Best way to notch end of shelf for shelf pins
HowieG
| Posted in General Discussion on
Hi. I’m a new member and a novice woodworker. I recently ordered a new shelf for a kitchen cabinet (I had four shelves but lost one). I managed to get the shelf cut to the exact dimensions needed, but it will not have the four notches cut into the ends to allow it to sit over the supporting pins. I attach below a picture of one of the existing shelves showing the pin notches and the pin. How should I go about making these notches in the replacement shelf? Note that the notch does not go completely through the shelf. Thanks!
Howard
Replies
The answer would be easier if we knew what tools you have to work with. However, I will start off by saying that the simplest would be a good sharp chisel. If the half dome shaped end of the pin fits into the notch and we are actually looking at the bottom of the shelf, I suspect that the notch does not really have to have the matching rounded end. Square would work just fine and the corners would be unseen on the bottom. You could start with two saw kerfs at an angle to take out about half of the material and then finish it up with the chisel.
You’ll need a drill press, a matched fostner bit (metric most likely), and practice time on scrap particle board pieces. To ensure a clean cut, butt up a sacrificial scrap piece to the shelf edge so the entire bit is cutting through material.
Exactly how I'd do it.
Too late since the shelf is already cut; but I would drill the holes with a forstner bit in a slightly oversize panel and then rip through the holes down to correct length.
Another option is to change the shelf pins to a simple flat tab type. No machining need on the shelf
Thanks for all the suggestions. Needless to say, I do not have a drill press. I do have a drill though. I am thinking about blending the suggestions of el maduro and mj by using a sacrificial scrap piece to butt up against the edge, and also using a piece of wood as a pre-drilled template on top to keep the bit from wandering. I would then use a Forstner bit on my hand-held, variable speed drill to drill the hole. I just need to be careful not to drill it all the way through.
Maybe something like this? It's only $36...
https://a.co/d/1iROAhi
A straight router bit works well.
I cut it on a table using stop blocks