I have a room that doesn't have studs every 16 inches (or every 2 feet for that matter) and am wanting to put wall to wall shelving in. I plan on using that really heavy MDF that's already white (so I don't have to paint). I plan on "laying" 8 foot long shelves across 1 foot square pieces going up and down, just stacking as I go. Using no brackets or screws. I would like to "stick" these pieces together somehow, but the shelving is very slick and I don't know what kind of glue to use to. Anyone ??
The material you're talking about is called melamine coated particle board.
You'll regret not fastening the vertical pieces to the horizontal pieces, unless you're building shelves from corner to corner of one wall. Otherwise, without a frame, it will easily rack, and will come down like a house of cards.
Something I'd suggest is doweling them together. You drill two 3/8" holes in the horizontal piece, and two corresponding holes in the edge of the vertical piece. Cut 1" long lengths of 3/8" wood dowel rod and insert them with no glue (use a little wood glue on the dowel holes if it is permanent). The only tools you'll need are a drill and a saw. This way, you can take the shelves apart or move the vertical pieces if necessary.
If you use my dowel trick, make yourself a drilling jig out of a piece of lumber to make spacing and locating the holes easier. Commercially made doweling jigs are avaliable for $30 or so at woodworking stores and maybe even Home Depot. Use a "brad point" drill bit, which will make locating the holes much easier than a regular drill bit.
What you are explaining you want to do, if I understand it correctly will work as long as the room is 8' wide and the shelves will sit against the wall on each end for support to keep from racking, but then without it secured to the wall it may fall away from the wall and hurt someone.
You will need supports in the middle because the shelves will sag over time with weight. With what your proposing using it wont take long to sag.
You could screw a 1x2 to the studs along the wall where each shelf will go and let each shelf sit on it then screw through the shelf into the 1x2. You can still use the 1 foot pieces for support in between and screw down from each shelf into the 1 foot support pieces. This way it wont rack( fall right or left) and wont fall away from the wall.
I would add the 1 foot pieces closer together for support where something heavy will be placed(books and such)
Here is a rough drawing. The left shows the shelves from the front and how you can space the 1 foot support pieces. They don't have to be right above each other. If you screw the ones on the edges and one towards the middle you could have others on the same shelf not screwed but movable.
On the right is an example of how to use the 1x2 screwed against the wall with the shelves sitting on them. Screw the shelves to the 1x2s and predrill all holes with a drill bit smaller that the screw. Smaller diameter not length.
Thanks Guys for your quick responses !! I knew I didn't need a husband for this kind of stuff ! A friend of mine I saw over the weekend suggested I use "baby" T brackets on the back of the shelves. Would this be as sturdy as any of the ideas you guys mentioned? Also, a guy from Lowe's told me to use Gorilla Glue to put between the support peices and the long melamine pieces, that is sticks to "slickery" materials. also, if the MDF is going to sag soon, what can I use instead that's still going to look nice ? I don't plan on taking this thing down once I get it built !
A friend of mine I saw over the weekend suggested I use "baby" T brackets on the back of the shelves. Would this be as sturdy as any of the ideas you guys mentioned?
Also, a guy from Lowe's told me to use Gorilla Glue to put between the support pieces and the long melamine pieces, that is sticks to "slickery" materials.
Not 100% sure about just gluing the melamine pieces. I would use screws too.
also, if the MDF is going to sag soon, what can I use instead that's still going to look nice ? I don't plan on taking this thing down once I get it built !
If you don't load the shelves with heavy stuff you could support the shelves at least every 2 foot and it should be OK. I would put books and other heavy objects over and close to the support brackets.
I guess you could hang the shelves with the brackets and then screw a piece of the melamine vertically to the end of the shelves to make it look built in. You would not have to screw to the end of all the shelves just the top, bottom and one in between that way the others stay adjustable.
Thanks Kirk for all your info !! I'm printing this out so I don't forget any of it. After reading ya'lls advice and listening to other people too, these shelves aren't going anywhere ! If I can figure out how, I'll post a picture when I'm done with it. It may be a couple of months, I'm working on a heavy duty picture frame for a really heavy mirror and tiling my bathroom right now. I'm kinda going back and forth between projects so I don't get tired of one or the other. THANKS again for all your help !!! Missy
Gorilla glue will stick anything. Problem is that it uses moisture to get it curing, so you're supposed to make the surfaces damp if you're not gluing wood, which has enough moisture in it.
Gorilla glue creates a "foam" as it expands, and that foam will seep out of the joint for sure. It is hard to remove and won't look nice at all. You're better off with mechanical fasteners. The t-brackets you suggested would get the job done I imagine. There are better ways to do it, but they'll work! Use a drill to make it easier.
Gorilla glue will stick anything. Problem is that it uses moisture to get it curing, so you're supposed to make the surfaces damp if you're not gluing wood, which has enough moisture in it.
Gorilla glue creates a "foam" as it expands, and that foam will seep out of the joint for sure. It is hard to remove and won't look nice at all. You're better off with mechanical fasteners. The t-brackets you suggested would get the job done I imagine. There are better ways to do it, but they'll work! Use a drill to make it easier.
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