Books are heavy, and as a result lots of bookshelves bend.
Also, most bookshelves stand on the floor, making them not so stable, dirt collects behind them, and cleaning the floor is difficult.
Standing on the floor many books are not at eye-height, which is not ergonomic either.
So I decided to design a bookshelf which would :
This instructable is in the furniture contest, so if you like it, please vote ! Thanks
Also, most bookshelves stand on the floor, making them not so stable, dirt collects behind them, and cleaning the floor is difficult.
Standing on the floor many books are not at eye-height, which is not ergonomic either.
So I decided to design a bookshelf which would :
- be strong enough to not bend, even when fully loaded with heavy books
- be hung to the wall, so it would be more ergonomic and easier to clean
- have no screws or fittings visible in order to keep the minimalistic design
This instructable is in the furniture contest, so if you like it, please vote ! Thanks
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Signing UpStep 1: Concept explained
The bookshelf consists of 3 types of parts :
- Wooden 'hooks' which are attached to the wall with plugs and screws/bolts. I used 3 hooks per side (so a total of 6). Each 'hook' is attached to the wall with 2 screws/bolts. These 'hooks' and their screws/bolts are carrying the whole weight of the bookshelf, so you should dimension them right for the job. I took 8mm bolts
- 2 Sides : left and right are symmetrical (identical but mirrored). The sides are 'hooked' upon the hooks mentioned above
- A number of shelves, 5 in my case. They are all identical. They fit between the two sides.
- make the sides higher or shorter, depending on your ceiling height. I kept ~40cm of space around the bookshelf. My ceiling is 265 cm, So I made it 180cm high
- make the shelves shorter/longer. Mine are 155cm, but you could take any length... (see last section)
- vary the number of shelves. I took 5, but you could easily make more or less shelves. You need one at the top, and one at the bottom. All the remaining shelves are evenly distributed vertically.
- change the depth : I took 30cm as this fits most books, but If you build it for pocket size books, or CDs/DVDs/BRs, you could make it (eg) 15 cm deep instead
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Very well done and thank you for sharing this. It certainly is professional work
Indeed 'Less is More (<=>)' was my design goal here.
But do NOT fix these shelves on a sheetrock wall !!!… ;D
I offer a suggestion that would make hanging the shelf a little simpler and require less precision. One of the oldest methods of mounting things to a wall is a French cleat. The cleat consists of two parts only, and they can be ripped from a single piece of lumber. The lumber needs to be as long as the shelf is wide, or a little less. I usually use a strip of 1x4, which actually measures 3/4"x3 1/2", or about 20 mm x 88 mm. Rip the lumber down the length at a 45 degree angle. Level and screw one piece to the wall studs with the angle pointing down into the wall. Screw the other piece to the back of the shelf at the top, with the angle pointing up towards the front of the shelf. This method is more forgiving and is more secure than screwing the wood to the Sheetrock.
Also, a rule of thumb for shelf span is that 4 feet is about as far part as supports can be before sagging takes place. This is an average and will depend on wood species and thickness. Man made wood products, such as particle board have about half the span capacity as solid hardwoods.
If you hang this onto a drywall, you definitely need to bolt this to the studs.