Your plan seems good to me - I really like melamine for shelving. I
have a slab of it on a worktop that I use for finishing small projects
in the shop and it stands up to just about anything and cleans up well.

I built melamine shelves in a basement storage cabinet just a few
months ago. It was about 6 ft high & 8 ft long, but just 16 inches deep
- wanted it to store paint cans etc.

Anyhow, I did almost exactly what you intend to do. Ran supports along
the back and side, and had a center support (actually 2 of them)
centered on the front. I ran a bead of silicone and a few screws to
attach the shelving to the wall supports. For the front supports, I
used a 2x2 which I dadoed out about 1 inch and slipped it over the
shelf, then I put a screw through it into each shelf (plugged the screw
holes later.)

Now I in the process of planning something similar for our kitchen
pantry which is an awkward 24"deep x 30" wide with an 18" door. Still
trying to figure out the details before I start, but one thing for sure
is that I'll be using melamine & making the shelves adjustable - unlike
our current fixed ones made out of particle board.

Good luck!

Lou

In article , RobW
wrote:

We just moved into a house that has a pantry with crappy metal
shelves. The pantry is about 7 foot wide, 18" deep (think closet).
The metal shelves that are in there, typical plastic coated wire, cup
badly from the weight of the cans, bottles, etc. There is a metal
pole midpoint along the width that connects the shelves and prevents
sagging. It actually works pretty well, except for the cupping.

I want to replace them with something sturdier. I was thinking
melamine shelves, with some type of 4/4 stock screwed to the walls as
a frame to set the shelves on. Then maybe a 4/4 hardwood on the front
of the shelf to help it stay straight, and maybe a vertical 2x2 mid
shelf to prevent sagging. Being melamine, how would I attach the
shelves to the frames? Would deck screws, screwed up from underneath,
through the frame work? My wife is fine with fixed shelves, no
adjustment, she just hates those metal shelves.

Does anybody have any better ideas.....I'm open to just about
anything.

Thanks
Rob