Fine Woodworking 2007 Building Furniture

Photos, except where noted: Marc Vassallo; this page: Boyd Hagen

Three Bookcases

BUILDING BOOKSHELVES ]

W

hen customers inquire about having a piece of furni-
ture made, it’s part of my job to ascertain what quality
of furniture they’re looking for and to translate their
desires into a dollar amount that will equal the time and materi-
als needed to complete the piece. The quicker the joinery and
construction and the cheaper the materials, the less expensive
the piece. The woodworker building furniture in his or her home
shop faces this same dilemma. Regardless of your skill level, you
must first decide how much time and materials are worth putting
into a piece.
Even if it’s a project that’s as straightforward as a bookcase,
those considerations come into play. It’s also worth thinking about

where the case will reside and what it will be used for, whether

you want a simple piece that fits in most any room or an upscale

design that fits well in a formal living room.

In this article, I’ll show how to make three variations of book-

cases: a simple but sturdy case made of premilled pine purchased

at a home center; a case with adjustable shelves made from hard-

wood plywood with solid-wood facings and moldings; and a

solid-wood case with elegant moldings and classic ogee bracket

feet. I’ll leave it up to you to decide which case is the right one

for your time, budget, and circumstance.

Philip C. Lowe runs The Furniture Institute of Massachusetts.

B Y P H I L I P C. L O W E

From simple to elegant, three

approaches to building

a home for your books

18 F I N E W O O D W O R K I N G