bracing necessary for width of liquor cabinet?
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| Posted in Joinery on
hey folks,
If I have a solid oak case that is 7’x 15” x 4’ with 6 shelves inside, should I brace the shelves halfway across the width? If its going to have a heavy load (lots of whiskey). I was also going to attached the case to the wall as well, since it’s kinda shallow. Also, can I do partial bracing to save space, like 8″ of the 15″ depth?
Replies
Question - What is the thickness of the shelves and are they red or white oak? These factors affect your limitations.
This web site is very helpful for figuring out shelf loads.
http://www.woodbin.com/calcs/sagulator/
Partial support might work OK if it is adequate to support the load and if you remember that any concentrated load on the front edge of the shelf will tend to make it tip.
seriously awesome calculator! thanks! according to this doodad, I get .001" sag. save that swill, cause we got space now!
If this cabinet is 7 feet tall, 4 feet wide, and 15 inches deep and the shelves will be loaded with glass bottles full of liquid you will need added support for the shelves. I would suggest a center divider to get those shelves down to a 2-foot span.
The rule if thumb is anything wider than 36" needs additional bracing, but you don't need to overthink this. Yes white oak is slightly stiffer than red but not enough to have an impact in this case. Yes you could add a center vertical support and thus reduce you shelves to 24" and avoid the problem but this may impact your design. So I would suggest a strongback, an additional board perpendicular to the long edge of the shelf to stiffen the shelf and prevent sagging. 1½" wide should be sufficient in this case. This could be applied to the front or rear of the shelf or both depending upon how much of an impact you want it to have on the appearance of the shelves. Just remember if the shelves are adjustable it will impact how you put them in and out, no tilting them up. Always make sure you have solid contact with whatever shelf support system you use and over 7' a fixed center shelf will probably be required to keep the sides from bowing but that could be affected by the installation.
hey thx all for the comments! especially the 'sagulator'! shelves are 1 1/4 and super stiff! back is reinforced with 1/2" shiplap oak boards. I don't think Jamison will win in this situation. according to sagulator anyway!
In my experience, Jameson always wins eventually.
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