How to Build a Large Bookcase

A wooden bookcase and its contents make an attractive addition to almost any room. However, books are heavy, so a big bookcase needs to be very sturdy. This design is for a bookcase that is meant to be built on a large scale, and can be either painted or stained. It also has adjustable shelving.

Things You'll Need

• Lumber for sides, top, bottom, back planking and shelves runners and brackets for adjustable shelves wood screws peg nails standard nails drill hammer screwdriver tape measure power sander brushes level primer and enamel or stain and sealant clamp wood glue molding table saw (optional)

Instructions

1. Measure and use the saw to cut the four planks for the top, bottom and sides of the bookcase. Also measure and cut four corner braces from scrap timber.

2. Build the outer frame of the bookcase. Use screws to fasten these parts together, driving them through the top and bottom planks, as they will be out of view there. Regularly check your work with the level.

3. Nail your corner braces in, using small carpenter's peg nails. This is for temporary structural rigidity, and you will remove these corner braces later, so don't use big nails and make big holes.

4. Measure and cut your back planking. One or two planks may need to be reduced in width to match the width of your bookcase. You can install these for a smooth fit, using carpenter's wood putty to fill in the joints between the planks. Alternately, you can sand the corner edges down with a power sander, or cut them with a table saw for a decorative effect.

5. Nail the back planking to the bookcase frame.

6. Remove the corner braces. The back planking now provides all the rigidity your bookcase needs.

7. Sand rough edges off for a smooth finish.

8. Measure and cut four-to-six small wood blocks to serve as peg legs for the bookcase. Sand off the rough edges and screw onto the bottom.

9. Measure and cut decorative molding to fit to the outside of the shelving frame. This can be fastened using wood glue and clamps.

10. Stain and seal the frame for a fine wood finish. Or, if you choose, prime and paint it.

11. Cut wood planks to the desired length for your shelves. These should be a quarter-inch smaller than the width of the bookcase, to give a little wiggle room. Sand the rough edges, then finish them with stain or paint to match the bookcase.

12. Install adjustable shelf runners with screws. Pay close attention to alignment, as both sides need to match exactly.

13. Use the shelf brackets to arrange your shelves however you wish.