Chris Friesen wrote in news:11s62ile2t3sqb2
@corp.supernews.com:

The angle iron has a modulus of elasticity that is about 15 times that
of wood.

That 1/2" angle iron gives about as much strength as a 1/2"x2" lip of
oak under the shelf.

Thanks -- those numbers help me a lot. I wanted to create a shelf with
quite a thin cross-section (1.2 inches at most), but then ran into problems
with deflection.

Sounds like the interior piece of iron could be enough to get me what I
need.

I'll put the thing together sometime in the next week (if work permits).
I'll post back and let everyone know how it worked (or didn't).

Thanks to all for their helpful responses. Learning new things is always
fun, especially if I can see the results hanging on my wall :-)

--
Murray Peterson