Xtra tall bookcases - how?
 

Thinking about doing floor-ceiling bookcases in my study. Ceiling is 9' in
there.

In another room I'm doing base cabinets with the bookcase on top of them -
to overcome limitations of a 8' sheet of hardwood plywood.

Just wondering - if I want to skip the base cabinet approach - and make a 9'
tall bookcase, what are some of the techniques involved? How do you folks
get 9' of sides out of a 8' hunk o' plywood?

I've considering asking the same dude that auctioned off the Time Machine to
see if he has a plywood stretching machine. Or warping the space time
continuum. In the meantime, I thought I'd ask the wreck.

Thanks!

Xtra tall bookcases - how?
 

Patrick Conroy asks:

Thinking about doing floor-ceiling bookcases in my study. Ceiling is 9' in
there.

In another room I'm doing base cabinets with the bookcase on top of them -
to overcome limitations of a 8' sheet of hardwood plywood.

Just wondering - if I want to skip the base cabinet approach - and make a 9'
tall bookcase, what are some of the techniques involved? How do you folks
get 9' of sides out of a 8' hunk o' plywood?

I've considering asking the same dude that auctioned off the Time Machine to
see if he has a plywood stretching machine. Or warping the space time
continuum. In the meantime, I thought I'd ask the wreck.

Look for some place that sells 9' plywood. It's available, usually fairly
easily found if you check local lumber dealers, plywood dealers, but don't
expect to find any at HD or Lowe's.

Failing that, build it 8' tall in 2 sections, with a 1' tall center section
with, maybe, a drawer or 2 in it. Might also be a bottom section.

Charlie Self
"It is even harder for the average ape to believe that he has descended from
man."
H. L. Mencken

Xtra tall bookcases - how?
 

"patrick conroy" wrote in message
...
Thinking about doing floor-ceiling bookcases in my study. Ceiling is 9' in
there.

In another room I'm doing base cabinets with the bookcase on top of them -
to overcome limitations of a 8' sheet of hardwood plywood.

Just wondering - if I want to skip the base cabinet approach - and make a
9'
tall bookcase, what are some of the techniques involved? How do you folks
get 9' of sides out of a 8' hunk o' plywood?

Something more important to thing about first, If you build the 9' bookcase
as one unit to fit in a 9' tall room, how are you going to stand it up in
the room? You will have to get through a door way which means leaning the
cabinet over. Now consider that to stand a 9' cabinet up, you need more
than 9' of clearance. From front bottom corner to back top corner is more
than 9' on a 9' tall cabinet.
If your cabinet is only 12" deep at the widest part, a 9' cabinet needs 9'
11/16" of clearance to stand up.

Now for your question of how to stretch 8' to 9', cut the 8' long plywood
panel and frame each piece it. let the framing make up the difference.
Framing 2 side panels with 3 pieces of 1x4 stock will give you about 10.5"
more length overall.

Xtra tall bookcases - how?
 

On Thu, 01 Jul 2004 15:23:35 GMT, "patrick conroy"
wrote:

Thinking about doing floor-ceiling bookcases in my study. Ceiling is 9' in
there.


You can set your eight foot bookcase on a six inch plinth and apply a
six inch cornice to the top.





Regards,
Tom.

Thomas J.Watson - Cabinetmaker (ret.)
tjwatson1ATcomcastDOTnet (real email)
http://home.comcast.net/~tjwatson1

Xtra tall bookcases - how?
 

Is it a full 9' and almost 9?

Toe section at the bottom and a crown at the top to make up the difference
perhaps?

-Steve


"patrick conroy" wrote in message
...
Thinking about doing floor-ceiling bookcases in my study. Ceiling is 9' in
there.

In another room I'm doing base cabinets with the bookcase on top of them -
to overcome limitations of a 8' sheet of hardwood plywood.

Just wondering - if I want to skip the base cabinet approach - and make a
9'
tall bookcase, what are some of the techniques involved? How do you folks
get 9' of sides out of a 8' hunk o' plywood?

I've considering asking the same dude that auctioned off the Time Machine
to
see if he has a plywood stretching machine. Or warping the space time
continuum. In the meantime, I thought I'd ask the wreck.

Thanks!

Xtra tall bookcases - how?
 

Sure Tom, go ahead and fing words around like "plinth". You're making me
look bad.

;-)

You can set your eight foot bookcase on a six inch plinth and apply a
six inch cornice to the top.

Xtra tall bookcases - how?
 

Charlie Self wrote:

[snip]

Look for some place that sells 9' plywood. It's available, usually fairly
easily found if you check local lumber dealers, plywood dealers, but don't
expect to find any at HD or Lowe's.

Failing that, build it 8' tall in 2 sections, with a 1' tall center section
with, maybe, a drawer or 2 in it. Might also be a bottom section.

