Popular Woodworking 2005-06 № 148, страница 34
Build Better Bookcases We show you how to make a great bookcase in any style, with one basic box design and one sheet of plywood. Everyone needs a bookcase, and if you're a beginning woodworker, it's a great project to develop skills without breaking the bank. Our staff got together to design the ideal bookcase. We wanted it to fit in the average home, look good and be made to last. We also wanted to show that the same basic construction could be dressed up in different ways to suit anyone's sense of style. Our goal was to produce a plan that would make good use of materials, and be relatively quick and easy to put together and finish. We held meetings, passed memos, e-mails and sketche s around the office and, in the end, made the new guy (me) do all the work. Basic Bookcase Construction The basic cabinet is built from one 4' by 8' sheet of 3/4"-thick hardwood plywood plus a few board feet of solid wood. This keeps the cost reasonable, but introduces some constraints on the size of the finished bookcase. Our final design is 5' high and a little less than 21/2'-wide. It's not quite as deep as many bookcases, but it is a useful size for all but the largest books. It does its job without taking over the room, will hold a lot of books and the shelves won't sag. You can make the basic design any size you want, but if you make it larger you won't be able to get all of the parts from one sheet of plywood. If you make it wider, keep the shelves less than 36". If the shelves are longer than that, they will likely sag when loaded with books. Using 3/4" plywood for the back as well as the other cabinet parts produces a box that is very strong. The edges of the plywood are all covered with solid wood. In three of the four designs this is a face frame applied to the front of the box. The other design uses V4"-thick hardwood as an edge band. I used biscuit joints to hold the case together and pocket screws to join the face frames. The assembled face frame is glued to the front of the cabinet. There is enough surface area for a good joint, without nail holes showing in the completed cabinet. Using plywood solves many problem s you would have if you made the bookcase from solid wood; the grain and color of all the parts will be similar, you won't have to glue any parts together for width and seasonal wood movement won't be an issue. by Robert W. Lang Comments or questions? Contact Bob at 513-531-2690 ext. 1327 or robert.lang@fwpubs.com. Visit his web site at craftsmanplans.com. 32 Popular Woodworking June 2005 |
