Regarding applications of this design: I built out my son's closet with shelves and hangers. I had to be careful how high I built the top/top shelf because the opening to the attic/crawl space is through this particular closet. If you could build shelves like this in a closet in such a way that they would double as a sort of ladder into the crawl space, it might be really helpful. Also, in a garage, you might build shelves with this sort of strength for storage, such that (again) they double as a ladder/steps to get to the higher shelves at any time.
SHELF THAT STRONG = To have a floating shelf of books. I hate when it sags and bows and whatever else happens when you buy pre-made crappy versions of this. Great work. I think the extra planning helps the bottom shelf clear the tiles in the back.
Plates, bowls and cups can add up to be more weight than you think. Also if you use those shelves to store pots or pans, that weight can add up in a hurry as well. Great job, they look fantastic!
Could also see storing your kitchen gadgets. Usually the one's you'd want out in the open are the nicer ones, which are usually actually made from cast metal.
Pro-tip from old-timey woodworkers: When you put the holes into the studs, the longer auger bit would have been fine. Put a ring (like a wedding band) on the shank before you drill. As you drill, the ring will travel up or down the shank if you're not even. Left and right you can sight down from the top against a square held next to the bit (might need to stand on the counter and have an extra pair of hands for the square). Also the longer bit should be a better choice because if you're off 5mm at the end of it that translates to a smaller error angle than a shorter bit, it's easier to see any error. edit: Also I think auger bits have better tracking through the depth of the cut if you start in square.
This was a great video. This is DIY home improvement. You make overly unnecessary plans, you struggle and then you realize there’s actually a tool out there that solves your problem. When your done you question why ever needed it as you originally designed. 😊
For me the main reason why your channel is so much better than most other DIY channels on UA-cam is that you are so open about the mistakes you made during the process. You go into so much detail about what went wrong, why it did and how to prevent it or make the most out of it if it occurs. Most other channels will just say "if A happens, do B instead to fix it", but you make sure the viewer actually understands the mode and effect of a certain mistake, which is the most effective way of preventing them.
Bob! I hung butcher block as a shelf and I used similar method, instead of using a solid rod, I used a threaded rod and "screwed" into the stud by putting two nuts together and using a ratchet wrench. The recipient hole on the shelf got a slightly wider hole allowing for alignment but filled with epoxy. It was like 15$.
Good to see how you corrected from the problem. It's nice to see how a mistake was made but you didn't give up, just came at the problem from another way. That's the core of making anything - you're going to hit roadbumps. I installed floating shelves in my home office - but I was using a pre-made kit and it was still a pain to do it to a good standard. There's nothing like a floating shelf to tell you that your walls aren't perfectly straight!!
Glad you shared this idea of installing rods that penetrate both, the wall and the shelf. Will keep it from flexing and bending over the front down after a while. This what happened after few years on IKEA floating shelves that are pretty much for displaying few lightweight pieces and not storing books or kitchen hardware.
Right tool for the right job.... crazy talk. Anyways, I could see using a shelf like that to store all of the small kitchen appliances on. Sure, a single small appliance isn't too bad...start putting 2-3 on a shelf and you start hitting some serious weight. And if you have commercial grade ones it gets even heavier. So, I could see it for that. Also, this helps me think of a solution for my guest bedroom. We plan on putting a lot of our collector edition items, movie props, etc and some of them do have some heft to them. I'm glad you came forward with the mistakes and things to think about when I get ready to build something like that. This turns it into a learning experience that I didn't have to go through.
"Human weight rated" shelves would be helpful in a number of kitchens I've been in due to the use of large jars of bulk ingredients. This would work well for folks with heavier or more numerous dishes. We had a hanging cabinet come off the wall in our home because our collection of stoneware and glass dishes exceeded the support capacity of the hardware it was installed with... at 3:00 AM. Though effective, I would not recommend it as an alarm sound to start the day right. Great job on the project, problem solving and "in-home crash prevention"!
Videos where you recover from a failed attempt are great, I won't make that mistake for sure. Thanks from Colorado, Merry Christmas to you, your family and everyone at ILTMS.
Good video, The first time I put together floating shelves, I learned the hard way that drilling holes that are perfectly straight is hard. My problem was getting the holes in the shelves straight. I ended up just redoing the entire thing and using two 1 inch boards and used a router to make the holes for the supports before laminating them. I have made floating shelves for a few more area in the house since and have decided that the look is not really worth the hassle. And that my starndard solid shelves look and function really well.
I appreciate that you show the mistakes. It helps go to show that you can take all sorts of precautions, and have all sorts of tools and ideas. But something can go wrong anyway.
Nice job on the shelves. I did something very similar for two 8 ft floating shelves when we first moved into our house. The difference was that instead of steel rod I used some 5/8 inch all thread. I drilled slightly undersized holes into the studs and then used two nuts on the all thread, locked together, to screw the all thread into the hole in the stud with a socket driver. I then took the nuts off and was able to slip the shelf over the all thread. The threads on the all thread also helped to bite into the holes in the shelf, especially when weight was placed on the shelf. They stayed up that way for many years until we remodel our kitchen and sadly had to remove the floating shelves.
In the midst of doing this exact project! The only difference is the shelves are for a closet, not a kitchen. I have been stalling on it due to the issues you had... Drilling the holes perfectly is daunting. One thing to consider about weight capacity is not just what is on the shelves. The brackets have to support the shelves themselves. Solid wood is quite heavy. Like others have mentioned, I was wondering about the drill guide. The other thought I had was about the flat stock. I kept wondering why it was needed. Glad you figured it all out! My one question... Are the rods secured to either the studs or the shelf? Not sure if that is even needed.
I have a simple reason: if you just want something to be solid this makes so much sense. The floating shelves I have seen aren't solid to begin with. You couldn't even use them to place books on. And that drill guide is a good idea for a lot of more purposes. Great idea.
