Bookcase Shelves That Do Not Sag

Step 2 Into The Blackness

Using either the router with a quarter round bit or a sander, round over what will be the top and bottom edges of the front of each shelf. The curve isn't important, the point is simply to smooth the sharp and somewhat rough looking front edge of the pressed board.

Now you're ready to paint the front, sides, top, and bottom of the pressed board pieces black and set them aside to dry. I generally give them 2 coats, sanding lightly before the second coat.

The black paint is not just to seal the particle board and provide a nice contrast with the stained wood that will be around it; flat black paint converts the rough and rather ugly texture of the pressed board into something that looks more like a high-end solid surfacing material. The photo shows how nice the black surface looks compared to the unpainted, unrounded, raw back edge. Further, the latex wall paint will seep into the wood significantly, so that minor scratches that happen later will still look black. In short, flat black paint can hide a multitude of sins.