We needed a bookshelf in our kitchen for a few things: cookbooks, a place to stash Sarah's purse, and our weekly pile of library books (in various states of being read). This one I built fills the bill.
As usual, I started with a rough hand-drawn plan in my shop notebook. I really enjoy doing this because it allows me to go at my own pace and picture what I want to do. It's quite easy, especially with something as simple as a bookshelf. I usually start by just writing down and drawing the dimensions that define the limits of the design. Then, after thinking about it for a while, I draw what I want with measurements and refine them. I'm not sure you can see it in this photo, but I did some "research" on other shelves that I built or that we bought to get a feel for the sizes that we'd need.
I used two 8' 1x10s. I bought the good stuff, which was unnecessary since I painted it but it was nice to work with. Check out that nice bench!
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| Parts cut out, pre-drilled and labeled |
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| Test assembly |
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| Partially assembled |
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| Screw holes filled and ready for sanding |
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| Just checking that it fit where we want it |
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| Glueing on the back |
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| Sanded and ready for priming |
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| Last coat of paint on |
I really enjoyed this project even though the heat index was 105 degrees on the weekend I built it. I got into a nice flow state and things went quite smoothly.
Doing the project helps me figure out how I want the shop to be laid out and gave me some ideas on a couple tool upgrades.
