As I constantly seem to have an inordinate amount of “extra” books around due to 2-3 coming in for review from publishers per week, picking up used books at sales, acquiring old tomes for research on oddball subjects, and buying the occasional new volume that seems interesting, something needed to be done.
While I have a number of traditional bookcases laying about– jammed to overflowing– I wanted something with more of a Florida recycle feel to it and went spooling.
Dirty, nasty project spools. They are 30 inches wide, 18 high. Full of mud and bugs.
A good washing to remove dirt, steel wool to remove all-weather labels and rust from bolts, followed up by sanding where needed to get rid of splinters and rough edges. After all, these will have books on them.
More washing to get off the dust from the sanding process. Then on to remove wire remnants and about 100 staples (WTF?). Kill spiders. Etc.
Finished with a light golden pecan stain and sealed to keep the original look to the spools while still having them be smooth to the touch. Kept as many markings as I could that hearkened back to their days in industry. Its plywood, after all, so a good seal is needed.
Married them up, installed 3/4″ dowels for bookends (six per spool, left “in the white” as a contrast), added casters to the bottom to allow the whole thing to spin.
Ceramic and stone mosaic added to the top spool (don’t worry, this is in the rough before grout was added)
And finished, standing just over 36 inches high, about waist level. The whole thing comes apart in two pieces and (sans books) can be rolled to wherever needed). Currently houses 100~ books (note Last Stand on Zombie Island hiding out there) plus the occasional random bayonet and curio. (No kids in my household and no visitors to my home office, so don’t throw shade).
In the end, I think it comes out ok and plus gives me a place to rest my aged briefcase, cigar box and whatever volume I happen to be reading at the time (The Kamikaze Hunters by Will Iredale, about RN Corsairs in the tale end of the Pacific War 1944-45, pretty good so far.)
Total cost: less than $100. Total time: Perhaps 10 hours over 10 days. I dig it.
