Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with bookcase

Help me lacquer up a bookcase

gfrobe — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:32:11 -0800

I'm looking for a long white lacquered bookcase and found this one at Ikea. Unfortunately, the white version of the bookcase is not lacquered like the other colors. Would it be difficult for me to apply a lacquer finish to it? It says it's particle board with acrylic paint but I've looked at it in person and it's not shiny like lacquer at all. What are my options here to lacquer it up? Can I paint over the existing surface, what kind of product do I buy, etc?

On a side note, I read somewhere that you if you take a piece of furniture into a car body repair shop, they will often give it a good coat of lacquer spray very cheaply. Has anyone ever done this and how did that work out for you?

Billy on the Subway

sdsparks — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 12:31:22 -0800

Would I be silly to bring a largeish bookcase on the NYC subway? So I just bought a bookcase off Craigslist, your normal Billy from Ikea, dimensions:
Width: 31 1/2 "
Depth: 11 "
Height: 79 1/2 "
I need to get it from Park Slope to the Lower East Side and I can't figure out if its crazy to bring it on the F train. I keep going back and forth. 80 pounds won't be too heavy for two people right? Will the subway officials let me enter the station with it? Will it be too obnoxious for other riders? Will the F train be too full at 10:15 AM? I don't want to be a nuisance, I just want to save 50 bucks off the man with a van. So, thoughts? Sorry if this is too specific for MeFi, fell free to delete it if that's the case. Thanks!

Where can I buy an affordable bookcase?

rockstar — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 12:28:03 -0800

Looking for an inexpensive but sturdy bookcase. I've had bad experiences with the Target stock, and the closest Ikea is two hours away. Do you have any suggestions as to where I might find a sturdy and affordable bookshelf?

Seeking Studs, Avoiding Trouble

silkygreenbelly — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 00:50:56 -0800

How do I find the studs while avoiding water pipes? Need recommendations for stud-finder. Our condo's FAQ book made it quite clear that if we hit a water pipe while attaching things to the walls we are responsible for paying for the fixing of the pipe and any damage the leaking water might do. The building uses hot water radiators for heat and apparently there are many pipes in the walls that we don't want to hit.

I am looking for a good recommendation for a stud finder which can tell the difference between studs and pipes. Preferably one that you have personal experience with. Looking for $0-$50 range although if need be the price can go higher.
Also, any tips on avoiding water pipes when attaching things to walls would be welcome.
We will be attaching a very large bookcase to the studs (when/if we find them) and hopefully artwork in the future. The building is early 1900's in Seattle.

Searching for wall mounted bookshelves.

aladfar — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 14:02:59 -0800

Searching for the perfect, wall mounted bookshelves: As I live in San Francisco, I'd like some books shelves that are adjustable and readily anchored to the wall. The Treku Bookcase from DWR is perfect, but (as with much from DWR) a bit too expensive. Any other suggestions? There's a knockoff at CB2 called The Helix, but the shelves aren't adjustable and it isn't available in a color that works for me.

Seattle-area bookcase company?

The corpse in the library — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 08:51:00 -0800

I want to have some bookshelves made for my living room. Any recommendations for a Seattle-area carpenter or company to do the work? Also, can you identify a furniture style for me (links inside) so I can describe the shelves I want? Here are some shelves I like:

shelf 1
shelf 2

Mine would be floor-to-ceiling and go around a corner, but I like the general look of these -- especially shelf 2. Simple, sturdy, like you'd find in a school library in the 1960s. Does this style have a name?

How to support tall bookcases without drilling into the wall?

muscatlove — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 10:49:34 -0800

I'm looking for any information on a method of support for tall furniture (bookcases, etc) that doesn't involve attaching it to the wall, but instead goes from the top of the furniture to the ceiling and fixes it in place without drilling. Anyone out there have any ideas? I've seen a product that fits the bill, while living in Japan - a friend had a very tall china cabinet and needed to keep it stabilized for earthquakes. It looks like an expandable tension rod - I have no idea what they're called, and my friend in Japan can't tell me what it's called, a friend in the US who has something similiar said "they came with the bookshelves, we have no clue", and I've searched every woodworker's forum, bookcase store, and talked to several staff at hardware stores, and no one seems to know what I'm referring to.

(The real problem is that our walls are masonry [and sometimes we can't find more than 2 studs per wall when searching] and we were warned that pipes are going through most of the interior walls of the apartment building and so to be incredibly careful even when hanging a picture, let alone drilling through to install supports.)

Thanks for any help you can give!

Moduar Furniture Experience?

bodega — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 20:21:32 -0800

Has anyone had experience ordering furniture from Levenger.com? Or know of any modular office solutions similar to Levenger's "Euro Desk System"? We're about to make a big ($2K-$3K) furniture purchase -- assembling a "home office nook" in the corner of our living room. We've measured twice and are ready to cut. We've found what we think we want on levenger.com (a variant of this setup), but they don't appear to have any showrooms near us (NYC). The neat thing for us about this furniture is that we're able to it lay it out to exactly fit our space. But we are hesitant to complete the purchase without the opportunity to do all the things one does when physically examining furniture. (touch it, "get a feel", verify the measurements, and so on.)
Can anyone:
* Vouch for Levenger?
* Suggest other venues for similar, but more easily try-out-able furniture stores that specialize in modular/component furniture pieces? (Levenger's "Euro Desk System.)
(Neither of us are carpenters, and time is an issue, so no "build it yourself" or "have it built yourself" suggestions please". )
(Also, this is my first AskMe, so I hope this is an appropriate Q.)

Where to buy one-foot-square black bookcase?

espertus — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 16:22:38 -0800

I'd like to find a cheap one-foot-square black tower bookcase, like the one I bought years ago, but haven't been able to find one online. The shelves need to be large enough for a piece of 8.5"x11" paper. The ideal height would be 3'-5'. The ideal color would be black and the price under $150.

How do I build good bookshelves?

jayder — Sun, 04 Jun 2006 13:06:27 -0800

Can any of you folks point me to a good, simple plan for built-in bookshelves? Our book collection has way outgrown the capacity of the bookcases we have, and I'd like to build some bookshelves that are attached to the walls of our house. But the plans I have found in home-improvement books seem too complicated for my (nonexistent) carpentry skills. Here are the tools I've got: a hand-held circular saw, an electric drill, screwdrivers and a hammer. I want something nice-looking and presentable for the public areas of the house; i.e., not a cinderblock solution.

Shelving Solutions for Books

jimfl — Mon, 25 Jul 2005 22:21:27 -0800

Searching for modern, modular, attractive shelving for books. Once again, we have outstripped the capacity of our present shelves, and need to expand our bookshelves. Many of the books are reference/art technique books; format varies from trade paperback to "coffee-table" books.

The only room left is just off the living room, so bricks & boards isn't going to cut it. We have a couple of units from Ikea that are about 5 years old, but Ikea no longer carries, them, or anything remotely suitable.

We rent a home with plaster and lath walls, so attaching anything to the walls is right out. Ideally, the shelves would collapse into a pile of lumber and/or metal for transport (like most of our nomadic furnishings).

I am willing to build or buy, so suggestions of kit solutions would be welcome.

What do you all do for book shelving?

Bookworm

vega5960 — Thu, 30 Jun 2005 14:32:34 -0800

I'm building a home library with the walls covered with floor to ceiling bookshelves. Instead of a door, I want to have a bookcase that slides (or hinges) to reveal a five foot opening. Any brainstorms?