Is it a bookcase? Is it a tree?

#1

Hopefully, it’s both. Well, some shelves that vaguely resemble a tree anyway.

Having realised my totally original idea is in fact not the slightest bit original, I have found a few examples of them online, the closest one being something like this: http://www.instructables.com/id/Tree-Bookshelf-DIY/

These are also quite cool:

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It seems like it’s much easier to construct if you have a backing board that you screw+glue everything onto, but I feel like that makes the look slightly less interesting (unless I then shape the backing board so it’s part of the design, like the outline of the leaves or something).

Size-wise, it’s going in an attic room with a sloping ceiling on one side so it only needs to be about 1.25 m high (a bonsai tree). My questions, if anyone is still with me at this point and had any thoughts, are:

Will simple screws be enough to hold the branches/shelves with the weight of books on them? I realise the wider the ‘branches’ the more the load on the join.

Is this going to have to be screwed into the wall to stay up, or could it be free-standing, and if so, would that require a really big heavy base?

Apologies for the rambling nature of this, but genuinely, if anyone has any advice or answers, I would very much appreciate the help.

All the best,

Tom

Apologies for the rambling nature of this, but if anyone had any advice or suggestions

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#2

I’ve a fair amount of experience of bespoke shelving. It’s going to be much easier to attach it to the wall. Freestanding would need a large heavy base (or a balancing act when adding/removing books, which isn’t really practical) and considerably stronger joints/branches.

You could hide the wall attachments fairly well or use some form of hidden bracket(s).

Just had a thought. A thin metal frame against the wall with coach bolts going through the frame into/inside shelves. Then any necessary wall attachments would be hidden too.

I’ll try to draw something

Have you checked youtube?

#3

awesome love it

#4

If you could weld together or water/plasma cut the tree shape out of decently thick sheet steel, and screw good thick wood on for the shelves, and not make them too deep, and give it a wide base, it might work freestanding. Otherwise, you’re just going to have to make a mess of the wall!

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#5

The ‘trunk’ base could wedge it against the wall.

Then if the frame (tree/branches) was thick enough it might only need attaching to the wall in a couple of places