by j.p. partland A Beginner's Toolbox Build a Bookshelf Web Resources: Sal Marino's Woodworking Page Tips and Tidbits IV: Wood Finishing Staining and Finishing Wood Tripod Resources: How to buy cheap chic furniture How to find the right apartment

When you're living on a limited budget, cheap, mass-produced, Swedish furniture seems like a real solution to your woefully empty apartment (which looked so fancy when the previous tenants had it all decked out). But this furniture is not built to last, and it's not built to look good outside the store. The stuff is intended to be disposable. If you've gotten over milk crates (they're sturdy, yes, but so '80s), it might be time to learn how to design and build your own furniture. The only real cost is the time it takes to master the learning curve. Building bookcases, bed frames, and assorted household furniture isn't always cheaper at first, but the money goes into tools and material — so the more often you build, the cheaper and easier the process gets. The product will be exactly what you wanted to begin with. It will fit your space needs perfectly. And the process is infinitely more pleasing. The first thing you must know is what you want. Then, you have to learn how to create it. Finally, you must execute. Say you want a bookcase. Where do you want to put it? How many books do you want it to hold? How big are the books? Do you want the piece to be versatile enough to work with other applications or in other spaces? How long do you want the bookcase to last? A Beginner's Toolbox How to Build a Bookshelf J.P. Partland, a post-modern superhero, is currently in the middle of a lease as an adventurer. He is also at work on a tome of koanic conundrums designed to bring out the apathetic sociopath in everyone's inner criminal. When he drives, it's always with two hands on the harmonica. © 1997 Tripod, Inc. All Rights Reserved.