Rope Bridge Bookshelf

by fungus amungus

208K1.4K81

Intro: Rope Bridge Bookshelf

The rope bridge bookshelf lets books have a relaxed home when they're not being read. It can be rough being opened and left in all sorts of locations during the reading process and the books have earned a nice break.

STEP 1: Supplies

Materials
  1. Statlig board from Ikea
  2. Ekby Bjarnum shelf holder pair from Ikea
  3. paracord
  4. steel washers
Tools
  1. Miter saw
  2. Drill press
  3. Lighter

STEP 2: Chop

Using the miter saw, cut the wood into several pieces. With the board I had I got:
  • 2x 2.5" pieces
  • 11x 2" pieces

STEP 3: Drill

Using the drill press I drilled out pairs of holes in all of the pieces. I clamped a couple of pieces of wood to the drill press to make sure that all of the holes would be aligned correctly.

STEP 4: Start the Paracord

Cut off two lengths of paracord and singe the ends with your lighter to prevent fraying. Tie a knot in one end and start feeding it through the pieces of wood.

To make the knots extra secure, use the lighter to melt the knot into a gooey mass.

STEP 5: Washers

String the cord through all of the pieces of wood, using the steel washers as spacers. I used three for each gap.

STEP 6: Add the Bracket

Use the included hardware that came with the Ekby Bjarnum to attach the bracket to the wood.

STEP 7: Hang It Up!

Find a nice spot for your bookshelf and install it! I used a few drywall anchors to keep everything nice and secure.

Now find some books that deserve a nice rest and put them down on it.

78 Comments

duskworm 7 years ago

This is so simple but so awesome.

(ouch, that sounded pretty cringy...)

fungus amungus 7 years ago

Didn't sound "cringy." Thanks for the comment.

chronocide67 7 years ago

Could also double as a cat nap bridge.

ScottB231 7 years ago

Mine would love it too... if only they could fit... >(^-^);<

ScottB231 7 years ago

Very imaginative design! Very well executed!

I was thinking of a series of shelves arranged as wall art, and the rope bridge would compliment the design wonderfullly!

Arghus 8 years ago

Very nice, love the look of it

JumpingThrghHoops 9 years ago

Hey, I just discovered your shelf and really like it. Very cool!

Have you built a shelf double the length? If so, how well did it work? What did you learn to make it work.

One obvious thing I can think that will be a challenge is the weight. Drywall anchors probably are not strong enough to hold, but maybe locating wall studs so that it can be screwed in security.

Geeks with lasers 9 years ago

Ah, Just when I was looking for an aesthetically pleasing shelf to put a few books and computer games on, I find this :D

Thankyou :)

rholland45 10 years ago

how much did the materials cost you?

edongzki 11 years ago

That is so cool, thanks for the share.

tentemuhendisi 11 years ago

Here is my Rope Bridge Shelf :)


https://www.instructables.com/files/deriv/F2S/5LZQ/H7997RK6/F2S5LZQH7997RK6.THUMB.jpg

I used 5mm steel wire for more strength.

Thank you for this helpful project!

tentemuhendisi 11 years ago

I worked inefficiently and it lasted one week. It could had been ended earlier.

fungus amungus 11 years ago

Nice! Good call on the wire, too. The paracord has held up, but stronger is better.

clogden21 13 years ago

 i LOVE THIS it would make a cool cat bed if you put carpet on the top of it.

superMacaroni 13 years ago

That's exactly what I was thinking! It would just have to be a bit bigger.
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