Carpentry and Woodworking - DIY built in bookshelves

How do I make built in bookshelves on a wall? I would like them to actually be built in...
Thank you!:thinker:

Building the bookcases in place is a good idea, just kiss them goodbye when you sell the house, as you won't remove them. Give us some measurements of the walls, distances to the nearest window, any obstructions such as fireplaces, etc.

Building the bookcases in place is a good idea, just kiss them goodbye when you sell the house, as you won't remove them. Give us some measurements of the walls, distances to the nearest window, any obstructions such as fireplaces, etc.

There are pros and cons. Building them in the shop and mounting them later usually gives better results and when done properly, they can still be removable. Building them in place is (usually) easier and often lets you take shorcuts. I usually build the carcasses or frames in the shop and then mount them in place. After they are installed, I trim them (add the mouldings) in place so they can be tied into the existing room trim which is really what gives the custom built-in look. But I agree with Chandler, without knowing the exact application and measurements it is hard to advise on what approach to take.

I'm guessing your skills are somewhat limited. I would recommend buying unfinished/unassembled bookcases and attaching them permanently to the wall. Then use trim to make them look built-in.

I just spent weeks poking around the internet looking for plans for built-in bookcases. I was looking for something relatively easy to build, as I've never done anything quite like this before. I found something I liked in a Workbench magazine. I couldn't find a copy of the mag anywhere; not even on Ebay. I did finally find a site that sold the plans, and just bought them. If a mod says it's alright to do so I can post the address. I'm not associated with the place at all.

I know what you mean by wanting it "built-in". I wanted the same thing. What I determined from all my reading were a couple key things. Building them as separate bookcases, then fastening them together gives them a thick, weighty look. Cover the seams between the cases with a faceframe or pieces of hardwood. This goes a long way towards the "built-in" feel.

Also, if you build them from floor to ceiling, and leave a big enough face at the top and bottom, you can install the same molding that the rest of the room has across the bookcases, tying it into the room. In my case I'm going to install crown molding in that room too. That's a whole 'nuther animal though. ; )

Anyways, I'm certainly no expert. These are just things I gathered upon reading a lot about the subject. I'll find out how well I learned soon. I hope to start this in the Spring. Good luck.


"Avoid the clap." - Jimmy Dugan

Those are good ideas, I basically did the same thing with pre-fab unfinished/ unassembled bookcases. Mine are cabinets (or consoles) with bookcases on top. This is also a good time to think about electrical or phone needs incorporated into the unit. I added an outlet and phone connection at the top of the consoles. I took the bookcase to 1ft short of the ceiling with trim extending 2" above the top of the case. I added a switched outlet in this area in case I wanted to use the space as a source indirect lighting (i.e. rope lights) or other electrical needs. You should also think about maybe adding recessed lights or shelf lights to highlight your new piece of furniture.

Good luck

Now that I have said "you usually get better results building them in the shop", I have to caveat that. Well I lost one this weekend. I have been building arched book cases for almost a year now. One for each side of the fireplace. The first one is mostly complete and I was kindof rushing to get the second one "caught up" since the warm weather is just about here and woodworking tends to stop when there is outdoor work to do. Well anyway, I was screwing the last piece of face frame in place and was kneeling on the floor and somehow this 9 foot tall solid oak case fell over and I was in no position to even slow it down. I guess fortunately it hit some oak boards that were spread out on some sawhorses which minimized the damage. If it had hit the concrete floor it would have been mostly splinters I think. The damage is significant but repairable I think. So the moral is "take your time and do it right"...

Snarksdad

Oh, if anybody is interested some earlier pics of the first one are here:

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=2q67voab.76gjvvar&x=1&h=1&y=p3aqr1