Core77

A Custom-Built Bookcase with Sliding Vertical Dividers

The mechanism is simple, clever and elegant

By Rain Noe - November 14, 2022

in Furniture Design

This custom-built bookshelf features something I'd never seen before: Built-in sliding vertical dividers (requested by the client). The mechanism devised by the builder is simple and elegant:

Enter a caption (optional)

"I routed out two T-track slots on the top and made pieces that fit," writes the Albany-based carpenter who devised and built the bookcase. "Took some fitting and a lot of paste wax."

As for the sliding members in the track, "They are a bit delicate. Next time around I would make them a little beefier."

It's pretty elegant for a first crack at it, but the unnamed builder is aware of the design's limitations. "I made sure the client understood that if it's going to glide well, it might not be great at holding books still. She's fine with possibly needing to balance books on both sides. I'd like to figure out a way that it can lock in position if I ever do it again."

o
2

Favorite This
Q
2

Comment

Comments

Tim Atkinson

a year ago

Z

Z

Reply

Perhaps embedding a thin metal strip into the base of the T-slot, along with a magnet in the t-slot guide bar would provide infinte adjustability and a simple "locking" method.

!Report as spam
Christopher Geis

2 years ago

Z

Z

Reply

Very interesting. That could be nice if you want both books and decorative items on the shelf, but want to be able to adjust the spacing. I would think a set screw or two in the sliding pieces would be enough to keep books from pushing the dividers around.

!Report as spam