I built some bookcases a number of years ago. They sat on top of some Ikea cubbyhole units. Now I plan to build two new "base" cabinets for the bookcases to sit on. Here's the tentative design:

https://flic.kr/p/2npi438

It's pretty basic. A 3/4" ply box put together with dadoes and glue, and a face frame. I was planning to put a full back on it, made of 1/2" ply. But it turns out that would be very inefficient use of the 1/2" plywood; I'd need two sheets. I could just
put partial back pieces on instead, but I wonder about the strength, as the bookcases shown in the link below - even more full of books than shown in the photo - will rest on top. It has to be several hundred pounds.

https://flic.kr/p/eWeEVX

I'm guessing partial backs at the top and bottom will be fine, but I'd hate to be wrong. Any advice?

Greg Guarino

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On 6/1/2022 4:05 PM, Greg Guarino wrote:

I built some bookcases a number of years ago. They sat on top of some Ikea cubbyhole units. Now I plan to build two new "base" cabinets for the bookcases to sit on. Here's the tentative design:

https://flic.kr/p/2npi438

It's pretty basic. A 3/4" ply box put together with dadoes and glue, and a face frame. I was planning to put a full back on it, made of 1/2" ply. But it turns out that would be very inefficient use of the 1/2" plywood; I'd need two sheets. I could just

put partial back pieces on instead, but I wonder about the strength, as the bookcases shown in the link below - even more full of books than shown in the photo - will rest on top. It has to be several hundred pounds.

https://flic.kr/p/eWeEVX

I'm guessing partial backs at the top and bottom will be fine, but I'd hate to be wrong. Any advice?

Greg Guarino

FWIW I always put back face frames on free standing cabinets. And
these face frames have rabbets to receive that 1/4" back panels.

If you use a back face frame you can add a rail or stile so that your
spare panel pieces fit.

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On Wednesday, June 1, 2022 at 5:47:52 PM UTC-4, Leon wrote:

On 6/1/2022 4:05 PM, Greg Guarino wrote:

I built some bookcases a number of years ago. They sat on top of some Ikea cubbyhole units. Now I plan to build two new "base" cabinets for the bookcases to sit on. Here's the tentative design:

https://flic.kr/p/2npi438

It's pretty basic. A 3/4" ply box put together with dadoes and glue, and a face frame. I was planning to put a full back on it, made of 1/2" ply. But it turns out that would be very inefficient use of the 1/2" plywood; I'd need two sheets. I could

just put partial back pieces on instead, but I wonder about the strength, as the bookcases shown in the link below - even more full of books than shown in the photo - will rest on top. It has to be several hundred pounds.

https://flic.kr/p/eWeEVX

I'm guessing partial backs at the top and bottom will be fine, but I'd hate to be wrong. Any advice?

Greg Guarino

FWIW I always put back face frames on free standing cabinets. And
these face frames have rabbets to receive that 1/4" back panels.

If you use a back face frame you can add a rail or stile so that your
spare panel pieces fit.

I'm not sure I'll go that route - our house is turned upside down after some construction and I'm slow enough at woodworking as it is. But you've given me another idea. Two, in fact.

The cabinets will already be split into three sections. I can make the backs in pieces, as you suggest, using one of the middle dividers to separate them. But in addition, these don't actually need to be "free standing". They will be against a wall. The
legs are to lift the cabinets off the ground. We had a flood back in September. There's nothing stopping me from attaching the cabinets to the wall behind such that they can rack under any circumstances.

Still thinking. Thanks for the ideas.

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On 6/1/2022 6:15 PM, Greg Guarino wrote:

On Wednesday, June 1, 2022 at 5:47:52 PM UTC-4, Leon wrote:

On 6/1/2022 4:05 PM, Greg Guarino wrote:

I built some bookcases a number of years ago. They sat on top of some Ikea cubbyhole units. Now I plan to build two new "base" cabinets for the bookcases to sit on. Here's the tentative design:

https://flic.kr/p/2npi438

It's pretty basic. A 3/4" ply box put together with dadoes and glue, and a face frame. I was planning to put a full back on it, made of 1/2" ply. But it turns out that would be very inefficient use of the 1/2" plywood; I'd need two sheets. I could

just put partial back pieces on instead, but I wonder about the strength, as the bookcases shown in the link below - even more full of books than shown in the photo - will rest on top. It has to be several hundred pounds.

https://flic.kr/p/eWeEVX

I'm guessing partial backs at the top and bottom will be fine, but I'd hate to be wrong. Any advice?

Greg Guarino

FWIW I always put back face frames on free standing cabinets. And
these face frames have rabbets to receive that 1/4" back panels.

If you use a back face frame you can add a rail or stile so that your
spare panel pieces fit.

I'm not sure I'll go that route - our house is turned upside down after some construction and I'm slow enough at woodworking as it is. But you've given me another idea. Two, in fact.

The cabinets will already be split into three sections. I can make the backs in pieces, as you suggest, using one of the middle dividers to separate them. But in addition, these don't actually need to be "free standing". They will be against a wall.

The legs are to lift the cabinets off the ground. We had a flood back in September. There's nothing stopping me from attaching the cabinets to the wall behind such that they can rack under any circumstances.

Still thinking. Thanks for the ideas.

Thinking outside the box has solved many problems for me.

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