[DavePolaschek]

Introduction

When we moved to Santa Fe last year, I had planned to build new bookcases for the house. In my old house in Minneapolis, I had built-in bookcases, and the house here in the Southwest needs a different look.

So I looked around a little, and decided to build the Jefferson Bookcases that Chris Schwarz wrote about for Pop Wood.

Given that I'm in Santa Fe, and getting nice hardwood is tougher here than I'm used to from Minnesota, I decided to build them in pine. I can get nice clear pine from Alpine Builders Supply here in town, and while it's not cheap, it's not going to break the bank.

So that's the back-story. I'm planning to write up the build process as I go, though likely I'll be behind on writing it up (I have four plinths and one case built as I write this), in part because I'm not great at taking all the photos I need as I'm building. But luckily there are enough repeated parts that I've been able to go back and get photos of every step of the way. That means this will be a lot longer than the Pop Wood article I linked above, but will also include a lot of the wrong turns I took along the way, and tricks I figured out to make the build go smoother.

As for parts, there are going to be at least six plinths, holding a stack of cases a minimum of five cases high on each stack. And that won't even get the paperbacks - I think I'm going to put those in cases that'll hang on a cleat on the wall above the stacks of cases.

Did I mention that I have a lot of books?

 

[crowie]

Introduction

When we moved to Santa Fe last year, I had planned to build new bookcases for the house. In my old house in Minneapolis, I had built-in bookcases, and the house here in the Southwest needs a different look.

So I looked around a little, and decided to build the Jefferson Bookcases that Chris Schwarz wrote about for Pop Wood.

Given that I'm in Santa Fe, and getting nice hardwood is tougher here than I'm used to from Minnesota, I decided to build them in pine. I can get nice clear pine from Alpine Builders Supply here in town, and while it's not cheap, it's not going to break the bank.

So that's the back-story. I'm planning to write up the build process as I go, though likely I'll be behind on writing it up (I have four plinths and one case built as I write this), in part because I'm not great at taking all the photos I need as I'm building. But luckily there are enough repeated parts that I've been able to go back and get photos of every step of the way. That means this will be a lot longer than the Pop Wood article I linked above, but will also include a lot of the wrong turns I took along the way, and tricks I figured out to make the build go smoother.

As for parts, there are going to be at least six plinths, holding a stack of cases a minimum of five cases high on each stack. And that won't even get the paperbacks - I think I'm going to put those in cases that'll hang on a cleat on the wall above the stacks of cases.

Did I mention that I have a lot of books?

If it comes out as good as the photo, wow!

 

[robscastle]

Introduction

When we moved to Santa Fe last year, I had planned to build new bookcases for the house. In my old house in Minneapolis, I had built-in bookcases, and the house here in the Southwest needs a different look.

So I looked around a little, and decided to build the Jefferson Bookcases that Chris Schwarz wrote about for Pop Wood.

Given that I'm in Santa Fe, and getting nice hardwood is tougher here than I'm used to from Minnesota, I decided to build them in pine. I can get nice clear pine from Alpine Builders Supply here in town, and while it's not cheap, it's not going to break the bank.

So that's the back-story. I'm planning to write up the build process as I go, though likely I'll be behind on writing it up (I have four plinths and one case built as I write this), in part because I'm not great at taking all the photos I need as I'm building. But luckily there are enough repeated parts that I've been able to go back and get photos of every step of the way. That means this will be a lot longer than the Pop Wood article I linked above, but will also include a lot of the wrong turns I took along the way, and tricks I figured out to make the build go smoother.

As for parts, there are going to be at least six plinths, holding a stack of cases a minimum of five cases high on each stack. And that won't even get the paperbacks - I think I'm going to put those in cases that'll hang on a cleat on the wall above the stacks of cases.

Did I mention that I have a lot of books?

Sounds like it will be a very good project Dave.

The links you have provided are well worth checking out if your looking for some stimulation for a project.

 

[Oldtool]

Introduction

When we moved to Santa Fe last year, I had planned to build new bookcases for the house. In my old house in Minneapolis, I had built-in bookcases, and the house here in the Southwest needs a different look.

So I looked around a little, and decided to build the Jefferson Bookcases that Chris Schwarz wrote about for Pop Wood.

Given that I'm in Santa Fe, and getting nice hardwood is tougher here than I'm used to from Minnesota, I decided to build them in pine. I can get nice clear pine from Alpine Builders Supply here in town, and while it's not cheap, it's not going to break the bank.

So that's the back-story. I'm planning to write up the build process as I go, though likely I'll be behind on writing it up (I have four plinths and one case built as I write this), in part because I'm not great at taking all the photos I need as I'm building. But luckily there are enough repeated parts that I've been able to go back and get photos of every step of the way. That means this will be a lot longer than the Pop Wood article I linked above, but will also include a lot of the wrong turns I took along the way, and tricks I figured out to make the build go smoother.

As for parts, there are going to be at least six plinths, holding a stack of cases a minimum of five cases high on each stack. And that won't even get the paperbacks - I think I'm going to put those in cases that'll hang on a cleat on the wall above the stacks of cases.

