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These shelves are home made and are of a comparatively simple design.

The shelving on the left are made in sections with 1x6 uprights and shelves. The top piece is usually one continuous piece that covers two sections. A 1x2 is used to cover the joint of two sections placed together. The shelves are hung by screws drilled through the uprights into the shelves. This avoids the problem with trying to nail the quarter-rounds level and the problem with them interfering with the books on the shelf.

Those on the lower left consist of 2x10 uprights and a 2x10 top piece. The shelves, themselves are 1x10s supported by 1/2" quarter round doweling. These were actually the first ones I put up. The "stair step" assemblage was added on the summer of 2000 and is a hybrid of the two designs

  
 

The shelving on the right is a mixture of those above and to the left. The uprights and shelves are 1x8s. The top shelf runs all the way across the width of the unit and are secured with screws through the uprights into the double wide shelf. Two more uprights, in the middle, support that top shelf and connect the shelves below it. The junction of the middle uprights is covered with a 1x2. The outside uprights and the top of the top shelf have a 1x2 border, giving the assemblage a beefier look. This construction designed was used on the "stair step" addition (on the left). In all cases, there is 1x3 "kickboard" at the bottom of the shelves.

  

Shelf spacing can vary depending on your needs. I find that 12" from the top of one shelf to the top of the next, allows enough room to store standard 10" and 9" books and still leave room to grab the book from the top. Also, with a 2 1/2" kick board at the bottom, the overall height is about 7' 3" which gives you seven shelves and about seven or eight inches on top to place trinkets (like a coffee mug collection). Most rooms are just short of 8' tall. If you are storing paperbacks, or videos, then 9 1/3 " from shelf top to shelf top will provide you with nine shelves in the same 84" (7 foot of height) space as seven 12" shelves. That will allow you to have the overall shelving be the same size, yet have the shelves holding differing sized books.

 

You will want to pre-drill all holes using a 1/4 " drill bit. I usually use 6 x 2" dry wall screws.

The kick boards can be an "outsy" like the top illustration or an "innsy" like the bottom. The advantage of an outsy is that it can be used to strap two units together. It also makes it a more pleasing look when using a 1x2 to cover the vertical joints of the two units strapped together.

When joining two shelves together at a perpendicular, (see below) whether at a corner or to form a jut into the room, one of the top shelves will have to extend over the "chimney" made by the adjoining pieces. In this case, I've chosen "A" to extend, but I could have just as easily had the shelf, "F", extend. Note, however, that if the unit "A" will extend, then the other unit will be connected onto it. Notice the screws at "B" and "E" screw into the other unit's upright, "C". If you were to screw "C" onto the "BE" unit, then the top shelf, "A", would have to ride above top shelf "F", or "F" won't be able to extend all the way to the upright, "BE".

 

 

 
   

This is an easy step to forget You will typically build the shelves as a unit elsewhere and put units together on site where the shelves will actually reside. Without the overhang, it will be easy for things to fall into the "chimney." This design isn't meant to hold a great deal of weight on this lip, but it should be sturdy enough for light plant or small knick-knack.
 

If your kickboard is an "outsy" then care must be take on the length. If you're good with 45-degree angle cuts, that would be the most pleasing. But notice that in this example, unit "A" is attached to Unit "B", so the kickboard of "A" (kickboard "C") goes the length of the unit and it cut back at 45-degrees. Kick board "D" on unit "B" does not go to the end of unit, but only to the end of the shelf, stopping just prior to the upright.

Whether you do 90-degree butt joints or the more "crafty" 45, you'll need to be careful about the length of these cuts.

 

 

 
   

Connecting two units together is done at two (or maybe, three) points. The two units will share a top shelf. The dotted lines represent the uprights of both units when butted together. The top shelf is screwed into the units with three screws; two on one side and one on the other. Next, a 1x2 upright is placed over the adjoined uprights. Again, screws are made on both sides of the joint (again indicated by the dotted line). The third connection (not shown) is done only if your kickboard is an "outsy". Again, like the top shelf, it can extend the width of both units. If you do, and also have a perpendicular section, be sure to measure the length properly.

