wall fastener

[Larry Blanchard]

OK, time for a (gasp!) woodworking topic :-).

I'm about finished building 7 bookcases for our library in the family room. I want to fasten them to the wall for safety.

The standard angle brackets would work fine, and be high enough that they couldn't be seen from below, but it just didn't seem to fit with the image of the maple/birch cases.

I happened to glance at my Kreg jig the other day and got an idea. Take a 0.75" x 1.5" by 3" piece of nice hardwood, taper it to half a torpedo shape, put a Kreg hole through the large end to fasten to the wall and a couple of vertical screws through the body to fasten to the bookcase. Repeat for other cases.

OK, it's overkill and nobody will see them, but I'll know their there :-).

[John Grossbohlin]

Does seem like overkill... but I'd mostly worry about splitting the blocks. ;~)

How about a French cleat that lets the case pretty much rest on the floor while holding the case to the wall at the top? That would make it easy to level all the cases to each other. Some shims and a base molding would finish off the bottom.

[Swingman]

Your insurance company may thank you for it one day.

This is one of the biggest liability issues that a cabinet/furniture needs to take into consideration when delivering and installing projects for a client -- whether there are children in the house, or not -- a safety/anti-tip mechanism is a must for ALL tall cabinets/bookshelf systems that are free standing and not built-in.

Personally, I even refuse to leave a tall bookshelf or cabinet in someone's home unattended, particularly with children in the house, and have a policy that these items are not delivered until they are ready to install, and they are fully, and safely, installed prior to leaving the premises for any reason.

I know for fact that Leon and I think alike on this issue as we have both helped the other in installing our large projects, and we both always have come up with a solution to that problem to fit the project, well before we ever walk in the door.

Many ways to tackle the issue, sounds like you have a good solution for your situation, and were conscientious enough to think of it in the first place ... be surprised how many don't.

[Lew Hodgett]

--------------------------------------------------- "John Grossbohl>

------------------------------------------------------------------ Mikey likes it.

Living in shake rattle and roll country, securing things to walls is of primary concern and that includes water heaters and wall mounted TVs.

Lew

[Grant Edwards]

Are there wall mounted TVs that aren't secured to walls? Or do you mean something that keeps the TV from doing the normal range of motion the mount is designed to support?

[Larry Blanchard]

Oh I definitely would have fastened it one way or another. I just wanted something a little fancier than an angle bracket or the suggested screw through the shelf. After spending about $1500 in wood and supplies for the 7, I thought they deserved better :-).

[Morgans]

"Larry Blanchard" wrote

Why not hid a couple Kreg holes in the top of the bookcase (located so they hit studs) and sink in a couple of longer screws in them?

Simplicity times two.

[G. Ross]

One thought: Will it be sitting on carpet? If so, It will settle a little when it gets loaded with books.

[Leon]

Sounds like that should work. I have the advantage that I build all of my cabinets with back face frames too. That allows enough wood above the top side of the top of the unit to anchor a screw.

[Leon]

Precisely Larry and you never know if another real woodworker, like yourself, may come behind you one day to remove or move those book cases. You want him or her to know that you were concerned about all aspects of the build..

[Larry Blanchard]

Good thought. Hmmmm. In my case it isn't on carpet, it's on a basement floor with vinyl tile. But it might move someday, even if only after I die. I do have levelers but that would be a PITA.

I never heard of an auto-adjustable wall fastener. But if I used longer screw into the top through clearance holes and left 1/4" or so exposed, that should allow enough downward movement for carpet compression. Perhaps with a little printed note explaining why the screws are sticking out :-).

BTW, this house is old enough that the "vinyl" tiles are "vinylbestos". The consensus says as long as the surface is unbroken, leave them alone!

[whit3rd]

Could mount a shiplap strip on top, to make a rib next to the wall. Screw a mating strip to the wall-- like an upside-down French cleat. Or short brackets screwed to the wall, if appearance is better that way.

The strip would hold the top-shelf books a bit forward, but allow 'em to shift left/right.

[Leon]

Ir simply an "L" bracket with a slot instead of a hole for the wall screw to slide along.