Rustic Bookcase

I'm finally finished with my best build yet! But FIRST, we must say goodbye to the partical board bookcase (piece of crap & lacked character) that used to be in our guest room. You were $40 - purchased from a big box store & never made me happy like my new handmade one does. You have been offically kicked to the curb! Sayonara!







Here is the beauty!

 Make sure you right down the places where you are going to put the shelf so they are even & match up. Use your speed square for straight lines!

 I used my Kreg Jig to build the box of the bookcase. It is such an amazing tool, that makes furniture building so much easier!

I used my Arrow Nail gun with 1 1/4" brad nails to attach the back boards & side trim. Use your wood glue too though for added strength!

I stained/oxidized & then put poly on all of the back planks before attaching them. For the oxidize mixture scroll down. The 3 stains I used are Sunbleached, Dark Walnut & Early American. I did 2 boards per color. For the back I used 8 - 1x4"s, instead of plywood.

Don't forget to give it a good sanding before putting the stain on! I chose Dark Walnut!

 

 Build plans from Ana White's Book The Handbuilt Home.

Don't stain, OXIDIZE!

To create the oxidize mixture fill a glass jar half way with white vinegar. Next, cut up very small pieces of Grade #0000 Steel wool (I found it at lowes, near the paint section) & add to vinegar jar. It will take 1 -2 weeks to begin to rust; shake it occasionally.
It should look like something this when its ready to be used:


Paint the mixture on your project with a foam brush. At first it won't look like anything is happening: Like this picture:




Give it an hour or so to soak in & then you will have a beautiful weathered look! See picture below the original color of the wood next to the oxidized piece. I used polyurethane to seal it. It brings out even more of a rich brown, which I love!

For more info on oxidizing wood & for low VOC finishes click: The Friendly Home