Re: [ARSCLIST] shelving

[steven c <stevenc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

see end...
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Steven Smolian" <smolians@xxxxxxxxx>
> For shelves 48" wide:
>
> Go to Lowes.
>
> They have plywood boards, 3/4 " wide, A/B grade, 2' by 4' at under $ 16.
Buy 1.  Have the guys who run the saw cut it in half.  You now have 2 12" by
48" boards.
>
> Buy another. Assuming you want 13" high shelves, have them cut the board
into 3 13" pieces.  Discard the scrap.
>
> Do this twice.
>
> Buy a 4x8 sheet of 4x8 1/4" Luan (spelling) plywood. about $ 10.00.  Have
them cut it into pieces  14-3/8" x 48" (13 + 3/4 + 3/4-1/8).  The 1/8" you
subtract makes the back you are making from the Luan 1/8" shorter than the
shelf height, leaving slack to adjust for squareness. This gives you six
pieces. Discard the scrap.
>
> To assemble, put a 48" long piece on top of a 13" piece at the end.  Nail
or screw it in.  Do the same at the other end.  Turn the long U-shaped piece
over.  Attach the other 48" piece the same way to the 13" pieces.
>
> Turn the square with one open side facing down.  Attach one of the 14" x
48" pieces to the back.  Use lots of short nails with big heads.
>
> Now turn the open box so the open side faces you.  About half way down,
insert the third 13" piece and affix it from the top and bottom.
>
> You now have a record shelf.  Cost, $ 16 + $ 16 + 1.17 = $33.17.  A stack
of 6 costs $ 200.  Make as many as you need. Finish to taste.
>
> They are easy to move, sturdy, and hold lots of records.
>
> If you do a bunch at once, buy the full size sheet of 3/4" 4x8 plywood.
You'll save $ 14 per sheet or $ 2.67 per unit.
>
> Depending on the store and the friendliness of the sawperators, you'll get
hit for $ .50 per cut beyond two cuts per sheet.
>
> Don't use lower grades of plywood.  The record jackets will tear on the
knots, etc.
>
> Sand the edges facing out or you'll have a fine personal- very personal-
collection of splinters.
>
> Congratulations!  You now have enough record shelving to GO OUT AND BUY
MORE.
>
A few comments (based on experience)...

1) 48" (4') shelves will hold between 400 and 500 records (78's, but
LP's in jackets are only slightly thicker). That is between 200 and
250 lbs. Point being...you're better off if you put vertical pieces
of plywood or pine 1x12 spaced a foot or so apart and running from
bottom piece to top piece. If you put the 13" pieces between the two
horizontal lengths, the upright pieces will have to be 13" long...if
you nail the horizontal lengths between the 13" pieces, the uprights
will be just less than 12" long (note that this means you shouldn't
build them that way if you're using them for jacketed LP's!) Otherwise,
you'll find the 48" long shelves will be sagging VERY badly once filled!

2) Rather than using nails (especially regular smooth nails) you are
much better off if you use wood screws to hold the pieces together.
Unlike nails, the wood can't move back and forth on the screws. To
be on the safe side, in fact, apply glue to facing surfaces just
before screwing them together!

3) The idea is that a square/rectangular figure made using four boards
can, and will, turn itself into a parallelogram with very little
effort. Putting a back on that will lessen that tendency...but it
may be advisable to nail a board diagonally from one top corner
to the opposite bottom corner.

Steven C. Barr