I am building a desk, drawers, file cab, and shelves right now.

I want to keep all wires in races. The desk and drawer units have them
built in.

What I can't figure out is how to do it for the shelf units. The shelf
carcass is maple ply with shelf pins drilled. So that adds a level of
complexity. I thought about hollow core sides, but that really doesn't
work for me. The pins would need help for support... I thought about
routing a channel... Then covering it... still not great. It thought
about molding... but that would not be ideal either.

Don't tell me let the wires run in the back. ... not happening. This
will be screwed to the wall for support and too heavy to move. And
remember adjustable shelves, so it has to work for that. Not holes
everywhere....

I have been putting this off long enough. I thought I would have an
answer by now, but I haven't thought about it much... just assumed it
would come to me by now. Anyone do something nice and clean...??

On 4/26/2012 11:04 AM, tiredofspam wrote:
I am building a desk, drawers, file cab, and shelves right now.

I want to keep all wires in races. The desk and drawer units have them
built in.

What I can't figure out is how to do it for the shelf units. The shelf
carcass is maple ply with shelf pins drilled. So that adds a level of
complexity. I thought about hollow core sides, but that really doesn't
work for me. The pins would need help for support... I thought about
routing a channel... Then covering it... still not great. It thought
about molding... but that would not be ideal either.

Don't tell me let the wires run in the back. ... not happening. This
will be screwed to the wall for support and too heavy to move. And
remember adjustable shelves, so it has to work for that. Not holes
everywhere....

I have been putting this off long enough. I thought I would have an
answer by now, but I haven't thought about it much... just assumed it
would come to me by now. Anyone do something nice and clean...??



Newbe reply. Isn't a raceway required to be accessible?

????

On 4/26/2012 11:15 AM, Bill wrote:
On 4/26/2012 11:04 AM, tiredofspam wrote:
I am building a desk, drawers, file cab, and shelves right now.

I want to keep all wires in races. The desk and drawer units have them
built in.

What I can't figure out is how to do it for the shelf units. The shelf
carcass is maple ply with shelf pins drilled. So that adds a level of
complexity. I thought about hollow core sides, but that really doesn't
work for me. The pins would need help for support... I thought about
routing a channel... Then covering it... still not great. It thought
about molding... but that would not be ideal either.

Don't tell me let the wires run in the back. ... not happening. This
will be screwed to the wall for support and too heavy to move. And
remember adjustable shelves, so it has to work for that. Not holes
everywhere....

I have been putting this off long enough. I thought I would have an
answer by now, but I haven't thought about it much... just assumed it
would come to me by now. Anyone do something nice and clean...??



Newbe reply. Isn't a raceway required to be accessible?

"tiredofspam" nospam.nospam.com wrote in message
news
I am building a desk, drawers, file cab, and shelves right now.

I want to keep all wires in races. The desk and drawer units have them
built in.

What I can't figure out is how to do it for the shelf units. The shelf
carcass is maple ply with shelf pins drilled. So that adds a level of
complexity. I thought about hollow core sides, but that really doesn't
work for me. The pins would need help for support... I thought about
routing a channel... Then covering it... still not great. It thought about
molding... but that would not be ideal either.

Don't tell me let the wires run in the back. ... not happening. This will
be screwed to the wall for support and too heavy to move. And remember
adjustable shelves, so it has to work for that. Not holes everywhere....

I have been putting this off long enough. I thought I would have an answer
by now, but I haven't thought about it much... just assumed it would come
to me by now. Anyone do something nice and clean...??



First, a question. What are the wires in the shelves for? Lights?
Receptacles? Do you need to hide fixtures or boxes in the shelves?

Bill wrote:
On 4/26/2012 11:04 AM, tiredofspam wrote:
I am building a desk, drawers, file cab, and shelves right now.

I want to keep all wires in races. The desk and drawer units have
them built in.

What I can't figure out is how to do it for the shelf units. The
shelf carcass is maple ply with shelf pins drilled. So that adds a
level of complexity. I thought about hollow core sides, but that
really doesn't work for me. The pins would need help for support...
I thought about routing a channel... Then covering it... still not
great. It thought about molding... but that would not be ideal
either. Don't tell me let the wires run in the back. ... not happening.
This
will be screwed to the wall for support and too heavy to move. And
remember adjustable shelves, so it has to work for that. Not holes
everywhere....

I have been putting this off long enough. I thought I would have an
answer by now, but I haven't thought about it much... just assumed it
would come to me by now. Anyone do something nice and clean...??



Newbe reply. Isn't a raceway required to be accessible?

Nope. A raceway is a place to run wires. It can be completely
inaccessable. If that were not the case, then you could never sheetrock a
wall.

--

-Mike-

"tiredofspam" nospam.nospam.com wrote in message
news
I am building a desk, drawers, file cab, and shelves right now.

I want to keep all wires in races. The desk and drawer units have them
built in.

What I can't figure out is how to do it for the shelf units. The shelf
carcass is maple ply with shelf pins drilled. So that adds a level of
complexity. I thought about hollow core sides, but that really doesn't
work for me. The pins would need help for support... I thought about
routing a channel... Then covering it... still not great. It thought about
molding... but that would not be ideal either.

Don't tell me let the wires run in the back. ... not happening. This will
be screwed to the wall for support and too heavy to move. And remember
adjustable shelves, so it has to work for that. Not holes everywhere....

I have been putting this off long enough. I thought I would have an answer
by now, but I haven't thought about it much... just assumed it would come
to me by now. Anyone do something nice and clean...??

Sounds hard.

I built a bookcase once that needed some wires for speakers and lights that
were built into it. The guy insisted that the wires not be seen. I
suggested some kind of conduit along the back of the shelves. He didn't
like that idea. He did not want the wire "loose in the back. I ended up
building a second back onto it. I put spacers between the two backs and had
some countersunk screws that could be taken out if he wanted to get to the
wires. It wasn't that much more work and I charged plenty for the change
order.

Maybe you can do something similar, from the front. Maybe velcro or magnets
to hold the false back into place.

On Thu, 26 Apr 2012 11:04:43 -0400, tiredofspam nospam.nospam.com
I want to keep all wires in races. The desk and drawer units have them
built in.

What I can't figure out is how to do it for the shelf units.
http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/pag...=1,43456,43460

Multiple things.

Network cable for wireless access point and low volt power for same.

Speakers from computers.

And anything else that the future could bring.

Lights will be routed from the back. Tacked to the back panel.

On 4/26/2012 11:45 AM, John Grossbohlin wrote:
"tiredofspam" nospam.nospam.com wrote in message
news
I am building a desk, drawers, file cab, and shelves right now.

I want to keep all wires in races. The desk and drawer units have them
built in.

What I can't figure out is how to do it for the shelf units. The shelf
carcass is maple ply with shelf pins drilled. So that adds a level of
complexity. I thought about hollow core sides, but that really doesn't
work for me. The pins would need help for support... I thought about
routing a channel... Then covering it... still not great. It thought
about molding... but that would not be ideal either.

Don't tell me let the wires run in the back. ... not happening. This
will be screwed to the wall for support and too heavy to move. And
remember adjustable shelves, so it has to work for that. Not holes
everywhere....

I have been putting this off long enough. I thought I would have an
answer by now, but I haven't thought about it much... just assumed it
would come to me by now. Anyone do something nice and clean...??



First, a question. What are the wires in the shelves for? Lights?
Receptacles? Do you need to hide fixtures or boxes in the shelves?

Ok, but how did the wires come out of the false back.
If the shelves are moved, I don't want holes all over the place.



On 4/26/2012 12:09 PM, Lee Michaels wrote:


"tiredofspam" nospam.nospam.com wrote in message
news
I am building a desk, drawers, file cab, and shelves right now.

I want to keep all wires in races. The desk and drawer units have them
built in.

What I can't figure out is how to do it for the shelf units. The shelf
carcass is maple ply with shelf pins drilled. So that adds a level of
complexity. I thought about hollow core sides, but that really doesn't
work for me. The pins would need help for support... I thought about
routing a channel... Then covering it... still not great. It thought
about molding... but that would not be ideal either.

Don't tell me let the wires run in the back. ... not happening. This
will be screwed to the wall for support and too heavy to move. And
remember adjustable shelves, so it has to work for that. Not holes
everywhere....

I have been putting this off long enough. I thought I would have an
answer by now, but I haven't thought about it much... just assumed it
would come to me by now. Anyone do something nice and clean...??

Sounds hard.

I built a bookcase once that needed some wires for speakers and lights
that were built into it. The guy insisted that the wires not be seen. I
suggested some kind of conduit along the back of the shelves. He didn't
like that idea. He did not want the wire "loose in the back. I ended up
building a second back onto it. I put spacers between the two backs and
had some countersunk screws that could be taken out if he wanted to get
to the wires. It wasn't that much more work and I charged plenty for the
change order.

Maybe you can do something similar, from the front. Maybe velcro or
magnets to hold the false back into place.

Yea, not what I am looking for.

On 4/26/2012 12:35 PM, Dave wrote:
On Thu, 26 Apr 2012 11:04:43 -0400, tiredofspamnospam.nospam.com
I want to keep all wires in races. The desk and drawer units have them
built in.

What I can't figure out is how to do it for the shelf units.
http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/pag...=1,43456,43460

Bill wrote:
Newbe reply. Isn't a raceway required to be accessible?


