As promised (long ago), here’s a quick video of how the collapsible bookcase works.
It still wobbles a tiny bit at the corners; I’m fixing that by reducing the hinge clearance. Still, even though it wobbles a wee bit, there is no danger of it collapsing. It is surprisingly strong.
This version is built to the same size as the original. It’s a bit small for modern books, but I see no reason the mechanism cannot be used on larger casework.
The project was a ton of fun. And even though it is dirt-simple – hinges and a dado – putting it together was like a Three Stooges episode. I almost got poked in the eye a couple times by a flapping shelf or case side.
I have just a little more clean-up on the edges and I’ll be finishing this with garnet shellac and black wax.
— Christopher Schwarz