Boarded Bookcase

Megan Fitzpatrick

This sturdy and handsome boarded bookcase is an excellent beginner hand-tool project (and it's a fine bookcase, no matter your experience!). It can be made with 1 x 12 lumber from the big box store, so there's no need to thickness rough lumber. You can dive right into the fun of crosscutting pieces to length, then cutting dado joints by hand (as well as a couple hand-cut grooves). Final assembly is done with traditional square-shanked nails. It's a fun project that's simple to build and simple to adapt to just about any size and storage need. Build your own Boarded Bookcase today!

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  • 7 lessons
  • 158 min
  • $79.00
  • Add to wishlist

Here's what you'll learn how to build:

What's included:

  • Detailed cut list and plans including a PDF and a SketchUp file (Metric and Imperial).
  • Over 2.5 hours of detailed video instruction showing every step of the Boarded Bookcase course.
  • All videos and plans are digital and available for download upon purchase.
  • Access to the lesson comments section for questions.
  • Closed Captions

What you'll learn:

  • How to use marriage marks to make sure everything goes together in the right direction
  • How to lay out and hand cut tight dados (as you learn the joy of router planes – as well as how to go without)
  • How a few cross-grain plane passes lead to a perfectly fit shelf
  • How to hand cut grooves
  • How to use blue tape for nail location layout…so you have to think about it only once
  • How to use tapered, square-shanked nails without splitting your work.
  • How to plane corners and cross-grain joints to ensure the front of the case is co-planer
  • Choices for backboards
  • Suggestions for finish

What you'll need:

Wood:
  • 4 Home Center Pine or Poplar 1x12's
  • 1 Box of Cut Nails
  • 1 Box of Square Nails
  • 10 Home Center Beadboards (optional)

Need a resource for wood? We partner with 2 online wood dealers (Bell Forest and CRMuterspaw) If you have Guild+ you can save by using your discounts!

Tools:
  • Crosscut saw of some ilk…longer is better; used to cut dados in the sides
  • Tenon saw or other rip-filed backsaw (if you have one – not strictly necessary)
  • 5/8”-wide chisel if you have one; ½” if that’s what you have… largest that’s less than ¾”
  • Mallet
  • Router plane (large if you have one, but small will work)
  • Cutting/Marking Gauge (I prefer a wheel marking gauge, such as the Tite-Mark)*
  • Marking knife (Ideally, one that has one flat side, but any will do)
  • Smooth plane
  • Block plane
  • Hammer
  • Dividers
  • Beading plane (if you have one and are planning on beaded backboards)
  • Hand drill (or drill/driver) and set of bits (for nail pilot holes)

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About Your Instructor:

Megan Fitzpatrick

Megan Fitzpatrick, a.k.a. @1snugthejoiner, is a woodworker and the editor at Lost Art Press. She is short one dissertation of a Ph.D. in English literature (focused on early modern drama), and a former editor of The Chronicle and of Popular Woodworking Magazine. When she’s not at the computer or teaching, you’ll find her building furniture (mostly tool chests) or at the bar alongside, Christopher Schwarz, publisher at Lost Art Press.
 
In addition to woodworking teaching woodworking, writing about woodworking, and editing writing about woodworking, Megan is restoring a circa-1905 four square in Cincinnati’s Northside neighborhood, and living amidst the chaos with her cat, Olivia the Greyt. Her personal blog is rudemechanicalspress.com.