Did I mention that I have a lot of books?

This looks to be a big challenge for you due to the volume of books you have, - but - it should be fun. You've got to post photos of the process, I'll be interested to watch and see how you progress.
Also, want to see your techniques for maintaining the tolerances required to produce the final stacked appearance of one cabinet. My skills would not end in the single smooth sides Chris produced, but rather some small variences in dimensions from one box to the next, as well as a hand cut dovetails that are not consistent throughout.
Looking forward to the posts, have fun on the build.

 

[mikeacg]

Introduction

When we moved to Santa Fe last year, I had planned to build new bookcases for the house. In my old house in Minneapolis, I had built-in bookcases, and the house here in the Southwest needs a different look.

So I looked around a little, and decided to build the Jefferson Bookcases that Chris Schwarz wrote about for Pop Wood.

Given that I'm in Santa Fe, and getting nice hardwood is tougher here than I'm used to from Minnesota, I decided to build them in pine. I can get nice clear pine from Alpine Builders Supply here in town, and while it's not cheap, it's not going to break the bank.

So that's the back-story. I'm planning to write up the build process as I go, though likely I'll be behind on writing it up (I have four plinths and one case built as I write this), in part because I'm not great at taking all the photos I need as I'm building. But luckily there are enough repeated parts that I've been able to go back and get photos of every step of the way. That means this will be a lot longer than the Pop Wood article I linked above, but will also include a lot of the wrong turns I took along the way, and tricks I figured out to make the build go smoother.

As for parts, there are going to be at least six plinths, holding a stack of cases a minimum of five cases high on each stack. And that won't even get the paperbacks - I think I'm going to put those in cases that'll hang on a cleat on the wall above the stacks of cases.

Did I mention that I have a lot of books?

Dave,

From the teaser pics you have posted already, I can't wait to follow along with this project.

Mike

 

[DavePolaschek]

Introduction

When we moved to Santa Fe last year, I had planned to build new bookcases for the house. In my old house in Minneapolis, I had built-in bookcases, and the house here in the Southwest needs a different look.

So I looked around a little, and decided to build the Jefferson Bookcases that Chris Schwarz wrote about for Pop Wood.

Given that I'm in Santa Fe, and getting nice hardwood is tougher here than I'm used to from Minnesota, I decided to build them in pine. I can get nice clear pine from Alpine Builders Supply here in town, and while it's not cheap, it's not going to break the bank.

So that's the back-story. I'm planning to write up the build process as I go, though likely I'll be behind on writing it up (I have four plinths and one case built as I write this), in part because I'm not great at taking all the photos I need as I'm building. But luckily there are enough repeated parts that I've been able to go back and get photos of every step of the way. That means this will be a lot longer than the Pop Wood article I linked above, but will also include a lot of the wrong turns I took along the way, and tricks I figured out to make the build go smoother.

As for parts, there are going to be at least six plinths, holding a stack of cases a minimum of five cases high on each stack. And that won't even get the paperbacks - I think I'm going to put those in cases that'll hang on a cleat on the wall above the stacks of cases.

Did I mention that I have a lot of books?

Thanks, gents.

Tom, for maintaining tolerances, Part of the trick is using my circular saw track guide with stops. That gets my boards, especially the long ones, (which I've sized at 30" instead of 48") as Chris did, all within a sixteenth of each other. I also am using the hand plane I made as a prototype for a previous swap as a finish smoother, and I test fit a lot. The first box I completed is a hair tight in the plinths, so I now have a note to myself to plane off about a 32nd from the back of each box, which should make them a better fit.

And there are going to be variances. My aim is to make them close enough that it looks good to my eye, but as I have over 30 boxes to build, which will go into six stacks, I will swap them around and put the ones that fit together I to a single stack. That should let me hide most of the imperfections. And they'll be arranged in a U shape, with four stacks of them in a row on one wall, and a stack on each of the adjacent walls, so if I have bad corners, I'll "hide" them in the corners.

Plus, as we'll see when I get to the actual build blogs, I'm doing a prototype of each part, and while I plan to use those, rather than throw them away, I know that here will be one of each piece that won't be as nice as all the others, as I used it to figure out my techniques. The mitered corners aren't airtight, for example. But I think I've figured out how to keep that from looking horrible. And some of the dovetails will be gappy, but I'll hide them in a stack that stands between other stacks, so I'll only see them when I'm moving things about.

So that's the theory. As I said, we'll see how it goes as the actual build goes on.

 

[DavePolaschek]

Introduction

When we moved to Santa Fe last year, I had planned to build new bookcases for the house. In my old house in Minneapolis, I had built-in bookcases, and the house here in the Southwest needs a different look.

So I looked around a little, and decided to build the Jefferson Bookcases that Chris Schwarz wrote about for Pop Wood.

