HOW NOT TO BUILD A BOOKSHELF

The original bookshelves and me.







About two years ago I built two bookshelves. In moving to Colorado I had to arrange furniture a little differently. As such I have been meaning to build a companion book shelf for the previous two. Maybe it was the snow contributing to a little cabin fever, maybe I am just tired of bending down to the floor to turn on the radio. Either way, I did get motivated to build. The pictures below are a photo essay of what I did. I am no professional, I am less than a novice when it comes to wood working. But I am having fun, and I think I will enjoy the shelf a little more than if I had bought one.


Here is the raw material that needs to be formed and shaped.

Sanding , Sanding and more sanding

They call me the "Sandman", that's my name.

Exhausting work preparing the wood.

Measure twice, assemble once, or maybe measure three or four times. But the assembly process has begun.

A stand-alone shelf begins to emerge from the sawdust and the sweat.

Hannah plays Vanna. I would like to buy a "Dowell"...O.K. bad joke...let's move on the the trim.

If you do not predrill the holes in the trim you will split the wood.

Trim is on...and yes the mitre cuts were not that hard.

I had to match the trim and the stain from the original shelf...Cross your fingers, I think I did o.k. on the stain, the trim will have to be different, the stores in Texas had a wider variety in stock than here in Colorado.

The top trim of the original shelf. If you notice...the book showing on the shelf is the book I am currently reading...The Biography of Alexander Hamilton, by Ron Chernow. I am really enjoying the story of this great patriot.

Shameless promotion and consumerism, product placement.

Let the staining begin.

The first coat is on...next coat I am wearing rubber gloves...my hands match the shelf.

2nd coat of stain. Did I mention that it is a "Pecan" stain. It is looking very nice, but after moving it upstairs next to the two original shelves, I decided a third coat would be needed. So after the third coat has cured, I will move it into place tomorrow and I will put a finished product photo on the blog. Thanks for bearing with me in this project. Come back tomorrow.