Elliptical shelves WIP

[thick_mike]

Finished chamfering and then used a ROS with 220 grit to smooth the surfaces, now I have to think about finishing. Looking on the shelves, I have a few options.

I’d prefer not to spray a coating I think. Not even sure what button polish is or where it came from!

Tests are on a scrap piece btw...can you see where the template slipped while I was routing?

 

[thick_mike]

Ok, all the shaping and sanding done, now I need help.

Does anyone have advice about finishing birch ply?

I’m looking for two finishes as I am going to make v2 for the bedroom. First will be finished natural, satin or slight sheen (around 20% gloss for those in the know). Second is going to be more difficult I fear, navy blue surface (again around 20% gloss) with exposed edges. How would I do this? Paint and then sand back the edges, or mask? Do I need a sanding sealer?

 

[MikeG.]

Have you come up with a cunning plan for fixing this to the wall? It's going to be hard to hide whatever you choose to use.

 

[SteveF]

cant help with the finish\fitting
but I have to say your patience and workmanship is outstanding

Steve

 

[thick_mike]

No More Nails!

I was thinking of cutting a few of the halving joints deeper and screwing through that into the wall, but I think it will weaken the part too much, so I think I’ll put 4 triangular plates at intersections and screw through that and then put a false back on the section the same colour as the wall. If that’s no good, then I’ll just put a couple of big ornaments in front of the fixing I think.

 

[marcros]

Have you come up with a cunning plan for fixing this to the wall? It's going to be hard to hide whatever you choose to use.

How wide is the ply? Something like this might work http://button-fix.com/button-fix-type-1-flush/

 

[novocaine]

could you not put a false back in the top left and right squares then mount through the back instead of triangles followed by a false back?

finish, danish oil followed by beeswax for me, or just beeswax if you are feeling lazy.

the yanks would tell you to use "a brush on poly" which is really just varnish.

 

[thick_mike]

Have you come up with a cunning plan for fixing this to the wall? It's going to be hard to hide whatever you choose to use.

How wide is the ply? Something like this might work http://button-fix.com/button-fix-type-1-flush/

Ply is 15mm, so I don’t think they would work.

 

[thick_mike]

could you not put a false back in the top left and right squares then mount through the back instead of triangles followed by a false back?

finish, danish oil followed by beeswax for me, or just beeswax if you are feeling lazy.

the yanks would tell you to use "a brush on poly" which is really just varnish.

Fixing through a false back sounds more straightforward than what I had planned

 

[ED65]

Lookin' good Mike! They're a credit to you.

I’m looking for two finishes as I am going to make v2 for the bedroom. First will be finished natural, satin or slight sheen (around 20% gloss for those in the know).

If you don't mind the slight yellowing this will impart I'd go with wiping varnish.

If you'd prefer to keep it as pale as poss you could use sanding sealer, then wax on top if you like.

Second is going to be more difficult I fear, navy blue surface (again around 20% gloss) with exposed edges. How would I do this? Paint and then sand back the edges, or mask? Do I need a sanding sealer?

Painting over and then sanding back is a good way to get a really pristine edge to the paint film. A light coat of finish on the edges, which could be sanding sealer, does help.

Masking can obviously work to keep paint off an edge but IME any masking leaves a slight hump which I find unsightly. And anyway masking a compound curve with regular tape is a nightmare! I'd want to use something like Parafilm M but that's not exactly something you can pop down to B&Q to buy and you'd need to be using a water-bourne paint.

 

[thick_mike]

Been thinking about fixings and I’d really like to avoid a false back on the shelves if possible. I’m pondering if it’s possible to have dowels set into the wall using a chemical fixing. They would be angled upwards and match corresponding holes drilled into the vertical sections of the shelves. Sort of like a micro French cleat. Not sure if wood or steel stud would be appropriate for this.

Also wondering if I should fix the horizontals to the verticals, or Just leave them loose. The fit of the joints provides plenty of inherent structural strength, but I wonder if I should pop a dowel into the cross overs.

Any thoughts or opinions welcome as I’m going round in circles here. Especially if you have experience of these chemical fixings.

 

[AndyT]

A few thoughts as requested from someone who has hung shelves and cupboards but nothing as sleek as your shelves...

Sloping studs into sloping holes sound good but there's no scope for correcting inaccuracies. You'd need a full size grid/jig which could be drilled through one way to make holes in the shelves then held up to the wall to make matching holes. And still you could hit a stone and knock the whole thing skew.

That said, there are some fixings with an eccentric part which you can rotate. However, if you use more than two, your possible adjustment might not go where you want it.

