Bookcase project

[Keith 66]

Mum passed away a year ago & our book collection has grown from reasonable to big! Just knocked a chimney breast out & had it plastered to make room.
I have approached four companies to give me a quote & two gave a ballpark figure of about 7k, time scale at least two to three months away, the other two havent come back with a price at all.
Im now rethinking & contemplating doing the job myself.
Anyone know where in Essex i can get good quality Oak or Cherry faced MDF rough cut to size? Im going to need about 5 sheets of 22mm but it will need cutting into long boards mostly 300mm wide with one sheet cut into 400mm wide.
My problem is although i have machinery circ saw, bandsaw, thicknesser etc i havent got the space to handle 8x4 mdf & cut it down. Once its sliced up i can deal with it!
Any pointers to suppliers who can do this would be welcome.

 

[Inspector]

Can't use a track saw to break it up to manageable sizes in the garage or driveway?

Pete

 

[Keith 66]

Maybe but i literally have nowhere to store it in full sheets. If it rains im stuffed!

 

[Inspector]

I was thinking along the lines of cutting each sheet into 2 or 3 pieces when you get it. Bringing that in and then finish cut it as you work.
Pete

 

[Keith 66]

May have to be the way!

 

[sammy.se]

Hi Keith

Belated Condolences re your Mum.

Couple of places in/near Essex worth a try:

Blumson Timber Merchant, Barking
E Roberts Timber, Chingford area
T Chambers, Leyton and Forest Gate

Fulham Timber (good delivery range, might have a to pay a little)

"Brentwood Hardwood Offcuts", they don't do sheet goods, but they are friendly and may point you in a good direction for a local supplier.

Hope that helps

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[Eric The Viking]

The local sheet goods supplier I use here will take a cutting list (they have an online tool).

OK, there is a charge for it, but I've got to the decrepit stage where even a full sheet of 3/8" ply is a workout. Also, the impregnated, melamine faced stuff used for flightcases and temporary staging ("Buffalo board") wrecks sawblades. So having it cut by the supplier is doubly helpful, and the delivery driver much prefers cut sheets to complete ones! They can get a far cleaner cut than I can, even with my railsaw, and if anything is damaged before or during delivery, it's not my responsibility.

I'm sure delivery costs to Essex will be pretty huge from here, but there really must be someone near you that offers the same service for good quality material. I wouldn't consider the sheds' cutting services, not coz the cutting is poor, but in my limited experience the stock is the cheapest available. If you find someone, don't forget to allow for their saw kerf!

E.

 

[LBCarpentry]

Wait - did you just say 7k and you only need 5 sheets..?

Whhaaaaaatt?

 

[galleywood]

Try J Gards & Sons at East Hanningfield.
https://www.gards.co.uk/

 

[sammy.se]

Try J Gards & Sons at East Hanningfield.
https://www.gards.co.uk/

Ooh, these guys look good. They have a very interesting website and prices look reasonable on MDF (don't know what brand they use).

They also carry block board, which is harder to find.

Delivery a bit steep for me (66£) but still worth it for larger orders (relatively, I'm a DIYer).

Any other Essex recommendations Galleywood?

 

[Keith 66]

Gards arent far from me will have a look!
First unit goes into an alcove between a wall & chimney breast 1100 wide x 2400 high, storage cupboard below 500mm high x 400 deep , 5 or 6 shelves above.
Second larger one 2300mm wide x 2400 high 500mm high storage coming out from wall 400mm with bookcases above at 300mm deep 5 or 6 shelves divders on a slightly randomised layout.
Will be drawing it up today so i know exaactly how many sheets of what im going to need.

 

[galleywood]

sammy.se

Here are a few that are nearer to you - but I have not tried them.

http://brentwoodtimber.co.uk/?LMCL=YlzEE8
https://www.lathamtimber.co.uk/
http://www.dhhtimber.co.uk/

 

[sammy.se]

sammy.se

Here are a few that are nearer to you - but I have not tried them.

http://brentwoodtimber.co.uk/?LMCL=YlzEE8
https://www.lathamtimber.co.uk/
http://www.dhhtimber.co.uk/

Thanks!!!

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[Keith 66]

Thanks for more ideas, Timbmet at Basildon also have a good selection. Will have a shufti next week.

 

[Alex]

Hi Keith. If its oak veneer bookcase you are after have a look at Ikea Billy oak veneer bookcases. They are proper oak veneer with finish that looks oiled. At £55 for 800mm x 2000mm, six shelves included plus you can buy extra shelves and further sizes available. I can't even buy material for £55. Really sturdy if you put L brackets on top and screwed to wall. Quite easy to adapt with plunge saw if need cut one down. I've put quite few in for customers who have been thrilled with them. Worth a consideration.

 

[AndyT]

Hi Keith. If its oak veneer bookcase you are after have a look at Ikea Billy oak veneer bookcases. They are proper oak veneer with finish that looks oiled. At £55 for 800mm x 2000mm, six shelves included plus you can buy extra shelves and further sizes available. I can't even buy material for £55. Really sturdy if you put L brackets on top and screwed to wall. Quite easy to adapt with plunge saw if need cut one down. I've put quite few in for customers who have been thrilled with them. Worth a consideration.

Very true. Even if you fill the shelves with big heavy books, or pack two rows of smaller books onto each shelf, there's no perceptible sag.

And they have sold over 60 million units (2017 figure.)

 

[Setch]

Thirded - granted they're chipboard not MDF, but the veneered oak finish is just that, and they've already done the hard work of edging the fronts and optimising the balance of material strength to shelf width.

 

[Keith 66]

I bit the bullet & ordered a pile of materials, Cherry faced MDF & three slabs of sawn cherry for edgings & mouldings. All arrived yesterday.
I ended up using Jennor timber in Enfield, reasonable on price & free delivery.
We sometimes use them at the school i work at & they have always been reliable.
My wife is pleased with the choice of cherry, some of it is quite wild figuring & a nice colour.
Makes a change from Oak!
Spent yesterday afternoon machining the edgings & facings, Edgings are 10mm thick to allow a decent radius to be routered on, my boatbuilding showing here, never did like sharp corners on boats!

 

[MikeG.]

Hi Keith. If its oak veneer bookcase you are after have a look at Ikea Billy oak veneer bookcases. They are proper oak veneer with finish that looks oiled. At £55 for 800mm x 2000mm, six shelves included plus you can buy extra shelves and further sizes available. I can't even buy material for £55. Really sturdy if you put L brackets on top and screwed to wall. Quite easy to adapt with plunge saw if need cut one down. I've put quite few in for customers who have been thrilled with them. Worth a consideration.

Really? On a woodworker's forum?

Honestly, isn't the point to start making these things ourselves rather than buying machine-produced mass-made furniture from global superstores? Who cares if it costs a few pennies more. No-one looks at an Ikea bookshelf and smiles inwardly at the satisfaction that buying it gave them.

 

[RichardG]

No-one looks at an Ikea bookshelf and smiles inwardly at the satisfaction that buying it gave them.

Apart from Mr Ikea of course...