How To Make A Ladder Style Mid Century Shelving Unit

In this video I make a ladder style book shelf design for my brother. The shelves are made of walnut veneerd ply, and the uprights and rails are made from 2 by 2 spruce / pine painted black in a mid century modern style.
Plans & cut list for this project are available on my Etsy or free to my patrons on Patreon (see links below)
Masking Tape: geni.us/OHuzS (Amazon UK)
BIN Shellac Primer: geni.us/8yMAxJ0 (Amazon UK) geni.us/B8kCt (Amazon US)
BIN Shellac Primer Spray: geni.us/VSA24TR (Amazon UK) geni.us/0As3vJi (Amazon US)
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#woodworking #making #midcenturymodern #furniture #handmade #shelving #ladder

[@woodworkingandepoxy643]

Hey Keith, just signed up for your patreon. No idea why I hadn't done so before now. Having access to your plans and cut lists is a game changer. Thanks for all you do

[@RagnBoneBrown]

Awesome, thank you!

[@woodworkingandepoxy643]

@@RagnBoneBrown absolutely!

[@terristroh3965]

Personally I’m not a fan of mid century modern but I never miss one of your videos!

[@yellerbellyworkshop]

Love your honesty dude. Keep up the fantastic work 👍

[@RagnBoneBrown]

Thank you!

[@enabledworkshop]

5:30 “my name is Keith Brown and I am the fastest sander alive”

[@CasualDIY]

They are not mistakes just happy challenges 😉 I come across them in my projects all the time. Great video as always Keith 👍

[@RagnBoneBrown]

I love your positive outlook! Thanks Tomasz. By the way I really loved your flip top mitre saw station - that looked like a challenging but very rewarding build!

[@CasualDIY]

@@RagnBoneBrown thank you Keith, yes I have to say after the initial setbacks I was measuring everything 6 times just to make sure everything would fit correctly 😉

[@fred999ist]

Another great video and it's nice to see people showing their mistakes, as we all make them. My old boss always told me, "It's not a F**k up if you can get around it" . Keep the real videos coming Keith, I thoroughly enjoy them.

[@sffpv9671]

Nice job Keith, end result looks amazing. I don't have your patience mate. I would have chucked it all on the bonfire when I realised one of the legs was on upside down!

[@jonatham35]

I made a set of ladder shelves before. To make assembly easier for me, I had all the shelves stick out the front the same amount. I used a square to measure each one so they were exact. All the shelves are different sizes but they just cantilever out the back. That hot glue trick on the table saw was worth watching the video just by itself! Great project, thanks for the tips.

[@sfinn007]

Well done, it looks really good. I like the way you show your mistakes, I make them all the time myself, thanks for the videos

[@raysmith1992]

Nice looking project 👍😀

[@wizz4392]

Again nice job Keith!

[@user-oy4gf6ck5u]

Thats an interesting shelving unit . It suprises me that you can add books and be sturdy by just leaning on the wall. I also love the contrast of the colours. Nice job !!!

[@RagnBoneBrown]

Thank you!

[@wrzlgummidge7663]

Nice job Keith, great finish. atb

[@IEnjoyCreatingVideos]

Nice work Keith! Thanks for sharing the video.😎👍JP

[@1959ticktock]

Complicated glue-ups are stressful. I find that the more prepared I am the better. That includes another full dry, and marking seemingly obvious components with labelled making tape. Then deep breath and try not to rush. Oh, and lock the door. Love the video, and how you recovered from the mistake. That's the mark of a good maker - don't jump up and down and swear, but figure out how to fix it.

[@enabledworkshop]

1:42 great tip there, going to have to try that myself.

[@Bill.L.Carroll]

Happy accidents are the best accidents! 👍 Well done, Looks great, mate. 👌

[@chrisperry7963]

Nice job Keith, looks great. Glue ups can be brutal. I've invested in a pile of moving blankets, which are good to place under the piece and the can protect surfaces and help soften blows when hammering parts together...

[@RagnBoneBrown]

good idea!

[@nathalie5064]

Really nice project and work ^^

[@thecadaver]

Note to self, convince sibling to become professional woodworker

[@RagnBoneBrown]

you can do it!

[@KnottenWood]

OR, charge brother a pretty penny for his projects! Great job!

