# Bin Bookshelf Build



## <*(((>< (Feb 24, 2010)

Bin Bookshelf Build

Here is a bin bookshelf that my wife has been wanting for some time now. She showed me some pictures of what she wanted and away I went from there.

Materials: 3/4" birch ply (1-1/2 sheets), 1x pine, 1/8" ply (1/2 sheet), 8' pine crown molding

Size: the 1st picture of the just the bins is 3'T x 4'W

Joinery: dado's and rabbets, glued up legs with a rabbet.

Current Stage: I need to glue up a pine top to be attached to the top of the crown molding creating a flat surface on top to set things on. Then on to sanding and staining an ebony color, to match the entertainment center I had already built, at this point I have about 9-10 hours into it and $160.

Sorry for some of the fuzzy pics, it was a cellphone.


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## Shop Dad (May 3, 2011)

Looks good! I like the crown. Adds a nice touch.


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## <*(((>< (Feb 24, 2010)

Thanks for the comment!


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## Shop Dad (May 3, 2011)

We got our kids something similar from Ikea (hey it was before I had a shop!) and they have been a nice, versatile addition to their rooms. I'm liking yours though. What finish will you use?


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## mikeintexas (Oct 25, 2011)

Very nice! The crown makes it look spendy. How are the legs constructed and attached? I'm learning.


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## <*(((>< (Feb 24, 2010)

Sorry for the bad pic I have some pictures from when I built our entertainment center that will show the finish better but they are on my computer at home. I'll dig them out tonight an post them.


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## <*(((>< (Feb 24, 2010)

mikeintexas said:


> Very nice! The crown makes it look spendy. How are the legs constructed and attached? I'm learning.


The legs are three pine 1"x3" glued together and ripped down to 2-1/2" square. I then put a rabbet on the interior corner of the legs to wrap around the corner of the cabinet. It was glued and nailed to the side. The rabbets stopped short to give a ledge at the bottom of the legs rabbet for the bottom corners to rest on them, taking the weight off the nails and glue.

The crown makes it look expensive, the nice thing is the crown only cost me ~$12.


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## mikeintexas (Oct 25, 2011)

Thanks for the details! That last sentence is what I really wanted to know. Smart...stopped rabbet. /mental note on that 

There are many things I'd like to build for our house...keeping quiet about them for now as I don't want the Honeydo list getting any longer than it already is. :shifty:


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## <*(((>< (Feb 24, 2010)

mikeintexas said:


> Thanks for the details! That last sentence is what I really wanted to know. Smart...stopped rabbet. /mental note on that
> 
> There are many things I'd like to build for our house...keeping quiet about them for now as I don't want the Honeydo list getting any longer than it already is. :shifty:


Smart man!


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## gus1962 (Jan 9, 2013)

Well done! It's great to construct such a functional work! Clean your blades! Part of that is made of pine, resin build up may occur


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## <*(((>< (Feb 24, 2010)

gus1962 said:


> Well done! It's great to construct such a functional work! Clean your blades! Part of that is made of pine, resin build up may occur


Good suggestion, as pine is notorious for that, my ripping blade, just from this project is in need of a cleaning.


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## MagGeorge (Jul 5, 2012)

I like the design and the sturdy build and the crown added a great accent. The ebony stain will make it more sleek and will totally match your existing entertainment center. Great work!


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## thegrgyle (Jan 11, 2011)

That is a fantastic looking shelving unit. I have to make sure to not look at that when my wife is around, or I will have another thing on my honeydo list.

How do you do the ebony finish? do you use india ink and then topcote that with a sealer?


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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

Very nice! The crown does add a nice, classy touch to it. And the way you did the sides is sharp, man. Well done :thumbsup:


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## RogerInColorado (Jan 16, 2013)

Looks great! Can't wait to see the finish.


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## <*(((>< (Feb 24, 2010)

Again thanks for the comments! I've always enjoyed seeing other people's work, glad I could contribute a little. I have some older projects that I need to find the pictures of and post as well. 

The ebony finish is just a miniwax ebony which usually is really black, we wanted a little hint of red in the stain so I took a little bit of the stain out and took it to a paint shop and had them mix in some red. As the were mixing it I would stop them periodically and test it on a piece of scrap I brought with me until I got the right color. I put 2 coats of stain on it, mix up some nail putty to match, fill any holes and then 3 coats of poly, sanding in between.

I haven't had any time to finish this in the past few days but hope to get it finished in the next week or so and post the finished product.


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## <*(((>< (Feb 24, 2010)

Just finished installing the top and sanding it down, now it's ready for finish.


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## ctwiggs1 (Mar 30, 2011)

Luke,

do you have any tips by chance on the dado process? It looks like something that could easily get painful if the dados are off by even 1/16th. Did you dado one full sheet of ply and then cut it in strips?

Thanks,

Curtis


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## <*(((>< (Feb 24, 2010)

ctwiggs1 said:


> Luke,
> 
> do you have any tips by chance on the dado process? It looks like something that could easily get painful if the dados are off by even 1/16th. Did you dado one full sheet of ply and then cut it in strips?
> 
> ...


Yes, you are exactly right on both accounts, it is very easy to get off by a 1/16th, and that it is best to plan out your dados on the sheet and do it all on one piece. 

What I did is for the 4 longer shelves, I cut the the sheet of plywood down to a little OVER the amount needed to cut the four shelves, then I dado'd them all on one side. Then I ripped them all down on the table saw to size, and making sure to mark the orientation of each, so that they are used in the same direction that the dado's were cut. 

The two center shelves need a dado on the other side as well. So what I did is built a simple jig making a right angle out of scraps of plywood screwed to a sheet of plywood. This allowed me to line up the two shelves together, and then attach a block on the other two sides opposite the right angle jig, to secure them in place. Then I dado'd them, and it gave me good results.

Hope that all is clear, if not I will try and help out further. Thanks for the comments!

EDIT: Forgot to mention I did all of my dado's with a router.


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## <*(((>< (Feb 24, 2010)

Finished with the stain, will be putting several coats of poly on and sanding in between. It looks blacker than it actually is, I had a custom ebony stain made, by adding some red tint into it.


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## jlouki01 (Feb 25, 2013)

At first I was like wow.. a divider shelf... then BLAMO crown molding! What a difference that made. Looks like a nice piece of furniture!


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## <*(((>< (Feb 24, 2010)

1st coat of polyurethane, now on to sanding again.


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## <*(((>< (Feb 24, 2010)

Finished! And the wife's happy so all is good in the world. It will have a few more cubes put in it, as well as store cookbooks and knick knacks.


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## Shop Dad (May 3, 2011)

That looks great. Nice work Luke!


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## MasterSplinter (Jan 12, 2013)

Great job. Im sure your kids will fill it up fast.


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## jlouki01 (Feb 25, 2013)

It's very rewarding when the wife is happy.


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## <*(((>< (Feb 24, 2010)

Thanks for the comments. My wife says this is off limits to our 1.5 yr old daughter, we'll see how that goes and with a sibling coming here in a few weeks, it'll be divide and conquer for my wife running after both of thems during the day.

But there will be some bins for toys and books for the kids.


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