It's hard to find solid wood furniture

[ChadTower]

So, the wife and I are trying to find bookcases.  Roughly 72" or so tall, one unit 36-40" wide the other 44-48" wide.  We've tried all over the place... everything we have found is either ugly as hell or cheaply made stapled together crap.  The only place we've found so far that would have solid ones is the custom shop down the street that builds stuff out of reclaimed old wood.  These suckers would be great but will cost $1000-1500 apiece... too much.

So, I may have to take my first real woodworking project and build these things, because we can't find any anywhere.  I have way too many house projects already.  Any tips on how to find some that maybe we haven't tried before I commit to adding these to the list?

[kingflynn]

Chad, you're in MA right?  Check out the Mill Store.  They have unfinished shelves for a song.  Check out the current ad, page four.


http://www.millstores.com/

[ChadTower]

We did... they were crap.  The pine was really soft.  The oak was better but it looked like they played street hockey on them... tons and tons of dents and gouges, too many to fix easily during finishing.  There were quarter inch gaps in joints.  Not a bad deal for the price but we're looking for better quality than that, at least at this point.

That may be a compromise I suggest to my wife if we can't find what we want.  The honeydo list for this summer is so freakin' long that she may not have a choice if she wants them any time soon.

Thanks for the pointer... it's a decent place for a decent price but not quite what we're looking for in these pieces.

[ScottS]

I bought some very nice bookcases at a place called Scandinavian Designs. Yes, they are particleboard, but covered with real cherry veneer. I've had them through 10 years and two moves and they still look fantastic! I think they were around $300 each. Sadly, it looks like the version they're selling now is a cheap knock-off of the "original". I also have some white melamine bookcases in the garage that have lasted for almost 20 years and four moves. They're dinged up in a few places but still solid... which I wouldn't have expected given how cheap they were to begin with. So, I guess what I'm saying is that I wouldn't necessarily discount products made with engineered lumber and knock-down fasteners.

You may also want to re-think your dimensions. Bookshelves tend to max out at around 30-36" wide. Go much beyond 30" and shelf sag starts to become a real problem... even with 1" thick hardwood shelves! You might be better off, say, looking for a 30" and an 18" bookcase rather than trying to find one 48" wide.

If you don't have the time to complete the project yourself, your best bet might be to find a local hobbiest woodworker or a small custom-cabinet shop. I'd suggest trying to find someone with HVLP finishing equipment; finishing is the most time-consuming part of building bookcases and spray finishing equipment should speed it up immensely... and help keep costs down. Go for a solid hardwood carcass, plywood back, and if you can afford it solid wood shelves (though plywood with a vertical reinforcement across the front is also pretty strong).

[ChadTower]

Thanks.  That helps.  The main issue here is that they are going into a small room with a 100 year old piano and a 75 year old very solid hardwood hutch.  Something with a veneer would just look like crap next to those pieces.  It's not nearly as much about strength as it is about the context of the pieces.

I figured a 48" bookcase would have vertical supports in the center.  I wouldn't have much problem with a 36" and a 10" or something like that, really, or just shifting a bit so that 36" fits.

[ScottS]

Something with a veneer would just look like crap next to those pieces.

Actually, I think the opposite is true... The finest wood harvested these days is turned into veneer. Saw mills make a ton of money selling high-quality veneer and they can get a lot of it from a single tree. In terms of construction, well-executed veneer is indistinguishable from hardwood... except for the fact that the wood looks better!

[ChadTower]

I'll consider that info... thanks.  I'm still learning, to be sure.   

[csa3d]

Dunno if this helps or not, but the wife and I are in the market for office furnature.  Check out this site:  http://www.sligh.com/home_living_modular_wall_systems.php and see if any nearby place stocks them.  The stuff we are looking from here is stained hardwood, not veneir (sp).

Good luck!  Finding 'just the right piece' takes forever, especially for those who have design taste.

-csa

[ChadTower]

Oooh, there's a place 5.1 miles away.  Thanks!

The "just the right piece" thing is an argument my wife and I have had a couple of times already.  She keeps saying she wants to upgrade a lot of the stuff in the house - we've admittedly not really decorated our house with much effort - but usually seems happy with the first thing she finds.  No color matches, no measurements, no quality considerations... just "new".  I'm the one driving the effor to do it right, and it's her stuff.   

[shardian]

Oooh, there's a place 5.1 miles away.  Thanks!

The "just the right piece" thing is an argument my wife and I have had a couple of times already.  She keeps saying she wants to upgrade a lot of the stuff in the house - we've admittedly not really decorated our house with much effort - but usually seems happy with the first thing she finds.  No color matches, no measurements, no quality considerations... just "new".  I'm the one driving the effor to do it right, and it's her stuff.   

