Sage Green Bookcase

About a year ago I decided I wanted to build something with my hands — for fun, and for when the grid goes down. I found a woodworking class at Woodworks Studio and signed up for the bookcase class.

I learned more than I expected: how to select lumber (and dodge the dreaded twist), the hierarchy of power tools, the satisfaction of a well-fit dado, and the joy and wonder of a router — which I insisted on calling a beveller for too long.

Made of poplar and finished in sage green paint, it lives in our house and I'm unreasonably proud of it.

Lessons Learned

• Lumber selection matters more than you'd think — S3S, grain direction, and avoiding the twist
• The jointer is your best friend for a true straight edge
• Dados and rabbets: more satisfying to say than to cut (but still satisfying to cut)
• Pocket holes + wood glue together are an unbeatable joint
• Never underestimate, or mislabel, a router

Favorite Part