Project Information
About 3+ years ago, I decided to build a bookcase for my daughter's 10th birthday. At that time, I didn't have a planer and didn't know any better, so after making a little sketch plan, I went to the store (either HD or Lowes) and bought some poplar. As I recall, I paid about $220 for it. Ouch.
So, I started cutting the shelves.
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Then, because I didn't know how to do the things I needed to do to complete it, I stuffed the boards between some boxes where they sat for awhile.
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After I finished putting the attic in my shop and moved all the boxes upstairs…
... and built an extension table with stop rail for my RAS, bought a bandsaw, a planer, a jointer etc.
...and built a lumber rack and etc.
Three years went by and I decided to make it for my daughter's 13th birthday.
First I had to make the uprights. After crosscutting 1/8" deep dados, 3/4" wide, I made this rough jig to drill holes centered on the dados in preparation for cutting slots.
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Here you can see where the dato is centered on the jig so that the hole is centered on the other side.
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And this is the result on the center uprights which have dados on both sides.
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Then I finished cutting the slots with a handsaw.
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Then cleaned up the slots with a rasp,
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... and a chisel.
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These were the resulting slots in the center uprights.
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Then I had to shape the front edge of the center uprights on my tiny little router table. Since the boards are 8 feet long, I needed 16 feet to work in. I made these guides out of plastic food containers mounted on 7' long saw horses. Each guide is mounted on an 18 TPI bolt, which allows me to adjust the height of each guide by 1/36th of an inch. The guides are also flexible and slippery, so they work very well considering that they are made out of trash.
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Wow! Look at the time! I'm going to have to post the rest of the build photos another day.
So, I started cutting the shelves.
Then, because I didn't know how to do the things I needed to do to complete it, I stuffed the boards between some boxes where they sat for awhile.
After I finished putting the attic in my shop and moved all the boxes upstairs…
... and built an extension table with stop rail for my RAS, bought a bandsaw, a planer, a jointer etc.
...and built a lumber rack and etc.
Three years went by and I decided to make it for my daughter's 13th birthday.
First I had to make the uprights. After crosscutting 1/8" deep dados, 3/4" wide, I made this rough jig to drill holes centered on the dados in preparation for cutting slots.
Here you can see where the dato is centered on the jig so that the hole is centered on the other side.
And this is the result on the center uprights which have dados on both sides.
Then I finished cutting the slots with a handsaw.
Then cleaned up the slots with a rasp,
... and a chisel.
These were the resulting slots in the center uprights.
Then I had to shape the front edge of the center uprights on my tiny little router table. Since the boards are 8 feet long, I needed 16 feet to work in. I made these guides out of plastic food containers mounted on 7' long saw horses. Each guide is mounted on an 18 TPI bolt, which allows me to adjust the height of each guide by 1/36th of an inch. The guides are also flexible and slippery, so they work very well considering that they are made out of trash.
Wow! Look at the time! I'm going to have to post the rest of the build photos another day.
