OSB bookshelves

[skychaser]

Hello all,

I'd like to fit some bookshelves into an alcove. I'm a bit strapped for cash and I'm wondering if OSB is a good material. The shelves will be 83cmx20cm and either 1.8 or 2.2cm thick. I'll be using battens on 3 sides, rather than brackets.

Is this a good idea, or will I be woken up by 300 books crashing to the ground?

 

[big-all]

heeelllooo and welcome control

no its bits off wood glue together
ask around for old scaffold board they make great cheap shelves and at 9" 228mm wide are perfect

 

[foxhole]

18mm mdf , will need no preparation and paints up well.You can get all cut to size ready to assemble.

 

[^woody^]

Pine or melamine shelf kits are only a few quid in B&Q or ikea

OSB will bend like rubber

 

[gregers]

look in the friday ad,free to collector or your local free cycle.for some old wardrobes etc.then use the timber to make the shelves you require.

 

[David P]

Hehe I like the sound of OSB shelving, dead quirky. and far more dimensionally stable than MDF which will always sag over an unsupported span even through its own weight.
I say go with the OSB, it is one of the greenest products out there as far as composite boards go, it has one of the best weight to strength ratios too. it is light enough to stain to bright colours, and with a bit of sanding it won't give all your books splinters.

 

[foxhole]

Hehe I like the sound of OSB shelving, dead quirky. and far more dimensionally stable than MDF which will always sag over an unsupported span even through its own weight.
I say go with the OSB, it is one of the greenest products out there as far as composite boards go, it has one of the best weight to strength ratios too. it is light enough to stain to bright colours, and with a bit of sanding it won't give all your books splinters.

 

[stevethejoiner]

If you decide to use OSB I would continue your support batten along the front edge as well. This will give the shelf a thicker front edge and you should not get any sag.
And if you feel really clever you could rebate the top edge of the batten so the front edge of the shelf sits down flush with the top of the batten as shown here, Steve

Sorry it looks like some of the text was cropped off.

Ps, By adding a front batten not only does it give extra strength, it hides the end grain of the side battens, so looks like shelf is unsupported.