Thickness ant type of wood shelving for storage area

[davro77]

Her indoors has commanded that I make some storage racks in the spare bedroom for books, encyclopedias, sewing and embroidery machines etc etc.

Is there a way to determine the max span of shelf or the thickness of timber required to support some of the "tomes" that she insists are to be kept and seem a bit on the heavy side for the usual bookshelf?

Thanks

 

[knappers]

How about the "Sagulator"?

http://www.woodbin.com/calcs/sagulator.htm

Si.

 

[Jacob]

Ordinary redwood is best by far, and simplest to install.
MDF or chipboard the worst - don't even think about it!

 

[Benchwayze]

Ordinary redwood is best by far, and simplest to install.
MDF or chipboard the worst - don't even think about it!

Is there a life-span for MDF Shelves Jacob, or are you just thinking about aesthetics?

John :wink:

 

[chunkolini]

Sagulator?Never seen that before, very useful.
I make and sell a lot of shelves, and their calculations seem to back up my figures out by weighing and measuring sag.
Chunko'.

 

[OldWood]

The Sagulator is based on sound formulae for beam design. I cross checked a beam design I had done and got near enough identical answers.

Rob

 

[joiner_sim]

When I made these shelves here: http://www.freewebs.com/simonswoodwork/alcoveshelving.htm I used 25mm softwood (redwood) supported with 25x12mm battens on sides and back. The shelves had to be 274mm wide, and I glued up with two pieces of 137mm. If I was to do it again, I'd make sure there was three boards glued together to stop any bowing taking place. The glue joint was tongue and grooved.

 

[davro77]

Thank you all for your response.
The sagulator nice piece of software = easy to use.

Simonswoodwork - I'll be using your method using 3 boards glued and I will measure twice and cut once as I was a bit of a "bull in a china shop".

Happy woodworking.