"Simple" Stickley bookcases

[fritter63]

I just finished with these "simple" Stickley bookcases, from an article in Popular Woodworking Nov 2009.

The original article called for pocket hole joinery to keep it a fast and simple project. But how can you do that when you have a domino sitting around?  [big grin]

Only two issues. First, I convinced myself it would be easier to glue up the front and back supports before cutting to final width so everything was perfectly flush. However, that exceed the tablesaw capacity and I was having trouble getting my chopsaw square.

Now onto staining... will post finished picks when I get to it.

Using the rail to locate the domino on the line. I just used the paddles for spacing from front and back.
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Second:
Overall it was easy, but did have pull out the "ninja domino skills" to work on the lower shelfs.

The front stretcher domino slot was located after dry fitting with the shelf dominos cut, and that meant that I had no real support for the domino to make the cut. Still, I was able to do it by applying lots
of pressure on the 3/4" of support, and then plunging VERY slowly.:
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Used the medium slots for the matching mortises, just to be safe, but I probably didn't need to.

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I have to put in an unabashed plug for the RO 90 here. I was able to sand both pieces to 220 in about 15 minutes each, including detail sanding into corners with the triangular attachment. I have NEVER gotten a project ready for finish so fast before, nor have I gotten one so well sanded. On a couple of the shelves, aligment with the front was off slightly, but I just put the RO 90 in aggressive mode and sanded over the joint for a few seconds, then switch to RO to clean it up. The joint became seamless at that point.

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[Jay Knoll]

Looks great!  Thanks for the post

 

[kfitzsimons]

I've got a suggestion. How about Festool making longer dominoes so that the Domino mortise can be a through mortise on the shelf sides, so it looks even more like a Stickley bookcase? The longer dominoes could be rounded over on the edges and extend slightly past the sides of the bookcase making it look like a true through tenon.
Any opinions?

 

[tiralie]

However, that exceed the tablesaw capacity and I was having trouble getting my chopsaw square.

So how did you end up cutting them? They look good BTW. I am not a big fan of the design (books fall off the back) but they look great.

Still, I was able to do it by applying lots of pressure on the 3/4" of support, and then plunging VERY slowly.:

Yow, sounds risky, it worked though [big grin]. Couldn't you have just milled a piece the same thickness as the self offset and used that to rest the Domino on? Seems to me it would have taken as much time...
Thanks for posting.

Tim

 

[mouppe]

I've got a suggestion. How about Festool making longer dominoes so that the Domino mortise can be a through mortise on the shelf sides, so it looks even more like a Stickley bookcase? The longer dominoes could be rounded over on the edges and extend slightly past the sides of the bookcase making it look like a true through tenon.
Any opinions?

A new Domino machine is coming- there is a video of it somewhere on the site- which will use larger dominoes.

In the meantime, you can achieve the effect you want by cutting a mortise on the shelf sides, inserting a domino and flush cutting it. You can even stain it prior to insertion. It would be a false tenon, but it will give you the look you want.

 

[honeydoman]

Interesting and looks nice. Yep the ro 90 is sweet  thanks for sharing

 

[fritter63]

A new Domino machine is coming- there is a video of it somewhere on the site- which will use larger dominoes.

Interest: peaked

Which site would that be on? can you provide a link or search term?

In the meantime, you can achieve the effect you want by cutting a mortise on the shelf sides, inserting a domino and flush cutting it. You can even stain it prior to insertion. It would be a false tenon, but it will give you the look you want.

Or you could domino together two 10 mm's using a 4 mm domino. Now, THAT would be ninja skills.....  [cool]

 

[jonny round boy]

Or you could domino together two 10 mm's using a 4 mm domino. Now, THAT would be ninja skills.....  [cool]

Not really, it's quite simple:

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[tongue]

 

[fritter63]

Or you could domino together two 10 mm's using a 4 mm domino. Now, THAT would be ninja skills.....  [cool]

Not really, it's quite simple:

[tongue]

The oscillating rotary force is strong in that one....

 

[mouppe]

http://festoolownersgroup.com/festool-tools-accessories/domino-xl-df-700/

 

[CDM]

I'd like to suggest a couple of other approaches for the front-stretcher mortises.

One is to measure the inset you want between the reference face of the stretcher and the reference edge of the side panel, then cut the stretcher mortise as usual, then raise the Domino fence by the measurement and cut the side panel mortise as usual.  I have used this approach in a similar situation and it works well.

Alternatively, you could omit Domino joints between the front stretcher and its shelf.  You don't need precise alignment between the stretcher face and shelf edge because of the set-back, and you don't need tenon strength between the shelf face and the stretcher edge because they have parallel long grain that can provide a good glue joint.  So you could dry-fit with Domino joinery to the side panels only, and just glue the stretcher to the shelf.

You could also use this second approach for the back stretcher elements.  However, those might not even be necessary considering that oak is quite strong and the pieces under construction are relatively small.  I'd bet you could get away with just the front stretcher.

 

[fritter63]

Just posting an update with a couple of finished pics and in use.

I did a three part finish on these. First, Minwax gel stain (walnut) "wipe on, wipe off", followed by Minwax stain (gunstock) to give it some nice warm (red) tones.

I let the solvents evaporate for a couple days so I could top coat it with Deft water based poly.

Really liking that Deft. It finishes very nice for a water bourne, and since the weather turned so hot out in the barn, I was able to use the dining room
table as a finishing table with no fumes!

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