# Boat-Shaped Bookcase . . .



## Kevin

We finally got to deliver my daughter's & grandsons Christmas present today. Between weather, everyone being sick (except us) and schedules, this Christmas was one weird one. We still have one left - going to her mom's but after that all the multiple Christmas's will be complete. Probably be next year before we get to Frisco Texas to do it though.

This was a pretty fun build. I used quite a few hand tools and considering I have nothing but my table saw, planer, and band saw set up right now I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. I placed the running light upside-down in hopes that the crumbsnatchers won't climb the shelves to see it.
































They were happy with it and that's all that counts.

Reactions: Like 3


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## Dane Fuller

*RE: Boat Bookcase . . .*

Kevin,
That is awesome, I love it! I've wanted to do something sort of like that for a long time. I really like the running lights.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## DomInick

*RE: Boat Bookcase . . .*

That's awesome!!! It looks real and the bow light adds to the realism. Nice job. 

when it's rustic.......it's rustic

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## NYWoodturner

Beautiful Job Kevin - You have been one busy man for Christmas...
You have also been upstaged by those two hams in the first picture :rofl2:
Really nice work - right down to the rope detail on the front of the shelves...Which I am betting was more difficult than we imagine...
My question is the bend on the sides? Do tell ...
Scott

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Mike1950

Nice job Kevin, I love the light. I bet that was a bunch of work. Those 2 grandsons sure are Cute-I bet they are a handful!!!!!!!

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Mike Jones

I have seen a lot of these boat-shaped book shelves before, but none this nice!
what a great gift!

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Kevin

NYWoodturner said:


> ...
> You have also been upstaged by those two hams in the first picture :rofl2:



Ain't that the truth! 



NYWoodturner said:


> ...right down to the rope detail on the front of the shelves...Which I am betting was more difficult than we imagine...



It was easy once I figured it out. I initially used new rope and construction adhesive. It wasn't a disaster but not far from it. I then thought since the new rope was too white on such a rustic project, and since it was way to flexible, I cut off a short portion of one of my logging ropes and had the wife wash it with bleach etc. It was nearly black before she did. I liked it because it was very stiff. You could hold a 2' section on one end and it looked like a high pressure stream of water coming out of a hose - very little drooping. Then I just brad nailed them to the shelf ends. As stiff as it is it only took four 2" brads on each section.



NYWoodturner said:


> ...
> My question is the bend on the sides? Do tell ...
> Scott



All I did was resaw dried thicker boards down to 1/4" and glue and clamp to the shelf sides. What took the time was hand planing the arced profiles on the sides of the shelves so I could get max surface contact for the glue to do its magic. I used a block plane to get it close and then hand sanded the rest. It was trial and error.


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## Kevin

Mike1950 said:


> ..I bet that was a bunch of work. ...



It could have been done easily in 8 hours with plans. I didn't have any and didn't even make a rough sketch beforehand, nor even any scribbling along the way. I had a vision in my head and built it 100% from that. It took ~28 hours counting scavenging the wood from around my extensive hoard - all tolled that was 2 hours by itself!

I will never build something with these kinds of profiles and angles again without scratching out a plan first. I wasted a lot of time because I didn't scribble a plan and make a few rough measurements fisrt.


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## DKMD

Anybody else think of this upon seeing the photo of the crumbsnatchers?



 

Very nice project, Kevin!

Reactions: Funny 1


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## cabomhn

Looks great Kevin, the ropes and the lights really tie things together well, I'm sure it'll be in the family for a long time.

On another note, my niece and nephew got one of those micro RC like your grandson has in his hand and wow, it made christmas day interesting; strafing runs coming around the christmas tree and into uncle Matt's head, fun times

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Kevin

cabomhn said:


> ...
> On another note, my niece and nephew got one of those micro RC like your grandson has in his hand and wow, it made christmas day interesting; strafing runs coming around the christmas tree and into uncle Matt's head, fun times



I bought some for them last year but they were still too young then. So I had to use them. You would be surprised how well I can fly them. I can put each skid on their own dime literally.  When I first started flying them my wife would be in the kitchen and I would put on some music real loud (she likes to jam too) and wait until she was wrapped up in a skillet and not paying attention, and fly one in behind her head and just hover it there about two feet away. Eventually she'd turn to get something from the cupboard and see this "thing" with a bright LED blinding her and nearly throw out her back jumping back!

