Introduction: Modern Contemporary Tilt Book Shelving

About: I'm an aspiring entrepreneur, currently working on renewable and environmentally friendly building materials project. A designer at heart, just unleashing my creativity on Instructables for the time being.

This is a modern tilt shelf. It is very easy to make and gives the area a clean contemporary look. It works well in a multiple shelf layout and a great way to use scrap wood strips or give new life to old wooden furniture. Let's go through all you will need to make your own and get started.

Supplies

  • Wood/Wood Strip
  • Saw
  • Protractor
  • Hot Glue/Wood Glue
  • Ruler
  • Pencel
  • Sander/Sand Paper
  • Knife/Blade
  • Double-Sided Tape/Nail/Screw

Step 1: Cutting Your Desired Shape

Te first thing we need to do is cut the wood into strips of the length we desire which will determine how tall and wide each shelf will be. The dimensions I have used are 10/1.5 inches tall by 5/1.5 inches wide and the strips are half-inch thick. I will be making 2 shelves so I will be cutting out six 10 inch strips. Four will be used to make the sides of the shelf and the other two 10 inch strips will be cut in two 5 inch pieces each to make the tops and bottoms of each shelf. Note that the pieces you will cut into 5-inch strips will need to be an extra 1/16 of an inch to compensate for space the blade will cut through or you could cut the 5-inch strips individually.

At this stage, you can make your strips longer or shorter depending on how large you would like your shelf to be and cut more strips depending on how many shelves you need.

Step 2: Taking Shape

Now we will cut 2 of our 10-inch strips in half giving us four 5 inch strips.

  • we will need to cut along the bottom of the 10-inch strips. We will cut the strip at a 40-degree angle at the bottom. This is meant to be the bottom part of the shelf. You can increase or decrease this angle to increase or decrease the depth of the shelf.
  • The top of the strips you have just cut will also be cut, however, once you mark a 40-degree line parallel to the line you have just cut at the bottom of the strip, you will offset the line at the top of the strip by 7 millimeters. This is done to make the strip that will be going on the top of the shelf be leveled with the strip going on the bottom of the shelf. You can make alterations here if you would like your shelf to have a different look. the spacing offset is determined by the dimensions I have used. If the strip length has been increased or decreased then this offset will change.
  • Once we have both ends cut, we will then lineup the side of the shelf with the bottom of the shelf then mark and remove any excess/hangover wood from the side strips.

Step 3: Time to Sand

We can now move on to sanding the strips. you can use a sander or sandpaper. A sander does make it a lot quicker. When sanding wood, you want to sand with the grain of the wood. While sanding, work the edges and ends that have been cut the most to get a smooth even surface which will remove and splinters.

Step 4: Wood Assembly

Joining the strips can be done in several ways. I would recommend wood glue. You can, however, use hot glue, screws or nails. I used hot glue as it is what I had at the time and it works well for the books I placed on this shelf.

  • You will need to lay one side of your strip on a flat surface and glue down the bottom and top of the shelf to it, making sure to align the edges. Apply adequate glue to ensure a strong bond.
  • Once the top and bottom are stuck to one of your sides, glue the other side to the edges of the top and the bottom you previously glued.
  • Allow ample time for the glue to dry if that us what you used to join your strips.

Step 5: Time to Stacking Your Favorite Books

Now all that's left to do is stick the shelves to your desired place. This can also be done with hot glue, double-sided tape, screws or nails. Keep in mind the weight of what will be placed on the shelf when choosing your method of adhesion.

Once you have chosen a spot, allow time to cure if necessary then add your favorite reading material and enjoy the beauty of this modern shelf design.

I hope you found this instructable helpful and easy to follow, happy woodworking.

Shelving Contest

Participated in the
Shelving Contest