Book Rack

Project Title: Book Rack

Materials:
1 – 1” x 6” x 8’
1 – 1” x 8” x 4’ or 6’ (?)
Wood screws
Plugs

Tools:
Circular saw
Speed square
Tape measure
Drill
Countersink drill bit
Phillips head bit
Pencil




Process:
A few months ago I decided that I need a book rack for my desk at school. As a math teacher I have a lot of textbooks and notebooks that tend to just get stacked where ever there is room for them. I looked online for book racks, thinking that I would requisition one for next year. As usual I thought “I can make one of those”.

During study hall one day I drew up a sketch of my plan. It’s a simple design. The only real consideration I had was making it long enough, without making it so long that it sags under the weight of the books. The design below includes locations of the horizontal pieces, but the exact location shouldn’t matter, only the 90° between them. I chose to make the overall length of the book rack 24”, so that it would fit nicely on top of a filing cabinet if necessary. The cut length of the boards (22.5”) is 1.5” shorter to allow for the thickness of the vertical ends.

Cutting the boards was no problem. A circular saw is probably not the best tool for this type of project, but I didn’t have many options (note to self: add compound miter saw to the wish list). The cut edges were a little uneven, but it will do.

Lining up the holes for the screws was a little more challenging. The first side was easy enough. I just used my speed square to lay it out. I used a countersink/counterbore drill bit so I can add the plugs in when it’s all assembled. It was an adjustable drill bit, which I think is a little weird. But it works, and that’s all that matters. Just remember to tighten it well.
Matching the second end piece to the first was the big problem. It was easy enough to do, I just kept thinking about it backwards. In the end I matched up the pieces, and drilled a pilot hole through the first piece, into the second.

Once I assembled the whole thing I sanded it down, smoothed out some of the rough edges I cut, and rounded off the edges. I didn’t get the plugs in (mostly because I didn’t want to look for them.) Between AP Testing and the senior trip, most of my students are gone today. I wanted to bring in the ‘finished’ shelf so I could clean and organize – make the most of an otherwise boring day. I figure I can test it our for the next few weeks then can take it home at the end of the school year and work on it more over the summer.

I tested it out today at school. It works as it should. I might make another that’s a few inches shorter (12” – 18”). It annoys me that the binders stick out so much more than the textbooks, but that’s not a design flaw – it’s just the size of the binders.

Lessons Learned:
- Circular saws are bad for furniture making.
- Match up the sides first. Finish the cut ends together. Drill pilot holes through both. Last countersink/counter bore the holes

Time:
4-5 hours (?)