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DJS
Trad climber
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Jan 23, 2009 - 05:23pm PT
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This will take extra time and $$$, but think about building your case(s)with removable/height adjustable shelves. That way you can use it (them) for a variety of reasons.
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, Ca.
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 23, 2009 - 05:27pm PT
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DJS, yeah, I'm considering that, some of them if not all I'm considering to do adjustable.
Thanks
Anthony, looks like some cool tips on that site. I'll have to check it out more at home.
Thanks.
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the Fet
Knackered climber
A bivy sack in the secret campground
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Jan 23, 2009 - 05:37pm PT
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DMT: "He bought a shitload of old pew boards from an old church that was getting torn down. I don't know how much he bought, but he still has some of it. We made a huge dining room table out of, and numerous other things."
My dad took some 24" floorboards out of our attic when he was insulating it. Our house was built about 1770 out of a kit manufactured in England before there were lumber mills in the US. He made a dining room table out of it too. When my parents moved they asked what us kids wanted and I wanted the table. But they kept it for their "new" place (their new place is even older, my grandparents farm). So I guess I gotta wait 'til they die to get it. 250 year old wood from the house I grew up in, built into a table by my dad... can't buy that at Ikea!
So get the best wood you can, make it nice, and leave it to your son. You can find cool recycled and new wood on craigslist.
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/mat/
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Strider
Trad climber
one of god's mountain temples....
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Jan 23, 2009 - 05:59pm PT
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A few of the most important things I have learned through my limited wood working is the importance of jigs, glue and clamping.
Example of a jig...You want to make your shelves adjustable using those little metal shelf pegs and you need to drill holes to a certain depth along the face of your bookshelf and they need to be straight. So you take a piece of 2x4 or plywood and you drill the holes in that, then you it as a template for the real holes you will be drilling. If you screw up the 2x4 you can just start again. Adjust your drill bit depth so that when you drill through the template and into the bookshelf the drill bit will stop at the right depth. Take this jig concept to heart. It seems like a lot of extra work but in reality you finished product will be that much better! Save the jogs for future projects (I have a STACK of them).
Gluing will, in most cases, create a stronger bond that screws or nail can ever achieve. Use liberally but make sure you clean up excess or you will have a finishing nightmare. When you do screw things together, a pilot hole will go a long way to make sure you don't split your boards
Clamp everything! When you glue, clamp. When you cut a board, clamp. When you screw two pieces together, clamp so they don't move that fraction of an inch that will screw everything up. A framing square, a 2' and 4' level and a clamp will go a long way to help you make sure everything is square and flush.
When cutting your boards, I have moved away from the measure twice and cut once mantra and instead I usually measure once, add a little extra and then slowly whittle down the wood until I get the perfect fit. This works especially well when doing miter cuts like crown molding, mop boarding, wainscoting and window/door moldings. Perfect fit every time.
Routing boards can be very tricky if you don't know the basic rules about speed, direction of cut, depth of cut, etc... If you plan to do a lot of edge routing I would suggest sitting down in Barnes and Noble for half an hour with a cup of coffee and reading up. You don't really need to buy the book to understand the basics.
If you don't have a table saw to help you rip your boards, then a great way to make a long rip is to clamp a 2x4 as a straight edge on your board and then just follow your circular saw along the 2x4 for a perfect cut. I actually have a table saw but I never use it because I have gotten so used to just clamping and ripping. Quick and easy.
Almost any screw up can be fixed with some wood filler, sand paper and paint. If you do not plan on painting your bookshelf and instead want the natural wood look, you will have to be extra careful on all your finish cuts.
Do not trust the angle measurements on your miter saw! These are very likely out of whack by now. Get a protractor and check all measurements on your saws to make sure they are accurate. These need to be adjusted usually after any project with 50 or more cuts. When doing finish work, you would be surprised at how much of a difference 1 degree can be.
I have got a million of these...
-n
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goatboy smellz
climber
dirty south
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Jan 23, 2009 - 07:16pm PT
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The ultimate CD rack would need some Sumac inlaid for those special occasions.
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TradIsGood
Chalkless climber
the Gunks end of the country
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Jan 23, 2009 - 07:42pm PT
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Several people mentioned router.
But if you are looking to spend a lot of time to quit smoking, bag the router and use wood chisels. They take way longer than a router.
And it is TRAD!
Have fun. Post pics.
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Anastasia
climber
Not here
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Jan 23, 2009 - 08:01pm PT
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Dovetails are joints. It is when you cut the wood to fit together like puzzle pieces. If done right they are very nice looking. I didn't bother since I don't have access to a scroll saw. I only have access to a table saw and it's freaky enough using it for basic cuts.
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, Ca.
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 23, 2009 - 08:17pm PT
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Wow, I'm glad I started this thread, lots of good info.
