Adjustable Bookshelf

Building a modular adjustable bookshelf from these plans is easy to do and a fun DIY weekend project. The beauty of this shelf is the aluminum speed rail frame that allows the composite pine shelving to be easily slid around and repositioned. As you can see, I chose to arrange my shelves with standard spacing, but there is no reason I could not stagger them all at different heights. In this way, you can make the shelf your own.

While the speed rail places this bookshelf on the expensive end of the spectrum, it's adaptability, ruggedness, and aesthetic beauty will make this piece of furniture last me a long time. Should some day I no longer have need for this bookshelf, I can transform the individual parts into new pieces of furniture. This is not a cheap particle board shelf that you might find in a big box store and will ultimately dump on the curb when you move somewhere new. Speaking of which, since it can be broken apart into lightweight pieces and reassembled relatively easily, it is easy to pack up and move to a new home.

The tools and materials you will need include:

(x6) 14" x 36" x 3/4" composite pine board (or wood of choice) *
(x4) 6' x #1 aluminum pipes
(x24) #1 flush-mount through-hole rail supports
(x4) #1 round rails ends
(x100) 3/4" x #12 screws
(x1) Quart of wood stain of choice (I used Polycrylic Satin)
(x1) Drill press ***
(x1) 1-3/8" forstner bit
(x1) Palm sander (and/or sanding block)
(x1) Assorted sandpaper
(x1) Power drill
(x1) 3/16" hex wrench
(x1) Ruler
(x1) Pencil

* I discovered the composite pine board at my local lumber store (Beckerle Lumber in Rockland County, NY), albeit I have been told you can get it at Lowes. I choose it both for its width and aesthetic. I found the checkerboard pine arrangement matched the modular design of my shelving. If you can't find it, I recommend using whatever type of board you can find close in dimension (preferably between 12" and 14").

*** If you don't have a drill press and a forstener bit, you may be able to get away with a corded drill and a hole saw (which is cheaper, at the very least).

(Please note that some of the links on this page contain Amazon affiliate links. This does not change the price of any of the items for sale. However, I earn a small commission if you click on any of those links and buy anything. I reinvest this money into materials and tools for future projects. If you would like an alternate suggestion for a supplier of any of the parts, please let me know.)

Pick a "bottom" corner on each board to measure from. If you make the measurements from different corners, you might have holes spaced slightly differently from board to board (as the board may not be exact in length) and this will prove problematic later. However, by making them all from one corner, the layout of all four holes will always be equally spaced.

On five of the boards make marks at:

1-3/4" lengthwise x 2-1/4" width-wise
1-3/4" lengthwise x 10-1/4" width-wise
33-3/4" lengthwise x 2-1/4" width-wise
33-3/4" lengthwise x 10-1/4" width-wise

Drill each of these markings on-center with a 1-3/8" forstner bit.

The sixth board gets neither mark nor drilled. It will function as the bookshelf's top shelf.

Sand the surface and edges of all of the boards with 180 grit sandpaper to make it clean and smooth.

Also, you may slightly round-off the edges of the boards with the sander if you wish to make them less sharp.

Now is time to coat the wood.

I put on two coats of clear-coat satin Polycrylic stain, and then lightly sanded with 220 sandpaper in-between.

Coat the wood as you wish.

If you don't know what you are doing, you can learn more about stain in the Woodworking Class.

Lay the board without any drill holes upon a flat surface.

Place one of the drilled boards centered upon the undrilled one and trace the outline of each of the four holes onto the undrilled board using a pencil.

Center a flush mount rail support around each of the four markings.

Finally, fasten the supports to the board using #12 screws.

Position the through-hole rail supports on the center of each 1-3/8" drilled hole and fasten it to the wood board using #12 screws.

Place the top shelf on the floor upside down with the brackets facing upwards. Slide the aluminum posts into each of the board's brackets and lock them in place by fastening the bracket's set screws.

If you want to make equally space shelves, next, find two identical 12" boxes or containers and place them atop the board. Storage bins and milk creates seem to work well.

Slide the next shelf upside down along the aluminum posts until it lies flat atop the 12" boxes. Check to make sure that it is lying flat using a bubble level.

Once this is confirmed, lock the shelf in place using the bracket's set screws.

Finally, remove the boxes from between the shelves. Your first two shelves are now placed.

Continue adding shelves using the same process, and repeat until they are all set in place.

Carefully flip the bookshelf over (preferably with a friend) and place a round rail end onto the bottom of each post.

Now is the time to fill up the shelves with all of your books.