# Floating shelf, which materials are the best?????



## olivetree (19 Oct 2011)

Hi,

I have been making some modern furniture for a customer and they asked me to make some floating shelves to fit in an alcove 1600mm wide by 250 deep and the shelves no deeper than 50mm thickness. 

After a bit of research i opted to make a frame out of 32mm x 32mm kiln dried plained timber domino'd and glue and 6mm mdf glued and pinned all round. All went well and i had filled nail heads and sanded ready for spraying. On returning to the workshop on of the 3 shelves had warped!!!!!! the question is now what is the best way to make a new shelf, i originally i was going to make the frames using ply or mdf, should i use one of these to remake the shelves

any thoughts welcome


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## Mr T (19 Oct 2011)

We have recently done a similar job. I'd post some images but can't get photobucket working. We made up the shelves with 12 mm mdf and poplar rebated lipping. We glued them up in a beg press. No problems with warping. Don't really understand what has happened to yours as this sort of construction is usually pretty rigid. Could it have sagged before the glue set if it was not on a flat surface?

Chris


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## chippy1970 (19 Oct 2011)

I normally make them up with all edge joints mitred in 6mm mdf over 2x1 batten but the other day I spotted this stuff at my supplier, they can cut it to size and edge it and you have ready made floating shelves. All you have to do is cut some of the inner core out , fix a batten to the wall and slide the shelf on and pin in place.

http://www.egger.com/en_GB/Products/Pro ... ct_content


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## olivetree (19 Oct 2011)

i think it must have happened during the drying stage, should i just make another shelf in the same way then? i prob should have gone for 2 x 1.


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## jasonB (20 Oct 2011)

3 layers of MDF work for me 18/19 on the outside and 12mm middle, leave a couple of gaps in the 12mm to take steel bars. See the last 3 pics on this page

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v156/ ... 2QQtppZZ20


J


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## twothumbs (20 Oct 2011)

jasonB. Your method does look very clean and I am definitely interested in doing this on a wall finished in plasterboard on plaster dabs. Not sure how you line up and level the metal bars to accommodate undulations in the walls and 'going squint' plugs. A batten as you have would be the answer to spread the 'squashing' effect and set the top edge, but how to set the bars off level. Hefele used to do a bar with cam screw type adjustment on it but rather engineered. Your bars don't need to be fixed as they could be loose and so pinning or fixing the shelves secures it all. I saw setting wall fixings in epoxy resin may do it to take up any spread in the background hole. That would be screwed rod set into the batten and then pressed into the resin, possibly with nuts both sides. The batten can then be removed and refitted when fitting the shelf. Your experience would be very welcome. The photos look good.


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## jasonB (20 Oct 2011)

Drill the holes oversize say 14mm for a 12mm bar and prop the shelf level while the epoxy sets.

The Bit of CLS was only a drilling jig but 90% of the time I don't bother with one.

J


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## olivetree (20 Oct 2011)

do you think that i would be better off using 18mm mdf cut into 34mm strips as the frame and covering in 6mm mdf??? i am hoping to build them at the weekend.


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## jasonB (20 Oct 2011)

Never made them with a thin outer skin so can't really say but MDF strips will be more stable than softwood.

Only thing to watch is that your pins hold in the edge and don't split the MDF may be better off doubling up two layers of 18mm strips and then putting your skin onto that.

J


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## olivetree (20 Oct 2011)

so jasonb would you make the outer skin thicker and the inner frame narrower or would you make the whole shelf thicker?


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## jasonB (21 Oct 2011)

As I said earlier 18/12/18 would be under the 50mm limit and give the ideal slot for rods, if you want a bit thinner then 15/12/15.

I have assumed these floating shelves are only supported from the back, eg they don't go the full width of the alcove, if they are full width then I use another method of support.

J


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## twothumbs (21 Oct 2011)

Thank you Jason for your help and advice. Good.


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## mickthetree (21 Oct 2011)

Jason, how do you secure the shelf onto the bars? Sorry if this is obvious, I just cant see it. I've been asked to do a similar shelf.
Cheers


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## jasonB (21 Oct 2011)

Couple of blobs of gripfill or similar in the hole, not too much then you can always get it off when decorating etc, just enough to stop it wobbling or sliding forwards over time.

J


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## olivetree (21 Oct 2011)

The shelves do span the whole alcove, i plan to fix a timber to the wall and then fix 5 100mm long rods to the timber. I will allow for a slot at the back of the shelf to slot over the timber,is this ok?


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## jasonB (21 Oct 2011)

Yes it will be OK, just make sure the alcove does not get bigger towards the back  

For this type of situation where the shelf is supported on two or three sides I just leace a 12x15 groove along the ends (stopped) and back, fix a 12x12 strip of timber to the wall and slip the shelf into place with a bit of glue. I'll post a couple of pics later.

J


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## jasonB (22 Oct 2011)

If the shelves are supported at at least one end then I use this method.

Router a groove if from solid timber or if its an MDF sandwich rebate the bread before glueing and make the filling suitably smaller.








Screw tight fitting battens to back and side(s)







Slip the shelf onto the batten with a bit of glue, finished item in this and the next few pics. Notice how the end cabinets are deeper than they look, cuning use of the old alcoves behind that studded out wall :wink: 

J


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## olivetree (22 Oct 2011)

hi jasonb 

so as my shelves are supported on both sides and the back do you think i should till use rods in the middle ?? or is that a bit OTT?

Do you make your shelves soild mdf all the way trough?? 

As you can tell its my first time making these and the customer is very picky so its got to be right.


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## jasonB (22 Oct 2011)

A lot depends on whats going to be put on them, if its just a few ornaments then just the battens will be fine, if they are going to be loaded up with a lot of books then I'd add about 3 rods.

Yes I usually make them solid, glue them up a little oversize and then run through the table saw to get a nice edge, far easier than trying to align 3 sheets of board that are slipping about with glue on them.

J


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