Basic Procedures

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These instructions assume you'll be creating a double wide shelving unit about 3 feet per section with a perpendicular shelf for one section of about two feet. Also notice the notes at the end of these procedures for some discussion of things to avoid or merely more details.

Bill of Materials:

QTY   ITEM   Description
10   1x8x6   Stock for "3 foot" Shelves
7   1x81x8   Stock for Uprights and the top shelf of the double wide unit
2   1x3x8   Stock for "outsy" kickboard
1   1x2x8   Stock for double wide unit connector
100   6x2" Dry Wall Screws   Connections
         
 
    Part One: Cut pieces to fit

1) Use one 1x8x8 and cut to 6' 7 1/4". Width of the doublewide unit will be six feet, outside dimensions. The extra eight inches are to cover the "chimney" created by the alignment of the two perpendicular shelving units (see the discussion with note #5, below). Consequently, this "Eight Inch" section should be the actual width of the 1x8 shelf LESS the width of one upright. For "1x"'s that is usually about 3/4 inches.

2) Use one 1x8x6 to cut one shelf 2' 10 1/2".

3) Use this shelf to measure and cut 13 more 2' 10 1/2" shelves. This should take up a total of seven 1x8x6 boards.

4) Use one 1x8x6 and cut one shelf 1' 10 1/2".

5) Use this shelf to measure and cut six more 1' 10 1/2" shelves. This should take up a total of two more 1x8x6 boards and leave you with a 4' 1 1/2" section.

6) Cut the remaining 1x8x6 section to a length of 2' 0".

7) Cut one 1x8x8 to 7' 1 3/4" (the top shelf will be set on top of these making the overall height 7' 2 1/2").

8) Use this board to measure and cut five more 7' 1 3/4" uprights. This should use up the remaining six 1x8x8 boards.

9) Use one 1x3x8 cut to 5' 11 1/4". Then make a 45-degree cut on one end, preserving an overall length of 5' 11 1/4".

10) Use the other 1x3x8 and cut to 2' 0" making a 45-degree cut, preserving an overall length of 24 inches.

11) Use the 1x2x8 to cut to 7' 0". Actual dimension is going flush from the top of the bottom shelf to flush with the top of the top shelf.

12) Paint or Stain as required.

Part Two: Construct One Unit at a Time

Construction need not take place in the room where the shelves will be placed. In fact, it may not be possible to do that because of the limited space available. However, there must be room to "carry" them in and "set them up".

13) Grab two uprights. Mark it from the bottom where the 1x3 kickboard will end (it should be about 2 1/2". Now measure back 3/8 inches (half of the 3/4 inch width of the shelves). Draw a straight line across the face of the 8" 1x8 upright. This line represents where the screws that hold the shelves will be place. This makes sure the top of the shelf is at the planned distance to meet flush with the "outsy" kickboard.

14) Measure and mark lines an 12" intervals. You should have measurements at approximately 2.5, 14.5, 26.5, 38.5, 50.5, 62.5 and 74.5 inches. Place matching lines on another uprights.

15) Pre-drill two holes on each line about 1 1/2" in from each edge. You will want to align the shelf at the time you drill the hole so that the hole goes completely through the upright board and into the shelf. I have found that the crown of the uprights should be out and the crown of the shelves should be up. Identify which sides of the uprights and the shelves are to be the "front". Make sure they are flush. Pre-drilling reduces the possibility that screwing into the wood will cause it to split. Use a drill bit that about 1/2 the diameter of the screws you use. I usually use a 1/4" bit.

16) Screw the shelves into the uprights.

17) Attach the upright for the other side to the shelves. Make sure the "front" side of this upright, matches the "front" side you've already chosen.

