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Julian Bradfield
 
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Default suspended shelves: what to use for wide shelves?

I'm thinking of putting up some cable-suspended shelves. I know where
to get cable and shelf retainers, but I don't know what to use for the
shelves, since they have to be quite wide: total width 164cm, and it's
only possible (read easy) to put cables at the ends. Worse, their
intended use is books, of a fairly heavy kind - say 20-30kg/shelf, for
luck.

What material can make shelves 160cm long, 20cm deep, with an SWL of
100kg, with end support only?

Followup: are the shelf retainers (from Flints) up to that load,
without being so tight as to damage the cable (I was thinking 3mm
cable)?

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BigWallop
 
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"Julian Bradfield" wrote in message
...
I'm thinking of putting up some cable-suspended shelves. I know where
to get cable and shelf retainers, but I don't know what to use for the
shelves, since they have to be quite wide: total width 164cm, and it's
only possible (read easy) to put cables at the ends. Worse, their
intended use is books, of a fairly heavy kind - say 20-30kg/shelf, for
luck.

What material can make shelves 160cm long, 20cm deep, with an SWL of
100kg, with end support only?

Followup: are the shelf retainers (from Flints) up to that load,
without being so tight as to damage the cable (I was thinking 3mm
cable)?


You could use 18 mm plywood for the shelves. It should be strong enough to take
that weight.

The suspension cable is another matter. I take it you are fixing these to
either a stone / brick wall, the main timber studs or ceiling joists, but
remember that the top lengths of cable are going to take the weight of all the
shelves, and so on down the line.

Drilling through the timber at each corner and placing big metal washers around
the holes to reinforce them is the best way to go. Under the holes to support
the shelves I usually use the metal bits out of screw terminal block that
electricians use. They get a good grip on the cable once both screws are
tightened up. The terminal block designed for 30 Amps rating has a huge hole in
it for very large cables, and the 45 Amps rated ones are f*^"ing massive. So
they give quite a choice on which ones to use.

For the heavy weight shelves, try to slip the cable through the clamp twice. As
in, push through once, then wrap around the outside of the clamp and push
through again from the same direction as the first time, to form a loop on the
outside of the clamp.

Some ideas, anyway.


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Grunff
 
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BigWallop wrote:

You could use 18 mm plywood for the shelves. It should be strong enough to take
that weight.


No way, not with a 1.6m span, with books on it. It'd bend like a banana.

Steel frame, 1" box profile.


--
Grunff
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Mike
 
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Default


"BigWallop" wrote in message
k...

"Julian Bradfield" wrote in message
...
I'm thinking of putting up some cable-suspended shelves. I know where
to get cable and shelf retainers, but I don't know what to use for the
shelves, since they have to be quite wide: total width 164cm, and it's
only possible (read easy) to put cables at the ends. Worse, their
intended use is books, of a fairly heavy kind - say 20-30kg/shelf, for
luck.

What material can make shelves 160cm long, 20cm deep, with an SWL of
100kg, with end support only?

Followup: are the shelf retainers (from Flints) up to that load,
without being so tight as to damage the cable (I was thinking 3mm
cable)?


You could use 18 mm plywood for the shelves. It should be strong enough

to take
that weight.


Slightly abusing the building regs part A appendix would indicate you need
something along the lines of a 2" wide by 4" deep piece of structural timber
to support that load.



  #5   Report Post  
BigWallop
 
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"Mike" wrote in message
...

"BigWallop" wrote in message
k...

"Julian Bradfield" wrote in message
...
I'm thinking of putting up some cable-suspended shelves. I know where
to get cable and shelf retainers, but I don't know what to use for the
shelves, since they have to be quite wide: total width 164cm, and it's
only possible (read easy) to put cables at the ends. Worse, their
intended use is books, of a fairly heavy kind - say 20-30kg/shelf, for
luck.

What material can make shelves 160cm long, 20cm deep, with an SWL of
100kg, with end support only?

Followup: are the shelf retainers (from Flints) up to that load,
without being so tight as to damage the cable (I was thinking 3mm
cable)?


You could use 18 mm plywood for the shelves. It should be strong enough

to take
that weight.


Slightly abusing the building regs part A appendix would indicate you need
something along the lines of a 2" wide by 4" deep piece of structural timber
to support that load.


Even for 20Kg to 30 Kg per shelf? I have a shelf here made of one piece of 18mm
plywood, and it holds around 25 Kg over its full length of 1,200 mm (1.2 Mtrs).
So each shelf made of 18 mm plywood, with the right cables to suspend them from,
should hold the books OK, I'd have thought.




  #6   Report Post  
choco
 
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Julian Bradfield wrote:
I'm thinking of putting up some cable-suspended shelves. I know where
to get cable and shelf retainers, but I don't know what to use for the
shelves, since they have to be quite wide: total width 164cm, and it's
only possible (read easy) to put cables at the ends. Worse, their
intended use is books, of a fairly heavy kind - say 20-30kg/shelf, for
luck.

