Brainstorming

For my first project I am in the process of designing a custom shelf to hold my cassettes and CDs. I thought about building extra space for my vinyls, but the weight of them could bring the shelf crashing down. My first step is to draft a diagram with precise measurements of the cassettes (most cassettes are the same size, but occasionally I'll come across a special edition duo) and CD's. The picture below is a rough sketch of how I would like this to look. The cassette shelves are smaller, and the CD shelves have more room.

To put the pieces of wood together at the corners I'm going to try a technique called Dovetail Joints.

Because I have decided to hang this shelf on my wall I have to keep that location in mind. Ideally I'd like to replace this painting with the shelf.

Now I need to figure out what kind of wood I would like to use and where I can get it. I came across this extremely helpful website that allows you to type in your zip code (USA users only) and pulls up various locations where you can buy your materials.

Using Wood Finder I am able to look up the closest supply store that has my wood (always call before you make the trip, the employees may even be able to hold the materials for you!)

This week I will be visiting the MacBeath Hardwood Company located in Berkeley California. I'll release my next post October 10th.