®

PROJECT PLAN

Mission oak built-in bookcase

This article originally appeared in The Family Handyman magazine.

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34

DECEMBER / JANUARY 2003

T H E FAM I LY HAN DYMAN

This handsome bookcase may look difficult, but we’ve engineered it to go together easily without special woodworking skills

Mission oak built-in

bookcase

by David Radtke

This solid oak built-in bookcase has plenty of room for displaying your favorite books and collectibles plus lots of hidden cabinet space below. And it’s easy to build. Just cut the 2x4 framework

■

Loads of adjustable shelf space

■

Vertical-grain solid oak construction

■

Easy-to-alter dimensions to fit your room

■

Tapered columns — simplified

from standard lumber and screw it together. Then cut oak plywood and solid oak trim and nail them to the framework. You make the paneled cabinet doors with an ordinary table saw and join the face frames with an easy-to-use pocket hole jig.

Another plus is that you can pick up wherever you leave off at any time. You can prebuild most of it in your garage or shop and assemble the pieces as you go. Allow about five weekends for this project.

More

BOOKCASE

➤➤

T H E FAM I LY HAN DYMAN

DECEMBER / JANUARY 2003

35

12' BOARD

TRIM 3/16" OFF EACH SIDE

FIG. A

BOOKCASE

DETAILS

9-1/4"

USE AS PATTERN FOR

N1

ALSO

3-1/4"

5-1/4"

H

B

A

F

G

3/16" WALL

CLEARANCE

AT BOTH SIDES

SEE DETAIL

1

(ABOVE) FOR APRON

ASSEMBLY

1

11"

WALL

36"

10-13/16"

11-9/16"

N1

FASTEN TO CEILING

B

F

A

E

47-11/16"

49-5/8" FROM WALL

DETAIL 1

F

B

CENTER

JOINT

X2

Y1

Y2

X1

N2

PLYWOOD

SEAM

B

Y3

B

NOTCH

45

°

MITERS

5

SEE DETAIL

8

(P. 47)

FOR CORNICE ASSEMBLY

N1

NOTCH

CAPITAL

TO FIT

ARCH

K3

P4

8

W

F

A

E

7

P1

P3

H L 10

6

L

Q3

1-1/2"

Q1

SCRIBE

M

TO WALL

2"

1/4" DIA.

HOLES

Q2

U2

L

8"

1-1/2"

9

SEE DETAIL

9

(P. 47) FOR

EXTENSION

ASSEMBLY

G Z1

G

K2

U1

J

Z2

P2

K1

V4

Q3

H

M

F

C

D

C

SEE DETAIL

2

(P. 39) FOR

BASE ASSEMBLY

S2

R1

R2

T

S1

U1

6"

TRIM END OF

V3

TO FIT

V3

V1

V2

SEE DETAIL

4

(P. 44)

FOR COLUMN

ASSEMBLY

SEE DETAIL

3

(P. 41)

FOR DOOR AND

FRAME ASSEMBLY

6"

X2

4"

DETAIL 5

45

°

MITERS

V4

K3

P3

1/2"

P4

DETAIL 10

15

36

DECEMBER / JANUARY 2003

T H E FAM I LY HAN DYMAN

45

DETAIL 6

W

W

P1

3/4"

20

DETAIL 7

Cutting List

KEY QTY.

SIZE & DESCRIPTION

A

E

F

B

C

D

G

H

J

K1

K2

K3

L

M

N1

N2

P1

P2

P3

2

11

2

9

2

3

10

8

3/4" x 9-1/4" x 144" pine arch

(cut to fit)

3/4" x 3-1/2" x 10-3/8" cross ties

1-1/2" x 3-1/2" x 144" 2x4 base

(cut to fit)

1-1/2" x 3-1/2" x 8-7/8" 2x4 cross ties

3/4" x 5" x 11-7/8" oak fillers

1/4" x 11-7/8" x 96" oak plywood rips (cut to fit)

1-1/2" x 3-1/2" x 96" vertical supports (cut to fit)

1-1/2" x 3-1/2" x 8-7/8" 2x4 filler blocks

6

3

3

12

3/4" x 11-7/8" x 20" oak plywood cabinet sides

3/4" x 11-7/8" x 41-1/2" oak plywood cabinet tops

(cut to fit)

3/4" x 2-1/2" x 40" pine cleats

(cut to fit)

3/4" x 10-3/4" x 40" oak plywood shelf blanks

(cut to fit)

6

2

1

3/4" x 11-7/8" x 70" oak plywood bookcase sides

(cut to fit)

3/4" x 3-1/4" x 84" oak filler boards (cut to fit)

3/4" x 9-1/4" x 144" oak arch

(cut to fit)

1

6 ft.