Given that I'm in Santa Fe, and getting nice hardwood is tougher here than I'm used to from Minnesota, I decided to build them in pine. I can get nice clear pine from Alpine Builders Supply here in town, and while it's not cheap, it's not going to break the bank.

So that's the back-story. I'm planning to write up the build process as I go, though likely I'll be behind on writing it up (I have four plinths and one case built as I write this), in part because I'm not great at taking all the photos I need as I'm building. But luckily there are enough repeated parts that I've been able to go back and get photos of every step of the way. That means this will be a lot longer than the Pop Wood article I linked above, but will also include a lot of the wrong turns I took along the way, and tricks I figured out to make the build go smoother.

As for parts, there are going to be at least six plinths, holding a stack of cases a minimum of five cases high on each stack. And that won't even get the paperbacks - I think I'm going to put those in cases that'll hang on a cleat on the wall above the stacks of cases.

Did I mention that I have a lot of books?

As for progress photos, here are the teasers that Mike was referring to.

A stack of three plinths. The middle one is the prototype. It has a different reveal on he front, and I didn't miter the corners on the top of it, so the rabbets for carrying the cases show and look bad. I'll hide this one in the corner.

And the prototype box, in the largest size. 11.5" deep, 13" high, and 30" wide. The only change that needs to be made is taking about 1/32" off the back edge of the bottom board so it sits better in the plinth.

I'm going to try and write up the plinth construction process today, as I've got five of the six plinths glued up, and the sixth is all cut, and just waiting for number 5 to come out of the clamps tonight so I can use them to glue it up.

 

[clieb91]

Introduction

When we moved to Santa Fe last year, I had planned to build new bookcases for the house. In my old house in Minneapolis, I had built-in bookcases, and the house here in the Southwest needs a different look.

So I looked around a little, and decided to build the Jefferson Bookcases that Chris Schwarz wrote about for Pop Wood.

Given that I'm in Santa Fe, and getting nice hardwood is tougher here than I'm used to from Minnesota, I decided to build them in pine. I can get nice clear pine from Alpine Builders Supply here in town, and while it's not cheap, it's not going to break the bank.

So that's the back-story. I'm planning to write up the build process as I go, though likely I'll be behind on writing it up (I have four plinths and one case built as I write this), in part because I'm not great at taking all the photos I need as I'm building. But luckily there are enough repeated parts that I've been able to go back and get photos of every step of the way. That means this will be a lot longer than the Pop Wood article I linked above, but will also include a lot of the wrong turns I took along the way, and tricks I figured out to make the build go smoother.

As for parts, there are going to be at least six plinths, holding a stack of cases a minimum of five cases high on each stack. And that won't even get the paperbacks - I think I'm going to put those in cases that'll hang on a cleat on the wall above the stacks of cases.

Did I mention that I have a lot of books?

Dave, Certainly looks like a fun adventure. Look forward to seeing it progress.

CtL

 

[robscastle]

Introduction

When we moved to Santa Fe last year, I had planned to build new bookcases for the house. In my old house in Minneapolis, I had built-in bookcases, and the house here in the Southwest needs a different look.

So I looked around a little, and decided to build the Jefferson Bookcases that Chris Schwarz wrote about for Pop Wood.

Given that I'm in Santa Fe, and getting nice hardwood is tougher here than I'm used to from Minnesota, I decided to build them in pine. I can get nice clear pine from Alpine Builders Supply here in town, and while it's not cheap, it's not going to break the bank.

So that's the back-story. I'm planning to write up the build process as I go, though likely I'll be behind on writing it up (I have four plinths and one case built as I write this), in part because I'm not great at taking all the photos I need as I'm building. But luckily there are enough repeated parts that I've been able to go back and get photos of every step of the way. That means this will be a lot longer than the Pop Wood article I linked above, but will also include a lot of the wrong turns I took along the way, and tricks I figured out to make the build go smoother.

As for parts, there are going to be at least six plinths, holding a stack of cases a minimum of five cases high on each stack. And that won't even get the paperbacks - I think I'm going to put those in cases that'll hang on a cleat on the wall above the stacks of cases.

Did I mention that I have a lot of books?

speaking of 1/16

Here is something that Scott Wadsworth put together to assist you in your production.

 

[mikeacg]

Introduction

When we moved to Santa Fe last year, I had planned to build new bookcases for the house. In my old house in Minneapolis, I had built-in bookcases, and the house here in the Southwest needs a different look.

So I looked around a little, and decided to build the Jefferson Bookcases that Chris Schwarz wrote about for Pop Wood.

Given that I'm in Santa Fe, and getting nice hardwood is tougher here than I'm used to from Minnesota, I decided to build them in pine. I can get nice clear pine from Alpine Builders Supply here in town, and while it's not cheap, it's not going to break the bank.

So that's the back-story. I'm planning to write up the build process as I go, though likely I'll be behind on writing it up (I have four plinths and one case built as I write this), in part because I'm not great at taking all the photos I need as I'm building. But luckily there are enough repeated parts that I've been able to go back and get photos of every step of the way. That means this will be a lot longer than the Pop Wood article I linked above, but will also include a lot of the wrong turns I took along the way, and tricks I figured out to make the build go smoother.

