Tall Narrow Bookcase Product Details & Decor Tips

A tall bookcase is very ideal on narrow spaces, where the height of the wall, instead of the width, can be taken advantage for storage purposes. Building a tall bookcase is the same as building other bookcases. Just follows the same procedure as for any other bookcases and you can construct a furniture piece of varying types, from stand-alone shelves to wall-mounted or built-in pieces. The most ideal design for startup woodworkers is a stand-alone unit, which is very simple to create and can be built to match any height specification.

Startup Steps in Building a Tall Bookcase

Place the two 80-inch planks flat on a work surface. They should touch side by side. Draw a line across the surface of each 80-inch plank every 6 ½ inches. Make sure that the marks are identical on both planks and there should be 12 lines on each side. Place a wood strip below each line, with one end of the strip beside the planks that must adjoining. With this, you should also make sure that this end of the strips touch. The other end of the strips will be two inches away from the outer side of the planks since these will serve as the shelf support.

Nailing and Attaching Joints

Nail the planks in place using three 1 3/4-inch nails for every strip. Arrange the 80-inch planks and two of the 36-inch planks to make a rectangular box. Make sure that the ends of the 36-inch planks are adjoining the inside edge of the 80-inch planks to form the corners. Make the sides with the shelf supports face inward, with the supports fixed inside. Attach the corner joints of the box, where the planks and clamp meet using glue. Wait for at least one hour to dry. Fix the glued joints by hammering a two-inch nail for every 3 inches. Interleave a 36-inch shelf into the middle of the box while letting it rest on two shelf supports. Nail in place the shelf sides from the outside of the 80-inch planks which will give the bookcase a sturdy structural foundation.

Finishing Touches

Let the bookcase stand upright and place it atop the four-inch base plank. Arrange in a line the back of the bookcase. This is the side to which the shelf supports are flushed together with the back of the base. Either side of the bookcase as well as the front should have two inches of base, which will provide the bookcase with the needed support to maintain its height. Secure the bookcase by screwing and drilling the planks into the base with the 3-inch screws. Place the three screws beside the shorter sides while the six on the longer sides. Use a putty to fill any visible screw or nail holes. Sand it afterwards before painting or varnishing the case as well as the shelves. Once dry, place the bookcase on the shelf supports.