Project plan · Furniture
Five-Shelf Plywood Bookcase: Cut List and Two-Sheet Layout
A 1800 × 900 × 300 mm bookcase with five horizontal panels set in 6 mm housings and a screwed-on back, laid out on two 2440 × 1220 mm sheets with the face grain running along every part.
Calculated plan · Last updated
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Time
- 1 weekend
- Size
- 1800 × 900 mm
- Sheets
- 2 × 18 mm + 1 × 6 mm
- Est. cost
- ≈ $206.84
Cut list
| Part | Qty | Size L × W × T (mm) | Material / source |
|---|---|---|---|
| SideHousings on the inside face | 2 | 1800 × 300 × 18 | 18 mm plywoodSheet A |
| Top / bottomIncludes 6 mm housing depth at each end | 2 | 876 × 300 × 18 | 18 mm plywoodSheet A |
| Fixed shelfSet 10 mm back from the front edge | 3 | 876 × 290 × 18 | 18 mm plywoodSheets A (2) and B (1) |
| Kick plateFits between the sides under the bottom | 1 | 864 × 80 × 18 | 18 mm plywoodSheet B |
| Back panel5 mm short of each outside edge | 1 | 1790 × 890 × 6 | 6 mm plywoodSheet C |
Kerf allowance: 3 mm per cut.
Layout
How the numbers were checked
- 18 mm part area
- 2.44 m² against 2.98 m² per sheet. The area method alone would suggest one sheet.
- Grain-aligned layout
- Both 1800 mm sides overlap every 876 mm panel along the sheet, leaving width for only two panels beside them, so four panels fit on sheet A and the remaining one moves to sheet B.
- Shelf openings
- 4 openings of 407.5 mm between 5 panels.
Build steps
Check the sheet thickness
Measure the plywood with calipers before setting up. Sheets sold as 18 mm are often slightly thinner, and the housings should match the actual panel thickness for a snug fit.
Break down the sheets
Rip sheet A into two 300 mm strips for the sides, one 300 mm strip for the top and bottom and one 290 mm strip for two shelves, allowing 3 mm per cut. Crosscut the panels to 876 mm. Cut the third shelf and the 864 × 80 mm kick plate from sheet B.
Mark and cut the housings
Clamp the two sides together, inside faces up, and mark the lower edge of each housing from the floor end: 80, 505.5, 931, 1,356.5 mm. Rout each housing 18 mm wide and 6 mm deep, and rout an 18 × 6 mm rabbet across the top end for the top panel.
Band the front edges
Apply edge banding to the front edges of the sides, top, bottom and shelves before assembly, while the parts are flat and easy to trim.
Dry fit, then glue
Assemble without glue to check that the panels seat fully. Glue and clamp the sides to the top, bottom and shelves, then fit the kick plate under the bottom panel between the sides.
Square the case and fix the back
Measure both diagonals and adjust the clamps until they match. Lay the back panel on, keeping its 5 mm margin to each edge, and screw it at 150 mm spacing into the sides, top, bottom and shelves.
Finish and restrain
Sand and apply a finish following the product instructions. Stand the bookcase in place and fix the anti-tip restraint into a wall stud before loading it.
Assumptions
- Unit prices are assumed 2026 retail figures in US dollars for illustration only, not supplier quotes. Replace them with local prices before budgeting.
- Plywood is treated as exactly 18 mm and 6 mm thick; housings should be cut to the measured thickness.
- Kerf is 3 mm per cut. The layout keeps the face grain along the length of every part.
- Sheet A and B dimensions are 2440 × 1220 mm; the same layout also fits 2438 × 1219 mm (4 × 8 ft) sheets.
Safety and scope
- Tall bookcases can tip when loaded or climbed. Fix this one to the wall with an anti-tip restraint.
- Shelf load capacity has not been calculated. Do not load the shelves with items heavier than books without checking shelf sag and fixings.
- This is a planning estimate. Verify measurements and material specifications before buying or cutting.
- Planning estimates only — verify before you buy or build. Read the disclaimer.
Quantity basis for each material
- 18 mm plywood, 2440 × 1220 mm
- Sheets A and B in the layout.
- 6 mm plywood, 2440 × 1220 mm
- Back panel 1790 × 890 mm (sheet C).
- Iron-on edge banding, 19 mm
- 7.98 m of exposed front edges plus 10%, rounded up.
- PVA wood glue, 250 ml
- Housings, rabbets and kick plate joints.
- 25 mm screws, box of 100
- 54 screws at 150 mm spacing: 36 round the back perimeter and 18 along the three shelf lines.
- Furniture anti-tip restraint
- One restraint fixed into a wall stud.