IKEA Lack shelves

[D.M. Procida]

I have an alcove, about 1m wide, in which I want to put bookshelves. Some of these will be for larger books, and will need to bear their weight without bowing in the centre.

I was wondering whether IKEA's Lack shelves would do the job.

These have a hidden fixing - a series of metal fingers on a bracket that penetrate the shelf.

For my purposes though, I think the shelf would also need some support at either end, and would also need to be cut down to size. It's a hollow honeycomb construction, and I don't know how well that would work.

Anyone tried something similar?

Daniele

[Andrew Gabriel]

I took a set of these down for someone (room was being converted from office into nursery). My recollection (and this is 4 years ago now, so liable to errors) is that there's a continuous bracket which is fixed along the wall behind the shelf, and I don't think there's any way it can bow.

[D.M. Procida]

Yes, that's correct. However, I think there's plenty of scope for the shelf to tilt forwards with a heavy load.

Daniele

[Frank Erskine]

A "Lack" of support then?

[ericp]

some help.

[OG]

Not in my experience. The bracket has two long prongs that fit almost the full depth of the shelf, so as long as the bracket is properly connected to the wall it's perfectly stable against tilting forward.

I'm pretty certain though that cutting the ends off the shelf would wreck it.

[D.M. Procida]

At a certain point, sufficient weight will make it tip forward.

Yes, I suspect that it's not going to take kindly to that treatment.

Daniele

[Doki]

"D.M. Procida" wrote in message news:1ja5unj.kdnq491hy9fcnN% [e-mail]...

I have a set above my desk with a load of textbooks on. It isn't bowing in the middle, and neither did the one my gilfriend had in her house at uni for

2 years. I think Ikea state a weight limit of around 10 kilos for this shelf, and I suspect I'm above that, but it's screwed into brickwork with bloody long screws, not plasterboard...

[Doki]

They do tilt slightly when they're heavily laden. Mine's well screwed into the wall, but the steel prongs are a bit springy. Ideally, T-section shelf supports with a normal shelf would be better.

[NT]

google for 'sagulator'

NT

[Harry]

I had to reduce one at my daughter's place. Provided you cut from either end, to keep the load equal, and what you remove doesn't come too close to the bracket holes, they work OK. I did fix a short strip of right angle at the leading edge of both sides a few weeks later which cured the front droop - LOTS of books! - and which we painted to match the shelving. No sign of bowing in the centre.

[D.M. Procida]

What did you cut it with, to make a clean edge?

Daniele

[Steve Firth]

When faced with a similar requirement I made my own shelves using ribs and stringers as used for the construction of aircraft wings, skinned with plywood. This produces a rigid structure which can take significant loads with minimal use of material at the expense of construction time. Hidden supports are simple to engineer.

[JimK]

I reckon you could adapt the cut ends (cut with fine hacksaw) to receive a small block of wood that would be securely fixed to the side walls of the alcove so that the shelf, whilst sliding onto the Ikea bracket thing, would also slide onto and thus cover those blocks of wood.... that would add further stability?

We have 3 in an alcove (though none are cut) - they are well loaded with some fairly large hardback books etc and no "bowing" at all - just a gentle acceptable "tip" if you study them (too) closely...

Cheers JimK

[Harry]

Angle grinder. Fine toothed hacksaw helped though.