Comments on: Freestanding shelves

By: Greg C

Greg C — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 03:18:54 +0000

Hi John,
Don't know if you're still responding to this post, but if so, I had a question for you about these shelves. The design is clever indeed, and I've already cut all my lumber and fitted my 2x2s with the standards. Having issues with the leveling mounts, however. I bought 2-in steel leveling feet and separate threaded brass inserts, which I planned on screwing into the 1/2-in holes I've already tapped on the ends of all my poles. That didn't work so well: brass seemed too soft to get through the end-grain of my poles. So I'm wondering if you have ideas for other options, and if so, where you might recommend buying them (I live in L.A., but can order things on-line, I presume).
If you're still out there and have some thoughts, I'd be much obliged.
Thanks, John!
Greg C.

By: Tweets that mention Freestanding shelves | John McCrory -- Topsy.com

Tweets that mention Freestanding shelves | John McCrory -- Topsy.com — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 22:28:06 +0000

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by John McCrory and John McCrory, Stonehaven Life. Stonehaven Life said: DIY freestanding shelves via @johnmccrory – nice! http://j.mp/9awVqP [...]

By: johnmccrory

johnmccrory — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 00:57:11 +0000

Thanks, Susan. The shelves stood up quite well for three years, even holding lots of heavy architecture and city planning books.

Then I moved to a circa 1930 house with 7" ceilings, so the shelves are too tall to fit and so are in storage. They came apart easily for moving! (FYI, this post dates to 2004, in an earlier iteration of my blog)

To answer your other question: I used brackets that were shorter than the shelves are wide. My shelves are 1"x12" planks and the brackets were shorter — 9" — so that the edge of the wooden shelf rests against the wall, not the bracket. The tooth or "hook" simply sinks into the soft wood of the underside of the shelf, which I found helpful because it keeps the shelf from sliding from side to side. I gently hammered each tooth into the wood with a rubber mallet. You can also get brackets without teeth, if you like.

By: Susan

Susan — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 00:17:38 +0000

These shelves look great. How have they stood up over time? The shelf brackets I am familiar with that look like the ones you used have a little "hook" at the end (at the rear of each shelf in your configuration) to keep the shelf from falling off of the bracket. Did these stick into and mark the wall? Could one remove the hook? The wall would prevent the shelf from coming off the bracket. Has anyone built these since this was posted? Thanks.

By: Erika Kachama-Nkoy

Erika Kachama-Nkoy — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 21:45:26 +0000

Hello John–Found your page via apartmenttherapy.com. Hiding the 1-slot standards behind the pole is very clever. Bravo.

By: John McCrory

John McCrory — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 09:31:22 +0000

You're exactly right, Nick. The standard, which is a C-shaped metal rod, has slots in it that the brackets fit into. The groove in the wooden poles will need to be cut to a depth allowing the standard to fit with its face flush with the side of the pole.

Good luck!

By: nloewen

nloewen — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 18:31:10 +0000

Just a question to clear something up…
You screw in the standard from the back so the screw heads don’t show up out front, right? And the standard is what the brackets hook into, is that right?
I’m going to try it; thanks for the example!
Nick