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60-minute bookcase
by innerbubba on January 9, 2006

Table of Contents
60-minute bookcase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Intro: 60-minute bookcase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Step 1: Ingredients . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Step 2: Cut boards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Step 3: Assembly: layer 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Step 4: Assembly: layer 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Step 5: Assembly: layers 3, 4, and 5. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Step 6: Assembly: Put a lid on it. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Step 7: Finishing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

http://www.instructables.com/id/60-minute-bookcase/

Author:innerbubba
I used to be a yuppie, but buying a house cured me of my excess money problem. Now I attempt to replicate the designer furniture of my dreams by
channeling my inner bubba through a set of borrowed power tools.

Intro: 60-minute bookcase

I had a brainfart this morning that transformed a $10 spare scrap of plywood into a really cool 5' tall, designery bookcase that some yuppie idiot would probably pay a few
hundred for.
Warning: this procedure involves extensive lame woodworking techniques such as glueing and stapling with nailguns. If you're a dovetail joint purist, you probably don't
want to read any further.

Step 1: Ingredients
Tools you will need:
- a table saw
- a nail gun
Material you will need:
- at least a quarter of a plywood sheet, 96" long x 12" wide x 3/4" thick.
- at least 60 1.25" brads for the nail gun
- wood glue
- sand paper
- pabst blue ribbon, to help you channel your inner bubba.
Note: User earay indicates that MDF might be a better substitute for plywood, as it is cheaper and easier to paint when complete.

http://www.instructables.com/id/60-minute-bookcase/

Step 2: Cut boards

In this step, we're going to create our 16 6" x 12" boards.
How you create these boards isn't important. Keeping to the exact specified dimensions isn't necessary either. What is important is that all the boards be identical to fairly
tight tolerances. One way to get there is the following procedure for cutting these boards out of a quarter of a 4' x 8' plywood sheet.
First, cut a 12" x 96" plank out of your plywood board. Set the rip fence of your table saw at 12" and pass the board through the saw once. You will only use that plank for
this project -- use the remaining 3/4 of that board for something else (or else, build 3 more of these bookcases). (Actually, feel free to adjust this width to your taste).
Next, adjust the rip fence of your table saw to a little bit less than 6". Rotate the plank you just created 90 degrees, and subdivide it into sixteen identical 6" x 12" boards.
Remember to pass the last board through the table saw, just to ensure that it's exactly the same size as the others.
Also: always use a push stick when moving wood through the table saw! I don't want to hear no complaints from any of you fingerless whiners. "I used to program
computers for a living." "I was an artist" Wah wah wah. Use a push stick.

http://www.instructables.com/id/60-minute-bookcase/

http://www.instructables.com/id/60-minute-bookcase/

Step 3: Assembly: layer 1

Pick three boards, and attach them together to form the first layer of the bookcase, as shown in the diagram below.
To attach the boards, first lay down a line of glue. Then, holding the boards in place, fire brads up through the bottom of the bottom board into the edge of the joining
board. These brads will staple the joint in place while the glue dries. About 3-5 brads per board should be sufficient.
Note that the vertical boards are stacked on top of the base board -- not alongside it.
Grevious bodily harm warning: it's easy to "miss" when firing the brads up through the bottom board into the edge of the vertical board. Make sure that your fingers aren't
anywhere near the place where a brad might unexpected appear. Protect your fingers! You only get ten of them, and then they're all gone forever.

Step 4: Assembly: layer 2

Now, place two lines of wood glue atop the vertical boards from step 1, and glue another horizontal board on top to make a box. Fire some brads in from the top to pin the
board in place while the glue dries.
Once the board is in place, glue two new vertical boards atop the horizontal one. In the previous step, the two vertical boards were placed along the left edge and the
back-right edge. This time, place the boards along the right edge and the back-left edge. This should give you clearance to place the nailgun beneath the newly glue
boards, and to fire brads up through the horizontal board into the vertical boards, pinning those boards in place.

http://www.instructables.com/id/60-minute-bookcase/

Step 5: Assembly: layers 3, 4, and 5.

