So I finally finished those darn bookcases, and here are a couple of photos. The first is just after initial assembly, and the second is of them in the den with a few books on them.
(click on the thumbnail to see a larger version of the photo -- I reduced both to 1024 wide to keep the download times reasonable)
The idea was to build four cases, two designed especially for typical hardback books, and two for paperbacks that would stack atop the first two. I anticipated that they would need to be fastened to the wall to make sure that they wouldn't tip over, but right now they seem just fine (but I will probably put a couple of quick flat brackets into the wall just in case). All-in-all, I am very pleased -- they fit the books very well, and even after I bring all of my boxes of books up from the basement (the real reason for this project) I should have plenty of room for more.
From plans to finished product took over 6 months. The biggest delay was due to the missing parts for the new table saw that Beverly and Geremy bought me for Christmas, which took Sears more than 3 months to deliver. Also, I decided to use the Minwax water-based stain and finish products, which took a bit more patience (every time I get into one of these projects, I am reminded how much I hate the staining and finishing parts of a wood project -- I think I need to do more upholstered stuff . . . yeah, like that would help).
I made them from 3/4" Oak plywood, with Oak veneer edge tape for the edges of the shelves and 1/2" x 3/4" Oak quarter-oval molding around the perimeter of the front. The back is a thin plywood similar to Luan, but of a different wood that looks a lot like Oak. The stain color is English Oak and the finish is satin (although the camera flash made it look more like a semi-gloss).
