Hey guys! Today I'm going to show you guys how I made this modern diy floating shelf / bookshelf based on the famous Deathly Hallows symbol from the Harry Potter series. This was something I built for a monthly woodworking challenge, and I'm really proud of how it came out. It was a happy accident that the vertical piece perfectly nested the first four books. This shelf is also the perfect size to display my Harry Potter wands, funko pops, and movies!
Check out the full build video below!
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step 1: prep lumber
Since I was working with live edge offcuts, I picked out pieces that were all roughly the same length and cleaned the loose materials off of the pieces using a chisel and followed up by sanding the edges with 80 grit sand paper.
Next, I ran each piece through the jointer to get a flat face, and then through the planer to get all the pieces down to the same thickness. Lastly, I used my table saw to cut all the pieces down to the same length.
step 2: epoxy form
Before I can start pouring the epoxy, I have to make the form first. I cut up some 1/2” MDF panels for this and applied sheathing tape on all the MDF pieces. This will help to prevent the epoxy from sticking to the form after curing. After attaching assembling the form together using bradnails, I sealed the gaps with some silicon so the epoxy won't leak out.
step 3: epoxy pour For the “cloak of invisibility”
I clamped the wood pieces down to the form to prevent it from floating up after the epoxy is poured. Then I mixed the epoxy with colored pigments. For the larger pour I picked green and silver to represent my house, the Slytherines. For the smaller pour, I added a bit of gold to the green and really liked how the two colors came out. Once the pours were done, I set everything aside to cure.
step 4: making the “resurrection stone”
While the epoxy cured on the side, I began working on the "resurrection stone", which are made from 1/2" and 3/4" MDF. I first marked lines that represented a 29 1/4" diameter circle. Then I set up my circle cutting jig with a 1/4" straight bit. Line up the edge of the bit with the line that was drawn, and then simply let the circle jig to guide the cut. I first cut outer diameter on the 3/4" MDF and then adjusted the router to cut the inner diameter of the ring. The width of the ring is roughly 1 1/4". After the first ring is complete, I cut another ring out of the 1/2" MDF, but slightly larger so that I could flush up the two rings easily at the router table after gluing the two together.
step 5: cutting the “cloak of invisibility”
After the epoxy has cured, I broke the boards out of the form using a pry bar. I sent them through the planer to clean up the all of the overflow epoxy and brought all the boards back to the same thickness. Next, I cut all three boards down to same length using my crosscut sled on my table saw.
To cut the 30-deg miters to form the equilateral triangle, I had to use my Multi-Purpose Tenoning Jig that I built awhile back. By setting the table saw blade at 60-deg and running the boards vertically, it will result in the 30-deg I was looking for.
Before gluing up the three sides, I put a bevel along what would be the front edge of the shelf. Then I used some clamping jigs to clamp the three boards together to form the triangle. You may also make your own jig to help clamp these miter angles so you don't have to get what I used.
step 6: joinery for the “elder wand”
The "Elder Wand" and the "Cloak of Invisibility" will be joined together with two crosslap joints. First I marked where the cuts needed to be made on the triangle, then I used a straight edge to help me guide my saw. Finally, a coping saw was used to connect the cuts to clear out the joint. I then put in the padauk and marked where the cuts needed to be on it. Using a hand saw and dado blades, I cut the joint on the padauk.
In the video I used hand tools to cut the joints, but after having made a few of these for sale, I've come up with a way to make these cuts with power tools. You can find it on my Instagram here
Before the glue up, I cut bevels on the edges of the "Elder Wand" that would face the front of the shelf. The I glued the two parts together.
step 7: completing the resurrection stone
After the "Cloak of Invisibility" and "Elder Wands" have been glued together, I set the assembly on top of the ring made earlier. Once I was happy with the placement, I used a pencil and striked lines along all of the edges where the two assemblies intersected. These lines are what helped me to position my router when cutting the dados.
I placed the circular offcut in the middle of the ring so my track won't flex in the middle and it'll help support the router through the cuts. This is important to do so your cuts will all come out the same depth. I set the router bit to cut 3/8" deep, which is more than enough to make a strong joint between the assemblies.
step 9: final glue-up
After the dados have been cut, I covered them up with painter's tape. I also put tape on the glue surfaces of the triangular assembly. This step takes awhile to do, but it's very important to ensure a good bond between the assemblies.
Next, I used black spray paint with primer to paint the ring assembly. And while the paint dried, I applied finish to the triangular assembly. Once both the paint and the finish have cured, I glued the pieces together!