A friend of mine is a contractor and does a lot of custom work. He had me work with him on an install job and we had a very similar issue with a huge live edge shelf that was being installed over a countertop for a bar in someone's home. It was designed to hold a ton of liquor bottles so it had a custom welded bracket specifically made for the piece... and then we couldn't get the shelf to slide on to the pegs. The frustration of trying to tap a 10'-12' long live edge floating shelf onto a custom made bracket that it just doesn't want to go on to is a deeply maddening experience. It isn't as simple as just putting a board up and smacking with a hammer or you damage the live edge. The frustrations culminated when we were getting it into place and my shoulder flexed and cracked the drywall ceiling above me. It was an easy patch and paint and the customers were EXTREMELY understanding about it but, man oh man, was that an embarrassing and frustrating job. Well done, sir. You handle the frustrations of the work very well (in camera at least lol). I love this channel and keep up the great work!
I’m using a similar design, and storing pasteurised fruit juice which gets heavy quickly. My studs are on 60mm spacing, and I used 10mm threaded rod into 35mm threaded inserts in the studs, having over drilled the drywall to get to the stud. Thanks for sharing
I actually used this exact method to make a Floating desk that wraps around my studio. I used 3/4" x 24" threaded steel rods to support three butcher blocks. Each were 1 3/4" thick and 25" deep. They were 72", 100", and 112" weighting approximately 70lbs, 100lbs, and 110lbs respectively. I actually made a couple simple jigs out of scrap wood to make sure the 21"deep holes in the butcher block and 3" deep holes in the studs were perfectly straight that prevented the issues you had, but aligning all those holes and studs with that long and heavy of a piece was a nightmare. I found staggering the rods by putting them in every other hole in the butcher block and the rest already in the wall made it a bit easier. I also only used contractor glue in every other set of holes to prevent movement out of the studs or away from the wall but still allowing for seasonal movement. So to answer your question at the end of the video- yes, using steel rods to brace weight for wooded shelve (or desks) has real world uses. Musicians love to sit on desks while in the studio without thinking first, and I don't have to hold my breath that everything is going to collapse and cause a lawsuit lol
I"ve installed shelves this way before.. instead of using a "hole" in the shelf, you can simply cut out a slot.. makes installation much easier and you can adjust where the shelf sits on the wall left to right.
I made mine similar, but routed out the space for the bracket into the shelf and fit it to the shelf on the bench. I used 5/8 lag bolts near the rods and screwed them into the studs
As a diyer and a horticulturist would say it's great for plant shelves for heavier pots. I often have to use heavy duty anchors when I hanging my houseplants from the ceiling.
Great work Bob! I built some floating shelves for a client. They wanted to store all their liquor bottles on them, weight I'm sure would be close to that of a human. I used a similar method with cold rolled steel going into the studs and shelves. The drill guide is key!
Excruciating to watch you choose the shorter drill bit, when the longer one would have given you a much greater reference to tell if you were square and level! Still a great shelf and great job done 👍
This video just solved a problem that I was having in trying to figure out how to hang the floating solid wood shelves that I made. Awesome! Thank you.
There is a reason for shelves this strong. I’m building shelves for a guitar setup. My amplifier alone weighs about 80 pounds. I started with steel rods also and was worried about getting them parallel. The drill guide is a great idea. Thank you!
I've thought of building a small narrow floating 'shelf' at a low height in my entryway to sit down and put on shoes, this might be perfect for that. Thanks for trying this out!
I've got a cabinet over my fridge that used to have a 3/4" plywood wall holding it up, but I had to remove that wall to fit in a wider fridge. So now the cabinet is just sitting on top of the fridge. Having this kind of connection would be perfect for keeping that very large, very heavy cabinet up and happy on the wall.
You asked why would you make a shelf that is floating and strong enough to held your weight? Here is my answer, I consider myself to be an incidental wood worker because I don't really like wood working per say, however, I have a passion for model railroading, and you my friend have covered many aspects of what I consider to be my hobby. If you want to mount a three to five foot wide shelf to wall so that you can build a multi-dock model railroad on up to three shelves that are either above or below each other, and are strong enough to carry a model railroad on each shelf without having L brackets get in the way this method looks to be the best way to do that. Not only have you helped me with this idea that shows real world engineering, but also in you other thing you have produced videos on that me as a model railroader can use, such as 3D printing, and how to manage a shop space, and for that I say thank you.
With the drill guide, if you extend the two guides lower than the base, you can also use it to center the guide on your board. My dad has been using a drill guide for 50 years.
Reasons for self that can hold you: to put the kitchen cookery stuff up but not high. Like stand mixer, air fryer, oil fryer, blender, and chopper. I hate them in cardboard or on top of the fridge, but I don't use them all the time. To have a shelf mid level so I can pull them down easy and put them back easy works for me. Thank you for this video. Project for next summer.
Your final design was literally what i did with my floating shelves - I just 3d printed a jig to guide my drill (if you had a drill press you could just drill a block of wood instead and use that as a guide)
I dont think thats a good idea. Shelves are wide and short, while stairs are the opposite, so the leverage of the stair maybe too much, not for the steel, but for the wall.
So I did this exact thing in my kitchen. I just used a drilling guide, which is much cheaper. I also ran into problems getting the poles in the shelf so I bored out the holes so that they all went on looser, then filled the holes and coated the poles with construction adhesive, then rigged the shelves up with rope and whatever else to hold them into place where they were level. That adhesive dried and they all stayed in place perfectly.
This is exactly what I need for my office. I need a floating shelf for my printer and supplies. I don’t want to place a regular cabinet in the space and this idea works fine. Lucky for me The only thing I need is the drill guide tool. I’ll be using either walnut or mahogany.
I did something very similar - the use case? I needed to hold a lot of books and it was above a piano...so I wanted a floating shelf look. A lot of the books were piano sheet music so 12 inches or taller so it ended up needing to be quite sturdy. In addition to what Bob and crew have shown, a few things I learned along the way. 1: your walls are not straight, so if you try and make the shelf about 5 feet long (incidentally about the width of a piano), your straight shelf will reveal your wavy walls. Fixable, but just something to keep in mind. 2: I went to the trouble of reinforcing my studs by scabbing on a second 2x4 and hanging my shelves from those extra 2x4s. It was a lot of work to open up the walls but I was doing a big reno so it was worth it. For me, I didn't feel comfortable putting 3 holes (5/8") through each stud (I did three shelves). 3: I created a jig out of scrap plywood that I used to determine my hole spacing and to keep my drill level when going in to the wall and the shelves. I marked the jig with an "in" and "out" marking so I knew when I was drilling into the wall or the shelf. In the end I had to ream the shelf holes out a bit to make it fit but it is still rock-solid. I made my shelves as torsion boxes (1/4 maple ply outside, plywood ribs inside) as that kept it straight, strong and also meant I didn't need to be 8/4 solid maple which would have been expensive (and unnecessary really). Great project and sorry to see your pain along the way.
