Kitchen Cabinet Shelf Supports

[Mike Goetzke]

I see many drill holes and use pins. Others fix the shelves in dados. Any reason I don't see people using steel shelf standards? If you sink them in a dado do they have to run the full height of the cabinet?

Thanks,

Mike

[Ron Bontz]

I have used both. I tend to prefer the holes as far as blending in. But since I don't own a line boring machine I occasionally use the metal strips.

[Lee Schierer]

Generally it has to do with appearance more than anything. I prefer teh look of open holes over the metal strip and the metal clips for the strip aren't overly attractive either.

[Chip Lindley]

Nothing wrong with metal shelf standards! Those do stand out a bit more than drilled holes. For lightly loaded shelving, the choice is yours. But for heavy loads on library shelves, metal standards may be a better choice.

It is pretty simple to use a router for stopped grooves, then square the ends with a chisel, than to drill a series of equally spaced holes, one-at-a-time.

Quick and dirty, would be to cut the grooves with a TS dado set, and fill the top and bottom with tightly fitting strips of matching stock.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Mike,

I just used the metal shelf supports for the first time in my shop when I built a new 8' cabinet.

My plans are to use them when I build cabinets for the kitchen. I like the ease of installation and wide range of adjustment they provide. I can't imagine they need to go all the way to the bottom or the top as I can't imangine using or needing a shelf with less than say 10 inches of overhead clearance.

[Mike Goetzke]

Thanks for the quick replies. I was looking at my old cabinets and they have aluminum supports that are 12" long (don't run the whole length). They also are surface mounted (not dadoed in) and I really have never noticed them :D. I do see they now offer steel ones in various colors. Sure would save a lot of hole drilling.

Mike

[Steve Griffin]

With a simple shop built jig or purchased jig, you can drill holes in far less time setting up a groove, cutting tracks to length etc etc. Also holes are cheaper and look better. Those are the only three reasons I can think of I don't use tracks.:D

Also, you might as well run them to the bottom of uppers. I like my first shelf in many uppers to be 5-6" above the bottom shelf. This can hold mugs, saucers etc. and allow more reachable storage above. I'm not alone in this, as I've had clients ask me to add holes in uppers to allow for a lower first shelf.

As far as strength, I always use sleeves in the holes of all exposed shelves, and these would have no problem handling your anvil collection, if you have one.

-Steve