Asian Inspired Bookshelf 2

nice design. try it in sketchup in 3d

-- ..... art for lifes sake ... danwalters@lumberjocks.com

Go for it!

-- Maplewood, MN

I agree…. Sketchup it.

-- "Functional WoodArt" by Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

Don’ t you guys think its a bit simple? I mean I don’t think the pages of popular woodworking would build something so simple. Any ideas to maybe dress it up a bit?

-- Chuck [Elgin, IL]

Don’t take this as being critical. My thought is it’s not so simple, and here’s why:

A bookcase has to be functional. It’s not a display case—it’s for books. Books are heavy.
You’ve designed a suspension bridge. How will you carry the load without having the shelves sag?

I’m not knocking your design. For this to work, you need to consider the weight and determine if you can manage the joinery so it’ll stand the test of time without sagging or failing.
In an online article here Simon Watts wrote:

” ...As a rough guide, figure that 15 average-size books take up 1 foot of shelf. Keep in mind that paperback books weigh about 7 1/2 pounds per linear foot, hardcover books 13 pounds, magazines 26 pounds and reference works as much as 34 pounds per linear foot. ...”
The sag he refers to in the article is for wood supported on both ends.

Go forth and do good work, and good luck with your bookcase. I’m looking forward to seeing your solution.

Cheers,
Gary

Gary, thats the reason I posted this here, It was just a sketch that I threw together an illustration of really quick, I haven’t even begun to think about construction or how it would work. Do you have any suggestions?

Chuck

-- Chuck [Elgin, IL]