Continuing work on the circle library. Since the plywood wall would stain different from the basswood and veneer, I needed to cover it. That’s why I wasn’t especially careful in marking it up during the rest of the construction. To make custom templates, I taped drawing paper between the shelves.
During my class with Bill Studebaker, I learned to work on the longest portions first, because you can always cut shorter sections from those long pieces if you mess them up. Yep, it took me five times to get that long bottom liner right, so I cut the smaller shelf liners from those incorrect pieces. Less waste. I cut the liners from 1/32″ thick basswood. This thickness of wood barely reduces the shelf depth, and I did take that into consideration when I cut the horizontal boards.
The curved edges sit under the circle, so the joins are not visible when the circle is in place. I cut two curved shapes for behind the shelves of the circle. The curves didn’t need to be precise, so I cut them with an X-Acto knife by hand.
I cut Darice mirror sheet for the center section. I will have to line the back of the mirror to bring it up to the matching 1/32″ thickness. I’ll use layers of paper when I get to that part. For now, I’ve left the protective film on it.
The original has what appears to be a light in the center, but I am skipping that part, too.
I will cut the vertical support under the circle after assembly just in case things shift in the process. I’ll also decide whether to add the long curved trim after assembly. In the meantime, I plan to stain and finish these pieces separately in case of disaster. I can always recut, remake, redo, etc. But, it would be a right proper pain to tear out once installed. Besides, I have window/door/floor holes to cut and walls to prime. Best to install the library later after the mess.
I also have books to make behind the scenes. If I display full shelves of books with only spines facing the room, I would need roughly 30 inches worth of books. I have two inches worth of books currently made and a whole bunch in progress. There are a number of covers I like, so I will make a handful of book display stands so some covers face outward. I also would like to add some bookends and perhaps some knickknacks. This decreases the number of books needed, so I’ll finish what I have in progress and see if I need more. I have plenty of covers cut and insert strips ready.
