Our building is nearing completion and it will soon be time to get our
books (many hundreds, mainly paperbacks) out of storage.

In our last two houses I've created bookshelves using vertical rails
into which the shelf supports are clipped (in my vernacular this
system is "Dexion", but their website doesn't seem to list this
product). I then put cheap planks onto these and, provided I get the
height right, you don't see anything but the books and the wood of the
shelf. I found that if necessary I could close one end off by
screwing a length of beading vertically so that the end book is
retained.

My wife thinks we might think about another system this time - maybe
one slightly less lo-tech and better looking. Anyone any thoughts?
We're talking about an area approximately 17 feet long by 8 feet high
which will be completely covered in books. There are no wires or
pipes to consider.

Thanks.

Edward

wrote in message
oups.com...
Our building is nearing completion and it will soon be time to get
our
books (many hundreds, mainly paperbacks) out of storage.

In our last two houses I've created bookshelves using vertical rails
into which the shelf supports are clipped (in my vernacular this
system is "Dexion", but their website doesn't seem to list this
product). I then put cheap planks onto these and, provided I get
the
height right, you don't see anything but the books and the wood of
the
shelf. I found that if necessary I could close one end off by
screwing a length of beading vertically so that the end book is
retained.

My wife thinks we might think about another system this time - maybe
one slightly less lo-tech and better looking. Anyone any thoughts?
We're talking about an area approximately 17 feet long by 8 feet
high
which will be completely covered in books. There are no wires or
pipes to consider.

Thanks.

Edward


Well, back in my student days, when funds were non existant, we used
to paint housebricks white and use them stood on end to support and
separate whatever sheet timber we could scrounge from skips, cut to
width and also painted white. Two bricks side by side at each end
(well at the 1/3rd - 2/3rds positions) actually made quite
presentable shelving by the time it was filled with books and
ornaments. You had to take a second look to see it was actually a
cheapskate solution G

AWEM

On Mon, 04 Jun 2007 05:41:07 -0700, wrote:

|!Our building is nearing completion and it will soon be time to get our
|!books (many hundreds, mainly paperbacks) out of storage.
|!
|!In our last two houses I've created bookshelves using vertical rails
|!into which the shelf supports are clipped (in my vernacular this
|!system is "Dexion", but their website doesn't seem to list this
|!product). I then put cheap planks onto these and, provided I get the
|!height right, you don't see anything but the books and the wood of the
|!shelf. I found that if necessary I could close one end off by
|!screwing a length of beading vertically so that the end book is
|!retained.
|!
|!My wife thinks we might think about another system this time - maybe
|!one slightly less lo-tech and better looking. Anyone any thoughts?
|!We're talking about an area approximately 17 feet long by 8 feet high
|!which will be completely covered in books. There are no wires or
|!pipes to consider.

Remember Books are **HEAVY**.
SWBO's books need a support every 60 cm or less.

We use the bracket on vertical bars, as this is the only way we can get
sufficient support. We can lot *see* any of the vertical supports.
Support at the back of the shelf did **not** work. :-(
Everything else sagged eventually :-(
The verticals are plastic plugged to the wall every 30cm or so.
--
Dave Fawthrop sf hyphenologist.co.uk 165 *Free* SF ebooks.
165 Sci Fi books on CDROM, from Project Gutenberg
http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page Completely Free to any
address in the UK. Contact me on the *above* email address.

wrote in message
oups.com...
Our building is nearing completion and it will soon be time to get our
books (many hundreds, mainly paperbacks) out of storage.

In our last two houses I've created bookshelves using vertical rails
into which the shelf supports are clipped (in my vernacular this
system is "Dexion", but their website doesn't seem to list this
product). I then put cheap planks onto these and, provided I get the
height right, you don't see anything but the books and the wood of the
shelf. I found that if necessary I could close one end off by
screwing a length of beading vertically so that the end book is
retained.

My wife thinks we might think about another system this time - maybe
one slightly less lo-tech and better looking. Anyone any thoughts?
We're talking about an area approximately 17 feet long by 8 feet high
which will be completely covered in books. There are no wires or
pipes to consider.

