I begin this bookcase-making project by requesting the cutting of melamine boards at a DIY center. In this video, I show the Melamine-faced particle boards I purchased and how I asked for them to be cut according to the cutting layout I had planned. I also explain the common issue of chipping that occurs on one side of melamine pieces and how I plan to prevent it from being visible.
Thanks to the doweling jig I’ll be using, marking the edges of the shelves is not too difficult, as high precision is not required.
However, precision is necessary when marking where the dowel joints will go on the sides of the bookcase.
When working with melamine, a common challenge is the chipping that occurs during cutting. To minimize this problem, I mark and number all the pieces and joints to ensure that the chipped edges are hidden within the final structure. This way, the bookcase will have a flawless finish without compromising its aesthetics.
👉 Video 2 - How to adjust the depth stop and use the doweling jig to attach the shelves to the sides of the bookcase:
https://youtu.be/rlDB79cn4-s
👉 Video 3 - The pro tips for making dowel joints in tricky areas. How to install the kickboard and reinforcement and assemble this melamine bookcase:
https://youtu.be/tfiEMtGJpOQ
Parts of the video:
00:00 Presentation of the video series making the bookcase
00:44 How I requested the cutting of the boards at the DIY center.
02:07 Measuring and marking the sides of the bookcase so I know where the shelves go.
03:36 Marking the edges of the shelves where the holes will be drilled.
04:26 Numbering the sides and shelves to know how each joint should be made.
-
These are the measurements I used to build this melamine bookcase:
I bought 2 melamine-faced chipboards, each measuring 120 cm long by 60 cm wide and 17 mm thick.
Cut one lengthwise into two pieces of 120 cm long by 29.5 cm wide.
Cut the other board into 4 shelves measuring 59.5 cm long by 29.5 cm wide. These shelves can be 59.5 cm long or less, depending on whether you want a narrower bookcase.
I also bought another particle board, measuring 60 cm by 30 cm by 17 mm thick, to make the kickboard and reinforcement that we’ll see in the other videos of this series on how to build this piece of furniture. I had it cut as follows:
The kickboard and reinforcement must have the exact same length as the shelves (in my case, 59.5 cm).
Kickboard: 4.5 cm by 59.5 cm
Reinforcement: 20 cm by 59.5 cm
The measurements I used to mark on the sides of the bookcase, the lines where I will drill the holes for the dowels to join the shelves are, measuring from the top of the sides of the bookcase:
First line: at 387.5 millimeters (387 mm plus half a mm)
Second line: at 766.5 millimeters
Third line: at 1145.5 millimeters
So, if you like this melamine bookcase, build it yourself with these measurements, or you can modify them as you see fit.
More details about the board cutting, the plans, and how I repaired the board on my website:
https://enredandonogaraxe.club/en/how-to-create-the-cutting-plan-to-make-a-piece-of-furniture/