Long hanging rail and shelf

[Andrew May]

I am refitting the interior of a wardrobe. Total width of the wardrobe is 2m. At some time in the past it may have been two separate 1m wide cupboards but now it is a single 2m width. Whoever converted it put a single hanging rail across the full width and when this started sagging supported it on a shelf bracket. A complete bodge. There is a shelf above the hanging rail made from 2x1 which is OK provided you do not put too much weight on it.

So, I need to replace the whole lot and across the whole span. There will be no other interior fittings so no option to do it in two halves.

What I was thinking of doing was replacing the shelf with a torsion box design made from 2x2 and faced with 9mm MDF. Should make a shelf about

65mm thick. Then hang the rail under this. Centre of the shelf would be three strips of 2x2 (front middle (for the rail to screw brackets into), and rear. Then front-back pieces on 400mm spacing.

Has anyone tried this? Would it be likely to have the stiffness that I need over that length? Is it over-engineered and is there a simpler way of doing it?

Any comments appreciated.

Andrew

[Martin Brown]

Another possibility is to insert a rigid structural steel box section inside the decorative rail. This provides extra structural rigidity without having to support it in the middle. There will always be some sagging under load but it can be kept under better control this way.

Or alternatively a suspension point from the top of the wardrobe.

[Andrew May]

I have been trying to work out how to do that but suspect that I was not clear in the use of the term rail. This is a wardrobe hanging rail for clothes hangers. However your suggesting has given me the idea of using a length of angle-iron at the front of the shelf and then a normal MFC shelf on top between that and a piece of 2x1 at the rear. Then hang the rail from that. should be easier than building a torsion box shelf.

[Mike Barnes]

harry :

And you can use two oval rails right next to each other.

[djc]

My wardrobe 1.6m wide uses a 40mm dia rail (steel tube with brass finish intended for use a hand-rail).