Advice on building TV shelf

[Shooter Dude]

My house has a "nook" that is 28" deep and 62" wide. I want to build in a shelf to hold a TV and a couple of computers (a desk will fit below). The shelf will be painted. To keep things simple, I will probably cover the front with plastic T-molding.

1) Should the top surface of the shelf be of some material like hardboard, or is sanded plywood good enough?

2) How thick do I need to make it so it doesn't ever sag? It will be supported on three sides. I'm thinking of laminating 3/4" plywood +

1/2" plywood + 1/4" hardboard. Could I get by without the 1/2" plywood? Would particle board be OK instead of plywood?

3) What's best way to laminate such large sheets? Is regular yellow wood glue the best way to go, or should I use some other adhesive? How about clamping? I was thinking of laying the stack on the garage floor and setting weights on top of it (e.g. ice chests and buckets filled with water).

Thanks for any tips!

[JackD]

If you are dan wheeler you can find part of the response in my answer to your previous post.

1) plywood is fine. You could use hardboard too. It depends how you want it to look. You could laminate it if you want. 2) The ability to resist bending/sagging for a beam is directly proportional to the depth cubed. You make it twice as thick and it is 8 times better at resisting bending. (within limits of the material and ignoring the effect of the weight of the beam itself) So focus on making it thick. The inside of it can be almost hollow. Use some 3/8" ply on top and bottom with 1x2 or 1x3 stringers in between and it will be many many times stiffer than a sheet (or even two) of 3/4" ply. 3) Get a very flat spot as big as the shelf. Put the top sheet on the ground. Glue the stringers on. Glue the bottom on. Put something to protect the bottom sheet (maybe another sheet of plywood to spread the load. Put heavy things on top of it.

[Morgans]

Plywood will be fine.

How about using a lip on the front, say 2 1/2 tall, then another directly under the shelf laminated to the front lip.

-- Jim in NC

[Dr. Rev. Chuck, M.D. P.A.]

T-box. Skin with Formica.