Recent projects - #3 Ladder bookshelf

[Henry W]

Friend's daughter wanted a 24" wide ladder bookshelf. They could find 18" wide ones, and 36' wide ones, but not a 24" wide one.

Lotsa Dominos in this one too - in essence 6 boxes of various depth, with sides and a back on each. Some maple and some poplar, with plywood shelves faced with thin strips on the front edge. Primed and 2 coats of Target pigmented acrylic lacquer (6500).

Sorry the pics are not great of this, but you can imagine.

 

[Mike Davis]

Nice work, I’ve never seen a shelf like that. Is it attached to the wall or just leaning there?
Seems like it could get knocked over if the kids are playing to rough or a pet jumps on it. That sort of thing happed a lot when my kids were little and always had pets in the house.
I always tried to think of the worst case and did all I could to prevent any accidents. I guess that is rooted in the time I was 3 and wanted a drink and all the cups were in a freestanding corner cabinet which I opened the bottom door and climbed up the shelves to reach the top door. When I pulled it open the whole cabinet came down on top of me. Luckily I wasn’t seriously hurt and only a few of the glasses and plates were broken. Scared me half to death though and I have bolted shelves to walls ever since.

 

[Henry W]

Nice work, I’ve never seen a shelf like that. Is it attached to the wall or just leaning there?
Seems like it could get knocked over if the kids are playing to rough or a pet jumps on it. That sort of thing happed a lot when my kids were little and always had pets in the house. .....

Mike - Thanks. These are 'all the rage' in the new (and foreign to me) decorating style (you know, lots of shiplap, weathered wood, and the worst to me - poorly finished pieces). If my D-I-L saw this she'd want me to make one for her right away, preferable out of weathered wood.

This is just leaning on the wall, and my original plan was to drive a few screws into a stud to stabilize. The household does not have young children and the 'owner' of this is a mature middle school girl; in my judgement it is safe (not from worst case scenarios, but safe from 'anything predictable' scenarios. This is in her bedroom. I even noted when I delivered this, that 'while it is called a ladder shelf it is not to be used as a ladder - she smiled and clearly understood.