Arts and Crafts Backless Bookcase

The wife asked me the other day for a bookcase. Normally, she would ask for something quick and simple, but i was really hoping to make it in an arts and crafts style.

I recently bought a ShopFox benchtop mortiser and havent had a reason to use it, and am waiting on a veritas dovetail saw and a set of Narex chisels. This project could really all of these tools, and since i havent done any work before with mortise or tenons, i could work on some new skills. She showed me a picture on her computer of a bookshelf that was Greene and Greene, so i knew i could go a little fancier than pine and paint.

I drew up this model on sketchup, and it met her needs and approval.

So i went and bought some oak. Cut the sides to length and cut the curves on the bottom. I then planed the shelves down to 1/2”.
I setup the mortiser and did some test cuts. I had a lot of tear out, probably do to the quality of the chisels that come with the mortiser.

So i decided that the best way to setup these mortises was going to be to lay them out on both sides and score with a chisel to prevent blowout.
I would then cut the mortises from both sides. I don’t think i have ever given this much attention to layout before, but i think my first mortises came out well.


Next i will cut the mortises in the other side and then the tenons.