I will do a TR when I get the materials rounded up. I talked to my buddy with the 'gear' who's both a motorhead and a wood-craftsman. He says the place I had in mind for lumber was a chosspile, Southern Lumber is the place, as suggested earlier.
Sweet!
I like the Trad idea too, but I dunno, we'll see. Dovetails sound like the way to go, that's kinda what I was thinking but didn't know the lingo.
Bluey, a 5.6 Trad woodworker...lot's of shiny new tools.
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, Ca.
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 8, 2009 - 09:13pm PT
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Game on, now!
I just did a half-day crash course in routing at my buddy's house. I'm ready to start rippin' wood...after I score my materials. It's looking like Red Oak, about 9$ a linear foot in 3/4". The African Mahogony is 43$ a linear foot!!!!
TR to come,,,
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dmalloy
Trad climber
eastside
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I say "good on ya, mate" for -
deciding to bag that cheap, mass-produced crap
learning a new craft and trying to do it the smart way
following through on your plan
and most of all, quitting smoking (how's that going?)
Looking forward to the TR....
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tom woods
Gym climber
Bishop, CA
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Strider has good advice. Glue- wet rag to cleanup the excess. It's easy and makes a huge difference when it comes time to finish.
My suggestion for wood? Knotty pine. 1x12 Knotty pine is cheap, and if you sit there and work through the piles of lumber, you can find straight pieces with actually few knots.
If you put a simple clear verathane on it, it starts out almost white, then in two three years turns yellowish, and within 6 or so years turns a smokey golden color. A very cheap way to make nice shelves.
Also, I'd say beg borrow or buy a router to rabbit out the slots for the shelves. Then you can glue and clamp, or glue and weight if you don't have enough pipe clamps.
A more expensive version is clear fir, more pinks and reds, until the color changes. You can always stain any of these woods, but I like to see the material.
Tom
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Reilly
Mountain climber
Monrovia, CA
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Bluey,
$9 for red oak is a super ripoff! I pay about $3! I can get you Peruvian Mahogany, the real deal ('African' is not a true mahogany), for under $10!
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Whatever else you do, if you're using any kind of power machinery, ALWAYS use ear protection!!!111
And no, an Ipod Nano turned to 11 doesn't count as ear protection.
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Jay Wood
Trad climber
Fairfax, CA
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Keep shelf spans to around 30". A 40" wide piece will have 20" span shelves- maybe a bit awkward.
If you use plywood, make the units 32" wide. Three pieces come out of the 8' panel length with no waste. One sheet of plywood will make a 12" deep unit 32" wide with six shelves (including top and bottom), i.e. 5-6' tall with five 10-12" high shelves.
Oak is hard, and more time consuming to work, as well as expensive. I second the idea of using pine, or hardwood plywood, for a first project. Another option is poplar- slightly harder than pine, stable, available as dimensioned boards, relatively inexpensive, but color is not the best. Most hardwood won't be readily available 12" wide, so would have to be glued up- more work, more clamps, need a jointer, etc..
Just the flat stock for the above shelf example would be 36 bf +. At $9/ft, that is over $300. At $3/ft, it is over $100. A sheet of hardwood plywood is around $50.
Plugged screws are a good way to get a finished look without needing a lot of clamps or pneumatic tools.
Have fun!
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, Ca.
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 14, 2009 - 04:56pm PT
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Oh man, I just scored the side/top 3/4" sections. It was $24 for 2x6.5' and 2x3.5' sections! The clamp I bought cost more.
I'm thinking it's because they were 'chopped' pieces from another larger piece, but they're perfect for my designs. Nice patterns in the oak too. Kick ass!!!!
I'll start the TR soon now that I have material and tools.
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tom woods
Gym climber
Bishop, CA
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Feb 14, 2009 - 05:35pm PT
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let us know how it goes
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, Ca.
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 14, 2009 - 05:51pm PT
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Okay, feel free to comment and criticise in a helpful manner.
The workspace...look at the woodgrain on the right-hand pieces...sweet!
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Reilly
Mountain climber
Monrovia, CA
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Feb 14, 2009 - 06:11pm PT
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All I have to say is, MOVE THE AXE!
Looks like ya got it goin' on bluey, we await the TR.
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, Ca.
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 19, 2009 - 11:40pm PT
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bump
(bwaaahhhaahahahha!!!)
Actually I moved the work-area into the garage from the enclosed patio. The bookcase project hasn't really started yet.
I was layin' down a foundation for great work before the project.
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drljefe
climber
Old Pueblo, AZ
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Mar 19, 2009 - 11:58pm PT
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Dude, the man cave needs some help!!!
Leopard print training wall with dog bed sketch pad. Classic!
Excellent job on the panelling, very professional.
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