I'm looking at building a small bookcase. Somewhere in the range of 3 ft wide with a total of 3 shelves; bottom, middle, and upper shelves and then I suppose the top could be considered a forth shelf depending on how you look at it. Dimensions are yet to be finalized.
This is the first project that I'll be using entirely solid wood. No plywood at all. So I have a couple questions; The sides and shelves aren't particularly wide (about 12") can I use one solid piece of walnut and get by without it warping, or should I rip and glue 2-3" pieces together? What sort of joinery should I be using to allow for expansion and contraction?
Right now I'm thinking standard dados for the shelves with the face frame glued on and rabbeting the sides for the back to be glued in place.
Also any tips for making the back on a bookcase like this? I'll still be using solid walnut but the planer I'm getting (dewalt 735) is only 13" wide. How should I go about making a solid back approx 3' x 3'?
Thanks,
Stephen