I was thinking of the "surface" raceways (which I thought was the type
under concern here).

Bill

"tiredofspam" nospam.nospam.com wrote in message
...
Ok, but how did the wires come out of the false back.
If the shelves are moved, I don't want holes all over the place.

All the wires went to the lights, speakers etc. They were all built into
the bookcase.

He ran the speaker wires under the baseboard. Lighting came from a power
cord behind the bookcase.

On 4/26/2012 10:04 AM, tiredofspam wrote:
I am building a desk, drawers, file cab, and shelves right now.


Face frame or frameless and how much height do you need for the wires?

--
www.eWoodShop.com
Last update: 4/15/2010
KarlCaillouet@ (the obvious)
http://gplus.to/eWoodShop

BTW I thought about using the frames, but the depth of the unit is 13"
while the shelves will be 12 Inches. so 1" of backset..


On 4/26/2012 1:56 PM, Swingman wrote:
On 4/26/2012 10:04 AM, tiredofspam wrote:
I am building a desk, drawers, file cab, and shelves right now.


Face frame or frameless and how much height do you need for the wires?

On 4/26/2012 12:56 PM, Swingman wrote:
On 4/26/2012 10:04 AM, tiredofspam wrote:
I am building a desk, drawers, file cab, and shelves right now.


Face frame or frameless and how much height do you need for the wires?

Just one approach, with a separate/laminated interior side panel, that
can be fiddled with and still leaves the holes for adjustable shelves in
solid material:

https://plus.google.com/photos/11135...75271117254226

The gap at the back can be varied depending upon how thick the wire
running up the sides, and visibility.

If you use a 1 1/2" face frame and 3/4" side panels on the shelf system,
you could easily have a 1" raceway running from top to bottom of the
shelf unit, with a slight gap at the back that shouldn't be all that
visible, to pull wires through regardless of shelf position.

Make the adjustable shelf go all the way to the back panel (past the
gap) and that would keep the wires coming out of the raceway, only at
the level of each shelf the wire serves.

--
www.eWoodShop.com
Last update: 4/15/2010
KarlCaillouet@ (the obvious)
http://gplus.to/eWoodShop

Oops, 13" to the face frame. Face frame is 3/4" with 3/4" overhang

On 4/26/2012 2:29 PM, tiredofspam wrote:
BTW I thought about using the frames, but the depth of the unit is 13"
while the shelves will be 12 Inches. so 1" of backset..


On 4/26/2012 1:56 PM, Swingman wrote:
On 4/26/2012 10:04 AM, tiredofspam wrote:
I am building a desk, drawers, file cab, and shelves right now.


Face frame or frameless and how much height do you need for the wires?

tiredofspam wrote:
I am building a desk, drawers, file cab, and shelves right now.

I want to keep all wires in races. The desk and drawer units have
them
built in.

What I can't figure out is how to do it for the shelf units. The
shelf
carcass is maple ply with shelf pins drilled. So that adds a level of
complexity. I thought about hollow core sides, but that really
doesn't
work for me. The pins would need help for support... I thought about
routing a channel... Then covering it... still not great. It thought
about molding... but that would not be ideal either.

Don't tell me let the wires run in the back. ... not happening. This
will be screwed to the wall for support and too heavy to move. And
remember adjustable shelves, so it has to work for that. Not holes
everywhere....

I have been putting this off long enough. I thought I would have an
answer by now, but I haven't thought about it much... just assumed it
would come to me by now. Anyone do something nice and clean...??

check ou****er,
http://www.ou****ercatalogs.com/lg_d..._2012/page/229

"tiredofspam" nospam.nospam.com wrote in message
...
Multiple things.

Network cable for wireless access point and low volt power for same.

Speakers from computers.

And anything else that the future could bring.

Lights will be routed from the back. Tacked to the back panel.


If you want it completely invisible upon close inspection I'd be inclined to
route or dado a groove maybe 1/2" x 1/2" along the back edge of the shelves
to carry the wires from the sides to points along the back. The wires would
be held in place by gluing short blocks near the outside edge of this dado
and spaced then such that you can pull the wire out at various points along
the shelf.

As concerns getting the wires to those shelves, given the constraints you
placed against using the side structure and back, I don't see how this could
be done without some kind of surface mounted baffle in the back corner(s) to
carry the wire from level to level. Angled chases open to the back could
do...

Alternatively, if the shelves have a face frame run the wires up the front
inside corners and use dados as described above on the ends of the shelves
with blocks at the shelf support locations. From the sounds of it you
aren't filling the shelves with encyclopedias so weight likely isn't a big
issue.

John

On 4/26/2012 10:04 AM, tiredofspam wrote:
I am building a desk, drawers, file cab, and shelves right now.

