Corner Bookshelf
Tools and supplies I used:
• Jointer / Planer (only attempt this project if you’ve been trained on this)
• Table saw (only attempt this project if you’ve been trained on this)
• Router table with 5/8” straight bit (only attempt this project if you’ve been trained on this)
• Orbital sander
• Drill with 3/32” pilot bit
• Two 1x12 board pine common, 30” long
• One 1x12 board pine common, 48” long
• 12 #6 flat head phillips wood screws 1-½” long
I made it at Techshop: http://techshop.ws
• Jointer / Planer (only attempt this project if you’ve been trained on this)
• Table saw (only attempt this project if you’ve been trained on this)
• Router table with 5/8” straight bit (only attempt this project if you’ve been trained on this)
• Orbital sander
• Drill with 3/32” pilot bit
• Two 1x12 board pine common, 30” long
• One 1x12 board pine common, 48” long
• 12 #6 flat head phillips wood screws 1-½” long
I made it at Techshop: http://techshop.ws
Cutting the Pieces
Start with 3 1x12 common pine boards, 30” long, 30” long, and 48” long.
Run them through the planer/jointer to make them flat and square (joint one side, joint one edge, plane other side, joint final edge). Width of the pieces should end up being ~5/8”
Use the table saw and cross-cut sled to cut 4 lengths from the 48” board: 11.75” (top piece), 11.75” (bottom piece), 11.5” (shelf), and 11.5” (shelf). Each of these pieces will be 11.25” wide (the original width of the 48” board).
Make sure that all the pieces are square. Use the orbital sander to sand all 6 pieces.
Run them through the planer/jointer to make them flat and square (joint one side, joint one edge, plane other side, joint final edge). Width of the pieces should end up being ~5/8”
Use the table saw and cross-cut sled to cut 4 lengths from the 48” board: 11.75” (top piece), 11.75” (bottom piece), 11.5” (shelf), and 11.5” (shelf). Each of these pieces will be 11.25” wide (the original width of the 48” board).
Make sure that all the pieces are square. Use the orbital sander to sand all 6 pieces.
Cutting the Rabbets and Grooves
Load a straight 5/8” router bit on the router table and adjust it so that it is sticking up above the table ~1/4”. Put the router fence over the table saw fence and adjust so that ~3/8” of the bit is sticking out beyond the fence (i.e. the bit is only partially sticking out of the fence gap.
Run one of the 30” boards along the router fence, in effect making a rabbet along the 30” edge. Adjust the fence to widen the rabbet to 5/8” (so that it is the same thickness as the other 30” board) and run the first 30” board through again.
Do the same thing (5/8” rabbet) along two adjacent sides of the bottom piece (so that the two vertical pieces will fit on top of these rabbets). Do the same for the top piece (so that it will fit on top of the two vertical pieces).
Move the fence so that the router bit is 10.75” away from the fence. Run the rabbeted 30” piece cross-ways to cut a 5/8” groove (for the bottom shelf to fit in). Make sure that the groove is on the same side as the cut-away part of the rabbet (i.e. the wider face of the board is face-up). Run the other 30” piece through.
Flip the boards around to cut the grooves for the top shelf to fit it, but move the fence so that the router bit is 8.75” away from the fence (I wanted the lower shelf spaces to be taller than the top shelf space).
Run one of the 30” boards along the router fence, in effect making a rabbet along the 30” edge. Adjust the fence to widen the rabbet to 5/8” (so that it is the same thickness as the other 30” board) and run the first 30” board through again.
Do the same thing (5/8” rabbet) along two adjacent sides of the bottom piece (so that the two vertical pieces will fit on top of these rabbets). Do the same for the top piece (so that it will fit on top of the two vertical pieces).
Move the fence so that the router bit is 10.75” away from the fence. Run the rabbeted 30” piece cross-ways to cut a 5/8” groove (for the bottom shelf to fit in). Make sure that the groove is on the same side as the cut-away part of the rabbet (i.e. the wider face of the board is face-up). Run the other 30” piece through.
Flip the boards around to cut the grooves for the top shelf to fit it, but move the fence so that the router bit is 8.75” away from the fence (I wanted the lower shelf spaces to be taller than the top shelf space).
Assembly
Lay the pieces out on a table and fit them together. Sand and/or make additional cuts/ router passes if they don’t fit nicely.
With the shelves in place, drill 4 pilot holes (and then the screws) from the face of the 30” board with the rabbet (the reverse side of the rabbet) into the edge of the 30” board without the rabbet. Then drill 4 pilot holes (and then screws) into the top face of the top piece into the ends of the two 30” boards (two into each board). Do the same for the bottom.
With the shelves in place, drill 4 pilot holes (and then the screws) from the face of the 30” board with the rabbet (the reverse side of the rabbet) into the edge of the 30” board without the rabbet. Then drill 4 pilot holes (and then screws) into the top face of the top piece into the ends of the two 30” boards (two into each board). Do the same for the bottom.