Idea for joining wood together

[jignesh111]

Hi there i've sktched up a quick drawing and wanted some advice on the best ways to join the peices of 3/4 inch hardwood together. I wanted to use dovetails for the top and bottom parts. For the cross section i was thinking of using dowels so that i didn't have any screws showing. I wanted to make five of these and then stack them up to make a book shelf. Would this be sturdy enough, jignesh

 

[L Harding]

i would say just but jointing them would be plenty strong enough, its all side grain to side grain after all. If you were worried tho you could use some miller dowels, they are nice and quick and easy to use


http://www.axminster.co.uk/product.asp? ... e=1&jump=0



Luke

 

[9fingers]

The only thing I would be concerned about is the weight of 5 high full of books and nothing to stop it racking.
Maybe a back panel or a diagonal brace of some sort?

Bob

 

[cerdeira]

Hi

Dowels should be ok, but I'd be concerned about movement of those upright boards. Just dont be tempted to put more than one dowel along their width or wood expansion/contraction might create a split. If they're too wide and you reckon the cross sections need more support probably you'd better off using a sliding dovetail

 

[jignesh111]

was going to screw a 1.5 by 1.5 inch peices into the wall and into the back of each one to hold it up

 

[ondablade]

A finger/box/comb joint (like a dovetail, but using fairly narrow parallel pins and sockets) could in this case be both easier to cut (using a router table or a table saw), and actually stronger given that it would put the adhesive joint in pure shear.- and provide more joint area

Dovetails probably (?) have to be wore widely spaced, would present less gluing area, and if even slightly loose would probably not be so good at resisting racking. (preventing the cube moving out of square)

Video here: http://lumberjocks.com/topics/14531

 

[Benchwayze]

If you are wall-mounting a bookshelf unit, I would advise French-cleats. Hold them to the wall with at least a No. 10 screw, long enough to have 1.5 (30mm approx) inches of thread in the wall, and into the edge-section of your bookcase. Don't ask me why I recommend this!


HTH

John

 

[jignesh111]

chnaged mydesign with the feedback i've got. i've managed to get some white oak and mahogony all i need is some 1 inch strips of walnut. let me know what you think