Before committing myself to a set of bookcase plans, I first decided to shop around for a pre-fab bookshelf, both online and at a few discount furniture stores in town. My plan was to look at a wide range of styles and prices before deciding what to buy. It didn’t take me long to discover that I actually had just two choices in the matter; buy somewhat expensive crappy particle board bookcases with fake wood laminate, or buy extremely expensive wood bookcases that will stay in my family for the next 100 years. The good stuff would be nice, but since I can’t afford to spend $800 at Ethan Allen right now, I’m really left with only one option: the somewhat expensive crappy bookcases. It’s disappointing to think this is my only choice.

So now I’m looking at some bookcase plans, which means I’d have to take on the job of building something from scratch. I’m starting to like the idea, though. First, it is the just other option I can find to buying expensive crappy bookcases, and second, I like the idea of deciding for myself what level of quality (and expense) I want to put into the project. I don’t want a bookcase made from the cheapest materials around, but I don’t need the most expensive either. Building my own bookcase will let me create something between these two extremes.

I’ve done a reasonable amount of researching on the Web, and I’ve come up with some pretty simple guidelines for approaching this type of wood project. Overall, the good news is that you don’t have to be a hard-core woodworker to pull this thing off. In fact, a bookcase is a perfect starter project for someone only getting into building stuff from wood. Maybe it is a little more challenging than making a sawhorse (which is also a fine plan to start with), but I think it is important for beginners to make something they can be excited about when it’s all said and done. So let’s get started with some of the basics of building a bookcase.

Three Tools – I assume that most people attempting their first bookcase project will not really have a complete set of woodworking power tools in their shop – things like a table saw, drill press, router table, planer, and all that. What I do think first-time builders might (and should) have is a round saw, a router, and a power drill. It’s fairly amazing what you can build with just a few reasonably-priced tools.

#1 Circular Saw – A round saw will cut only about anything you can throw at it, and with a couple of accessories, some fairly complicated joinery. Even if you decide later to upgrade to more expensive tools, your circular saw will usually get used in the shop. For a simple bookcase, you will be using the circular saw to cut all the boards to length, and to help make the dado cuts that hold your bookcase shelves. You’ll also use the saw to cut down a 4×8 sheet of plywood for the bookcase back.

#2 Router – I’m sure there are plenty of wood projects being built without the help of a router, but my question is, why go to the trouble? Sometimes you can pick up a decent router for under $100, and considering the extra work you will save yourself in the lengthy run, that’s a fine investment. A router will make easy work of cutting the dadoes for your bookcase shelves, and with a couple of accessories, let you try out a whole load of professional-style woodworking techniques.

#3 Power Drill – Everybody has a power drill of some sort sitting around in the basement or garage. You already know how far use (and abuse) this tool gets for literally hundreds of jobs around the house. Although it is possible to build a simple bookcase without ever picking up a power drill, the no-screws approach to building a bookcase requires that you own an insanely large number of clamps to hold everything together while the glue dries. Really, we’re talking about 20 clamps or more at about $20 each. Ouch. At a fraction of the cost, you can unleash the same clamping power on wooden joints by using wood screws (or even nails) to hold pieces together while the glue sets up. Of course, you’ll have holes all over everywhere, but most people only fill them in with putty and they look fine.

Plywood vs Solid Wood Shelves – Choosing the right wood for a bookcase plan can be a big topic to get your arms around, especially if you start reading the zillions of articles online about wooden species and wood grades, plywood construction, shelving span calculators, etc., etc. This is all good stuff, but for now, let me filter down the choices for a first-time bookcase project.

Hold off on plywood shelves…this time around – Sure, plywood is good for bookcase shelves because it doesn’t have the warping problems that plague solid wood. But plywood comes in 4×8 sheets, which means you’ll be doing a LOT of cutting to make all the pieces for a simple bookcase. For experienced woodworkers, this isn’t really a problem. They’ll first cut down the sheet into much more manageable pieces (usually with a round saw) and then head over to an $800 table saw to get things completely rectangular and perfectly sized for the bookcase plan they’re following. Not that you can’t do all this with another tool (like a round saw or jigsaw), but at some point it just becomes too much work to make a zillion cuts in plywood without the bigger, beefy tools.