Charlie Self

You can sometimes find 4x10 ply at local outlets. Noticed some at the
orange borg once. Then make them in two sections as Charlie says. This
has the added benefit that you can get close to nine actual feet (you
slide the top part in place, rather than standing the whole thing).
mahalo,
jo4hn

Xtra tall bookcases - how?
 

"Stephen M" wrote in
:

Sure Tom, go ahead and fing words around like "plinth". You're making me
look bad.

;-)

You can set your eight foot bookcase on a six inch plinth and apply a
six inch cornice to the top.



I was really happy that I didn't have to go and look them up, on Google or
otherwise. ;-)

Patriarch

Xtra tall bookcases - how?
 

Two units... A five footer and a four footer...

BUT

How are you gonna get to those books up at 7' or 8' ???



patrick conroy wrote:

Thinking about doing floor-ceiling bookcases in my study. Ceiling is 9' in
there.

Xtra tall bookcases - how?
 

Are you not the same guy who got accused of not
helping people and just being a poet ???

Tom Watson wrote:

You can set your eight foot bookcase on a six inch plinth and apply a
six inch cornice to the top.

Xtra tall bookcases - how?
 

On Thu, 01 Jul 2004 19:51:25 GMT, Pat Barber
wrote:

Two units... A five footer and a four footer...

BUT

How are you gonna get to those books up at 7' or 8' ???

I've got a lot of books that I only get to once in a great while (like
when I move). A 9' shelf would be great.

Personally I'd build it with a 6" base and close the top with 6"
crown. You are going to need to have a bit of working room height-wise
anyway because it is very difficult to get a 9' piece stood up in a 9'
room.

TAHNK YOU - was "Xtra tall bookcases - how"
 

Thank you Charile, John, Leon, Tom, Stephen, Pat, Tim and Patriarch!

Xtra tall bookcases - how?
 

"Stephen M" wrote in message
...


Sure Tom, go ahead and fing words around like "plinth". You're making me
look bad.


I learned two things, the second being there's no 'e' in plinth.

Xtra tall bookcases - how?
 

"Pat Barber" wrote in message
...


How are you gonna get to those books up at 7' or 8' ???


I'll get 'em up there. But that's where all my wife's Condensed Books are
heading.
I'm prolly less embarrased about the porno^H^H^H^H^Hart books.

Xtra tall bookcases - how?
 

Just wondering - if I want to skip the base cabinet approach - and make a 9'
tall bookcase, what are some of the techniques involved? How do you folks
get 9' of sides out of a 8' hunk o' plywood?



fabricated and installed floor to ceiling (9') wall to wall cherry
bookcases in a den this spring. built a 2x6 base to set each 8' unit
on. wrapped it in a cherry base we made. installed a valance backer
at ceiling. covered it in a cherry valance and added crown. looked
awesome. have pics. will try posting later.

building 9' units is risky. in 10+ years of
construction/remodeling/carpentry i have never seen a perfect ceiling
or floor. plus, you can't stand a 9' cabinet up in a room with 9'
ceilings.

Xtra tall bookcases - how?
 

On 7/1/2004 11:23 AM Eastern Daylight TimeFrom: "patrick conroy"
asked

snip:
Just wondering - if I want to skip the base cabinet approach - and make a 9'
tall bookcase, what are some of the techniques involved? How do you folks
get 9' of sides out of a 8' hunk o' plywood?


I would use solid wood for the actual sides: stronger and more species
available

TAHNK YOU - was "Xtra tall bookcases - how"
 

"patrick conroy" wrote in message
...


Thank you all - got some great ideas!

Xtra tall bookcases - how?
 

In article ,
patrick conroy wrote:
Thinking about doing floor-ceiling bookcases in my study. Ceiling is 9' in
there.

In another room I'm doing base cabinets with the bookcase on top of them -
to overcome limitations of a 8' sheet of hardwood plywood.

Just wondering - if I want to skip the base cabinet approach - and make a 9'
tall bookcase, what are some of the techniques involved? How do you folks
get 9' of sides out of a 8' hunk o' plywood?

I've considering asking the same dude that auctioned off the Time Machine to
see if he has a plywood stretching machine. Or warping the space time
continuum. In the meantime, I thought I'd ask the wreck.


Odd that you should mention that. See Wood Magazine, the June/July 2004
issue. Page 18. Lower right.

Xtra tall bookcases - how?
 

"patrick conroy" wrote in
:

Thinking about doing floor-ceiling bookcases in my study. Ceiling is
9' in there.

In another room I'm doing base cabinets with the bookcase on top of
them - to overcome limitations of a 8' sheet of hardwood plywood.

Just wondering - if I want to skip the base cabinet approach - and
make a 9' tall bookcase, what are some of the techniques involved? How
do you folks get 9' of sides out of a 8' hunk o' plywood?


