Greg Guarino wrote:
We still haven't settled on our book storage plans. Now I'm
considering a design that would involve shelves on both sides of a
wide cabinet divided in the middle, but not in line with each other.
The cabinet would be 54" high by 48" wide, with a vertical divider a
little off-center. To one side of the divider there would be 4 shelf
spaces each 12" high. On the other side would be 3 shelf spaces, each
18" high. (all numbers approximate, I know the thickness of the wood
will change the exact dimensions). The dadoes on opposite sides of the
divider would then be about six inches apart.
All shelves would be fixed. There would be a face frame, and a back.
I'm wondering if I should simply make the cabinet as two separate
boxes, joining them together after both are assembled. That would give
me a double-thickness center divider, but there would be a 1x2
covering the seam anyway. This idea appeals to me because I think it
will be easier to handle two smaller, simpler units than one large
one. But if do decide to make the cabinet as a single unit, is it OK
to make dadoes in both sides of the center divider, as long as none of
them are in line with each other?
Sure, you have our permission to do that. Mine at least.
For that matter - should you want the shelves in the same plane - you can
cut the dado all the way through except for a few inches at each end and
notch the shelves appropriately.
A variation on notching the shelves would be to make rabbets...on one shelf,
make a 3/4 x 3/8 rabbet on the top; same on the other shelf but at the
bottom. Rabbet size depends on ply thickness but the goal is to have one
shelf rabbet resting on the other.
Still another variation that comes to mind would be to make a series of half
through slots, each maybe 2" long from each side but staggered so that none
go all the way through. Then cut fingers on the shelfs.
One of the joys of woodworking is that with a fertile mind one can come up
with all sorts of ways to complicate things.
--
dadiOH
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