New Bookcase

[Gary G]

This is a the first thing I've posted that's not a pen.

Black Cherry & Curly Maple 4' wide 2-shelf bookcase.
Designed with a finished back in case it's ever used in the middle of a room.
The sides are frame & panel with bookmatched cherry floating panels.
The back is frame & panel with a mid-stile; the rear panels are ship-lapped
black cherry resawn to 3/8" thick and floating in the frame.
All frame & panels are full mortise & tenon construction.
The back panel has a 1/4" stub-tenon the full length of each stile fitting
into a 1/4" stopped dado on each side panel.
The bottom shelf is connected using a stub mortise & tenon.
The case top connects using a shallow dado which sits down on the back and sides.
The middle shelf sits on shelf pins.

The photos are terrible but they'll give you some idea what I've done.

Prior to applying the finish:

Here's the case and detail after two coats of Waterlox have been applied:

Gary

 

[DaveO]

Very well designed and spectacular wood choices :eusa_clap:eusa_clap:eusa_clap

Dave

 

[toolferone]

It is a beautiful piece and the wood is great!! A very cool design.

I am a little worried about the length of the middle shelf. Four feet is a pretty long span only supported at the ends.

 

[Bryan S]

Great piece Gary. I love the BlackCherry/Maple combination of woods. Sounds like there was a fair amount time invested in this.

 

[nelsone]

That's a pretty spectacular piece!

 

[skeeter]

I like the design and wood contrasts. Waterlox brings out the wood. Great job.

 

[MikeH]

Gary the bookcase looks great the that Maple is amazing!

 

[bluewing92]

Looks like the finish really made the curly maple jump out.:eusa_clap:icon_thum

 

[rita541]

What is waterlox. Would it work as a finish on my scrollsaw projects? My problem is I am tired of my projects looking yellow from the polyurithane.
Rita

 

[Gary G]

Tom,

...I am a little worried about the length of the middle shelf. Four feet is a pretty long span only supported at the ends.

I considered that.

If this was being built for someone else's use, I'd have designed it differently. Since it's going in our home and will only have smaller paperbacks on that shelf, I think we'll be ok.
It's got a shelf-pin in the mid-stile -- the hole is barely visible in the photo.

The bottom of the shelf is drilled to accept the shelf pins. Half the hole is in the bottom of the shelf, the other half of the hole is in a scrap block. There are 7 shelf pins total.
I pressed down on the middle of the shelf with a lot of force and it didn't move.
If it starts to sag over time, I can easily remove the shelf and add a support strip in the center.

Gary

 

[cpowell]

That's real purdy!! :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

I like the design and joinery and the wood is just gorgeous.


Chuck

 

[toolferone]

What is waterlox. Rita

https://www.waterlox.com/default.aspx

 

[cskipper]

Very nice looking shelves. I'd kind of hate to put books on it and hide that pretty wood!

 

[Eaglesc]

Gorgeous piece!
It's a shame to cover up the shelf though that is a beautiful piece of maple!

 

[rita541]

lmteresting site. Thank you
Rita

 

[sapwood]

The curly maple is [STRIKE]striking[/STRIKE] overpowering :icon_thum
And the cherry contrast makes it complete. Love it!

Roger