Little Free Library Build-interior shelves and the face frame

Hello Again,

Another productive morning-I got the interior shelves installed and the face frame made. Here's some photos of this morning's work:

The paint dried and so it was time to install the shelving and this went very well. The unit is held in place with screws and it's very strong, strong enough to hold books and it also provides a means for strengthening the cabinet:

Now for the face frame-I'm using 1 x 4" lumber for this to make the frame and the box strong:

To get the proper dimensions, I temporarily installed the remaining roof pane.It over hangs the front of the box and the face frame has to be made to accommodate this:

 After measuring and cutting the parts, I assembled it with glue and Kreg screws. The joints are tight and strong:

And here it is turned over:

Here is the frame just laid on top of the front of the box. It fits perfectly:

I'm going to attach it with wood screws and wooden dowels as this will be visible from the front:

The next project involves making the door. Again, the slope of the roof as to be accommodated so the door will open.

And I'm going to use 1x4" pine for the frame. I'll also need to figure out how to attach the lexan window so it doesn't leak water:

Well, it's freezing cold right now and I'm going inside to defrost. I'll try and return this afternoon to make the door.

Stay tuned,
VW

Little Free Library build-painting and interior shelves

Hi Everyone,
Well, I'm off to a good start today. I've got some preliminary painting done and I've assembled the shelving unit. Here's some photos:

Here is the interior shelf unit. I assembled it with 2" long wood screws. This will provide some manner of organization for the books and help to keep them upright:

This is what it looks like:

My next task was to begin the finishing process. I had a container of exterior paint in "coconut" which I think is another way of saying off-white. I painted the inside and the shelves this color so it's not too dark inside:

Then I tipped the box over and applied a coat of exterior deck stain to the underside:

I'm also adding some moulding to give the box a more finished look:

And that's where I am right now. I'm going to let everything dry and give the painted surfaces another coat of paint later on this evening. And I'll begin the face frame.

Stay tuned,
VW

Little Free Library build-box assembly

Good Morning,

I'm outside right now and I'm doing a dry assembly of the box portion of the little library and so far it's going well. Here's some photos:

Dry Assembly 

The first thing I did was begin assembling the interior shelves. There are three shelves but one of them, a horizontal shelf on the right has to be cut to fit so I haven't attached that shelf yet. The whole thing is resting on the floor while the glue dries.

Voila!! Here it is held together with bar clamps. The parts all fit except the back which you'll see the problem in the last photo:

Here's a side view:

Here's why you should dry fit parts before assembly-the rear panel is a little too long and would keep the rear roof panel from fitting snugly. If I trim off about 3/4" or so that should correct the problem.

I'm going to take the clamps off now and trim that rear panel and then I'll begin gluing and screwing it together.

Assembly with glue and screws - this is a two person job

   Working with construction glue

Wow, that stuff is an adventure in and of itself to use. It is very very thick like chewing gum and it sets up fairly quickly so you need to have everything you'll need within reach before you begin.
I want a very strong library with very strong joints. I also wanted a thick glue that would help seal the joints and any little cracks where moisture could enter and I must say Liquid Nails really fills the bill with that (I'm going to send those people a nice note. Did you know that you can build a retaining wall with construction glue? I didn't know that). I also used Kreg Jig self tapping screws. I drilled a small diameter pilot hole for each screw to help guide the screw in properly and to minimize any vibration while I was drilling.

Framework for the post and bottom panel

Before I began assembling the box I added two 2x4s to the underside of the bottom panel:

 The post will fit between the 2x4s:

Gluing the sides and back panels


Here's a photo of that glue. I placed a very thick bead of it on all the glued edges to fill up the joint.

Here is one of the side panels attached to the bottom. You can see how the glue has squeezed out and I'm leaving it there to dry:

Here is the rear of the back panel. We scraped off some of the excess glue:

And this is what it looks like right now with two of the interior shelves just sitting in place. One of the roof panels is glued and screwed in place as well:

Tomorrow is a busy day-
I need to install the interior shelves,
Finish the inside of the box,
Attach the other roof panel,
And get the roofing materials from my neighbor to shingle the roof.

On Tuesday I'll-
Make the face frame for the front of the box,
And make the door.

Wednesday-
I'll finish the exterior and fix any remaining problems,
Apply deck finish to the pole and let it dry,

Thursday-
Apply more finish to the exterior to make it really waterproof and let it dry.
And then it's time to dig the hole for the pole and set it in place. Maybe we'll have a grand ceremony.

Well, it's been raining and snowing here today and I'm just about frozen through and through. I'm going to sit down and have some very hot tea and defrost.

See you tomorrow,
VW

Little Free Library build-cutting the parts

Hi All,

Well, it's been a long day but the parts for the box part of the little library are cut out. And if you very carefully layout the parts on the plywood, you can get all the large parts out, except the bottom panel, of 1/2 sheet of plywood.

