Cherry Bookcase

This bookcase closely (but not completely) follows the plans found in Woodsmith Issue 153, June 2004. This is a knockdown bookcase design. It’s made of 4/4 and 6/4 cherry stock and has walnut tenoned square spindles mortised into the frame sides between each shelf level.

The neat thing about this design is that it’s “knockdown”. Thus each part – top, top frame, lower base, sides, & shelves could be made and finished separately. It also made it much easier to transport. It’s all held together with decarative bronze hex bolts/nuts, and is surprisingly completely sturdy.

The bookcase is fairly large (and wide) thus each shelf has two strengthening supports dado’d on the bottom in front, and on the top in back.

This was made for a nephew as a wedding gift…(and if you’ve seen some of my other posts, you’ll realize I have lots of relatives to make gifts for.)

This piece was made about 4 years ago. The pictures here were taken the day I delivered it, but since that time the cherry has become noticeably a richer darker color.

The finish was a sealer coat of blended oils, followed by 4 coats of satin wipe-on poly/oil. It was finished with a paste wax coat hand rubbed with 0000 steel wool.

This was my first project using cherry, and I really loved working with it.

-- Martin, Kansas