How to build this thing?
Jason (jholtz.com) posted an interesting design (image) and question on the Woodweb forums. What the respondents seem to have missed is that he doesn't want a "double wall" on the ends of the bookcase, i.e. he wants the columns to be the bookcase end panels. He's also wondering how to deal with the full backsplash and if the bookcase should be built in one piece. The first question seemed to be how to get the bookcase sides flush with the columns.
My first thought was to notch the columns and put backer cleats on the inside of the column. This would allow the bookcase to be made as a box that gets screwed to the cleats. The drawback is that it would create a seam between the front of the box and the column.
My second thought involved a project I did where a wall of bookcases included a long box above a hallway. Essentially its an open sided box that is attached to the applied ends of the bookcases on either side. The box sides and back extend above the box so that the top of the box can be screwed to the wall and applied ends. I used Minifix with routed slots in the box bottom so that the box could drop down on the Minifix bolts. The bolts locate/support the box and the cams pull things tight at the bottom. While this would avoid the bookcase/column seam, Jason's design also has a full backsplash.
Here my thoughts jumped to a hutch-like design, to building the bookshelves, backspash and counter as a single box. Most of the cabinets I build have built-up applied ends so that the uprights have a thicker, column-like appearance. Widening the edge/face of the applied ends from 1-1/2" to 6" would create the columns in Jason's design. While this brings me back to the bookshelf/column seam, which now extends to the countertop, it simplifies construction exponentially. I'm not sure what I would use to attach/line up the column to the box - Mod-eez, dowel connectors and Hass fasteners (never used the later) come to mind.
Lets see how close I can get to Jason's measurements using the system. The bookcase portion is 88 x 56 x 12". The overall height is 108" and the columns are 6" wide. Using 37/37mm (front/back system row spacing) panels plus 21mm for the column faces (my standard 19mm door + 2mm bumper) and 12mm (1/2") for the back, the depth would be 299 (11-3/4"). If we want 19mm (3/4") intermediate column sides to center on system holes, the columns would have to be 147mm (5-13/16") wide. To have those column holes be some increment of 32mm apart and have all shelves be an equal width (653mm), the bookshelf would be 2253mm (88-3/4") wide. If we used the same 22.5mm start hole (32mm - 1/2 panel thickness) for the uprights, the box would be 1421mm (56") tall. With the system, the bookshelf would be 88-3/4" x 56 x 11-3/4" and the columns 5-3/4". I haven't considered the base cabinets so I don't know what the overall height would be. I'll try to get a drawing up at some point.
While off topic here (I'll expand and move this elsewhere at some point), another potential drawback of the single box design is size. I'm a one man shop and lot of my designs involve big boxes. Using prebored, self-locating hardware (confirmats, Minifix, Mod-eez, Keku, etc.), assembling them on site is accurate and relatively painless. I build stuff like this face down on a 2x4/sawhorse platform (sometimes more elaborate) and tip it into place. The lefthand box of the Langford wall unit, at 80 x 66", is pretty close to this one and I managed that one by myself (D-rings and line to keep it from slipping off as I tipped it into place).