[@thecadaver]

@@RagnBoneBrown I'd love to, but my incredibly poor hand-eye coordination does not need the added danger of power tools.

[@NomadMakes]

I have been waiting for this since I saw it on insta. Great build, and nice vid. Keep it up!

[@RagnBoneBrown]

thank you!

[@davidbuffington9644]

If you have a large enough table (a sheet of ply on the saw horses works too) I would put the shelves vertically on the table top. Then I would prop up the rails to the proper angle. Applying the glue you could use the clamps to bring them together with even pressure. As noted in other comments, a dry fit would be very beneficial. Additionally, since the rails and shelves are finished in different ways, I might consider finishing them separately before assembly. Good video. Nice project. Opportunities for solutions. Cheers.

[@leoojtt]

Great video

[@chrisnorton2837]

Looks nice! I imagine you could do these faster in batches and sell them easily. Great addition of style to a small apartment.

[@chemcody5119]

Mistakes are how we learn Keith. It happens to all of us....Me especially! :)

[@Bardy20101]

you did a wonderful job of it keith. your brother should be really proud of you. maybe you could include him in one of your videos sometime. your style is improving with every video you make and as for making mistakes, we all make them but it is how we get over them that shows true skill. all the best. tony.

[@szbyzan]

I like yours a lot better than my IKEA one.

[@rakeyohn222]

Electric planing that plywood edge made me nervous! Well done.

[@RagnBoneBrown]

it actually works great on the edges of plywood, chipboard, MDF etc, cuts really clean! 👍

[@negotiableaffections]

I'm thinking that the frame should have been glued up first [although your clever idea of adding the top and bottom rails, to the ends, might have been overlooked] and then slotting the shelves in. I think its its better secured to the wall too, as some visitors' toddler is bound to see it as a climbing frame. Its an interesting shelving solution and you rendered it very well, Keith.

[@RagnBoneBrown]

That's a good idea, I did think about doing that but was worried about the glue smearing across the shelves making a bit of a mess. You're absolutely right about the toddler climbing frame though, especially seeing as my brother is now expecting!!

[@ChrisFranklyn]

Oakdale Crafts sell a walnut faced plywood, I can't vouch for it - I spotted it when looking for veneers. Love the warts and all video mate, and the recovery.

[@michaelevans1658]

That was a challenge Keith ,I made a ladder shelf unit for my son that was a challenge also.

[@cy8646]

I think Indian Ink would've also given you a good finish.

[@Drugaddict22]

Good job mate.

[@BischBaschBosch]

On your own, I'm not sure there is an easy trick to assembling these. One thing I've done different in the past making similar shelves is to not only route a housing in the frame but also a cut out for the frame on the shelf pieces. They interlock better this way, making assembly easier. Takes a fair bit more working out though. Working outside as you do sometimes, get some of that anti-slip tool matt. About six quid a roll and will protect your work. As always, you pushed on through and the result is great. Even with the good editing, it did look like you had reached a point with this where you'd just about had enough. Hope your brother knows how lucky he is ;)

[@RagnBoneBrown]

That’s a nice idea I like the sound of that!

[@LonghornWorkshop]

Well that was a bit of a fight, turned out good though. Oh and we want a tour of your brothers house....lol

[@RagnBoneBrown]

i'll see if that can be arranged 😂

[@XJWill1]

I probably would have supported both the rails by sawhorses at the ends (rails clamped to sawhorses), then applied glue to the bottom shelf slots and put in the bottom shelf with a clamp, then put in the second shelf with a clamp, and so on to the top shelf.

[@RagnBoneBrown]

Yeah that's a good idea, the main reason I didn't do it like that is just being worried about having to clean up all the glue smearing squeeze out. But it may have been a better option than what I did

[@XJWill1]

@@RagnBoneBrown I was thinking there should be enough flex in the rails to slide each shelf in from the top rather than the front (that is why I suggested working from the bottom up). But I could be wrong.

[@marthapotter8283]

You are a good brother! Have you at least gotten a nice gift from your brother for all your hard work?

[@garylee4141]

Could you have cut the top off one side and attach to the bottom on the short side to keep the height? For glue up ease you could have cut a jig to hold the shelves from the back to help you line the sides then remove once glued up , just an idea , but love the finish product top quality finish

[@JohnMadeit]

nice work. if you could grow a few more arms that might help with the glue up..

