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A asy- o-fo ow guid o achi vi g a p f c su . Ou i s a h oo s you wi d fo h job. I c ud s a ma ia s ch ck is .

PLEASE NOTE:Before starting this project or buying any materials, it is worth your time toread all steps thoroughly first to be sure you understand what is required.

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MItrePlAn PrOJeCt PlAnner

Build a bookcase

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MIGhTY TOOLS fORYOuR MITREPLAN

Ver al q otes are indicative only. Written q otes on materialsare availa le pon req est rom yo r Mitre 10 store.

PRICE

MIGhTY hELPfuL ChECkLIST

Tim erBe sure to specify dressed all round (DAR) whenpurchasing. Lengths can be supplied sufficient foryou to cut the required pieces. When ordering, besure to say that your needs are for lengths fromwhich 780mm pieces will be cut. Or, you can ordercut-to-length at extra cost, ready to assemble.

5 pieces 190 x 19 x 780mm1 kickboard 90 x 19 x 780mm1 backing sheet810 x 690 x 4mm pine ply

hardware

10 50mm x 8 gauge counter sunkwood screws and 10 9.5mm screwhead button caps (refer Step 1)or4 5mm shelf supports3 22 x 22mm angle brackets6 16mm x 6 gauge anglebracket screwsPkt. 20mm bullet head nails to fixbacking sheetClear pine finish or pigment stain

An alternativehis bookcase can also be built with particleboard, which is generally less expensive than timber. Its available

n a range of standard sheet sizes with either a plain finish for painting, or veneered with realistic woodgrainatterns and colours that need no finishing. However, any cut front edges will need to be disguised to give alean finish a matching pre-glued edging that you simply iron on is available. A single particleboard sheet200 x 900 x 18mm will provide all pieces with little wastage. If screwing together, be sure to ask for screws

with a thread specially designed for particleboard. And dont hesitate to seek advice and assistance atour Mitre 10 store.

Power drill and its

Power saw or and sawPower sander and

sandpaper

Meas ring tape or r lerPencil

Carpenters sq areAd sta le pipe clamps

Screwdriver

ORDER

Visi mi 10.com.au fo mo S

Make a place to store your stories with help fromMitre 10.

heres a andsome way to store youravourite ooks. All you need are

average andyperson skills, t e rig ttools, and a ew spare ours. Wevec osen to uild t is ookcase romRadiata Pine or its attractive naturalknotty appearance and colour. Its oneo t e easiest tim ers to work wit .

T e design is asically a simple ox,approximately 820 x 780 x 190mm,wit an adjusta le centre s el .Its suita le or most ard acks.but you can easily vary t e dimensionsto suit ooks o any size. for example,

standard pine sizes include 140mmwidt s, ideal or pocket ooks.Or c oose 240mm widt i you avemostly large ooks.

T e c oice is yours. W ats more,youll get a real kick out o uildingit yoursel , wit t e elp o t e

step- y-step MitrePlan guide.

fig. 1

fig. 2

Step 1: C oose your joint ittingsToday, you dont have to be a cabinet or furnituremaker to join timber securely. There are now manyconcealed assembly aids that you can buy to achieve aprofessional result using the simplest of all joints thebutt joint (the joining of two pieces at right angles toeach other). These aids not only offer you a quick andeasy way to join timber, but they allow you to easilydismantle your bookcase for storage or moving.Some assembly aids you can use for this projectinclude matching pine button caps and plasticblock fittings.The pine button caps allow you to simply screw thepieces together (Fig. 1) and then conceal the screwheads neatly and decoratively to give your bookcasea professional finishing touch.Plastic block fittings (Fig. 2), come in two parts that

are separately screwed to the two pieces that youre joining. A screw or bolt is then inserted to clamp thetwo parts together. Removal of this single screw orbolt allows you to easily dismantle the pieces.

Step 2: Prepare materialsIf youve ordered your pine cut-to-length, you canproceed immediately to the next step. If not, youll findmaking your bookcase easier if you cut and prepare allpieces first.Start by measuring out the first piece 780mm longand pencil a line across the board using yourcarpenters square. Cut the board to length on theoutside of the ruled line. Then do the same for theremaining four pieces and kickboard. Check withyour carpenters square that all cut ends are square.Youll achieve more accurate results here by cuttingthe timber with a sharp handsaw.

Step 3: Pre-drill olesBefore assembling, drill the holes for the top and

bottom shelf positions on the inside of both sides.Measure up 109mm from the bottom of each side toallow for the height of the front kickboard (90mm) andthe thickness of the bottom shelf (19mm), and rule aline across (Fig. 3).Next, measure down 24mm from the top of each sideand rule a similar line across. The top shelf will befixed 5mm down the sides and this line represents thebottom of the top shelf (Fig. 3).Now check that your measurements and markings oneach side are the same. Then decide where you wantthe middle shelf to be positioned and measure andmark this point on both sides.Lay the pieces flat and drill 5mm holes 10mm deep forthe shelf supports (Fig. 3). To make sure the holes youdrill are straight, stand your carpenters square upright

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block fittings Two block fittings are screwed into position on theinside of each side underneath both the top and bottom shelves.Measure in 30mm from the front and back on the bottom of theshelves and pencil in a line. Place the edge of one part of theblock fitting inside the drawn line and flush with the end of theboard. Then screw it into position first drilling the holes slightlysmaller than the diameter of the screw.Do the same on the sides with the other part of the block fittingsand fix the parts together with a single screw or bolt (Fig. 6).Its that easy.

