Shelving

[Bruce Volden]

Getting ready for the move to the new acreage. SWMBO is insisting on building some free standing shelves in one of the bed rooms. They will be getting painted / faux finish......:( (I like REAL wood). My question is what is the most cost effective material for this application?? MDF, poplar, ply????
The length will be less than 5' with 4' height.


Bruce

[Von Bickley]

For painted projects, I like birch plywood with poplar face frames.

Five foot is a long span for shelves if you are going to have much weight on them.

[Ben Grunow]

As a trim carpenter, birch and poplar is all we use. SOunds like you have some long shelves on your hands. Be sure to add a 3/4 x 2 strip to the front edge (or some moulding or something on edge) to eliminate the bending.

I hear a lot of mdf shelving ideas from time to time but I really dont understand how it can be used horizontally as it sags under its own weight even over a foot or so.

Ben

[Mario Lucchesi]

I would also use plywood as has been suggested above, Not MDF.

[Ted Miller]

Bruse, If I was spanning 5' I would go with two pieces of 3/4" ply glued then face frame it with pop. If I was going with one sheet of anything it would not span farther than 20" without support of some kind unless the shelves were for looks and zero weight on them...

[Bruce Volden]

Thanks guys, I am going to have wifey read this tonight. I can and do tell her things quite often, but when she reads my same sentiments from others it only then make sense to her. Once she asked me a car question, I told her, then she aked her brother and got the same answer I had given her :D

I will be proceeding with ply and supports as needed. Thanks again!!


Bruce

[Al Killian]

With the span of 5', I would add a support to the fron and back. I just built a case for my dad that was 7' tall by 5' wide and used birch ply for the frame and shelfs. Pop for the edges and supports. The Supports where 7/8" thick and 1, 5/8"" tall. I cut a rabbit into them for the shelf to rest on. Then I glued and screwed them to the shelfs. Hope this helps you some.