this post was submitted on 22 Mar 2025
35 points (97.3% liked)

Woodworking

6989 readers
48 users here now

A handmade home for woodworkers and admirers of woodworkers. Our community icon is submitted by @1985MustangCobra@lemmy.ca whose father was inspired to start woodworking by Norm and the New Yankee Workshop.

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

I’m thinking of making something similar to these stackable shelves. But I want to do it using hand tools only so it seems plywood is out of the question (searching online said it would damage my Japanese hand saw). So I’m looking at solid wood instead and getting pine hobby boards that I won’t have to plane seems to be the easiest and cheapest alternative. The shelves will mostly hold records and books and the largest will probably be 30x30x75cm but stacked on other shelves. Am I in for a bad time?

top 9 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] Fermion@feddit.nl 22 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

I don't like this system for two reasons.

The first being that bookshelves should have a restraint system that attaches to the walls. You could probably improvise something, but the video lacks that element.

The second is that the alternating brick pattern is weak for an open faced box. That puts a significant portion of the weight of higher courses on the middle of the span of lower courses. You can see some of the lower levels bowing signicantly. Since the back is rigid, but the front can flex, that will increase the tendency to tilt into the room and makes the tipping hazard worse. Add in an old floor that is concave and you have a significant hazard.

I like the concept, but this needs some changes before it is safe.

Edit: I'll suggest potential improvements rather than just naysaying. You could make two different width boxes. A full width and something like .8 width. You would stack the boxes alternating full width with partial width. The full width box would need 4 alignment pins and 4 slots. The boxes would stack in line vertically, but due to the alternating widths would still lock adjacent columns together. The important thing is that the vertical walls would be close together rather than landing in the middle of the spans.

Then I would add a cap board that can be bolted into the top boxes and would be used to attach a L bracket to a wall stud. Yes, this decreases portability, but not crushing children is more important than convenience.

[–] colourlessidea@sopuli.xyz 7 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Thank you for the details and suggestions. My plan is to have boxes of differing widths, and while my floor and walls are pretty flat and straight and children shouldn’t be a concern, I was considering adding restraints as it grows taller.

[–] Scipitie@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 points 2 days ago (1 children)

That's a common misconception:

a grown-up falling will grab things on chest height. Or if one gets dizzy it's similarly dangerous.

Listen to the person above please: fixate them.

To be fair: it's a low risk but one that can be mitigated with ten minutes of thought and work.

[–] Trollception@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

I like to live dangerously, except with power tools. Those I do not live dangerously around

[–] tburkhol@lemmy.world 8 points 2 days ago

Seems to me like board width would be the main concern. Hard (for me) to get solid boards any more than 30cm/12" wide, and a shelf stack that shallow will get kind of unstable when stacked more than a few units high. Strength wise, it ought to be fine.

I think I'd still use plywood for the back/bottoms, assuming you'll fit them in a dado, which will hide any splintering at the edges.

[–] skip0110@lemm.ee 7 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I think the pine hobby panels will be fine structurally. I think you mean the ones that are a bunch of smaller pieces glued together. In using these I have found not all the glue joints are great, though.

But, I suspect its the glue in the plywood that might damage the saw. Glued up hobby panels will likely act the same.

Might want to pick up a cheap crosscut saw / general carpentry saw for utility cutting and save the nice pull saw four detail work.

[–] colourlessidea@sopuli.xyz 2 points 2 days ago

I didn’t consider the glue in the pine boards - that’s a good point. Thanks!

[–] nettle@mander.xyz 7 points 2 days ago

I would say it would be fine, the only problem would be warping as the pine will be quite thin (plywood is more resistant to this).

But if you don't care about everything being perfectly straight I think pine would be plenty strong enouph and wouldn't warp noticeably much either (just pick straight boards from the store). So yea I think it would be fine.

P.s. (if you join multiple boards together its usually less likely to warp but I don't think this is necessary for your usecase)

[–] WordBox@lemmy.world 5 points 2 days ago

It's doable but....

Figure out how much the heaviest load is and use a span/shelf calculator to make sure it'll hold. If you offset each level, like in the video, I doubt there is any concern.

Pine doesn't machine as well as good plywood. It'll take significant work to make each hole for those pegs in such a way that there isn't tear out... And if you don't seal.it with something penetrating, will probably splinter quickly with use.

At 30cm wide, are you jointing boards?

Whatever you do, come back and post pics!