Repeat the previous step for the next three layers, alternating the placement of the vertical boards for each layer. In this manner, an "S" shaped pattern should emerge.

http://www.instructables.com/id/60-minute-bookcase/

Step 6: Assembly: Put a lid on it.

Finally, take your last remaining board, glue it to the top of your structuer, and pin it in place with brads.

http://www.instructables.com/id/60-minute-bookcase/

Step 7: Finishing
Wait for the glue to dry.
Sand the rough edges off the plywood.
Finish the bookcase to taste (stain, seal, paint, etc.).
Some variations:
- turn the bookcase on it's side, and now it's a bookshelf suitable for mounting on your wall!
- build a bunch of these units and stack them together. It's modular!

http://www.instructables.com/id/60-minute-bookcase/

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Comments
50 comments Add Comment

view all 119 comments

tradmer says:

Mar 11, 2011. 10:42 AM REPLY

Built 2 of these this weekend - one for books, one for DVD's... found out too late that the large board my pieces were cut from was bowed. (Damnit Home
Depot!) So.. unless you like that curved "it's a puzzle!" look.. make sure your board is straight. =/

gollihughj says:

Jan 29, 2011. 9:16 AM REPLY

innerbubba... your life is not worthless... just in this Instructable you have given me hope that I might outfit my "library" wtih shelves that I REALLY need (to
get my books out of boxes), in a way that will be attractive and super helpful to me and my family. I'm sure you so many other useful and even valuable
things... like attracts like. Be more positive and you will attract more of that to your life! And so it goes and you'll feel and, even, BE an even better person
than you already are in little to no time. :)

CraigStanton says:

Jan 2, 2011. 7:03 PM REPLY

Thanks for the inspiration, nicely used up a plank I've had sitting around for a while. I might even go buy more so I can make it reach the ceiling now.

http://www.instructables.com/id/60-minute-bookcase/

DesignerUserName says:

Nov 15, 2010. 11:02 AM REPLY

Saw this ages ago, then moved into a room with NO CLOSET and suddenly remembered seeing it. I constructed mine taller and deeper to hold shoes :)
(Hey, I'm a woman!)

SkizMaroo says:

Nov 11, 2010. 4:24 PM REPLY

Lol, cool brainfart. PBR never affects my creativity quite like that :-)

dptlord says:

Jul 14, 2010. 11:06 AM REPLY

Not really a $10 project either, but for $35, I can make two for less than the price of one 4' floating shelf! It looks great, and is still affordable (and easy
enough for those like me who aren't so skilled in construction)!

fiducianullus says:

May 14, 2010. 6:47 PM REPLY

Mine came out GREAT. 2" drywall screws and bam ... stable.

ravijojla says:

Jan 28, 2010. 7:47 AM REPLY

This is a bit more then '60 seconds' but definetly worth a try... Thanks!

fiducianullus says:

May 14, 2010. 6:46 PM REPLY

It says "60 minute"

tiptop44890 says:

Apr 27, 2010. 8:11 AM REPLY

Looks to be easy to build gonna build a few of them and add some things to it myself

jollymoon says:

Mar 26, 2010. 11:11 AM REPLY

How do you make the bookshelf more stable so it doesn't fall over? It looks kinda narrow and with 40-50 paperbacks on it what keeps it from tipping forward
or sideways??

rrod436 says:

Feb 16, 2010. 6:18 AM REPLY

Love this. I've made two so far. Used my own dimensions and added some copper rods to the open ends of one ( dvd rack ).

mo37 says:

Feb 15, 2010. 11:45 PM REPLY

very nice...

mrguy19187 says:

Jan 30, 2010. 9:24 PM REPLY

This worked fantastic and was super easy! I made mine one level shorter because it seemed a little unstable to put on carpet, with stuff on it. You could also
add some little legs to increase stability. But overall this was a fantastic idea for an instructable. I wouldn't mind trying it in cardboard, too. Great job!

