Build your own wooden shelf.
There are enormous variations when it comes to building wooden shelving. You can go for complex ladder shelving systems, floating shelves or simpler bracketed shelves. For a first-time wooden shelf maker, a bracketed shelf is ideal; a wooden shelf for spices in the kitchen, trophies over a mantle or knickknacks is well within the reach of novice wood workers. With a basic design in place, decorative elements, such as detailed trim or ornamental brackets can be added to make your shelf distinctive. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Cut the plywood into a back wall mount at 42-by-10 inches, a shelf top at 36-by-10 inches and two triangular bracket pieces. They should be right-angled triangles, with one side of 6 inches, one 9 inches and the hypotenuse (opposite the right angle) roughly 10.8 inches. Cut the 2-by-2 lumber into a cleat (support) of 32.5 inches.
2. Measure 2 inches down from the top of the 10-inch side of the wall mount. Draw a line across at this point. Center the cleat on the underside of the line and glue in place; there should be 2 3/4 inches on either side of the cleat. Position the two triangle brackets on either side of the cleat. The 6-inch side should sit on the back mount and the 9-inch side should jut out at a right angle. Glue the brackets in place.
3. Screw the brackets in place through the back of the wall mount into the 6-inch side of the triangle. Use three 2-inch screws in each bracket. Screw the cleat in place through the front of the cleat into the wall mount. Use one 2-inch screw every 5 inches.
4. Place the shelf top over the cleat and brackets. There should be about 2 inches over on either side. Screw the shelf top down into the cleat using 2-inch screws. Ensure the placement of screws is staggered with those already screwed through the cleat into the wall mount.
5. Fill any visible screw holes with wood putty and let dry. Sand the shelf then paint or varnish as desired.
6. Position the shelf on the wall and screw in place using 3-inch screws through the top and bottom edges of the wall mount. Place one screw every 7 inches or so. Touch up with putty and repaint or varnish those screw areas.
Tags: wall mount, either side, 2-inch screws, 6-inch side, back wall, back wall mount