How to Make a Revolving Bookcase
If you are a book lover with thousands of books and nowhere to put them, you can turn an unused coat closet into a revolving bookshelf. This revolving bookshelf will fill the doorway of a standard closet. A stabilizing pole goes up through the shelves and is attached to the top of the closet's frame. Four casters keep the weight balanced and help to turn the bookcase.
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Things You'll Need
- Wood putty
- Sandpaper, medium and fine grit
- Touch-up paint for door molding
- 1 sheet of 1/2-inch-thick plywood to fit the door opening
- Two 4-inch circles of plywood
- Wooden dowel cut to fit vertically between the two circular rounds
- Shelving, six to eight sets that are the width of the door and 12 inches deep
- Two sheets of 1/2 inch by 12 inch plywood that are the width of the door's opening
- Two sheets of 1/2 inch by 12 inch plywood that are the length of the door's opening
- 12 to 16 small shelf brackets
- Four casters
- Drill
- Wood screws
- Wood glue
- Stain or paint
- Acrylic finish
- Disposable foam paintbrushes
Instructions
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1
Remove the closet door and any hardware. Fill the holes with wood putty, then sand and repaint the molding if necessary. Measure the height and width of the closet. When making your calculations, deduct space for plywood rounds at top and bottom as well as the height of the casters. Leave a small allowance on the sides so that the bookcase can turn freely. Have the lumberyard cut all boards and the dowel to measure. Have them cut the rounds of plywood in which the dowel post will rest.
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2
Sand all boards with medium and fine grit sandpaper to prepare them for stain and acrylic finish. Coat each piece of wood, including the dowel, with two coats of stain. Dry thoroughly between coats. Repeat with acrylic finish.
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3
Drill a hole in the center of each of the wooden circles to accommodate the dowel. Make sure everything is centered and balanced before inserting the dowel into one circle and gluing it in place with wood glue. The dowel with the attached circle feeds up through the middle of each section of shelf and attaches to another identical circle that fastens to the topside of the door frame. This will allow the bookcase to be stabilized from top to bottom and rotate easily around the center dowel.
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4
Drill a hole in the center of each piece of shelving 2 inches, including the top and bottom of the bookcase to accommodate the dowel. Build the bookcase frame by attaching the two sideboards to the top board. Screw everything together and use a drop of glue in the holes to insure a better bond. Attach the frame to the plywood backing. Leave the bottom board off until all of the shelves are in place.
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5
Mark the bookcase on the frame and back where the shelves will be placed. Attach them through the back with wood screws. Insure the strength of each shelf by attaching the brackets in place under each shelf. Use these brackets to help distribute the weight of the books. Attach the round circle to the center of the door frame.
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Screw the casters into the four corners under the bottom frame. Insert the dowel through the hole beneath the bottom shelf. Feed the dowel up through the shelf holes and attach it with glue to the top circle. Finish attaching the bottom of the frame with wood screws. Glue and screw the circle into the floor beneath the bookcase. The shelf will revolve easily without toppling over because both the center dowel and the casters balance it.
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Tips & Warnings
You can build bookshelves on the other side of the plywood or do some painting, perhaps tromp l'oeil, with a few decorative shelves to change the scenery of the bookcase. This type of bookcase can be used as a stand-alone piece, but it is much more dramatic and useful in a closet space.
