Hardware question: feet/glides

[Max Withers]

I need some leveling glides for a heavy bookcase that is going on a tile floor, and I noticed Lee Valley happens to have free shipping right now, and many options...

http://www.leevalley.com/US/Hardware/page.aspx?cat=3,40993&p=41283

Does anyone have any recommendations on these? 6 of them will be holding up about 12 lf.. of cookbooks, maybe 800 lbs.? I think I can use the non-hidden ones and just countersink them to hide them.

The sad thing is that I will have to waste all this free shipping on hardware, instead of tools.

[Jim Koepke]

Maybe my understanding is off, but isn't there a minimum order for the free shipping? Maybe you will have to buy some tools anyway.

Easiest way to hide them is with a skirt. It could be installed after the leveling is done.

Have never seen nor used levelers on a book case, my first question would be is the floor off level?

For many people not seeing them on a book case might not mean much. My folks had a furniture store and I grew up moving and installing furniture well into my fourth decade.

When a book case or cabinet needed leveling we would use shims.

What kind of shelf span (length) were you considering?

Also what kind of wood?

I don't think 12 lf (linear feet?) would weigh 800 lbs.

That would be some pretty heavy cooking.:D

jtk

[Max Withers]

I don't really know how heavy they will be, but I thought I remembered roughly 40 lbs./ft. for books, and figured cookbooks would be considerably heavier.

The floor is level, but it is not flat. It's a combination of saltillo and talavera tile, and the height varies by at least 1/4", as I discovered when installing the baseboard.

It's a frame and panel design, made of poplar, and will be painted. Both of those are good decisions for your first furniture project.

[Jim Koepke]

The floor is level, but it is not flat. It's a combination of saltillo and talavera tile, and the height varies by at least 1/4", as I discovered when installing the baseboard.

My choice would be something simple like a bolt with a large soft foot. Not sure if it would need an support frame. Could make the bottom shelf a drop in so adjustments are made then the shelf goes in.

jtk

[Chris Vandiver]

If your bookcase is constructed so that the sides go all the way down to the floor, it is best to go ahead and scribe the sides down to the floor. It does require very exact scribing(where seen)and you need to make sure that all corresponding sections are level to each other and that the whole unit ends up level, plumb and square when installed. This is a high skill job(as you probably already know). Skillfully done work always looks good, in my book. For what it's worth, this kind of work is done all the time, even on very uneven and out of level floors.

If your bookcase is constructed to sit on a base, it's best to make the base seperately from the main carcase and install it first using shims(or levelers if you prefer)and getting the base set perfectly level and fastened down solidly. (It is quite easy to install a base that will hold far more than 800lbs). You can then add the finish baseboard to the base(scribed down to the floor and flush to the top of the base) before you install the bookcase. This is the easiest and most foolproof method for an easy and professional looking installation.