I built a floating shelf for a friend years ago. I used 3/8 threaded steel rods through the shelf and the studs. Watching your first method made me question if I should have done it differently. Then I saw your final solution. Btw I didn't have a drill guide, I used 2 scraps and made a perfect 90⁰ corner. I laid the shank of the bit on the interior corner to get rid of play. I hope that made sense
I'm a firm believer in building things more robust than needed. If you build exact, everything has to be exactly perfect. Build it twice as strong, and you safely cover more errors in the process. It also helps against deflection or sagging over time. I think this is even more important when things will be taking on dynamic loads. A 15lb cast iron dutch oven dropped down could be like 40 lbs. And now imagine you during that process you slip off a step stool and grab the shelf. NICE WORK!
Had to install a set of shelves a while ago for a friend in his garage. He was using it as a storage rack for his scuba diving gear. It was on an exterior wall and the houses in my country are brick. We drilled through the wall and had threaded rod going all the way through with steel plate and nuts on the back of the wall. If that shelf ever came down with the weight, it would pull that entire wall down
Ive got a great reason for a shelf this strong. I keep fish tanks and a lot of them! This would be a perfect way to display some of my smaller tanks (several weigh 50# or more when full of water sand etc)
This definitly gave me flash backs to some projects I've done in the past! Let's just say I know a lot of ways how to NOT do things lol. Great video, Bob!
The only use I can think of: My friend has a similar design using threaded rods on the shelves in his sewing room. He has a bunch of vintage sewing machines and doesn't have much room. He wanted his shelves to last his lifetime and is also picky about how things look. He puts 150lbs+ on his shelves regularly and they've lasted years. He ran 1/2" threaded rod all the way through the 2" thick by 9.5" deep maple shelves and into the studs. He tapped the studs about 1.5" deep to match the threaded rod. There are countersunk holes in the front of the shelves with a nut and washer. He then put 1/2" edge banding over the holes after they were installed. Been there for over 10 years and no sag even with those cast iron monsters sitting on them. They face a lot of pulling because he drags the sewing machines off the shelves sometimes, hence the threaded rod.
AWESOME! My 8 ft "floating" shelves are on the wall (with L brackets screwed into all studs) wish I had found this video before the install. And yes, the plan to load books onto 8 ft long floating shelves need them to be able to hold a human's weight ;) Thank you again!
Larger set of shelves I made in a bar. Holding 3-4 bottles deep and about 20 or so wide really adds up. Also once made a shelf over a kitchen window about these wide but a little deeper. Only had like 3 things to put up there but each one was around 50-60lbs. Sometimes holding your weight is a great goal. And ideas like this are good when there is no space for brackets or you’re trying to achieve a clean look.
What I love about your channel is journey of making things it wouldn't be fun if everything is perfect first time you try different stuff until it works
I think this design is great for multi purpose use in compact spaces, such a shelf ledge/ladder/steps in a storage area. I would love to use it for floating shelving in a garage.
Love this troubleshooting that you allowed us to be a part of. Could this concept (rod into shelf and then into hole in the wall stud) be used for say a bench application? I've always wanted to do a floating cabinet type of shelf in our living area but be able to sit on it as well. Thanks as always for your insight!
That's funny, I have one of the first "drill guides" made. I picked it up at one of our state fairs in the commercial booth section. It's called a Port-Aiign (close enough). All aluminum, all adjustable, no numbers on it. Still works flawlessly. It's a pain to install so it lives on a dedicated corded drill. It's around 45 years old. Alternatively, you could made a guide from a block of wood with a hole drilled through using your drill press. Slightly oversized holes in either side of your design, then mounted using epoxy would mitigate the need for machined precision.
I had a similar issue when making an oversized tv unit. I wanted the unit to appear on the wall with no visible support or hardware. In the end, I drilled 18mm holes 10 inches deep about as square as I could. I then cut down 16mm threaded rods that were 16 inches long and set it into the holes with some 2 part construction epoxy. Then drilled 20mm 6 inch holes into the wall, added some more epoxy and slid the unit into the wall. I can say it definitely holds my weight with ease. Only downside is I’d have to trim the rods off the wall if I ever wanted to remove it but that’s a problem for another day 😂
Dude... I have a bourbon collection that always makes me nervous with how heavy it is... I'm gonna do this and finally have a piece of mind!!! Thank you!
I really appreciate that you always learn from your mistakes Bob. In many ways, that's what makes woodworking enjoyable. Those shelves turned out looking great! I wish you, your family & the crew a very Happy Holiday Season! 👍👍🌲🌲
I made my bedroom closets top shelve with aluminum frame (I live in Puerto Rico is really humid here) and covered in 3/4" plywood. I don't want the shelves to sag and not hold on. We put heavy boxes up there and they are holding nicely.
If you have a lot of plates, the things need to be really strong. Of course it would also be useful for a cool looking workshop or cool looking can shelve. OR a floating single bed bunkbed, it would be so cool!
I built exactly these shelves for a 3.6m wall times 2. And used 6 studs and biscuits to connect to AHC section of shelves. Used threaded rod into the the studs but a larger hole in the shelves so it could slide on. Have really heavy books on it and they are above our desk with computers and expensive equipment under it. So yes. Needs to be super strong and never fall. The weight of everything on the 2 shelves would easily be heavier than I am 100kgs. If you want a photo Bob let me know.
This would work great for an 8 foot long bookshelf. The wood and the books combined can get heavy and this would be a solution for that in my opinion. I may give it a try. Thanks for sharing.
