Vertical adjustable shelf dividers

[Mrs C]

My next project is a pantry cupboard, which while quite large was going to be fairly simple until DDH stuck his twopenneth in.

As well as floating shelves he wants floating vertical dividers to split the shelves so that you can stack things like packets of biscuits without them falling over. He has asked for something ‘modular’ ; unfortunately I think he is thinking of something that will resemble Tetris.

My initial thoughts were book ends or backless boxes stood on end.

Any ideas as to how I can do this?

 

[Benchwayze]

I don't eat biscuits because of dietary restrictions. But my wife used to store them on their sides in the square biscuit tins, or the newer plastic tins that come with Xmas selections. They stay fresher, longer. The biscuits, in their tins, would go on the lower shelves of the pantry cupboard. (The plastic boxes are also good for storing water stones, covered in water BTW.)

I can't say I ever had the need for any partitions in a food cupboard. Mostly my wife relied on the packaging to separate foods. I just made shelves with spices and herbs on a narrow shelf at the top. Maybe if I did go for partitions, I would consider made to fit, separate boxes on the shelves. Depends on how much vertical space you have I suppose.

HTH


John (hammer)

 

[Myfordman]

Maybe vertical dividers running in tracks in the shelves. Does not have to be proper T track but something like it fabricated from wood or machined into the surface depending on what equipment is available to the OP.

 

[Marineboy]

I would avoid tracks in the shelves - dust traps.

 

[Myfordman]

One pantry wall I have covered with narrow vertically adjustable shelves that are one tin, jar or packet wide.
Takes very little space and holds loads and you can see what you have at a glance. A small lip on the front edge of the shelves stops things riding up on one another when sliding stock along the shelves.
Stock rotation is easy by taking items from one end of a row and replenishing from the other.

I'll add a photo in a minute.

 

[Myfordman]

I would avoid tracks in the shelves - dust traps.

Unless the slots go all the way through (with non slotted parts for strength)

 

[xy mosian]

Or perhaps tracks under the shelves with suspended partitions.
xy

 

[Marineboy]

One pantry wall I have covered with narrow vertically adjustable shelves that are one tin, jar or packet wide.
Takes very little space and holds loads and you can see what you have at a glance. A small lip on the front edge of the shelves stops things riding up on one another when sliding stock along the shelves.
Stock rotation is easy by taking items from one end of a row and replenishing from the other.

I'll add a photo in a minute.

Looks like you’re well sorted for no-deal Brexit

 

[Marineboy]

But I think the OP wants vertical dividers on the horizontal shelves.

 

[Myfordman]

But I think the OP wants vertical dividers on the horizontal shelves.

Indeed, I was just throwing the narrow shelf idea into the mix.

Yes we have always carried "stock" of regularly used items often bulk buying at cash and carry or Costco.

 

[AndyT]

There are existing solutions aimed at the similar problem of keeping books on a shelf from falling over when the shelf is not full. The simplest is probably a rectangle of thin sheet steel bent into an L shape. Others clip onto the front of the shelf, if it's the right thickness, or slide along a rail underneath the shelf above.

Another idea entirely would be a piece of the same construction as the shelves, slightly shy of full height, with a spring loaded something on the top edge - maybe one of those ball catches used for cupboard doors which some people put on bench dogs.
Or even a strip of thin wood along the top, fitted as a wooden spring, like on a secret drawer.

 

[Rich C]

You could use rare earth magnets rather than spring clips for a more hidden apparence I'd think. You'd need steel strips embedded in the shelf though.

 

[Trainee neophyte]

Without wishing to upset the applecart too much, do you actually want some drawers?
You could either dedicate one of the shelves to being drawers, have shallow drawers hung off the underside of every shelf, or a column of drawers on one side.

I do sympathize with the problem - I have a pantry cupboard which is 2.5 metres tall, 1.25 metre wide and deep enough to lose your arm in. (Sheet of plywood size,in other words) It gets filled up with stuff in great piles and heaps (not by me, obviously), and is not a very sensible use of space. If there were more shelves (only has 4), you couldn't see in to the back to get stuff out, so either you stack it high, or you waste space. We also keep kitchen equipment in it like the bread machine etc, and big tubs of flour etc, so we need the height for at least some of the shelves. Perhaps I should install a couple of drawers instead of one of the shelves - you've got me thinking now...

Or go all American and put a lazy Susan in it! https://www.onecrazyhouse.com/15-clever ... azy-susan/

 

[Myfordman]

Your deep cupboard sounds like a nightmare to use.
I would suggest shelves no more than 300mm deep in a C shape on each side and the back. You can then "walk in " and reach the extremes.
This leaves you with an unused space about 600mm wide in the centre so some more shelves mounted on the back of the door would utilise this space.

 

[Benchwayze]

I can walk into my pantry, except it's called the kitchen! 9 feet square! And that's the room size, not the floor space. Hopeless... Not even space for a table to eat from. But some of the meals my wife produced from it! Wow! :lol:

The pantry cupboard is just a taller version of wall cupboards. Short of moving the kitchen into the lounge and using the present kitchen as a small sitting room, there's little I can do. Bit late in the day now, living alone. My wife never wanted to move the kitchen as she liked watching the world go by when she was in there!

John (hammer)

 

[Mrs C]

Thank you for all the suggestions, we have got a plan for a solution