As for parts, there are going to be at least six plinths, holding a stack of cases a minimum of five cases high on each stack. And that won't even get the paperbacks - I think I'm going to put those in cases that'll hang on a cleat on the wall above the stacks of cases.

Did I mention that I have a lot of books?

speaking of 1/16

Here is something that Scott Wadsworth put together to assist you in your production.

- robscastle

Though I'm not sure how much advice I would take from this fellow Rob…

 

[DavePolaschek]

Introduction

When we moved to Santa Fe last year, I had planned to build new bookcases for the house. In my old house in Minneapolis, I had built-in bookcases, and the house here in the Southwest needs a different look.

So I looked around a little, and decided to build the Jefferson Bookcases that Chris Schwarz wrote about for Pop Wood.

Given that I'm in Santa Fe, and getting nice hardwood is tougher here than I'm used to from Minnesota, I decided to build them in pine. I can get nice clear pine from Alpine Builders Supply here in town, and while it's not cheap, it's not going to break the bank.

So that's the back-story. I'm planning to write up the build process as I go, though likely I'll be behind on writing it up (I have four plinths and one case built as I write this), in part because I'm not great at taking all the photos I need as I'm building. But luckily there are enough repeated parts that I've been able to go back and get photos of every step of the way. That means this will be a lot longer than the Pop Wood article I linked above, but will also include a lot of the wrong turns I took along the way, and tricks I figured out to make the build go smoother.

As for parts, there are going to be at least six plinths, holding a stack of cases a minimum of five cases high on each stack. And that won't even get the paperbacks - I think I'm going to put those in cases that'll hang on a cleat on the wall above the stacks of cases.

Did I mention that I have a lot of books?

Thanks, guys.

Rob, I am using the cordless circular saw in the construction, but only for cross-cutting boards to length, and only in my track guide which is a pretty good solution for me. If today goes well, I'll be cutting all the lumber for the largest boxes to size (11 batches of two 1×12x30¼, two 1×12x14½, two 1×8x29⅝) before the day is done, and then I'll be able to set the circular saw aside again for another couple weeks while I build boxes.

 

[splintergroup]

Introduction

When we moved to Santa Fe last year, I had planned to build new bookcases for the house. In my old house in Minneapolis, I had built-in bookcases, and the house here in the Southwest needs a different look.

So I looked around a little, and decided to build the Jefferson Bookcases that Chris Schwarz wrote about for Pop Wood.

Given that I'm in Santa Fe, and getting nice hardwood is tougher here than I'm used to from Minnesota, I decided to build them in pine. I can get nice clear pine from Alpine Builders Supply here in town, and while it's not cheap, it's not going to break the bank.

So that's the back-story. I'm planning to write up the build process as I go, though likely I'll be behind on writing it up (I have four plinths and one case built as I write this), in part because I'm not great at taking all the photos I need as I'm building. But luckily there are enough repeated parts that I've been able to go back and get photos of every step of the way. That means this will be a lot longer than the Pop Wood article I linked above, but will also include a lot of the wrong turns I took along the way, and tricks I figured out to make the build go smoother.

As for parts, there are going to be at least six plinths, holding a stack of cases a minimum of five cases high on each stack. And that won't even get the paperbacks - I think I'm going to put those in cases that'll hang on a cleat on the wall above the stacks of cases.

Did I mention that I have a lot of books?

Looks like your are in for an adventure Dave! Nothing hits the wood budget like shelves 8^)

Re. Southwest style

For really "traditional" work, you need to find the nastiest pine available, lots of character and knots, but structurally sound and straight. Going crazy with decorative carving is a plus and of course you need to artificially age any exposed cuts to keep the tone throughout the piece.

The problem with all this is you would then have to keep all your new furniture projects tied into the old weathered look which makes for some nasty splinters on the future comfy chair 8^)

Looks like you are off to a fine start with something more practical, looking forward to your finished photos!

 

[DavePolaschek]

Introduction

When we moved to Santa Fe last year, I had planned to build new bookcases for the house. In my old house in Minneapolis, I had built-in bookcases, and the house here in the Southwest needs a different look.

So I looked around a little, and decided to build the Jefferson Bookcases that Chris Schwarz wrote about for Pop Wood.

Given that I'm in Santa Fe, and getting nice hardwood is tougher here than I'm used to from Minnesota, I decided to build them in pine. I can get nice clear pine from Alpine Builders Supply here in town, and while it's not cheap, it's not going to break the bank.

So that's the back-story. I'm planning to write up the build process as I go, though likely I'll be behind on writing it up (I have four plinths and one case built as I write this), in part because I'm not great at taking all the photos I need as I'm building. But luckily there are enough repeated parts that I've been able to go back and get photos of every step of the way. That means this will be a lot longer than the Pop Wood article I linked above, but will also include a lot of the wrong turns I took along the way, and tricks I figured out to make the build go smoother.