As for application in the kitchen, I would put all the countertop appliances on them. Another would be the bottom of the cabinet that your above range microwave attaches to. That can be a heck of a lot of weight with these new 1200W units. And for putting more force on the shelf, use a 30lbs short handle maul with a 1/2in rubber sheet. That would push it through! 😉
Alot of reasons, you can put some heavy stuff on a shelf. That said, the immediate thought I had was a floating bench. Maybe by the front door or in a mud room, and not have to worry about legs underneath, which could be very nice if you want to sweep or vacuum the area
Интересная конструкция! 👍 У меня мысль взять анкерный крепёж и длинную шпильку с резьбой. сам болт анкера поменять на шпильку с гайкой, интегрировать в доску и по месту засверлить стену, в отверстия выдавить чутка жидких гвоздей посадить анкеры на место затянуть гайки и допосадить доску до упора в стену. это анкеры позволят зделать и как только жидкие гвозди затвердеют будет вообще монолитная конструкция.
Really nice stuff. Might have missed it, but how are the rods secured to the studs and the shelf? Friction only? Not that I think it's a bad idea, just wondering.
I made a couple similar shelves, but differed using 1/2” threaded rod, tapped and threaded into the studs. I used a guide block on the wall for straight holes. On the shelf, I drilled through the hole in a CD- if the reflection was straight, so was the hole! Even then it was a lot of stressful hammering to get it to close up! Super shelves don’t come easy.
Did the same thing. Used 1/2" all thread, ground the end and cut a relief so I could basically tap the wall stud. My only concern is whether the shelf will sag due to cutting into the drywall on the under side. Might be a concern for who ever ends up in this house years from now though.
One tip for finding the exact location of the stud, is get a small drill bit (like 1/16"), and drill a bunch of small holes along the wall. Put them somewhere where they will be concealed and you don't have to worry about looks.
As I watched the video, I was thinking: "Doesn't he have a drill guide?" 😉 Live and learn, my friend! Actually, kudos to you for being upfront and honest about the trials and tribulations ahead of the final "reveal." Also, one last comment: I have the same 24-inch plastic grey level you used in the video, and I seem to recall it appearing in some of your early videos. I've probably had mine 20 years or more, and like you, I still use it regularly in my work.
Very nice job. Hopefully you get great use out of them for many years to come my friend. Keep up the great craftsmanship and hard work my friend. Fab On. Weld On. Keep Making. God Bless.
In a tiny house build this could be a solution to a partial shelf / stairstep up to the raised bed area. Many times you see shelving cubbies that are essentially stairs with cubbies but this could be another solution to both storage and stairway to the second level of a tiny house.
I've had houses where attic access was also a closet, so the shelves were the steps to crawl into the tiny spaces above your head. This could be great for that since it's intended only to be used that way for repairs
I made a similar shelf to store and display an arcade stick collection. Most of the sticks aremade out of wood so they are heavy enough to tilt the previous shelf with right angle brackets.
You need to have a shelf as strong if you need to store full grown Bob ! the push stick looks great, refine enough you dont feel you are using a scrap of wood as a push stick put rugged enough you can use it without fear in the work shop. And it's look like after you use the two "feet" of the push stick you can make one out of wood and keep using it ! that is great !
Regarding the need of a shelf that strong… I used to work at a place where we had shelves not built by you so after being overloaded by plates and coffee mugs for at least 50 people the fastener, in this case regular concrete screws in plaster wall, gave up and decorated the floor with many many pieces of porcelain.
i built my floating shelves in my laundry room more or less the same. i used 5/16" threaded rods "tapped" into studs. Reason being, my shelves were about 15" wide and about 3' long so I wanted the extra support.
I've done this type of install several times and HATE those types of brackets every single time. I finally caved and used from brackets from a company called Hovr last time and it was more work, and way more expensive, but damn installation was so easy. They require that you route out the back of the shelf so the steel sits inside the wood itself, but other than that, there's no long hole drilling etc. I'm sure you've seen that product before, but it was complete night and day with installation ease.
reasons for a strong shelf. 1 - Being a prepper, and wanting to put large tubs of (insert food supply or drink here.). 2 - Emergncy shelter, can't afford to throw in expensive beds. Make some shelves like that for smaller people, then throw a memory foam pad and a sleeping bag on, and boom bed. 3 - Same idea as above, but make the shelves into chairs. 4 - Turn them into a stair case...... 5 - Let's say you like to make stuff, and you make something extremely heavy and it needs a display place....... (Or if your Colin Furze and want to hang your hover bike on the wall.).
Regarding applications of this design: I built out my son's closet with shelves and hangers. I had to be careful how high I built the top/top shelf because the opening to the attic/crawl space is through this particular closet. If you could build shelves like this in a closet in such a way that they would double as a sort of ladder into the crawl space, it might be really helpful. Also, in a garage, you might build shelves with this sort of strength for storage, such that (again) they double as a ladder/steps to get to the higher shelves at any time.
I have EXACTLY the same thing planned for a closet in my house.
Thus avoiding the Great McCallister shelving disaster of 1990
@@vennic This comment is a gem 💎!!!
for the garage, you're better off building a shelf with legs. One person's weight is 150-200lbs? that's not much capacity for a garage shelf.
SHELF THAT STRONG = To have a floating shelf of books. I hate when it sags and bows and whatever else happens when you buy pre-made crappy versions of this. Great work. I think the extra planning helps the bottom shelf clear the tiles in the back.
This is actually such a good reason im looking at adding several shelves and was like how to stop bowing
Plates, bowls and cups can add up to be more weight than you think. Also if you use those shelves to store pots or pans, that weight can add up in a hurry as well. Great job, they look fantastic!
Or, places bowls, cups on shelf - AND - pots, pans, etc hanging below, or from edges!
Especially if those pots and pans are cast iron.
Could also see storing your kitchen gadgets. Usually the one's you'd want out in the open are the nicer ones, which are usually actually made from cast metal.
books
Pro-tip from old-timey woodworkers: When you put the holes into the studs, the longer auger bit would have been fine. Put a ring (like a wedding band) on the shank before you drill. As you drill, the ring will travel up or down the shank if you're not even. Left and right you can sight down from the top against a square held next to the bit (might need to stand on the counter and have an extra pair of hands for the square). Also the longer bit should be a better choice because if you're off 5mm at the end of it that translates to a smaller error angle than a shorter bit, it's easier to see any error.
edit: Also I think auger bits have better tracking through the depth of the cut if you start in square.