So here's where I'm at:

The roof panels
The bottom panel
Both sides
and the rear panel.

I made the interior shelves out of some thick pine I had left over from another project.

Here's the photo to prove I did something today:

And here is the post and the 2x4's for the frame to attach the library to the post:

Now tomorrow I'm going to begin assembling the box with construction adhesive and screws. I haven't cut out the parts for the face frame or the door yet as I want to make sure the given dimensions are correct for the box. I'll probably do that tomorrow too.

Ok, now for a hot shower and some food!

See you tomorrow,
VW

The Little Free Library Build - Layout and marking up the plywood

Hi Everyone,

Time to begin the last project of the year. Let's take a look at the plywood and chat a bit:

I took the plywood panel and set it up on the saw horses. It has a soft, sued-like surface so I scraped it smooth with a cabinet scraper and then I began marking it.

The back panel is 20" wide and 20.75 inches high-this is going to be a big box! I had just enough plywood left for one of the side panels and two of the interior shelves. I'll have to go and get another piece of plywood to cut the other side and the roof panels. I'll use some scrap solid wood for the base.

Marlys, my neighbor and partner in crime in all of this, supplied me with a big, solid 4x4 for the post. And I think the exterior, and interior, are going to be coated with several coats of PPG deck sealant to make it waterproof inside and out. That leaves the door frame which I think I'll paint red, the tradition color of welcome.

It's getting cold so I'm going to quit for the evening. Tomorrow I'll finish marking everything and cut out all of the parts.

Stay tuned,
VW

Making a Train Table for my Grandson-Completion photos

Hi Everyone,

Well the train table is finish and my grandson has a new place to play with his wooden train set. Here are the photos with comments:

I finished the top yesterday-both the top and the underside of the table top have a stain and polyurethane finish and the color and the finish look fine.

For the legs, I've constructed two sets of legs out of galvanized 1" plumbing pipe. It's strong and it's a quick and dirty way to make a framework for the table:

This photo shows the legs just before I screwed them down with #8 1" wood screws:

Here is the table with the legs attached:

And to finish it off I attached silicone rubber bumpers on the corners so my grandson doesn't crash into them:

And there it is-that's enough room for all his train gear:

Next spring I'll build a wooden framework underneath it so it looks a little nicer. But that's it.

_____

I'm going to stop and eat dinner and then begin working on the Little Free Library.
Thanks for dropping by and stay tuned for the next project.

VW

The Little Free Library is Coming to Selkie Wood Works! Discussion and Plans

Hi Everyone,

(As a side note: the train table project is moving along nicely and I'll post about that on Friday),

Ok, hello again,

I've been asked by a neighbor to build a Little Free Library for our neighborhood and I've agreed. In the past I had thought to build a library and place it on our lawn but there didn't seem to be much interest in one at the time so I dropped the idea. But we have new neighbors and lots of young couples with kids living here now so this is an idea who's time has come.

Discussion
I've spent the last week researching how these are built and displayed and I've also carefully considered the rugged climate we have here. Here's my thoughts on this:

• The library box needs to be water tight with a waterproof finish to keep rain and snow out of the interior and ruining the books.
• It needs to be large enough to accommodate a large range of book sizes, from large picture books for kids to smaller, pocket book type books.
• Special attention needs to be directed at the roof-it needs to shed water just like the roof on a house does.
• The door should be self closing with a magnetic catch so if someone leaves the door open, it will close on it's own. 
• The door also needs a large window so the books are displayed to the public.
• And it needs to be attractive and well situated in the ground with a 4x4 post.

The little libraries I've seen have been made out of all sorts of materials but the predominate materials are plywood and solid pine or cedar. Some are painted and some are stained. Others are covered in cedar shingles. They look pretty cool.

Plans

I will be using the following plans from the Little Free Library website,

• A modified Little Library design with a materials list – courtesy of Hannah Lane-Davies of Kalamazoo Little Free Libraries. Many thanks to Hannah and her family for posting these plans.

My plan is to build a little library with-

• Exterior grade plywood and solid pine
• Use Lexan, a hard to break material, for the window
• Use self closing hinges and a magnetic catch for the door
• Use exterior grade paint and/or waterproofing deck sealer on the sides and front
• Use construction mastic and bathroom caulk to seal the joints to keep water out
• And build the roof to mimic the roofs in my neighborhood to shed water and snow.

Here are two photos of the basic materials and hardware:

The first thing I'll do is sand the sides of the plywood very smooth and paint the interior side with some yellow exterior paint to seal the surface to to make the interior a little less dark. Then I'll mark and cut out the sides, bottom, and roof panels on the table saw. I'll also mark out where some interior shelves are to be attached to the sides to make it easier to install them. Then I'll begin construction of the library and I'll put all of this online so you can see it.

If you have built a little library feel free to comment during the build.

I will finish the train table and then begin the library.

It's cold outside now and I'm going in to make some homemade cinnamon rolls with my grandson.

See you later this week,

VW