Oak Bookcase Commission.

Hi Everyone,

As some of you know I was working on a set of solid oak bookcases before Christmas.

It was quite a large commission with some interesting requirements.

Here was the room before I started.

On the left hand side of the fire place the design needed to incorporate two large bookcases with a contemporary style that was sympathetic to the existing dining room table and sideboard.

The bookcases needed to have various sized compartments to house the T.V , any dvd players etc , books and ornaments. Also due to the height of the bookcases a storage box / step was to be included so that the top shelves could be reached.

On the right side of the fireplace things got a bit more interesting.

This side required a log store/ window seat and a dog house/ dresser.

I came up with some ideas and after a few tweeks the final design was decided.

As always the job starts with a trip to the timber yard.

This is the shed where they keep the oak.

I wanted some oak with character , plenty of small knots and a few small splits, so I hunted around and found the perfect pack.

The boards were almost the perfect size at 8' x 6.5" x 1".

I sorted through most of a pack to select the straightest and best and got some award winning splinters!

I have a good relationship with the timber yard so this was ok, plus the fact I was buying a lot of oak.

I choose 77 boards of 1" plus some 2" for the cornice and doghouse worktop and some 3/4" for panels and backs.

It was such a large pile that I had to say 'that pile ' three times to the guy measuring as he thought it was just another stack!

I had already discussed the price per cubic foot so there were no surprises and I got a good deal.

Being as there was so much oak I got them to plane the boards to thickness. I decided to edge them myself in order to get good glue joints.

A week later I went to pick the machined timber up. There was a two trips worth.

Here is the first load.

I first choose the best for the sides and long shelves.

Next was matching the grain. The bookcases were 12" deep so each shelf had to be made up from two boards.

When I was happy with my grain selection I edged the boards and biscuit jointed them.

On a job like this I would generally use a biscuit every 12" or so.

I used polyurethane D4 expanding glue for this stage to speed up the process. There was a constant gluing up process going on and I was glad I had a good quantity of clamps. I was using five per shelf.

Once all the shelves were glued up I sanded them flat with my belt sander using and 80 grit belt. Then I cut everything to size.

I decided to join the shelves into the sides with a tenon and dado groove.

The bookcases had to be assembled on site so I also decided to screw and plug where necessary to get a strong tight joint.

I made a jig and cut the dado groove in to the sides with my router.

Then I used a rebating cutter to cut a shoulder on the end of the shelves. This will cover any gaps as the oak shrinks over time.

The next post will cover the final stages and the installation of the bookcases.

If you have any questions about woodwork, furniture or being self employed as a craftsperson let me know.
I know my wood and I have spent years teaching myself furniture making , furniture history as well as living it as a self employed cabinet maker .

I am also in the process of writing a

'How to series: Setting up a Woodworking Business'

Which you can read here;
Part 1: Workshop
Part 2: Tools and machinery
Part 3: Finding a good timber yard
Part 4: Deciding what type of woodwork you are going to do.

Still I am learning every day and the journey is the point.

Many thanks for reading,
Until next time,
@jist