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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2021
    Location
    Perth
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    3

    Default open bookshelf plans

    Hello everyone!

    I'm looking to start my first project and wanted to make something similar to this open bookshelf.

    Planning to use 18mm birch plywood, stained grey all round.

    What I wanted to know from the brains trust is:

    a) from what I can see this is essentially 3 ladders with slats connecting them. Any tips on how to secure the slats to the "rungs"? at the moment I was thinking I could screw each slat from underneath to keep them hidden
    b) if i secured each slat to each run, do i need the support braces at the back?
    c) I wanted to make the top section sit on top of the "ladders" so it was one continuous piece with no screws showing. Would the best way to secure the ladders to the top section be to bore 6 holes in the underside of the top section and drop into place?

    Thanks for your time and any advice (or resources) would be greatly appreciated to this complete novice.

    open bookshelf.png

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  3. #2
    Join Date
    May 2012
    Location
    Brisbane (Chermside)
    Age
    71
    Posts
    2,076

    Default

    It does look a bit like three ladders with the shelves sitting on the rungs.

    I'd be inclined to join the ladder rungs to the uprights with floating tenons or dowels or mortice and tenon joints. Perhaps even big dowels, say about 12-18 mm, if possible, but a couple of 10 mm dowels should do the job. I built a ladder for a set of double bunks for my granddaughters a while ago using floating tenons to connect the rungs to the uprights. Despite much use and abuse, the joints remain strong. If you are a novice, you perhaps don't have the tools or the skills for a M&T joint or floating tenons. That being the case, we are left with dowels. You can buy small inexpensive dowelling kits at most hardware stores if you don't already have one.

    Supposing you use dowels, the joint between the dowel and the rail will have long grain to long grain, and the joint will be strong. However, where the dowels go into the uprights, end grain is presented to the face of the dowels, and end grain gives a significantly weaker joint, especially using PVA glue, even if the short grain is sized first. You might like to consider using epoxy glue here. Epoxy has the added advantage of being gap filling. Drilling the holes into the end grain of the rungs can be difficult, and the gap filling properties of epoxy may come in handy.

    I can think of no reason why you cannot screw the shelves to the rungs from underneath.

    You are going to need some form of bracing.

    Not sure I understood the third question. Assuming you plan to use rungs under the top shelf, why not screw through the rungs into the top shelf?

    Have fun!

  4. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Melbourne
    Age
    34
    Posts
    6,127

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by John Samuel View Post
    Supposing you use dowels, the joint between the dowel and the rail will have long grain to long grain, and the joint will be strong. However, where the dowels go into the uprights, end grain is presented to the face of the dowels, and end grain gives a significantly weaker joint, especially using PVA glue, even if the short grain is sized first. You might like to consider using epoxy glue here.
    That's waaaay overthinking it for no reason. While you might technically be right, glue choice and grain direction in dowels makes absolutely zero difference in practise; you're going to break something long before the glue fails.

  5. #4
    Join Date
    Jun 2013
    Location
    Geelong
    Posts
    423

    Default

    +1 for bracing,
    use dowels or Morrice and tenon, or screws you can counter sink the screws and fill as you mention being painted so that will hide them,
    cheers

  6. #5
    Join Date
    Jul 2021
    Location
    Perth
    Posts
    3

    Default

    thanks for the information. its hard to describe as i dont know the technical terms yet but I'm trying to learn.

    I've attached a drawing showing what I was trying to describe. by partially drilling holes that are the same size as the upright dowels, I was hoping to slide the top piece directly onto the upright "ladders" to keep it nice and smooth . If i was going to do that would I use a holesaw and chisel out the depth required or is there a specific bit for this type of application?

    as you said though the best option may be to have a 'rung" directly underneath the top section so I can secure the top piece

    underside of top.png

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