What material can make shelves 160cm long, 20cm deep, with an SWL of
100kg, with end support only?

Followup: are the shelf retainers (from Flints) up to that load,
without being so tight as to damage the cable (I was thinking 3mm
cable)?


Just did exactly this myself. Very easy indeed and look great.

Used conti for the shelves (110cm length, set of 6).

I was putting them in an alcove and used 3 points of suspension -
middle (at the back) and the sides (at the front) in a triangle - stops
them bending and keeps it clean, simple and cheap. Nice and easy to
level too. Steel stranded cable takes huge amounts of weight (I think
3mm takes about 500kg so 1500kg for 3 cables). Flints only had 3mm but
I'd have gone for 2mm.

Used the tooth-shaped things at flints to double the cable in a loop at
the top to suspend them (3 per cable they advised). Mine are not
attached at the bottom (i.e. hanging free) which was probably a mistake.
You will need really heavy duty hooks at the top to take the weight. I
used some Ikea metal bathroom pegs but they are looking a bit precarious.

Flints have some really nice widgets for gripping the cable under the
shelves but they are v. expensive if you are doing a lot of shelves
(about 10 quid a shelf). I used the metal bits out of terminal block
which work and look fine but is probably not a great long-term solution
as I think they could damage (and weaken) the cable (since it runs
straight through - the proper ones push the cable against a bend).

You'll need something proper to cut the cable or get it cut to length in
the shop - b+q bolt cutters left the strands loose and fell apart on the
4th cut.

For 160 cm I might consider going with 4 cables (2 spaced along the back
rather than 1 in the middle) to help take the strain at the top.
  #7   Report Post  
The Natural Philosopher
 
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Julian Bradfield wrote:

I'm thinking of putting up some cable-suspended shelves. I know where
to get cable and shelf retainers, but I don't know what to use for the
shelves, since they have to be quite wide: total width 164cm, and it's
only possible (read easy) to put cables at the ends. Worse, their
intended use is books, of a fairly heavy kind - say 20-30kg/shelf, for
luck.

What material can make shelves 160cm long, 20cm deep, with an SWL of
100kg, with end support only?

Followup: are the shelf retainers (from Flints) up to that load,
without being so tight as to damage the cable (I was thinking 3mm
cable)?

This is about teh span that comercial racking tends to use.

Have a look at www.rapid-racking.co.uk

They will sell you parts if pushed.

But the basic idea of strong rolled steel channel with a bit of wood
screwed to it to form the surface is valid.

Your enemy is flexure. Unless you go to over an inch thick, your shelves
will end up bowed. They must have high stiffness elements bonded to them
front and rear. What you use is personal preference. A couple of bits of
2x 1/2" on edge, of decent hardwood? Rolled steel section? Carbon fibre
tubing, if money no object? Titanium U section, ditto?

I think I would use hardwood if I wanted a wood finish, and maybe
chromed or anodised steel or aluminium U section for a modern look.


But make it a DEEP section. At least an inch for steel, and at least 2
for alumnium and wood.
  #8   Report Post  
The Natural Philosopher
 
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Grunff wrote:

BigWallop wrote:

You could use 18 mm plywood for the shelves. It should be strong
enough to take
that weight.



No way, not with a 1.6m span, with books on it. It'd bend like a banana.

Steel frame, 1" box profile.


Yes. Thats perrty much what I reckon too. Or larger sections of
something more flexible. (hardwood?)
  #9   Report Post  
The Natural Philosopher
 
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Mike wrote:

"BigWallop" wrote in message
k...

"Julian Bradfield" wrote in message
...

I'm thinking of putting up some cable-suspended shelves. I know where
to get cable and shelf retainers, but I don't know what to use for the
shelves, since they have to be quite wide: total width 164cm, and it's
only possible (read easy) to put cables at the ends. Worse, their
intended use is books, of a fairly heavy kind - say 20-30kg/shelf, for
luck.

What material can make shelves 160cm long, 20cm deep, with an SWL of
100kg, with end support only?

Followup: are the shelf retainers (from Flints) up to that load,
without being so tight as to damage the cable (I was thinking 3mm
cable)?


You could use 18 mm plywood for the shelves. It should be strong enough


to take

that weight.



Slightly abusing the building regs part A appendix would indicate you need
something along the lines of a 2" wide by 4" deep piece of structural timber
to support that load.


Well I reckon two 2x1 or 2x 1/2" of proper HARDWOOD would do.

Building regs are very conservaticve on defelections, and allow for very
poor grade wood too.




  #13   Report Post  
choco
 
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Julian Bradfield wrote:

and it's
only possible (read easy) to put cables at the ends.


how about cables through the middles of the shelves but attached to the
walls/ceiling at the ends? You'd probably want the fixings quite high
above the top shelf for that.

Followup: are the shelf retainers (from Flints) up to that load,
without being so tight as to damage the cable (I was thinking 3mm
cable)?


Flints say that's what they are designed to do and they looked good for
it to me.

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