3/4" x 1-1/4" x 144" pine filler

(cut to fit)

3/4" x 1-3/4" oak capital face molding (cut to fit)

12 ft.

3/4" x 1-1/2" cabinet top front molding (cut to fit)

12 3/4" x 1-1/4" x 40" oak shelf nosing molding (cut to fit)

Q1

Q2

Q3

R1

R2

KEY QTY.

SIZE & DESCRIPTION

P4

S1

S2

T

U1

U2

V1

V2

V3

V4

W

X1

X2

Y1

Y2

Y3

Z1

Z2

4

8

4

12

6

12

12

6

6

6

3/4" x 1" x 40" oak shelf back reinforcing slat (cut to fit)

3/4" x 10" x 87" oak column blanks

3/4" x 1-1/4" x 87" oak column sides

5/16" x 3/4" x 8" oak daggers

3/4" x 2-1/2" x 11" oak door rails

3/4" x 2-1/2" x 30" oak face frame rails

3/4" x 2-1/2" x 15" oak door stiles

3/4" x 4-3/4" x 20" oak face frame stiles

1/4" x 10-7/8" x 10-7/8" oak plywood door panels

3/4" x 3/4" x 39-1/2" pine face frame cleats

8

4

4

4

3/4" x 1-1/4" x 60" pine upper column backers

1-1/2" x 4" x 8-1/2" pine column base fillers

3/4" x 4" x 8-1/2" pine column base fillers

3/4" x 3-1/2" x 11" oak column plinths

16 ft.

3/4" x 4" oak baseboards

10 ft.

3/4" x 1-1/4" oak capital molding

6 2-1/4" x 2" x 3-1/2" oak cornice blocks

2-1/4" x 6" x 6" oak keystone 1

12 ft.

3/4" x 2-3/4" oak cornice molding (cut to fit)

12 ft.

3/4" x 2" oak cornice molding

(cut to fit)

12 ft.

3/4" x 5/8" oak cornice molding

(cut to fit)

3 3/4" x 2" x 39" oak plywood cabinet top extensions (cut to fit)

3 3/4" x 3/4" x 39" pine top extension cleats (cut to fit)

Mission oak built-in

bookcase

Shopping List

DESCRIPTION

1x10 x 12' No. 2 pine arches (A)

1x4 x 12' No. 2 pine (B, K2, N2)

1x6 x 8' No. 2 pine

(Z2, U1, U2, V2)

2x4 x 12' pine (C)

2x6 x 8' pine (V1)

2x4 x 8' pine (G, D, H)

1/4" x 4' x 8' oak plywood (F, T)

3/4" x 4' x 8' oak plywood

(J, L, K1, K3, Z1)

1x4 x 8' oak (M, W, V3, X1)

1x10 x 12' oak (N1)

1x4 x 8' oak (P1, P2, P3, Q2)

1x6 x 12' oak

(E, P4, Y1, Y2, Y3, R1, R2,

S1, S2)

1x6 x 8' oak (Q1)

1x6 x 16' oak base (V4)

1x8 x 2' oak (X2)

1/2" x 5-1/2" x 12' cedar siding

No-mortise hinges

Shelf clips

Wood glue

1" nails for nail gun

1-1/2" nails for nail gun

2" nails for nail gun

10d casing nails

Knobs and magnet catches for doors

Stain

Varnish

QTY.

2

3

3

2

1

12

1

1

8

4

5

5

8

1

1

1

6 pr.

48

16 ozs.

1 pkg.

1 pkg.

1 pkg.

2 doz.

6

2 qts.

3 qts.

Customize it to fit your room

The bookcase measurements we give are based on our room, which has an 8-ft. ceiling and measures just a skosh over 12 ft. wide. If your room is a bit wider, just move each middle column away from the side walls by one-third of the difference. The columns near the wall stay where we’ve located them. For example, if your room is 12 ft. 9 in. wide, just move each center column one-third the difference of 9 in., or 3 in., farther from each wall than the measurement we give in

Photo 4

. If your room is taller, you’ll need to stretch out the section of the bookcase above the cabinet doors; your columns

More

BOOKCASE

➤➤

BEND a piece of clear cedar siding to form an arch. Trace the curves as shown onto the two

1x10 x 12-ft. upper arch pieces of the frame. Cut

1 these pieces 3/8 in. shorter than the width of your room so you’ll be able to maneuver it into position.

