Oak bookcases - dominoes or connectors

[mazdaq100]

(sorry, hit Save accidentally too soon)

With a 9.5" board, you're losing 4", so putting 5 "things" into 5.5" seems pretty tight. Maybe just 2 of each, and maybe:

Front of Unit -- Connector -- Domino -- Connector -- Domino -- Back of Unit

I think some of what I'd do depended on how the unit is attached to the wall. Given it doesn't have an attached back, I'd be careful about what's supporting what.

So, first thing is I'd make the bottom the full width, with the vertical sides resting on top of it. That way, at least, you could attach the bottom to the wall and it would support the bookcase in compression, rather than tension. Tension would rely on the connectors/glued dominos, and I think it's better to have mechanical support.

But, you're also going to want to attach the top and/or the sides as well so that the bookcase doesn't fall forward. L-brackets are ugly unless they're hidden somehow.

The units all have a plinth at the bottom so I'd planned the verticals to run bottom to the top but with the top of the unit spanning the full width. I was then going to fix an oak batten to the underside of the top shelf with pocket screws and then screw through that into the wall. Then probably repeat that below one of the middle shelves. I guess I could also do another one below the lowest but one shelf as this would be out of sight?

The more I think about it, the more I regret taking this on. A lot to handle for a one man band. Good learning curve!

 

[timwors]

Left-field suggestion... why not do it all in your shop (Dominos and glue), and then hire a "man with a van" to take it to the client? They can then help you carry it inside. Might be cheaper than hiring the van yourself for the day and then also having to pay someone else to help move the units?

 

[luvmytoolz]

Would you guys glue the dominoes into the upright mortices or leave them dry? To be able to disassemble in the future, should leave them dry obviously although the client hasn't requested that. I'm just wondering how much extra stress gluing up will add when assembling on site and whether it will make that much of a difference.

Personally I'd glue the crap out of it. If they're going to the trouble to have these commissioned, I think it's safe to say they aren't planning anything beyond them, and anything you can do to make it a more robust structure is better for you and them.

 

[mazdaq100]

Left-field suggestion... why not do it all in your shop (Dominos and glue), and then hire a "man with a van" to take it to the client? They can then help you carry it inside. Might be cheaper than hiring the van yourself for the day and then also having to pay someone else to help move the units?

Thanks, good idea. Will definitely look into that.

 

[Packard]

(sorry, hit Save accidentally too soon)

With a 9.5" board, you're losing 4", so putting 5 "things" into 5.5" seems pretty tight. Maybe just 2 of each, and maybe:

Front of Unit -- Connector -- Domino -- Connector -- Domino -- Back of Unit

Your arrangement is better. I did not do the arithmetic, and my standard shelf is 11-1/2” wide.

The testing done for the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers’ Association by an external testing firm, showed that if a fastener was less than 2” from the edge, the edge would fail earlier than the rest of the joint. Their recommendation was to move the fasteners inboard further to 2”. I have always done so since studying the test results.

In any case, I feel it is solid information, regardless of the chosen fastener.

 

[smorgasbord]

The units all have a plinth at the bottom so I'd planned the verticals to run bottom to the top but with the top of the unit spanning the full width. I was then going to fix an oak batten to the underside of the top shelf with pocket screws and then screw through that into the wall. Then probably repeat that below one of the middle shelves.

Just remember, if you hang by one shelf, that shelf is carrying the entire weight of the bookcase and books.

 

[Packard]

Books can be heavy. All weights are approximate and various Internet sites list different values. But a 3 foot shelf of paperbacks would be about 20 pounds. The same size shelf of small hard cover books would be about 60 pounds. Text books will not fit on a 9-1/2” shelf, so no need to do the calculation.

Happily, LP records are not in abundance anymore. They weigh about 8 ounces per record; probably 10 to 12 ounces with the jacket. About 1/4” thick with the jacket, so about 144 albums would fit. Or about 90 pounds. But you would need a much deeper shelf for albums, so not a worry.

I frequently check with Sagulator when making shelves. It will calculate the load carrying capacity of various shelves.

The Sagulator – WoodBin

1 linear foot of paper back books on a shelf = 6 pounds per foot.
1 linear foot of small hard cover books on a shelf = 20 pounds per foot
1 linear foot of text-book sized books on a shelf =. 30 to 40 pounds per foot.

 

[luvmytoolz]

@Packard last time we moved I got a stack of 2' square cartons to pack things up in. What a colossal mistake that was for the books!

Even using a trolley they weighed heaps and were really difficult to manage. Lifting them to stack was back breaking, even though we heavily culled the collection before moving. I never want to go through that again!

And as the shelves were each made to suit certain sizes, working out where to put them all back for optimal loading took a bit of time. Despite the massive weight though they're actually fixed to the walls so the front edge isn't resting on the floor.

We can play records on the player in the middle section while walking around, and the movement of the timber floor right in front of it doesn't impact the player at all.