Where can I find how-to's on recycled book walls and furniture?
January 23, 2011 10:54 AM Subscribe
Where can I find how-to's on recycled book walls and furniture?
Despite alternatives our local library has closed, and sold/gifted most of the contents. They are giving away the remainders. I'd love to keep them from the landfill and incorporate them into my renovation project. Besides being beautiful, I've read they've great noise/insulation properties, and the history makes me feel good.
I've googled "recycled book wall" and "recycled book furniture" for images... but most of them seem to be art installations. None of them really describe how the books are held together safely, or whether there's an issue with moisture, odor, etc in the long-term. Would paint or shellac take care of those issues? If any needed to be cut, what kind of saw would suffice?
In particular, I'd love to make a kitchen island or a wall. The color scheme is mostly white, so I'm interested in the constructions that face the paper side out. Images, instructions, experiences, other awesome ideas - welcome!
Note: I already stocked up on readable material, so post-construction I don't need to be able to read the material once they're built in.
Despite alternatives our local library has closed, and sold/gifted most of the contents. They are giving away the remainders. I'd love to keep them from the landfill and incorporate them into my renovation project. Besides being beautiful, I've read they've great noise/insulation properties, and the history makes me feel good.
I've googled "recycled book wall" and "recycled book furniture" for images... but most of them seem to be art installations. None of them really describe how the books are held together safely, or whether there's an issue with moisture, odor, etc in the long-term. Would paint or shellac take care of those issues? If any needed to be cut, what kind of saw would suffice?
In particular, I'd love to make a kitchen island or a wall. The color scheme is mostly white, so I'm interested in the constructions that face the paper side out. Images, instructions, experiences, other awesome ideas - welcome!
Note: I already stocked up on readable material, so post-construction I don't need to be able to read the material once they're built in.
Not quite what you asked for, but if you're looking for some ways to use a few books, you might check out this old post of mine on things to do with old books.
posted by orange swan at 11:17 AM on January 23, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by orange swan at 11:17 AM on January 23, 2011 [1 favorite]
Scroll down on this post to the Michelberger hotel for inspiration if not actually instructions.
posted by Duffington at 7:39 PM on January 23, 2011
posted by Duffington at 7:39 PM on January 23, 2011
I would just use construction adhesive to mortar the books together like bricks. I doubt you could seal them very well at all, since paper is so absorbent. Cutting could probably be done with a miter saw (I've chopped up telephone books this way for vermicompost bedding), although you may need to cut the outside face of the book with a fine saw blade first in order to get a clean look. I'd also reconsider the kitchen island idea, since wet spills and stains would be a real mess on all that paper.
posted by orme at 7:12 AM on January 24, 2011
posted by orme at 7:12 AM on January 24, 2011
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posted by Forktine at 11:02 AM on January 23, 2011