Introduction to Building Cases
The basic structures presented in this section are designed to cover most situations. But if the sizes don’t work for you, change them.
There are directions and illustrations for building basic cabinets that can be laminated to serve as kitchen cabinets or veneered and used as bars or buffets. You can build just one tall bookcase to fit between two doors or join several together to fill an alcove. The case can be finished on the back if placed as a room divider fastened to the wall.
For those looking for instant storage with a minimum of trouble, the first section covers ideas for stacking and finishing manufactured cubes.
Clever selection of materials, fine carpentry, and careful finishing
coordinates the variety of bookcases and shelves in this room.
Modular Cubes
One ready-made source for a storage wall is cubes made from particleboard or any of the family of related products. The most widely available version is a 5-sided (open on one side) 16-inch cube built out of 5 particleboard. The joints are rabbeted, and the boxes are ma chine-sanded.
Assembled cubes are reasonably priced and are generally well finished, considering the material. They are very bulky, however, and may require making several trips to the lumberyard in order to get all that you need. If this is a problem, you can buy knocked-down versions. These kits require assembling the cubes, filling the gaps, and sanding them yourself.
Among the many variations are double-size (32-inch-wide) rectangles with or without dividers, single cubes with compartments, and drawer boxes that slide into the cubes.
Arrangements: Stack the modules to suit requirements; Optional
drawers
Depth adjustment
You may not need shelves that are 16 inches deep—even record albums require only 12½-inches. For variety, consider running each box over the table saw to trim off 3 or 4 inches. You can also use a circular saw with an edge guide. Check for nails or staples and remove them, if possible, before making cuts. Wear eye protection in any case.
To create a pyramid effect, set a row of full-size boxes on the bottom, then cut each successive row an inch or two shallower than the one below it. Emphasize the effect by painting the cubes in each row successively lighter or darker tones.
Storage details
Cubes can be modified in a number of ways to meet particular storage needs. Although manufacturers offer several variations, here are a few ideas you can build in yourself.
Shelves. Hang shelves by drilling 2 rows of ¼-inch blind holes on inside faces of cube. (Blind holes means that you should not drill the holes completely through to the outside surface.) Carefully match holes on each side to ensure that shelves will be level. Make shelves from ½-inch ply wood, and support them on dowels or shelf supports plugged into holes.
Racks. Build separate racks or organizers to slip into cube to store such things as wine bottles (see the wine rack project shown earlier).
Doors. Add doors to front of cube. A number of doors are discussed previously.
For hinged doors, consider adding the face frame discussed below, because particleboard does not adequately hold small screws, such as those used with hinges.
Drawers. Build custom drawers to hold items such as cassettes, boxes of transparencies, or spools of thread. Make simple wooden guides for the drawers, or install manufactured roller guides for effortless operation.
Modifications: If 16” is too deep for your needs, cut all boxes
down on a table saw or use a circular saw with edge guide. Table saw, Edge
guide; Shelves: Drill 2 or 3 sets of holes for she if plugs; Racks:
Separate rack or organizer; Door: Face frame; Drawers:
Individual drawers slide on horizontal or vertical dividers.
Edge treatments
Since the front edges are the most visible part, finish them carefully.
Wood tape veneer. Consider applying wood tape veneer to the edges. Try to get 5/8-inch-wide tape, which matches the dimension of the cube, or buy ¾” tape and trim it after it is applied. Attach with contact cement. Overlap veneer at corners and trim through both pieces at the same time to create a clean miter. Trim overhang with a router and veneer trimming bit, or use a knife.
Half-round. Half-round applied to the front edges will soften the shape of the box and hide the relatively rough texture of the particleboard. Choose 5/8-inch-diameter strips to cover the entire edge or a smaller diameter for a more elaborate look.
Carefully miter corners, then attach strips with glue and brads. Countersink brads with a set, fill the holes, then sand. Finish as desired.
Molding. Any screen molding or beading 5/8-inch or less will also dress up the boxes. Attach it to the cubes as described above.
Scores. Cut a shadow-line groove into front edges. Set table-saw fence so that you can run each box over the blade and cut a centered kerf 1/16 to 3/32 inch deep.
Inlays. Cut a kerf as described above and glue in a thin strip of molding or length of thin dowel. Finish inlays and carefully miter corners before gluing in place.
Face frames. Build face frames for some or all of the cubes. Choose a hardwood for good looks and durability. Attach face frames to cubes with glue and finishing nails.
Corner treatments
To create the appearance of a campaign chest, use brads or small round-head screws to attach metal corners to boxes. Corners are avail able in plated steel or brass, and can be easily spray-painted. Apply them after box is painted.
Surface treatments
When painting particleboard cubes, or particleboard in general, realize that the material is very absorbent and a sealer or primer is highly recommended. The board has more surface texture than most woods, and although it is usually sanded smooth, exposure to moisture will dramatically increase the texture. Don’t let even a few raindrops hit the cubes as you unload them from your car. Sealers and primers should be applied with a brush but spraying is the best and fastest way to apply the final finish. Consider a speckled finish for cubes. A variety of these finishes are available from the Zolatone company, or as trunk paint from auto stores.
Finishing edges: 5/8” or less ha round, screen molding, or
beading mitered and applied with glue and brads. Corners: Plated
steel or brass corners are attached with brads or round-head screws
2x4 pedestal base 1” smaller all around than dimensions of bottom
row; 2x2 nailer, Nail to top a wall
Stabilizing a wall of cubes
Since the cubes are individual elements, a whole wall of them could actually be dangerous if you fail to take precautions to stabilize them.
Here are three things you can do:
1. Sandwich sheets of board or ply wood between the horizontal rows of cubes. Cut sheets 1 inch larger than the cube in all directions, and attach lengths of ½-inch quarter-round to plywood edges. The quarter-round will act as a retainer to keep the cubes in position. When well finished, these stabilizers enhance the general appearance of the cube structure.
2. Build a base. The simplest way is to lay dark-colored 2 by 4s parallel to each other and stack cubes on top. For a more finished look, build a pedestal base. A pedestal is particularly recommended when cubes are stacked on carpeted floors. Using 2 by 4s, build a base 1 inch smaller all around than the dimensions of the bottom row of cubes. Lay boards either flat or on edge, depending on how high you wish the toe kick and the unit to be. 3. When cubes are stacked more than 4 high (less if children might climb on them), attach them to the wall. (Any wall system that is not built-in should be tied to the wall, preferably into the studs.) Attach a 2 by 2 nailer across the back edge of the top row, then nail this into the wall.
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