1/2" x 6"

CEDAR SIDING

5-1/4"

(CENTER)

3-1/4"

(3' FROM

CENTER)

T H E FAM I LY HAN DYMAN

DECEMBER / JANUARY 2003

37

1x10 x 12' PINE

11"

Mission oak built-in

bookcase

47-7/8"

11-7/8"

3-1/4"

(FROM CORNER)

will taper more gradually, but not enough to notice.

Our bookcase cost about $1,400, including the hardware and finish. That’s not a lot of money compared with the price of a quality store-bought bookcase. If you shop around at local lumber suppliers, you may be able to save money. We used special rift-sawn oak, which we ordered from a local supplier. Its long, straight grain keeps the project from looking too busy and helps disguise glue joints like those in the center of the columns.

The effect is a wide, evenly grained board. You can,

7-1/2"

A

ARCHED TOP

ASSEMBLY

B

1x10 CUT

WITH CURVE

3/8" SHORTER

THAN ROOM

WIDTH

2

CENTER

1 x4 x 10-3/8"

B

CARRY the two arched aprons into your room and screw 1x4s between them as shown with

1-5/8 in. wood screws. Drill pilot and countersink holes to avoid splitting the wood. Be sure to complete the layout lines on the wall (Photo 4 and Detail 2, p. 39).

ARCHED BACK

ASSEMBLY

TEMPORARY

STAND

3 LIFT the apron assembly to the ceiling and build a temporary stand for each end to keep it tight to the ceiling as you screw it to the framing. If framing is difficult to find in key areas, use wall anchors (bottom photo, p. 39) to fasten it to the ceiling and side walls.

3-1/4"

47-7/8"

D

2x4 BASE

(3/8" SHORTER THAN

ROOM WIDTH)

C

47-7/8"

3-1/4"

2x4 x 8-7/8"

CENTER

4 BUILD the 2x4 base as shown in Detail 2, p. 39, and screw it to the floor with

1-1/2 in. x 1-1/2 in. steel angles. Space the 2x4 blocks so the vertical uprights marked on the walls will stand directly over them later.

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DECEMBER / JANUARY 2003

T H E FAM I LY HAN DYMAN

Undersize the upper apron and base assemblies

Measure the room width at the top, middle and base of your room. Take the narrowest measurement and subtract 3/8 in.

from that. This will give you just the right amount of maneuvering room to get the apron assembly

(Photo 3) off the floor and up to the ceiling without having to use a sledgehammer. Do the same for the 2x4 base assembly

(Photo 4).

Mission oak built-in

bookcase

49-5/8"

FROM WALL

F

1/4" PLYWOOD

RIPPED TO 11-7/8"

11-3/4"

E

5 CUT two 3/4-in. x 5-in. blocks 11-7/8 in. long (E) and screw them to the underside of the aprons 11-3/4 in. from each side wall. These blocks will catch the edge of the 1/4-in. plywood top and hold it in place. Rip the 1/4-in. oak plywood to 11-7/8 in. and hold it tight to the apron while you mark the length. Install it so the splice will be hidden under the column as shown. Do the same to cover the base assembly as well. Use 1-in. finish nails in your nail gun to secure the plywood to each assembly.

Detail 2

BASE ASSEMBLY

47-7/8" FROM WALL

3-1/4" FROM WALL

G

SCREW VERTICAL

SUPPORTS TO WALL

3/4"

H

11-7/8"

BLOCKING—

H

(TOP AND

BOTTOM)

F

C

D

3/16"

WALL

G

12' ROOM WIDTH (BUILD BASE 3/8" SHORTER)

G

FASTEN TO FLOOR

WITH 1-1/2" x 1-1/2"

STEEL ANGLES

H

PLYWOOD

SEAM

D

3-1/16"

D

47-11/16"

F

G

E

3/4" x 5" x 11-7/8"

OAK

POSITION 2x4

3/4" BACK

FROM LINE

however, sort through pieces at a home center and find nice-looking pieces that will match well. Whatever wood you choose, figure on spending about 40 hours or more to build and finish this project.

