Bookcase to Match Existing Furniture

This was done for a neighbor that had bought a bedroom suite of furniture some years back, and wanted a bookcase to match in style and color.  The style used rounded front legs that were turned 45 degrees to the case.  The wood was maple stained (not to my taste) an orangish color, but a paying customer is not to be denied.  The case is 72" tall by 41" wide by 11.25" deep.

The 30mm wide front legs were the big challenge, since they were bowed inward along the length and rounded to a half circle on the front edge.  The back of the legs had to have a V-notch dado (?) cut into them to mate with the case and achieve the 45 degree turn out angle.  To do this, I first milled the stock straight and square, cut the bow on the band saw, and ran the front through a 15mm quarter round router bit with a follower bearing, one pass each surface to get the half round nose.  

To get the V-notch in the back, I built a holding fixture to support the leg during a single router pass over a 1.5" wide 90 degree V-bit.  The fixture prevented the sharp edge left after routing from being damaged by pressing it into the router table.  This was important because that feathered edge would glue onto the case for a smooth transition.  The back legs were simpler because they mount at right angles to the case, needing only a straight rabat cut on the table saw to mate with the case.

The finish stain was a mixture of General Finishes water based stains applied after sealing the maple to prevent blotching.  It took several applications/partial removals to get an even look with just the right color.  After a light sanding to smooth the grain after the water finishes, the final finish was three coats of hand applied Minwax Tung Oil varnish, again matching the original bedroom furniture.

The case work is 5/8" maple ply, the shelves are 3/4" maple ply, and solid maple for the front and back  legs , top, and the edge banding on the shelves.

All in all it came out as well as I could have hoped for and the customer was thrilled.