Replies

1. 
   Scott | Apr 19, 2010 05:29pm | #1

   Would these work?

   http://www.leevalley.com/hardware/page.aspx?c=1&p=52895&cat=3,43648,43649&ap=1

   or these?

   http://www.leevalley.com/hardware/page.aspx?c=1&p=40189&cat=3,43648,43649&ap=1

1. 
   mick182 | Apr 19, 2010 05:47pm | #2

   Scott,

   I am looking for any ideas on how to build these shelves to support the 15"cantilver on all sides.

   With the pins you are showing in your attachment, are you suggesting that I construct three sides of the shelves, then slip around the post and attach final side. Then set the entire shelf on these pins? Then lift the shelf and move pins to adjust height as necessary? Am I following you correctly? Thanks

1. 
   Scott | Apr 19, 2010 06:00pm | #3

   Is it important that the shelves be completely removable once the post is secured? If not, you could make the shelves, slip them over the post, and then secure the post. The pin supports would allow for ajustment.

   If it's important that the shelves be removable, then these supports may not be ideal.

2. 
   DanH | Apr 19, 2010 06:07pm | #4

   Obviously you can use pins or pegs, but you have a problem that the shelves will not be stable.  They need to somehow clamp to the post, or at least clamp to the pins in such a way that the shelves can't wobble.

   You could put pins above and below, but that would be ugly, hard to manage, and not totally stable.

   One good thing to know is how easily the things should be to be adjusted.  If a screwdriver can be employed then you can do a bit better job, eg, by using a strip of wood on the bottom, surrounding the post (but attached to the shelf) and then run screws (through tee nuts or some such) into holes in the post.

   Another approach, perhaps better, would be to arrange some sort of clamping mechanism that also allowed the shelf to be disassembled (removed from the post).  Making the shelf in two pieces and joining it with coffin locks might do the trick, and then you could embed pins in the edges of the slelves to engage the post.

   
3. 
   DanH | Apr 19, 2010 06:25pm | #5

   Yeah, here's what I would do, more or less:

   First (most important) measure the post in multiple places, to see how large it REALLY is, and how much it varies from point to point.  Feed that info into the final design.

   Make your shelves in two identical L-shaped pieces (each made of two roughly identical pieces of wood).  Before gluing up the Ls, cut slots maybe 1/4" wide in all the inner surfaces (around the post and where the two halves will meet).  In one side where the two halves will meet glue in a spline to create a tongue-and-groove with the other half.  (You can also, if you wish, use a spline between the two parts of a single L, to take advantage of the setup you already have -- just completely slot two edges of each piece.  Or use regular wood pegs.)  Install coffin locks on the bottom across the two joints between the two halves.

   To install, first insert 1/4" pegs into holes in the post, then slip the slotted pieces over the pegs, fit them together, and tighten the coffin locks.  You can put pegs on all four sides, for optimal stability.

1. 
   DanH | Apr 19, 2010 06:27pm | #6

   Oh, and make a jig for drilling the holes in the post, or buy a commercial one.  It gets real tedious (and inaccurate) drilling all those holes otherwise.  (I'm guessing you'd want 3-4 holes per side for each shelf position.)

2. 
   mick182 | Apr 19, 2010 09:23pm | #7

   Nice idea Dan.

   When you refer to the 1/4' pegs, what kind of pegs are you referring to? Could you supply a link?

   Thanks man.

1. 
   DanH | Apr 19, 2010 10:23pm | #8

   Could be plain old wood, though some sort of metal would probably be better, strength-wise.  Just cut-off pieces of 1/4" rod would work, if you can't find pegs from Rockler or wherever that do the job.  And nothing sacred about 1/4" -- you could go to about 3/16" on 3/4" stock.