Bookcase construction

[legenddc]

Looking for some advice with making a bookcase. My client (aka 8 year old daughter) has decided on a cherry bookcase similar to this one from Vermont Wood Studios. It will be roughly 73"x36"x14" and have 5 adjustable shelves.

I was quoted $198/sheet for 3/4" mdf core cherry plywood and $75 for 1/4". I'd rather use solid wood at that price and just use plywood for the back.

What's the proper way to make the sides and legs out of solid wood? Making it out of solid wood I can't put a rail at the bottom but I think it might look weird to just just end it.

[BillyJack]

Just glue up the panels you need.

 

What is your cherry price per ft?

 

[Coop]

This is the side view of the barrister bookcase that I built a few years back. Frame and panel with re-sawn wood for the panel but 1/4” cherry ply would work as well.

[wtnhighlander]

If you don't want the sides to be frame and panel construction, just glue up the width you need, like @BillyJack said. The front legs look like just extensions of the face frame, probably same at the rear. If you make the side panels go the the floor, you can 'notch out' the bottom with tapered cuts at each side to match the taper of the leg section of the face frame. This gives the appearance of a 1.5 to 2" tapered leg from onky 3/3" material.

Personally, I like a little more visual intest than a flat surface provides, unless there is some really cool grain pattern showing. I would make the face & back frame from 1.5" stock to get true tapered legs, and offset the side panels toward the interior, to make vertical shadowlines on the sides. Just a thought.

[legenddc]

Here's my crude mockup of what I think this would look like compared to a more traditional one below.

 

After seeing it mocked up I think I can live with the design. Will have to pick up some 8/4 for the 4 legs and will glue that to some 4/4 to make up the sides.

 

 

[legenddc]

@BillyJack - 4/4 cherry is $5.00 bf or $5.45 for wide cherry at the one place that lists pricing online. I think I already have 25 bf leftover from my tv stand and coffee table.

Hopefully finding the 8/4 cherry isn't an issue like it was a couple of years ago.

On 11/9/2023 at 8:57 PM, wtnhighlander said:

Personally, I like a little more visual intest than a flat surface provides, unless there is some really cool grain pattern showing. I would make the face & back frame from 1.5" stock to get true tapered legs, and offset the side panels toward the interior, to make vertical shadowlines on the sides. Just a thought.

This is exactly what I was thinking of doing. I was concerned how the bottom of the side panels would look without the rail but I think it will look just fine.

[gee-dub]

I think your solid panel termination at the bottom looks fine.  You can find this look here and there and I would stress over the aesthetic.  Is there a reason to not go F&P?  This construction method deals with wood movement in larger panels but is certainly not a requirement in a well controlled environment.  I just find it easier in larger scale pieces to float the panels.

[legenddc]

On 11/10/2023 at 10:00 AM, gee-dub said:

I think your solid panel termination at the bottom looks fine.  You can find this look here and there and I would stress over the aesthetic.  Is there a reason to not go F&P?  This construction method deals with wood movement in larger panels but is certainly not a requirement in a well controlled environment.  I just find it easier in larger scale pieces to float the panels.

How would I create the shelf pin holes if I were to do F&P?

I'm planning to use solid wood for the shelves could could leave a gap between the front of the shelf and the face frame to allow for wood movement. 

[gee-dub]

On 11/10/2023 at 7:15 AM, legenddc said:

How would I create the shelf pin holes if I were to do F&P?

I'm planning to use solid wood for the shelves could could leave a gap between the front of the shelf and the face frame to allow for wood movement. 

They would be in the frame verticals but, your top version looks good.  I wasn't trying to steer you off your design.  We all tend to recommend things that work well for us.  I just find F&P an easy construction that solves potential movement problems so I tend to go that way.  A book case is not terribly deep so movement concerns are not as great as with something like a buffet that may be 20+ inches deep .

[legenddc]

On 11/10/2023 at 10:42 AM, gee-dub said:

They would be in the frame verticals but, your top version looks good.  I wasn't trying to steer you off your design.  We all tend to recommend things that work well for us.  I just find F&P an easy construction that solves potential movement problems so I tend to go that way.  A book case is not terribly deep so movement concerns are not as great as with something like a buffet that may be 20+ inches deep .

I'm embarrassed that I didn't think of that. I was thinking the panel would go directly into the legs but obviously that doesn't have to be the case.

Doing F&P would allow me to use up more of the 1/4" ply from the back as well. 

[curlyoak]

12" is more typical depth. If there are some items that will go in the shelves that needs 14". The benefit of custom building. If there is nothing in mind that needs the 14" I'd suggest 12".

Matched grain curly oak flat panels.

[BillyJack]

On 11/9/2023 at 1:20 PM, legenddc said:

Looking for some advice with making a bookcase. My client (aka 8 year old daughter) has decided on a cherry bookcase similar to this one from Vermont Wood Studios. It will be roughly 73"x36"x14" and have 5 adjustable shelves.

I was quoted $198/sheet for 3/4" mdf core cherry plywood and $75 for 1/4". I'd rather use solid wood at that price and just use plywood for the back.

What's the proper way to make the sides and legs out of solid wood? Making it out of solid wood I can't put a rail at the bottom but I think it might look weird to just just end it.

Do you have a planer? How wide  is your planer?

[legenddc]

Yes, have a 13" planer

[BillyJack]

On 11/10/2023 at 12:51 PM, legenddc said:

Yes, have a 13" planer

Make raised panels? Make the panels   1/2. All kinds of options

 

[roughsawn]

On 11/10/2023 at 9:00 AM, gee-dub said:

 Is there a reason to not go F&P?  I just find it easier in larger scale pieces to float the panels.

Terminology challenged...

F&P?

[gee-dub]

Frame & Panel. Sorry, I normally try not to use acronyms. I just got lazy.

[roughsawn]

Got it, thanks.

[Benham_Design]

I'm curious why you can't put a rail at the base if using solid wood.  I don't see anything wrong with that 

[wtnhighlander]

@Benham_Design, you could probably get away with under most circumstances, but the width of the case side is enough to expand by a significant about if exposed to humidity for some period of time. A solidly attached rail would resist that expansion at the end of the panel, resulting in a warp or split as the rest of the panel moved freely.

[BillyJack]

In almost  every case if you have a piece in an acclimated environment, you’ll rarely see expansion. Shrinkage I’ll guarantee…

[Mark J]

Especially, if when winter comes you forget to turn on the humidifier.  DAMHIK

[legenddc]

On 11/13/2023 at 7:44 PM, Mark J said:

Especially, if when winter comes you forget to turn on the humidifier.  DAMHIK

My house has fairly wild swings with humidity lately. It's worse when the weather is mild enough to not need the AC or heat.

[BillyJack]

On 11/10/2023 at 8:50 AM, legenddc said:

Here's my crude mockup of what I think this would look like compared to a more traditional one below.

 

After seeing it mocked up I think I can live with the design. Will have to pick up some 8/4 for the 4 legs and will glue that to some 4/4 to make up the sides.

 

 

This is really an easy build 

[legenddc]

Hoping the hardest parts will be maneuvering 6' long pieces in a ~160 sq. ft. shop and finding the time to work on it.