How do I make this?

[Lloyd McKinlay]

Doing a down to the studs restoration on an 1890's Victorian. The goal is keeping it to period as much as possible. The kitchen is now gutted and I will be starting on the cabinets as soon as I get the insulation in and the walls up. The uppers will have glass doors and I'm trying to figure out shelf supports. I don't really care for the appearance of rows of 32mm holes and pegs, and they certainly don't fit the age of the house. My wife says make the shelves fixed but I prefer a little flexibility.

I'm considering sawtooth shelf brackets like these
http://www.crown-point.com/Floor/031108d.jpg

but I can't figure out an efficient method to make them. Any ideas or tips on how to produce these with any consistency, or suggestions for another type of adjustable bracket that fits the period?

[Dave Wagner]

Chop saw with a graduated stop. Do all the straight cuts, then all the angle cuts?

[Ken Fitzgerald]

A jig, router and straight cutting bit?

[Rod Sheridan]

Finger joint jig on the table saw........Rod.

[John Gregory]

Norm used this method in a project he did. I cannot remember the project, but I think he ganged the pieces together and use the table saw cutting the vertical then the angle cuts. I wish I remember more of the detail.

[Floyd Mah]

Perhaps your goal should not be to make these brackets too perfect. If they were so precise and finished that they look as if you used a CNC router to create them, then your efforts to make them contemporary with the rest of the house is defeated. That's not to say that you should put on five coats of thick paint and have runs, but maybe using a jigsaw or handsaw, chisel and some hand-sanding might be more appropriate. I would vote for some lower tech approach. For example, a custom miter box and a handsaw could efficiently give you the result that you need.

[Bill Huber]

I have never done it but if I were to try I think what I would do is.


Cut the 1x2s to lenght, put 12 or so of them side by side and clamp them together.
Lay out all my cut lines, streight and angle cuts.
Then cut them on the table saw, cut the angle ones frist and then the streight ones, I think it would be easier to set up the blade hight that way.
Do a little sanding and you are ready to go.

[Frank Drew]

As mentioned by others, gang cut them in sets of at least 4 (one cabinet's worth). Also, I like the look of that little flat at the back of the notch, but you'd save a bit of time if you eliminated it and just make a two cut notch.

Your shelf ends will need corner cuts to fit around the vertical pieces, of course, so know going in that this method is more work intensive than other methods. But, still, it's a nice look.

[Lee Schierer]

A jig, router and straight cutting bit?

My thoughts exactly. Use a 1/4 or 3/8 dia straight bit, probably a spiral cut type, and gang two together to get matched sets.

[Mike Cruz]

I vote for the table saw approach. That is how I first envisioned making them. If you don't want the "V" to come to a point, maybe start with drilling holes so the "V" is softer.

Of course, it all falls back on what tools you are most comfortable with.

[David DeCristoforo]

See that flat at the intersection of the "V"? Take that wood out with a dado blade. Then make the angle cut to intersect. As mentioned already, you can "gang" pieces together to reduce the number of cuts and/or make an indexing jig to increase accuracy.

[Jim Bowers]

In the furniture shop I worked in we would gang 3/4 X 1 1/2 pieces together. Then we use a moulder head on a table saw. Using a mitre gauge that was indexed we would make hundreds of these at a time.

[Leo Graywacz]

See that flat at the intersection of the "V"? Take that wood out with a dado blade. Then make the angle cut to intersect. As mentioned already, you can "gang" pieces together to reduce the number of cuts and/or make an indexing jig to increase accuracy.

Yep :cool:

[Caspar Hauser]

I have made these on a number of occasions , I've used a box joint/sled on the table saw, adjusting for the vertical and diagonal cuts. It is however far easier to cut a suitably wide single piece of 5/4 stock and then rip and plane the strips. I have had no problem with break out or chipping, quick and simple, clients love it.

[Maurice Ungaro]

FWW had an article on this exact system a couple of years ago. Can't remember the issue off hand, but will try to look it up when I get time tomorrow.

[Myk Rian]

A band saw will do it.