Thursday, January 20, 2011

Remove Cabinet Shelves Held With Plastic Shelf Lock Supports

Most modern cupboards fix shelves with shelf-lock pegs.


Available in clear, white or beige, plastic shelf-lock supports for cabinets can be challenging to work with if you want to reposition the shelf or remove the shelf from the cabinet. The shelf-lock support is designed with a 1/4-inch peg on its backside that is inserted into a hole in the side panel inside the cabinet. The shelf lock has a projection on which the shelf rests and immediately above that shelf support is a projection that prevents the shelf from moving upward when pushed from beneath. This safety factor has several benefits, like preventing glasses on one shelf from toppling over when items are loaded on a lower shelf. Does this Spark an idea?


Instructions


1. Clear items from all shelves in the cabinet, even if you just want to reposition or remove one shelf. You need vertical space to tilt the shelf.


2. Push one end of the shelf to the opposite side of the cabinet, this creates a slight gap between the shelf and the wall of the cabinet.


3. Press your thumbs firmly against the lock portion of the two shelf supports at shelf level and on the same side of the cabinet. The "lock" portion is the vertical piece that slightly protrudes onto the top of the shelf. You may find it easiest to press the lock on just the front shelf holder first, where you will them to able to ever-so-slightly raise the shelf to hold the lock open. Repeat the process on the back lock. If you are unable to depress the locks with your thumbs, use a metal kitchen spatula to apply pressure to the lock, again, working the shelf up slightly to cover the depressed lock, preventing it from re-engaging.


4. Push the shelf up gently about 2 inches on the freed side so the shelf is on a slight angle. As you push up, the lower side of the shelf should pop free from the locks on the opposite of the cabinet.


5. Pull the plastic shelf supports from the sides of the cabinet and relocate them. If you will be removing the shelf, consider "storing" the shelf on the bottom of the cabinet and placing the shelf supports back into holes in the side of the cabinet. Alternately, put them in a small plastic bag and tape them to the shelf being stored.

Tags: shelf from, shelf supports, side cabinet, lock portion, Push shelf