How to Make a Cubicle Bookcase

Cubicle bookcases are as much an object of art as the things they display.

Cubicle bookcases can be a fashionable addition to a home. They add style to a room and provide attractive nooks for books and “objets d'art.” However, cubicle bookcases are as much on display themselves as the objects they hold. Their construction requires more than just basic skills, but it is still within the reach of the weekend warrior.

Things You'll Need

• Hardwood boards, 2 inches thick and 12 inches wide
• Hardwood boards, 1 inch thick and 12 inches wide
• Carpenter’s pencil
• Eight woodnails (two-inch, galvanized)
• Miter Saw
• Router
• Hammer
• Wood glue
• Sandpaper (optional)
• Paint or Stain (optional)

Instructions

1. Prepare the wood. Sand the boards until they are free of splinters, burrs and manufacturing marks. Start with medium-grit sandpaper (around 80 or 100 grit) and progress to a fine sandpaper (around 150 or 180 grit). Sand with the grain when possible.

2. Measure and mark the frame. From the 2-inch thick boards, measure four pieces that are 5 feet, 8 inches long and make a mark at that point that is perpendicular to the length of the wood using the carpenter’s pencil.

3. Create dado guidelines for the shelves on the frame. One one piece, mark the top of the first shelf 14 inches from one end of the board, and then mark the bottom of the shelf 1 inch beyond that. Mark the top of the second shelf 12 inches from the bottom of the first shelf, and the bottom 1 inch from that. Repeat this for the third and fourth shelves, marking the top of each shelf 12 inches from the bottom of the last shelf. Make all the marks on the same side of the board.

4. Measure and mark the support columns. From the 1-inch thick boards, measure four pieces that are 5 feet, 4.5 inches long and mark them by drawing a line perpendicular to the length of the board on a broad surface using a carpenter's pencil.

5. Add dado guidelines for the shelves onto the support columns. On a broad side of the board, create the top mark for the first shelf 12.25 inches away from one end using the pencil. Draw the mark for the bottom of the first shelf one inch below the top mark. Create the top mark for the second shelf 12 inches below the bottom mark for the first shelf. Draw the bottom mark for the second shelf 1 inch below the top mark. Repeat this for the third and fourth shelves. Repeat the entire process for each support column and mirror these marks on the other side of the boards.

6. Measure and mark the shelves themselves. From the 1-inch thick boards, measure 16 pieces that are 12.5 inches long each and mark those lengths with the pencil.

7. Cut quarter-inch-deep dadoes into the frame and support columns at your shelving marks using the router. Position the board so you can push the router away from you as you cut the dado. Use smooth, steady strokes and cut the dado across the entire broad side of the wood.

8. Cut the boards at your marks using the miter saw. Do not cut along the dadoes.

9. At each end of the four frame pieces, create a miter joint. Position the board on the edge of its length and make a 45-degree cut from the outside corner. Repeat this on the other end of the board. Both joints must be on the same surface as the dadoes.

10. Assemble the frame. Put wood glue along the miter joints and firmly press two pieces of wood together along that joint. Allow the glue to set about five minutes before releasing. Let it completely dry before adding nails. Drive a nail down through the top of the frame into the side piece of the frame, one inch from the edge and three inches from the front. Drive another through the top on the same side of the board, 1 inch from the edge and three inches from the back of the frame. Repeat for the other side of the top, as well as for the bottom (driving the nail upward instead).

11. Insert the support columns vertically into the dadoes in the frame. Next, insert the shelves horizontally into the dadoes in the support columns and the frame. Finally, add books or other objects to be displayed.

Tips & Warnings

• For added stability, add wood glue to the dadoes before inserting the support columns and shelves.

• When sanding, attain a smoother finish by going through the grits. Start at 80, progress to 100, then 120, 150, 180 and others in incremental steps until you reach the desired level of smoothness. However, if the wood is pre-sanded, start at a higher grit level so as not to remove the polish. Additionally, sanding beyond the 220 grit level can reduce the color of any stain added later.

• The bookcase can be stained or painted to fit with your decor. Add the stain or paint after cutting the boards but before joining them together. Do not apply either to the dadoes or to the first and last quarter-inches of the support columns and shelves. Gently sand off any excess stain or paint that gets into those areas, as the added material can prevent the pieces from fitting together.

• When creating dadoes, be careful not to press too hard or to use too fast of a setting, as either can cause the wood to break or splinter. Test the router on a scrap piece of wood first.

• When cutting wood or sanding, always wear safety goggles.

References

• Popular Woodworking: Rules for Sanding Wood
• Fine Woodworking: All About Rabbet and Dado Joints
• Woodworkers Journal: Skill Builder – Miter Joints