What is the best wood to build bookshelves from? How far apart should supports be? Proper thickness wood?

Answer 1

This is a question best researched with a guide for building bookshelves. There are many available at any of the big box home stores. The reason I say this is you have not specified your wall space, number of books, weight being supported or any of the other necessary information to base a decision on. For the most part, hardwoods are better as they offer more support. However, properly supported and strengthened plywood will work very well also. I like to use natural hardwood and my dimension are based on the space available and type of books. Hardbound usually look better in a more formal setting. So take a trip to the local home store, pick up a book on custom shelving and do a little on the spot research to get an idea as to cost for doing this project. The book will also give you tips and techniques for jointing, gluing, staining and installation. One book may not be enough, I know I have five or six that I go through for inspiration before I start the perspiration.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

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Answer 4

If you are looking for a few simple book shelves to attach to the wall via corbel supports (a flat board atop of triangular supports reaching from the front of your shelves and angling down and towards the wall), you have many options. Any wood that is 3/4" thick will suffice. You will want to attach supports around every 16" to 24." Space your supports the same distance as the studs in the wall are apart. Usually outside walls are 16" apart, and interior walls are 24" apart This is not always true, so take a look at the walls your are going to hang your shelves and find out. You can then screw your supports to the studs, giving you a super strong support system that can support most anything you want to pile atop of your shelves.

As far as best wood, it is really of little difference for shelving as long as you have the appropriate support. The look and cost of what you attempting to build have more to do with what wood you pick. If you are looking to make shelving as cheaply as possible while still maintaining some look of competence, pine is very inexpensive and easy to work with. It is softer and more prone to scratches and dents. You can also make your shelving out of MDF or plywood and then use spackle to fill in any nail holes or voids, then paint a color of your choice. All of these are available at your local Do-it-yourself store (Home Depot, Lowes)

Answer 5

The best wood to build bookshelves from is actually 3/4" plywood. It won't crack or cup or twist like plank/board wood will. And because of the overlapping layers with grain running in different directions, it is significantly stronger and more dimensionally stable too. A plywood shelf will remain straighter under a much heavier load than a regular wood shelf. But you will have to add a real wood strip to the visible edges.

But if you want a quality look, you can't by the right kind of plywood at a Home Depot or Lowes. You'll need to find a quality hard wood lumber house. I'm lucky enough to have several to choose from that sell real wood veneer plywood in white oak, red oak, cherry, teak, maple, knotty pine and more. There are 2 different types of real wood veneer too - rotary and plain slice. Rotary veneer is less expensive but plain slice looks like real plank wood.

Bookshelves wider than 36" are both hard to move and subject the shelves to bigger loads.

Answer 6

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Answer 7

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Answer 8

All answers are valid to a point, so far. It largely depends on the size you want and the weight you apply to the shelving. MODMAN has the better suggestion in a "base" material.

Certainly part of your issue is aesthetics, and whether or not you want the shelving to be strictly Functional or have some "form" to it as well (decorative/coordinating). With PLY you might want some laminate over???

I'll assume you've noted the "JUNK" furniture so often available, made from MDF, with Wood grain, contact paper over,,, SIGH...

No less than 3/4 thick no matter what you choose. Supports can't be determined by us, since we have no detail about overall size of the unit/units. Cleats on each opposing side will help with support. 3/4 x 2 inch on backs or fronts, across the span will help as well.

I've used PINE as one young lady suggests and it works, but I only had a 36 inch span I chose to deal with. Plywood as well, will sag even at 48 if you apply Bricks to it.

This Q is valid, as I said the answers are, but more determined by those details you omitted.

Steven Wolf

As far as design and engineering are concerened I might check out GOOD to not so good, at various places that have or sell book shelving.

Answer 9

1"x10" or 1"x12" planed knot-free (as possible) pine board.
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Answer 10

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