[@timothydalton90]

One nightmare of a glue up. Great job!

[@klausreviewscraftrestore3152]

i use sanding sealer on pretty much everything i do.

[@charliebrownscurveball397]

I made a similar style bookcase and I also messed up by gluing uprights upsides down.

[@terrorfirma2764]

I don't know if would have been easier to make the slots for the shelves very slightly wider, only the thickness of a sheet of paper, it may have helped make the glue up a little less stressful?

[@thenorthernwoodhouse5015]

brill video keith

[@manithaariyathilaka5182]

What a nice project, Just a beginner woodworker question, why did you go for a 10 degree angle? Is that important or Is it just a personal choice on how much of a lean you want on the unit?

[@RagnBoneBrown]

Thanks. That's just how I happened to design it in SketchUp

[@manithaariyathilaka5182]

@@RagnBoneBrown cheers. You are an inspiration

[@whitedoggarage]

Great video , love your style. I think the happy accident made a better product, although I might then have added a couple of chair leg coasters (thick plastic washer things mainly used to stop the chair marking the floor or slipping - not sure what they are called in England) to the bottom rail. Like walls you can't rely on floors being flat either and these make for two points of contact rather than the full length of the rail, however I see in the final shots that it is sitting on carpet so maybe not really needed. Talking about an easier way to assemble, I'm not sure you could really change what you did, unless you went to some sort of jig to hold the shelves in position whilst you fitted the rails. Given that you only made one of these, a jig is not really warranted - my thoughts anyhow :-)

[@gunnereddie4821]

you prolly dont give a damn but does anyone know a trick to get back into an instagram account?? I was stupid forgot my login password. I appreciate any help you can offer me!

[@willantonio6420]

@Gunner Eddie instablaster ;)

[@gunnereddie4821]

@Will Antonio Thanks so much for your reply. I got to the site through google and I'm waiting for the hacking stuff atm. Seems to take a while so I will get back to you later when my account password hopefully is recovered.

[@gunnereddie4821]

@Will Antonio it worked and I actually got access to my account again. I am so happy! Thanks so much you saved my account :D

[@willantonio6420]

@Gunner Eddie Happy to help :D

[@sebcsaba]

At 3:43, you can see that the angle set to the angle gauge is not 10°, because the lying handle is lifted a millimeter from the tabletop. Fortunately, this is not critical on this project, while you're using the very same gauge setup :) Tip (I learnt on my similar off-a-bit angle gauge): do such measurement at the edge of the tabletop, if perfection is necessary :)

[@nofcustoms4663]

Whats ur table saw?seeme awesome,great job on the shelf

[@RagnBoneBrown]

thanks, it's the DeWalt DW745

[@paultay23]

Nice one Keith, your Brother gives you jobs to do (hopefully he pays you, something)... my brother gets me free hardwood from a joinery business.

[@RagnBoneBrown]

I want your brother!! 😂😂

[@gerrym4377]

If the upright was upside down wouldn’t the 10’ slots be then going in the wrong direction? 🧐 I like how it turned out, looked great. I can buy walnut ply locally to me in 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 but that’s probably a bit far for you to go for it 😂

[@RagnBoneBrown]

Yeah you’re right! Send me some ply down south please! 😂

[@worrun1505]

What Radio station do you listen to while working? Do you do Pop Master? :)

[@RagnBoneBrown]

I tend to just put radio one on out of habit, but I hate almost everything they play! Radio 6 is good so occasionally that too. It's more just for backgound noise than anything tbh!

[@worrun1505]

Yuck, Radio1! Regardless, keep up the great work. Love the videos

[@user-rp5lv7mz9q]

How are you? How are the sizes of shelves?

[@Landruman2002]

Nothing wrong with happy accidents..

[@RagnBoneBrown]

I seem to have a lot of them 😂

[@catoftruth1044]

is it important to drill this on the wall? i wonder if you dont drill it

[@Bluezulu17]

Great vid, however no use for me as need thousands of £'s to get involved

[@emilylindstrom724]

Your brother is gonna work you out of house and home with all these unpaid commissions.. Nice project though.