"Bridge" Building

[Greg Guarino]

I posted recently that my oft-delayed bookcase project was done. It's two mirror-image pseudo built-in units. From the moment I did the first CAD drawing, I guessed I'd eventually install a "bridge" between the two units, like this:

Even though I haven't got the time to start that project at the moment, I'm letting it percolate in my brain. A question has bubbled up. My first thought was to assemble it with dado joints, like this

[note: face frame not shown]

I intend to double up the bottom of the unit with two layers of 3/4" ply. This is so the face frame won't either overhang the bottom of the unit or create a "lip" inside.

But that second layer of ply gave me an idea; since none of the four sides of the basic box will ever be seen, I could build the basic unit with screws instead, like this:

Once I attach the extra bottom layer, the screws in the bottom of the basic box would be obscured as well.

I haven't decided yet. The "screw" method saves me the work of making the dadoes, but the dadoes would make it really easy to line up the parts for assembly, if nothing else.

Thoughts?

[Greg Guarino]

Sorry, bad links. Hope this works better.

mirror-image pseudo built-in units. From the moment I did the first CAD drawing, I guessed I'd eventually install a "bridge" between the two units, like this:

letting it percolate in my brain. A question has bubbled up. My first thought was to assemble it with dado joints, like this

is so the face frame won't either overhang the bottom of the unit or create a "lip" inside.

the basic box will ever be seen, I could build the basic unit with screws instead, like this:

box would be obscured as well.

dadoes, but the dadoes would make it really easy to line up the parts for assembly, if nothing else.

[dadiOH]

I have two thoughts.

1. Why do you not want the face frame to hang below the shelf? Much easier to line stuff up with a bit of jiggle room and some hanging down hurts nothing. Even with two layers of ply, it is still hanging down from the shelf, just backed up with another layer of ply.

If you feel you need more meat to fasten the FF to (you don't), save some money and weight and use a 3/4 x 3/4 strip. Personally, I wouldn't do either...getting one edge with both flush is a nuisance, two edges is a PITA.

1. I wouldn't bother with a bridge. I'd hang up something either pretty or erotic, preferably something combining both.

I wouldn't do a bridge because the additional space is minimal, you seem to have plenty already. If I were going to do it I'd put a downlight in it to light the KB area. YMMV.

[Leon]

Dado's will naturally be stronger, no further worry of strength. And speaking of which, some thing to consider. I have build several pieces with a bridge. I let the tops of the bridge extend past it's sides so that the bridge actually hands from the tops of both sides cabinets. Additionally the bridge face frames set in front of the side cabinet face frames which hides any gap between the bridge and the side cabinets.