I have been asked to build some bookcases that will run from the floor to a sloping ceiling. The height of the back of the bookcase will be approximately 90″ and the height of the front will be 110″. The back of the bookcase will be standing perpendicular to a 60″ high pony wall and screwed to the wall in the center of the bookcase, but the backs will show. I will be constructing them out of 3/4″ veneer ply. Since ply comes in 48″x96″ sheets (unless you want to pay a hefty penny) I will be short about 14″. Does any one have a suggestion on how to make up the 14″?
Kaleo
Replies
1) Make the sides from solid lumber. You can easily get it longer than 96".
or
2) Make the sides from plywood, but do your own veneering. You can buy veneer longer than 96".
that's a helluva slope... i'd build it in two sections with standard sheets, base and top.
Expert since 10 am.
Edited 4/27/2007 8:25 am ET by jackplane
There will be 14 of them, so hard lumber would not be feesable. I was thinking about building them in two sections but was having trouble figuring out how to connect them without a seam. Maybe trim it out.
Edited 4/27/2007 8:50 am ET by KaleoCustom
You could build it in two sections and use a shelf to hide the inside seams, then apply a thin veneer to the front edge to hide the front seam. If you have some design flexibility, maybe an applied molding across the front of entire bookcase at the seam level.
Veneered plywood is available larger than 4' X 8' sheets, you just have to find it. I had some made in birdseye maple for an 11' tall job I did about 6 years ago, at Owl Hardwoods in Des Plaines, Illinois. It was expensive, but I figured that into the pricing of the unit. Custom work requires custom pay.
Jeff
I'd second the motion to build it in two sections and mask the seams with molding. Cost is one reason, but here's another -- installation.
It's going to be difficult enough putting in two sections to create those oversize shelves. Trying to do it one single unit would be horrendous. It will also be much easier to assemble in your shop, transport them, and get them inside the customer's location in two sections.
And now that I thought about the angle on the top panel some more -- I would think you would want a smaller panel to work with when cutting the taper for the back. If something goes wrong, that's a lot less wasted from the trashed panel.
It sounds like you hadn't planned on putting much trim on these, but I think you're going to have to in order to conceal the gap between the sloped ceiling and the back of the shelves. I'd bet a dollar that the sloped ceiling isn't straight, and there's going to be gaps when the bookcase is put up against it. Incorporating trim will allow you to get away with all sorts of things that others won't notice. ;-)
Glen
Glen
Thanks, I was thinking the same things. I thought about using trim to seal the seams, what you said makes sense about the ceiling.
Kevin
I like Jackplane's idea but I would also consider more than two sections to achieve such a height.
Cadiddlehopper
Think Jackplane is right. Make them in two pieces. If your customer doesn't mind a seam, you could route a lap on one unit with an extended tounge to fit down over the lower unit, and glue a piece of solid on that. Double the shelves at the connection, and, if you are using a face frame, conceal the thicker shelf with that.
Make two sections and use a vee groove at the joint.
Lower parts have the point on their top edge.
Upper parts have the mating groove on their bottom edge.
This design is self aligning and it gives the obvious joint some character on the front facing edge.
Had another thought. Have a thicker kick or platform, and put a decorative soffit to make up the difference.
If this isn't paint grade, then any splicing you do mid-way won't have grain match, so you need some kind of divider.
I did one similar to that about 2 years ago, but it was paint grade, and the back was flush to the wall, and the exposed side was sheet rocked and textured.
If you are going to have a couple fixed shelves at the bottom put the joint there so that it will be hidden by the knee wall and shelf and it will look like a solid piece the rest of the way which is where most peoples eyes will see anyway. You will need to add some trim on any exposed side to hide it there. It is either that or build it with upper and lower sections.
Darrin
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled