hidden shelf bracket - floating shelf

I'm looking for opinions (hopefully educated ones :) ) on brackets for a floating shelfs. Seems to be two types. The traditional ones with shafts that stick 6"-8" out of the wall and french cleat style like the Hovr brackets.

It's been a long time since I've done a free body diagram on a statics problem, but intuitively, the extended shafts don't seem to add any value. The load would still all be cantilevered of the wall mount. Am I missing something.

I like the fact that you can use a screw to tighten the Hovr style, but it's aluminum which is not all that stiff

thanks in advance

I made floating shelves using pieces of 3/8" steel rod set into the wall studs and into the back of the shelf. The rods were about 8 inches long.
Attachment 467030

I use allthread. Bore 1/16" undersized holes in the wall studs and screw in the all thread using two nuts tightened together. The allthread can be bent level and square after installed in studs. Bore corresponding 1/16" oversized holes in back of shelf. Epoxy can be used to secure shelf if desired.

Have a look at torsion box construction.

HOVR now makes steel brackets.

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Originally Posted by Steve Jenkins

HOVR now makes steel brackets.

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I've looked through their website and only found aluminum. Are you sure it's Hovr and not some similar product. I'd prefer steel

thanks

I have used French cleats for smaller wall hanging items and Shelfology steel brackets for larger floating shelves.

These were 2” thick x 15” deep solid Cherry floating shelves with the heaviest duty Shelfology brackets - I want to say that were 10 or 11” projection off the wall and 3/4” diameter rods. Pretty strong and the rods were welded on very true and planar with each other, which is not really what you get without some work when doing threaded rod into studs or the like.

13/16” holes in the back edge of the shelves and paste wax to help them slide all the way home.

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Originally Posted by PeterTorresani

I've looked through their website and only found aluminum. Are you sure it's Hovr and not some similar product. I'd prefer steel

thanks

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Try calling them. I know I got an advertising email but have deleted it.

Ive used the rockler rinky dink floating shelf hardware for thin shelves, multiple variations of the shelfology brackets, hollow shelves to slide onto cantilevered studs, french cleats, and a few smaller solid wood shelves that i ripped the back 2" off to mount to the wall with 14mm dominoes to slide the front remainder onto. If the aesthetic allows, id prefer to make a hollow floating shelf with wrapped miters with a french cleat. This is a bit of a pain to do on a solid wood shelf, because you have to route out an excessive amount of material in the rear of the piece.

I would be hesitant to insert bolts into the studs and then epoxy your shelf to those bolts. That is a large headache if you ever want to move/remove those shelves.

I haven't bought from this company, but did notice they have hidden shelf hardware available.

https://shelfology.com/

I'm doing one pretty soon and I'm going to go w/ the route described above: hollow shelf out of sheet goods and face lumber (picture frame) with a cleat.

The metal ones with rods intrigued me but I wasn't exactly sure how I was supposed to get X number of holes to line up so well that my shelf sat level. Where do I shim to get the shelf level, are the rods even doing anything.. how do I get them to all touch wood at the same time, etc? Seemed like more work than it gave in benefit.

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Originally Posted by andrew whicker

I'm doing one pretty soon and I'm going to go w/ the route described above: hollow shelf out of sheet goods and face lumber (picture frame) with a cleat.

The metal ones with rods intrigued me but I wasn't exactly sure how I was supposed to get X number of holes to line up so well that my shelf sat level. Where do I shim to get the shelf level, are the rods even doing anything.. how do I get them to all touch wood at the same time, etc? Seemed like more work than it gave in benefit.

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Yeah, they arent dummy proof. Your holes need to be accurate and plumb, or your shelf will be out of level side to side or front to back.