Walnut Top for Bookcase
#8
Hi everyone,

It has been a while since I have posted in the Woodworking Forum.  My shop went into storage about 13 years ago when I went to graduate school, and it has just been dusted off in the past 6 months.  It is good to be making sawdust again. 

I'm in the process of building a built-in book case in our home office; the bottom will be cabinets and then bookshelves above the cabinets.  It runs the length of one wall, and I am at the point where I need to be thinking about a top for the cabinet portion.  I want to do a walnut top, and the dimensions will be approximately 136" long and 14" wide.  I do not have a source for walnut that length (I suspect it would be nearly impossible to find unless you had someone saw it specifically for this purpose), so I will have to glue up shorter pieces.  

With all that said, I am interested in the collective's thoughts on an approach. 

1. First question, would you use solid walnut or plywood?  
2. If solid walnut, how would you approach the glue up?  

Thanks in advance for your thoughts...it is good to be posting in this forum again!

Matt
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#9
You should be able to buy walnut in 12' lengths, maybe longer, from a millwork shop.  They also could mill it to your specs. if you can't handle lumber that long; sure would be a challenge for most hobby shops including mine.  All that said, I'd be more inclined to make it in a least two sections, and there's not much other choice if you decide to go with plywood instead of solid wood.   I'd design it so the top sections break where one or two of the lower cabinets meet.  

If you go with solid wood I would use 1/4"  splines to align the boards for glue up.  

John
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#10
I’ve had to create long walnut trim and used a basic scarf joint.
It was extremely difficult to find or see.
Gary

Please don’t quote the trolls.
Liberty, Freedom and Individual Responsibility
Say what you'll do and do what you say.
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#11
Just a suggestion, not on the top (4"? seems narrow for a cabinet top) but the entire case. I did this as a contract once and they asked for a bookcase/cabinet to run the entire wall (actually, 1/2 wall, full wall, then another 1/2 wall). I made them as 4' sections in case they would ever have to be moved to get at the wall behind the cases. You never expect to have to, but odd things happen during the lifetime of a building.
Mike

I work on the 50-50-90 rule: If there's a 50-50 choice, I'll pick the wrong one 90% of the time!
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#12
(11-12-2018, 06:20 PM)Scouter Wrote: Just a suggestion, not on the top (4"? seems narrow for a cabinet top) but the entire case. I did this as a contract once and they asked for a bookcase/cabinet to run the entire wall (actually, 1/2 wall, full wall, then another 1/2 wall). I made them as 4' sections in case they would ever have to be moved to get at the wall behind the cases. You never expect to have to, but odd things happen during the lifetime of a building.
Yeah, I forgot a "1"...I'll edit...
Matt
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#13
(11-12-2018, 05:07 PM)jteneyck Wrote: You should be able to buy walnut in 12' lengths, maybe longer, from a millwork shop.  They also could mill it to your specs. if you can't handle lumber that long; sure would be a challenge for most hobby shops including mine.  All that said, I'd be more inclined to make it in a least two sections, and there's not much other choice if you decide to go with plywood instead of solid wood.   I'd design it so the top sections break where one or two of the lower cabinets meet.  

If you go with solid wood I would use 1/4"  splines to align the boards for glue up.  

John

It is going to have to be in at least two pieces to even get it in the room.  Biscuits were my initial plan if I used solid wood....

Matt
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#14
(11-12-2018, 07:51 PM)matthewstimp Wrote: It is going to have to be in at least two pieces to even get it in the room.  Biscuits were my initial plan if I used solid wood....

Matt

My recommendation would be to use 3/4" walnut plywood and band the front edge with solid walnut in the design of your choice. As I'm certain you know, plywood is very stable and will not move, a good thing. Joints with biscuits makes this a pretty easy task IMO.

Recently did our new small library in QSWO, all shelves and no cabinets. Used 3/4" plywood for all shelving and vertical panels as well as 1/4" for the back panels. Banded the front edges of shelving and vertical panels with solid QSWO for additional strength and looks. Very pleased with the result.

Good luck,

Doug
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