How to Build a Particle Board Book Shelf

The cost and portability of particle board make it an excellent building material for solving a variety of organizational situations affordably. Building a particle board book shelf can be done with materials that are newly purchased from a home improvement store, or are passed down second-hand from an "as-is" or returns section. Particle board's relative strength in relation to its cost is an excellent justification for its use, and coated particle board can be painted to look as fine as any other painted wood.

2 7-foot-by-1-foot-by-1/2-inch particle board sides
8 3-foot-by-1-foot-by-1/2-inch particle board shelves
7-foot-by-3-foot piece of fabric
Drill
Drill bit
Wood screws
Carpentry stapler
Staples
Scissors
Mounting bracket

Instructions

- 1
  Position the two 7-foot boards on the floor parallel to each other, 3 feet apart. Have an assistant hold them on edge and place one of the 3-foot shelf boards between them, flush with the ends of the longer boards. Predrill two holes through each outer board and into the ends of the shelf board for stability, particularly necessary when working with particle board. Connect the boards using wood screws, being careful not to tighten the screws too much because that can break the particle board. This will form the bottom of the book shelf.
- 2
  Repeat the process for the top of the unit. Arrange the remainder of the shelves more or less evenly spaced and mark their desired locations. Repeat the drilling process for the rest of the shelves, being careful not to tighten all the screws too tightly before you're done because the final shelves may not slide in. Drill all the screws most of the way in as you go, then tighten them at the end. Screw the mounting bracket into the top surface of the top shelf, with the other arm of the bracket pointing toward the floor.
- 3
  Stretch the fabric over the back of the completed shelving unit, and staple it in place along the top. Have an assistant stretch it tightly over the remainder of the unit, and slowly and evenly staple it in place from the top down, being careful not to allow any bubbles or pockets of fabric. Remove any excess fabric with scissors.
- 4
  Stand the completed unit upright and maneuver it into the desired location. Attach it to the wall using the mounting bracket, making sure that the bracket is screwed into a wood stud.

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