Elliptical shelves WIP

[thick_mike]

Not sure I’ve ever posted anything I’ve made from wood here, I’ve always been too embarrassed by my efforts, so I thought I should break my duck.

I need some shelves for my bedroom and this circular unit caught my eye.

Except...the space I have isn’t suitable for a circular shape, so I decided to make them based on an ellipse.

 

[thick_mike]

I’ve never made anything like this before, so I thought I’d do a bit of a paper mock up of what I wanted.

All string and drawing pins at this point.

 

[thick_mike]

So then it was time for some maths.

Ropey line of best fit...

Then cut the templates out of 6mm MDF

 

[thick_mike]

Cut the templates out on the bandsaw, then smoothed out the curves by sanding.

 

[thick_mike]

I had no idea if the maths had worked, so I made a prototype out of cardboard.

Then tried it for size in situ.

 

[thick_mike]

So then I bought some 15mm birch ply and started routing shelves and cutting joints.

And this is where I am...

 

[Clwydianrange]

That’s looking good Mike mate

 

[Grawschbags]

Love it. Well done.

Saved some pictures of shelving like that myself.

Bet it's heavy!

 

[sunnybob]

An amzing amount of work, and well done.
but your missus is gonna curse you every time she tries to dust those tiny recessess. :shock:

 

[Co1]

Very nice!

 

[AndyT]

I think you need to change your username - that's very clever!

(Btw the images aren't showing in your first two posts.)

 

[Dandan]

That looks great, I can imagine getting all the intersections flush will be a pain, especially at the steeper outer intersections, probably easiest to do once assembled?
Look forward to seeing the finished article!

 

[thick_mike]

I think you need to change your username - that's very clever!

(Btw the images aren't showing in your first two posts.)

Not sure what’s happened there, I’ll try to fix it in a bit

 

[thick_mike]

That looks great, I can imagine getting all the intersections flush will be a pain, especially at the steeper outer intersections, probably easiest to do once assembled?
Look forward to seeing the finished article!

Yes, that’s the thing that’s making my head spin at the moment. Going to explore what happens when a spokeshave meets plywood, I’m not sure that’s going to be a very happy combination. Sanding will be a nightmare...and the steeper joins will be a bit sharp and fragile. Probably better to leave some of the joints a bit chunky and sacrifice the aesthetics for practicality.

Also trying to work out a good way of fixing to the wall. If I’d thought it through I could have cut some thinner halving joints thinner and fixed through them into the wall for a floating shelf. I might teach a plate to the back and try a false back the same colour as the wall on a couple of the compartments to hide the fixings.

 

[novocaine]

I saw this design show up on grand designs something like 12 years ago and loved it so much I did the design work to make it, I got as far as CADing up the templates (I was a design engineer and draftsman at the time it made sense) and making a card mock up before I was told we wouldn't be having it. still love it now.

you're doing a grand job and it looks stunning. I'd leave off the spoke shave and go with a very sharp block plane, mark the cut line then knock it down and work from either side to get the shape then sand from there (you'll knock the corners off otherwise).

think I might shake out the designs and have another crack at it, in MDF though, maybe with a nice edging of birch or beech.

also, yes, a few false backs in 3 cubes wont be noticed and will let you hang it.

 

[ED65]

This is looking great Mike, and bravo on all the planning and templates =D>

Sanding will be a nightmare...

Hard block, good paper (or Abranet), what could possibly go wrong?

Also trying to work out a good way of fixing to the wall.

Keyhole hangers?

Not sure how much weight they can support but they're the first thing I think of when I see shelving units like this.

 

[Racers]

Very nice.
I mount stuff like that with metal plates in the corners, rebate a triangular plate in to an upright and cross piece with a few screws and use a hole the hypotenuse to fix to the wall, I make mine from stainless steel.
A spokeshave or block plane up hill will work o/k.

Pete

 

[Geoff_S]

Wow, you have some patience and skill. Very nice!

 

[thick_mike]

Thanks for all the kind comments and suggestions.

I hate dust, much prefer taking wood off in larger lumps, hence the preference for a bladed tool like a block plane or spokeshave over files/rasps/abrasives. Never planed plywood though, so I might have to resort to block and paper.

Triangular plate rebated into the rear of the shelf and vertical is exactly what I had in mind Pete. Would be nice to have pure floating shelves using the keyhole hanger idea , but I think that will be too flimsy as the shelves are quite heavy (pretty much a full sheet of 15mm ply).

Can you tell me if the photos in the first two posts are working now? Seems ok from my son’s iPad.

 

[MusicMan]

Nice work. You could put a complete elliptical ply back on it (screwed from behind) and screw that to the wall?