Alcove shelves

Shimmyhill · 2 Sep 2013 at 18:24

Has anyone had fitted or fitted alcove shelves?

In our living room and backing onto daughters bedroom there is a good sized alcove ideal for shelving. In daughters room i would want some high gloss white shelves but in ours i suspect more oak like.

Having done some online quotes i am shocked at the quotes.

I could quite easily batten out the shelves, fix ply/mdf on top and front but its getting a finnish i'm not so sure of - i presume pro ones are sprayed and lacquered rather than brushed on?

So anyone done it, how did it go and pics of results would be great?!!?

Hyburnate · 2 Sep 2013 at 18:28

It looks very very easy. Create your own brackets at the height you want them.

Like this.

And then get the wood with the finish you want.

Edit:
http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/30193733/
High gloss, if it's too big for the gap, simple cut it down to the exact size of the whole and simply beat it into place.

pitchfork · 2 Sep 2013 at 19:17

Depends on the condition of your walls.

I originally wanted shelves but I ended up removing the plaster and building custom units. Because the walls were so out of true with some solid mahogany and quality veneered ply (Georgian terrace, original plaster).

In something a bit newer it wouldn't be difficult at all to build alcove shelves though.

Shimmyhill · 2 Sep 2013 at 19:40

Thoes Ikea shelves are too small - gap is nearer 120cm!

The walls here will be out of true no doubt, 1960s bungalow plastered by a chap with sight issues from what we have found so far!

Hyburnate · 2 Sep 2013 at 19:57

That's a shame

Turns a simple job into a hard one.

Nightglow · 2 Sep 2013 at 23:31

Paint mdf with a 100mm mini roller with foam roller sleeve, nice smooth finish.

pitchfork · 3 Sep 2013 at 07:59

I'd always say paint with mohair roller and lay off.

Wet and dry between coats as well, finish like glass.

Shaz]sigh[ · 3 Sep 2013 at 09:37

I did this last year, I created a frame (I think from 1.5x1.5) attached to the walls, braced across the front and middle then glued and pinned 6mm MDF to the bottom/top and front.

Was then a case of a decent wood primer followed by sanding and a couple of coats of eggshell.

I also had a couple of sets of MDF doors made up for the fronts to create a cheap cabinet look (mostly to hide the AV stuff).

Three things of note for me:

I wish I had a circ saw back then as it would have made life easier
I wish I'd used softer filler for sanding as it would have made life easier
I wish I had a device to stop dust dropping on the finishing coats overnight as it would have made life easier...

Shimmyhill · 3 Sep 2013 at 10:33

Thanks, that looks exactly what we want Shaz]sigh[ shelving wise!

valve90210 · 3 Sep 2013 at 11:31

I'm looking at doing almost exactly the same but I would like the shelves to be solid wood or rather look like they are soild wood, how could I go about doing this?

Nightglow · 3 Sep 2013 at 11:59

I got a 2.5mtr Lagan solid work top from Ikea, ripped it length wise to give two 300mm wide shelves, these were then cut in half to give four shelves

Rounded over fronts edges with my router.

Could always look on the bay, for a used solid wood worktop or breakfast bar, it would only need refinishing.

valve90210 · 3 Sep 2013 at 12:13

How did you fix them to the walls though without any fixings showing?

I'm contemplating using some pine board that wickes sell (or similar from elsewhere) which is approx 28mm thick. Would this be ok or would I experience problems with expansion and warping?

Shaz]sigh[ · 3 Sep 2013 at 12:27

valve90210 said:
How did you fix them to the walls though without any fixings showing?

I'm contemplating using some pine board that wickes sell (or similar from elsewhere) which is approx 28mm thick. Would this be ok or would I experience problems with expansion and warping?

For cheapness, I'd contemplate floating shelf fixings and potentially trying to get yourself a portion of kitchen worktop in whichever wood you want. The only issues are that you can't support the shelf all the way round so you'd be limited on weight (solid wood will weigh a lot too!) and there will be a lot of scribing involved as you can't fit flush to the wall nor seal.

I'm sure there are better ways to do it but that's off the top of my head.

valve90210 · 3 Sep 2013 at 13:03

I really don't like those flaoting shelf fixings as they never seem to stay level and as you say they're not great for supporting much weight (not that I really plan on putting huge amounts on but even so.

This is almost exactly what I want to do and how I'd like ti to look (though I'd like a slightly different colour wood finish)

Nightglow · 3 Sep 2013 at 13:06

valve90210 said:
How did you fix them to the walls though without any fixings showing?

