How to Build a Record Album Bookcase

Determine how many shelves you want your bookcase to house; the number of shelves your bookcase has will determine its height. Multiply the number of shelves by 14; this number is the height of your bookcase in inches. In this example, we will be building a three-shelf bookcase, so the height of the bookcase will be 42 inches.

Cut two pieces of plywood to the height of your bookcase (42 inches in thisexample) and 13 inches wide. These will be the side panels for your bookcase.

Cut two strips of plywood that are 13 inches long and 2 inches wide. This pair of strips will serve as the supports for one of your shelves. You will need as many pairs of strips as there will be shelves in your bookcase, plus one. For our example we will need four pairs of strips, or eight strips total.

Measure and mark 13 inches from the bottom of one of your side panels; this will be the location of your first shelf. Measure and mark 13 inches from this location; this will be the location for your second shelf. Continue to measure 13 inches from each shelf location until you reach the top of the side panel. Repeat for the second side panel.

Place the wood strips you created in Step 3 at the top and bottom of each side panel and at each shelf mark you made in Step 4. Be consistent with the placement of the strips; if you line the top of one strip up with the shelf marking, you must line all of the strips up in that manner.

Apply wood glue to the backs of the shelf support strips, place the strips in position and nail the strips into place on the side panels.

Decide how wide you want your shelf to be. Too narrow and your shelf will not be able to hold very many records; too wide and the shelves may not be able to support the weight of all of the records placed on them. As a general rule, two to three feet is a good width for a bookcase. For our example, we will be making a bookcase that is 30 inches wide.

Cut a piece of plywood for the top and bottom of the bookcase. The top and bottom pieces should each be 13 inches wide. The length of the top and bottom pieces is determined by the width of your bookcase. For the example, our top and bottom pieces are cut to 13-by-30 inches.

Apply wood glue to the top of the side panels. Stand the side panel and the top panel on their sides and line their edges up so that they are flush. Press the top panel and side panel together and nail the top panel in place with nails through the top of the top panel. Repeat for the opposite side panel and the bottom panel. You should now have the frame for your bookcase.

Cut the 1/8 inch bookcase backing to the dimensions of your bookcase. For the example, the backing was cut to be 42-by-30 inches. Lay the bookcase backing over the back of the bookcase and nail it to the bookcase frame with 1-inch finishing nails.

Cut your shelving pieces out of the shelving wood. The shelves should be as long as the width of your bookcase, minus 1 5/8 inch (to account for the side panels) and 13 inches wide. For the example, our shelves measure 13-by-28 3/8 inches. Slide the shelves into the bookcase and load the bookcase up with your record collection.