Due to the fact I can no longer get this leaning shelf, I am considering
making one since it will work perfectly with our needed application of
supporting audio equipment for our TV. This shelf was rated 20 lbs per
shelf. You can view it here
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...uct_id=5280699

How would you go about increasing the strength of the shelves without taking
away from the aesthetics?

Thank you

How about Torsion box and sliding dovetail mount?

P D Q

"SBH" wrote in message news:WdGdndnfq4eb6q7VnZ2dnUVZ_jCdnZ2d@wideopenwest .com...
Due to the fact I can no longer get this leaning shelf, I am considering
making one since it will work perfectly with our needed application of
supporting audio equipment for our TV. This shelf was rated 20 lbs per
shelf. You can view it here
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...uct_id=5280699

How would you go about increasing the strength of the shelves without taking
away from the aesthetics?

Thank you

"PDQ" wrote in message
...
How about Torsion box and sliding dovetail mount?

Huh? Perhaps I should enlighten you, and others, I'm not an experienced
woodworker, but have only made a few items and still learning. Would you
mind elaborating?

Thanks

You might like to look at these for hints as to how to make the box

http://www.woodweb.com/knowledge_bas...ion_Boxes.html

http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/ww_mat...278181,00.html

and if these are not enough, remember google is your friend.

P D Q

"SBH" wrote in message ...

"PDQ" wrote in message
...
How about Torsion box and sliding dovetail mount?

Huh? Perhaps I should enlighten you, and others, I'm not an experienced
woodworker, but have only made a few items and still learning. Would you
mind elaborating?

Thanks

"SBH" wrote in message
news:WdGdndnfq4eb6q7VnZ2dnUVZ_jCdnZ2d@wideopenwest .com...
Due to the fact I can no longer get this leaning shelf, I am
considering making one since it will work perfectly with our needed
application of supporting audio equipment for our TV. This shelf was
rated 20 lbs per shelf. You can view it here
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...uct_id=5280699

How would you go about increasing the strength of the shelves without
taking away from the aesthetics?

Thank you

Well. *I* would use a 1" thick piece for the back (vertical ). That is,
actual 1" material, not what most people refer to as 1" X ? which is
actually 3/4"
Cut 5/8" deep dadoes into the back (leaving 3/8") and use 3/4" material
for the shelves.
If you have doubts about the ability of the shelves to provide adequate
support you could rip some triangular strips to glue under the back edge
of the shelves. If you still doubt the adequacy, you could use some
dowels through the back and into the shelves. But if you use that
tactic, I would only make the dadoes 1/4" deep.

On May 20, 10:44 pm, "Max" wrote:
"SBH" wrote in message

news:WdGdndnfq4eb6q7VnZ2dnUVZ_jCdnZ2d@wideopenwest .com...

Due to the fact I can no longer get this leaning shelf, I am
considering making one since it will work perfectly with our needed
application of supporting audio equipment for our TV. This shelf was
rated 20 lbs per shelf. You can view it here
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...uct_id=5280699

How would you go about increasing the strength of the shelves without
taking away from the aesthetics?

Thank you

Well. *I* would use a 1" thick piece for the back (vertical ). That is,
actual 1" material, not what most people refer to as 1" X ? which is
actually 3/4"
Cut 5/8" deep dadoes into the back (leaving 3/8") and use 3/4" material
for the shelves.
If you have doubts about the ability of the shelves to provide adequate
support you could rip some triangular strips to glue under the back edge
of the shelves. If you still doubt the adequacy, you could use some
dowels through the back and into the shelves. But if you use that
tactic, I would only make the dadoes 1/4" deep.

Depending on how much weight you want to support you could always do
like Max says and use 1" material for the back support, 3/4" for the
shelves.
However I would dado for 3/4" shelving and make 2 (each shelf) dado's
verticaly
down from the bottom of each shelf. This would be a depth equal to
the
thickness of steel L brackets. Mortise these in the back support and
the bottom of
the shelves. Then veneer over the supports to hide them.
Lou

"Max" wrote in message
...

"SBH" wrote in message
news:WdGdndnfq4eb6q7VnZ2dnUVZ_jCdnZ2d@wideopenwest .com...
Due to the fact I can no longer get this leaning shelf, I am considering
making one since it will work perfectly with our needed application of
supporting audio equipment for our TV. This shelf was rated 20 lbs per
shelf. You can view it here
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...uct_id=5280699

How would you go about increasing the strength of the shelves without
taking away from the aesthetics?

Thank you

Well. *I* would use a 1" thick piece for the back (vertical ). That is,
actual 1" material, not what most people refer to as 1" X ? which is
actually 3/4"
Cut 5/8" deep dadoes into the back (leaving 3/8") and use 3/4" material
for the shelves.
If you have doubts about the ability of the shelves to provide adequate
support you could rip some triangular strips to glue under the back edge
of the shelves. If you still doubt the adequacy, you could use some
dowels through the back and into the shelves. But if you use that tactic,
I would only make the dadoes 1/4" deep.


Looking at this shelf system it appears to be supported by only one leg,
sort of like the one board wine bottle rack. I doubt that a dado would add
any strength to the shelves. I would try a through mortise on the shelves,
cut to the right angle and then use the leg as a tennon. This should add a
great deal of strength to the shelf. Once the shelf is properly postioned a
mechinical fastner could be used to hold it in postion.