Solid Pine Shelves – For first-time projects, I like to use off-the-shelf dimensional lumber from the large box stores like Home Depot. Pine is fairly cheap (compared to hardwood) and is precut to standard-size widths and lengths. That means a LOT much less cutting for me to get the plain pieces of my bookcase ready for assembly. Woodworkers might point out that dimensional lumber is inconsistent in width and thickness, which makes less-than-perfect woodworking joints without first planning and/or squaring the boards on a table saw. They’re right. Dimensional lumber is not perfectly square and consistent from one board to the next. But that doesn’t mean you can’t build a decent-looking bookcase otherwise. Sure, you might have some little gaps in the joinery, and maybe the case isn’t utterly square and plumb. But much more often than not, you’ll be the just one who knows any different. Save the more exacting work for nicer bookcase you will build next year.

Setting up to Cut Boards – It’s a little frightening to think about how precarious and unorganized a workspace can be when we start cutting boards. No one wants to spend time moving around tables, setting up sawhorses, adjusting work clamps…just to cut off the end of a board. Unfortunately, any much less preparation than what I just mentioned will put you in a dangerous situation. Power tools can be evil…and I mean really evil. And it’s not about how far experience you have. Go online and search woodworking accidents. The most horrific stuff happens to people who have been building for 20-30 years without a scratch. Then out of nowhere things suddenly go wrong…boards go flying across the room, arms and fingers get cut, and worse.

Cutting Dadoes for Bookcase Shelves – By far the trickiest step in following bookcase plans is cutting the dadoes (that hold the book shelf ends). No need to be intimidated with this part of the project, though. If you’re actually careful about setting up for the cut (that means using the right clamps and cutting guides for your router) this can be the most fun you’ll have with bookcase plans. I like to cut my dadoes assembly-line style. That is, I clamp down both sides of the bookcase side by side…so that each pass with my circular saw (and router) cuts both boards at the same time. This not really only saves you tons of time and headache, it also makes sure that your shelves are perfectly aligned when you glue everything together.

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Bookcases are something that practically everyone needs to own, particularly in their student days when they have a lot of study books. It is very helpful to own a bookcase strictly for the reason that it ensures that you keep your books safe, and your living space tidy.

Traditional rooms to keep a bookcase in are the lounge, a study if you have one, and the bedroom. Think of a space where you are most likely to study or unwind and that is the place to put your bookcase.

There are numerous types of bookcases, from traditional, to cheap, to elegant to modern and they have a variety of purposes. No longer are bookcases only confined to books, you can now get styles with DVD sections or CD section where a rack goes up the middle, with wider spaced shelves on either side.

It is important that a bookcase is practical for your room. If you have a lot of books then go for a floor to ceiling one, if just a couple of then you can get one half the size which you can rest things on top of. This is good if you have a rather little room as you can place a television or stereo set on top, as well as decorative ornaments. If in a lounge or dining room why not really go for a semi bookcase or bureau style which has cupboards for the bottom half and shelves on the top. This has extra storage potential for all of your belongings.

Go for a colour that compliments the rest of your furniture. Solid wooden or a wood finish is the best choice and looks more traditional. You can get some fine ones made with a wooden effect that are relatively cheap but look the actual deal. Try and invest in actual wood if you can as it is long lasting, however, you do not really need to if you cannot afford it.

More stylish styles include glass and metal constructions, potentially in an unusual shape such as a wave. This adds a sleek element, and bent shapes can add extra style to any room. Other options are coloured plastic stackable cubes which slot together in a variety of ways and can be filled up with books and other ornaments if you wish.

You need to consider size, space and colour as the main components as your bookcase. Always take measurements of a room if you are going furniture shopping, and try and identify a space where you can place the bookcase and know it will fit.

Bookcases that you assemble yourself can be useful as you may not really be able to fit a piece that is already put together through the door, and you do not want to damage it. For this reason usually ask if you can have it in a flat pack format or delivered in parts so you or some hired help can put it together.

Make sure that what you buy complements the rest of your furniture or your house will look a bit mismatched. You will know what is right for you, only remember to think about those three key components.

