# Perfect fit: alcove shelving?



## joiner_sim (31 Oct 2008)

Hi all,

Just wondering what your thoughts are on how to get a tight fitting alcove shelf. The book I have got says that I should get a board smaller than the alcove and selotape pieces of card onto it to create a template for the shelf to be cut.

Are there any other ways, that work well?

Thanks in advance. Simon :wink:


----------



## Paul Chapman (31 Oct 2008)

You need something like this to accurately measure inside the alcove







This is the purpose-made Veritas thingie, but you could use two pieces of wood and a bulldog clip.

Take measurements at several places as the walls might be a bit wonky.

Also, use a sliding bevel to check whether the sides of the alcove are at right angles to the back.

You can then transfer all these measurements and angles onto your board.

Hope this helps.

Cheers :wink: 

Paul


----------



## hpl (31 Oct 2008)

If you want it to fit really well then make a template from some very thin ply/mdf, or what ever you have, that fits exactly as you want and then make the shelf to fit that.


----------



## andy king (31 Oct 2008)

Best way for a perfect fit is to spile it.
There are various ways, yuo can fit a template board roughly to size, (and I do mean roughly!) or you can tack a few strips of ply/MDF to make up a rough shape close to what you need.
If the shelf is on battens, rest the template on this, and using a piece of timber or similar that spans the gap between template and wall and make a series of marks to indicate all the high and low spots, along with intermediate marks, pipes etc. (I usually use a Formica sample. An old credit card does a good job as well)
Drop the template onto the work, and using the card/block, align it with the marks and replicate the positions by making a line at the opposing edge of the card/block.
If the marks are made close enough, and inch or so apart, you can simply freehand join them if needed.
You can make a solid scribe line initially, but I find a series of marks just as effective. It looks like a load of running stitches on the template piece once fully marked.
Once cut, it should drop in perfectly to the position it was marked from, needing no additional fitting.
It's a method used in boatbuilding to work out the curvature of planking around the frames where you have curves as well as twists to contend with, but have to cut them from a flat board before steaming them into place,and works equally well on flat stuff like shelves into alcoves etc.
you can do similarly with a pair of compasses or dividers, but any discrepancy away from 90 degrees to the position taken will be replicated on the final piece which is why I stick to my formica sample.

cheers,

Andy


----------



## Mr T (31 Oct 2008)

Hi 

I usually use two pieces of hardboard or thin mdf, scribe one into one side of the alcove and the other into the other side. With them both offered up to the alcove mark a line where they overlap. Position them on the workpiece with exactly the same overlap position and mark off the shape.

Chris


----------



## mailee (1 Nov 2008)

I also use a couple of pieces of cardboard two thirds the length of the space to be fitted. Scribe each side in to the contours of the wall and then tape them together in place. Fine pointed pencil then just trace around the carboard onto the timber for a perfect fit. HTH. :wink:


----------



## BradNaylor (1 Nov 2008)

Mr T":3sxi1tj4 said:


> Hi
> 
> I usually use two pieces of hardboard or thin mdf, scribe one into one side of the alcove and the other into the other side. With them both offered up to the alcove mark a line where they overlap. Position them on the workpiece with exactly the same overlap position and mark off the shape.
> 
> Chris



This is exactly what I do, too.

Quick, cheap, and foolproof.

Cheers
Dan


----------



## Benchwayze (1 Nov 2008)

Paul uses a deluxe version of my guage, which is two pieces of wood, that I cut for each job. I hold them together with strong rubber bands and use them in the same way Paul does. 

If you want to be posh, you can buy a laser measuring gizmo that does the same job. The laddie who measured up for my window-frames had one. That was years ago! 

Using my version, measure twice - cut once, obviously and unless you are lucky the alcove is bound to vary in width down it's length. 

Best o' luck
John


----------



## joiner_sim (1 Nov 2008)

:arrow: Thanks for all the replies, although I had forgot I'd posted this til I've logged on tonight (after doing the job). I ended up using a bit of board and selotaping card to it. It gave me a rough cut template, the first shelf wasn't brilliant, but it was good enough. The second two shelves were great. 

I like the idea of the veritas erm..... thingy..... mesauring stick. I think If I have to do the job again, I might make something like that, Although the card template was OK as well. Next time maybe..... I'll buy a thin sheet of ply to check my cut, before cutting the actual shelves. 

I'll post a picture of the shelves on the projects page when I get round to it. I would have done a couple of WIPs. Only an alcove but.... fair bit of work in it. The shelves needed to be quite wide, so had to T&G two boards and glue together. Clean up, fit, router a nice little moulding along the front edge, and stain.


----------



## Chris Knight (2 Nov 2008)

Walls are never straight, flat or vertical! You'll need a template, or do it Andy's way for a really accurate fit, measuring sticks in my experience just don't do it.


----------



## Paul Chapman (2 Nov 2008)

waterhead37":124n4rbh said:


> measuring sticks in my experience just don't do it.



I think it depends, Chris, on how many points you measure. The more wonky the wall, the more points you need to measure.

Cheers :wink: 

Paul


----------



## Jake (2 Nov 2008)

How do you know where the centre if you are using sticks?

Stick A - 990mm

Stick B - 895mm

Could be 5mm off left, or 5mm off right, of 2.5mm off both, or 15 off left and plus 10 on the right... etc


----------



## Paul Chapman (2 Nov 2008)

Jake":2m7zn09c said:


> How do you know where the centre if you are using sticks?



Doesn't really matter where the centre is. You can take any point and use that as your reference point. The important thing is to also use a sliding bevel to determine how much off a right angle each side is in relation to the back. If you like, you can even use a double-ended, adjustable sliding bevel like this :wink: 






There are many different ways of doing it.

Cheers :wink: 

Paul


----------



## Jake (2 Nov 2008)

Yeah, OK, it doesn't have to be centre :roll but the same holds true for any point along the sticks which isn't in the centre - you need a reference point which the sticks don't give you. 

The bevel is ok if the sides of the alcove are straight, but angled, but that's a faint hope for me. 

Not convinced, I have to say - but maybe that's because your house is less wonky than mine.


----------



## joiner_sim (2 Nov 2008)

I found the sides of the alcove I worked with were very lumpy and all over the place. If you saw my timber shelves cut before they were placed into the alcove, you'd think I didn't know how to cut timber at all, maybe even thought I was drunk when I'd cut them, but they do fit very well


----------