As for parts, there are going to be at least six plinths, holding a stack of cases a minimum of five cases high on each stack. And that won't even get the paperbacks - I think I'm going to put those in cases that'll hang on a cleat on the wall above the stacks of cases.

Did I mention that I have a lot of books?

Yeah, it's a lot of board-feet. And nice clear pine isn't cheap here in the Land of Enchantment. But it'll come in cheaper than having someone else do the builtins for me in my previous place, so that's something. And I'm going to have pine offcuts in my smalls bin for years.

I'm also discovering that I'm going through shellac at a pretty good clip. I've got two pounds of flakes on hand, and I'm not sure it's going to be enough to finish the project.

 

[DavePolaschek]

Introduction

When we moved to Santa Fe last year, I had planned to build new bookcases for the house. In my old house in Minneapolis, I had built-in bookcases, and the house here in the Southwest needs a different look.

So I looked around a little, and decided to build the Jefferson Bookcases that Chris Schwarz wrote about for Pop Wood.

Given that I'm in Santa Fe, and getting nice hardwood is tougher here than I'm used to from Minnesota, I decided to build them in pine. I can get nice clear pine from Alpine Builders Supply here in town, and while it's not cheap, it's not going to break the bank.

So that's the back-story. I'm planning to write up the build process as I go, though likely I'll be behind on writing it up (I have four plinths and one case built as I write this), in part because I'm not great at taking all the photos I need as I'm building. But luckily there are enough repeated parts that I've been able to go back and get photos of every step of the way. That means this will be a lot longer than the Pop Wood article I linked above, but will also include a lot of the wrong turns I took along the way, and tricks I figured out to make the build go smoother.

As for parts, there are going to be at least six plinths, holding a stack of cases a minimum of five cases high on each stack. And that won't even get the paperbacks - I think I'm going to put those in cases that'll hang on a cleat on the wall above the stacks of cases.

Did I mention that I have a lot of books?

Because I'm finding that having all my tools laid out consistently helps me a lot, here's a view of the top of my bench during this project.

From left to right:
- clamp rack on the wall. I do not have enough clamps
- planes, mostly used for finishing. Also knife and spokeshave, used on the curves on the plinths.
- chisel and rebate saw/kerfing plane, used for cutting the rabbets in things
- glue, note sheet with cut list, paper towels for cleaning up
- mirror, used for seeing the backside of the piece I'm currently sawing
- twin screw vise for workholding.
- shellac and brush for finishing, mallets for aiding in assembly
- marking tools for laying everything out. Pencils.
- rasps, dovetail saw and turning saw for cutting dovetails
- stack of completed parts
- (on the floor) stacks of lumber about to become shelves

 

[DavePolaschek]

Building the plinths

For this style of bookcase, there is a plinth, which serves as a base, supporting the stack of boxes. Since the plinths are mostly hidden, and the weight is mostly carried by the four glue blocks in the corners, I figured they were a good place to start. Half of the dovetails will be hidden, and only one of the four boards is very visible.

Here's my checklist for building the plinths, along with some pictures of the intermediate steps:

1. Cut all the boards to length. There are three different lengths of pine 1×4, and two lengths of ash 1×1 glue blocks. Two 1×4x12, two 1×4x31, one 1×4x29½, two 1×1x3⅜, and two 1×1x2⅝.
2. Mark out and cut tails on side boards (no miters yet)
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Cut rabbets on side boards, using my kerfing plane with a fixed ⅜ inch fence, and clean them up with a chisel
   
   
   
   
   
4. Mark and cut pins on front board, including miter. If you cut the miter on the tail board before this, you won't have a full tail to mark the pin from, and you'll have to guess where the pin edge should be.
   
   
   
   
   
5. Cut miter on matching corner of side board
6. Test fit
   
7. Cut other corner pins on front board, including miter
8. Cut miter on matching corner of side board
9. Test fit and adjust
10. Cut rabbet on front board
11. Cut curved cutout on front board
    
12. Smooth cutout with knife and spokeshave
    
    
    
13. Cut pins on rear board, including miter
14. Cut miter on matching corner
15. Test fit and adjust
16. Cut pins on final corner, plus miter
17. Cut miter on final corner of side board
18. Test fit and adjust
19. Check for square
20. Glue up, making sure to glue the front cross brace to front before clamping
    
21. Double-check for square
22. Unclamp after the glue has dried overnight
23. Glue ash glue-blocks into corners, short ones under the cross-brace board. Note the spacers set in the rabbets so the glue blocks will be flush with the rabbets, giving good support to the cases.
    
24. Plane smooth with a smoother plane and chamfer the top-outside corners of the boards with a block plane, such that I get a 3/16 inch wide chamfer. This should make the tops more durable as the cases are set into the plinths.
    
25. Three coats of shellac, brushed on. I'm using a 1.5 pound cut of super-blonde shellac.
26. Sand lightly with 320 grit to remove raised grain, dust, etc
27. Final coat of shellac

If there are any steps you're curious about that don't have pictures, let me know.

