Material for painted ceiling shelves?

[Josh Reet]

In my never ending quest for more storage space in our small house, I'm looking at running some shelves around the top of the walls in our bedroom and in the kid's bedroom. Here are two examples:

http://photos.imageevent.com/platow/otherpics/websize/Nursery3.jpg
http://hersandhers.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/wraparoundceilingshelving.jpg

The shelves in our room would have to be sturdy enough to hold books and perhaps some sort of lamp thing like in that example (my wife got all excited when she saw those lamps). The shelves in the Kid's room would likely just have to hold stuffed animals and various other "kid decorations". I would either buy wood shelf brackets from somewhere if I can find something generic and cheap enough, or just design and cut some myself if I can't.

In both cases I'd be painting the shelves white with white paint of some sort. Probably BM waterborn Impervo if my first try with it this weekend goes as predicted. Since I'm painting, I'm not looking to buy fancy wood for the shelves. I had thought of using MDF, but that seems like it would be a real problem for the books unless I supported it with a ton of brackets. So some sort of solid wood is probably the way to go. I could likely get away with pine or "whiteboard" if I could find some straight enough. But that is always a challenge. Using 3/4 birch ply came to mind, but I would have to come up with some sort of edgebanding or other method to hide the ply edges.

Thoughts?

[Jamie Buxton]

As you know, the knock on MDF is that it sags. However, if you do like the first pic you showed, there's a bracket every 12-15" or so. The rear edge of the shelf would be supported continuously by the vertical piece on the wall. So the shelf wouldn't sag much at all. You could buy brackets, or you could cut them from MDF. I can't tell, but it looks like the brackets in the photo have holes through them to hold hanging stuff. MDF is inexpensive, flat (generally), and doesn't have knots like that cheap whitewood stuff. The only issue with it is that the cut edge absorbs paint differently from the face. You may want to put a couple extra coats on the edge.

[David DeCristoforo]

So your next project will be stilts for the kids?

[Josh Reet]

So your next project will be stilts for the kids?

Ha!

No, these are for those "toys but you can't play with them because they are decorations" that my wife keeps buying. I'm against that sort of thing, but I also don't feel like fighting about it. So I'll just make shelves for toys that won't get played with.

[Josh Reet]

As you know, the knock on MDF is that it sags. However, if you do like the first pic you showed, there's a bracket every 12-15" or so. The rear edge of the shelf would be supported continuously by the vertical piece on the wall. So the shelf wouldn't sag much at all. You could buy brackets, or you could cut them from MDF. I can't tell, but it looks like the brackets in the photo have holes through them to hold hanging stuff. MDF is inexpensive, flat (generally), and doesn't have knots like that cheap whitewood stuff. The only issue with it is that the cut edge absorbs paint differently from the face. You may want to put a couple extra coats on the edge.

So you think 3/4 would do it if I supported it like in the first pic? I am still suspicious of books not causing sagging. But then again, it might be fine.

[David DeCristoforo]

"...these are for those "toys but you can't play with them because they are decorations"

Ah, yes... those. I'm going to stick my neck way out here and assume that you are just kind of getting to the whole "kid thing" while, I, being old enough to almost qualify for antique status, have "been there, done that". So I will offer this small piece of unsolicited wisdom. The kids will figure out a way to get at those toys and will probably be at risk of breaking their necks in the process.

[Mac McQuinn]

What about using MDO and doing the shelves in torsion box construction. There would be no brackets and I feel the MDO would not sag like MDF and be lighter overall. MDO paints up very well also. If you miter the corners it would hide the ply edges. JAT

Mac

[Jamie Buxton]

What about using MDO and doing the shelves in torsion box construction. There would be no brackets and I feel the MDO would not sag like MDF and be lighter overall. MDO paints up very well also. If you miter the corners it would hide the ply edges. JAT

Mac

A torsion box with mitered long-joints is pretty elaborate for this application. The single thickness of MDF with multiple (and decorative) brackets will be much easier, and do the job the OP wants to do.

[Jamie Buxton]

So you think 3/4 would do it if I supported it like in the first pic? I am still suspicious of books not causing sagging. But then again, it might be fine.

Yes, 3/4 MDF supported every 12-15", and along the back, is not going to sag appreciably.

[Josh Reet]

For the price of a sheet of 3/4, I think I'll go with Jamie's suggestion and see what happens.

Thanks!

[johnny means]

baltic birch can be profiled and sanded to produce a smooth paintable edge. Of course it only seems to come in 5x5 sheets.

If you go with MDF size your exposed edges with a mix of water and wood glue (1 to 1). Do about 3 coats sanding in between coats. The resulting edge will smooth, nonporous, and take finish just as well, if not better than the faces.

[Josh Reet]

baltic birch can be profiled and sanded to produce a smooth paintable edge. Of course it only seems to come in 5x5 sheets.

If you go with MDF size your exposed edges with a mix of water and wood glue (1 to 1). Do about 3 coats sanding in between coats. The resulting edge will smooth, nonporous, and take finish just as well, if not better than the faces.

Would that still work if I run a roundover bit on the MDF for a bullnose?

[johnny means]

Would that still work if I run a roundover bit on the MDF for a bullnose?

Yes. That is precisely the type of thing I had in mind. I have used this technique to make 6" thick MDF corbels look like one solid chunk of wood instead of 8 layers of MDF. I have done it with MDF turnings and carvings also. I got this trick from a friend who makes Italian lacquer kitchens.

[Matt Meiser]

Our local lumber dealer sells what they call rustic soft maple that has staining and tiny, easily filled worm holes. It works great for painted projects and is only about $2/bdft. Something like that would work nicely for the brackets and have some screw-holding strength.