This is awesome
Thank you for this
That is badass!
This was a great video. This is DIY home improvement. You make overly unnecessary plans, you struggle and then you realize there’s actually a tool out there that solves your problem. When your done you question why ever needed it as you originally designed.
😊
For me the main reason why your channel is so much better than most other DIY channels on UA-cam is that you are so open about the mistakes you made during the process. You go into so much detail about what went wrong, why it did and how to prevent it or make the most out of it if it occurs. Most other channels will just say "if A happens, do B instead to fix it", but you make sure the viewer actually understands the mode and effect of a certain mistake, which is the most effective way of preventing them.
Always warms my heart to know others struggle to get it perfect the 1st time. Great results.
Bob! I hung butcher block as a shelf and I used similar method, instead of using a solid rod, I used a threaded rod and "screwed" into the stud by putting two nuts together and using a ratchet wrench. The recipient hole on the shelf got a slightly wider hole allowing for alignment but filled with epoxy. It was like 15$.
The thumbnail for this video is so good.
Any thumbnail which doesn't involve some person pointing at something with one or both index fingers is doing something right.
No way it's legal eagle 😮
you can see that the production of the videos just keeps getting better every time a new one comes out what ever you doing keep doing it
It’s funny, I thought to myself “oh, it’s weird he isn’t using his drill guide. That would be fantastic for this.” And then there it is!
I thought the same thing when he said he just needed to make sure he drilled straight.
Wow.........I am glad I was not the only one. Pretty easy fit once everything is on plane. :)
I was thinking he would use the Diresta ice pick trick.
Good to see how you corrected from the problem. It's nice to see how a mistake was made but you didn't give up, just came at the problem from another way. That's the core of making anything - you're going to hit roadbumps.
I installed floating shelves in my home office - but I was using a pre-made kit and it was still a pain to do it to a good standard. There's nothing like a floating shelf to tell you that your walls aren't perfectly straight!!
Glad you shared this idea of installing rods that penetrate both, the wall and the shelf. Will keep it from flexing and bending over the front down after a while. This what happened after few years on IKEA floating shelves that are pretty much for displaying few lightweight pieces and not storing books or kitchen hardware.
Right tool for the right job.... crazy talk. Anyways, I could see using a shelf like that to store all of the small kitchen appliances on. Sure, a single small appliance isn't too bad...start putting 2-3 on a shelf and you start hitting some serious weight. And if you have commercial grade ones it gets even heavier. So, I could see it for that. Also, this helps me think of a solution for my guest bedroom. We plan on putting a lot of our collector edition items, movie props, etc and some of them do have some heft to them. I'm glad you came forward with the mistakes and things to think about when I get ready to build something like that. This turns it into a learning experience that I didn't have to go through.
"Human weight rated" shelves would be helpful in a number of kitchens I've been in due to the use of large jars of bulk ingredients. This would work well for folks with heavier or more numerous dishes. We had a hanging cabinet come off the wall in our home because our collection of stoneware and glass dishes exceeded the support capacity of the hardware it was installed with... at 3:00 AM. Though effective, I would not recommend it as an alarm sound to start the day right. Great job on the project, problem solving and "in-home crash prevention"!
yikes! i bet that was a fun night! XD
Videos where you recover from a failed attempt are great, I won't make that mistake for sure. Thanks from Colorado, Merry Christmas to you, your family and everyone at ILTMS.
Good video, The first time I put together floating shelves, I learned the hard way that drilling holes that are perfectly straight is hard. My problem was getting the holes in the shelves straight. I ended up just redoing the entire thing and using two 1 inch boards and used a router to make the holes for the supports before laminating them. I have made floating shelves for a few more area in the house since and have decided that the look is not really worth the hassle. And that my starndard solid shelves look and function really well.
I appreciate that you show the mistakes.
It helps go to show that you can take all sorts of precautions, and have all sorts of tools and ideas. But something can go wrong anyway.
A great way to quickly fill the checks and cracks 🙌 Love how this turned out!
Nice job on the shelves. I did something very similar for two 8 ft floating shelves when we first moved into our house. The difference was that instead of steel rod I used some 5/8 inch all thread. I drilled slightly undersized holes into the studs and then used two nuts on the all thread, locked together, to screw the all thread into the hole in the stud with a socket driver. I then took the nuts off and was able to slip the shelf over the all thread. The threads on the all thread also helped to bite into the holes in the shelf, especially when weight was placed on the shelf. They stayed up that way for many years until we remodel our kitchen and sadly had to remove the floating shelves.
In the midst of doing this exact project! The only difference is the shelves are for a closet, not a kitchen. I have been stalling on it due to the issues you had... Drilling the holes perfectly is daunting. One thing to consider about weight capacity is not just what is on the shelves. The brackets have to support the shelves themselves. Solid wood is quite heavy. Like others have mentioned, I was wondering about the drill guide. The other thought I had was about the flat stock. I kept wondering why it was needed. Glad you figured it all out! My one question... Are the rods secured to either the studs or the shelf? Not sure if that is even needed.
I have a simple reason: if you just want something to be solid this makes so much sense. The floating shelves I have seen aren't solid to begin with. You couldn't even use them to place books on. And that drill guide is a good idea for a lot of more purposes. Great idea.
The perfect ad for actual and proper use of a drillguide! Good showcase 🙂
A friend of mine is a contractor and does a lot of custom work. He had me work with him on an install job and we had a very similar issue with a huge live edge shelf that was being installed over a countertop for a bar in someone's home. It was designed to hold a ton of liquor bottles so it had a custom welded bracket specifically made for the piece... and then we couldn't get the shelf to slide on to the pegs.
The frustration of trying to tap a 10'-12' long live edge floating shelf onto a custom made bracket that it just doesn't want to go on to is a deeply maddening experience. It isn't as simple as just putting a board up and smacking with a hammer or you damage the live edge.
The frustrations culminated when we were getting it into place and my shoulder flexed and cracked the drywall ceiling above me. It was an easy patch and paint and the customers were EXTREMELY understanding about it but, man oh man, was that an embarrassing and frustrating job.
