New Computer Case and Bookshelf

About three years ago my dad built me a desk. I designed it and he built it exactly as I had imagined it. I couldn't have asked for a better desk. Afterward my dad said that he could build me some bookshelves, but I told him not to worry about it now. Well I started thinking about having a bookshelf on my desk again a month or so ago. So my dad decided he would build me one for my Christmas present. We have worked on it together every day this week. Honestly, it's the most time I've ever spent with my dad probably. We have had a few quarrels, but it has been great to bond so much over this project. Woodworking is one of his favorite hobbies and he loves explaining to me how to do various things with the wide array of tools available. Anyway we are somewhere just past midway done with the project and there is plenty of work left to do. Take a look for yourself:

This the basic design that we started out with. You will notice later that it has been modified. The top left and top right boxes are bookshelves and the space on the very top will be utilized for books as well. The bottom right box will be used to house my computer case. The bottom left will likely contain a printer. My main 22" monitor is going to be mounted in the big box in the middle and my other two monitors will be mounted in front of the bookshelves and will pivot on the internal sides so they can rotate out of the way of the books when needed (don't worry if it doesn't make sense yet, you will see later).

Our first task was to plan our cuts in the sheet of 3/4" plywood in order to take advantage of as much of our board as possible.

The first cut is about to be made!

A jigsaw is necessary to do some of the cuts that weren't straight across.

Sanding off some of the pencil marks.

Measuring slots for the shelves.

Cutting said slots. On this one in particular (for the middle shelf) it stops five inches from the front end so we set up a stop block and then chiseled out the remainder of the slot by hand.

The core of the bookshelf is cut and grooved.

Ensuring our angles are correct before nailing.

So far it fits together quite nicely even without nails or glue.

Cutting the baseboard for the back of the shelf to help hold the back panel in place and provide additional strength.

Back of bookshelf.

The main cabinets are complete. This is just the beginning!

Main monitor case (without front trim).

This is what the placement will be for the main monitor case. Later this monitor will hinge at the bottom and rotate down so that two shelves can be accessed behind it for additional storage. I wouldn't want to waste any space!

Building the other two monitor cases.

Cutting trim for the fronts of the monitor cases.

This is what we have so far. Monitor cases have trim on now and the other two monitor cases are now complete. Also, note that the bottom right box for the computer has a tray on drawer slide so that it can be easily removed or displayed on the desk for better viewing.

This is the start I made on the computer case today. So far I have the base board routed along the edge so that some transparent plexiglass can be slid in to enclose the internal components. On the bottom right in the picture above is the beginning of the hard drive bay. I plan to stand my hard drives up on end and then have a clamp holding them in place from the sides. Just above that will be the power supply and to the left will be the motherboard. All of the "rear ports" will be on the far left side.

This is where I am currently. Before I leave my parents house on Monday I would like to have the computer case mostly completed, all of the remaining trim nailed up, monitors mounted and hinged, holes drilled/ports mounted for cables, and the entire bookshelf stained, sanded, sealed, and glossed. That's a lot to do considering my dad and I have several engagements coming up in the next few days.

What I would like to do after the aforementioned things are completed is mount my speaker system within the bookshelves, add felt to the bottom of the shelves to keep from scratching my desk, and finish the computer case (install fans, lights, and whatever else). I'll make sure to add pictures of any future development.

Thanks for reading!