TO MAKE A KNOCK-DOWN BOOKCASE

A knock-down bookcase

The Design.—The problem of design was to plan a simple, inexpensive bookcase which could be easily transported and set up in a student's room and which would hold approximately two hundred books. The drawings show how these requirements were met in the design. When in use it is held together by keyed shelves at the top and bottom. The necessary stiffness is given to it by the base pieces which are fastened both to the sides and to the bottom shelf by screws. Additional stiffness is given by drawing up the three middle shelves to the sides by means of screws. Upon removing the screws and the keys the bookcase is easily taken apart so that it may be crated in compact form for transportation. It is equally easy to set it up again. It has no back and may therefore stand away from the wall as well as against it. Its contour is plain, with few curves, giving a simplicity which will harmonize with modest surroundings and yet not bar it from keeping company with more pretentious furnishings.

The original of this design was actually made up in white wood, stained and finished to harmonize with black walnut furniture; but it may be made up in oak, ash, cherry, or any of the common woods used for furniture. For one bookcase the stock required is as follows, the sizes allowing for finishing to the dimensions as given in the drawing: For the ends, two pieces ⁷⁄₈ inch × 10¹⁄₄ inches × 4 feet 2¹⁄₂ inches; for the short shelves, three pieces ⁷⁄₈ inch × 10¹⁄₄ inches × 3 feet 1 inch; for the long shelves, two pieces, ⁷⁄₈ inch × 10¹⁄₄ inches × 3 feet 5 inches; for the base pieces, two pieces ⁷⁄₈ inch × 6³⁄₄ × inches × 3 feet; for the keys, one piece ⁷⁄₈ inch × ⁷⁄₈ inch × 1 foot. In addition to this there should be two dozen No. 10 round-headed blued screws, and one half dozen 1¹⁄₂ inch No. 10 flat headed blued screws.

The tools needed are as follows: Rip saw, cross cut saw, back saw, compass, jack-plane, smoothing plane, block plane, spokeshave, try square, steel square, rule, knife, hammer, mallet, screw-driver, ³⁄₄, ¹⁄₂, and ³⁄₁₆ inch bits and bitstock, and ¹⁄₂ and ³⁄₄ inch chisels, gauges, and sand-paper.

Details and dimensions for a knock-down bookcase

Construction.—All the stock should be jointed, planed to width, and smoothed with sand-paper. The two end pieces should be squared to length, the top corners rounded, and the curve at the bottom cut as shown in the drawing. Care should be exercised in sand-papering not to round the edges. The correct spacing for the shelves should then be marked off on the end pieces and squared across, care being taken to have both ends spaced alike. To do this plane the ends together, with their edges flush; and, beginning at the bottom, measure off each of the spaces with correct allowance for the thickness of the shelf and mark these spaces across the edge. Then, separate the end pieces and with the marks on the edges as a guide, square across each of the end pieces on the inside and mark with a knife. In allowing for the thickness of the shelves it should be remembered that the stock, though originally ⁷⁄₈ of an inch in thickness, has been planed and sand-papered, some of the shelves perhaps having been finished down more than others. It will therefore be necessary to measure and allow for the thickness of each shelf separately.

Method of gaining-in the shelves

The three middle shelves are "gained" in—i. e., set into grooves in the upright ends—¹⁄₄ of an inch deep, as shown in the sketch. It will be better craftsmanship if the grooves are not carried across the full width of the end pieces but stopped, say, one inch from the edge, the shelves being cut to fit, as shown in the drawing. If this be done, the grooves should be cut out carefully with a chisel. If the grooves be carried across the full width of the end, they may be cut down with a back saw and then chiselled out. To insure a good fit in either case care should be exercised not to cut outside the knife lines. Chisel the bottom of the grooves carefully so that they will be uniformly ¹⁄₄ of an inch deep.

The next step is to cut the mortises for the top and bottom shelves. The dimensions for these should first be laid off on the stock by means of a gauge. They should then be bored well inside the marks and carefully chiselled out. Before this chiselling is done, however, knife lines should be marked on the outside of the end pieces exactly opposite the gauge lines. In mortising, as in cutting the grooves, the greatest care will need to be exercised that the chisel does not cut outside the knife lines. In working for a close fit it is better to err on the side of removing too little stock at first, if one must err at all, since it is quite easy to remove a little more in the final fitting. It is quite impossible to replace stock once removed.

In measuring for the length of the shelves it should not be overlooked that the top and bottom shelves are to carry the tenons to be keyed through the end pieces. These tenons should be cut out accurately with a rip saw, and the stock between them removed with a chisel after a deep knife line has been made. After fitting these tenons to the mortises and finishing them, the mortises for the keys should be cut, using a small chisel. It should not be overlooked that the outside face of each key mortise is cut on an angle, as illustrated. The three middle shelves are then cut to length, the ends squared by means of a block plane, and corners cut out to fit the grooves.

Details of the keys

The parts are now ready to be put together temporarily and squared up in order to fit in the base pieces more perfectly than could be done by mere measurement. It will add a pleasing detail to set back these base pieces ¹⁄₄ of an inch from the front and back faces.

After all the parts are carefully fitted they should be assembled and the key and screw fastenings inserted. When this is accomplished the bookcase is ready for finishing. As this is a distinct part of furniture making it is reserved for treatment in a later chapter.