Are screws necessary for this?

[derek2183]

Hello all - i'm a novice craftsman and have slowly been developing my skills over the past year.  I'm going to build this bookshelf this week/weekend and wanted your opinions.  I don't have a kreg jig to make the pocket holes for the screws. Will glue and finish nails be enough to hold it together or do i need to purchase the jig?  Or could i use two finish nails and a countersunk screw and cover it over with filler?  any other suggestions? This will be going in the playroom and i'm using 1x8's instead of 1x6's so it's a bit deeper for books and toys.  I'm going to attach two 1x2's inside the frame to mount directly to the studs as well.  This is the tutorial for the bookcase as well:

http://www.homestoriesatoz.com/sponsored-post/letter-a-bookshelf-tutorial-3m-diy-starts-here.html

Thanks for your help!

Derek

 

 

[Kuhn315]

If your going to paint this, I don't see why you couldn't just use drywall screws with counter sunk holes and wood putty it, and and then paint. Another option would be to countersink holes for a plug. You can buy a plug cutter at your local home center.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk

[RPCV_Woodworker]

You could definitely do this without screws.  If you're going to paint it, you can do anything you want, and no one will be the wiser.  You could always lay it out, glue, pin nail, and then once it sets up sink some 1/4" dowels into the joints.

[..Kev]

Agreed.  If painting, countersink - fill - sand - paint.

[wdwerker]

Trim screws are easier to fill and hide the hole. They are kinda like a finish nail in screw form.

[Bombarde16]

I'd be inclined to make it out of plywood or MDF.  That way, the butt joints would have gluing strength all their own with nothing more than a discrete finishing nail or two to help.

[Kuhn315]

Only problem I see with finishing nails and glue with butt joints is not being that strong, as I see it, the picture looks like a book case for a little kids room hanging on the wall, with things being put on the shelves, this is just my opinion, but I would feel better about using screws and glue.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk

[derek2183]

I'm planning to use this since it will be painted

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Unbranded-1-x-8-x-8-Southern-Yellow-Pine-Board-662404/202089106?N=bqmcZ25egxhZ1z0ywy9%3FNCNI-5#

 

Thinking glue and pin nails to let it set and then installing a couple of dowels once it's set.  It will be hung on the wall but won't have anything terrible heavy other than a few books on the shelves.

 

Thanks again for your suggestions and help!

 

Derek

[cmbp]

At some point, you are going to have a child grab and hang from the feet of the A, so I would use screws instead of dowels in those joints for sure.

[Byrdie]

If a kid is going to hang on it, it's going to pull off the wall anyway.  I'd worry about that more than the pieces pulling apart.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if glue alone proved to be enough of a bonding agent, but I'm with the rest of the group that says if you're going to paint it some countersunk screws and some sort of filler, as well as glue, would be the way to go.