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Thread: Wall shelving unit - design help needed

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Raleigh, NC
    Posts
    26

    Wall shelving unit - design help needed

    I'm a few days from getting started on these shelves for my game room.

    I am going to start out by building 2 bookshelves (one is pictured below alongside the TV stand) and then build the other components to assemble as a giant wall unit.

    My questions are specifically about the shelving and I am hoping you guys can help me out.

    Spec-wise, this is 72" tall, 60" wide, and 16" deep, give or take. I will be using 3/4" maple ply, in all likelihood, for the structure and either solid maple or pine for the trim.

    1) What would be your recommendation as far as joinery? I do not have a table saw or router right now, and while I may buy the latter, the former is out of the question.

    2) Span...60" is a pretty long span for 3/4" ply. Yet, this model doesn't have a center support or really anything preventing sag except the trim on the front edge of the shelf. Assuming this wont be used for an entire shelf of books, could this be sufficient?

    3) The backing is beadboard. If I want to use beadboard or beadboard-styled paneling on the back of the shelf, does that prevent me from putting any sort of shelf support on the backing to help prevent sagging? (I was thinking something like the beadboard and then 1/2" ply behind that in which to nail/screw the support lip, but that might be a dumb solution, plus the beadboard would be sandwiched between the lip and the ply)

    4) Would you build the shelf with the side pieces longer so they sit directly on the subfloor, or would you build the shelf as seen here in brown, and then construct a simple box base out of 2x4s on which to rest/mount the shelf (and then cover the front with base molding....stained, not painted as they did here)

    Help please!!


  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    Wichita, Kansas
    Posts
    1,795
    Quote Originally Posted by Ryan Swanson View Post
    ...
    2) Span...60" is a pretty long span for 3/4" ply. Yet, this model doesn't have a center support or really anything preventing sag except the trim on the front edge of the shelf. ...
    Plug your numbers into here and see if the result is something you can live with.

    If the shelves are going to be adjustable, you can get some additional stiffness by repeating the front trim strip on the back of the shelf. Or, construct the shelves as torsion boxes or a solid laminate with a total thickness equal to the proposed width of the front trim strip.

    If the shelves are built in and not adjustable, I see no reason that a ledger on the shelf side of the backing would be unacceptable; especially if it were no wider than the trim strip on the front of the shelf. It wouldn't be visible except from the bottom looking up at the back of the shelf and wouldn't be intrusive even then.
    Tom Veatch
    Wichita, KS
    USA

  3. #3
    Joinery
    Pocket Screws.

    Preventing Shelf Sag
    What Tom said--add a 1-1 1/2" trim strip to the front and back and you're golden.

    If the shelves will be fixed, Tom's ledger strip is best, but an alternative is to screw straight through the beadboard into the backs of the shelves. Just be sure to drill appropriate pilot holes to prevent the ply from separating, which would create a visible bump.


    The base.
    Extend the sides and add a kick panel in the same material as the case.
    Last edited by Danny Thompson; 02-03-2009 at 11:07 PM.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Raleigh, NC
    Posts
    26
    Thanks very much - what is the most cost-conscious jig/kit for pocket screws? That's something I would need to buy....

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