Well done, sir. You handle the frustrations of the work very well (in camera at least lol). I love this channel and keep up the great work!
I’m using a similar design, and storing pasteurised fruit juice which gets heavy quickly. My studs are on 60mm spacing, and I used 10mm threaded rod into 35mm threaded inserts in the studs, having over drilled the drywall to get to the stud. Thanks for sharing
Standing on your projects and it holding up is one of the biggest confidence boosters
I actually used this exact method to make a Floating desk that wraps around my studio. I used 3/4" x 24" threaded steel rods to support three butcher blocks. Each were 1 3/4" thick and 25" deep. They were 72", 100", and 112" weighting approximately 70lbs, 100lbs, and 110lbs respectively. I actually made a couple simple jigs out of scrap wood to make sure the 21"deep holes in the butcher block and 3" deep holes in the studs were perfectly straight that prevented the issues you had, but aligning all those holes and studs with that long and heavy of a piece was a nightmare. I found staggering the rods by putting them in every other hole in the butcher block and the rest already in the wall made it a bit easier. I also only used contractor glue in every other set of holes to prevent movement out of the studs or away from the wall but still allowing for seasonal movement. So to answer your question at the end of the video- yes, using steel rods to brace weight for wooded shelve (or desks) has real world uses. Musicians love to sit on desks while in the studio without thinking first, and I don't have to hold my breath that everything is going to collapse and cause a lawsuit lol
I"ve installed shelves this way before.. instead of using a "hole" in the shelf, you can simply cut out a slot.. makes installation much easier and you can adjust where the shelf sits on the wall left to right.
I made mine similar, but routed out the space for the bracket into the shelf and fit it to the shelf on the bench. I used 5/8 lag bolts near the rods and screwed them into the studs
As a diyer and a horticulturist would say it's great for plant shelves for heavier pots. I often have to use heavy duty anchors when I hanging my houseplants from the ceiling.
I love the learning moment left in. Thank you for teaching me something new through trial and error.
This is what I have been waiting for to display my precious anvil collection!
Great work Bob! I built some floating shelves for a client. They wanted to store all their liquor bottles on them, weight I'm sure would be close to that of a human. I used a similar method with cold rolled steel going into the studs and shelves. The drill guide is key!
Excruciating to watch you choose the shorter drill bit, when the longer one would have given you a much greater reference to tell if you were square and level! Still a great shelf and great job done 👍
This video just solved a problem that I was having in trying to figure out how to hang the floating solid wood shelves that I made. Awesome! Thank you.
Glad to hear it!
There is a reason for shelves this strong. I’m building shelves for a guitar setup. My amplifier alone weighs about 80 pounds. I started with steel rods also and was worried about getting them parallel. The drill guide is a great idea. Thank you!
I've thought of building a small narrow floating 'shelf' at a low height in my entryway to sit down and put on shoes, this might be perfect for that. Thanks for trying this out!
I've got a cabinet over my fridge that used to have a 3/4" plywood wall holding it up, but I had to remove that wall to fit in a wider fridge. So now the cabinet is just sitting on top of the fridge. Having this kind of connection would be perfect for keeping that very large, very heavy cabinet up and happy on the wall.
You asked why would you make a shelf that is floating and strong enough to held your weight? Here is my answer, I consider myself to be an incidental wood worker because I don't really like wood working per say, however, I have a passion for model railroading, and you my friend have covered many aspects of what I consider to be my hobby. If you want to mount a three to five foot wide shelf to wall so that you can build a multi-dock model railroad on up to three shelves that are either above or below each other, and are strong enough to carry a model railroad on each shelf without having L brackets get in the way this method looks to be the best way to do that. Not only have you helped me with this idea that shows real world engineering, but also in you other thing you have produced videos on that me as a model railroader can use, such as 3D printing, and how to manage a shop space, and for that I say thank you.
With the drill guide, if you extend the two guides lower than the base, you can also use it to center the guide on your board.
My dad has been using a drill guide for 50 years.
That's an amazing tip!
Reasons for self that can hold you: to put the kitchen cookery stuff up but not high. Like stand mixer, air fryer, oil fryer, blender, and chopper. I hate them in cardboard or on top of the fridge, but I don't use them all the time. To have a shelf mid level so I can pull them down easy and put them back easy works for me. Thank you for this video. Project for next summer.
I've had a planer belt break in the middle of a project and I know how you feel. Great content, keep it up guys and gals!
My favorite: magic floating things, shelves and standing on things!
Your final design was literally what i did with my floating shelves - I just 3d printed a jig to guide my drill (if you had a drill press you could just drill a block of wood instead and use that as a guide)
Oh, I also used some dowel center point markers to mark on the shelf where to drill the holes by putting them in the holes on the wal
Frank Howarth showed us how to do this years ago. I did my whole kitchen the way he did, with a template, and they're wonderful.
Homemade stairs!!! This would be great for homemade floating stairs
Would it?
It sounds really neat , I wonder how well they’ll hold up though
Why does the phrase "home made stairs" sound sound so scary?
I dont think thats a good idea. Shelves are wide and short, while stairs are the opposite, so the leverage of the stair maybe too much, not for the steel, but for the wall.
I found this looking for ways to make a floating bench (you asked for an application where a floating shelf needs to hold a lot of weight). Thanks!
So I did this exact thing in my kitchen. I just used a drilling guide, which is much cheaper. I also ran into problems getting the poles in the shelf so I bored out the holes so that they all went on looser, then filled the holes and coated the poles with construction adhesive, then rigged the shelves up with rope and whatever else to hold them into place where they were level. That adhesive dried and they all stayed in place perfectly.
This is exactly what I need for my office. I need a floating shelf for my printer and supplies. I don’t want to place a regular cabinet in the space and this idea works fine. Lucky for me The only thing I need is the drill guide tool. I’ll be using either walnut or mahogany.
I did something very similar - the use case? I needed to hold a lot of books and it was above a piano...so I wanted a floating shelf look. A lot of the books were piano sheet music so 12 inches or taller so it ended up needing to be quite sturdy. In addition to what Bob and crew have shown, a few things I learned along the way.
