Homeowner Forum / Construction / April 2008

WOW.  Only about 350 45s here.
I recently finished transcribing them to disk and burning them to CDs.

Same with the Vinyl LPs.

I haven't done it yet, but I think I'm going to just toss them now.

I'd have to guess about the shelving.   I think plywood by itself
will always sag.  You'd need some solid wood to get stability.

They may sag, and I would provide a strongback along the front
edege......You will be amazed how much this helps with rigidity.  Strongback
like a 1x2 or 1x3.....
I also dado the shelves and glue into the sides and make sure to cleat or
nail the back.
Glue all members.....
jloomis

There are many different types of 3/4" ply, so there is no one
'correct' answer to your question.

Personally, I'd not expect a 4' span to support that much weight, over
a longer term. Eventually it *will* sag.

They will sag with time.  BUT if you finish both sides equally, then you can
turn them over now and then.

s

Plug in the numbers here and see...
http://www.woodbin.com/calcs/sagulator.htm

http://www.stumbleupon.com/demo/?review=1#url=http://www.woodbin.com/calcs/sagul
ator.htm
Enjoy.  Tom

Other suggestions ok, my $0.02 be to go w/ the 32" spacing for 2
boxes/shelf instead of 3.

If really, really, really don't want to do that for some reason,
probably can get by if put a 3/8" back on it (which really would need
for stability, anyway) and nail the shelves w/ a 6d finish nail.  To
make it a little dressier, rabbet the back edges to inset the ply
instead of just nailing it on the back.

Will need a back or other lateral bracing whatever size you make them.

--

I see you've been given a link for the Sagulator web site.  If it determines
you will get too much sag, there are ways of adding strength.  Think of an
"I" beam.  Adding a strip of wood on the front that is vertical add
considerable stiffness.  Adding a back and attaching the shelves to it add
too.
Ed

It might be cheaper and less work to get steel pre made shelves

Consider some of the heavy duty shelving at Costco or Sam;s Club. The
product looks good, and will easily hold the weight you anticipate.
Other sources for that kind of shelving are salvage from store
remodelings, often seen on Craigslist or classifieds. Makes sense if
your talking storage and not furniture.

Joe

JD:

I'm generally with the metal crowd. Check industrial surplus
outfits, school surplus liquidation people, take a flyer on
Habitat for Humanity stores and try Craig's List. If the first 3
can't immediately help, ask for their suggestions. Used office
furniture outlets are often ludicrous. Most industrial/commercial
auctions are not good pricewise.
Occasionally you will find one with huge quantities of shelving or
lateral file cabinets where you can
make a buy but you better be in no hurry and live in an
urban/suburban locale. Condition and sufficient units of uniform
appearance will be your problem when dealing with used material,
along with the constant of price .

Plywood on the back of a wood unit is great. So are shelves inset
into that backing. On the front,
if you can find a reasonable surplus source for heavier threaded
rod, you can run that through drilled
holes near the front edge using some of the databases you have to
elect intervals against
sag. Washers and nuts will go on either side of the shelves to tie
them into the rod. If this is
a decorative effect you fancy, you can also put carefully sawed
sections of various kinds of tubing
over the rod between the shelves for the coverup pillar effect.
The ways you can address this
problem are open given imagination and a source of reasonable
materials.

Good luck.

Regards,

Edward Hennessey