:rotflmao3: :lolol:


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## barry richardson

Thats a winner! Great craftsmanship. They will be fightin over who gets that later in life...[/b]

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Kevin

Scott, correction on the thickness - it just dawned on me I told you the sides were 1/4" thick - they are 3/8" and that's why they were a bitch to bend. Like I said no plans.


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## cabomhn

Kevin said:


> cabomhn said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...
> On another note, my niece and nephew got one of those micro RC like your grandson has in his hand and wow, it made christmas day interesting; strafing runs coming around the christmas tree and into uncle Matt's head, fun times
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I bought some for them last year but they were still too young then. So I had to use them. You would be surprised how well I can fly them. I can put each skid on their own dime literally.  When I first started flying them my wife would be in the kitchen and I would put on some music real loud (she likes to jam too) and wait until she was wrapped up in a skillet and not paying attention, and fly one in behind her head and just hover it there about two feet away. Eventually she'd turn to get something from the cupboard and see this "thing" with a bright LED blinding her and nearly throw out her back jumping back!
> 
> :rotflmao3: :lolol:
Click to expand...


I had a larger size RC when I was little and you could just fly that thing around forever, lots of fun. Those are the best "kids toys" for adults around. Unfortunately theirs was a dud and the battery couldn't hold it's charge. :morning2:


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## phinds

That's a cool piece Kevin ... bet they loved it. Really cute kids too.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Kenbo

Wow, I've seen many boat book shelves, but never one like that. The light at the bow is a great touch and the wood choice is awesome. The looks on the kids faces says it all. They obviously love the shelf. Nicely done. Nicely done indeed.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## woodtickgreg

Very nice build Kev, especially for just doing it on the fly. Great choice of wood, looks very nice, lots of nice little touches and accents everywhere. I bet that would sell well here around the great lakes in the gift shops. Well done Kevin. 
You better watch those 2 boys, I bet if no one was looking they would sneak it out and head for the pond.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## healeydays

Nice boat, but those two with the curls take the picture and make it their own.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Brink

Well done, Kevin.



Kevin said:


> I bought some for them last year but they were still too young then. So I had to use them. You would be surprised how well I can fly them. I can put each skid on their own dime literally.  When I first started flying them my wife would be in the kitchen and I would put on some music real loud (she likes to jam too) and wait until she was wrapped up in a skillet and not paying attention, and fly one in behind her head and just hover it there about two feet away. Eventually she'd turn to get something from the cupboard and see this "thing" with a bright LED blinding her and nearly throw out her back jumping back!
> 
> :rotflmao3: :lolol:



I'm guessing you don't get punched in the sore shoulder too often....lol!

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## BarbS

Aw, Kevin, what a great present for them! You outdid yourself. And those boys are bigger than the last photo I'd seen of them! Cute as the dickens. I'll bet they think they're grandpa is pretty special.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Kevin

@Mike Jones mentioned this in another recent thread so I thought I'd drag it back up for those new members that have no clue what he was referring to. This is a really old thread and many of the smilies transferred when we made the jump to xenforo so for new members when you see any seemingly nonsensical text between colons that's what you're seeing. 

Mike you were right we might need every boat we can get including this one. Now I just need to build one for my newest grand boy.


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## JR Custom Calls

That is awesome. We have one in our living room that is very cheaply made.... lots of nautical stuff in here, and it fit the theme. If I didn't have 3 destructive children, I'd dry to make one... yours looks way nicer than ours. Glad you resurrected it.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## brown down

man that thing is awesome kevin!

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 1


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