I have visions of ?cynthia? building computer cases out of MDF and
bricks. Tasteful. As mentioned though, MDF does sag and needs lots of
support. Also, MDF has been banned in some countries because of the
nature of the cut dust. Plywood however is much more stable though a
pig to finish at the cut edges. Ready made wood shelves are available
in many depths, lengths and edge profiles, but for a much cheaper
solution (and for tables etc) tongue and groove floor-board can look
very good if time is spent on finishing. Must clamp to glue but at a
pinch one can clamp with a windlass rope. PVA glue is wonderful on
wood, in case you don?t know, just wipe off the beads with a damp rag
before it sets.
A potentially bigger problem is wall-fixing, especially if loaded with
books. THIS IS AWFULLY IMPORTANT. If straight onto a brick or concrete
wall (or a faced solid wall) ?L? brackets can be secured with
reasonably short screws and plastic plugs. You?ll need a hammer drill
and masonry bits to drill the holes though. If the brackets are to be
fixed to a drywall (plasterboard or whatever it?s called in your
language) you will have to find the wooden supports to screw into.
This can often be done by tapping the wall with a finger knuckle and
listening to the sound. Failing that one can sometimes see slight
depressions where the board is nailed to the underlying framework. You
can drill small holes to establish the exact positions and then fill
the holes with filler afterwards.
For finishing, unless you want the rustic look, you?ll need a couple
of grades of sandpaper. Wet-and-dry is best for sanding between paint
or varnish coats because if used wet (with a drop of soap) it doesn?t
clog. Use in conjunction with a basin of water. Oil paints / varnish
give superior finish to water-based acrylics.
So after you have the shelves, at a minimum you will require :-
Spirit-level (to avoid the Homer Simpson look).
Electric drill, possibly with hammer setting.
Drills, possibly masonry drills too.
Sanding paper and sanding block.
Wood saw, unless shelves pre-made.
Suitable screws
Plastic plugs (possibly)
?L? brackets.
Tape measure.
Pencil -- mark hole positions with a cross so you can see if the drill wanders.
Screw drivers.
Pain / varnish.
Swear box.
Cups of tea or coffee.
Either all that or an air ticket for me to do it for you.
There is one other real cheap easy way to do this -- hang the shelves
together supported from wires from the ceiling. If you can locate the
joists, this is a fav student-look shelving system.
Best |