Judging from the footprint the back vertical piece is about 2" thick.
I'd make the back piece out of 2 1x2's (or 1x3's) joined with 1/4" ply.
3/8" deep dados on the edges for the shelves to slide into should provide
plenty of strength.
Art


"SBH" wrote in message
news:WdGdndnfq4eb6q7VnZ2dnUVZ_jCdnZ2d@wideopenwest .com...
Due to the fact I can no longer get this leaning shelf, I am considering
making one since it will work perfectly with our needed application of
supporting audio equipment for our TV. This shelf was rated 20 lbs per
shelf. You can view it here
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...uct_id=5280699

How would you go about increasing the strength of the shelves without taking
away from the aesthetics?

Thank you

On Tue, 20 May 2008 21:10:48 -0400, "SBH"
wrote:

Due to the fact I can no longer get this leaning shelf, I am considering
making one since it will work perfectly with our needed application of
supporting audio equipment for our TV. This shelf was rated 20 lbs per
shelf. You can view it here
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...uct_id=5280699

How would you go about increasing the strength of the shelves without taking
away from the aesthetics?

Thank you



This is a very interesting problem.

Given what you've stated about your skill level, and assuming that you
do not have a great deal of sophisticated machinery at hand, this is
how I'd go about it.

I would make the whole thing up as a lamination. I'd start out with
3/4" thick material as a base and I would purchase some heavy duty
steel L brackets to hold up the shelves. You will have to bend the L
brackets tighter than the 90 degrees that they will come as - to
whatever angle this is going to lean against the wall at.

Let's say that it leans against the wall at a 7 degree angle. You
will be bevelling the front and rear edges of your shelves at this 7
degrees, so that the edges will be plumb and the faces level when the
unit leans against the wall. You will also have to bend the L
brackets to 7 degrees but this can easily be done using a vise and a
hammer. I would want the L bracket to be about 3/16" thick, 10" long
on the part that supports the shelf, and at least 6" long on the part
that will be bolted to the leaning upright.

Through bolt the L bracket to the upright, using washers on the back
of the leaning piece, so that the load of the bolt head is distributed
over a wide enough area of the wood to prevent crushing, and glue and
screw it to the bottom of the shelf. I would use an epoxy to bed the
bracket to the shelf, rather than trying to rely solely on mechanical
fasteners.

Then I would laminate a minimum 3/8" thick piece of material over the
base, having channeled out carefully on the back side to create a
relief for the L brackets.

Once your sandwiches set up you can trim it out with edgebanding and
it should look exactly like the piece shown in the link that you
provided.


HTH



Regards,

Tom

Thos.J.Watson - Cabinetmaker
tjwatson1ATcomcastDOTnet
www.home.comcast.net/~tjwatson1

"Tom Watson" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 20 May 2008 21:10:48 -0400, "SBH"
wrote:

Due to the fact I can no longer get this leaning shelf, I am considering
making one since it will work perfectly with our needed application of
supporting audio equipment for our TV. This shelf was rated 20 lbs per
shelf. You can view it here
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...uct_id=5280699

How would you go about increasing the strength of the shelves without
taking
away from the aesthetics?

Thank you



This is a very interesting problem.

Given what you've stated about your skill level, and assuming that you
do not have a great deal of sophisticated machinery at hand, this is
how I'd go about it.

I would make the whole thing up as a lamination. I'd start out with
3/4" thick material as a base and I would purchase some heavy duty
steel L brackets to hold up the shelves. You will have to bend the L
brackets tighter than the 90 degrees that they will come as - to
whatever angle this is going to lean against the wall at.

Let's say that it leans against the wall at a 7 degree angle. You
will be bevelling the front and rear edges of your shelves at this 7
degrees, so that the edges will be plumb and the faces level when the
unit leans against the wall. You will also have to bend the L
brackets to 7 degrees but this can easily be done using a vise and a
hammer. I would want the L bracket to be about 3/16" thick, 10" long
on the part that supports the shelf, and at least 6" long on the part
that will be bolted to the leaning upright.

Through bolt the L bracket to the upright, using washers on the back
of the leaning piece, so that the load of the bolt head is distributed
over a wide enough area of the wood to prevent crushing, and glue and
screw it to the bottom of the shelf. I would use an epoxy to bed the
bracket to the shelf, rather than trying to rely solely on mechanical
fasteners.

Then I would laminate a minimum 3/8" thick piece of material over the
base, having channeled out carefully on the back side to create a
relief for the L brackets.

Once your sandwiches set up you can trim it out with edgebanding and
it should look exactly like the piece shown in the link that you
provided.


HTH



Regards,

Tom

Thos.J.Watson - Cabinetmaker
tjwatson1ATcomcastDOTnet
www.home.comcast.net/~tjwatson1

Tom,
If the shelves are level when the unit is leaned against the wall, why would
the front and rear edges of the shelves need to be beveled?
Kerry

On Fri, 23 May 2008 20:21:49 -0700, "Kerry Montgomery"
wrote:


Tom,
If the shelves are level when the unit is leaned against the wall, why would
the front and rear edges of the shelves need to be beveled?
Kerry


Kerry:

When you look at this piece from the side, and the piece that leans
against the wall does so at an angle of 7 degrees, the back edge of
the shelf that butts to the leaning piece would have to be undercut
at 7 degrees less than 90, or the shelf would tilt up from back to
front.



Regards,

Tom

Thos.J.Watson - Cabinetmaker
tjwatson1ATcomcastDOTnet
www.home.comcast.net/~tjwatson1