I'm about to start my next project, and to say I'm a bit nervous, is an understatement.
I have spousal authority to build a huge set of bookshelves, with integrated desk on the gable end wall of our living room. The wall is vaulted, and stands 4m tall at the apex, and is 5m wide (so more of a home library - hence the title of the thread).
For the sake of my marriage I need to get this right!
I have what seems like a simply problem to solve, but can't come up with a solution I'm happy with. I want the shelves to go almost to the ceiling - about 3m high, so I need a ladder. The standard rolling library ladder on a rail wont work, as the desk will protrude around 600mm from the wall, which means the ladder wont have a clear run. However, I think I have a way to integrate a ladder into the shelving, which will work, by essentially over building the shelves so they can be stood on (building in solid oak, not MDF or ply).
However, I also want to integrate a hand rail into the shelves so that when reaching for that far away book, you have something to hold onto. What I cant quite work out is the best way to attach the hand rail so it's bombproof.
Ideally, I want to attach it to the studs in the stud wall. However, it also needs to be about 50mm or so from the book shelves so you can grab it easily. But that means the shelving is between it and the stud.
How would you pass the fixing of the rail, through the shelving to get to the stud? If seems like an easy problem, but all the ideas I come up with involve attaching to the shelving ..... which I don't think is secure enough.
Thoughts?
I have spousal authority to build a huge set of bookshelves, with integrated desk on the gable end wall of our living room. The wall is vaulted, and stands 4m tall at the apex, and is 5m wide (so more of a home library - hence the title of the thread).
For the sake of my marriage I need to get this right!
I have what seems like a simply problem to solve, but can't come up with a solution I'm happy with. I want the shelves to go almost to the ceiling - about 3m high, so I need a ladder. The standard rolling library ladder on a rail wont work, as the desk will protrude around 600mm from the wall, which means the ladder wont have a clear run. However, I think I have a way to integrate a ladder into the shelving, which will work, by essentially over building the shelves so they can be stood on (building in solid oak, not MDF or ply).
However, I also want to integrate a hand rail into the shelves so that when reaching for that far away book, you have something to hold onto. What I cant quite work out is the best way to attach the hand rail so it's bombproof.
Ideally, I want to attach it to the studs in the stud wall. However, it also needs to be about 50mm or so from the book shelves so you can grab it easily. But that means the shelving is between it and the stud.
How would you pass the fixing of the rail, through the shelving to get to the stud? If seems like an easy problem, but all the ideas I come up with involve attaching to the shelving ..... which I don't think is secure enough.
Thoughts?
