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Gary DeWitt
 
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(RobW) wrote in message . com...
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


I had a 18" wide by 30" deep "closet" with built in shelves, totally
useless, could never see or get to the back of it. Wasted space.
I started collecting good 28" slides, Accuride, from abandoned
furniture and file cabinets, when I had enough, I demoed the old
shleves, lined the cabinet with new melamine, and installed DRAWERS,
about 16" apart, which I made out of baltic birch ply and solid
fronts. Wife LOVES it, shows it off to all visitors. I know you only
have 18" depth, but you might consider some of the space, especially
low down, for drawers. Also, when you put a strip down the middle of
the front, you will loose a couple inches of access. Not much, but in
today's kitchen, every inch counts. Why not put in vertical dividers
as needed, this will support all the way, front to back, and help with
the cupping? There are several iron-on tapes to cover the front edges
of your shelves/dividers, in real wood, melamine, or vinyl. They work
well and are easy to apply with a houshold iron (NOT your wifes!)

I have seen sites that give the load strength and deflection of
particle board, melamine PB, etc. but seem to have lost the link. Can
one of you guys point Rob to this info?