I saw your kitchen photos...you'd better concentrate on "that 70's show" first. 

[ChadTower]

No kidding... those cabinets are high on the list.  In priority, it's the yard brick walkway (and maybe the extension to a small brick patio), the cabinets, then paint the living room and bedroom.  I've already painted the room that these bookshelves will be in and finished the shed storage improvements.

[ScottS]

If you're just looking for a big catalog of available stuff, you might try CSN Stores. They're a company with a huge number of web storefronts for all kinds of furniture and housewares. Tons of stuff and the prices can be good. Don't know about the quality.

Their complete store list is here.

Their bookcase-specific store is here.

I haven't purchased anything from them yet. Mostly just use them as a source for ideas when shopping locally or building stuff myself.

[ChadTower]

Looking now.  Good tip.  Thanks.

[NiteWalker]

Bookcases are super easy to construct. You'll spend a bit more than what the particle board (garbage!) ones cost, but the end result is definitely worth it. Later this summer I'll be covering an entire wall in my sister's house with custom bookcases and it'll only cost about $400-$500. Not bad for an entire wall.

So my suggestion is get a good book on building bookcases, a pocket hole jig and go to town.

As was already stated, if you're using plywood shelves with a solid wood edging the width should max out at about 30". Personally I'd not make shelves longer than 26"-28". There's nothing wrong with plywood carcasses with solid wood face frames. That's the way I'll be doing it. It's probably the best option out there for price vs. quality. I'd only go solid wood for the carcass if I was doing a mission style with open or frame and panel sides.

The pocket hole jig would make construction go sooo much quicker. Check out Kreg's website and watch a few videos. I think you'll convert. Pocket holes ftw.

[ChadTower]

Oh, I believe in the pocket jig.  Drew edumacated me about them when we were talking about the kitchen cabinets.

[Nannuu]

Hooker Furniture is the only stuff I've ever been impressed with.  After looking for months for a bedroom set this is who we liked the most.  Then I bought a tablesaw after deciding to make our own set.  But Hooker makes nice stuff.

http://www.hookerfurniture.com/

[ChadTower]

But Hooker makes nice stuff.

It certainly looks like it... I'll check their local dealer to see if they actually carry it.  Thanks!

[ScottS]

Bookcases are super easy to construct.

Yeah, but the finishing is what kills you! Sanding, staining, and top-coating can easily take 2-10X longer than just milling the wood and gluing it together...

[DrewKaree]

Think about it - it's a wooden box that you then attach a back to, and throw shelves in.  The difference in all of them is how you decide to construct them, how you "dress 'em up", and how wide you want to make them to suit your needs.

You can do hardwood sides like Scott suggested, or plywood sides with a face frame (for lower cost)

For the shelves, you can route dadoes in the carcase sides, route a dado and install tracks for track shelving (not pretty and not what I'd suggest, but PERFECT for quick and easy projects), or make a jig and drill holes for shelf pins (many others, but those are the "typical" methods)

For the "dressing up" part, you can use your router and a variety of bits to create your own moldings, or you can use off-the-shelf premade moldings and combine them to create a different look.

For shelves, you can use solid wood, you can use plywood with a solid wood facing strip, you can use plywood with the face frame idea above, you could use 1x stock and thin plywood for a torsion box type of shelf to support more weight

IMO, a bookcase is a super nice and easy project for someone to get their hands wet, and when you move up in skill, you can look over in the corner at that first bookcase you built that is now being used to store tools in or some other such use and see how you've progressed. 

ANYONE can make a wooden box with a back on it.  Slap shelves on it, and they call it a bookcase.  Go figure!

[ChadTower]

Thanks, Drew.  I do figure it's an easy first project - it's going to come down to how much time I can devote to it given the other more necessary projects.  We have been waiting for a little financial wiggle room and time to do the projects for a few years now... most projects I'm going to be able to do myself, a couple I may have to throw a little cash at to just get done.  I'm going to look at a couple places this weekend but if we don't find suitable cases this will be a project I take on.

[clockwork]

ANYONE can make a wooden box with a back on it.  Slap shelves on it, and they call it a bookcase.  Go figure!

I'll attest to that! My first "bookcase" was made from 2x6's left over from a couple decks I built for my mother years ago. I stained it dark and used it to keep my fantasy paperback novel collection. It was ugly but kind of fit.

The next bookcase I made was just made out of shelving. I ran out of space on my rustic old 2x6 bookcase. The shelving just didn't cut it. Functional but a real eyesore.

I'd really like to build a real bookcase as my next project, if I ever get moving on my arcade again. The spring weather is finally here in Michigan, so maybe I'll be able to get motivated soon.