Built-in bookshelves: IKEA Billy assembly
Compared to the other stages of this project, finally getting to assemble our two custom, completely-Hacked Billy bookcases was relatively simple. Setting the first one into place at last gave us a sense of what this project will look like when complete. Admittedly, we were both impressed. A relief, given the amount of effort we're putting into it.
Before we could assemble them, there were two tasks we needed to complete:
- Attach the standard height Billy to the custom height extensions we built to make each a slightly-taller-than-8-foot bookcase
- Attach the custom oak shelf fronts we chamfered and finished in the previous stage
I used scrap 1x2 furring strips to attach our height extensions. The inside strips, on either side of the window, will be removed and replaced with a piece of paneling during the final trim stage.
To attach the oak shelf fronts, I set up a workstation on our patio and piled up the shelving. There were a lot of shelves. The mocked-up station allowed me to place a shelf upside-down and square (thus ensuring the oak edge was perfectly level to the top of the shelf), then butt the oak front tightly to one edge. I also quickly marked three positions for the brad nails so they'd be consistent. Despite filling the holes, they'll still be slightly evident and I wanted them to look the same.
Before starting, I looked up the recommended output pressure setting for oak using an 18-gauge brad nailer: 110psi.
To ensure a tight fit, I also applied a bead of glue to each Ikea Billy shelf edge. I had ripped off 3/4" to account for the depth of the oak trim, which also gave the glue a very porous surface in which to adhere. Then I loosely attached the trim piece, got everything lined up, and fired the nails.
With all the shelves done, we could build the Billy bookcases. There was a combo of moveable shelves that could be placed at our preference and fixed shelves that held the Billy together with screws and cams. I had customized both types of shelf ends after cutting off the exact length I needed to make our bookcases fit perfectly on either side of the window. At this point, with everything Hacked and customized, it was a simple matter of literally following the Ikea instructions. The last step was sliding in our custom plywood backing panel and nailing it in place before standing each of the fairly-enormous bookcases upright.
Together, K and I heaved the first, then the other bookcase into place. They looked impressive. Worth noting: anything that's white will not show once all the shelving is trimmed out.
The final step was to make sure they were level on the base I had built and attach them to the furring strips against each wall. I discreetly positioned the screws to hold each bookcase to the wall behind where the adjustable shelves would be placed. That way we'll never see the screws. Not wanting to mess up our laborious finish, I also countersunk each hole rather than let the screws do it when driving them into the side panels.
Not surprisingly because I had spent so much time making sure the base was level, when we set the bookcases in place they were both perfectly level. Boom. As a final measure, I attached each bookcase inside panel to the base as well as to the 2x framing attached to the ceiling. They were solid and, well, properly built in to the wall.
Satisfied with how the Billy bookcases turned out, it's now time to turn our attention to the next phase: essentially doing the same thing with nine Ikea Besta cabinets. Despite the tasks ahead, we're getting closer to finishing our wall of shelving…
