Shelves. I built them.

[hawkwing_lb]

See the shelves in that picture? I built them. From scratch. I cut the planks to length – for only the third time in my life using a saw – measured the heights, nailed them in place, put some more nails in when the first nails looked like they weren’t quite doing the job, bashed my thumb with the hammer, and stuck wood glue down the worst of the gaps.

It’s not perfect. It wobbles a little, a couple of the shelves are slightly slanted, and I need to put one more plank in place tomorrow (I’m too tired tonight to finish) and finish the edges with sandpaper. (Maybe, in the summer, I will varnish it. Probably not, though). But it does the job, or will – probably – and it cost, including tools like the saw, which I had to purchase last weekend, less than an equivalent set of shelves from Ikea, and at least a third less than pre-built cabinetry. (Okay, so the cabinetry has somewhat better structural integrity and shiny pretty finish. But still.)

No one ever taught me how to do this. I decided I want to try. And that meant learning by doing. With all the terror and flaws and potential horrible failure modes that implies. (My mother helped when I needed a second pair of hands, but she didn’t believe I could do it. In fact, her first reaction on learning of my planned attempt: “You can’t do it! You’ll never be able to do it! No!”)

(One would think I was seven, and not coming up on twenty-seven.) (Also, hell, am I really coming up twenty-seven? When I was seven I thought I’d be queen of the universe by twenty.)

The success of this project hasn’t been proved out yet – the proof will come tomorrow, when I hammer in the last shelf-plank and test the others with the weight of books – but it doesn’t seem fragile. There is tensile strength in inch-thick pine and two-inch nails…

Anyway. I don’t want to say that it’s gendered, learning how to build things. But I think my mother’s mental resistance to the idea of my building-competence is at least partly gendered, and I think my lack of experience with banging shit together is also partly gendered: female persons are subtly culturally discouraged from learning to do stuff like Hang Shelves or Build Shelves – not only in formal lessons, but informally. That could just be my impression, though.

In conclusion: I built shelves!

Comments

[green_knight]

Yay shelves. Shelves awesome. Not being intimidated by DIY: even more awesome.

A few general notes:

- screws are superior to nails in terms of getting them into wood without splitting: you can carefully drill a hold in a smaller size and then follow up with the screw; that means less stress on the wood.

- most bookshelves are not exactly stable; so if yours feels a bit flimsy, that's normal.

- if you feel that it's *too* wobbly, IKEA's 'Ivar' shelving system is stabilised with metal crossebraces, running to £2; EUR prices might vary, but won't break the bank. Since you can adjust them at will, they *will* fit your shelf - they need to be screwed into the back, and Bob's a family member.

[hawkwing_lb]

Screws may be superior, but nails are somewhat easier to use and require less in terms of upfront tool-investment. (Besides, soft pine. Achieved with minimal splitting, and only a small addition of wood glue to the nail process...)

Thanks for the crossbrace tip! I think I may be closing in the back with hardboard at some point. Will see how it holds up to weight. Bottom weight is usually a stabilising factor.

[green_knight]

Bottom weight is usually a stabilising factor.

Yes. Do not, under no circumstances, ever, load a shelf that's standing on a slight forwardleaning slope with heavy books at height. Not unless you want to find yourself under an avalanche of books. Scrooge McDuck got it wrong: diving into and being surrounded by the things you love best is not such a great experience.

[hawkwing_lb]

Oh, I've done that. The bruises left a lasting impression...

[clarentine]

Huzzah for self-designed shelving! I've had a series of self-designed bookshelves all my life; sometimes, that's the only thing you can fit into odd-sized spaces, and who the heck can afford custom woodwork? My current main bookcase is perfect for the long wall across from my desk.

And, even moreso than the actual shelving, huzzah for overcoming gender stereotyping. Feeling comfortable (relatively :-) ) with a hammer and nails is a great skill to reclaim.

[hawkwing-lb.livejournal.com]

Comfortable? Hah. I need a plane tool, is what I need. And a sanding block. Then I might rise as far as "marginally competent."

But comfort is neither here nor there when there are books in need of shelving!

(Next up, painting, lighting, and building in shelves in the cupboard under the stairs. I dream of convincing my mother to unhang the door...)

[samhenderson.livejournal.com]

You built shelves! Shelves are wonderful.

[hawkwing-lb.livejournal.com]

They are! They hold BOOKS!

[thecoughlin.livejournal.com]

Let me know if you want plans for the next set -- I have a great storage woodworking book here that has some nice ones....

We do make EVERYTHING out of trees here you know.....

[hawkwing-lb.livejournal.com]

Plans? What are these plans you speak of? :P

I think the next job will take an actual carpenter, since it will involve graded heights and a confined space. At the very least it will take instruction with a power drill. (Oh, cupboard under stairs. Still the bane of my existence, even empty.)

We do make EVERYTHING out of trees here you know.....

I recall. Even drinks! Strange New Englanders.... *g*

[between4walls.livejournal.com]

female persons are subtly culturally discouraged from learning to do stuff like Hang Shelves or Build Shelves – not only in formal lessons, but informally.

That's why I'm so glad my school made both boys and girls take Shop and Home Ec. (Though our female Home Ec teacher turned out to be a sexual predator; perhaps not the type of stereotype-busting anyone had in mind)

Hurrah for non-gendered competence! And thrift, and saws!

Learning by doing sounds pretty scary on a big piece of furniture. Did you find a plan somewhere, or figure it out intuitively...?

Anyway, it looks as though it will hold quite a collection. How tall/wide is it?

[hawkwing-lb.livejournal.com]

It's 23 inches wide and a touch over 6ft tall - it was easier to measure in inches, even though I'm a metric native. They were the bigger number on the tape measure! It may take at least some of the overage out of the living room, although I can't say for certain until I start putting books on it.

There was no plan but the plan in my head. I've put box-package shelves together before, and taken a warped one to pieces (it was in the cupboard of doom), so the actual way the pieces fit together was neither complicated nor mysterious. An extra piece of brace for the base, to make it so it stands more stable - but the hard part was the cutting and measuring. Never had to put something together that didn't have pre-made holes before. *g*

I have made a thing! Even if it falls apart, I have made a thing!

...You know, I'm starting to understand the attraction to the fabric arts and crafts now.

[sovay]

In conclusion: I built shelves!

They are awesome shelves! Go, you!

[hawkwing-lb.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty happy with them. Thanks! :)