1: your walls are not straight, so if you try and make the shelf about 5 feet long (incidentally about the width of a piano), your straight shelf will reveal your wavy walls. Fixable, but just something to keep in mind.
2: I went to the trouble of reinforcing my studs by scabbing on a second 2x4 and hanging my shelves from those extra 2x4s. It was a lot of work to open up the walls but I was doing a big reno so it was worth it. For me, I didn't feel comfortable putting 3 holes (5/8") through each stud (I did three shelves).
3: I created a jig out of scrap plywood that I used to determine my hole spacing and to keep my drill level when going in to the wall and the shelves. I marked the jig with an "in" and "out" marking so I knew when I was drilling into the wall or the shelf. In the end I had to ream the shelf holes out a bit to make it fit but it is still rock-solid.
I made my shelves as torsion boxes (1/4 maple ply outside, plywood ribs inside) as that kept it straight, strong and also meant I didn't need to be 8/4 solid maple which would have been expensive (and unnecessary really).
Great project and sorry to see your pain along the way.
I built a floating shelf for a friend years ago. I used 3/8 threaded steel rods through the shelf and the studs. Watching your first method made me question if I should have done it differently. Then I saw your final solution.
Btw I didn't have a drill guide, I used 2 scraps and made a perfect 90⁰ corner. I laid the shank of the bit on the interior corner to get rid of play. I hope that made sense
I'm a firm believer in building things more robust than needed. If you build exact, everything has to be exactly perfect. Build it twice as strong, and you safely cover more errors in the process. It also helps against deflection or sagging over time.
I think this is even more important when things will be taking on dynamic loads. A 15lb cast iron dutch oven dropped down could be like 40 lbs. And now imagine you during that process you slip off a step stool and grab the shelf.
NICE WORK!
Had to install a set of shelves a while ago for a friend in his garage. He was using it as a storage rack for his scuba diving gear. It was on an exterior wall and the houses in my country are brick. We drilled through the wall and had threaded rod going all the way through with steel plate and nuts on the back of the wall. If that shelf ever came down with the weight, it would pull that entire wall down
I think I might try this method to build a floating desk. Great idea. Thanks.
Ive got a great reason for a shelf this strong. I keep fish tanks and a lot of them! This would be a perfect way to display some of my smaller tanks (several weigh 50# or more when full of water sand etc)
This is a good one and a legitimate use case that fits here!!
This definitly gave me flash backs to some projects I've done in the past! Let's just say I know a lot of ways how to NOT do things lol. Great video, Bob!
Great for making floating stairs
Nicely done. Regarding drilling level: slip an eyebolt over the shank of your drill bit to monitor your angle. Works great!
The only use I can think of:
My friend has a similar design using threaded rods on the shelves in his sewing room. He has a bunch of vintage sewing machines and doesn't have much room. He wanted his shelves to last his lifetime and is also picky about how things look. He puts 150lbs+ on his shelves regularly and they've lasted years.
He ran 1/2" threaded rod all the way through the 2" thick by 9.5" deep maple shelves and into the studs. He tapped the studs about 1.5" deep to match the threaded rod. There are countersunk holes in the front of the shelves with a nut and washer. He then put 1/2" edge banding over the holes after they were installed.
Been there for over 10 years and no sag even with those cast iron monsters sitting on them. They face a lot of pulling because he drags the sewing machines off the shelves sometimes, hence the threaded rod.
AWESOME! My 8 ft "floating" shelves are on the wall (with L brackets screwed into all studs) wish I had found this video before the install. And yes, the plan to load books onto 8 ft long floating shelves need them to be able to hold a human's weight ;) Thank you again!
Larger set of shelves I made in a bar. Holding 3-4 bottles deep and about 20 or so wide really adds up. Also once made a shelf over a kitchen window about these wide but a little deeper. Only had like 3 things to put up there but each one was around 50-60lbs. Sometimes holding your weight is a great goal. And ideas like this are good when there is no space for brackets or you’re trying to achieve a clean look.
Thanks for the tip! I will need very strong shelves to make my library and I will use your method to hang them!
What about crossing the 1 1/4 inch barrier into a stud, where you may hit plumbing/electrical?
That was my concern too!
What I love about your channel is journey of making things
it wouldn't be fun if everything is perfect first time
you try different stuff until it works
I think this design is great for multi purpose use in compact spaces, such a shelf ledge/ladder/steps in a storage area. I would love to use it for floating shelving in a garage.
Love this troubleshooting that you allowed us to be a part of. Could this concept (rod into shelf and then into hole in the wall stud) be used for say a bench application? I've always wanted to do a floating cabinet type of shelf in our living area but be able to sit on it as well. Thanks as always for your insight!
the transition animation on 3:40 ... ffing awesome 😅 (jawdropped)
That's funny, I have one of the first "drill guides" made. I picked it up at one of our state fairs in the commercial booth section. It's called a Port-Aiign (close enough). All aluminum, all adjustable, no numbers on it. Still works flawlessly. It's a pain to install so it lives on a dedicated corded drill. It's around 45 years old. Alternatively, you could made a guide from a block of wood with a hole drilled through using your drill press. Slightly oversized holes in either side of your design, then mounted using epoxy would mitigate the need for machined precision.
A cool mud room floating shelf for sitting on while changing shoes and stuff may be a cool idea with storage underneath.
Very cool....now hands on it.....i have to do 3 in different sizes but i am buying the brakets since i do not have a welder...thanks!!!
I seldom get to the making of things these days.
Bam. Your video, 2nd on my feed.
Reignited some passion. Thanksa
I had a similar issue when making an oversized tv unit. I wanted the unit to appear on the wall with no visible support or hardware. In the end, I drilled 18mm holes 10 inches deep about as square as I could. I then cut down 16mm threaded rods that were 16 inches long and set it into the holes with some 2 part construction epoxy. Then drilled 20mm 6 inch holes into the wall, added some more epoxy and slid the unit into the wall. I can say it definitely holds my weight with ease. Only downside is I’d have to trim the rods off the wall if I ever wanted to remove it but that’s a problem for another day 😂
Dude... I have a bourbon collection that always makes me nervous with how heavy it is... I'm gonna do this and finally have a piece of mind!!! Thank you!
