How to Build a Simple Collapsible Book Rack
- 1). Measure and cut six 3 1/2-foot-long pieces and eight 8-inch-long pieces of 1-by-2 lumber. Lay out two of the 3 1/2-foot pieces approximately 6 1/2 inches apart from each other, and lay an 8-inch piece across them at the top and bottom. Make sure the corners and edges line up to form a squared-off rectangle and nail the 8-inch boards in place. Measure 14 inches up from the base of the rectangle and nail another 8-inch board across the two longer pieces, making sure it is an even height, with its top at the 14-inch mark. Do the same at 25 and 36 inches up, measuring from the same point. Repeat the process with two more 3 1/2-foot pieces of lumber. These are the sides of your book rack.
- 2). Cut four 2 1/2-foot long strips of 1-by-4 lumber. Lay your last two 3 1/2-foot 1-by-2 boards approximately 2 1/2 feet apart, resting them on their sides so the narrow edges of the boards face up and the wider faces are to the sides. Attach a 1-by-4 strip at the top and bottom of these two pieces. Nail your remaining strips in place at 14, 25 inches and 36 inches from the bottom of the 1-by-2 boards. Flip this piece over so the 1-by-2s are facing up--this is the back of your book rack.
- 3). Screw one side of a hinge onto the left 1-by-2 of the rack's back, using the hardware provided with the hinge, at 6 inches from the bottom. Place the screw in the hinge's hole and drive it in using a power drill/driver with a Phillips bit head. If the wood is too hard for it to drive in smoothly, use a 1/8-inch drill bit to start the hole, then drive in the screw. Make sure the rounded part of the hinge is facing toward the center of the rack and the folding part of the hinge lines up with the edge of the wood. The unattached side of the hinge should fold inward, toward the center of the rack. Do the same for a hinge 2 inches from the top on the same 1-by-2, then repeat the process on the other side.
- 4). Rest one of the rack sides you created on its edge on one of the wood strips to which you just attached the hinges. Make sure the top and bottom line up and the 8-inch strips face inward, toward the hinges. Screw the other half of each hinge onto the side of the rack, and repeat for the other side.
- 5). Stand the rack upright so it rests on the bases of the two sides. It will need support, as it will tend to tip toward the back at this point. Cut four 1-by-10 planks to 2 feet 4 1/2 inches long. Rest each one on a set of 8-inch 1-by-2s on the sides (at the bottom plus 14, 15 and 36 inches up, leaving the top pair open). These are the actual shelves. If the fit seems too snug, trim a little extra off the planks--there should be about 1/16 to 1/8 inch gap between the edge of the plank and the shelf sides to allow for easier folding.
- 6). Align two hinges on each shelf, approximately 4 inches in from each side, and screw the hinges to the shelf and the strip it touches at the back of the shelf, making sure the hinges will fold all the way closed in the upward position. Once all shelves are in place, the rack should stand on its own when they are in the unfolded position.
- 7). Collapse the book rack by folding all four shelves up, then folding the sides inward. The 1 by 2 strips framing the back of the rack should allow enough space for the shelf to fold comfortably.
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