Need built-in advice. (Sad attempt at picture)

[Matt Allan]

I will most likely confuse anyone who reads this, and confuse you further by the pure awful picture I tried to make to help better explain it. As if I needed to say this, I am not good at graphics and its nearly 4am :)

Basically my parents have some built in shelving right now that isn't very pretty on the end of a wall in their living room. Just 3/4 shelves that have been painted the color of the room. They would like some new wood ones, since it is on the end of the wall I was thinking about opening up the end and using round shelves. Right now its just a 3/4 board running down the side to give support for the current setup.

My question is basically, what's the best way to support the open end of the built in with the rounded shelves. I can dado the back and the right side but it would leave the left side totally unsupported which I don't think would be very good. Bracing wouldn't look very good since its open. Looking for the best looking option I guess. The only thing I can come up with is a thin post running from shelf to shelf to the ground to support the whole thing

The shelves would be just a bit under 4 feet long and 12 inches deep

here is my picture to help better show the area.. I am sorry it is so bad

I will try to explain by each color.. Again.. SORRY!:)

Looking straight at the wall from the picture. The blue is the right side of the wall, the yellow is the built in shelving as it is now that would run along the blue just sunken for the built-in shelves. The red would be the new rounded left corner shelves. The gray is the wall 90 degrees to the blue/built in that runs down the hallway. So the read shelves would be open from the right.

I really appreciate anyone who has tried to make sense of this mess, and even more that can help me come up with any ideas. =)

[George M. Perzel]

Hi Matt;
Here's a way to solve your problem-if you have drywall on the wall. Purchase or make a steel angle bracket for each shelf -something about 1/4" to 3/8" thick, about 3/4" to 1" wide - with a 10" leg and a 6" leg. Find the closest wall stud to the end of the shelf and cut a blind dado in the bottom of each shelf. Position each shelf bracket in the dado, level the shelf, and mark the position of the bracket wall leg. Cut out a section of the drywall to accomodate the bracket- at least 1/16" deeper than the thickness of the bracket. Screw bracket to wall and cover with drywall mud. Sand after dry, fasten shelf to bracket and you have a strong blind support. If the visibility of the bracket on the highest shelves bothers you, cut the dado a little deeper and cover with a thin piece of shelf material.

[Matt Allan]

Thought about something like that, but the back will be out of the same wood as the shelf. They are trying to get away from their old painted built-ins all together. Want it all out of wood. I don't think I would be able to dado out and fill in each back with wood good enough to match.. Might give it a shot on a test piece though.

The small posts running from the floor up might be my best option that I can't screw up :)

I really appreciate the thought.

Thank you

[Jamie Buxton]

Matt --

My experience with angle braces like the one George drew is that they bend if you put any sort of load on them at all. If these shelves are for lightweight display, maybe they'll work. If these shelves are for lots of books, the braces might sag.

Another possibility for you is to put a "side" on the shelves, but don't make it the full 12" depth of the shelves. Instead, make it maybe 3 inches deep. With a dado to grip the end of the shelf, it will do a better job of preventing sag. In effect, I'm moving your post to the rear of the shelf, where it is much less obtrusive. My version also allows you to round the open end of the shelves.


Jamie

[George M. Perzel]

Ok- here's another way- need long drill and drill press and some threaded rod and nuts. Can do this at both ends but assume left end can be supported by wall. Good Luck!
George

[Jamie Buxton]

Ok- here's another way- need long drill and drill press and some threaded rod and nuts. Can do this at both ends but assume left end can be supported by wall. Good Luck!
George

George ---
I've built some shelves pretty much like your second suggestion. The interior decorator :( was insistent that the shelves just float, with no apparent bracing. She also wanted to be able to use one as a sideboard, holding pretty serving platters. I used steel rods kinda like your threaded rod, but bored holes for them all the way through each stud in the wall. I used a Portaline to ensure that the rods were exactly at right angles to the wall -- both up-down and left-right. I tacked a board to the wall to rest the Portaline on, to that the bore holes were all in a horizontal line. I made the shelves by laminating two pieces of hardwood-veneer plywood, and edging them with solid lumber. A benefit of laminating two pieces together was that I used a router to make dadoes on the inside faces before the lamination step. Face-to-face, each pair of dados formed a long hole for a steel rod to fit into.
It all worked, but it wasn't quick.

Jamie

[George M. Perzel]

Jamie;
You're right-it's not quick and needs to be aligned precisely or everything binds all over the place-I like your lamination idea, beats drilling. Only other thing I could think of is a skyhook but not sure they sell them anymore!
George

[Joe Scarfo]

Matt,

I can't do graphic images well but I'd like to send you an answer to the problem I just installed for the mother in law...

Do you have a fax machine available? If so, drop me a note w/ the number.

Thanks
Joe .... whose luck enough to still be in Tampa...

[Lee Schierer]

Unless you are filling the shelves with books, I don't think you will have a problem with the shelves bending if you anchor them securely along the other two sides. A board that is held along one edge and the end is pretty stiff all by itself. If you are worried about warping, then make the shelf out of plywood and edge band it with real wood.

You will need to anchor the shelf very securely to the walls on the two sides that are supported. You can use pocket holes and long screws to hide the fasteners under the shelf.

[Joe Scarfo]

Matt,

Although the pics aren't clear, the concept may apply for what you need.

These shelves are actually boxes lag screwed to studs. To fill the boxes, i put drawers on full extension slides.

In your case, perhaps you don't build the boxes quite as tall... I just love the effect of the floating shelves.

Good Luck w/ the pjct.

Joe... whose feeling lucky to still be warm in florida.

[Chris Padilla]

Very nice, Joe! I like floating shelves, too. :) Do a search on "Floating Maple TV Shelf" and you'll see one I made.

[Joe Scarfo]

Chris,

Did the search and nothing came up. I would like to see what you made...

If the move to Wisconsin happens, I'll be trying to build in all kinds of stuff as my skills have increased exponentially over the last few years.

We're talking about building a place so the opportunities will be everywhere, I'll need to find shop space while the place is under construction.

Tks
Joe

[Matt Allan]

Thanks for all the replies and great ideas...

I think I am going to go with what Lee said and just try to see how they do with the 2 sides supported. My mother will most likely just fill it all with pictures anyway.

The shelves will be made out of oak ply and ill wrap with solid oak, if when I get them up it still seems a little unstable to me ill figure something out then.

Thanks for all the replies again. Appreciate it

[Scott Coffelt]

I believe Mark Singer also showed us how he did a floating shelf a few months back.

[Chris Padilla]

Chris, Did the search and nothing came up. I would like to see what you made...Joe,

It works fine...I got 8 hits...mine is the 5th one down. :)

Here: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=6911