How to Build a Wooden Bookcase: Design, Cutting List, Assembly

To build a wooden bookcase yourself, start from a dimensioned design. In this guide you build a solid spruce bookcase measuring 84 × 180 × 30 cm, with 6 shelves and a clear span of 784 mm (below the deflection limit). The machines you need start at €437 for the planer. Krollit has been an official Bernardo distributor since 2007.

At Krollit we build this kind of structure always starting from a dimensioned design. You cut to the parts list, fit the shelves into grooves, anchor the frame to the wall. A linear metre of books weighs 20-30 kg, so the dimensions below are sized for the load, not by eye.

The bookcase measures 840 mm wide, 1800 mm high and 300 mm deep. The side uprights carry 6 shelves forming 5 bays of about 330 mm, enough for hardback books. The clear span of each shelf stays at 784 mm, within the limit for 28 mm solid spruce.

The 6 mm HDF back panel closes the rear and stiffens the structure against racking. A top rear rail serves as the anchor point to the wall.

Sandra Gaspar's advice
In my experience the most common mistake is making the shelves too long. With 28 mm spruce I keep the span at 80 cm: if you need a wider bookcase, I add a centre upright rather than lengthen the shelves. It costs little and saves you sagging shelves after two years.

You need four types of part, cut from 28 mm spruce glulam panels plus one sheet of HDF for the back. Cut all identical parts with the same fence setting, so they stay identical to the millimetre.

To cut the panels square we use a Bernardo table saw such as the TK 200 PRO (€586). The rip fence and sliding table keep the cut straight on 1.8 m parts, where a hand-held circular saw wanders out of square.

If you start from rough boards, a planer-thicknesser (Güde GADH 254 from €437) creates a flat reference face and brings everything to the same thickness. You can skip it only with pre-calibrated panels.

The shelf grooves are cut with a router and a straight bit; the holes for dowels or shelf supports at 32 mm spacing with a pillar drill Bernardo RBM 780 SB (€560), which with the depth stop does not break through. Sanding is finished with a belt and disc sander using G80 and G120 grits.

For consumables you just need Titebond wood glues (the II Premium D3 at €5.64 for indoor use, the III Ultimate D4 at €7.58 in damp conditions), 4 × 40 mm screws, Ø 8 mm dowels, abrasive paper and a water-based wood stain. Anyone short of space can combine saw, planer and spindle moulder in a Bernardo CWM 150 combination machine (€1,105).

Assembly follows eight steps, from cutting to fixing. The shelves fit into the grooves in the uprights, are glued and clamped: the exploded view shows how it goes together.

1. Cut the panels. Cut uprights, shelves, rail and back panel to the parts list. Check each part for square with a 90° try square.
2. Square up the solid timber. Run the boards through the planer-thicknesser for flat faces and a constant 28 mm thickness. Skip this step with pre-calibrated panels.
3. Rout the grooves. On both uprights, mark the position of the 6 shelves and cut grooves 28 mm wide and 8 mm deep with the router. The grooves in the two uprights must line up.
4. Drill for dowels or shelf supports. For fixed shelves, drill the Ø 8 mm dowel holes with the pillar drill. For adjustable shelves, drill the line of holes at 32 mm spacing.
5. Glue and clamp. Spread D3 glue in the grooves, insert the shelves, check for square and tighten the clamps. Clamp for at least an hour before moving the frame.
6. Fit the back panel. Fix the 6 mm HDF flush at the back with staples or short screws. The back panel is what stops the bookcase from racking sideways.
7. Sand. Start at G80 grit, then G120 and G180. Break the sharp edges with a light chamfer to avoid splinters.
8. Finishing. Apply a water-based indoor wood stain in two coats, sanding lightly between coats. Avoid solvents in enclosed spaces.

A tall bookcase must always be anchored to the wall with L-brackets and suitable plugs, before the books go in. A loaded bookcase that tips over develops over 100 kg of thrust: anchoring is not optional, especially with children in the house.

In solid masonry use Ø 8 mm nylon plugs; in hollow brick choose dedicated controlled-expansion plugs. Fit at least two anchors at the top, fixed into the uprights or the rear rail, never into the thin back panel.

A wall-mounted bookcase transfers part of the weight to the wall. With good anchoring you can use slightly longer shelves. The open version, without a back panel, loses rigidity: add a rear rail or a diagonal brace to prevent racking.

A corner bookcase needs two shelves meeting at 90° or one shaped shelf. Cutting the corner to size is the critical point: this is where the table saw fence and a precision square decide whether the joints close or stay open.

The materials alone for this solid spruce bookcase start at around €120-180 for panels, glue, screws and stain. Working time, excluding drying, runs from half a day to a full day depending on experience and the machines available.