GorillazMiko says:

Jan 27, 2008. 8:15 PM REPLY

Awesome... gotta show this to my dad, I wan't one. I'm going to paint it black if I do it. Neat job. (added to favorites)

GorillazMiko says:

Jan 27, 2008. 8:15 PM REPLY

Woops, I meant "want", not "wan't". :P

Yerboogieman says:

Jul 5, 2009. 8:26 PM REPLY

No you didn't.

--scare-- says:
LOLERZ!!

http://www.instructables.com/id/60-minute-bookcase/

Jan 29, 2010. 7:40 AM REPLY

Yerboogieman says:

Jan 29, 2010. 10:51 AM REPLY

No.

keno1010 says:

Jun 29, 2009. 1:03 PM REPLY

Im going to put in in my room. Because i keep slipping on my books. Thanks a million...

--scare-- says:

Jan 29, 2010. 7:41 AM REPLY

you know u could just stack them, that way it would be higher to step on...

mreighties says:

Jun 21, 2009. 3:43 PM REPLY

This was an inspiration as it gave me an idea to do something like it, but on a smaller scale. I made a "paper organizer" for use at work. It will hold copies of
about 4 different papers that we use daily. I have inserted an image of it. Thanks again for sharing this instructable. mreighties :)

bruno13069 says:

Nov 14, 2009. 1:33 PM REPLY

Sweet Variation! This could be used for a IN/OUT filing tray set!

timlawyer says:

Feb 8, 2006. 11:26 AM REPLY

WARNING - DO NOT USE THE RIP FENCE to make the series of 6inch cuts shown here. Use a miter or cross cut saw guide. The way it is described here,
you are essentially cutting off 6inch ends from a long rectangle that is perpendicular to the saw blade. DO NOT USE THE RIP FENCE because if the cut off
piece pinches between the rip fence and the very back of your saw blade - THE 6inch CUT OFF WILL FLY BACK AT YOU AT OVER 100MPH - ENOUGH
TO KILL YOU.

smokehill says:

Mar 3, 2008. 8:50 PM REPLY

This can happen with radial arm saws, too, as I found out the hard way.
On radials, the piece usually shoots out the back, rather than the front, of the saw. While paying not nearly enough attention, I shot a small piece of
plywood about twenty feet, almost hitting my partner's head. It made a quite visible dent in the new drywall, and scared the **** out of both of us.
Power saws are downright dangerous, and you have to pay attention.

Eye Poker says:

Nov 14, 2009. 1:12 PM REPLY

My first and only kickback mistake with a table saw sent a six inch piece of particle board flying like a ninja star about 150 yards. Luckily, I was
outside and no one was in the way.

mysterygirl154 says:

Jul 9, 2009. 12:57 PM REPLY

In our shop class there is a huge dent in the blackboard on the other side of the room from when someone did that. It's incredibly lucky that it didn't
hit anyone.

innerbubba says:

Oct 8, 2007. 11:18 PM REPLY

Tim is right. I live dangerously, but my life is worthless. You should be careful.

_soapy_ says:

Nov 1, 2006. 4:34 AM REPLY

Better yet, use a handsaw and wear boxing gloves.

frannyloo says:

Mar 29, 2009. 2:01 PM REPLY

this is a fantastic instructable! but i don't have the things needed to cut plywood, nor do i have the plywood. do you think this might work with with something
else?? like cardboard maybe..?

http://www.instructables.com/id/60-minute-bookcase/

eldavoloco says:

Oct 19, 2009. 11:08 AM REPLY

I just checked out lumber...you can by 1in. x 6in. x 8ft. length. 2 pieces would be enough to make this project. You could make wider shelves by using
1in. x 10 in. x 8 ft. boards (again, 2).
Buying this size lumber means you would only have to make 6 inch or 10 inch cuts across the boards to get your 1 foot pieces.

