Building a bookcase question

[Daver1963]

Here is a book shelf I built a few years ago. I may have overdone it, but I knew I would be putting heavy books on it. It is made from 2"X12" pine all around with 1/4" plywood backing. I used three inch decking screws and predrilled the holes. I also countersunk the screws about 1/2 inch and then used a quarter inch dowel to make plugs so that no screws would show. After that was two coats of cherry stain and a coat of clear poly.

 

[scott_vt]

Good Evening Richard,
Some very good suggestions from our TBN members !

With that kind of budget, you can buy some descent tools and do the job yourself IMO ! You will have the satisfaction of looking at your finished shelves for years to come, and knowing that you did it yourself !

You can do a lot of nice work with a good table saw, biscuit joiner for aligning your joints during glue up, a good random orbital sander, a jig saw for making some nice base moldings, and of course some wood clamps.

All your real top end furniture is made from solid wood, whether its oak, cherry, mahogany etc, with veneer you always risk gouging the veneer, and its very tough to repair and make it look right JMO ! If you manage to scratch a solid wood piece, you can sand and refinish that spot.

I know that I initially tried to steer you towards veneer, but with that kind of budget you have, you can buy some nicer tools and nice wood and have a piece of furniture that can be handed down !

What ever you decide I would be more than happy to walk you through the process !

 

[bigtiller]

You'll save a ton of money if you buy paint grade 3/4 plywood over oak. Home Depot has the best deal right now at $35 each. For solid wood to trim out your edges, go with poplar. It's a lot cheaper then oak and will give you the same look once painted. Personally I use OSB for my edges when painting since it is so much easier to work with and I prefer the look of half inch OSB over anything else when painting cabinets.

Eddie

Eddie, did you mean to say MDF (medium-density fibreboard)? Or do you really use OSB (oriented strand board)?

 

[tamu94]

Good Afternoon Richard,
You really left out a bit of info on what size bookcase your planning on constructing.

Because of the way you asked the question, Im guessing that you dont have alot of experience doing this type of work. So my answer to you would be go with a veneered plywood. It not only eliminates a lot of glue up, but it is also very stable and wont warp like solid wood. As another poster mentioned, you can buy the stick on edging making the plywood look solid.

Here is the key thing to remember in cabinet construction. Laminated plywood does not really expand or contract with climate changes, aka humidity. You really cant combine solid wood sides and laminated plywood shelving and then try and glue the plywood shelves to solid wood, because the cabinet will break apart. You can use solid wood sides and then use support strips or pins to hold the plywood shelving.

Hopefully your understanding what Im trying to convey !

Good advice. High quality furniture grade plywood is very nice and perfect for bookcases. You cannot get high grade from the big box stores. You will have to go to a pro wood supply house. Oak, maple, cherry, and walnut are available in a variety of cuts for the top veneer (rift sawn, plain sawn).

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Since paint is now mentioned, I'd use premade particle board ones, already painted white. You can buy pieces with peg holes already in them at HD. No use wasting good wood with paint.

 

[EddieWalker]

Eddie, did you mean to say MDF (medium-density fibreboard)? Or do you really use OSB (oriented strand board)?

Thanks for catching that. Yes, I meant MDF. The half inch sheets are great for trim in dry areas and it holds paint very well

Eddie

 

[MESSMAKER]

You'll save a ton of money if you buy paint grade 3/4 plywood over oak. Home Depot has the best deal right now at $35 each. For solid wood to trim out your edges, go with poplar. It's a lot cheaper then oak and will give you the same look once painted. Personally I use OSB for my edges when painting since it is so much easier to work with and I prefer the look of half inch OSB over anything else when painting cabinets.

Eddie

He is absolutely right on the choice of poplar. A joy to work with and it paints up very well.