Instructions for How to Build a Tall Homemade Bookcase

Cut six 1-by-12 boards 32 inches long and sand the ends. These boards, along with two 6-foot boards, will be the shelves and sides of a bookcase that's 6 feet tall and 33 1/2 inches wide. Also cut 10 lengths of 1/2-inch quarter round, each 11 inches long, for shelf supports and two 1-by-3 boards, each 32 inches long, which will go under the bottom shelf.

Measure the books you're planning to put in the bookcase and decide how you'd like the shelves spaced. The bottom shelf will be supported off the floor by the 1-by-3 boards and the top shelf will be even with the top of the sides, but the other four shelves may be spaced however you want. A typical spacing might be 16 inches for the bottom shelf, 14 inches for the next three shelves and 10 1/2 inches for the top shelf, as measured from the bottom of one shelf to the bottom of the shelf above it.

Mark a horizontal line on both side boards where you want the center of the shelves to go. Drill two holes for 1/4-inch flat-head screws on this line for each shelf. Space the holes 2 inches in from each edge of the boards. Sink the holes so the screw heads can be hidden by wooden plugs. Also drill four similar holes in each side board for the screws that will hold the 1-by-3 supports for the bottom shelf. The 1-by-3 boards will be placed beneath the bottom shelf, on edge, to support it and fill in the gap between the bottom shelf and the floor. To mark the location of the holes, draw a short vertical line that's spaced 2 inches in from the front edge of the side board. Draw another short vertical line spaced 2 inches in from the back of the side board. These lines indicate where the edges of the 1-by-3 boards will meet the side boards. Place one mark on each line 3/4 inch up from the bottom of the side board and another mark on each line 2 inches up from the bottom edge. Use those four marks to drill the holes.

Glue and nail the quarter rounds so they'll support the bottom of the shelves when the shelves will be screwed in place. Use three 1-inch finishing nails on each quarter round. Omit the quarter rounds for the bottom shelf. Align the quarter rounds with the back of the side boards, since the quarter rounds will be slightly shorter than the width of the sides. You can sand the front ends of the quarter rounds so they're rounded if you want, to prevent books from catching on them.

Prop one side board on its edge so the front of the bookcase would be against the floor and align one of the middle shelves against it, making sure it's resting against the quarter round. Drill pilot holes using the holes in the side board and into the edge of the shelf board to prevent it from splitting when the screws are inserted. Glue and screw the shelf to the side board. Repeat for the other five shelves, using a square to check that they're all aligned square to the side. Also glue and screw the two 1-by-3 boards, aligned to support the bottom shelf, with two screws in each end.

Rest the other side board against the other end of the shelves. Drill pilot holes as before. Screw and glue it in place. Double-check that the bookcase is square by laying a carpenter's square along the sides and shelves. This is your last chance to give it a nudge to make it perfectly square, before adding the back.

Measure the width of the bookcase from outside edge to outside edge and subtract 1/16 inch. Measure the height of the bookcase from the bottom of the bottom shelf to the top of the top shelf and subtract 1/16 inch. Cut a piece of 1/8-inch fiberboard to those dimensions. Glue and nail the fiberboard to the back of the bookcase with 1-inch common nails.

Cover screws with wooden plugs and finish the bookcase however you want, with paint or stain, when the glue is dry.