# Monster Book-Shelves



## AlWood (Apr 18, 2010)

OK, guys, I've been away for a long while. doing not much substantial as far as ww goes, but a few weeks ago I finished finally my last project, wich I was doing for about a year (it was basically long-stop-and-short-go exercise...:laughing. Here are my finished bookshelves (only first part of a group, sigh...) Here are the links:


http://psi.ece.jhu.edu/~sasha/100casio/cimg0017.jpg

http://psi.ece.jhu.edu/~sasha/100casio/cimg0018.jpg

http://psi.ece.jhu.edu/~sasha/100casio/cimg0020.jpg



Some data: hight -- 106", width -- 48", depth -- 10", upper supports -- copper pipe; spacing between the shelves -- variable (12" and 10-1/2"), shell boards and some suppots -- oak ply (3/4"); "enveloping" wood -- poplar; verticals are build by poplar "envelop", filled by leftover lauanda ply (~3/4"). Copper isn't cheap these days, so whatever I used was a leftover of my old bookshelves project done by me about 15 years ago (oh, that was was awesome, done almost without any power tool; if anyone wants to, I can show it here too; but it will come full of books, so my appologies:yes: ).




Cheers,
Al


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*that looks great*

Nice choice of materials and the use of copper in the dividers/supports. You will need a ladder now for the books on the top shelf or do what I do....just let them get dusty. I've already read those anyway. :yes: bill


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Nice work, monster is right. Only one comment...I would make a small back to cover the wall where that switch is. You could just use 1/4", and make it a close fitted fit.












 







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## AlWood (Apr 18, 2010)

Sorry, I was trying to delete this msg; but the system doesn't want me to...


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## AlWood (Apr 18, 2010)

woodnthings said:


> Nice choice of materials and the use of copper in the dividers/supports. You will need a ladder now for the books on the top shelf or do what I do....just let them get dusty. I've already read those anyway. :yes: bill


Bill, thanks! Of course, I need a ladder, and I have one, mostly for that purpose:huh:... The thing is I need it for all my other bookshelves too; all of them reach the ceiling... See, some people think big; but I think high:laughing:! : too many books, too much dust to keep on the books instead of my lungs:yes:, etc. Here are the shelves I made 15 years ago; of all the power tools at that point, I had only a circular saw and a hand-drill; there was no drop of glue in them, and more than 300 wood-screws (of course, none of them can be seen)... OK:

ttp://psi.ece.jhu.edu/~sasha/100casio/cimg0021.jpg

 http://psi.ece.jhu.edu/~sasha/100casio/cimg0022.jpg

 http://psi.ece.jhu.edu/~sasha/100casio/cimg0023.jpg

And here is another set of shelves; this one is in a little dark hall, so I didn't work too hard to make it nice...:
 http://psi.ece.jhu.edu/~sasha/100casio/cimg0015.jpg
 http://psi.ece.jhu.edu/~sasha/100casio/cimg0016.jpg
Cheers,
Al

PS at the later point: Sorry, folks, it is only now that I've figured out what was wrong with the system when I was posting this msg first time; I hope I have fixed it by now.


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## AlWood (Apr 18, 2010)

cabinetman said:


> Nice work, monster is right. Only one comment...I would make a small back to cover the wall where that switch is. You could just use 1/4", and make it a close fitted fit.
> 
> .


There were a few considerations that led me to this little design decision about that extra divider. Basically it was to keep consistency with the rest of "image" (if there is one:yes. As to cover the wall -- yes, I thought of that too; but then I wanted to keep a full access to that switch in case anything happened to it -- anyway, in order to see the wall, one needs to come really close to that opening, and so I decided not to care too much...:yes:


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## johnnie52 (Feb 16, 2009)

So are you like Charleton Heston and buy your books by the pound, or have you read all those?

Beautiful shelves BTW. The copper adds something different to them.


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## Lola Ranch (Mar 22, 2010)

*Ladder*

Here is a ladder for a library I built a few years back. The curves were fun.

Bret


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## AlWood (Apr 18, 2010)

johnnie52 said:


> So are you like Charleton Heston and buy your books by the pound, or have you read all those?
> 
> Beautiful shelves BTW. The copper adds something different to them.


Thanks for compliment on beautiful shelves; you are generous. Charleton Heston ? well, I've seen his movies, and like the actor and the man, but don't know much about his passion for books. Well, to buy by pound would be too little by me:yes:; the books you have seen, make a small part of my entire book collection, and I would be happy to have time and attention to buy much more of them. It is not a "collection" actually -- I have read ALL of them (actually, much more than that, but I don't have in my posession all the books I've ever read -- and it is a terrible pity!!:smile; besides, most part of them are professional (all kind of theoretical physics crap, a few written by me... ), a lot of them -- still in my office on the campus... A good part of my books have been lost when I left my old country for good long ago, with both parties being happy about my departure... By now my place is getting closer to what I dreamed all my life -- books, paintings, tools, wood...

About copper -- thanks for noticing! when I was planning my first bookshelves (now full of books), I came up with that idea -- to give them sort of airy look, a somewhat architect feeling..


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## AlWood (Apr 18, 2010)

Lola Ranch said:


> Here is a ladder for a library I built a few years back. The curves were fun.
> 
> Bret


Bret, such a beautiful place you've built! :thumbsup: Those shelves & curves (and I can imagine books on them!), and piano -- and the window -- gosh! I am enveous...


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## Lola Ranch (Mar 22, 2010)

AlWood said:


> Bret, such a beautiful place you've built! :thumbsup: Those shelves & curves (and I can imagine books on them!), and piano -- and the window -- gosh! I am enveous...


It's not mine. I just did the work.


Bret


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## AlWood (Apr 18, 2010)

Lola Ranch said:


> It's not mine. I just did the work.
> Bret


I understand; yet you caught the spirit of the place, not a trivial thing... Perhaps, they gave you their ideas and sketches , but all the same -- the mastery was all yours; a top professional job, not a craftsman, but an artist... I've looked at your other work, and enjoyed it; always love to see a real professional quality in any field. Of course, I'd never be able to reach your level in ww, but then again, I do what I do with wood, mostly to enjoy myself (unfortunately, I am the only one left now to enjoy my own work...), and besides -- it is a pity that I cannot offer you to appreciate my own professional things -- it is a bit far from woodworking...:yes:

Al


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