Thanks.

Edward

While I,m not sure that it isn't even lower tech than your cheap planks. I
built a wall full of shelves out of 15mm chipboard, making up cells with
full width supports sized to fit different books. To make it look decent I
faced the edges with strip wood.You can't really tell its made of chipboard,
as it is full of books, and the frequent uprights make sure that there is no
sagging of the shelves and stop the book falling over!

Andy

wrote:
Our building is nearing completion and it will soon be time to get our
books (many hundreds, mainly paperbacks) out of storage.

We too have lots of books.

Having moved house in December I was kept busy putting up Spur uprights
and putting some nice shelves on them.

http://www.spurshelving.co.uk/

Guy
-- --------------------------------------------------------------------
Guy Dawson I.T. Manager Crossflight Ltd

wrote:

In our last two houses I've created bookshelves using vertical rails
into which the shelf supports are clipped (in my vernacular this
system is "Dexion", but their website doesn't seem to list this
product).

That's probably because "Dexion" it ain't! They make a whole different
system - typically free-standing 'meccano' type stuff. Spur is the most
widely known manufacturer of what you mean. Get it at B&Q,
www.screwfix.com etc. Probably the best type for your application
unless you're going to do some serioud joinery.

They make various different "attachments" which are worth browsing
through, like dividers, additional supports etc.

David

wrote in message
oups.com...
Our building is nearing completion and it will soon be time to get our
books (many hundreds, mainly paperbacks) out of storage.

In our last two houses I've created bookshelves using vertical rails
into which the shelf supports are clipped (in my vernacular this
system is "Dexion", but their website doesn't seem to list this
product). I then put cheap planks onto these and, provided I get the
height right, you don't see anything but the books and the wood of the
shelf. I found that if necessary I could close one end off by
screwing a length of beading vertically so that the end book is
retained.

My wife thinks we might think about another system this time - maybe
one slightly less lo-tech and better looking. Anyone any thoughts?
We're talking about an area approximately 17 feet long by 8 feet high
which will be completely covered in books. There are no wires or
pipes to consider.

Thanks.

Edward


get your bog standard pine boards and paint them white.
For vertical support, use 200mm x 30mm oak or other decorative flooring
boards
and cut them to various book heights. Stain to orders of SWMBO.

Another idea.
Build some bog standard pine shelving and 'front' the verticals with
a decoratively stained stair handrail.

Arthur

On Mon, 4 Jun 2007 13:19:20 UTC, Owain
wrote:

wrote:
In our last two houses I've created bookshelves using vertical rails
into which the shelf supports are clipped (in my vernacular this
system is "Dexion", but their website doesn't seem to list this
product).

You may be thinking of "Spur" which was discontinued, but it's still
used for commercial shopfitting and there's at least one manufacturer of
a look-alike system.

Offline so can't check, but if you google this group and spur shelving
it's been discussed before

Try http://www.screwfix.com and search for 'shelving'.

--
The information contained in this post is copyright the
poster, and specifically may not be published in, or used by
http://www.diybanter.com

Bob Eager wrote:
On Mon, 4 Jun 2007 13:19:20 UTC, Owain
wrote:

wrote:
In our last two houses I've created bookshelves using vertical rails
into which the shelf supports are clipped (in my vernacular this
system is "Dexion", but their website doesn't seem to list this
product).
You may be thinking of "Spur" which was discontinued, but it's still
used for commercial shopfitting and there's at least one manufacturer of
a look-alike system.

Offline so can't check, but if you google this group and spur shelving
it's been discussed before

Try http://www.screwfix.com and search for 'shelving'.

Or www.transtools.co.uk for a cheaper source

--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

On Jun 4, 1:41 pm, wrote:
Our building is nearing completion and it will soon be time to get our
books (many hundreds, mainly paperbacks) out of storage.
[..]

Many thanks for the various ideas/links. Spur shelving it was, and I
suspect that inertia and option paralysis will ensure that I go for
more or less the same system again.

Edward

wrote:
On Jun 4, 1:41 pm, wrote:
Our building is nearing completion and it will soon be time to get our
books (many hundreds, mainly paperbacks) out of storage.
[..]

Many thanks for the various ideas/links. Spur shelving it was, and I
suspect that inertia and option paralysis will ensure that I go for
more or less the same system again.

Edward


6" "real wood veneer" contiboard with plenty of dividers/supports (cut
very accurately) would be my choice.

Stuart Noble wrote:

wrote:
On Jun 4, 1:41 pm, wrote:
Our building is nearing completion and it will soon be time to get our
books (many hundreds, mainly paperbacks) out of storage.
[..]

Many thanks for the various ideas/links. Spur shelving it was, and I
suspect that inertia and option paralysis will ensure that I go for
more or less the same system again.

Edward


6" "real wood veneer" contiboard with plenty of dividers/supports (cut
very accurately) would be my choice.

Chipboard will sag, it's much cheaper to use real wood as you need
supports less often.

to calculate: http://www.woodbin.com/calcs/sagulator.htm

Peter
--
Add my middle initial to email me. It has become attached to a country
www.the-brights.net

Peter Ashby wrote:
Stuart Noble wrote:

wrote:
On Jun 4, 1:41 pm, wrote:
Our building is nearing completion and it will soon be time to get our
books (many hundreds, mainly paperbacks) out of storage.
[..]

Many thanks for the various ideas/links. Spur shelving it was, and I
suspect that inertia and option paralysis will ensure that I go for
more or less the same system again.

Edward

6" "real wood veneer" contiboard with plenty of dividers/supports (cut
very accurately) would be my choice.

Chipboard will sag, it's much cheaper to use real wood as you need
supports less often.

Properly supported it doesn't sag. What real wood would you suggest that
would be as stable?

to calculate: http://www.woodbin.com/calcs/sagulator.htm

Peter

Stuart Noble wrote:

Peter Ashby wrote:
Stuart Noble wrote:

wrote:
On Jun 4, 1:41 pm, wrote:
Our building is nearing completion and it will soon be time to get our
books (many hundreds, mainly paperbacks) out of storage.
[..]

Many thanks for the various ideas/links. Spur shelving it was, and I
suspect that inertia and option paralysis will ensure that I go for
more or less the same system again.

Edward

6" "real wood veneer" contiboard with plenty of dividers/supports (cut
very accurately) would be my choice.

Chipboard will sag, it's much cheaper to use real wood as you need
supports less often.

Properly supported it doesn't sag. What real wood would you suggest that
would be as stable?

It's the properly supported bit that I was commenting on. You need more
supports for chipboard so it ends up more expensive. If you want
absolutely stable then get lipping some quality ply would be my choice.
Fully loaded shelves won't be able to cup or twist anyway which is how
the OP says they will be.

Peter
--
Add my middle initial to email me. It has become attached to a country
www.the-brights.net

Peter Ashby wrote:
Stuart Noble wrote:

Peter Ashby wrote:
Stuart Noble wrote:

wrote:
On Jun 4, 1:41 pm, wrote:
Our building is nearing completion and it will soon be time to get our
books (many hundreds, mainly paperbacks) out of storage.
[..]

Many thanks for the various ideas/links. Spur shelving it was, and I
suspect that inertia and option paralysis will ensure that I go for
more or less the same system again.

Edward

6" "real wood veneer" contiboard with plenty of dividers/supports (cut
very accurately) would be my choice.
Chipboard will sag, it's much cheaper to use real wood as you need
supports less often.
Properly supported it doesn't sag. What real wood would you suggest that
would be as stable?

It's the properly supported bit that I was commenting on. You need more
supports for chipboard so it ends up more expensive.

At least you use up all your offcuts

If you want
absolutely stable then get lipping some quality ply would be my choice.

But that needs edging

Fully loaded shelves won't be able to cup or twist anyway which is how
the OP says they will be.

A pile of paperbacks won't stop a wooden shelf moving.



Peter