Wood for fitted bookshelves

[tommysis]

Hey everyone. I’m building some fitted bookshelves in a couple of weeks time. They’re going to be big: maybe 3m long and 2.5m tall. A bit will float above a radiator (so it goes wall to wall) and one end is going around a corner with an end section including a cubboard at the bottom. They’ll be painted white.

My question: what material to use? I’d been assuming 18mm ply, maybe BB/BB. However I’ve seen some shelves in the house that are 25mm - which seemed overkill to me. I’ve also seen some talk of using solid wood online, although most seem to use ply.

Any advice would be most welcome. Also does anyone know a supplier to sells primed ply to save on painting! Thanks.

 

[ian8555]

You will struggle with sheet length in standard ply sizes. Also you will get the ply leave witness lines on a painted edge , unless you lip it, then you can get witness lines on the face. Or you can paint it on tick, then no trouble. If it were me I would be looking at solid popular.

 

[tommysis]

You will struggle with sheet length in standard ply sizes. Also you will get the ply leave witness lines on a painted edge , unless you lip it, then you can get witness lines on the face. Or you can paint it on tick, then no trouble. If it were me I would be looking at solid popular.

Would you buy that as a sheet or planks? I am looking to make the shelves about 28cm deep I think, with the cupboard section around 35cm.

 

[ian8555]

Sorry meant to say paint it on thick. Pop comes in wide boards so the widths aren't a problem, lengths will be ok. Lathams can machine to size for you, but the delivery cost may be prohibitive.

 

[Wilson joinery]

If it were me I’d be using mr mdf (I’ve used medite and it’s really good). What sort of span are the shelves going to be? I’d have some sort of back panel screwed into the back of the shelves to avoid sagging, a rebate in the uprights for the shelves to sit in (screwed and glued as well) and a solid wood lipping applied to the front of each shelf.

Cheers
Pete

 

[tommysis]

Sorry meant to say paint it on thick. Pop comes in wide boards so the widths aren't a problem, lengths will be ok. Lathams can machine to size for you, but the delivery cost may be prohibitive

If it were me I’d be using mr mdf (I’ve used medite and it’s really good). What sort of span are the shelves going to be? I’d have some sort of back panel screwed into the back of the shelves to avoid sagging, a rebate in the uprights for the shelves to sit in (screwed and glued as well) and a solid wood lipping applied to the front of each shelf.

Cheers
Pete

I haven’t quite decided on span. Maybe about 500mm. Why MDF over ply? Does it not sag more?

 

[tommysis]

Sorry meant to say paint it on thick. Pop comes in wide boards so the widths aren't a problem, lengths will be ok. Lathams can machine to size for you, but the delivery cost may be prohibitive.

Poplar looks quite pricy…

 

[AJB Temple]

I have done exactly this across half the room width at both ends of a quite large room. 3m span between brick piers at each end. This holds about 400 mostly quite heavy cookery books and some sculpture and has cupboards below. All done from reclaimed 15mm oak (free - broken down from something else) primed and painted. I did not make the shelves adjustable as I needed strength, so the whole thing has a fixed back.

The other end encloses a radiator and is built entirely in 18mm MDF with hardwood fronts to make it look thicker and provide rigidity, with a full width back support too. I would not use ply on this as it is a costly waste. MDF paints well and is much cheaper. For a painted finish there is no point spending more. Use proper MDF primer & undercoat.

Plan your integrated lighting before you build so build in some power sources. Keep the spans sensible. Do you really want white - it marks very easily. Use a high quality finish coat paint that can be wiped and is scratch averse. I like Mylands as it is very robust and coats easily, but is not cheap.

 

[Wilson joinery]

I haven’t quite decided on span. Maybe about 500mm. Why MDF over ply? Does it not sag more?

mdf is cheaper and paints better. If you use a good mdf primer and topcoat using a foam roller you can get a really nice finish. Apologies if im telling you how to suck eggs here but in terms the shelves meeting the uprights, instead of using a router to cut a channel/dado for the shelf to sit in, it’s easier to cut 2 bits of say 9mm mdf to the height you want the shelf to sit at and the same depth as the shelving and then the shelves can sit on these instead. And then hide the edges with some sort of face frame.

