Built in Book Case

The idea was to create a bookcase with two cupboards; placed between two doors, and full room height, with space for a pianino. Here you can see the steps to create one.

3 meters wide, 2,6 meters height, 30 cms deep; with a pianino 140X110 cms.

Step 1: Things You Will Need

Measure the place , collect ideas, and make a scetch of it, so you can calculate the materials you will need.

As mentioned: my one is 3m X 2,6m X 0,3m .

There are two cupboards with doors, and 4 section of bookcase. In total: you will need 18 shelves 30 cm deep, and various lengths depending on what section it is in.

Cupboards: material for one: Corpus: 4 pieces of 80cm X 5cm X 5cm laths, sides: 2 pieces: 30X75; top: 50X30 for each. doors: 2 pieces 35X75; decoration: 5cmX1meter. hinges, knobs;

The bookcase section:

Vertical elements: 4 times 175X30, and one 138X30; I found 145 wide laths, so I fixed 2 together to have the necessary deepness.

8 shelves: 76X30.; one shelf146X30, and 4 shelves 70X30.

Shelf supporters 40 pieces of 2X2X30 cm.

To fix this upper section on the top: 3 meterX30 cm.

Top decoration: 3,6 meterX15 cm.

Front decoration: 4 pieces of 5X150, and one piece of 5X125.

Plywood for the back. around 6 m2.

Tools:

a saw ; best if you have a table saw too; rasp, drill, sanding machine, sanding papers, woodglue, router, screws, nails, paint, lacquer, brushes, safety equipments, patience.

The materials cost approx 320 EUR. Including the hinges, screws, paint, varnish, sanding papers etc.

It cost me an additional cc 50 EUR, that I could only make it at my parents house, so had to travel there every day for 1,5 month.

Step 2: Make the Cupboards.

Fix the side panes to the corpus, and attach the shelf holder pieces.

Than fix the shelves to its place with glue, and screws: watch the angles ;) Note, that shelves has to cut out for the corpus, and also with the door thickness.

Nail, and glue back.

Side panels routed.

I made a top a curved one, and routed.

Doors also routed, and fit into place.

Have a deco part on the bottom, routed a straight V-line in it.

Step 3: Repeat Step 2 :)

So you will have an other cupboard.

And dont foget to give your blood for your bookcase :D

Step 4: Start Your Upper Part.

I made a quick drawing to have it at hand for the upper part.

cut your vertical parts to size, lay in order next to each other, and mark your shelv supporter. At the end it should be quite horizontal, thatswhy I laid them in pairs, aligned the bottom, and marked together.

Then I glued them in pairs, and fixed shelf holders to their place.

Then shelves cut to size, routed, and fixed.

Now you can glue, and nail the back. Do not cover the whole vertical part at the back towards the middle, since you will want to cover the middle section too.

Also here you make the middle vertical part. The bottom shelf that connects the two bookcases (above the pianino) is one piece 150 cms.

Step 5: Repeat Step 4 ;)

So you will have two upper part.

Step 6: Time to Decorate

I made decorative parts to hide the shelf holders on the front of vertical parts. those are from 5 cm wide laths, routed a straight V-line into them. Glued, and nailed.

On the top I planned a crown originally, but seemed too complicated to make, and too expensice to buy, so I made it also from 15 cm lath, made a curve, and round-routed. 4 pieces needed for front, and two smallers to the side.

Also made shelf decoration with a rail on two shelves in the middle section.

Then make a dryfit if you have enough space :D I didnt have enough height, so cupboards are still resting in the other room.

Step 7: Sanding, Painting.

Now you need the patience mentioned earlier ;)

Sand everthing, that you would touch in the future, or you would like it to look nice ;) I used 240 grit paper.Takes time, yes...a lot ;)

After I used wood protector against bugs, painted all with it...twice where I wanted to colour paint it;)

I choosed walnut color paint; the first layer I did with an air spray gun; but since I never used this tool, I didnt really like it. Wear a mask, if you do this too, it makes a big paint fog.

So I made the second layer with a brush. Takes time, yes...even more than sanding ;)

Step 8: Decorate the Doors.

I looked for a nice figure to engrave on the doors.

Have an indigo paper, trace the lines, and engrave.

Repeat 3 more times ;)

Step 9: Lacquering

I applied two layers of lacquer, where visible.

I neede to carry up everything into the flat, because didnt want to dry as it should have...its wintertime here ;) Fortunately the flat is not in use, because no one could stay in it, due to the smell ;)

Step 10: Attach Doors, and Knobs.

I used magnets on doors, and a small iron part on the shelves to keep the door in place. Routed a circle, and glued magnet.

I have some iron hinges; I wanted to have outside hinges, and found those. So predrill holes, and fix with screws.

same for the knobs.

Step 11: Finally: Assemble ;)

So grab everything, and start to assemble.

It was difficult to find out the order, because its quite heavy, so it turned out, that I will not be able to fix upper part on the floor, and then lift to cupboards. So I fixed top supporters on the two side cases, lift them to cupboards, aligned them, and started to fix everything. Due to height, its not possible to put screws from the top.

I also fixed the bottom long shelf to the wall; its needed for stabelize it, and help to hold the weight.

This is also the time to fix the top decoration parts.

I didnt use glue here at all; maybe one time it has to be disassemled ;)

If you have questions, or remarks, let me know ;) Cheers.