DIY Woodworking Bookcase

Cut two 1-by-12 pine boards to 5 feet tall for the sides of the bookcase. Cut six 1-by-12 pine boards to 3 feet long for the shelves. Cut two 1-by-2 boards to 3 feet long for the horizontal base supports. Cut three 1-by-4 boards to 5 feet tall for the vertical back supports.

Attach the two base supports to the sides of the bookcase to create a front and rear 3-foot wide vertical support along the base of the book case. One support will be on the front of the bookcase flush with the front edge of the sides and the other support will be on the back of bookcase flush with the back edge of the sides. Both supports must be flush with the bottom edge of each side with the 2-inch face standing vertically. Drill two 2-inch self-tapping wood screws through the outside of the sides into the 2-inch edges of the base supports. The end result will be similar to the toe-kick panel on the lower aspect of cabinets.

Set one shelf on top of the base supports between the sides to create the bottom shelf. The shelf will sit horizontally resting on top of the base supports. Drill two 2-inch screws through the outside of the bookcase sides into the edges of the shelf.

Attach the top shelf to the sides so that the top of the top shelf is flush with the upper edge of the sides of the bookcase. Drive two 2-inch screws through the outside of the bookcase into the edges of the shelf, which will complete the basic frame.

Attach the three vertical back supports to the back with one back support flush with each edge and one centered on the back. Measure 17 inches from each side of the bookcase along the top shelf and the bottom shelf and mark the measurement onto the shelves with a pencil. The third vertical support will attach to the top and bottom shelf between the two marks. The other two supports must sit with the outer edge flush with side of the bookcase. Drive two 2-inch screws through the top of each support into the side of the top shelf, and two through the bottom of each support into the side of the bottom shelf.

Measure and cut two 10-inch lengths of 1-by-12 boards. Stand the bookcase up. Use the 12-inch scraps from the 5-foot cuts for the sides to create the 10-inch boards.

Place the boards on the bottom shelf with one board pressed against each side of the bookcase and the 10-inch side standing vertically. Set one shelf on top of the boards. Drive two screws through the outside of the sides into the sides of the shelf. Remove the 10-inch boards and set them on top of the new shelf. Repeat for each shelf until the three remaining shelves are installed. The final shelf will sit 12 inches below the top shelf. Drive two screws through the center back support into the side of each new shelf.