 

[tommysis]

mdf is cheaper and paints better. If you use a good mdf primer and topcoat using a foam roller you can get a really nice finish. Apologies if im telling you how to suck eggs here but in terms the shelves meeting the uprights, instead of using a router to cut a channel/dado for the shelf to sit in, it’s easier to cut 2 bits of say 9mm mdf to the height you want the shelf to sit at and the same depth as the shelving and then the shelves can sit on these instead. And then hide the edges with some sort of face frame.

That’s a really clever idea. Thanks so much.

Can I ask, given I would need to put a face frame on with that approach, where do you stand on putting a lip or face on the shelf- themselves? A lot of people seem to do so, in the main to stiffen the spans and resist sagging. I’ve previously not done so, because I think they look a litttle fussy. If I could make them the same dimensions as the width of the MDF then I guess I could ‘hide’ them. But that would be fiddly to get right. What’s your experience?

 

[Jester129]

Use a router with a bottom bearing to match the thickness of the mdf, but make sure you've got some support for the base plate, you don't want a little accident with the router!

 

[aesmith]

How about "Pine Board" for the shelves. Should be stronger and stiffer than MDF and no need for lipping. Just an example, you can get it in all sorts of widths and lengths ..

https://www.rembrandtimber.co.uk/laminated-pine-board-2400-x-600-x-18mm.html

 

[tommysis]

How about "Pine Board" for the shelves. Should be stronger and stiffer than MDF and no need for lipping. Just an example, you can get it in all sorts of widths and lengths ..

https://www.rembrandtimber.co.uk/laminated-pine-board-2400-x-600-x-18mm.html

Oh that’s very interesting. Has anyone ever used pineboard for the whole thing including carcasses?

 

[Wilson joinery]

That’s a really clever idea. Thanks so much.

Can I ask, given I would need to put a face frame on with that approach, where do you stand on putting a lip or face on the shelf- themselves? A lot of people seem to do so, in the main to stiffen the spans and resist sagging. I’ve previously not done so, because I think they look a litttle fussy. If I could make them the same dimensions as the width of the MDF then I guess I could ‘hide’ them. But that would be fiddly to get right. What’s your experience?

If it was my project I’d probably use 22mm for the shelves to make them look a bit chunkier and wouldn’t bother with a lipping especially if the span is 500mm as you said. Just give the front visible edge a really good sand down to 240 grit before priming, and then give it another sand between primer and top coats too. If you are wanting to add a lipping you could cut those to be the same width of the shelves but you’d have to account for the depth of the lipping so that depth of lipping plus depth of shelf is flush with the back of the face frame.

 

[thetyreman]

I would use redwood pine, it's ideal, lightweight and very strong, and if you do work with hand tools it works very well, MDF is good for stability but it's also quite heavy and sags over time, if you want it to look really high end then use a high quality hardwood like cherry, walnut, oak or ash, but it's going to cost you.

 

[aesmith]

Oh that’s very interesting. Has anyone ever used pineboard for the whole thing including carcasses?

A family member had their kitchen cupboards made using pineboard for carcasses and shelves, frame and panel doors.

 

[tommysis]

I’m going to have to build out of MDF just because of cost. The plan is 18mm carcasses, 6m spacers/plinths glued in place, and 25mm shelves glued and screwed in the ends sitting on the spacers (cos easier than routing channels to slide the shelves into). All in MDF with a 6mm backboard, which the shelves will be screwed into. That will mean the uprights where 2 carcasses meet will be 48mm wide.

The unit will be 2.4m tall, built on a box of 2x4s with a face plate. And the shelves will be about 800mm wide.

Does that sound enough, or overkill? Might I get away with butt joints only ie no spacers/plinths? And any thoughts on butt joints va pocket screws? I was thinking MDF would not work well with pocket screws, but it would allow me to screw in the shelves with the carcasses already in place.