Bookshelf Nightstand

Despite making those three bookshelves for the Music Room, GW thought he might like another bookshelf in place of a regular nightstand.  We enjoy reading sometimes before going to bed, but he can't see very well as he doesn't have a light on his side.  This was partly because he didn't have a lamp... but mostly because he didn't have something to put a lamp on.

You know what that means... time to build!

This was a relatively quick project once I got the drawing and dimensions all figured out.  Always remember to do that first.

I used two pieces of pine ($30?) and one piece of trim ($0, leftovers from another project).  I put it all together with my Ryobi automatic nailer, and then GW stained it with Minwax (dark walnut).

(photo)

Wood & Cuts
- one 1" x 10" x 8', cut at 4ft (thanks Home Depot!)
- one 1" x 10" x 6', cut at 16" intervals to get 4 of these and a leftover piece
- one 8ft piece of trim
- two scrap triangles to brace the corners


I took the two 4ft pieces (top and bottom) and used two of the the 16" pieces to make a box.  Ca-chungk, ca-chungk (that's the nail gun).

Next, take the last two 16" pieces and lay one down inside the shelf - draw a line where it ends on the bottom piece.  Then I took the other 16" piece and installed it just covering the line I drew (making sure it was square up and down!).  Then I marked at 8" up the piece I just put in, and installed the horizontal shelf.





To finish it off, I took the trim and measured the front of the shelf, cutting a piece with angles at both ends.  Install it first, and then when you hold up the pieces for the side, you can just draw a pencil line to know what you have to cut off the back.  Once I installed those and the two triangle bracing pieces, it was ready to be stained!