MDF was my material of choice for this particular project so off to the hardware to get a couple of sheets of craftwood. I like to use MDF when making painted furniture because it is easy to machine and sand.
I’ve done a fair amount of researching on the Web, and I’ve come up with some pretty simple guidelines for approaching this kind of wood project. Overall, the good news is that you don’t have to be a hard-core woodworker to pull this thing off. In fact, a bookcase is a perfect starter project for someone just getting into building stuff from wood. Maybe it’s a little more challenging than making a sawhorse (which is also a good plan to start with), but I think it’s important for beginners to make something they can be excited about when it’s all said and done. So let’s get started with some of the basics of building a bookcase.
Take some time to look around at examples. As you see various types and models of bookcases keep track of the types that would work best for you. Once back home, check online. You could save quite a hefty amount by buying it this way. You will have a good idea of the quality and be assured that you’ll be happy with your new bookcase.
Building a bookcase step by step is an easy project that you should be able to complete in a weekend. Once you’ve mastered building basic bookcases, you may want to tackle something a little more detailed. Just make sure you have the right step by step plans for the project you are making and you can’t go wrong.
Plywood vs Solid Wood Shelves – Choosing the right wood for a bookcase plan can be a big topic to get your arms around, especially if you start reading the zillions of articles online about wood species and wood grades, plywood construction, shelving span calculators, etc., etc. This is all good stuff, but for now, let me narrow down the choices for a first-time bookcase project.
#1 Circular Saw – A circular saw will cut just about anything you can throw at it, and with a few accessories, some fairly complicated joinery. Even if you decide later to upgrade to more expensive tools, your circular saw will always get used in the shop. For a simple bookcase, you’ll be using the circular saw to cut all the boards to length, and to help make the dado cuts that hold your bookcase shelves. You’ll also use the saw to cut down a 4×8 sheet of plywood for the bookcase back.
(4) Simply reading reviews about potential plans, including those for building a bookcase, can give you to better understand of whether the plans are right for you. In addition the review should provide you information concerning what problems could come up while doing a project. By knowing about difficult project parts in advance you might be able to stay away from all of them or get advise from more experienced woodworkers on how to complete this part.
If you attempt to build a bookcase without the proper plans, you could end up with your own leaning tower of books. It is very easy to overlook the need for proper support at all the joints, using the proper materials, and to simply make mistakes. With a good set of bookcase plans, you’re well on your way to creating a great looking and safe book case.
(1) When looking for bookcase plans or other small wood projects don’t limit yourself to looking only in plan books at the hardware or supply businesses. There are a lot of places online where they can be found. Because there will be so many plans to choose from it may be a challenge to determine which ones will be best for you.
(2) When selecting a set of plans for building a bookcase you should first take into account how skillful you are. Woodworking designs are usually categorized by how complicated they will be to construct. If you have recently started doing wood projects as a pastime it would be better to start with plans that are designed for beginners. Then after doing a few projects and learning additional skills you can try something a bit more challenging.
