Tools Used in the Construction of Book Shelves

A book shelf is a tidy place to store the books you own.

Homeowners who own a great deal of books often like to have custom bookshelves. Whether the motivation is easy access or showing off the size of a collection, shelves, either free hanging or as part of a case, provides an organized and attractive place to store books.

Technical Measuring Tools

As with all wood working projects, when cutting shelves for books it is important that all measurements made be precise and accurate before cutting to ensure that the shelves serve as intended. Tape measures allow for measurements over long distances, while a ruler or yard stick can be effective for short measurements. A right angle is used to ensure that cuts that must be square, or 90-degrees, are marked correctly.

Cutting Tools

Multiple different cutting tools are used for constructing a shelf, however, there are often multiple tools that can fill each roll. The simplest cuts to make are straight cuts, such as the end of a flat board, which can be made with a wide selection of saws, ranging from hand saws to circular saws. More advanced cuts, such as angled cuts for use in corners, are easier to make with adjustable blades, like on a table saw or circular saw. A router is the easiest tool to use to bevel the edge of a shelf.

Assembly Tools

A strong method of securing your shelf pieces together ensures that it will not buckle under the weight of the books placed atop it. For shelves carrying smaller weights, or decorative portions of the shelf, simple glue and wood clamps can suffice. For a more secure hold, a shelf is held together with nails that are hammered in, or screws driven with the aid of a power screwdriver.

Leveling

A functional shelf should be level, as it helps to distribute the weight more evenly and reduces the chances of items falling off the shelf as a result of a slant. A level should be placed on every shelf in the construction process, with adjustments made before securing if possible. If an entire book case is not level, either due to a short leg or uneven floor, the case can be leveled by inserting wood shims beneath the short side.

References

• This Old House: How to Build a Book Case