Replies

1. 
   badoyn | Dec 29, 2004 06:19pm | #1

   I would think that the back has a hollow in it and a cleat screwed into the wall. The hollow would then fit over the cleat and then screwed thru the shelf into the cleat.

   Clear as mud?

   Michael

2. 
   notDusty | Dec 29, 2004 06:22pm | #2

                        Loose joints ,

             As we know there are almost always many ways of doing the same thing. For this application   keyhole slots  routed  into the backside of the shelf assembly would work well. To me that would be the simple quick way to go , also you could screw a clete to the wall and place the shelf over it and fasten down thru the top to the clete.

                      good      luck                   dusty

3. 
   richk1 | Dec 29, 2004 06:22pm | #3

   I made one of these for my wife. It's actually quite simple. You basically make a sandwich out of 3 pieces of wood. The middle piece fits perfectly between the upper and lower pieces.

   It's this middle piece thats screwed into the studs of the wall. The other pieces are slipped over the middle piece and a screw or two is added vertically from the bottom to keep the shelf from pulling off.

   Does this make sense? If not just let me know and I'll explain it better.

   Rich Knab
   People of mediocre ability sometimes achieve outstanding success because they don't know when to quit.

4. 
   ASK | Dec 29, 2004 06:32pm | #4

   Ikea makes shelves similar to these. They use a metal bracket with 3 1" diameter tubes attached to to a flat plate which screws to the wall. The shelf fits over the metal tubes. The shelves are particle board covered with wood veneer. I think

   I would think you could do a similar thing with a wooden plate and wood dowels.

   ASK

5. 
   tractorguy | Dec 29, 2004 07:10pm | #5

   My mother has these shelves in her home.  My brother put them up, so I don't have step by step instructions in my head.  I recall the shelves have metal "keyhole" slot brackets mortised into the rear edge.  These brackets are similar to those found on the wooden shelf supports found at home centers.  You simply drive screws into a stud, or some type of hollow wall anchor, and slip the shelf onto the screws.

    

    

6. 
   SDBaker | Dec 30, 2004 04:12am | #6

   I have seen this done on HGTV by Candice Olsen.  They were called "floating shelves".  She attached pipe flanges to the wall (at stud locations) and then screwed lengths of pipe into the flanges.  The shelves were hollow boxes that slipped over the pipes.   I also found this link as a way to accomplish the same thing using wooden cleats.

    

   http://www.ronhazelton.com/html/2_19a_how1.html

   I think the pipes would be stronger if you needed to support very much weight.  The wooden cleats would be fine for model cars.

7. 
   dondownunder | Dec 30, 2004 04:36am | #7

   Roger

   I've done a few of these over the years & there are two fairly simple ways to fix the shelf to the wall.

   First is to use steel rods about 1/2" diameter set into the wall studs by either belting the cr*p out of them or drill a 1/2" (or slightly tighter) hole & then use polyurethane or epoxy adhesive

   Secondly purchase a set of shelf supports from Hafele which can be set into masonary or timber walls & come in two diameters. These supports have an eccentric sleeve so fine levelling adjustment doesn't require a 20 oz Estwing (Hafele Code 238.32.032 & 283.32.041).

   Both methods require a void or hole in the shelf to slide on over the attachment .

   We now only use the Hafele supports (I assume the other wholesalers like Blum, Hettich, Rockwell etc can also supply similar devices) because they are quick & they work as 7' 10x2" jarrah mantle I put on a fire place about 4 yrs ago can attest.

   Don

8. 
   P3Driver | Dec 30, 2004 06:49am | #8

   Check out American Woodworker Magazine, issue #111 November 2004, for an excellent article on torsion box shelving (The Coolest Bookshelves Ever) that shows their construction and mounting.