| Arts and Crafts Bookcase |
From "Woodworking"
episode DIW-103 |
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DIY Woodworking host Bruce Johnson discusses key techniques for using basic woodworking power tools and explains how to build an arts and crafts style bookcase. He begins the project by cutting the oak pieces that will form the framework.
Note: Project Plans available using  Materials: Select oak lumber
1/4" oak plywood
Circular saw, hand saw or table saw
Jointer
Router and rabbeting bit
Biscuit joiner and wooden biscuits
Saber saw
Drill
Carpenter's quick square
Bar clamps
Spring clamp
Woodworker's glue
Wood screws
Oak plugs
Brass shelf tabs
Optional: dark wood stain
Optional: drafting paper
Polyurethane varnish
Protective eyeglasses and ear protection
Cutting the Pieces for a Bookcase After determining the size of the bookcase you want to build, cut the board stock for the framework. Use a circular saw, a hand saw, or a table saw to cut the boards to length. When working with power tools (power saws, drill presses, jointers, etc.), always wear protective glasses and ear protection. If the end of a board isn't perfectly square, make a fresh cut to square it. Then measure and mark the boards to cut them to the desired lengths (figure A).
In some cases, you may be unable to find boards wide enough to fit the dimensions of your project. If that's the case, you'll need to glue two narrower boards together. Though this involves extra steps, two joined narrow boards are less likely to warp than one wide board. When joining two boards, it's critical that the edges being joined are perfectly straight to avoid small gaps in the seam (figure B). This was traditionally done with hand planes, but that requires a lot of skill. The most effective tool for the job is an electric jointer, whose razor-sharp cutting heads cut perfectly straight edges in a matter of seconds. The bed of the jointer can be raised or lowered in minute degrees to determine exactly how much wood will be removed with each pass. A good standard amount is 1/16".
Hold the board firmly against the bed and fence (the guide at right angles to the bed), and move it across the cutting heads slowly and smoothly (figure C).
Though boards can be joined at the edges by gluing them together, in what's termed a butt joint, that makes for a weak joint. To create a much stronger joint that will hold up under weight or stress, use a biscuit joiner (figure D)--a tool that cuts slots in the board's edges into which football-shaped wooden wafers are inserted and then lined up with identical slots in the adjoining board (figure E). With just a little pressure on the handle, the biscuit joiner cuts a uniform slot each time, taking much of the guesswork out of joining boards.
Before cutting slots with the biscuit joiner, place the two boards side by side, picking the more attractive sides for the surface that will show. Make pencil marks about every 10" across the joint. Clamp the first board securely to the workbench, then align the notch on the biscuit joiner with a pencil mark (figure F). Turn on the biscuit joiner, and let it come to full speed, then steadily plunge the head into the edge of the board. Remove the joiner, and clean out any wood shavings. Repeat at each pencil mark on both boards.
Once all of the slots are cut, squirt woodworker's glue into each one and along the edge of both boards (figure G). Place a biscuit in each slot on one board, then press the two boards together so the pencil marks line up.
Clamp the boards snugly with bar clamps (figure H), and use a wet cloth to remove any excess glue.
After the glue has dried overnight, remove the clamps in preparation for cutting the boards to width--10" in this example. Several types of saws can be used to trim the boards, but a table saw is the easiest (figure I).
The arches cut in the bottom of the side pieces (figure J) are a decorative touch that adds relief to the wide, flat spaces. Use a drafting compass or a rounded object such as a paint can for a template to draw an arch on the wood. Another method is to use a grid drawn on drafting paper to mark an arch, then to cut out the template and trace it on the wood. Once you're pleased with the shape of the arches, clamp your boards down securely and cut the arches with a saber saw (figure K).
Cutting and Positioning the Shelves The bookcase's shelves can be made adjustable, providing the flexibility to accommodate books of different sizes. A fixed bottom shelf adds stability to the overall structure. Some adjustable shelves employ metal strips on the side walls to which metal clip-supports are attached. For a cleaner look, use brass shelf tabs that fit into holes drilled in the wood. The positioning of the holes allows you to adjust the shelves up or down (figure L).
A wobbly shelf results from holes that are not precisely placed. To avoid this problem, prepare a drilling template from a piece of scrap wood cut to the same length as that of the sides. Drill holes in the template in the pattern that you want in the bookcase. Place the template precisely over the inside of the side piece, making sure it's flush at top and bottom, and clamp it in place. Determine how deep you'll need to drill, allowing for the depth of the template as well as the depth of the post in the brass tab. Use masking tape to mark the proper depth on the drill bit (figure M) to avoid drilling too deeply and piercing the side. Repeat the process on the other three locations where holes are to be placed.
In order for the bottom shelf to provide a stable foundation, it must be well anchored. In this case it's secured with a blind dado joint. Instead of simply butting the shelf against the side pieces with glue, cut a slot in each side piece for the bottom shelf to fit snugly into. The slot for the dado joint may be cut with a table saw or a chisel and mallet, but the easiest way is to use a router and straight bit.
