Shaker Bookshelf

blue shaker bookshelf

I built this Shaker-style bookcase for my son’s room. This simple design uses pine from Lowe’s, hand-cut dados, cut nails, and milk paint.

This is the second shelf I have painted with milk paint. I like that it has no fumes and shows the grain through the paint. Even with books or heavy boxes sliding in and out, the milk paint holds up very well.

I defined the dados using a wide chisel and then cleaned out the bottom with a chisel and router plane. For this shallow dado in soft wood, the chisel cleanly cut the full depth of the dado.

The side pieces I nailed to the shelves after painting everything. I had a couple of hammer dents, which I corrected using a (clothes) iron on top of damp towel. The steam raises the dent and did not impact the paint.

hand cut bookshelf dado
Daddy,  Can We Play in the Workshop?

If hand tool woodworking is your passion, you may enjoy my children's book, Daddy, Can We Play in the Workshop?