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DIY: corner shelves 
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Joined: Thu Apr 23, 2009 8:46 pm
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I've done 'normal' shelves, mantelpieces etc but I've never put up a corner shelf. What I'm after is a corner wedge of wood attached to the wall without any visible support. I've done something similar with a normal shelf - piece of wood with recesses for screws and then covered with a shelf cover but these have been parts of kits.

Any ideas on how to do something similar for a corner shelf? Needs to be strong enough to hold say a vase.

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Sun Jun 06, 2010 7:03 pm
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Two fixings into the wall either side, but protruding say an inch or so, then cut grooves into the underside of the shelf to match the spacing of the wall fixings.

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Sun Jun 06, 2010 7:44 pm
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If it doesn't have to be load-bearing (e.g. vases, not books) and assuming it's to be painted, then you'd be best constructing this as a chunky 'floating' shelf using a framework of softwood batten screwed into each wall and leading edge, then this framework covered with an MDF skin scribed to the wall. You can 'lip' the front to cover up the raw edges either in stripwood (hard or soft) or e.g. 6mm MDF.

Use caulk to conceal any gaps between the skin and the walls, and a regular powder filler to take care of gaps in the woodwork. Rub down, prime and paint and you're all done.

Cheers, Pete


Sun Jun 06, 2010 9:15 pm
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^^^ What he said.

Depends on what kind of finish you are after.

if you want it to be completely invisible from the underside as well hen it will need to be two sheets of mdf supported in the middle with guide slots at each side to slot over the battons on the wall, then fixed from underneath by screws.

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Mon Jun 07, 2010 10:34 am
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Bluespider wrote:
if you want it to be completely invisible from the underside as well...


That's what's meant by a 'floating' shelf - should have been clearer, sorry. If the battens are securely fixed to the wall then there's no need to screw the MDF skin(s) in place - glue it up with a fast-set PVA e.g. Polyten - here - and ideally clamp the leading edges together and pin it in place where the clamps don't reach, or just pin it all around while the adhesive sets.

If the shelves are going to take a lot of weight e.g. books, then you can use aluminium or rolled steel box-section in place of the leading edge batten (same dimensions, obviously) epoxied to the top & bottom skins and lipped in the usual way; guaranteed not to sag ;)

HTH Pete


Mon Jun 07, 2010 10:55 am
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