Free-Floating Shelf Help Needed

[Chris Dodge]

I have a project that includes three 117" long free-floating shelves made of Oak. The shelves are to be about two inches thick. I have no experience with free-floating shelves and want to hear from some of you on how you would go about building these and securing them to the wall.

[Dave Richards]

2" thick doesn't sound like quite enough to me. I'd go a bit thicker if possible. Basically, you'll build the shelf as a box that is open on the back. It will need to tightly slip on to a core that will be lagged into the studs. Then you put in screws or pins from the top into the core to hold the shelf in place.

edited to add: I would build the shelf box as light as possible since it will be plenty heavy anyway. Maybe 1/2" stock all the way around. Even that only gives you a 1" wide space for the core. The core need not extend all the way out to the front of the box.

[Joe Pelonio]

I did that with a smaller lighter shelf by having my cabinetmaker neighbor do the screw holes with the slot, whatever that's called. he has a tool to make them. Probably wouldn't work for that heavy shelf. More likely what I did on a heavy sign installation once would work. I drilled 5/16" holes into the studs, and used 3/8" threaded rod with two nuts on one end to ratchet into the holes, then matching 3/8" holes in the edge of your
shelf then push it on. If it's never to be removed you can squirt in a little
liquid nails.

[tod evans]

chris, i would attach steel directly to the studs at least every 32" and slip the shelf onto the steel. for quick-n-cheap use steel framing squares and bolt the long leg to the studs.....02 tod

[John Gregory]

Blind shelf support (http://www.leevalley.com/hardware/page.aspx?c=1&p=51933&cat=3,43648,43649) from Lee Valley

[Frank Chaffee]

chris, i would attach steel directly to the studs at least every 32" and slip the shelf onto the steel. for quick-n-cheap use steel framing squares and bolt the long leg to the studs.....02 tod
Chris,
I would definitely remove the sheetrock from 4 studs if @ 24” OC, or from 5 studs non eqi-spaced if they are at 16” OC, and securely screw a custom bracket to the wall. 2” thick shelves allow possibilities of ½” to 5/8” steel threaded rod or shaft nutted or epoxied.
You do have a welder Chris, right? …being that you are in Orange County and all…
Frank

[Chris Dodge]

Thanks guys! Those are all great options. I will keep them in mind when designing these.