Building some shelving

[mo]

Before I make a c*ck up of it.

I want to make some shelving for my shed.

I am talking basic stuff with cheap as chips materials and basic designs.

One shelf unit will be roughly 95cm across and 50cm deep. The other 90 by

2. There will be roughly 4 shelfs on each unit.

I have chosen 38mm by 68mm CLS timber as the frame and 12mm thick MDF as the shelving.

What I plan on doing is getting the 4 pieces of CLS as the frames. Then cutting short lengths of CLS and putting them in horizontally as supports (i.e 4 on each side connecting the posts together and then screwing the shelves into these supports

I have bought some metal angle brackets to use as supports.

ones i got are 60 by 60mm i think.

Essentially i want something like this but wider and obviously using wooden shelves:

will only have the supports going the short 50cm way down the sides as opposed to going across as well.

My main issue will probably be supports. i don't expect major weight on the shelves, will the angle brackets do the job? the other technique i could use it cutting squares of the CLS and connecting them to the support post and then connecting the cross beam to them 9if that makes sense!)

Any tips?

[NT]

mdf is very weak, you'd do better with chipboard. i prefer ply for sheds as its more leak resistant and tough.

Shelf units as shown in the piccy work fine with no metal work.

There are a few posible ways to support each shelf

1. small blocks of wood on the uprights - you need to use shelves with some strength with these eg ply, not mdf or chip.
2. horizontal full length strips of wood that are part of the framework
3. Metal brackets. Just little ones are fine, no need for them to stretch out across the gap.

[NT]

[mick]

IMHO your main issue is in using MDF for the shelves. That stuff needs a lot of support or it sags under its own weight, never mind any load. You may need to run some wood strips edge-on underneath it as a minimum. The best way would be to replace it with something like pine floorboard. More expensive, but doesn't suffer as badly - especially over a distance like that.

[Chris J Dixon]

I know folk knock IKEA, but this isn't a bank breaker at GBP

14.67

it is a pity the much more robust STEN has been discontinued.

Chris

[mike]

I'd just buy a basic shelf unit form Ikea and adapt it if necessary. It'll most likely be far cheaper than you could buy the materials and that's before you've factored in your time and trouble.

I wouldn't use MDF for shelves because it'll sag under its own weight and if it's at all damp in your shed, you'd probably want to seal the MDF anyway.

[The Medway Handyman]

Best way is to make two 'ladders' for each set of shelves - the width of the shelves e.g. 95cm & 90cm. Mark the positions, attach top & bottom cross pieces with one screw each side. Check the diagonals to ensure you have a rectangle, not a parrallelogram & secure both cross pieces with a second screw. Then fix the other cross pieces.

No need for brackets. Nip to your local Screwfix & treat yourself to a box of 5 x 70 Turbogolds

will go straight in (assuming you have a drill driver) no pilot hole, no splitting, self countersink.

Don't use MDF for the shelves, use 18mm shuttering ply, much stronger. Screw to cross pieces with 4 x 45 turbogolds.

If you don't have a drill driver, good excuse to buy one :-)

[pete]

Especially in a garage. I can't say what your's is like, but it could attract damp during the winter, which further weakens the MDF. You could also make up some slats - rather than using solid wood for the shelves. It would be cheaper and would weigh less.

[Stuart Noble]

I bought a sheet of 18mm spruce ply the other day and IIRC it was only a shade dearer than 15mm mdf

[mo]

I have already bought the MDF so I spose that point is irrelevant. I bought

3 sheets of 2.4m by 1.2m 12mm thickness. I did want to get ply as I had read up on it but it ended up being a tad expensive. I am actually making 3 units in total so there is a fair bit of shelving overall. I wonder if the MDF woudl be too heavy and flimsy but it seems ok at the lengths i have it.

I did also buy some angle brackets but they were next to useless. I am going to by some 5 x70mm screws but I don't think screwing them in from the side will quite cut it - just doesn't look strong enough. Instead I am going to screw some offcuts in as a support first (hard to explain but i iwll post pics if it works!)

As I am using a combination of CLS and MDF what is the ebst way to paint it -does the MDF need sealing?

[mo]

I have built one unit - it is quite weak though - it quite of waves from side to side - i guess i will have to put in some cross beams.

[The Medway Handyman]

Exactly how did you build it?

[mo]

ermm

kind of like you suggest

i made 2 ladders - in total there are 5 cross beams (or steps). these are supports by cut offs underneath where the cut off is screwed into the long bit and the short bit screws into this

but i have also screwed in sideways as you suggested. i have also now screwed the shelves on.

I think it will need a few cross beams really.

[The Medway Handyman]

Did you mean 'off cuts'?

Can't see why it would move - any chance of a photo?

[mo]

yea, off cuts, instead of using the metal right angles i just used cubes of wood - the theory being they would be stronger and take the way - as oppose to 2 screws directly into the side.

will try to take tomorrow.

its not pretty but it will be functional, i hope!

>

[Rob G]

I know this thread is a bit old now and there may not be many readers to it, but one of those sites that is so useful when you're doing shelving is this :

's a calculator for the sag in shelving, and covers all sorts of materials, shelving thickness, width and support. Strongly recommended.

Rob

[The Medway Handyman]

shelves:

>>> I will only have the supports going the short 50cm way down the

Yup, great site.

[Pete Verdon]

I suspect that if you were to put a diagonal strut across the back (eg from top left corner to bottom right) it would stiffen it up quite a lot.

Pete

[Simon]

Yep, or tack on the back a piece of hardboard like the flatpack stuff does. Simon.

[dennis]

Or screw it to the wall as that will stiffen it and stop it falling over.