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Today, I glued up the upper carcase of the bookcase I’m working on for an upcoming issue (Bob says it could double as a condo). I was so very pleased with myself. The two fixed shelves fit snug into the grooves, the case was almost dead-on square with no futzing, and the face frame overhangs on both sides by 1/16″ or so for the entire 5′ length, which will make for easy cleanup (in theory).
And then I grabbed the nail gun to toenail the fixed shelves in place. Naturally, this wee mishap occurred right where it will show the most. Now where did I stash those nippers…
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THAT is why real craftsmen use those nice angle brackets like you have on your current bookcase at home. Don’t mess with things that have proved they work over the long hawl.
As long as the proportions are good looking, nobody except you will ever notice such a small flaw.
Read the article by Adam Cherubini, where he discusses the soul of the art about proportions and the golden section. he mentioned that a lot of time goes into making perfectly cut dovetails etc. But they are only visible from 20" away.
If your bookcase has got nice proportions, it will look good from 20 feet away.
I have used that explanation after making a hexagonal chest of drawers with 36 drawers built after reading that very article. After it was brought in from the workshop, the glued top cracked open due to changes in humidity, but since the proportions are nice, it doesn’t hurt so much.
I am looking forward to reading the article.
Jonas
I had this happen at a cross-shaped section on a very big project(cubbies about 12ft x 5ft x 16in)in my wife’s classroom, and there no going back pulling things apart at that point either. All I could do was pop the nail back through with a nail set, slowly pull it out with needle nose pliers and patch the hole. Eh, it happens.
Well sure, I _could_ have used a hammer and cut nail. But that would have meant finding the right sized drill bit and the perfect hammer, whilst Glen guffawed in the background…
Wasn’t Chris around? He couldn’t loan you one of those fancy hammers of his? :@)
I just got through trying out my first veneering job because I did the same thing to my entertainment center. Definitely thinking of hiding my pinners during any furniture project from now on.