I want to keep all wires in races. The desk and drawer units have them
built in.
....

I'd go w/ Swing's approach...

BTW, since this is a woodworking group, that's the wrong kind of
carcase...

--

tiredofspam wrote:
I am building a desk, drawers, file cab, and shelves right now.

I want to keep all wires in races. The desk and drawer units have them
built in.

What I can't figure out is how to do it for the shelf units. The shelf
carcass is maple ply with shelf pins drilled. So that adds a level of
complexity. I thought about hollow core sides, but that really doesn't
work for me. The pins would need help for support... I thought about
routing a channel... Then covering it... still not great. It thought
about molding... but that would not be ideal either.

Don't tell me let the wires run in the back. ... not happening. This
will be screwed to the wall for support and too heavy to move. And
remember adjustable shelves, so it has to work for that. Not holes
everywhere....

I have been putting this off long enough. I thought I would have an
answer by now, but I haven't thought about it much... just assumed it
would come to me by now. Anyone do something nice and clean...??

I can't see a problem with hollow core sides, all you need is some wood
between the skins for the shelf pin holes. I do it all the time.

The problem is your desire to have moveable shelves...easy to hide the wire
for a fixed shelf, pretty hard for a moveable one (FWIW and IME moveable
shelves almost never get moved). However, the only way I can think of to do
it is to have a race routed in the side(s) or back, partially fill that race
with a strip of wood that is in sections...if you gotta move a shelf, juggle
the sections so the wire exits where you want it.

--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

Thats a pretty good idea. I like it. Nice sketch up drawing.

I might go with that. Inconspicuous..


On 4/26/2012 2:30 PM, Swingman wrote:

If you use a 1 1/2" face frame and 3/4" side panels on the shelf system,
you could easily have a 1" raceway running from top to bottom of the
shelf unit, with a slight gap at the back that shouldn't be all that
visible, to pull wires through regardless of shelf position.

Make the adjustable shelf go all the way to the back panel (past the
gap) and that would keep the wires coming out of the raceway, only at
the level of each shelf the wire serves.

On 4/26/2012 3:33 PM, dadiOH wrote:


I can't see a problem with hollow core sides, all you need is some wood
between the skins for the shelf pin holes. I do it all the time.

The problem is your desire to have moveable shelves...easy to hide the wire
for a fixed shelf, pretty hard for a moveable one (FWIW and IME moveable
shelves almost never get moved).
That is so true, but it is the initial setup that we want that
adjustability for. Different size books, displays , whatever. After that
no one moves it.. agreed.

However, the only way I can think of to do
it is to have a race routed in the side(s) or back, partially fill that race
with a strip of wood that is in sections...if you gotta move a shelf, juggle
the sections so the wire exits where you want it.



What I think I might do is take Swingman's idea, add 1/2 ply ...
So take the existing 3/4 inch panels I have already cut, route part of
the channel in the 3/4,

route the rest of the race in the 1/2 leaving about a 1/4" of thickness
for the lip that hides the wire. Hopefully that would be enough
thickness. I can glue the 3/4 and 1/2 together using either cauls or
vacum bagging, but the vac bag might break the lip... there's a lot of
force in vac bagging.

On 4/26/2012 3:58 PM, tiredofspam wrote:
Thats a pretty good idea. I like it. Nice sketch up drawing.

I might go with that. Inconspicuous..


On 4/26/2012 2:30 PM, Swingman wrote:

If you use a 1 1/2" face frame and 3/4" side panels on the shelf system,
you could easily have a 1" raceway running from top to bottom of the
shelf unit, with a slight gap at the back that shouldn't be all that
visible, to pull wires through regardless of shelf position.

Make the adjustable shelf go all the way to the back panel (past the
gap) and that would keep the wires coming out of the raceway, only at
the level of each shelf the wire serves.


"Patent Pending"



Just kidding of course. Granted no solution is the end all/be all, but
I think it solves a couple of the major issues, has a good chance of
keeping the wire hidden and where you want it, and requires only wood
and no further hardware .... plus there's quite a bit of wiggle room in
the concept for making it fit a particular situation.

Pictures when you're done ...

--
www.eWoodShop.com
Last update: 4/15/2010
KarlCaillouet@ (the obvious)
http://gplus.to/eWoodShop

Make the adjustable shelf go all the way to the back panel (past the
gap) and that would keep the wires coming out of the raceway, only at
the level of each shelf the wire serves.


"Patent Pending"



Just kidding of course. Granted no solution is the end all/be all, but I
think it solves a couple of the major issues, has a good chance of
keeping the wire hidden and where you want it, and requires only wood
and no further hardware .... plus there's quite a bit of wiggle room in
the concept for making it fit a particular situation.

Pictures when you're done ...

Will do.