You’ll need a table saw and a circular saw for this project, and we suggest using a pocket hole jig (see

Buyer’s Guide, p. 47) for the face frames (

Photo 10

) and the cabinet top extensions (

Photo 21

). If you’ve never used a pocket hole jig, you’ll find it easy to use with the instructions provided. It’s a slick way to firmly hold wood joints without gluing and clamping. A doweling

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BOOKCASE

➤➤

G

2x4 ON

3-1/4" LINE

Anchoring 2 x4s to drywall

You’ll most likely need to drill holes and screw the vertical supports to the drywall with screws and wall anchors. Place the 2x4 and drill 3/16-in.

holes to mark the dry-

E-Z

ANCOR

HOLE FOR

NO. 8 x

2-1/2"

SCREW wall. Remove the 2x4, then screw anchors into the drywall at these locations. If there’s framing behind the 2x4, screw the support directly to it with 3-in.

wood screws.

6 FASTEN the 2x4s to the wall as shown. Use E-Z

Ancors (photo at left) if wall framing isn’t available behind the 2x4s. Scribe the 2x4 supports to fit under the curve. Note that the 2x4 supports on each side wall are set back 3/4 in. behind the 11-7/8 in. mark.

T H E FAM I LY HAN DYMAN

DECEMBER / JANUARY 2003

39

Mission oak built-in

bookcase

M

L

K1

L

J

1/4" HOLES

SPACED

2" APART

L

KEEP

HOLES

1-1/2"

FROM

EDGE

K1

jig, however, is a good substitute for this part of the project. If you don’t have an air-powered finish nailer, here’s a good excuse to buy one!

You can buy inexpensive finish nailers at home centers or rent them when you do the major assembly work. I’d recommend an 18-gauge brad nailer ($100) for the smaller pieces of trim and a 15-gauge finish nailer ($150) for nailing the columns and baseboards in place.

You’ll also need a screw gun, a belt sander and a finish sander along with your basic carpentry and layout tools.

Study

Fig. A

on p. 36 carefully for construction details, then read the text for added information and tips on building the doors, columns and cornice details. Follow the how-to photos as a step-by-step guide to the building process.

Tip

Sand plywood sides, columns and door assemblies before you install them. You’ll do a better job if you avoid working in difficult, strained positions.

3/4" PLYWOOD

SIDES

7 RIP 3/4-in. oak plywood to 11-7/8 in. and then drill 1/4-in. holes for standard shelf clips. Use a strip of 1/4-in. Peg-Board as a template for the shelf clip holes. Drill the holes, positioning the template to the bottom of each piece to ensure the shelves will be level when installed.

N2

1-1/4" PINE

SPACERS

N1

CENTER

JOINT

8"

3/4" PLYWOOD

TOP

FEATHERBOARD

1-3/4"

CAPITAL

MOLDING

P1

8 NAIL a 3/4-in. x 1-1/4 in. filler to the top of the apron assembly, then nail the arched

1x10 oak pieces (cut in half to fit) to the apron assembly. Scribe the pieces to the side walls if necessary.

The center joint will be covered by the keystone trim later.

9 SET your saw to 20 degrees and taper the upper capital molding and the top shelf face molding (Fig. A). Make the front shelf molding in the same manner, only cut it from 1-1/2 in. strips.

Measure carefully as you lay out the room

The design of this project is forgiving for rooms that are a bit out of whack. If one of your side walls is out of plumb slightly, the taper of the columns will disguise it. If your floor slopes slightly from left to right, it’s best to split the difference and make it flow with the room rather than trying to level the whole project. Just be sure to install the

2x4 verticals plumb.

The odd measurement of 11-7/8 in. for the depth allows you to cut four sides (

Photo 7

) from a single sheet of 4 x 8-ft. oak plywood. We

More

BOOKCASE

➤➤

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DECEMBER / JANUARY 2003

T H E FAM I LY HAN DYMAN

S2

FACE FRAME

10

CUT DOOR

STILES

S1

BUILD the face frames as shown in Detail 3 using the pocket hole jig (see Buyer’s Guide, p. 47). The jig drills holes at sharp angles to connect the stiles and rails tightly without glue. If you have a doweling jig, this will work as well.