Here's a stack of three of the finished plinths. The middle one is my prototype and doesn't have the mitered dovetails, so doesn't look as nice as the others. I'll hide it in the corner or something.

And note that while I'm working, I keep all the pieces on my benchtop laid out in order so I can more easily keep track of where I am.

And here's a photo of a plinth with the first case sitting on it.

 

[Oldtool]

Building the plinths

For this style of bookcase, there is a plinth, which serves as a base, supporting the stack of boxes. Since the plinths are mostly hidden, and the weight is mostly carried by the four glue blocks in the corners, I figured they were a good place to start. Half of the dovetails will be hidden, and only one of the four boards is very visible.

Here's my checklist for building the plinths, along with some pictures of the intermediate steps:

1. Cut all the boards to length. There are three different lengths of pine 1×4, and two lengths of ash 1×1 glue blocks. Two 1×4x12, two 1×4x31, one 1×4x29½, two 1×1x3⅜, and two 1×1x2⅝.
2. Mark out and cut tails on side boards (no miters yet)
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Cut rabbets on side boards, using my kerfing plane with a fixed ⅜ inch fence, and clean them up with a chisel
   
   
   
   
   
4. Mark and cut pins on front board, including miter. If you cut the miter on the tail board before this, you won't have a full tail to mark the pin from, and you'll have to guess where the pin edge should be.
   
   
   
   
   
5. Cut miter on matching corner of side board
6. Test fit
   
7. Cut other corner pins on front board, including miter
8. Cut miter on matching corner of side board
9. Test fit and adjust
10. Cut rabbet on front board
11. Cut curved cutout on front board
    
12. Smooth cutout with knife and spokeshave
    
    
    
13. Cut pins on rear board, including miter
14. Cut miter on matching corner
15. Test fit and adjust
16. Cut pins on final corner, plus miter
17. Cut miter on final corner of side board
18. Test fit and adjust
19. Check for square
20. Glue up, making sure to glue the front cross brace to front before clamping
    
21. Double-check for square
22. Unclamp after the glue has dried overnight
23. Glue ash glue-blocks into corners, short ones under the cross-brace board. Note the spacers set in the rabbets so the glue blocks will be flush with the rabbets, giving good support to the cases.
    
24. Plane smooth with a smoother plane and chamfer the top-outside corners of the boards with a block plane, such that I get a 3/16 inch wide chamfer. This should make the tops more durable as the cases are set into the plinths.
    
25. Three coats of shellac, brushed on. I'm using a 1.5 pound cut of super-blonde shellac.
26. Sand lightly with 320 grit to remove raised grain, dust, etc
27. Final coat of shellac

If there are any steps you're curious about that don't have pictures, let me know.

Here's a stack of three of the finished plinths. The middle one is my prototype and doesn't have the mitered dovetails, so doesn't look as nice as the others. I'll hide it in the corner or something.

And note that while I'm working, I keep all the pieces on my benchtop laid out in order so I can more easily keep track of where I am.

And here's a photo of a plinth with the first case sitting on it.

That's quite a write up, well detailed. Looking forward to the next installment.

 

[mikeacg]

Building the plinths

For this style of bookcase, there is a plinth, which serves as a base, supporting the stack of boxes. Since the plinths are mostly hidden, and the weight is mostly carried by the four glue blocks in the corners, I figured they were a good place to start. Half of the dovetails will be hidden, and only one of the four boards is very visible.

Here's my checklist for building the plinths, along with some pictures of the intermediate steps:

1. Cut all the boards to length. There are three different lengths of pine 1×4, and two lengths of ash 1×1 glue blocks. Two 1×4x12, two 1×4x31, one 1×4x29½, two 1×1x3⅜, and two 1×1x2⅝.
2. Mark out and cut tails on side boards (no miters yet)
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Cut rabbets on side boards, using my kerfing plane with a fixed ⅜ inch fence, and clean them up with a chisel
   
   
   
   
   
4. Mark and cut pins on front board, including miter. If you cut the miter on the tail board before this, you won't have a full tail to mark the pin from, and you'll have to guess where the pin edge should be.
   
   
   
   
   
5. Cut miter on matching corner of side board
6. Test fit
   
7. Cut other corner pins on front board, including miter
8. Cut miter on matching corner of side board
9. Test fit and adjust
10. Cut rabbet on front board
11. Cut curved cutout on front board
    
12. Smooth cutout with knife and spokeshave
    
    
    
13. Cut pins on rear board, including miter
14. Cut miter on matching corner
15. Test fit and adjust
16. Cut pins on final corner, plus miter
17. Cut miter on final corner of side board
18. Test fit and adjust
19. Check for square
20. Glue up, making sure to glue the front cross brace to front before clamping
    
21. Double-check for square
22. Unclamp after the glue has dried overnight
23. Glue ash glue-blocks into corners, short ones under the cross-brace board. Note the spacers set in the rabbets so the glue blocks will be flush with the rabbets, giving good support to the cases.
    
