Two-Part Bookcase

Building a tall bookcase can stretch the limits of a small shop. We all know that big boards can be a bear to handle and glue up, so I’ve taken an old Scandinavian design and sliced it up into bite-size pieces. My solution is to break the bookcase into two interlocking sections that require only short and narrow stuff. Not to mention, that’s the only way I could get it out of my shop and up the basement stairs!

Biscuits join the shelves and sides. It’s a snap to put together wide boards at right angles with a plate joiner. But biscuits alone aren’t enough to make a stiff case, so I’ve added backboards that lock the whole bookcase into a rigid unit.

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Trim long and wide boards on your tablesaw with a crosscut sled. A sled is easier to use and more accurate than a standard miter gauge. Clamp a hooked stick onto the fence to act as a stopper arm. This ensures that all your boards come out the same length.

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Rip the stepped board (C) on the bandsaw. A simple fence helps you make a straight cut. Stop the cut at the top of the ogee curve and withdraw the board. Remove the fence and cut out the ogee.

Glue the upper case sides from 1" thick rough boards that are planed to 7/8" thick. This leaves some untouched low spots, but that’s OK. Align the outside boards so their bottoms are even.

Plane the glued-up case sides until there are no low spots left. All the parts of this bookcase should be the same thickness, which can be anywhere from 3/4" to a minimum of 5/8".

Cut biscuit slots in the ends of the shelves. You can’t go wrong if you clamp each shelf in position, right above the double lines. Set the shelf in from the back edge by the thickness of one backboard.

Cut more biscuit slots in the case side. Stand the plate joiner up on end and butt it against the end of the shelf. Align the center mark on the bottom of the machine with the pencil mark on the bottom of the shelf.

Glue the backboard onto the case side. Make sure it’s square along the entire length. Check opposite each clamp as you tighten it down. Shift the head of the clamp in or out to change the angle of the backboard.

This story originally appeared in American Woodworker October 2000, issue #82.

October 2000, issue #82

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