Shelving joints?

[BARCUD]

Hi, I have been posting in the tools section regarding tools for some projects I have planned. I have made mdf shelving units in the past using plastic blocks and screws to put it together. Of course it rocked, literally! I want to put some wooden shelving units together for the kitchen.

My question is what method should I use to join the unit together? I have watched Kreg jig demo's on the web and thought that might be a good idea for the shelves and other projects I have planned that will need joins?

Any ideas?

 

[gregers]

you could just use a simple butt joint with glue/screws etc.
or halving joints
or router out a tad at the back so it can take a ply backing to keep it square.
or even install cam locks.

it all depends on your skills/tools etc.

lots of info on the web,take a look and see what your limits are.

 

[Dave54]

Problem with asking which are the best tools to do a particular job is that you're going to get a lot of different answers.
The Kreg jig looks OK for some things, I've never used one, but I like proper glued up joints for making things. I'd go for a biscuit jointer. Quick and easy way to make pretty well anything furniture wise with wood, and you can't really tell the difference between biscuits and "proper" joints once it's assembled.
Really any way is OK as long as it's strong enough, and makes a decent looking job. As gregers says lots of how to on the net. Whatever you use, you'll need a way to accurately cut the boards cleanly and square on the ends. Again as gregers says, put a back in shelf units if you can. Makes them a lot stronger.

 

[big-all]

cut the ends to size

lay side by side mark the shelve positions by 2 lines across both boards
drill a 5mm hole central between the lines 20-25 from the front and back edges and a screw every55- 65mm
flip the boards and countersink the holes
use 4.5 or 5mm 50 to 60mm long
do not bother piloting unless the wood quality is poor or the grain is all over the place or a knot
fill holes and paint

 

[Dave54]

cut the ends to size

lay side by side mark the shelve positions by 2 lines across both boards
drill a 5mm hole central between the lines 20-25 from the front and back edges and a screw every55- 65mm
flip the boards and countersink the holes
use 4.5 or 5mm 50 to 60mm long
do not bother piloting unless the wood quality is poor or the grain is all over the place or a knot
fill holes and paint

I'm shocked!
You should use mitred dovetails for the corners of the carcase, and tapered dovetailed, stopped housings for the shelves. All in quarter sawn English oak with an oiled finish.
Seriously though, screwing it together like that is a good solution. Quick, easy and a minimum of tools and jigs.

 

[gregers]

nah blind tennons are the way,

 

[BARCUD]

Cheers, some good advice. Loads of stuff on the internet.

The biscuit method looks a good method but probably suited for someone a bit more skilled than me.

The butt method with glue and screws looks a good bet for me. A problem I think I might encounter is trying to put the screws in without a pilot and not getting the angle right and putting the screw out through the top or bottom of a shelf!

Dove tails ? ... I thought you were serious for a while! I will be going for an oak finish though.

thanks again.

 

[big-all]

english oak you will need pilot holes and brass or stainless screws but 1 3/4-2"
screw together steel screws first then replace 2 at a time from each end

 

[big-all]

please remove duplicate

 

[foxhole]

Whatever method you use it is likely to rock unless corners are braced or better still it has a back to it, which gives it tremendous strength.

 

[BARCUD]

I will add a back to any units I do as suggested to add strength.

My first job now is to put together a bench to work on. Some good examples on the internet.

 

[gregers]

make a bench out of scaffold boards,then cover in cheap ply screwed down,then after a few years when its looking shabby,unscrew it turn ply over rescrew,jobs a gooden.

 

[BARCUD]

Great idea! I have a really long scaffold board in the garage.

Do you guys manage without a bench vice?

 

[gregers]

funny enough i use a workmate for clamping stuff,or just speed clamp things to my bench when needed.
i dont have the luxury of having a home workshop,just a garage full of stuff so space is limited.
at work i have a workbench etc with a carpenters vice.and various saw horses etc.

try to think outside the box,and problems you thought you had disappear,invest in lots of clamps,these are very useful,
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=r...heads&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&tbm=shop

oh maybe add a couple of band clamps aswell.

 

[big-all]

I will add a back to any units I do as suggested to add strength.


.

if you are putting a back on and you dont want it showing at the edge the easiest way is to fit the top to the sides temporary pin the legs together via the bottom edge if it dosent have a bottom section
lay on the face then router out a 7mm groove the same depth as the material thickness +1mm
you then fit the shelves to be flush with the rebate
if you use txg cladding you can save waste by joining lengths on the shelve line

if you are molding the edges you need to run the router round all edges exposed before assembly

when i make shelves for say a welsh dresser i will make the shelves from say 6x1"par [21x 143mm]the sides will be made from 1" bigger 7x1" this with the rebate in the back will give you around 18mm set back from the sides
the top will be again 1" bigger and will overhang the front by 25mm and the sides by 21mm