24. Plane smooth with a smoother plane and chamfer the top-outside corners of the boards with a block plane, such that I get a 3/16 inch wide chamfer. This should make the tops more durable as the cases are set into the plinths.
    
25. Three coats of shellac, brushed on. I'm using a 1.5 pound cut of super-blonde shellac.
26. Sand lightly with 320 grit to remove raised grain, dust, etc
27. Final coat of shellac

If there are any steps you're curious about that don't have pictures, let me know.

Here's a stack of three of the finished plinths. The middle one is my prototype and doesn't have the mitered dovetails, so doesn't look as nice as the others. I'll hide it in the corner or something.

And note that while I'm working, I keep all the pieces on my benchtop laid out in order so I can more easily keep track of where I am.

And here's a photo of a plinth with the first case sitting on it.

Dave,

This is very interesting to watch! One question though… What is this board on the top front of the plinth (size, purpose, etc.)?

 

[crowie]

Building the plinths

For this style of bookcase, there is a plinth, which serves as a base, supporting the stack of boxes. Since the plinths are mostly hidden, and the weight is mostly carried by the four glue blocks in the corners, I figured they were a good place to start. Half of the dovetails will be hidden, and only one of the four boards is very visible.

Here's my checklist for building the plinths, along with some pictures of the intermediate steps:

1. Cut all the boards to length. There are three different lengths of pine 1×4, and two lengths of ash 1×1 glue blocks. Two 1×4x12, two 1×4x31, one 1×4x29½, two 1×1x3⅜, and two 1×1x2⅝.
2. Mark out and cut tails on side boards (no miters yet)
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Cut rabbets on side boards, using my kerfing plane with a fixed ⅜ inch fence, and clean them up with a chisel
   
   
   
   
   
4. Mark and cut pins on front board, including miter. If you cut the miter on the tail board before this, you won't have a full tail to mark the pin from, and you'll have to guess where the pin edge should be.
   
   
   
   
   
5. Cut miter on matching corner of side board
6. Test fit
   
7. Cut other corner pins on front board, including miter
8. Cut miter on matching corner of side board
9. Test fit and adjust
10. Cut rabbet on front board
11. Cut curved cutout on front board
    
12. Smooth cutout with knife and spokeshave
    
    
    
13. Cut pins on rear board, including miter
14. Cut miter on matching corner
15. Test fit and adjust
16. Cut pins on final corner, plus miter
17. Cut miter on final corner of side board
18. Test fit and adjust
19. Check for square
20. Glue up, making sure to glue the front cross brace to front before clamping
    
21. Double-check for square
22. Unclamp after the glue has dried overnight
23. Glue ash glue-blocks into corners, short ones under the cross-brace board. Note the spacers set in the rabbets so the glue blocks will be flush with the rabbets, giving good support to the cases.
    
24. Plane smooth with a smoother plane and chamfer the top-outside corners of the boards with a block plane, such that I get a 3/16 inch wide chamfer. This should make the tops more durable as the cases are set into the plinths.
    
25. Three coats of shellac, brushed on. I'm using a 1.5 pound cut of super-blonde shellac.
26. Sand lightly with 320 grit to remove raised grain, dust, etc
27. Final coat of shellac

If there are any steps you're curious about that don't have pictures, let me know.

Here's a stack of three of the finished plinths. The middle one is my prototype and doesn't have the mitered dovetails, so doesn't look as nice as the others. I'll hide it in the corner or something.

And note that while I'm working, I keep all the pieces on my benchtop laid out in order so I can more easily keep track of where I am.

And here's a photo of a plinth with the first case sitting on it.

Now that's something I truly admire, not just the hand tools and the results but hand cut dovetail joints, nicely done sir.

 

[donwilwol]

Building the plinths

For this style of bookcase, there is a plinth, which serves as a base, supporting the stack of boxes. Since the plinths are mostly hidden, and the weight is mostly carried by the four glue blocks in the corners, I figured they were a good place to start. Half of the dovetails will be hidden, and only one of the four boards is very visible.

Here's my checklist for building the plinths, along with some pictures of the intermediate steps:

1. Cut all the boards to length. There are three different lengths of pine 1×4, and two lengths of ash 1×1 glue blocks. Two 1×4x12, two 1×4x31, one 1×4x29½, two 1×1x3⅜, and two 1×1x2⅝.
2. Mark out and cut tails on side boards (no miters yet)
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Cut rabbets on side boards, using my kerfing plane with a fixed ⅜ inch fence, and clean them up with a chisel
   
   
   
   
   
4. Mark and cut pins on front board, including miter. If you cut the miter on the tail board before this, you won't have a full tail to mark the pin from, and you'll have to guess where the pin edge should be.
   
