How to Attach a Face Frame to a Bookcase

Finishing nails have small heads that don't show.

Whether you build a bookcase yourself or want to dress up a bookcase you already have, a face frame is an easy way to display your books, photos or memorabilia. Putting the face frame on the bookcase is not difficult, although it may require assistance from someone else to help you position the frame so that it's positioned evenly over the face of the bookcase.

Things You'll Need

• Sawhorses
• Wood glue
• Finishing nails
• Nail punch
• 120-grit sandpaper

Instructions

1. Place the bookcase on a solid surface or sawhorses and distribute the weight evenly.

2. Lay the face frame on top of the bookcase, verifying that it fits properly. If the face frame is large, ask someone to help you. Large face frames without a center post can be wobbly. Once you determine that it fits correctly, remove it and set it aside.

3. Squeeze a bead of wood glue from the bottle, and work in an "S" shape as you go around the edges of the bookcase. Try not to get the glue too close to the edges where it could squeeze out when you place the weight of the frame on it.

4. Work quickly to coat the bookcase before the glue starts to get tacky. If you're working with an assistant, give her some glue, and she can also apply glue, so you can complete the process more quickly.

5. Place the face frame on top of the bookcase, and pound finishing nails into each corner. If your bookcase is large, place a finishing nail in the middle of the rails and stiles of the bookcase. The rail is the horizontal part of the face frame, and the stile is the vertical piece.

6. Place the nail punch on the head of each finishing nail and tap it with the hammer to drive the nail below the surface. After you have depressed each nail, fill the holes with wood putty, and wipe off the excess. When the putty dries, sand it with a 120-grit sandpaper so that it is smooth.

References

• Lowe's: Classic Bookcase
• Wood Zone: Sandpaper 101