How to make an "H" shaped shelf.

[cslogg]

Hello all.
This is my first post so hopefully it is in the right place.
Just retired and moved house and my wife has given me a small project to start with.
The last time I did any sort of woodworking I was at school a long time ago.
I can get by doing various do it yourself jobs around the house.
Anyway I need to make a free standing shelf unit in the shape of the letter H.
The idea is the unit would go against the wall and sit on top of a kitchen worktop.
Under the shelf would go a food mixer and on top would be books.
I think three bits of wood 24" long and if possible 12" deep would be the size required.
The cross member would probably go three quarters up the side supports.
What is the best way for a novice like me of joining the wood and making the whole lot stable and yet still make the it look as if I know what I am doing?
Any advice would be welcome even where I am going wrong.

Thanks
cslogg

 

[dzj]

I'd put a backing board behind the book part of the shelf to keep it nice and straight.
You could put it together in many ways: nails, mechanical fasteners, wooden joints...depends on your level of expertise.

 

[cslogg]

My level of expertise in this area is a bit up from beginner.

 

[RobinBHM]

A bit of guidance on the style might help -painted or timber finish, contemporary or traditional.

If I was making a contemporary style, I would probably make it quite thick, about 50mm in a simailar way to a torsion box and then plant on a front frame made into the H shape

I would make it with moisture resistant mdf and softwood battens, all screwed together and holes filled with 2 pack filler, then paint.

 

[Mike.S]

With an H shape, especially with some weight at the top (the books) one issue to address is to prevent racking (wobble side-to-side). A backing board (as dzj says above), either extending the full height or part (e.g. just behind the books), firmly fixed (glue, nails and/rebated if desired) to the sides should solve this.

If you want to avoid a backing board then another cross piece e.g. another shelf or a piece across the top or bottom would make the structure more rigid.

Use a housing joint (see Paul Sellers for the shelf to give a strong joint. If being painted you could put a couple of screws through the sides into the shelf, then fill the countersunk heads.

HTH