shelf joinery question

[Al Schneider]

I'm making a bookshelf something like the below picture and I'm thinking the ability to disassemble the shelves from the frame would be good. I'm struggling with how to attach the shelves, particularly where there are just two cross pieces holding the shelf.

Screws are an option, but don't seem optimal. I have a feeling cam locking KD/RTA hardware won't work well in hardwood (I'm using red oak), but maybe I'm wrong...

Maybe I just set the shelves on dowels and trust there isn't much stress on the joint and gravity will hold down the shelves....

Any ideas?

Thanks!

[Lee Schierer]

I'm assuming the shelf supports are recessed into the side frames.

To make the shelves removable, drill blind holes down from the top of the shelf support pieces. Then drill a matching blind hole(s) on the under side of the shelves. Use a dowel or metal pin in the holes to keep the shelves in place.

You could also run countersunk screws up from the bottom of the shelf supports to use screws to hold the shelves in place. The screws would be hidden.

The shelf supports will hols a lot of weight, so unless you will be storing bricks or concrete blocks on them you should be good to go.

[Thomas Wilson]

I would go with screws from underneath. Be sure the screw is short enough that it does not break through the top of the shelf.

[Malcolm McLeod]

... gravity will hold down the shelves....

Any ideas?

I'd probably do bottom-up screws as well, but perhaps a shallow (1/8"?) dado, crosscut into the shelf bottoms, that aligns with and drops onto the cross braces? It would prevent side-to-side movement without the alignment effort of drilling and counter-drilling for dowels...?

Some things might drive your preferred solution:
Load? Light = dowels or dado.
How often does it get disassembled/moved? Seldom = screws.
Any chance only the cantilever section gets heavily loaded? Yes = screws.

[Stan Calow]

Outside the box idea - since lateral movement would be restricted for all but the top shelf, how about big rare earth magnets?

[Maurice Mcmurry]

It is a nice design! I keep trying to think of something clever for this... Screws from underneath seem very sensible. Key holes in the shelves and screws sticking out of the cross members might be something to consider? Tool free shelf removal could be a neat feature. The only advantage I can think of is if the cross members break down too. Then the whole thing could be shipped flat in a small box. It comes ready to assemble from Greenington so I bet there is a trick.

[Kris Cook]

I would go with screws from underneath but elongate the holes in the the cross pieces (assuming solid wood shelves).

[Scott Winners]

Do you have any pretty plywood? As drawn the weakness is going to be lateral force, someone leaning against the side of it while they put their shoes on. If you have some pretty plywood, even quarter inch BB to cover the back frame, stiffness will increase a lot.