1/4" GROOVE

R2

RAIL

KREG POCKET

HOLE JIG

(MODEL R-2)

R1

DOOR RAIL

Mission oak built-in

bookcase

found that even oversized books fit comfortably on the bookcase, especially on the cabinet tops just above the doors. Here the depth increases to nearly 14-3/4 in.

Follow

Photos 2 – 6

to get your layout lines in the right spots.

Buy good framing lumber

It’s essential to use straight 2x4s and 3/4-in. boards to get the skeletal part of the bookcase correct. Bows and twists will make your job more difficult. Buy a couple of extra pieces and store all your lumber in the house for about a week to acclimate it. Central heating has a way of taking a reasonably straight piece of lumber and quickly turning it into a banana. If you buy lumber at a home center where the stuff is reasonably dry and stored inside, you can usually assume it’ll hold its shape.

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BOOKCASE

➤➤

Detail 3

DOOR AND FRAME ASSEMBLY

POCKET SCREW (TYPICAL)

R1

R2

1/2"

1/4"

S2

1-1/4" SQUARE

WOOD PULL

NO-MORTISE

HINGE

R2

MAINTAIN 1/16" CLEARANCE

ON ALL SIDES OF DOORS

S1

T

1/2"

1/4"

R1 S1

CAUTION : GUARD MUST BE

REMOVED FOR THIS PROCEDURE.

BLADE SET

1/2" ABOVE

1/2" PLYWOOD

CLAMPED TO

TABLE SAW

CAUTION : GUARD MUST BE

REMOVED FOR THIS PROCEDURE.

R1

DOOR RAIL

11 GROOVE the inside edges of stiles and rails for each door using a table saw. Cut the 1/2-in.

deep grooves in the center of the edge. Run the piece through on one side, then flip it end-for-end and run it through on the other side to ensure the groove is centered. Because we had a wide throat plate space next to our saw blade, we measured to our fence first, lowered the blade, then installed a 1/2-in. piece of plywood on the saw table and raised the blade. This gave us a safe, stable, flat surface to cut the grooves.

12 CUT tenons on each end of the door rails using your table saw fence as a guide. The tongues should be 1/2 in. long and must fit snugly into the grooves of the stiles. Cut a test piece first to get the right setting.

T H E FAM I LY HAN DYMAN

DECEMBER / JANUARY 2003

41

Mission oak built-in

bookcase

Use a strip of 1/4-in.

Peg-Board as a drilling guide

T

1/4"

PLYWOOD

PANEL

S1

DOOR

RAILS

R1

DOOR

STILES

R1

S1

Getting precise holes into the

3/4-in. plywood sides for your shelf supports is a must for a project like this. To make a foolproof template, rip a 3-in. wide strip from a sheet of Peg-Board (use the rest of it to organize your shop space). Label the top and bottom, then use small brads to temporarily tack it to each panel. The holes on the Peg-Board are spaced every 2 in. Tape over the holes you won’t be using. Then drill

1/4-in. holes 1/2 in. deep into the panels (J and L). Buy a stop collar and a new brad point bit to get clean, unsplintered holes. We left 8 in. free of holes on the bottom of each side panel, since it would be useless to position a shelf any lower. Reuse this same strip for each piece. Don’t be

13 ASSEMBLE the doors as shown. First, glue the tenons of the top rail into the grooves of the stiles, then slip the plywood panel in place. No need to glue the plywood; just let it float in the grooves.

The plywood should be 1/8 in. narrower and shorter than the distance from groove to groove to ensure a foolproof assembly. Clamp the doors, making sure they lie flat. Clamps can pull the frames and warp them if you’re not careful.

sloppy here or you could widen the holes of your template and pay the price with uneven shelves.

When you glue up your door pieces, apply glue both to the sides of the tenon and in the groove where the tenon will fit. Don’t

Tip

use too much glue or you’ll have extra

U1

FACE

FRAME

CLEAT scraping and sanding to do when it oozes.

A good glue job will force only tiny beads from the joint as you clamp it.

FACE FRAME

SET INTO

OPENING

RAIL

SECTION

NO-

MORTISE

HINGES

S1

STILE

SECTION

R1

FACE FRAME

14 INSTALL no-mortise hinges (see Buyer’s

Guide) on the stiles and the door edges before installing the face frames in the bookcase.

Make sure to leave 1/16-in. clearance between the doors and the face frame. If necessary, use a belt sander to fit the doors precisely in the face frame openings. Attach the knobs to the doors, hang them on the hinges and nail the assembly to 3/4-in. x 3/4-in. pine strips set back and glued into the cabinets.

