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I’ve been determined to build library shelves that have no visible support. Just a look I like. First looked at Hafele 12mm Shelf Supports (has eccentric sleeve to allow for minor adjustments), but haven’t come upon an _efficient_ way to create the slots required for them, given that I’d need about 200 supports.
Alternate design is use a 1 1/4 dowel connected to the studs w/ dowel screws with the 5/4 mahagony resting on top of that. If the dowel screws are a tad off center, the dowel becomes my eccentric sleeve, allowing minor adjustments by how far it’s screwed in.
Looking for advice and suggestions in dealing w/ a coupla problems detailed in first post.
Thanks,
Jim
Replies
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Big problem is to control the amount of deflection--how much the shelves will sag as weight is loaded. I have 3/8" x 6" dowel screws. I did a test with a 12" poplar dowel and a 12" oak dowel. Installed them on sample wall and hung weights 6" from wall and 11" from wall. Did first test with the dowel end about 1/2" from stud (simulating drywall which I assume will privide no support), and then screwed tight to the stud which gives extra support to the half-thickness of the dowel (those results in parentheses). Here's the table showing deflection compared to zero weight on the dowel:
Poplar
Ten lb weight
6" 2/16" (1/16")
11" 4/16" (3/16")
Twenty lb weight
6" 5/16" (3/16")
11" 9/16" (4/16")
Oak
Ten lb weight
6" 2/16" (0/16")
11" 4/16" (2/16")
Twenty lb weight
6" 3/16" (1/16")
11" 7/16" (4/16")
Obviously, oak did better than poplar, meaning to me that poplar is soft enough that the dowel screw could "move" a little in there (I guess it's compressing the poplar fibers). And quite logically, the snug dowel did better than the floating dowel.
Are there other conclusions to draw here that I'm missing?
I'd rather not have to drill through the drywall to snug the dowels to the stud, cause then I'd have to deal with the ragged drywall edge, too, but I don't know good alternatives.
How to get the dowel screw into the oak. Couldn't hold it, and the only vise I have that would grip it also ripped the surface?
Would a 1/2" x 8" dowel screw be lots better than the 3/8 x 6?
Thanks...
*Cloud:Whats a dowel screw?Andy
*A two-sided lag screw--lag threads on each side with no head.
*Cloud, Torsion box constructed shelves are incredibly strong, though they may have to be thicker than the look you want. I'm not sure I really understand your situation, though. Can you scan a drawing?
*Did you just hang your weight on the individual dowel or did you put the potential shelf on the supports and then apply the weight?Your description of the weight test leads me to believe you just hung the weight on the individual dowel which would give you only a single dowel deflection rather than the combined resistance of multiple supports.
*Sounds like a good subject for an article to submit to Andy when you figure it out. The torsion box is good but time consuming on site work.
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I've been determined to build library shelves that have no visible support. Just a look I like. First looked at Hafele 12mm Shelf Supports (has eccentric sleeve to allow for minor adjustments), but haven't come upon an _efficient_ way to create the slots required for them, given that I'd need about 200 supports.
Alternate design is use a 1 1/4 dowel connected to the studs w/ dowel screws with the 5/4 mahagony resting on top of that. If the dowel screws are a tad off center, the dowel becomes my eccentric sleeve, allowing minor adjustments by how far it's screwed in.
Looking for advice and suggestions in dealing w/ a coupla problems detailed in first post.
Thanks,
Jim