Bookcase Project Plan JPG
#21
Hey guys, as you know now its my first time building a base box for a project and need some advice!  Three questions:

1) Does this box look strong enough? It's 3/4 CDX doubled up on the cross beams. There will be two of them.

2) How to secure the box? Do I have to cleat it to the hardwood floor or I can I just screw it to a wall stud? I'm reluctant to screw into my new hardwood floor... you know, just in case things go really bad!

3) Shims - do I snap off the shims and glue them in there once sized? 

Thanks for your help! 

FYI  The little white bookcase is not related to project, just holding things down.


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#22
(10-05-2018, 07:11 PM)Zundy Wrote: Hey guys, as you know now its my first time building a base box for a project and need some advice!  Three questions:

1) Does this box look strong enough? It's 3/4 CDX doubled up on the cross beams. There will be two of them.

2) How to secure the box? Do I have to cleat it to the hardwood floor or I can I just screw it to a wall stud? I'm reluctant to screw into my new hardwood floor... you know, just in case things go really bad!

3) Shims - do I snap off the shims and glue them in there once sized? 

Thanks for your help! 

FYI  The little white bookcase is not related to project, just holding things down.

First, don't level and screw it down until you have all the other components ready to go, things have a tendency to get jostled a bit over time and that defeats the whole purpose.

1.  Your box is way, way strong enough, I generally use cutoffs from my 3/4 ply; I assume you doubled up at the points where the cabinets will meet.

2.  Screw to a wall stud, that's what I do, never bothered to screw to the floor, and if I did I'd only use one or two screws; use a long and stout screw (I use those coated exterior deck screws, coarse thread).  Screw in firmly but not too tightly as overtightening can move things.

3.  Score and snap them off only where they will show after you've mounted the cabinets, I never thought glue was necessary, as once you have a load on them they are not going anywhere (another reason to wait until everything is done and install at one time).  But then I always put base cabinets on them which are heavier than simply shelving, so I guess a spot or two of glue might be in order; I'd be interested in hearing from others about gluing shims.
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#23
After nearly a year of procrastination I'm finally bringing this project to completion.... well, maybe.  

Following advice here I built my 4 cases to sit on top of two bases. Now I'm jockeying the cases and bases around trying to get things flush and level. There are two problems bugging me I hope you might help with:

Problem 1 - GAPS: Things didn't turn out completely true and square and as you can see there is an uneven gap between two of the cases as pictured. I'm going to bolt-connect these two cases so they don't move relative to each other, keeping the face frames flush, but what  should I do about the gap? 
  • Just fohrrrrget about it
  • Fill with wood filler, sand, and paint
  • Put a piece of trim over gap - but I don't see a great way to end the trim on the top end.
  • ?
   


Problem 2 - FASTENING: The bases are fixed in position to the floor but the cases above are just sitting on the bases, unfastened, in any way. I've never done anything like this and am worried over time, due to bumps and knocks and the occasional CA seismic tremors, that the cases may drift on the base and make a mess. Would you fasten down the cases to the bases? How? 
  • Pocket Screws - I would be able to fasten sides of the left most case to the base, but then after only on the right side of all following cases due to lack of access as I assemble.
  • ?
I know I should fasten to the wall no matter what I do with the base. I was thinking of using a small metal "L" bracket on top of the tall cases to anchor them to the wall. Going thru the back panel won't do much as its only 3/16 thick. I could connect additional L brackets to the 3/4" sides of the cases and drill thru to the wall and fasten with drywall anchors... but man, ugly L brackets in the case?

   


Thanks for any advice! 



Tom
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#24
Those gaps should go away with a hand clamp; then screw them together.  If the gaps won't go away then you need to sand or handplane away what's preventing them from being drawn flush.  

Why did you build one cabinet with the side full length and the other with the bottom under the side?  

Screw the cabinets to the bases and the walls.  It sounds like you didn't build a nailer cleat into the back of the cabinets where the back meets the top.  That's where you screw the cabinets to the wall, putting whatever shims are needed on the back of the cabinets so they are plumb.  


John
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#25
(07-06-2019, 07:17 PM)jteneyck Wrote: Those gaps should go away with a hand clamp; then screw them together.  If the gaps won't go away then you need to sand or handplane away what's preventing them from being drawn flush.  

Why did you build one cabinet with the side full length and the other with the bottom under the side?  

Screw the cabinets to the bases and the walls.  It sounds like you didn't build a nailer cleat into the back of the cabinets where the back meets the top.  That's where you screw the cabinets to the wall, putting whatever shims are needed on the back of the cabinets so they are plumb.  


John

Thanks, John. I will attempt sanding to join the pieces.

The reason I built it like I did, with the mismatched face frames is because I was trying to hide the end grain, and as its going to be painted I figure nobody would see it. If I had been planning to stain it, I guess I would have had to choose where to show the end grain. 

Nail Cleat.... First time I've heard that term! I could still glue cleats on under the tops and make that happen.

Screwing to the base - I didn't create any way to do that. There is "nothing" under the bottoms of the cases to screw into at the moment but I could add some cross members to the base and screw into those. What kind of screws or finish work do you do to make that look good? Counter sink the hole, then cover it with a plug?
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#26
I know you're already done, but just thought I'd give a few suggestions for future reference.

If you had made the base high enough to wrap the baseboard around that gives a really nice "built in" look.

Normally I do the face frame first, but in this case, I would assemble the unit first, then build the FF.  One stile covers two units, no issues with gaps.

Your shelf edges look too thick to me. 1 - 1 1/4" would look better.
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#27
(07-08-2019, 10:04 AM)rwe2156 Wrote: I know you're already done, but just thought I'd give a few suggestions for future reference.

If you had made the base high enough to wrap the baseboard around that gives a really nice "built in" look.

Normally I do the face frame first, but in this case, I would assemble the unit first, then build the FF.  One stile covers two units, no issues with gaps.

Your shelf edges look too thick to me.   1 - 1 1/4" would look better.

Thanks for the feedback, just saw this, sorry. 

Face Frame - I take that to mean, you'd attach the finished units together side by side in the shop and build one frame around them? I couldn't get confident on how to deal with the 4 units, too big. I could have grouped them and at lease build a FF around 2 cases together and had only 1 seem.

Good eye on edges - they are currently 1-1/2", same as FF's. I haven't painted yet, could still hack'em down.
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#28
Anybody have a suggestion on how to bring this outlet forward and flush with the back of the new book case going in? Do I have to move the blue box somehow or can I just loosen the screws and shim the outlet forward, with an extra nut behind the screw to keep it from "springing" back into the box? That solution seems like it would still leave the outlet "wobbly" as the metal side tabs on the very bottom and top would no longer be resting against sheet rock .


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#29
(08-04-2019, 06:32 PM)Zundy Wrote: Anybody have a suggestion on how to bring this outlet forward and flush with the back of the new book case going in? Do I have to move the blue box somehow or can I just loosen the screws and shim the outlet forward, with an extra nut behind the screw to keep it from "springing" back into the box? That solution seems like it would still leave the outlet "wobbly" as the metal side tabs on the very bottom and top would no longer be resting against sheet rock .
Get yourself a box extender from your local big box store. It looks like a regular plastic electrical box, but it has no back.

-Mark
If I had a signature, this wouldn't be it.
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#30
They make plastic inserts that will extend electrical boxes. (I think they are called electrical box extenders, or something like that). You can get them at Home Depot, etc. I think that would work based on my quick glance at the photo.

Mark

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