I really appreciate that you always learn from your mistakes Bob. In many ways, that's what makes woodworking enjoyable. Those shelves turned out looking great! I wish you, your family & the crew a very Happy Holiday Season! 👍👍🌲🌲
I made my bedroom closets top shelve with aluminum frame (I live in Puerto Rico is really humid here) and covered in 3/4" plywood. I don't want the shelves to sag and not hold on. We put heavy boxes up there and they are holding nicely.
If you have a lot of plates, the things need to be really strong. Of course it would also be useful for a cool looking workshop or cool looking can shelve. OR a floating single bed bunkbed, it would be so cool!
I built exactly these shelves for a 3.6m wall times 2. And used 6 studs and biscuits to connect to AHC section of shelves. Used threaded rod into the the studs but a larger hole in the shelves so it could slide on. Have really heavy books on it and they are above our desk with computers and expensive equipment under it. So yes. Needs to be super strong and never fall. The weight of everything on the 2 shelves would easily be heavier than I am 100kgs. If you want a photo Bob let me know.
This would work great for an 8 foot long bookshelf. The wood and the books combined can get heavy and this would be a solution for that in my opinion. I may give it a try. Thanks for sharing.
Great application for something spanning more than 4ft as well… for example, the 12ft open floating shelf in our kitchen 😊
As for application in the kitchen, I would put all the countertop appliances on them.
Another would be the bottom of the cabinet that your above range microwave attaches to. That can be a heck of a lot of weight with these new 1200W units.
And for putting more force on the shelf, use a 30lbs short handle maul with a 1/2in rubber sheet. That would push it through! 😉
Alot of reasons, you can put some heavy stuff on a shelf. That said, the immediate thought I had was a floating bench. Maybe by the front door or in a mud room, and not have to worry about legs underneath, which could be very nice if you want to sweep or vacuum the area
Интересная конструкция! 👍
У меня мысль взять анкерный крепёж и длинную шпильку с резьбой. сам болт анкера поменять на шпильку с гайкой, интегрировать в доску и по месту засверлить стену, в отверстия выдавить чутка жидких гвоздей посадить анкеры на место затянуть гайки и допосадить доску до упора в стену. это анкеры позволят зделать и как только жидкие гвозди затвердеют будет вообще монолитная конструкция.
Really nice stuff. Might have missed it, but how are the rods secured to the studs and the shelf? Friction only? Not that I think it's a bad idea, just wondering.
I made a couple similar shelves, but differed using 1/2” threaded rod, tapped and threaded into the studs. I used a guide block on the wall for straight holes. On the shelf, I drilled through the hole in a CD- if the reflection was straight, so was the hole! Even then it was a lot of stressful hammering to get it to close up! Super shelves don’t come easy.
Did the same thing. Used 1/2" all thread, ground the end and cut a relief so I could basically tap the wall stud. My only concern is whether the shelf will sag due to cutting into the drywall on the under side. Might be a concern for who ever ends up in this house years from now though.
One tip for finding the exact location of the stud, is get a small drill bit (like 1/16"), and drill a bunch of small holes along the wall. Put them somewhere where they will be concealed and you don't have to worry about looks.
Or just a small nail or screw
As I watched the video, I was thinking: "Doesn't he have a drill guide?" 😉 Live and learn, my friend! Actually, kudos to you for being upfront and honest about the trials and tribulations ahead of the final "reveal." Also, one last comment: I have the same 24-inch plastic grey level you used in the video, and I seem to recall it appearing in some of your early videos. I've probably had mine 20 years or more, and like you, I still use it regularly in my work.
Great idea for my 100 lb stereo amp. in my Livingroom. Great video. You have an awesome shop. thanks
Very nice job. Hopefully you get great use out of them for many years to come my friend. Keep up the great craftsmanship and hard work my friend. Fab On. Weld On. Keep Making. God Bless.
In a tiny house build this could be a solution to a partial shelf / stairstep up to the raised bed area. Many times you see shelving cubbies that are essentially stairs with cubbies but this could be another solution to both storage and stairway to the second level of a tiny house.
I've had houses where attic access was also a closet, so the shelves were the steps to crawl into the tiny spaces above your head. This could be great for that since it's intended only to be used that way for repairs
I made a similar shelf to store and display an arcade stick collection. Most of the sticks aremade out of wood so they are heavy enough to tilt the previous shelf with right angle brackets.
You need to have a shelf as strong if you need to store full grown Bob ! the push stick looks great, refine enough you dont feel you are using a scrap of wood as a push stick put rugged enough you can use it without fear in the work shop. And it's look like after you use the two "feet" of the push stick you can make one out of wood and keep using it ! that is great !
looks good
11:53 "A solution in search of a problem" come to life
This technique would make for a killer floating desk!
Regarding the need of a shelf that strong… I used to work at a place where we had shelves not built by you so after being overloaded by plates and coffee mugs for at least 50 people the fastener, in this case regular concrete screws in plaster wall, gave up and decorated the floor with many many pieces of porcelain.
i built my floating shelves in my laundry room more or less the same. i used 5/16" threaded rods "tapped" into studs. Reason being, my shelves were about 15" wide and about 3' long so I wanted the extra support.
I've done this type of install several times and HATE those types of brackets every single time. I finally caved and used from brackets from a company called Hovr last time and it was more work, and way more expensive, but damn installation was so easy. They require that you route out the back of the shelf so the steel sits inside the wood itself, but other than that, there's no long hole drilling etc. I'm sure you've seen that product before, but it was complete night and day with installation ease.
reasons for a strong shelf.
1 - Being a prepper, and wanting to put large tubs of (insert food supply or drink here.).
2 - Emergncy shelter, can't afford to throw in expensive beds. Make some shelves like that for smaller people, then throw a memory foam pad and a sleeping bag on, and boom bed.
3 - Same idea as above, but make the shelves into chairs.
4 - Turn them into a stair case......
5 - Let's say you like to make stuff, and you make something extremely heavy and it needs a display place....... (Or if your Colin Furze and want to hang your hover bike on the wall.).
That would be great to store all your cast iron and/or heavy countertop appliances without fear of the shelf crashing down.