Jefferson Bookcases – The Wrap-up

Originally written August 20, 2021

I blogged the construction of these over many of the months I spent building them, so if you want excruciating detail on the construction, the previous entries in this series is place to look.

Short version, each shelf is a separate box. Should I ever need to move again, I can fill each box with packing paper, then screw a front onto the box, and it's ready to move. Some of the largest cases will be heavy for one guy to move, but I can pick up every one of them myself if I have to. And should I decide to rearrange them, I can do that without taking all the books out of the cases.

They're built of ¾ pine. Mitered through-dovetails on the corners, with the back rabbetted in, and in most cases made of two boards ship-lapped so they can move with the changing humidity. The backs are glued top and bottom, and nailed on the sides, again so they have an opportunity to move without tearing themselves apart.

I count 70 boxes. Took me over a year, but there were plenty of distractions along the way. When all is going well, I can complete about three or four boxes in a week, including finishing, which is two or three coats of shellac.

The bedroom bookcases - the tallest stack is 9 cases high

The hallway cases, plus a stack behind the door between the bedroom and the hallway

The art-book cases, a single stack of four cases in the living room

Thanks for looking!

Jefferson Bookcases Contents #woodworking #bookcases #project

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