   
   
   
   
5. Cut miter on matching corner of side board
6. Test fit
   
7. Cut other corner pins on front board, including miter
8. Cut miter on matching corner of side board
9. Test fit and adjust
10. Cut rabbet on front board
11. Cut curved cutout on front board
    
12. Smooth cutout with knife and spokeshave
    
    
    
13. Cut pins on rear board, including miter
14. Cut miter on matching corner
15. Test fit and adjust
16. Cut pins on final corner, plus miter
17. Cut miter on final corner of side board
18. Test fit and adjust
19. Check for square
20. Glue up, making sure to glue the front cross brace to front before clamping
    
21. Double-check for square
22. Unclamp after the glue has dried overnight
23. Glue ash glue-blocks into corners, short ones under the cross-brace board. Note the spacers set in the rabbets so the glue blocks will be flush with the rabbets, giving good support to the cases.
    
24. Plane smooth with a smoother plane and chamfer the top-outside corners of the boards with a block plane, such that I get a 3/16 inch wide chamfer. This should make the tops more durable as the cases are set into the plinths.
    
25. Three coats of shellac, brushed on. I'm using a 1.5 pound cut of super-blonde shellac.
26. Sand lightly with 320 grit to remove raised grain, dust, etc
27. Final coat of shellac

If there are any steps you're curious about that don't have pictures, let me know.

Here's a stack of three of the finished plinths. The middle one is my prototype and doesn't have the mitered dovetails, so doesn't look as nice as the others. I'll hide it in the corner or something.

And note that while I'm working, I keep all the pieces on my benchtop laid out in order so I can more easily keep track of where I am.

And here's a photo of a plinth with the first case sitting on it.

Nice work and excellent write up

 

[DavePolaschek]

Building the plinths

For this style of bookcase, there is a plinth, which serves as a base, supporting the stack of boxes. Since the plinths are mostly hidden, and the weight is mostly carried by the four glue blocks in the corners, I figured they were a good place to start. Half of the dovetails will be hidden, and only one of the four boards is very visible.

Here's my checklist for building the plinths, along with some pictures of the intermediate steps:

1. Cut all the boards to length. There are three different lengths of pine 1×4, and two lengths of ash 1×1 glue blocks. Two 1×4x12, two 1×4x31, one 1×4x29½, two 1×1x3⅜, and two 1×1x2⅝.
2. Mark out and cut tails on side boards (no miters yet)
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Cut rabbets on side boards, using my kerfing plane with a fixed ⅜ inch fence, and clean them up with a chisel
   
   
   
   
   
4. Mark and cut pins on front board, including miter. If you cut the miter on the tail board before this, you won't have a full tail to mark the pin from, and you'll have to guess where the pin edge should be.
   
   
   
   
   
5. Cut miter on matching corner of side board
6. Test fit
   
7. Cut other corner pins on front board, including miter
8. Cut miter on matching corner of side board
9. Test fit and adjust
10. Cut rabbet on front board
11. Cut curved cutout on front board
    
12. Smooth cutout with knife and spokeshave
    
    
    
13. Cut pins on rear board, including miter
14. Cut miter on matching corner
15. Test fit and adjust
16. Cut pins on final corner, plus miter
17. Cut miter on final corner of side board
18. Test fit and adjust
19. Check for square
20. Glue up, making sure to glue the front cross brace to front before clamping
    
21. Double-check for square
22. Unclamp after the glue has dried overnight
23. Glue ash glue-blocks into corners, short ones under the cross-brace board. Note the spacers set in the rabbets so the glue blocks will be flush with the rabbets, giving good support to the cases.
    
24. Plane smooth with a smoother plane and chamfer the top-outside corners of the boards with a block plane, such that I get a 3/16 inch wide chamfer. This should make the tops more durable as the cases are set into the plinths.
    
25. Three coats of shellac, brushed on. I'm using a 1.5 pound cut of super-blonde shellac.
26. Sand lightly with 320 grit to remove raised grain, dust, etc
27. Final coat of shellac

If there are any steps you're curious about that don't have pictures, let me know.

Here's a stack of three of the finished plinths. The middle one is my prototype and doesn't have the mitered dovetails, so doesn't look as nice as the others. I'll hide it in the corner or something.

And note that while I'm working, I keep all the pieces on my benchtop laid out in order so I can more easily keep track of where I am.

And here's a photo of a plinth with the first case sitting on it.

Mike, that board is a brace. It's a 1×4x29½, and its purpose is to reinforce the front board which has some material cut away for decorative purposes. It's probably not necessary, as I made a smaller cutout than Schwarz did in his version, but it won't hurt anything, and it helps me ensure that the plinth remains square when clamped up. Plus, as I'm going to be stacking the cases 6 high at a minimum, there will be a fair amount of weight. I'd rather not find out I under built in the middle of some night as books and lumber come crashing to the floor.

Thus, the brace.

I also just realized that at step 24, I forgot, "chamfer the top of the boards with a block plane, such that I get a 3/16 inch wide chamfer," which I'll go back and add. There's always something!

Thanks for the comments, guys. Some of my dovetails are a little gappy, but each plinth off the production line looks a tiny bit better than the last. Number 6 (the last in this batch) gets glued up today, and should be finished by the end of the week (have I mentioned I really need more clamps?) and I'll post a photo showing the evolution from first to last.