Complement your book collection with a customized bookcase. Build a custom bookcase to match other décor elements and watch it mesh seamlessly with your room – whatever your style.
There are 11 steps to completing this project:
Determine the dimensions of your bookcase. Ours has 6 equally spaced openings of 13-5/16 inches. Using a table saw, rip the two 1 inch x 12 inch x 8 foot laminated pine panels to 11 inches wide for the sides. Cut a 3/8 inch x 3/8 inch rabbet on one long edge to accept cabinet back.
Using a compound mitre saw, cut the top, bottom and shelves to length. The top and bottom are cut to 36 inches and the interior shelves are 35-1/4 inches to accommodate dados in the sides.
To cut the shelf dados, make a router jig from 3/4-inch MDF. Mark the sides at 5 equal spaces — or at positions of your choice. Rout 3/4-inch-wide x 3/8-inch-deep dados in the sides to accept the 5 interior shelves.
Using a jig saw, cut a scroll design detail in the front panel of the poplar base. We first created a template for the scroll from scrap MDF baseboard then transferred the pattern to the poplar base.
Using a compound mitre saw, cut/mitre the crown moulding to form the top and the baseboard to form the base. These will wrap the 36-inch top and bottom panels respectively.
Glue and pin the crown and base to the top and bottom panels with carpenter's glue and 1-1/4-inch 18-gauge brad nails.
Glue the 5 interior shelves into their corresponding dados in each side. Attach the top to the carcass with glue and 1-1/2-inch #8 screws. Square up and clamp the carcass to the work surface at this point, until the glue dries.
Attach moulding to the front sides and front edge of shelves with 3/4-inch 18-gauge brad nails.
Attach base to carcass using carpenter's glue and countersunk 1-1/2-inch #8 wood screws.
Cut support blocks from 1 x 4 pine. Glue and clamp the blocks into the corners of the base.
