Oak Corner Dining Room Shelf
Why we did It
Phoebe and K have so many liquor bottles from Christmas and birthday presents. There was no room for a liquor cabinet after the combining of households. We decided to put a shelf up to store the bottles in an accessible area. I wanted a front lip to make it harder for kids or intoxicated people to knock the bottles off the shelf. We decided to make it the same finish as the hutch and ordered some beautiful antique copper shelf brackets off amazon to match my glass hanger.
The corner section measures 72″ x 43″. A 1″ gap between the shelf and doorways on either side seemed sufficient so the shelf itself will be 71″ x 42″ finished. The plan was to place it high enough that it wouldn’t be accidentally hit or knocked into but low enough for an average human to still reach, on tippy toes if needed. I checked the corner angle to ensure that it was roughly 90 degrees before cutting.
All the Parts
Shopping List
- 106″ of 1″ x 8″ oak for bottom
- 101″ of 1″ x 2″ oak for front
- 113″ of 1″ x 3″ oak for back
- 3/8″ doweling for pocket holes
Cut List
- 72″ of 1″ x 8″ oak for bottom of long side with corner cut off at 45 degrees
- 43″ of 1″ x 8″ oak for bottom of short side, with corner cut off at 45 degrees.
- 1″ x 2″ oak for front and sides
- 1″ x 3″ oak for back
- 3/8″ doweling for pocket holes cut as you go
The corners are cut at a 45 degree angle. I cut the long sides from the wood first and then flipped the offcut pieces and these became the 45 degree angle for the short side. For example I measured the 1″ x 8″ board at 72″. I made a 45 degree cut so that the long edge was that 72″ mark. Now I have 2 boards with 45 degree cuts. I flipped the rest of the board. Now my 45 degree cuts make a 90 degree corner. I cut that so that the long edge is 43″. I used the same method to make the backs and fronts were meet at a 90 degree angle in the corners. Sometimes the easiest way to measure is with a pencil and square. I clamped my backs where I wanted them and then marked my cuts from the boards that I had.
Putting it all Together
For strength the pocket holes should have been angled towards the inside but I did not want to see the dowel plugs. I angled from the inside out and only placed them approximately every 10 inches. The glue is strong. The pocket holes were used for alignment. No matter what I do with a board I find it slightly curved when I try to fasten it down. I also used 3/8 inch dowel and drill holes for corners. Gluing the sides down was a bit of a challenge. I would glue, clamp and then screw down one board at a time. This involved placing the dowels through the corners and then lifting the side up to squeeze glue between the side and bottom. Clamp, fasten, repeat.
When I was refinishing the kitchen cupboard I had sanded off the original dark walnut stain it only stuck in veins and dents. K really liked this sanded off look therefore I thought I would use it for this shelf. I did not want to sand and then stain and sand again for the shelf. In an attempt mimic the look I sanded to 120 grit before staining. I wiped my stain off immediately after applying instead of waiting for the time noted in the directions. It was not 100% the look I was going for but everyone liked the final colour.
