Shelving

[tommyl18]

Hi im looking at making some nice shelves out of timber and going to stain them in mahogony wood stain, There is going to be a large number of books on these that will weigh aprox 15kg so needs to be strong what would you reckon the best timber and method of making them wood be??

 

[foxhole]

The question is difficult to answer without dimensions, the depth and type of material will depend on the length and width required and location and material fixed too.

 

[big-all]

in general anything over600mm will require intermediate support to reduce the span although real wood will go further

 

[tommyl18]

they are going to be roughly about 1.4 metres long and about 200 deep I was thinking of making a frame out of tile lath then fixing plyboard to the top and bottom and then finishing the edges with some skirting board and fix them with some nice timber brackets and then wood stain it all

 

[JohnD]

putting an ornametal lip along the front as you say, will improve the beam depth and make it stiffer, reducing sag.

if you rest the back on a batten screwed to the wall, that will stop it sagging at the back.

I am a bit surpised you don't just make them out of veneered MDF which would be a lot less work

 

[foxhole]

I used veneered mdf [walnut] and used two 18mm sections, sandwiched together with 20mm between to give a nice thick strong shelf, it was going in an alcove so only the front was flush the middle timber being set back from the edge 30mm at rear and side,all clamped and glued together, then put 20mm baton on wall and slid shelf on top of this giving no visible fixings. Front finished with a wide walnut veneered edging and then oiled.

 

[tommyl18]

yea the mdf could be an option ots not going in an alcove though so the sides will be visible but im not sure about brackets and fixings any suggestions as metal brackets will look crap