I'm contemplating using some pine board that wickes sell (or similar from elsewhere) which is approx 28mm thick. Would this be ok or would I experience problems with expansion and warping?

My secret!

Have done it two different ways in the past.

Drill & plug two holes either side of alcove,front hole set 40mm from front edge of shelf.
Screwed in two 100mm timber Decking Screws,leaving 40-50mm protruding, cut off the heads, these are the hidden shelf supports.

Cut corresponding slots ( I used router to cut two 6.5mm slots) in under side of shelf for shelf to sit on screws, then cut two piece of matching wood to glue in & cover slots, rub down & finish.

I had several metres of 6x30mm flat steel bar, so cut it width of recess, & welded three pieces of 15mm round steel bar to it, & also drill four countersunk fixing holes
Drill two or more holes 15mm holes about 250mm depth in rear edge of shelf.( Depends on length of shelf)
Ended up using coach screws for fixing, as I didn't have any large screws available.
Fixed to bracket to wall, put epoxy glue in shelf holes & slide the the shelf home on the round bar.

These shelve were loaded with books, hi, etc & never failed.

Shelves were still there when I moved house some years ago.

Nightglow · 3 Sep 2013 at 13:21

Shaz]sigh[;24877009 said:
The only issues are that you can't support the shelf all the way round so you'd be limited on weight (solid wood will weigh a lot too!) and there will be a lot of scribing involved as you can't fit flush to the wall nor seal.

I'm sure there are better ways to do it but that's off the top of my head.

I worked with a old joiner years ago, & he had several, different lengths, of what he called his scribing stick.

Two pieces of 2x1, one with a centre slot a about 500mm long, other with a bolt to join both together.

He would take several measurements, say of a alcove using his extending stick , & then transcribe them to a shelf, mark the points with a straight edge,got a perfect fit every time..

valve90210 · 3 Sep 2013 at 13:36

I like the idea of the hidden screw fixings, I guess with careful measuring you could also add a couple along the back wall to give extra support?

If I ever needed/wanted to remove the shelves i guess it would be a matter olocating the screwsthen using my handy multitool to plunge cut through them and carefully prise the shelf out.

What are your thoughts on this pine board from wickes for the shelving with thinner 18mm stuff used for making cupboard units below

http://www.wickes.co.uk/timberboard-600x2050x28mm/invt/110159/

Nightglow · 3 Sep 2013 at 14:04

Darn expensive!

And the ones at my local Wickes were warped, damaged edges & some been chewed by the forklift.

If your making a cupboard carcase, you can get veneer ply in a range of finishes, & use iron on edging.

Did have a look at B&Q for furniture panels, but site is down.

This link gives you a idea of what furniture panels are available.

http://www.jwtimber.co.uk/furniture-panels.html

inogen · 3 Sep 2013 at 14:13

I made some last year. Screw battens into the wall then screw mdf to the top, bottom and front. I also made supporting struts that came out from the batten on the back wall, which I screwed the front mdf into.

BnQ will cut your mdf to size. Though each piece needs some adjustment, which is much easier with a miter (not just a circular) saw. HSS hire them out. You actually want the mdf cut ever slightly too big for the recess. It'll stay flat once screwed and glued, but that way you end up with a shelf wedged rather than just screwed in to the wall.

The shelves I built like this can support my weight. I can dangle off the front of them and they don't budge or even creak. I don't envy anyone who attempts to remove them

I made six long (1.5m+) shelves for about £150 including saw hire.

valve90210 · 3 Sep 2013 at 15:10

Nightglow said:
Darn expensive!

And the ones at my local Wickes were warped, damaged edges & some been chewed by the forklift.

If your making a cupboard carcase, you can get veneer ply in a range of finishes, & use iron on edging.

Did have a look at B&Q for furniture panels, but site is down.

This link gives you a idea of what furniture panels are available.

http://www.jwtimber.co.uk/furniture-panels.html

To be honest I hadn't really done much looking about for prices etc I just happened across the board whilst browsing wickes the other day. Looking at the site you linked they only seem to go to 25mm thickness, really I'd like something a little thicker for my shelves (maybe 50mm), unless I coule easily use two sheets without it looking like two sheets?

Essentially I'm looking to make something like the pic I posted earlier. I was thinking nice thick wooden shelves and then cupboard made up of 2x1 frame work faced up with timber boarding, with the doors also made from the timber board with some routed detailing on them. The top surface also I'd like to be nice solid wood too.