Make the doors with your table saw

You won’t need a router or a shaper or even a dado blade for your table saw to make these simple doors.

A standard carbide blade set at the correct height and some careful fence adjustments will give you great results. The key to success here is to use sacrificial scraps to get your settings just right. It usually takes a bit of tweaking to get your setups just right.

Start by cutting the grooves. Set the fence just a hair over 1/4 in. from the blade, then lower the blade below the table. For safety, place a 1/2-in. piece of plywood over the blade area and against the fence and clamp it to the saw table (

Photo 11

). Start your saw and raise the blade until it comes through about 3/4 in. Shut off the

More

BOOKCASE

➤➤

42

DECEMBER / JANUARY 2003

T H E FAM I LY HAN DYMAN

Mission oak built-in

bookcase

Detail 4

COLUMN ASSEMBLY

2" 6"

2"

TAPER

SIDES

Q1

3/4" BLOCK

SCREWED

TO PLYWOOD

INNER EDGE

FLUSH

WITH JIG

87"

Q2

Q1

TRIM TOPS

TO FIT

N2 ARCH

SAVE THESE

PIECES TO HELP

MAKE SQUARE

CUTS LATER

Q1

3/4" BLOCK

SCREWED

TO PLYWOOD

GLUE

SANDPAPER

TO JIG

HOLD-DOWN

10"

15 GLUE and clamp two pieces of 1x6 x 87-in. oak together and then rip them to 10 in. wide, keeping the glue joint at the center. Square both ends. Cut tapers on each side of each of the blanks using the homemade taper jig shown. Set the fence 12 in. from the blade, then rip a piece of plywood and cut it to 87 in. long. Cut a 2-in. taper on one side of each blank as shown, aligning the backside of the blank with the inner edge of the plywood and letting the side to be tapered hang over 2 in. as shown. Clamp the board with the jig levers over the board and run it through the saw.

PREVIOUSLY

CUT EDGE

2"

TOP

12" WIDE 1/2" PLYWOOD SLAB

Q1

TOP

NEW BLOCK LOCATION

2"

2"

16 REPOSITION the block in your jig and cut the opposite side of each blank. Always have the top of the blank at the tapered end of the jig and the wide base end even with the inner edge of the jig.

Move the workpiece through, making sure the plywood is tight to the fence and have an outfeed stand to support the jig as it leaves the saw. Next, glue and finish-nail 3/4-in. x 1-1/4 in. strips (Q2) to the sides of each column as shown in Detail 4 to give the columns a heavier and deeper look. Once the glue is dry, sand them with 100-grit sandpaper followed by 150-grit sandpaper.

saw and lower the blade until it’s

1/2 in. above the plywood surface.

Now, start the saw and run the scrap piece through the blade on edge as shown in

Photo 11

. When you’ve made the cut, flip the piece end-for-end and run the other side of the board through the blade, keeping it tight against the fence.

Now test the groove by slipping in a piece of 1/4-in. plywood. It should slide into the groove without your pushing it firmly. If the fit is too loose, move the fence slightly away from the blade. If the fit is too tight, move the fence closer to the blade.

Now cut all the inside edges of the rails and stiles.

Make your tenons by setting the fence exactly 1/2 in. from the blade

(don’t use the 1/2-in. plywood on top of your saw for this). Raise the blade 1/4 in. Make sure your miter gauge for your saw is set at 90 degrees. Push your scrap piece through the saw, keeping it firmly against the miter gauge and the fence. After one pass, move it away

More

BOOKCASE

➤➤

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DECEMBER / JANUARY 2003

T H E FAM I LY HAN DYMAN

Mission oak built-in

bookcase

V3

OAK PLINTH

11"

3-1/2"

V2

3/4" x 4" x 8-1/2"

BLOCK

V1

1-1/2" x 4" x 8-1/2"

BLOCK

17 RIP 2x6 and 1x6 pine to 4-in. widths and nail them to the base assembly at the center of each 2x4 vertical support. These pieces will support the base cap. Next, wrap these supports with

3/4-in. x 4-in. oak base pieces and continue installing these base pieces between the column bases.

3/4" x 1-1/4"

PINE BACKER STRIPS

from the fence about 1/8 in. and send it through again.