'fraid I don't know about sides - when I had to do the same thing for a
10' ceiling I used solid pine sides and just ply for the back (which I used
two 5' sheets that met behind a fixed shelf in the middle.

As for the walls/ceiling not being square - no biggie - just screw it to
the wall and it won't fall over.

And you actually *can* get a 10' bookcase to stand up in a 10' room - IF
you have cornices in the room. I cut the cornice profile into the back
edge of the side, and it went up without a drama.

And those pesky books getting to the top shelf - build a ladder. Nice one
with wheels on it so you can slide it back and forth (although that's kinda
pointless for a single bookcase - I had a total of just over 3.6 metres in
width by 10' high along a wall).

Hope something in here helps.

--
--------------------------------------------------------------------
| Mike Berriman | Try not. Do. Or do not. |
| Perth, Western Australia | There is NO try. |
| | - Yoda 1980 |
|------------------------------------------------------------------|
| "Nietzsche is dead." |
| --God. |
--------------------------------------------------------------------

Xtra tall bookcases - how?
 

Charlie:
Think about how you will install and trim the boxes. You can probably make
up most of the 1" with the way you construct:

1) You are going to have to be short of 9" just to stand the cases up.

2) If you put your bottom shelf up about 6" - 8" off of the floor, this will
allow you to set the "boxes" on a 2x platform and trim up to from the floor
to a location on the front of the hardwood box. This trim might consist of
several pieces that suggest base trim and some detail. This will give the
illusion the bookcases extend all the way from the floor.

3) Likewise you can leave space between the top of the box and ceiling to
fill and trim with appropriate mouldings. This will also keep you from
dinging up the ceiling when you set them up. As a previous post suggested,
you cannot expect the ceiling to be flat. Your top layer of moulding will
have to be a little flexible to make for up some of the waves you don't
notice now.

"Charlie Self" wrote in message
...
Patrick Conroy asks:

Thinking about doing floor-ceiling bookcases in my study. Ceiling is 9'
in
there.

In another room I'm doing base cabinets with the bookcase on top of
them -
to overcome limitations of a 8' sheet of hardwood plywood.

Just wondering - if I want to skip the base cabinet approach - and make a
9'
tall bookcase, what are some of the techniques involved? How do you folks
get 9' of sides out of a 8' hunk o' plywood?

I've considering asking the same dude that auctioned off the Time Machine
to
see if he has a plywood stretching machine. Or warping the space time
continuum. In the meantime, I thought I'd ask the wreck.

Look for some place that sells 9' plywood. It's available, usually fairly
easily found if you check local lumber dealers, plywood dealers, but don't
expect to find any at HD or Lowe's.

Failing that, build it 8' tall in 2 sections, with a 1' tall center
section
with, maybe, a drawer or 2 in it. Might also be a bottom section.

Charlie Self
"It is even harder for the average ape to believe that he has descended
from
man."
H. L. Mencken

Xtra tall bookcases - how?
 

Sorry - meant to say 1' not 1"

"RonB" wrote in message
news:MmyIc.69037$rn1.23856@okepread07...
Charlie:
Think about how you will install and trim the boxes. You can probably
make
up most of the 1" with the way you construct:

1) You are going to have to be short of 9" just to stand the cases up.

2) If you put your bottom shelf up about 6" - 8" off of the floor, this
will
allow you to set the "boxes" on a 2x platform and trim up to from the
floor
to a location on the front of the hardwood box. This trim might consist
of
several pieces that suggest base trim and some detail. This will give the
illusion the bookcases extend all the way from the floor.

3) Likewise you can leave space between the top of the box and ceiling to
fill and trim with appropriate mouldings. This will also keep you from
dinging up the ceiling when you set them up. As a previous post
suggested,
you cannot expect the ceiling to be flat. Your top layer of moulding will
have to be a little flexible to make for up some of the waves you don't
notice now.

"Charlie Self" wrote in message
...
Patrick Conroy asks:

Thinking about doing floor-ceiling bookcases in my study. Ceiling is 9'
in
there.

In another room I'm doing base cabinets with the bookcase on top of
them -
to overcome limitations of a 8' sheet of hardwood plywood.

Just wondering - if I want to skip the base cabinet approach - and make
a
9'
tall bookcase, what are some of the techniques involved? How do you
folks
get 9' of sides out of a 8' hunk o' plywood?

I've considering asking the same dude that auctioned off the Time
Machine
to
see if he has a plywood stretching machine. Or warping the space time
continuum. In the meantime, I thought I'd ask the wreck.

Look for some place that sells 9' plywood. It's available, usually
fairly
easily found if you check local lumber dealers, plywood dealers, but
don't
expect to find any at HD or Lowe's.

Failing that, build it 8' tall in 2 sections, with a 1' tall center
section
with, maybe, a drawer or 2 in it. Might also be a bottom section.

Charlie Self
"It is even harder for the average ape to believe that he has descended
from
man."
H. L. Mencken