You might be able to fudge some adjustments using pins which are a loose fit into the shelves, but packing them out.

Think about how the shelves will be seen. If it's from above, then you can hide fixings under the horizontals.

I think I would make or adapt some brass or steel strips, set in to the back and spanning a whole cell or just a corner. Screw from behind, into the edge of the plywood. Countersunk screws from the front hold everything to the wall. Easy to mark out from the front and only need ordinary plugs. Paint them the same colour as the wall and they will nearly disappear.

It might be reassuring to see some fixings and it would be easy when you move house and take the shelves with you.

 

[thick_mike]

A few thoughts as requested from someone who has hung shelves and cupboards but nothing as sleek as your shelves...

Sloping studs into sloping holes sound good but there's no scope for correcting inaccuracies. You'd need a full size grid/jig which could be drilled through one way to make holes in the shelves then held up to the wall to make matching holes. And still you could hit a stone and knock the whole thing skew.

That said, there are some fixings with an eccentric part which you can rotate. However, if you use more than two, your possible adjustment might not go where you want it.

You might be able to fudge some adjustments using pins which are a loose fit into the shelves, but packing them out.

Think about how the shelves will be seen. If it's from above, then you can hide fixings under the horizontals.

I think I would make or adapt some brass or steel strips, set in to the back and spanning a whole cell or just a corner. Screw from behind, into the edge of the plywood. Countersunk screws from the front hold everything to the wall. Easy to mark out from the front and only need ordinary plugs. Paint them the same colour as the wall and they will nearly disappear.

It might be reassuring to see some fixings and it would be easy when you move house and take the shelves with you.

Many thanks for that. I think you are correct about my suggestion, it will be very difficult to get things lined up and will involve a lot of faff, but that seems to have been an inherent part of this project anyway! I think I will try it and if it goes wrong there is nothing lost as I can just admit defeat and use a more pragmatic approach.

 

[MikeG.]

Been thinking about fixings and I’d really like to avoid a false back on the shelves if possible. I’m pondering if it’s possible to have dowels set into the wall using a chemical fixing. They would be angled upwards and match corresponding holes drilled into the vertical sections of the shelves. Sort of like a micro French cleat. Not sure if wood or steel stud would be appropriate for this.

Also wondering if I should fix the horizontals to the verticals, or Just leave them loose. The fit of the joints provides plenty of inherent structural strength, but I wonder if I should pop a dowel into the cross overs.

Any thoughts or opinions welcome as I’m going round in circles here. Especially if you have experience of these chemical fixings.

Screws are a dowel, but stronger and easier to use.

The issue isn't the fixing into the wall (chemical anchoring a shelf hanging is way over the top, when a screw and plug will do perfectly well). No, the issue is the shelf end of the equation. What do you do at/ with/ to the shelves to allow them to hang on something sticking out of the wall.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

You could put a couple of mirrors or photos with card borders cut to fit the apertures in to cover any fixings.

 

[thick_mike]

Been thinking about fixings and I’d really like to avoid a false back on the shelves if possible. I’m pondering if it’s possible to have dowels set into the wall using a chemical fixing. They would be angled upwards and match corresponding holes drilled into the vertical sections of the shelves. Sort of like a micro French cleat. Not sure if wood or steel stud would be appropriate for this.

Also wondering if I should fix the horizontals to the verticals, or Just leave them loose. The fit of the joints provides plenty of inherent structural strength, but I wonder if I should pop a dowel into the cross overs.

Any thoughts or opinions welcome as I’m going round in circles here. Especially if you have experience of these chemical fixings.

Screws are a dowel, but stronger and easier to use.

The issue isn't the fixing into the wall (chemical anchoring a shelf hanging is way over the top, when a screw and plug will do perfectly well). No, the issue is the shelf end of the equation. What do you do at/ with/ to the shelves to allow them to hang on something sticking out of the wall.

Yes, I’m coming back to the keyhole hangers I think. Just weighed the shelves on my bathroom scales and they are 22kg

 

[thick_mike]

You could put a couple of mirrors or photos with card borders cut to fit the apertures in to cover any fixings.

Yes, that’s plan C

 

[Doingupthehouse]

How about something like this.

https://bit.ly/2rgeiRC

Simon

 

[MikeG.]

How about something like this.

https://bit.ly/2rgeiRC

Simon

15mm diameter. Shelves are 15mm thick/ wide. We're back to the same issue: how do you make a fixing into the shelves.

 

[John Brown]

Pocket hole screws? Or is that blasphemous?