International Concepts 4 Tier Mission Shelf Unit, Unfinished

Beautiful wood. Parawood,or Hevea. Dense, strong, sturdy, sanded smooth, unfinished. This is excellent wood for furniture, if well cared for will last hundreds of years. Exceptional laminate, very well crafted, perfect joins, excellent workmanship.Easily assembled; you will need a small power screw driver, and a couple of adjustable C-clamps will help too.Prior to assembly I applied a couple coats of mineral oil mixed with pure lemon oil (essential oil); i.e., a couple teaspoons of essential lemon oil per pint mineral oil. This wood soaked up a over 1/2 pint of mineral oil almost immediately. Your mileage may vary with other finishes, varnishes and sealants. Most oil based finishes should work well with Hevea. Tung oil or Linseed oil should work very well.The adjustable shelves are a bit awkward and could use some modification. Included are peg hole supports similar to these: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PH77VJE?psc=1. The assembly directions state that the shelves should be fastened to the brackets with small screws (included), This results in a more sturdy shelf, that is not easily adjustable. In addition, there is no backing or rear rail. Thus, the shelves a bit awkward to use and adjust. An industrious person could possibly fashion a rear edge or rail for the shelves, which may possibly incorporate an adjustable wooden support; or simply use a different support such as Knape and Vogt.Over all, these are nice shelves, solid wood, Hevea (rubber tree).

This wood 4 shelf unit is a good value for the amount of money it cost, and I would probably buy it again.But here are some thing's I wish I knew before making my purchase decision:-- The wood components are actually wood remnants that have been glued together to make the correct size pieces. It wood have been better if solid pieces of wood had been cut to size.-- The seams are noticeable, so if you decide to stain instead of paint, you will see the seams.-- Gluing the bottom shelf board to the frame is no easy task, you have gravity working against you. Luckily I had four 4-inch clamps so I could turn the bookcase up-side-down and glue clamp the shelf in place, then drive the 6 screws in. Some reviewers complained that the unit wobbles, and I could see why if extra steps are not taken.- My kit had not one extra screw or bolt. So if you strip the head out of a screw or drop it and lose it, you will be off to the hardware store.A lot of negative, but this unit is not perfect and you should know what you are getting yourself into. Still a good value for the amount it cost.

Put on a coat of finish, it looks beautiful!

It doesn't have a rival in this price range for beauty and sturdiness. Super easy to put together - everything goes together like butter. You will need to seal it to prevent stains. I bought the sealer from IKEA.

I love these rubberwood unfinished furniture pieces! I have 9 pieces in my home...some stained, some painted, others I have left unfinished.They are fairly easy to put together. I love the sturdiness of these pieces and the fact that I dint have to deal with MDF that breaks or soft pine that gets dented easily . These pieces are worth every penny...highly recommend

This shelf was a pain to put together. If your level of furniture assembly is the IKEA variety, do not buy this! I did manage to get it together, but in the end, considering the assembly hassle, cost, and quality, it's definitely not worth it. I have 2 excellent little stools from this company purchased years ago. The materials for this shelf feel weaker in comparison. It's also quite top heavy! There is also a noticeable chip on the side, the prieces are not marked to guide during assembly, which isn't a big deal, but if you do get it, be sure to note the top and bottom shelves are not the same size. And there are these "rails" (long support pieces for the top and bottom shelf) that shows in the instructions as same size, but they weren't. I used the slightly thicker set on the bottom in hopes it would give it more stability. And the thinner on top to give even a little more clearance between the top shelf and the shelf to be placed below it. Knowing this, I would have purchased a cheaper shelf that works just as well. I did get a cheaper one a couple weeks prior to this one and no complaints with it, a different brand. Needed a 2nd one and got sold on the solid wood bit and I got this one, but wish I hadn't.

Don't expect IKEA level quality, or even Target! The wood is lovely, but the fittings don't quite fit - they are all approximate. That means the frame is a little wobbly even after every screw is completely tightened. Also, the manufacturer expects you to fasten the wood top and bottom shelf to the frame with screws, but has not drilled any holes for the screws to screw into. That means that instead of assembling with only a screwdriver, I am now going to need to find measuring tape, pencil, an electric drill, and time when someone else can watch my kids, so I can use the drill without anyone being in danger. That is significantly more work than I was anticipating.Also, it comes with an allen wrench, and no reason to use it. Why include it? It's even listed on the fittings page.It will be a lovely bookcase, when it's finally assembled.

Super happy with this 4 tier bookcase! Not only did I get it for a great price, but I got it less than 24 hours after I placed my order! I was amazed. Seems solid once put together. It was not a problem for my husband to assemble. Includes detailed staining instructions, which is helpful for us who haven't done this in awhile. No pressed board here! The only negative is that you can see holes along the inside for the pegs, since shelf height is adjustable.