Elliptical shelves WIP

[thick_mike]

How about something like this.

https://bit.ly/2rgeiRC

Simon

Yes, that type of thing would work, but that one is too wide. It needs a 15mm hole and the ply is only 15mm wide

 

[thick_mike]

Pocket hole screws? Or is that blasphemous?

Yup, blasphemous!

They would be visible from the front.

Some sort of keyhole hanger is the winner I think. I’ll probably try to make them myself if I. Can find some brass or steel plate.

 

[Just4Fun]

Just weighed the shelves on my bathroom scales and they are 22kg

I am genuinely shocked by that. I thought that was the weight of a full sheet of 15mm Baltic Birch ply and that is more than I would have guessed was in your piece.

Having made these shelves, do you think 15mm thick ply was needed or would thinner ply be strong enough?

 

[thick_mike]

The shelves are 1.8 by 1.2m .

I thought they were heavier, I must have cut away more than I thought. I had to cut two pieces from a second sheet, but I guess there’s a lot of waste when you’re cutting half ellipses . Plus all the cut outs for the joints...and the chamfers of course!

 

[whiskywill]

Didn't know Nigel Slater did woodwork. :wink:

 

[thick_mike]

Didn't know Nigel Slater did woodwork. :wink:

Haha, not the first time I’ve had that. He’s been copying my style for years now.

 

[Racers]

Triangular plates like I said before you only need enough in the corner sticking for the screw head, if you place them right you won't see them.

Pete

 

[thick_mike]

Having made these shelves, do you think 15mm thick ply was needed or would thinner ply be strong enough?

Sorry, only just noticed this question. I’d say 15mm is plenty robust enough, 12 might be ok, but 9 is going to be too skinny. The limiting factor is the length of the free horizontal shelf at the end. Because I have used halving joints, you only have half of the depth of the shelf to support the ends.

 

[Doingupthehouse]

I don't see why chemical anchors wouldn't work. I've used them quite a bit including putting some cast iron lights on the wall that weigh over 30kg each. its also how my heavy tool cabinet is fixed to a lightweight block wall along with lots of other stuff in my workshop. They might be overkill, but if it works...

If the positioning is critical, which it will be, some sort of jig to hold them in position while the resin sets can be useful, they can tend to droop a little. I like using the Rawl R-KEM resin. Clean holes are absolutely essential, I blow them out with a compressor.

I wouldn't attempt them at an angle though, but you could have a couple of M6 or M8 studs at the top and fix some grub screws through the top of the shelf to grip them. Once in however, they ain't ever coming out! Easier to grind them flush than try and remove.

Simon

 

[MikeG.]

I don't see why chemical anchors wouldn't work. I've used them quite a bit including putting some cast iron lights on the wall that weigh over 30kg each. its also how my heavy tool cabinet is fixed to a lightweight block wall along with lots of other stuff in my workshop. They might be overkill, but if it works...

If the positioning is critical, which it will be, some sort of jig to hold them in position while the resin sets can be useful, they can tend to droop a little. I like using the Rawl R-KEM resin. Clean holes are absolutely essential, I blow them out with a compressor.

I wouldn't attempt them at an angle though, but you could have a couple of M6 or M8 studs at the top and fix some grub screws through the top of the shelf to grip them. Once in however, they ain't ever coming out! Easier to grind them flush than try and remove.

Simon

M6.......6mm centred in a 15mm ply shelf. That leaves 4.5mm of ply either side. How important do you think the strength of the stud or the wall is, compared with the strength of that 4.5mm of ply? And it's obviously even worse for the M8 suggestion.

 

[thick_mike]

I don't see why chemical anchors wouldn't work. I've used them quite a bit including putting some cast iron lights on the wall that weigh over 30kg each. its also how my heavy tool cabinet is fixed to a lightweight block wall along with lots of other stuff in my workshop. They might be overkill, but if it works...

If the positioning is critical, which it will be, some sort of jig to hold them in position while the resin sets can be useful, they can tend to droop a little. I like using the Rawl R-KEM resin. Clean holes are absolutely essential, I blow them out with a compressor.

I wouldn't attempt them at an angle though, but you could have a couple of M6 or M8 studs at the top and fix some grub screws through the top of the shelf to grip them. Once in however, they ain't ever coming out! Easier to grind them flush than try and remove.

Simon

M6.......6mm centred in a 15mm ply shelf. That leaves 4.5mm of ply either side. How important do you think the strength of the stud or the wall is, compared with the strength of that 4.5mm of ply? And it's obviously even worse for the M8 suggestion.

I am going to be attaching to the vertical sections so that wouldn’t be such a problem.

 

[MikeG.]

It's still ridiculous overkill to be using a chemical anchored anything to hold up shelves which would be 100% on 2 screws and plugs. If the idea of straight bits of steel sticking out of the wall appeals as a means of support, just hacksaw the heads off your screws after you've screwed them in. With any stud fitting like this, though, you've got to prevent the shelves just pulling straight off the stud, and that seems an unnecessary complication to deal with when you could just screw through something into the wall and never have to worry again.

 

[thick_mike]

It's still ridiculous overkill to be using a chemical anchored anything to hold up shelves which would be 100% on 2 screws and plugs. If the idea of straight bits of steel sticking out of the wall appeals as a means of support, just hacksaw the heads off your screws after you've screwed them in. With any stud fitting like this, though, you've got to prevent the shelves just pulling straight off the stud, and that seems an unnecessary complication to deal with when you could just screw through something into the wall and never have to worry again.

The reason I mentioned chemical fixing was when I was considering dowels at an angle, so there wouldn’t be a thread to grip a standard rawlplug.

I’m going to try a keyhole fixing on the vertical sections now and hang onto standard screws into rawlplugs. If that’s not solid enough, or it makes alignment tricky, then I’ll use some triangular plates and screw from the front.

 

[thick_mike]

Varnish and sand, varnish and sand, varnish.

And yes, I do know I need to do the same with the table!

 

[thick_mike]

Ok, Royal wedding so it’s a good day to spend time in the shed.

Prototyped a fixing system I’m happy to try. Going with my initial idea of mini French cleats on the verticals which should be easy to rough out accurately with my domino, then shape with a chisel and fettle to level.

Hopefully this rough trial shows what I’m aiming for...

 

[thick_mike]

Going up...

And it’s done!

 

[thetyreman]

that has turned out great! I like the symmetry, well done =D>

 

[thick_mike]

probably not intentional but this will diffuse sound in a nice way, as well as looking good

Just wanted to report back on the acoustic properties of the shelves. I installed the shelves on the blank wall opposite my stereo and it has had a marked effect on the acoustics. The room was quite lively (not helped by having guitars hanging on the wall), but the shelves have really cut down on the reverb. That has really improved the sound of my stereo.

 

[MikeG.]

That's got a chance.

 

[Racers]

probably not intentional but this will diffuse sound in a nice way, as well as looking good

Just wanted to report back on the acoustic properties of the shelves. I installed the shelves on the blank wall opposite my stereo and it has had a marked effect on the acoustics. The room was quite lively (not helped by having guitars hanging on the wall), but the shelves have really cut down on the reverb. That has really improved the sound of my stereo.

That's why I have rugs on my walls.

Pete