Advice on chimney alcove floating shelfs

[champy]

Making some floating shelves and I want to check they will be strong enough and if there are any alterations I should make.

Shelves will be 120cm long by 30cm deep, supported on 3 sides by brick work.

Planning to use 38x64mm timber frame screwed to the brick and lap jointed to each other, there will be a support timber on the front and a few noggins. This will then be clad in 12mm mdf.

Will this be strong enough to hold 40kg per shelf?
Should I use metal sleeves and plugs instead of rawl plugs?
Should i use ply instead of mdf or even thicker mdf?

 

[foxhole]

Should be fine , though there are simpler construction methods.

 

[champy]

Should be fine , though there are simpler construction methods.

When you say simpler, are you referring to the steel brackets with those protruding arms that a shelf can just slide on?

 

[Gerrydelasel]

http://www.littlehouseonthecorner.com/diy-floating-shelves/

 

[champy]

http://www.littlehouseonthecorner.com/diy-floating-shelves/

Ah thanks for this.

 

[Burnerman]

I liked the comment 'all we have to do now is to fill any gaps'
John

 

[opps]

When you say simpler, are you referring to the steel brackets with those protruding arms that a shelf can just slide on?

Don't use those, they are designed for floating shelves, ie shelves not supported on the left and right.

Regarding the load bearing requirements for the shelf, how is the weight distributed? if, for example a 110cm wide full depth fish tank, the downward pressure would be very different to something of equal mass that has a significantly smaller surface area.

 

[opps]

I liked the comment 'all we have to do now is to fill any gaps'
John

Indeed, having built a number of similar shelves, I have never found an alcove where all of the distances were either constant or square.

Frankly, the suggestion that you get everything pre-cut and that it will fit is pretty disingenuous, unless you don't mind massive gaps.

The website- whilst entertaining (and informative) just feels like a vehicle for generating income from Amazon, in and of itself, generating income isn't a bad thing but the lack of close up photos is very telling.

/endOfTheGrumpyOldGitPost

 

[foxhole]

When you say simpler, are you referring to the steel brackets with those protruding arms that a shelf can just slide on?

Simplest method is to construct shelf to fit [scribe] and then drill and fix screws to wall with heads protruding 10mm , place shelf on top and tap to mark position all round of screw heads.Remove shelf and drill small shallow hole at each screw position [or use sharp chisel] and then when you drop shelf on the screw heads disappear up into shelf, you can fill holes if you wish but scarcely noticeable.

 

[opps]

Simplest method is to construct shelf to fit [scribe] and then drill and fix screws to wall with heads protruding 10mm , place shelf on top and tap to mark position all round of screw heads.Remove shelf and drill small shallow hole at each screw position [or use sharp chisel] and then when you drop shelf on the screw heads disappear up into shelf, you can fill holes if you wish but scarcely noticeable.

Agreed, I have used that technique on a number of occasions, normally working with 25mm MDF.

If the shelf isn't quite level, hammer the screws up or down to make the adjustments.