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This is a 36" square bookcase divided into a grid by vertical dividers and shelves that ride on shelf pins rather than being fixed in place — so once it's built, you can rearrange the cubby heights to fit whatever's actually going on the shelves. The internal 1x2 supports do double duty: they keep the whole case from racking, and they're mentioned specifically as something you can screw a desktop into if you're pairing this with a matching desk from the same modular office collection.
Build the box and back first and get them square before you drill a single shelf-pin hole — the pin holes need to be positioned consistently on both sides of each cubby opening, and that's much easier to get right on a square, finished case than while fighting a racked one.
| Item | Qty |
|---|---|
| 1x12 board, 8 ft | 3 each |
| 1/4" plywood, half sheet | 1 each |
| 1x2 board, 8 ft | 1 each |
| Shelf pins | 12 each |
| Wood screws, 2" | 30 each |
| Finish nails, 1-1/4" | 30 each |
| Wood glue | 3 oz |
Overall cost: $$. Lumber prices vary by region, species, and season, so we give a band rather than a figure we would only be pretending to know.
| Part | Qty | T × W × L |
|---|---|---|
| Top and bottom1x12 | 2 | 3/4" × 11 1/4" × 36" |
| Vertical dividers1x12 | 4 | 3/4" × 11 1/4" × 34 1/2" |
| Shelves1x12 | 6 | 3/4" × 11 1/4" × 11" |
| Back1/4" plywood | 1 | 1/4" × 36" × 36" |
| Inside supports1x2 | 6 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 11" |
Buy 5 boards at 8 ft.
3 boards
1 board
1 board
Assumes 8 ft stock, a 1/8" saw kerf, and buying each part at its own width. Change the board size or kerf on the full board plan →
Fasten the vertical dividers to the top and bottom boards. Screws hold better than nails, but nails are faster — if using screws, predrill and countersink. Use 2" fasteners and glue throughout, and check for square before moving on.
Attach the back, fastening into the vertical dividers as well as the top and bottom, with 1-1/4" nails and glue. Check for square again — the back is what locks the case's shape permanently.
Fasten the inside supports through the top and bottom with glue and 2" fasteners, and through the sides into their ends. These supports keep everything square and give you something solid to screw a desktop into if you're pairing this bookcase with a matching desk.
Measure and mark shelf-pin hole locations on both dividers of each cubby opening, keeping them level with each other. Insert shelf pins and set the shelves in place — they can be repositioned any time.
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