Step 5: Add t e kick oardWhen the sides, top and bottom are firmly fixed together, turnthe box frame upside down and fit the kickboard to supportthe bookcase at the front and provide toe room. The kickboardfits between the two sides, set in up to 25mm from the front.Secure it to the underside of the bottom shelf with an anglebracket and screws at both ends (Fig. 7).Also drill a hole through each side into approximately the centreof the kickboard and fix with screws and a button cap as before.Or, if youre using blocks, give it extra strength with fittings setabout 150mm in from either end.

Step 6: Add t e ack Now, lay the unit face down and measure diagonally to oppositecorners. When both measurements are exactly the same, yourbookcase is square.Then measure and cut the backing sheet to fit from the top shelf tothe bottom shelf and nail onto the shelves and both sides.If the back of the bookcase rests on the walls skirting board,measure the boards height and depth and cut out a correspondingpiece from each side of the bookcase. This will allow it to fit on topof the skirting board and sit flush with the wall (Fig. 7).

Step 7: fit t e s elFinally, push the shelf supports into the holes that you previouslydrilled in the sides. Then simply place your shelf on them (Fig. 8 ).If you find its too high or too low for the books you want to store,

its an easy matter to adjust the shelf by moving the supports tothe holes at the required height.

Step 8: T e inis ing toucNow all thats left is to give your new pine bookcase a protectivecoat. You could paint it, but that would hide the timbers natural richamber colour. So instead, you may prefer to use a clear Pine Finishwhich brings out the timbers true beauty while giving it a tough,satin finish. If you do want colour to mix or match with existingfurniture or to add a bright, cheery note to a childs room, choose aPigment Stain. They add colour without hiding the timbers grain and theyre available in decorator colours as well as timber tones.The choice is yours. But before coating your bookcase, be sureto sand the entire surface to a smooth finish. And be sure to sandwith the grain, particularly if using a clear finish sanding acrossthe grain will leave scratches. Then remove all traces of dust ordirt with a damp cloth to achieve the best result.

close to the drill while youre doing it. Wrap a piece of tapearound the drill bit to the required depth to prevent you fromdrilling through to the other side. Drill as many shelf adjustmentholes as you like. But be careful to locate all holes opposite eachother so the shelf will sit level on the four pins in any position.

Step 4: Put it toget erWhether using timber screws or plastic block fittings, thetop is set down 5mm and the bottom up 90mm (Fig. 4).Tim er Screws & Caps If using 50mm x 8 gauge screws,clamp the top and bottom shelves into place. Check that alledges are flush and that the shelves are level.You may need an extra pair of hands here to hold the piecestogether until you get them firmly clamped. Its also a good ideato place a piece of scrap timber under the jaws of the clamp onboth sides to prevent it from marking the surface of the board.Now measure in 40mm from the front and back on the outside

where each shelf joins the sides. Drill two holes slightly smallerthan the diameter of the 8 gauge screw through the sides andinto each shelf to a depth of 55mm (Fig. 5). Follow this bydrilling 9.5mm holes through the sides only to a depth of 5mm.Then fix the top and bottom shelves to the sides with the screws.Cover the holes and screws with 9.5mm pine button caps togive a neat finish.

fig. 3

fig. 4

fig. 8

fig. 5

fig. 6

fig. 7

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Yo r local MITRE 10 Store is:

IMPORTANT: This project planner has been produced to providebasic information and our experienced staff are available to answer anyquestions you may have. However, this information is provided for useon the understanding that Mitre 10 is not liable for any loss or damagewhich is suffered or incurred (including but not limited to indirect orconsequential loss), for any personal injury or damage to property sufferedor sustained as a result of using the information contained in this MitrePlanProject Planner. Mitre 10 advises you to call in a qualified tradesperson,such as an electrician or plumber, where expert services are required,and to independently assess any safety precautions that will need to befollowed prior to using the information inthis MitrePlan Project Planner.

WARNING: There may be by laws orregulations of councils or other statutorybodies that you must comply with whenfollowing this MitrePlan Project Planner.

MIGhTY hELPfuLhINTS TO MAkEThE jOb EASIER Measuring is easy, materialsare expensive. Double check allmeasurements and markingsbefore you cut any piece

of timber. To make sure the holesyou drill in the sides for shelfsupport are straight, laythe sides flat and stand acarpenters square uprightclose to the drill while doing it.

When cutting the backingpiece to fit, cut it up to 5mmless than the overall height and

width of your bookcase. Thisway, when you nail on it, it willbe much less noticeable.

The jaws of clamps canmark the surface of timber orboard. Prevent this by puttinga scrap block of timber oneither side of the pieces to beclamped and under the jaws ofthe clamp.

When sawing, the wastemust be supported and keptlevel with the rest of the boardwith your free hand. On longpieces of waste, get a helperto take the weight, but makesure your friend doesnt lift theboard or the saw will jam.

Always match the size ofthe screwdriver to the size ofthe screw the width of the

blade should be the same asthe screw slot. And youll findit easier if you use the longestscrewdriver possible youllget more leverage that way.

When using power tools,always use suitable safetyprotection including ear muffs,goggles and mask if necessary.And never use power tools ona wet or damp floor.

Build a bookcase

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