For the last seven weeks I’ve been building this folding campaign bookcase using sapele I purchased from the dearly departed Midwest Woodworking. My logbook says I have about 50 hours in the project. It took seven weeks because I was interrupted by travel, teaching and taxes (to name a few things).
Some details:
Overall dimensions (open): 37” long, 27” high, 10-1/4” deep.
Hardware: Most of the hardware is from Lee Valley. The corner guards, brackets and campaign pulls were vintage stuff from eBay (though Londonderry Brasses carries the exact stuff I used). The lock is from eBay as well. See here for details.
Finish: Garnet shellac and black wax.
More details on construction: Coming this fall in Popular Woodworking Magazine.
The piece is away for photography and then to the customer. Now I can get started on making some birdhouses.
— Christopher Schwarz
Glass doors seem impractical for a piece that traveled a lot.
BTW, Beautiful piece/work.
Isn’t that what Gorilla Glass was invented for? The “mobile” market?
Oh, FOLDING. For some reason, my mind registered “collapsing” when I first read it. I kept waiting for some great squishing finale and it never came.
Love the shelf adjustment method. Much more secure than the adjustable shelving method on my Eastlake bookcase. How did you… never mind. I’ll wait until Fall. 🙂
Would you consider putting the connecting hinges outside so when open and in use only the barrels show and look like the door hinges – little too much brass showing for me.
The problem with that approach is that your screws would be short. Perhaps too short. I used 1-1/4″ screws.
Wow! PW picking this up?
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Campaign birdhouses?
Those would be brilliant. Finally the little birds have a way to efficiently pack and take their little houses with them in the winter.
Absolutely Stunning work! Love that lock too.
Nice piece. I’ve worked with Sapele and found it to be tough on tools. Was that your experience?
I didn’t find it any more difficult than mahogany.
Great work Chris. Customer has got to be happier than a pig in a turnip field.
Is this a known design, or something you came up with? Beautiful clean work!
It is an adaptation of several common designs for campaign bookcases. I took the parts I liked from several pieces. But I wouldn’t call it an original design.
Well done sir! Well done.
On a side note… cat butt lock. That is all.
What’s the white around the inside of the glass doors? Is that glazing?
Yup. Dap 33 glazing.
Nice!
Finally coming out of the closet and admitting the birdhouse fetish, eh?
Chris – A very nice looking piece! Glad you enjoyed seeing the Furniture of Necessity I saw online.
Historically, were bookcases like this one used with stands specifically designed for them, or were they just set on any available horizontal surface? Setting the bookcases on tables and chests must have taken up valuable flat space for papers, etc., but having one of these open on the ground or floor invites glass breakage from boots, etc.
Also, did any campaign chests and cases have small feet to make them easier to stabilize on uneven surfaces?
That’s really nice Chris. I’m looking forward to reading the article in PWW.
Best padlock EVER!!!!!
…the bookcase is also alright 🙂