Daughter wants to put 3 to 4 'peninsulas' into the attic/apartment to break up the 50 foot length. These would be built perpendicular to the wall, stick out 3.5 feet and be about 28-30 inches high.
I would like to build a box out of 2x10 lumber and screw it to the floor joists and adjacent wall for stability. The final look should be white melamine or equivalent. Top will get a 2x12x1/2" board. Everything will need to end up white.

What's the easiest way to go from a "2x10" box to a decent looking bookcase.. A shelf midway up from the bottom would also be nice. The back can be 1/4" melamine panel. What's next? False horizontal member to get the books 3-5 inches off the floor? Build a face frame? Line all the 2-by material with 1/4" melamine?
Help !!

Thanks, Ivan Vegvary

On 9/30/2013 9:34 AM, Ivan Vegvary wrote:
Daughter wants to put 3 to 4 'peninsulas' into the attic/apartment to break up the 50 foot length. These would be built perpendicular to the wall,

stick out 3.5 feet and be about 28-30 inches high.
I would like to build a box out of 2x10 lumber and screw it to the floor joists and adjacent wall for stability. The final look should be white melamine or equivalent. Top will get a 2x12x1/2" board. Everything will need to end up white.

What's the easiest way to go from a "2x10" box to a decent looking bookcase. A shelf midway up from the bottom would also be nice. The back can be 1/4" melamine panel. What's next? False horizontal member to get the books 3-5 inches off the floor? Build a face frame? Line all the 2-by material with 1/4" melamine?
Help !!

Thanks, Ivan Vegvary

First think in terms of the individual book cases. I thing that for a
bookcase that is 40" long and 30 inches high, a 2X10's would be over kill.

If I were making it I would make it similar to the one in Popular Mechanics.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/home...orking/1273111

I would also may make two bookcases for each peninsula, and fasten them
back to back. This would do two things. One it would give more storage
space, and make it such the the unit could be moved as your daughter
changes her decorating ideas. You may consider putting doors on one of
the two bookcase so she would have spaces to hid stuff.

The idea of a melamine is good, but I would build the book cases with a
top frame, and then go down to Lowes, Home Depot or similar store and
have tops made like they use for kitchen cabinets. Maybe with rounded
corners and edges, in the color of your choice.

Thank you doctor! I was thinking heavy in case one of her guests wants to plop his butt on top.

Ivan Vegvary wrote:

Daughter wants to put 3 to 4 'peninsulas' into the attic/apartment to
break up the 50 foot length. These would be built perpendicular to the
wall, stick out 3.5 feet and be about 28-30 inches high.
I would like to build a box out of 2x10 lumber and screw it to the floor
joists and adjacent wall for stability. The final look should be white
melamine or equivalent. Top will get a 2x12x1/2" board. Everything will
need to end up white.

What's the easiest way to go from a "2x10" box to a decent looking
bookcase. A shelf midway up from the bottom would also be nice. The
back
can be 1/4" melamine panel. What's next? False horizontal member to get
the books 3-5 inches off the floor? Build a face frame? Line all the
2-by material with 1/4" melamine? Help !!

Thanks, Ivan Vegvary

Ivan, it looks to me like you are over building by several hundred percent.
Quite often when you go heavier, all you get is heavier - and could wind up
with something very much less usable than you might think.

Remember, we are talking "bookcase/shelves" here, not something to hold
an M1 tank.

If it were me, I would build the carcass out of 3/4 melamine with a 3" toe
kick, one or two shelves and a face frame.

Deb

"Ivan Vegvary" wrote:

Daughter wants to put 3 to 4 'peninsulas' into the attic/apartment
to break up the 50 foot length. These would be built perpendicular
to the wall, stick out 3.5 feet and be about 28-30 inches high.
I would like to build a box out of 2x10 lumber and screw it to the
floor joists and adjacent wall for stability. The final look should
be white melamine or equivalent. Top will get a 2x12x1/2" board.
Everything will need to end up white.

What's the easiest way to go from a "2x10" box to a decent looking
bookcase. A shelf midway up from the bottom would also be nice. The
back can be 1/4" melamine panel. What's next? False horizontal
member to get the books 3-5 inches off the floor? Build a face frame?
Line all the 2-by material with 1/4" melamine?

--------------------------------------------------
You want a bookcase, not a bomb bunkerG.

Go to here and check out plans of several bookcases along with the
step by step construction method.

http://tinyurl.com/km3e6bc

Lew

On 9/30/13 10:14 AM, Lew Hodgett wrote:
"Ivan Vegvary" wrote:

Daughter wants to put 3 to 4 'peninsulas' into the attic/apartment
to break up the 50 foot length. These would be built perpendicular
to the wall, stick out 3.5 feet and be about 28-30 inches high.
I would like to build a box out of 2x10 lumber and screw it to the
floor joists and adjacent wall for stability. The final look should
be white melamine or equivalent. Top will get a 2x12x1/2" board.
Everything will need to end up white.

What's the easiest way to go from a "2x10" box to a decent looking
bookcase. A shelf midway up from the bottom would also be nice. The
back can be 1/4" melamine panel. What's next? False horizontal
member to get the books 3-5 inches off the floor? Build a face frame?
Line all the 2-by material with 1/4" melamine?

--------------------------------------------------
You want a bookcase, not a bomb bunkerG.

Go to here and check out plans of several bookcases along with the
step by step construction method.

http://tinyurl.com/km3e6bc

Lew


I agree. Just build the bookcases you want and make accommodations for
attaching them to the floor. I make the bottom shelf removable to access
the bottom of the case for whatever I use to attach them to the floor.


--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com

---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

Hey group, thanks! Making the cases relocatable is a great idea! It also means that they can be built off site.
Ivan Vegvary

On Monday, September 30, 2013 8:34:18 AM UTC-5, Ivan Vegvary wrote:
Daughter wants to put 3 to 4 'peninsulas' into the attic/apartment to break up the 50 foot length.

This simple, small bookcase was used in college, almost 40 yrs ago, and is now used in my upholstery shop. It's nailed together and stable. You could improve on it, make it prettier, max stablillity with better jointery, make it a little larger (this one's 27"L X 22.5"H X 9.5"W. It's simple decor, can be moved, butted with another. I've made several of these (improved design & jointery) for several family member's children. Or maybe use aspects of its design for whatever bookcase you build. 3 pics: http://www.flickr.com/photos/43836144@N04/10024949314/

Does your bookcase need to be attached to the wall or floor? For the heigth you're suggesting, I would think a free standing case would do fine.

Sonny

On 9/30/2013 10:42 AM, Ivan Vegvary wrote:
Thank you doctor! I was thinking heavy in case one of her guests wants to plop his butt on top.

I am no expert, but I recently built a set of 3/4" plywood bookcases
with face frames (glued) and backs (rabbeted and screwed). The whole
frame was 3/4" ply, with all of the shelves dadoed and glued into the
uprights. The tops of my units are in no danger of being sat on (they
sit about 8' high), but they are easily strong enough.

If I were designing a 35" wide unit for the possibility of it becoming
occasional seating, I'd probably put in a middle upright as well. That
should make it strong enough for even your daughter's heftiest friends.

On Mon, 30 Sep 2013 07:42:18 -0700 (PDT), Ivan Vegvary
wrote:

Thank you doctor! I was thinking heavy in case one of her guests wants to plop his butt on top.

Right, at 28" high, you are inviting people to sit. At 40" no so
much. Or glue shards of broken glass on the top.