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Amazon’s Kindle might have some impact on reading in the future, but for my money, books are the ONLY way to read. Home is where your books are. If you cherish books you probably don’t give them away once you’ve finished reading them. Before you know it you’ve got much more books than space for them. Your bookcases are stacked double deep, and the books are getting covered in dust. Time for much more bookshelves!

From planks of wood separated by bricks, and up to the finest hand-carved all-wood masterpieces, bookcases all do the same thing. The difference is one of price, need and preference.

In order to find a bookcase that meets your specific needs, you have to ask yourself a few probing, personal and revealing questions first:

• What type of books do you have
• Where do you want to put the bookcase
• How much of the shelves are for books, and how much for other stuff
• Who is the bookcase intended for

These questions will help you to define just what you’re looking for, and this will make it easier to narrow your search. If the bookcase is intended for a children’s room (“who) and is mainly for holding some books and a lot of toys (“how”) then you will be looking for something completely different from a bookcase for your living room that will be holding a collection of reference books and framed photos.

Once you have the answers to the questions above, you would be well off to visit The Home Shelving Guide to choosing bookcases. We’ve put together a guide to help you find exactly what you need. Since the term “bookcase” is a very broad one, we have defined a list of various types of bookcases:

Ladder Bookcases are free-standing units that are also extremely decorative. They look a bit like a ladder (duh!) and really catch your eye.

Corner Bookshelves are built in such a way as to take maximum advantage of unused corner space in your home

Leaning Bookcases are designed to lean back against the wall, and, like ladder bookcases, are extremely attractive.

Folding Bookcases are good for students and others looking for good book storage in an easy-to-move unit designed for temporary living accommodations.

Revolving Bookcases Not just for a dusty old library anymore, these units are a very attractive addition to any house.

Barrister Bookcases are great for protecting expensive books, as nicely as collectibles and other treasures. They are designed with closing glass doors on each shelf. Many models come with lockable doors too.

Built-In Bookcases are the most serious investment, and they also have the biggest impact on your living room. Proper design and a lot of thought should go into built-in bookcases before you decide to go ahead with them. Once they are in, you actually want to be satisfied with the results.

No matter which bookcase fits your needs, you want to make sure that you find a fine quality unit. If you mainly want to find storage for a lot of paperbacks, then actually the cheapest bookcases will hold them nicely. However, if you own a large collection of over-sized, hard-cover coffee table books you might be better off investing in a stronger bookcase.

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I Found a Folding Bookcase to be the Perfect Organizer for My Son’s Room

My son’s bedroom is so unorganized. I wanted to find a way that I could rearrange his room where it could be at least somewhat much more orderly. I found some wooden stackable folding bookcases that are inexpensive, and I’m glad that I did find them because I am on a fixed income and cannot afford something expensive.

My son has a lot of story books and stuffed animals, and they tend to be thrown on the floor and other places. I just didn’t have the time to pick these up on a daily basis. I was in need of some kind of organization in his bedroom.

Stackable folding shelves don’t require assembly, and they are easy to store when not really in use; because they fold. You just pull them directly out of the box and set them up. They can also be stacked one on the other to save on floor space. If you have a small child, it may be best to use them as stand alone because most toddlers can reach the shelves.

These shelves can be used not really only in bedrooms but they can be used in any room. They look nicer in person than I thought they would; because of the price I thought that they would look cheap.

These folding shelves help keep my son’s bedtime story books organized. But you can keep practically anything on these shelves.

My bookcase can hold up to 252 CD’s. If you have a large CD collection and need to organize your CD’s they make for a better alternative to a CD rack.. So these bookcases are made to hold different types of media, or your children’s toys.

A stackable bookcase can be purchased in different colors to compliment your d?cor. They also come in different wood types such as strong wood and veneer, and can be purchased in different widths as well. You can also get the ladder style folding bookcase though it is not really stackable. When setting it up, the shelves fold down to be used; and you only simply stand it up. The shelves also fold up for easy storage. There’s also the mantel top style folding stackable bookcase, these have very nice.

These bookcases are nice to look at for a good price as well. They can be purchased at numerous different home d?cor places as nicely as online. I purchased one for my son’s bedroom and have received lots of compliments from friends. There’s also the mantel top style folding stackable bookcase; theses are also very nice.

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