Scrap built bookcase...

[chopnhack]

Well folks, it started out to be a scrapwood project (but still stain grade) with poplar rails and fancy skirting, but the wife didn't like the stain color and wanted it to be painted to match the wall color to have it "blend" away..... so the rails became scraps of pine leftover from a rip down door jamb extension project and the entire unit got raised up to accommodate a 5 1/4" base board scraps. The rails and sides still need to be painted, but for all intents and purposes it is finished. A quick project with dado'ed 3/4 shelves and sides - the last of the borg 3/4" wiggle wood, which was actually reclaimed from the first failed attempt at a closet pantry (wife also didn't like that and it was ripped out, must agree with her on that though, the second attempt was waaaay better!). The last photo has the wall color and base molding color to give you an idea of what the unit will look like when painted.



here is the stain, what do you think of the color? the blotchiness is primarily because the boards were already finished once before with a heavy lacquer coating so I really wasnt expecting much.


wall paint and base (see low bench thread for more info on that - i didn't have a picture of bare wall and baseboard :P)


Thanks for looking

[dbhost]

I hated to vote on that at all. But the stain color itself isn't the issue I see. If the photo is wrong or something maybe, but it seems real uneven to me...

[Pappy]

Ain't no way I'm getting suckered into this argument. Safe to say if the 'boss' don't like it, it was the wrong color!

[chopnhack]

A little Beetlejuice-esque, it might be the camera angle, I was at a funny angle trying not to trip in my cluttered garage, let me see if this photo is any better...
I think I will have to vote nay due to blotchiness!

[chopnhack]

And that's what she got pappy, but I like the richness and natural look of woods different tones, I will admit that the blotchiness was too much, but from further away, the color looked nice. I left the inside stained as is, because it will be full of books and toys so it really won't be a focus anyways.

[SARGE..g-47]

Nice job Chop and I totally agree with Pap on allowing her to make the decision. If you don't.. you want hear the end if it until you change it to what she originally wanted so just save time by going there to begin with. It's a universal women thang...

[Bill in Buena Park]

Chop, I like the stain color on the bookcase, but REALLY like it on the bench. To my eye, these appear to be from different stock - the bench looks like oak, and I can't identify what's in the bookcase.

I like the construction of the bookcase - nice base moulding. Do you purchase or shape that yourself?

[lrogers]

Like Bill. I like the design and base moldings. While I hate to take sides, I think I agree with your wife, I like the white paint.

[chopnhack]

Sorry I wasn't clearer Bill, but the pic of the wide step stool was just to show the contrast between the wall color and base as the bookcase will be painted the wall color when complete. The stains on the case and stool are two different animals

Thanks all for comments on the case's construction. This is the first face frame I have done using kreg's pocket jig and was somewhat pleased with it.

[GPA61]

Looks good!!!

[footprintsinconc]

i cant decide until i see a pic of the shelf in the room it is suppose to be in. i want to see if the out shell blends in with the wall or not. so post a pic of it in the room its suppose to go in

[chopnhack]

Will do, Omar....but of course after finishing the paint the wife mentioned that it looked a little unbalanced. I reminded her that it was just scraps thrown together and that the bottom being wider made the piece look "heavier" at the bottom. So of course yesterday I ripped down some plywood strips to use as spacers, attached a 1/4 cove molding around the top and added a plywood top. The top is trimmed with some pine that I intend to route into a half round bullnose. More to come soon, stay tuned....

[chopnhack]

Ok, we have updated the scrap wood project and made some improvements. What do you think? Does the addition visually balance the piece better? Would you have made the proportions different? The top was some scrap ply I had but wasn't big enough so I figured to skirt it with solid wood, the pine I had didnt work out - it wasnt wide enough but I did have some scrap poplar for another project that was just wide enough. I did have to kerf the underside of the plywood to get it to lay flat, it was twisted! Pocket screws hold on the poplar.
The top and 1/4 cover trim will be painted trim color (white).

[footprintsinconc]

i kind of like the look with the stain. it certainly helps to make it stand out. i would fill it up with things that you are going to put there and then look at it again. i dont think i would paint it the same color as the exterior, otherwise everything will just blend in and the piece wont stand out.

[chopnhack]

agreed, already full of little man's books and the inside was never going to get painted. I figured like you did that once it was full that was it, wouldnt really think about the inside so much