Plywood Book Shelves advice please

This is the first time I've ever used them Harry so I'm not the best person to answer. I was going to dowel until pete & sal told me about biscuit joints. I'd never heard of them till I started this thread. All I know from my 1 day's experience is they are very quick to make and allow a little bit of movement until the glue sets, so you can adjust the joint to get it flush. You don't get any 'wiggle' with dowels which is good if you can drill perfect holes, I know you can get jigs to help but again you need to be accurate.

 

Also I understand the biscuits expand , so they fill up any gaps and make a tight joint (you have to keep them in an air-tight bag).

 

Some progress, dry/test fit of the first two sections:



Then glued up the first one and ready to move into position once it's dried:

 

I'm nearly finished, and just got the skirting boards left to fit and paint. I started applying the clear polyurethane varnish yesterday - what an awful job that is. The smell was sending me high, even though we had all doors and windows opened. It still stinks this morning although it feels dry. I only got half of the shelves covered and it will need a second coat.

Anyone got any recommendations for a low VOC polyurethane varnish that isn't going to kill us with the fumes please?

I used this Wickes one:
http://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-Professional-Interior-Varnish-Clear-Matt-750ml/p/170759

 

I like the sound of that Ronseal product Sheal, I'll have to test a small hidden area first to make sure it's OK on top of my existing varnish.

The house is still smelling unpleasant tonight. Luckily it's been another lovely day so we can get some air through, I'm really glad I didn't do this in the winter.

 

SVÅNDÖRD

 

One of them is 5ft They were my late Dad's, when we cleared out his workshop years ago he had so much stuff we couldn't keep it all, luckily a nephew rescued them and kept them for years in his shed. I couldn't have done this job without them. Can't see me ever using them again as I've got making book shelves out of my system now