your shelf support pins in the lower and upper compartments. Holes should be 1 apart, 1 from the front of the cabinet, 1 ½ from the rear. Only four or five sets of holes are needed in the lower compartment and about 25 sets in the top. There is no point putting holes where you would never put a shelf so don t put any holes within about 6 from the top or bottom of each compartment. Note: The upper fixed shelf can also be made as another loose shelf. If the cabinet is shortened lower than 68, the space above a fixed shelf would be too small. Tip: Each strip of holes must be at the same level as the others, to ensure that the shelves sit level, without rocking. The easiest way to achieve this is with a template. A ready made template can be made from a strip of pegboard, which has the holes already at the correct spacing. A goo reusable template can also be made from plexiglass or thin plywood. The holes should be 1 from the edge of the template. Mark which end is to be the bottom and line it up with the bottom shelf of your workpiece. Drill your holes and move the template over to the next strip of holes. Always ensure that the bottom of the template is positioned at the bottom of your assembly and your strips of holes will always line up. A drill stop is handy to prevent your drill from accidentally penetrating the side of the cabinet. A masking tape flag can also be used to mark the depth on the drill bit but you need to be careful to prevent drilling beyond the flag.
6 Step 2: Cut the top for your chosen version, according to the parts list. #13 is for either the stand-alone version or the straight combination version and #17 is for the corner version. If building the corner version, make sure the angle is on the correct end of the part for your configuration. You may have to create a mirror image of the part illustrated. Choose which side is to face up, noting that the lower surface will be more visible than the top surface. On the lower rear edge, cut the rabbet shown. At either end, cut the dado shown. On #17, the dado near the angled end should be positioned to give your cabinet width as measured to the outer edges of the two dados. Step 3: Cut your fixed shelves (#2) and your loose shelves (#4) to size. Four loose shelves are specified but you may only need three if you have chosen to make the upper shelf a fixed one. On each of the loose shelves, glue a ¼ thick strip of solid wood to the front edge, using small finishing nails or clamps. When the glue is dry, sand the strip flush with the shelf, rounding it over slightly if desired. Reinforced Shelf: For heavier shelf loads or wider spans, reinforce the shelf front and rear edges with solid wood, 1 1/2 wide, as shown.
7 Step 4: Assemble the shelves to the sides of the cabinet as shown. Use glue and two 2 1/2 finishing nails into each end of each shelf. Note that the fronts of the shelves all line up with the sides. If your measurements are accurate, the backs of the fixed shelves will line up with the bottoms of the rabbets at the back of the sides, allowing the back to be inset. Glue and nail the top into place in the same fashion, lining up the rabbet at the back with those on the sides. The front edge of the shelf overhangs the front of the cabinet by 3/4. The top shown here is for the stand-alone version or the straight wall combo version. If building the corner version, see the detail later in this section. Before the glue sets, check that the cabinet is square by measuring it diagonally in both directions. Adjust the square of the cabinet to give you two identical measurements. If necessary, tack the back diagonally with a strip of wood & small nails, to hold it while the glue dries. Cut the back (#3) to fit the opening at the back of the cabinet. Nail the back into place on the cabinet with 1 finishing nails spaced every 8 or so. If enough nails are used, glue is unnecessary. This back will add the much needed rigidity to the finished piece. Step 5: From 3/4 solid oak, cut the arch (#11) to the size in your parts list. Mark the locations of the center of the arc and the ends, as shown. With a thin, flexible strip of wood, trace the shape of the arc. Cut it to shape and sand the arch smooth. Using a 1/2 radius bit in the router, round over the arc and the ends of the part. Leave the top edge square. The Shoe : Sanding the inside of the arcs is greatly simplified through the use of this wooden insert which gives the belt sander a convex platen. Take a piece of softwood about 2 wide, 3 long, ¼ thick and sand it to a gentle curve as shown. The ends should taper to a sharp point. Loosen the tensioner on your sander and insert the shoe under the graphite pad. When the tension is re-applied, the shoe will remain in place. Use long
8 strokes with the sander to even out your arcs. Don t forget to remove it when done so you don t mangle a flat surface with it later. Step 6: Cut the skirt (#7) to fit the front of the cabinet and sand it. Round over all four edges of the part with the 1/2 radius router bit. Install it to the cabinet with glue and 2 finishing nails. Note that when hammering finishing nails into solid 3/4 oak, small pilot holes will help prevent bending of nails. Cut the two side trim pieces (#8) to size and round over the long edges and the bottom end with the 1/2 radius router bit. Leave the top ends square. Using glue and 2 finishing nails, install them onto the sides of the cabinet with the edges flush with the sides. These pieces overhang inwards. Cut the two front trim pieces (#12) to size and round over the long edges and both ends with the router. Install with glue and finishing nails to the fixed shelves, as shown. These pieces overhang downwards. Install the arch (#11) to the underside of the top as shown. The face of the arch should line up with the faces of the side trim pieces. This part is sufficiently held with glue and clamps. Screws or nails are not necessary if properly glued. Step 7: The doors are optional and can be left out if desired. These instructions are for plywood panel doors, which you can feel free to substitute with glued up panels of solid stock. Measure your exact opening dimensions and compare with the theoretical opening dimensions given in the parts list. If your opening varies from the theoretical, you will have to adjust the size of the doors accordingly. The doors are intended to have a 1/16 gap all the way around when complete. (1/8 gap between the doors). The edge strips will add exactly 1 1/2 to the door panel in width and height. Cut the door panels (#16) to size. Cut your edge strips (J19 & J20) to exactly 3/4 thickness. Cut miters on the strips and glue them into place around the edges of the door panel as shown. Use clamps or tape instead of nails to avoid hitting them with the router later. Allow the glue to dry and sand the faces of the panels flush. Sand away any saw marks around the edges. Using the 1/2 radius router bit, round over the edges of the finished door.