To cut a straight slot, clamp a piece of scrap wood to the side piece as a guide for the router. With a pencil, draw a line on the side piece where the slot should be. Depending on the width of your router, position and clamp your guide to ensure that the router bit cuts along the line. Set the router bit so that it will cut a slot 1/4" deep.
Holding the router firmly against the guide, make a first pass, cutting a straight groove in the wood (figure N). Stop the router about 2" from the front edge of the side piece. It will take two passes to cut a slot 3/4" width, so reposition the wooden guide so that the top of the router bit lines up with the top of the shelf slot. Make a second pass, holding the router firmly against the guide.
Clean away any sawdust, and check to see that the shelf fits well in the new groove. Since you stopped your cut about 2" short of the front of the piece (so the front of the bottom shelf won't show in the finished piece), you'll need to cut a notch about 1/4" deep and 2" long from the sides of the shelf front. Hold the shelf in place to get an idea of location for the notch, then mark the board where the notches should go (figure O). Cut the notches with a table saw or handsaw. The shelf should fit snugly into the dado joint (figure P).
Finishing Touches and Assembly With the sides and shelves cut, you need to make three small but important pieces of the framework: two arched aprons and a straight back support (figure Q). These components can be made from scraps left over from making the sides or shelves. It's best to cut these pieces once the sides and bottom pieces have been dry-assembled (clamped in place but not yet glued) so that they may be cut to exactly the right dimensions.
The back support will hardly show, so it doesn't need to be arched. Its width is not critical, but its length should be the exact span of the bottom shelf after it's installed. The arches will be the same length. This helps ensure that the framework is properly squared.
To draw an arch on the side board, first draw a grid of 1" squares on a piece of paper cut to the same dimensions as the board. Using the grid as a guide, draw an arch on the paper, then cut it out, and trace it onto the board.
Clamp the board securely, and cut out the arch with a saber saw (figure R). Sand off the rough edges by hand or with a belt sander.
Once they're cut, make certain that the arches and back piece will fit snugly in place. The arches will be recessed about 1" back from the front of the bookcase.
Begin assembling the framework by putting a bead of glue in the slots you've cut in the side panels (figure S). Slip the bottom shelf into the slot on one of the side panels, making sure that the two pieces are flush at the back, then do the same with the other side. Use bar clamps at the top and bottom of the structure (figure T) to hold it snugly while the glue dries. Put a bead of glue across the top and sides of the bottom apron, and clamp it in place (recessed about 1" from the front) with a spring clamp. Use a third bar clamp to ensure good contact between the apron sides and the side piece. Glue the top apron in place, recessing it slightly just as you did the top apron. Glue the back support in place. Use bar clamps to hold those contacts securely.
The final piece in the framework is the top, which will be installed with four screws that are recessed and covered with oak plugs. On the top piece, mark the location where you want to place each screw so that it will attach to the side piece. At each mark, drill a 3/8" hole about 1/2" deep. Switch to a 1/8" drill bit and with the top in position, drill pilot holes through the top piece, extending about 1/4" into the framework.
Apply a bead of glue along the top of the framework, and set the top in place (figure U). Insert a screw into each hole, pulling the top secure against the framework. The screws will be sunk below the surface of the wood. Swab woodworker's glue into each 3/8" hole, and insert oak plugs, making sure that the grain of each plug runs in the same direction as that of the top piece.
Attaching a Recessed Back The back of the bookcase is made from a piece of 1/4" oak plywood nailed to the back of the shelf framework. The backing will be recessed into a groove, called a rabbet, cut around the inside perimeter of the back in order to hide the edges. Use a router with a rabbeting bit to cut out the groove: Set the router bit to 1/4"--the same depth as the thickness of the plywood. Hold the router firmly, turn it on, and slowly bring it into contact with the wood to begin cutting the rabbet. After cutting the groove all the way around the framework, use a chisel to clean out any splinters or rough spots. The backing can then be dropped into the groove and attached with finish nails.
Staining and Finishing After you've cut the two adjustable middle shelves to a proper fit and used a palm sander or sanding block to smooth off any rough spots, the bookcase is ready to be stained and finished. Staining--an optional step--is simply a means of adding color to the wood and highlighting the grain. Even if you don't plan to stain the wood, you should apply a finish to protect the piece. A dark walnut stain was selected for this project because darker stains do a better job of bringing out the distinct grain pattern of oak. Use a tack cloth to remove any dust after sanding. Apply the stain with a brush or a rag, then wipe off the excess with a fresh rag. After the staining is complete, brush on a finish to protect the wood. Because oak is a porous wood, a strong polyurethane varnish is the best type of finish. Plan to apply two coats at least 12 hours apart. Sponsored Resource
Click here to order your tools and materials for this project from Woodcraft!
| ALSO IN THIS EPISODE: | | Arts and Crafts Bookcase |
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