spydog4 says:

Jun 16, 2009. 8:33 AM REPLY

search "cardboard lumber" there's a great instructable on how to make "wood" out of cardboard

eldavoloco says:

Oct 19, 2009. 11:00 AM REPLY

Another alternative would be 2 pieces of 1in. x 6 in. x 8 ft. whiteboard (I just priced it at my local building store at around $11). It would cut way down on the
amount of saw work, as you'd only have to cut it into 1 foot lengths.
I love this design! Very elegant.

rushobsessor says:

Aug 25, 2009. 7:02 AM REPLY

this is awesome! i can't wait to get started! i chose this as my first shop project of the year. i might paint it. idk, it'll be a fun project!

frankfarms says:

Aug 13, 2009. 9:50 AM REPLY

Flippin' Sweet Instructable. Makin' one today for all my DVD's. Me likey movies!

rosewood513 says:

May 7, 2009. 9:31 AM REPLY

I love this one, I want to make a white one for my new kitchen for cookooks and trinkets. Thanks so much

crystalnickel says:

Apr 24, 2009. 5:41 PM REPLY

I love this design and would like to build one. Would this still be structurally sound if the shelves were built of different heights? For instance, if I made the
bottom shelf 25", second shelf 10", third shelf 15", top shelf 10", would it hold up? Or if I made the bottom shelf 25", the next up 15", and the top two 10"?

miidaniel says:

Apr 15, 2009. 2:16 AM REPLY

I love this simple shelf design, awesome idea!!! What software did you use to create your design?

dobbylvr says:

Apr 5, 2009. 7:19 PM REPLY

OK, so I finally finished mine, but I didn't have the plywood (or money to buy said wood) so I used cardboard. And it worked! It is now organizing most of my
dance crap.

dobbylvr says:

Apr 5, 2009. 1:26 PM REPLY

I love it! Now that I've seen it I just have to try it! Thanks!

mdk313 says:

Feb 22, 2009. 7:06 PM REPLY

cool design, thanks

DIYfan says:

Feb 5, 2009. 6:31 AM REPLY

Put this together with pocket holes/screws and it will be very sturdy indeed. Far less chance of injury from blowing brads in the general direction of your face
too! Nice project! I like this as a general sort of building module.

http://www.instructables.com/id/60-minute-bookcase/

Nitocris says:

Jan 29, 2009. 12:45 PM REPLY

Cool, my fiance is an art school dope and he'll love these, I'll looking forward to making them. :D

joellls says:

Jan 28, 2009. 9:28 PM REPLY

love it! i made mine a little bigger. the shelves were 8 x 15 inches

Lauramore87 says:

Jan 28, 2009. 9:36 AM REPLY

i will use this for my book shop caf! thank u! kiss from italy!

DesignerUserName says:

Aug 6, 2008. 3:36 PM REPLY

I'm building this! I need a place for my daughters book collection and our room is the size of some peoples' walk in closets. =) And all I have on hand is Bud
Ice, is that suitable?

underwhelmed says:

Dec 28, 2008. 11:27 PM REPLY

Bud Ice should work, but in the future, if you buy the Pabst, you can save enough to pay for the bookshelves.

willpall says:

Sep 28, 2008. 11:16 PM REPLY

If you mount this sideways on the wall, you'll have 3 cubbies to use for books, and 2 voids that could be filled perfectly with...
http://www.instructables.com/id/Invisible-Book-Shelf/

JellyWoo says:

Aug 16, 2008. 7:45 PM REPLY

very nice but won't the books fall out?

magne239 says:
this is great!!

view all 119 comments

http://www.instructables.com/id/60-minute-bookcase/

Jun 27, 2008. 8:56 PM REPLY