Need help to build bookcases

[overland]

I'd like to build a bookcase or bookcases along a wall that measures about 12 feet in length, with an eight foot ceiling. Should I build a single bookcase that length or four bookcases that I could stand side by side? Should they go to the ceiling, or close to it, or how much space should I leave? Are there any good plans out there for something fairly simple but elegant in design? Also, bookcases often seem to be built of a darker wood, but how would something lighter look, like oak or ash?
I'd be grateful for advice from anyone with experience with bookcases.

[Hoosier25]

3 four footers, ease of moving or rearrange in future.
Any hardwood or good quality plywood that you like should be OK. I wouldn't go to ceiling for the reasons above. 7' max would be my recommendation.

Roger

[DaveR1]

Do you intend these bookcases to be built-ins? Will you attach them to the wall? We've done a number of bookcases for clients--working on a full room library right now, in fact. The design considerations are different than for movable cases.

As for height, you have to consider getting them into the room and stood up. If you want them to go to the ceiling, there are some things to consider in the design but it can be done.

If you want a peak at the library design we're working on right now, send me a PM. It'll give you some ideas for built-ins anyway.

[meackerman]

if you want them floor to ceiling, you can't make them 8' tall or you won't be able to stand them up. there are a number of different ways to make them look like they go floor to ceiling....build a separate base for the bookcase to stand on, use molding to go from the bookcase to the ceiling, build them in two pieces and stack one on the other etc.

[Bill Wilson]

I say build it however is easiest for you to manage. That entails everything from the actual construction process (do you have the shop space to handle a project that large?) to installation (can you get one solid piece into place) to the potential for moving or rearranging later.

The type of wood and the color is completely a matter of personal choice, IMHO. Does it need to match or blend with any existing woodwork or furniture? A dark color on a unit that large might really darken the room. You could paint it white, if you wanted. Bottom line, don't make them dark, just because someone on the internet told you or most of the images you googled were of dark wood.

[Splinter Puller]

I'd follow the previous advice regarding a seperate base but go with 4 three foot sections. A three foot long bookshelf is about right for span and appearance. Also... the cases on each end will need scribe strips if your going to install them flush to other walls. These are usually an inch or so wide.

I usually install the outers... scribing them as required so that the the gap between them equals the regular sized inner cabinets. Look up scribing cabinets on Youtube.

[Phydeaux]

I've built 2 bookcases and had one built for me. All are built-ins and none as big as yours.

In two of the cases room geometry led me to having a section sized shallower for paperbacks, which I regard as quite cool for my purposes. One of those I built has movable shelves. It's made of plywood. The others were solid pine.

If I was building for an element of elegance or show whether built-in or free-standing, I'd swallow hard and go for hardwood, probably plywood veneer with solid edging.

[ruffcutt]

I did something very similar to what you want to
do. Oak plywood for the boxes and solid oak for everything else.



I made 3 units approx 48 wide and 7 foot tall.
Add some doors on the lower portion and arch the top face frame and give a ordinary book case a little different look.

Shelves this wide are going to have to be beefed up front and back with 3/4 x 1-1/2 hardwood strip front and back.

That being said I don't really remember the exact width of these bookshelves but I've made plenty 48'' wide book shelves for the School District.

[Kansas City Fireslayer]

I built 3 separate book cases for our reading/library room last year. The plans are from Woodsmith and they are well written. We have 9 foot ceilings in this room so I added 1.5' to the height of the cases as I wanted something taller with a greater appeal. It also created more room. These are around 8' tall and 10' wide, IIRC.

For this plan, that extra 1.5' stretched the plywood sides out to the point where I had to use biscuits for aligning the face frames and cases. The plywood sides were just too floppy otherwise.

I considered doing a built in but decided against it for a handful of reasons. I was building these out of walnut and I really didn't want to leave my labor and materials behind for when the day comes that I move. No plans to move anytime soon but no way I will retire in this home. I also wanted the flexibility for rearranging furniture in the future. This lead to three separate side by side cases. I'm not crazy about how the side face frames butt up to each other as keeping them super tight across the whole run isn't very realistic without using some type of faster--at least for me it wasn't! Mine turned out pretty well overall but this is the area I was least satisfied with in regards to the plan. That said, it was still a straight forward plan and not terribly difficult to build. The case is fastened to the wall with small "L" brackets and levelers are added on the feet. The cases are also connected on the top and the back. Cases can be added or taken away in the future.

These are walnut from a tree that came from a friends back yard. Walnut plywood carcasses. The finish is a low strength Transtint dark walnut dye to even out the ply and heartwood. It added some overall darkness which I like. The top coat is SW medium rubbed effect pre catalyzed lacquer. Vinyl sealer was as also underneath. I think I had around $450 in materials with the 3/4 and 1/4" plywood being the bulk of that. The heartwood was basically free.

[Shovel Man]

Unfortunately it takes a dedicated decorator to fill a bookcase with anything that looks better than a junk drawer. Ruffcutt has some good features to help with this. The arches on top give some style. The doors on the base allow the worst looking junk to be hidden. The filled in backs (as opposed to looking at the wall behind) fill some open space. Separate pieces of furniture allow flexibility not available with builtins.

I made solid hardwood shelves 36" long x 9/16" thick and they are plenty stiff enough.