How do you find a craftsman - built in oak bookcase needed.

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Rob_H

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We have an alcove to the side of a chimney breast in the living room which would be nice with shelves and then oak glazed doors in front - a built in bookcase. A flick through the yellow pages shows a host of carpenters and joiners, but it's difficult to know if they are proper craftsman. I was going to have a go myself but I don't seem to have the time and the cottage is crooked and it's not that straight forward. Any ideas?
 
whereabouts in the fens are you?

I am in Bedford, but have an awful lot on at the moment. Depending on where you are I can see what is available, if you want me to.

I can send you some pictures of similar sort of work that has been done, and maybe I can help. It really is up to you; as I say, I do have a lot to do, but if you are having trouble then.......

HTH

Neil
 
This is fortuitous,( big word for me ),as i have the same thing in mind, with the exception that i have 2 alcoves instead of 1. I live in an end terrace house built in 1896 and have taken out the dividing wall between the 2 downstairs rooms.The alcoves were beside the chimney breasts, separated by the wall, now the room is one and there is just a stub wall separating them,the same depth as the alcoves.
I also want to use oak for built in shelves, glazed doors etc, but i am struggling to get any real ideas for the design to pop out of my cranium except for the top to be arched in a sort of flattened gothic arch, if that makes sense.
Would love to see some of Neilyweely`s pics and if anyone wants to offer advice on design or construction methods please wade in.
I am firmly in the novice stakes and havent used oak before so i dont want to start this job only to make a c**k up.

So if, after helping Rob _H with his query anyone hasany sparehelp, it would be greatly appreciated.


Thanks,


Piggy
 
Alcove units are actually very straightforward to make. The way I approach it is to build a very basic carcass (or box) out of MDF which slots into the alcove with a couple of inches to spare on either side and an inch or so at the back. This overcomes any wavy or out of square walls and eliminates the need to remove skirting boards.

A face frame is then fitted to the carcass and scribed to fit the walls of the alcove. I like it so that the inside of the face frame is stepped about 1mm inside the face of the carcass side. The width of the face frame fills up the gap between the outside of the carcass and the wall.

On units that protrude into the room the design is slightly different on the side adjacent to the chimney breast as you need to form an external corner between the carcass and the face frame.

For painted alcove units use MR MDF throughout. For 'wood' ones use veneered MDF for the carcass and solid wood for the face frames and doors. If you follow this basic model design features such as gothic arches can easily be incorporated.

I now do so many alcove units that I have knocked up a simple spread sheet to calculate them. I enter the width, height, and depth of the alcove and I immediately have a full cutting list. If anyone is interested I'll email it to them.

There you go - I told you it was simple!

A tip - Lay-on doors are much easier to make and fit than in-frame ones!

Cheers
Dan
 
Like this?

207rtwz.jpg


Not actually that difficult. Time consuming? Yes!

Or this?

245ca4j.jpg


Roy.
 
Doesn't download Bug.
If you mean by squarer the alignment within the frame, I simply didn't bother, if you mean they look long and narrow, that's they way they are.
Designed to fit the room as per instructions from 'er in doors.

Roy.
 
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