BOOK STORAGEBOOK STORAGE^6699
drew a line parallel to the shelf to locate the runner. With
the drawer front^1 ⁄ 2 " behind the edge of the shelf, the top
of the drawer front can’t be seen when it is closed, so I left a
(^1) ⁄ 16 " gap so the drawer wouldn’t scrape the shelf on its way
in and out. When I had the positions of the runners located, I
screwed them to the inside of the case with #6 x^5 ⁄ 8 " fl athead
screws.
Easy Elbow Grease Finish
Because I had planed and scraped all the large fl at surfaces
before assembly, there wasn’t much to be done to get ready
for fi nishing the bookcase. I planed the front edges of the
fi xed shelves fl ush to the cabinet sides, chamfered all of the
No one will ever know. Located below the shelf and^1 ⁄ 2 " back from the
front edge, the drawer appears to be a fi xed apron.
Now you see it. The rabbet in the end of the drawer front provides clearance
for the sides, while allowing a narrow margin to be trimmed easily.
edges slightly with a block plane, and gave everything a light
sanding with #240 grit.
The fi rst coat of fi nish was Watco Light Walnut Danish Oil.
I saturated the surface, wet-sanded it with a nylon abrasive
pad, kept the surface wet for about 45 minutes, then wiped
off the excess. This was followed by two coats a day of Wa-
terlox for three days. After allowing the fi nish to cure for a
couple days, I wet-sanded it with Watco Satin Wax and #400
grit wet/dry paper, leaving a nice sheen and a surface that is
pleasant to the touch.
The joinery, details and fi nish on this bookcase are more
than what is needed to store some books, but that re-
ally wasn’t the purpose in making it. The idea was to leave
something behind that demonstrates what a bit of extra effort
looks like. It makes me look like a competent craftsman. Now
to fi ll it with some books that might make me look intelligent,
as well.
Hidden away. The hidden drawer rides on wooden slides attached to the
carcase. The end of the groove will act as a stop for the runners, and needs
to end in the right spot.
Simple enough. Maple runners below the bottom shelf support and guide
the hidden drawer.
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