Floating shelf..how to ques.

[robert raess]

I have seen these display shelves, that are attached to drywall and have no visible means of support.Usualy they are displayed as one shelf floating on the wall.I have never seen the hardware long enough to study the how to ? I've seen them at pier one, but ikea probably has them.thanks

[johnny means]

Usually, these shelves have a rebate in the back inorder to receive a clear which is screwed to the wall. The shelf is then placed on the clear and screwed through the top. This technique does, though, does create a very weak shelf. A more robust way of doing this is to run a bar into a stud. The shelf then is either hollow or has holes to slip onto the bar.Of course, you have to be careful to not hit any electrical, water, or gas lines when boring into studs.

[Jay Jolliffe]

I used a shelf support from Hafele America that you drilled a deep hole in the shelf & threaded the rod into the wall stud. They won't hold a lot of weight. Same Idea as using a long lag screw into the wall stud then cut off the end. It take some figuring & I used a drill press with a long drill to drill the shelf hole. The ones from Hafele America have some adjusting if you drill off a little but the lags won't.

[Edward P. Surowiec]

I made a torsion box shelf that mounts to a wall with no supports. The rear (part that connects to te wall) internal element of the box is 1.25 X 1.25" . I chose this dimension so that I could pre-drill down through the box skin ( 3/8 plywood ) and counter sink bolts into the 1.25X1.25 rear element . With the rear element removed from the box I mounted it to the wall at stud locations with 3" #10 wood screws.
Then I slide the box onto the rear element ( mounted to the wall) and using 3/16 lag bolts ( probably over kill) screwed the box though the top skin to the rear internal element of the box. None of the mounting hardware is visible and the shelf appears as if it is floating on the wall. My shelf supports a large screen TV projection equipment, about 25 lbs.
Hope this helps
Ed

[David Thompson 27577]

I have seen these display shelves, that are attached to drywall and have no visible means of support.Usualy they are displayed as one shelf floating on the wall.I have never seen the hardware long enough to study the how to ? I've seen them at pier one, but ikea probably has them.thanks

I built and installed floating shelves for a customer. The shelves were torsion boxes that were about 1-3/4" thick. The sticking was made from 1/2" ply, the front edging was crown molding, the sides and back were also 1/2" ply; the tops and bottoms were 1/4" birch ply.

I built the boxes, but did not attach the tops.

At the time of installation, I located the studs, and ran 3" screws through the back of the boxes, into each stud. Two screws into each stud. Then I glued the tops in place, and pinned them with 23 guaqe micro pins. I told the home-owner not to put anything on the shelves for 24 hours.

I've been back to that house, and the shelves are in use, nicely loaded with notebooks and such. There is no sagging, no tilting.


If I ever get another request, I'll probably make them thicker, so there is more bearing surface against the wall -- like maybe 2-1/4". And if I ever get a request to remove those that I installed, I'll use a multimaster to cut into the tops, then remove the screws. (An if some other guy tries to remove them, he'll probably use a reciprocating saw to cut the screws, and ruin the drywall in the process.

[keith micinski]

I went to Lowes and bought a 1/4 inch steel rod that I then cut into 3 inch long pieces. I drilled the hole in the wall one size small and then tapped the rod in half way. I then drilled a 1/4 inch hole in the shelves and slid them over the rods sticking out of the wall.

[Danny Buie]

I used metal "keyhole picture hangers" mortised into the back. I hung them on screws run into the studs. These shelves were 6" wide and 2" thick torsion box construction (1/2" MDF). These are used for photos and kicknacks. They might hold a few books.

[glenn bradley]

Like Keith's but, commercially available: http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=17507&filter=floating%20shelf

[Wayne Hendrix]

Lee Valley has them also: http://www.leevalley.com/US/hardware/page.aspx?p=51933&cat=3,43648,43649&ap=1

[Shawn Pixley]

I built a torsion box with recess in back to engage a cleat which was anchored to the wall studs. The skin is a 1/4" walnut ply with solid walnut front edge. Holds SHMBO's glass collection.