18) Follow the same procedure for the other two sections. Do NOT place the top shelf on the double wide units. DO place the top shelf on the single wide unit.

Part Three: Assemble the Units Together

The constructed pieces should be at hand. Either the single unit piece or the double unit piece can be put in place first. These procedures will assume the double wide unit piece will be placed first.

Both units should be placed, face down, on the floor with the bottom near the wall where the unit will be placed. Once the top shelf is put on, the unit as a whole will be lifted into place. Then the kickboard will be put on.

19) With the units face down, place the top shelf on, and pre-drill holes. Start with the upright opposite the corner junction.

20) Screw on the top shelf. Again, start from the end on the opposite side of the corner junction.

21) Lift the double wide unit, in masse, to an upright position.

22) Set up and pre-drill holes into the uprights, and bottom shelves of the double wide unit through the kickboard. Be sure the units are forced close together.

23) Screw in the kickboard into place.

24) Place the two-foot unit against the wall where it is to reside. Bring it flush up to the double wide unit making sure the adjoining upright of the 2-foot piece covers the edge of the upright of the double wide unit.

25) Pre-drill holes from the 2-foot unit's upright into the edge of the double wide units upright.

26) Screw the units together.

27) Attach the 1x2 inch unit cover to the connecting units at the double wide junction. Be sure that a least two screws are placed in each upright and holes are pre-drilled.

28) Spot paint or stain as required.

29) Place angle brackets as needed to hold the top to the wall (see Note #1).

30) Throw a party to show off your handy work (loading shelves with books is optional. It might be a good idea to wait until after the party ... some quests may pity your empty shelves and send you books!)

  

#1

  
Notes
 		  
 

Anchors connected to the top or sides of the shelf and then to the wall can be used to keep the units upright in the event of an earthquake or other jarring that may occur.

  
#2      
 

Care should be taken when measuring and cutting the kickboards. This shows an example of a perpendicular connection where the unit on the right is set flush to the unit on the left. The kickboards are "outsies". Notice that the kickboard of the unit on the right extends to the end of the unit, covering the upright. The kickboard on the unit on the left is cut short - not merely by the depth of the butting kickboard, but also the width of the upright.


It could have been more pleasing had both kickboards been cut at 45 degree angles. However, there again, the length of each has to be checked carefully. Also, the choice of which kickboard extended the furthest is arbitrary.

  
#3      
 

The span of this design is limited to about three and a half feet (42 inches). The unit on the left is just a bit over four feet (50 inches) and you can see the bowing. In this case, the shown self is the only one noticeably bowed, and there are two units side by side. Nevertheless, you risk this problem if you go over 4 feet.

  
#4      
 

This shelf is about 33 inches and there are others as long as 42 inches without the slightest hint of bowing.

  
#5      
 

This corner connection left an "exposed" chimney into which I've dropped items from the top shelf. It is difficult to see here, but I have placed an unattached board over the hole to avoid the problem (which requires I unscrew the shelves, separate them and retrieve the items dropped). For this reason, I recommend one or the other unit be designed to have it's top shelf extend all the way to the wall.

  
#6      
 

When putting two units together, side-by-side, the top shelf should extend all the way from the upright on the extreme left to the upright on the extreme right. It will, then, cover the right and left uprights in the middle in a T-connection (see the picture). This will add to the stability of the units. Similarly, the kick board should extend all way across as well. The adjoining uprights can be covered, for cosmetic purposes, with a 1x2.

  
#7      
 

This shows an interface from the "stair-step" shelves added to the existing shelves in the living room (see the picture on the left in the second row). The 1x2 covers the adjoining uprights of the shelves on top. I cut end at a 45 degree angle to "smooth out" the line for the eye as it gazes on the unit as a whole. A squared off end would look very abrupt. (The apparent difference in color is due to the flash from the camera. In natural light, it is difficult to see a difference.)

  

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