Floating Shelf #2 - the One With the Sliding Book Ends

Intro: Floating Shelf #2 - the One With the Sliding Book Ends

This floating shelf is meant for video games and movies and I thought sliding book ends would be cool on a shelf. Once the wall is too full ;) I will be covering the wires.

STEP 1: Building the Shelf

So rather than repeat the steps to building the shelf, Floating Shelf #1 will guide you through it. Once it came to to mount the frame, I leveled it and screwed into studs with 3 1/2" screws as well as using toggle bolts for added strength.

STEP 2: Adding the Extras

I need to run wires through the shelf so once I had the shelf assembled, I slid the frame inside and clamped them togther. I drilled 2 1" holes side by side centered about 3/4" from the back, then just clean them up with a chisel. This hole will be covered in the end. I drilled 2 holes in the tops of each end board for dowel to hold the outer bookends and used my keyhole router bit to cut a slot starting about 6" in from each end and centered on the top. For the shape of the bookends, I used 2 way tape to hold the blanks together then I just took various cans and other round containers that fit the curve I was going for and traced them out. That way I could play with it easily until I liked it and I could cut them 2 at a time on my scroll saw

STEP 3: Finishing

I used 1 1/2" deck screws on the bottom of the sliding book ends and adjusted them so they slid smoothly but the bookend stayed straight and glued and doweled the outer bookends I slid cardboard and paper towel into the slot to keep the finish out. 2 coats of summer oak and 2 coats of polyurethane. I use 400 grit sandpaper to sand between coats.I ran a knife backwards to break the poly first so I didn't chip the edges of the slot and pulled out the cardboard. One light pass with 400 grit smooths out the sticky textured feel.