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  1. 3rd January 2016, 01:01 PM #1
    Mark CH
    Mark CH is offline Novice
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    Default Floating selves idea - feedback needed please!

    Hello All,
    Happy New Year from a long time lurker. Hope I've put this in the correct place!
    The time has come for me to make some long anticipated floating selves for my daughters room and I wanted to run the idea past the forum for some feedback.
    The shelves will be running along 2 walls creating a number of different length L shapes up to 3 metres long. My plan is to use a right angle jig to drill pilot holes into each stud (at 450mm centres) and then screw in a series of steel rods (8-10mm dia.) that have been threaded at one end so they sit out approximated 150mm from the wall.
    The shelves will be 2 pieces of 180mm x 14mm grey ironbark flooring glued and screwed like a sandwich with the rods sitting in pre-cut or routered 'voids'. Each arm of the L meets will be mitred at 45 degrees so once all fours pieces of timber are in place they shouldn't, theoretically, be able to move away from the wall.
    The selves will be used for books only so I think the rods at 450mm centres should be strong enough and the timber shouldn't sag.
    Thoughts, comments and general derision (delivered in a humorous manner) would be much appreciated.
    Cheerio,
    Mark CH
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  3. 3rd January 2016, 02:53 PM #2
    Handyjack's Avatar
    Handyjack
    Handyjack is offline GOLD MEMBER
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    Default

    If each arm of the L meets in a mitred 45deg join, how do you plan to install it?
    Your steel rods of 8-10mm, how do they secure to the stud? do they have a suitable wood thread on them?

    A word of warning. Standard spacing of studs is 450mm centers for exterior walls, 600 for internal, however actual spacing can be less as few walls are allow for totally even spacing, also thrown out by window frames.

    While it all sounds nice, I always worry about weight with floating shelves. "The s(h)elves will be used for books..." Unless it is properly supported, and I know you have thought about this, then it could end badly.
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  4. 3rd January 2016, 04:18 PM #3
    Mark CH
    Mark CH is offline Novice
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    Default

    Hi Handyjack,
    Thanks for your reply. The rods will be threaded in order to screw into the stud as noted above. A friend of mine is a metal fabricator so he can help out there .
    I'll be checking the stud spacing with a stud finder so I'll know exactly how far apart the studs are. In our laundry the studs are 450mm apart on an internal wall so hopefully it will be the same on these walls (although one of them in the bedroom is an external wall).
    As far as installation is concerned, once I've got the rods in place and the voids routered in both halves of one leg of the shelf I plan to apply glue and clamp in place so I can screw the two halves together. Once that is done I'll be able to do the same for the second shelf of that particular L using the mitred end of the first leg as a template to ensure a nice snug fit. Not sure that this makes sense in writing!
    My daughters books are currently in an Ikea bookcase whose shelves are essentially 15mm particle board with a span of around 750mm supported at each end by 2 short metal pins less than 5mm thick so I'm hopeful that my design will be stronger. I will make sure that the threaded end does go at least half way into each stud to ensure they are held in solidly.
    Thanks again for the comments.
    Cheerio,
    Mark CH
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  5. 3rd January 2016, 06:53 PM #4
    Gaza
    Gaza is offline Hammer Head
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    Have a look on YouTube jimmy diresat has video of installing floating shelves


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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  6. 3rd January 2016, 06:56 PM #5
    Rod Gilbert
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    How about only mitreing the top board and running the bottom as an L shape and screw the bottom across the mitre joint on the top half it will add a lot of strength across the join.
    Regards Rod.
    Rod Gilbert.
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  7. 5th January 2016, 08:31 AM #6
    Mark CH
    Mark CH is offline Novice
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    Thanks Gaza, I'll check out YouTube (now that I'm back at work and have plenty of time to spare). Rod, this is why I love to browse this forum; great ideas and different ways to think about problems! Your solution would achieve the same result (effectively 'locking' the 2 arms of the L to each other and into the corner of the wall) without all the drama of ensuring both top and bottom mitres are exactly the same! Thanks again for all the input. Cheerio, Mark
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