Building Some Stuff: Kid's bookshelf

[Great-Kazoo]

I tried to make good use of the relative warmth today to get some progress on a couple of projects, including the bookshelf. Picking up where I left off, it's now time to deal with my mistake of leaving the pocket holes on the visible part of the bottom shelf.


I am going to use Kreg plugs, which are essentially pre-trimmed pieces of dowel rod, to fill the holes. I just need a little glue, but a hammer and a Kreg pocket jig help get the plugs seated.


Damn, I drilled a lot of holes in this shelf.


The back of the Kreg pocket jig has a little slot that holds the back of the plug and helps you seat it. Coat the plug in some glue, a few taps of the hammer, and you are in business.


And when you have nine holes to fill, business is good.


The plugs stand quite a bit proud of the surface. You can sand them down, plane them, saw them, trim them with a router, or in my case, use an oscillating tool with a flush cut blade.


Even a steady hand can gouge the crap out of a thin ply veneer. If this were something I cared about, I'd use a thin sheet of brass shim to protect the ply surface, and sand or plane the final fraction flush to the surface.


However, I am going to paint the hell out of this, so I gouge away.




A little bit of wood filler and some light sanding, and the surface is flush enough for paint.

Someone has them some uptown tools.