Shaker Inspired Wall Shelves

 

 

1.                  Thickness material to ½ inch and rip and crosscut to the dimensions shown in the table below.

 

Quantity

Part Description

Length (inches)

Width (inches)

2

uprights

41 1/8

4 3/8

5

shelves

20 1/2

5 1/4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.                  Plane one edge and mark reference face and reference edge as shown in the diagram.

 

 

 

Step 2:            Traditional Face Witness Mark and Edge Witness Mark

 

3.                  The four steps to cut a board to a given length and width are illustrated below.

 

 

Step 3:                        Example of Four Steps used to Dimension the Stock

 

 

 

4.                  Draw a cabinetmakers triangle on the front edge of the shelf uprights with the point of the triangle facing what will be upwards when the shelves are hanging on the wall.

 

 

5.                  Draw a cabinetmakers triangle on the front edges of the shelves with the point of the triangle facing what will be upwards when the shelves are hanging on the wall.

 

 

6.                  Reference the template so that it is flush with the bottom and back edges of one of the shelf uprights.

 

7.                  Draw tic marks indicating the position of each shelf on the back edge of one upright as shown by the template.

 

 

8.                  Hold the uprights flush with each other at their bottoms and draw tic marks indicating the position of each shelf on the second upright using the first upright as a template.

 

 

9.                  Use a square and pencil to extend the tic marks into lines across the edge of each upright.

 

10.              Transfer the marks indicating the position of the shelves across the inside of both uprights.

 

 

 

11.              The details of the sliding dovetail socket are shown in the figure and photo above.  Note the orientation of the socket.  The tapered shoulder of the sliding dovetail is nearest the bottom of the uprights.   The width of the socket gets smaller from the front to the back of the uprights.

 

 

 

 

12.              Place pencil tic marks 1/16th of an inch (judged by eye) inside the existing pencil lines on both uprights nearest what will be the front edge of each shelf as shown in the photo above.

 

 

13.              Place pencil tick marks 1/8th of an inch inside the existing pencil lines nearest what will be the bottom, front edge of each shelf.

 

 

14.              Extend the pencil tic mark that is 1/16th of an inch from the uppermost pencil lines across the inside surfaces of each upright using a square.

 

 

15.              Set a bevel gauge to the angle made by connecting the tic mark nearest the bottom, front edge of each shelf and the tic mark nearest the bottom, back edge of each shelf (see photo above).  Connect these tic marks with a pencil line.

 

 

16.              Set a marking gauge to half the thickness of the uprights and scribe a gauge line between the pencil lines that indicate the width of each shelf on both the front and back edges of the uprights.

 

 

 

 

 

17.              Use a square and marking knife to scribe the shoulders of the sliding dovetail sockets that are closest to what will be the top of the uprights.

 

 

18.              Use the bevel gauge and marking knife to scribe the shoulders of the sliding dovetail sockets that are closest to what will be the bottom of the uprights.

 

 

19.              Use a wide chisel to take out a 1/16th inch wide chip the length of the scribed line that defines the shoulders of each sliding dovetail socket.

 

 

20.              Place a backsaw into the groove created in step 17 and with a few strokes create a kerf with a maximum depth of 1/16th inches.

 

 

21.              Use a guide block beveled to the desired dovetail angle to guide the backsaw and saw down to the gauge line.  The guide block is made using the dovetail plane that will be used to make the male portion of the sliding dovetail.

 

 

22.              Use a chisel and mallet to chop out the majority of the waste in order to create the socket.

 

 

 

23.              Pare to the gauge line with a chisel.

 

 

24.              Use a router plane if necessary to level the bottom of the socket.

 

 

 

 

 

 

25.              Stack the five shelves with the point of the cabinetmakers triangle facing upward as shown in the photo.

 

 

26.              Set the fence of a dovetail plane to cut the male portion of the dovetail joint so that it completely fills the dovetail socket when the joint is assembled.  Plane the non-tapered cheek of the sliding dovetail first so that the shoulder of the joint is about 1/16th of an inch wide.

 

 

27.              Then flip the stack of shelves over and plane the tapered cheek of the sliding dovetail making sure that the widest part of the sliding dovetail is closest to the front edge of each shelf.  The shoulder of the sliding dovetail on the tapered side should vary from 0 to 1/8th of an inch.

 

 

 

28.              When test fitting, the joint should resist fitting together with about 5/8 of an inch or so left in order to close the joint as shown above.

 

 

29.              Use the template provided to trace the pattern onto the uprights.

 

 

30.              Clamp the uprights together and shape the uprights by removing the waste to the pencil line using a jack plane, bow saw and drawknife.

 

 

31.              Eighty grit sandpaper glued to a dowel can be used to fair the curved surfaces.

 

32.              If using a water based finish like milk paint, wet the inside surfaces of the uprights and both the top and bottom surfaces of the shelves to raise the grain.  Sand the raised grain to 220 grit.

 

 

33.              Apply milk paint according to the manufacturers directions.

 

 

34.              Apply a finish over the milk paint.  I use an acrylic clear finish recommended by the manufacturer of the milk paint.

 

 

 

35.              Put a small amount of glue into the back 1 inch or so of the sliding dovetail socket.  Avoid putting glue into the entire socket because the swells the socket and can make assembly impossible.

 

 

36.              Drive the sliding dovetail that fastens the upper shelf to the upright together using a hammer and block of wood to prevent marring the shelf.  Support the uprights with blocks of wood so that the shelf can be driven past the back edge of the upright until the sliding dovetail becomes tight.

 

 

37.              Drive the sliding dovetail that fastens the lowest shelf to the upright together using a hammer and block of wood.  Drive the other shelves together similarly.

 

 

 

38.              After the glue dries, remove the majority of the waste material of each shelf that is standing proud of the uprights with a jack plane or jointer plane set for a heavy shaving.

 

 

39.              Plane the last 1/16 of an inch of waste from each shelf using a jack plane or jointer plane set for a fine shaving.

 

 

40.              After planing the back edge of each shelf flush with the uprights, plane the front edge of each shelf so that it is flush with the uprights.

 

 

 

41.              Be sure to angle the plane to match the angle of the upright.

 

 

42.              Apply paint and finish to the outside of the uprights and the front and back edge of each shelf.  Two brass hangers are screwed to the back of the second shelf and are used to hang the shelves.