9 The edge of the radius should very closely line up with the joint between the edge strip and the plywood. Read the instructions that come with the Blum European hinges. These hinges are expensive but allow you to adjust the door in all directions to make it look professionally built. They are also the only hinges that I know of than can be used to install this particular design of door into this cabinet. These hinges require you to drill 35 mm holes into the backside of the door. They also require a flush cabinet side to mount to, so install the hinge shims (L15) onto the cabinet sides using glue & clamps, as shown. Line up your hinges with these mounting pads. Install the doors according to the instructions included with the hinges. Choose the Step 8 that pertains to your version Step 8, Stand - Alone Version: Cut the two end trim pieces (#14) to size and round over the top and bottom edges with the 1/2 radius router bit. Install them to both sides of the cabinet with glue and 2 finishing nails, as shown. Cut the top trim (#15)slightly over length. Position it at the front of the top and trace the profiles of the end trim onto it. Cut it to shape, sand it and round over the edges (all the way around the front) with the 1/2 radius router bit. Install with glue and 2 nails. This piece will cover the joint between the arch and the top. Plan for the illustrated TV cabinet is available as P22, Entertainment Center, High Version. Step 8, Straight Wall Combo Version: Use this top treatment when the bookcase will be placed flush against another bookcase or another cabinet. Cut the end trim (#14) to size and round over the top and bottom edges with the 1/2 radius router bit. Install it to the outer side of the cabinet (away from the adjacent cabinet) with glue and 2 finishing nails, as shown. Cut the top trim (J15) slightly over length. Position it at front of the top and trace the profile of the end trim onto it. Cut the outer end to shape, leaving the inner end square. Sand it and round over the edges with the 1/2 radius router bit. Install with glue and 2 nails.
10 Step 8, Corner Combo Version: This version is used when the bookcase will be placed at a corner, opposite either another cabinet placed at 45 degrees (shown) or another mirror image corner bookcase. Note that you can make a 90 degree corner with two mirror image units or a 45 degree corner when connecting to a straight unit. This looks good when three units are being built, with the center one cutting the corner at 45 degrees. When assembling the bookcase, the corner style top (#17) should be substituted for the standard #13 top. Cut the end trim (#14) to size and round over the top and bottom edges with the 1/2 radius router bit. Install it to the outer side of the cabinet (away from the adjacent cabinet) with glue and 2 finishing nails, as shown. Cut the top trim (#23) slightly over length. Miter one end of it at 45 degrees, as shown. Position it at front of the top and trace the profile of the end trim onto it. Cut the outer end to shape, leaving the inner end mitered. Sand it and round over the edges with the 1/2 radius router bit. Install with glue and 2 nails. Don t round over the mitered end. Step 9, Corner Combo Version: Cut a common 2X4 to length indicated in the parts list (#21). If your adjacent cabinet is to be at 45 degrees to the corner, as illustrated, set the blade angle on your table saw to 22 ½ degrees. If the adjacent cabinet is at 90 degrees (another mirror image bookcase) set the blade angle at 45 degrees. Set the fence to cut the 2X4 to angle along both edges as shown. The 3 ½ inch width does not have to be exact. A little narrower is OK. Don t bother sanding this part as it won t show in the finished piece.
11 Step 10: If casters are desired, install them at this point, before connecting the cabinets together. Ensure your casters can carry the weight of the cabinet plus the contents. Use plywood shims to allow the wheel portion to protrude 1/4 for hard floors, 1/2 for low pile carpets, 3/4 for deep pile carpets. Four casters are needed for the TV cabinet and another four for each bookcase. Connect your cabinets together using screws or bolts. See detail on quick connect hardware. If building a straight wall version, use four fasteners to connect each cabinet together, inserted into the bookcase. Connect the cabinets together using the angle brace as shown, connecting each cabinet to the brace with two fasteners. If building the 45 degree version, the rear of the corner top is supported with a 3 metal angle bracket screwed into place with 3/4 #8 screws. If building the 90 degree version, substitute a flat metal or wood bracket. Note that the position of the two cabinets is determined by the shape of the angled top. The front face of the bookcase will be set back from the face of the TV cabinet. The point of the angled top should line up with the back of the TV cabinet. A slight gap between the two units is desirable to minimize inaccuracies in your construction. Quick Connect Bolts: These bolts provide a finished appearance when connecting the modules together. The inset nut is driven into a blind hole with a hex key and the bolt is driven into it with a smaller hex key. Bolt caps can be used instead of the inset nuts but are visible from the opposite side. These are usually available from well stocked home centers or mail order hardware supply companies.