Continue until you’ve completed that side of the tenon.

Then flip it over and do the other side. If there are some saw marks, scrape them off with a flat file. Test-fit your tenon in the groove you’ve just made. If it fits too tightly, raise the blade just slightly and recut the piece. If the fit is loose, lower the blade slightly and try another test piece.

When you’ve got it right, cut the ends on all of the door rails as shown in

Photo 12

.

Make your cornice blocks from built-up strips

You could special-order thick slabs of wood for the cornice detail at the top of the bookcase (

Photo 20

), but that’s impractical when you’ve got plenty of small scrap left over. Cut three

You’ll find that your square

strips to size from

3/4-in. oak for the

is of little use when you

cornice blocks and

need to cut the tops of

the keystone. Glue

your two side column

and clamp them.

assemblies to length.

To mark a square cut, tape

Tip

the discarded strip from your taper cut (Photo 15) to the side of your column.

Then use your square to mark a straight line and your circular saw to make the cut.

DOUBLE LAYER

W

3/4" x 1-1/4"

CAPITAL

MOLDING

1-1/4" STRIPS

GLUE FLUSH

WITH EDGE

Q2

Q1

PRESTAIN

M AND V4

Q2

P1

1-3/4"

TAPERED

CAPITAL

MOLDING

INNER SIDE

IS NOT

NOTCHED

19 FIT the capital moldings around the tops of the columns. Use a double layer at the top to build out the surface and notch these layers around the lower edge of the curve. Place the 3/4-in. x 1-3/4 in. tapered molding directly below and nail it in place with the brad nailer.

18 SET the columns onto the base caps and mark each side of the column where it meets the upper arch.

Be sure the column is centered on the 2x4 support behind. Build up the upper face of the 2x4 supports with

1-1/4 in. deep strips to ensure the column lies 1-1/4 in. in front of the oak arch. Nail the columns to these strips and to the face of the 2x4 and face frame below with 10d finish nails.

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DECEMBER / JANUARY 2003

T H E FAM I LY HAN DYMAN

Y3

X1

Y2

Y3

Y1

X2

Y2

Y1

Detail 8

CORNICE

ASSEMBLY

Y3

X1

Mission oak built-in

bookcase

When the glue is dry, belt-sand them smooth on each side and then finish-sand them. Use your jigsaw or a miter saw to cut the keystone angles.

Buyer’s Guide

Get a pair of no-mortise hinges (part

No. 90437; $2.99) from Rockler

Hardware (800-279-4441; www.

rockler.com). Package of 16 shelf clips

(part No. 33894; $3.69).

Buy the Kreg pocket hole jig kit (part

No. Kreg R-2; $59.95) and an extra pack of 1-1/4 in. pocket screws ($5.50) from 7 Corners Hardware (800-328-

0457). www.7corners.com

Ace oil stain in Early American. Buy it at your local Ace Hardware.

20 CUT cornice blocks from 3/4-in. oak, then stack them in layers and glue them to achieve the 2-1/4 in. thickness. Make the tapered keystone center block in the same manner. Predrill, glue and hand-nail the cornice blocks to the curved apron with 10d finish nails.

Next cut the cornice strips on the table saw and nail them in layers between the blocks with your finish nailer.

Detail 9

EXTENSION ASSEMBLY

POCKET SCREW

Z1

3/4"

20

K1

U1

Z2

R2 P2

MINDS HIS

Ps AND Qs

Z1

Z2

Q1

Q2

22 GLUE and nail the top shelf edge molding to the top shelf, extending it 1-1/2 in. onto each column.

To finish the building process, make the shelves as shown in Detail 10, p. 36, to fit between the vertical bookcase sides. (You’ll also need to make three narrower shelves if you want extra storage inside the cabinets. Measure and cut them to fit.)

Sand your bookcase with 100-grit sandpaper followed by 150-grit.

Stain (see Buyer’s Guide) then finish it with two coats of satin urethane or your choice of varnish.

V4

21 FASTEN the front top extensions with your pocket hole jig. Nail a

3/4-in. x 3/4-in. strip to the top of the face frame and glue the extension to this for added support.

T H E FAM I LY HAN DYMAN

DECEMBER / JANUARY 2003

47

Art Direction • BECKY PFLUGER

Illustrations • EUGENE THOMPSON

Photography • BILL ZUEHLKE

Project Design • DAVID RADTKE

P2