Super Simple Shelves

You can build these contemporary, floating shelves for displaying collectibles, photos or books from lightweight, inexpensive hollow-core doors.

by David Radtke

From The Family Handyman

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These shelves are strong, too. While they’re not designed to hold your old set of Encyclopaedia Britannicas, they’re certainly capable of it. No one would believe that they’re made from plain, old lightweight and inexpensive hollow-core doors.

In this article, we’ll show you how to install these shelves (and shorter ones) securely with basic tools. Even if you think you have no DIY skills, believe me, you can tackle this project.

Made From Only Two Parts:

Click image to enlarge.

Surprise—A Low-Cost Project That Requires Only Basic Tools
Each shelf is made from half of an 18-in. hollow-core door, which costs $18. That’s only about $9 a shelf, plus the minimal cost of the lag screws (Photo 4) and cleat that hold the shelf to the wall. You can buy new hollow-core interior doors at a home center or lumberyard (just be sure the door doesn’t have predrilled holes for locksets). You may find only 24-in. wide doors, but the door can be any width; just try to minimize the waste. And you might be able to get doors free from yard sales or other sources.

As far as tools go, you can get by with just a circular saw and edge guide (Photo 2) to cut the door. However, I recommend that you use a table saw to cut the cleat because a clean, straight cut is important for a good-looking shelf. (If you don’t own a table saw, use a friend’s or have the cleat cut at a full-service lumberyard.) You’ll also need a stud finder, a chisel, a hammer, a wrench, 1-in.brads, 3-1/2 in. lag screws, carpenter’s glue and a level.

Follow Photos 1–9 For All The Installation Tips. If you want a different look . ..
We chose to paint our shelves, but if you want the beauty of real wood, you can buy the door in wood veneers like oak or maple (ours was lauan). If you decide on a natural wood finish, you’ll need to cover the exposed edges with a matching wood trim. If you go this route, first shave off 1/8 in. from the front and side edges with a table saw to eliminate the slight bevel on each edge, then apply the matching trim. You can also cover the entire shelf with plastic laminate if you want a tough, hard-surfaced shelf.

You may want to change the depth of your shelves as well. Don’t exceed 9 in. or you’ll start to weaken the cantilever strength of the shelf. Feel free to make narrower or shorter shelves, as shown in Photo 9.

Create A Rock-Hard Finish With A Low-Gloss Enamel Paint
The whole job will go a lot smoother if you paint the shelves before you install them. If you intend to paint the room, also do that before you install the shelves because it’s a drag to cut around each shelf with a paint brush. Just be sure to sand your wood door with 150-grit sandpaper before you paint. If the surface is still rough and porous after sanding, fill the pores by applying a paste wood filler (like Elmer’s wood filler) with a 3-in. drywall knife. Let it dry and sand the surface again.

These Shelves Are Permanent— They’re Tough To Remove!
The glue not only makes the shelves strong but also impossible to remove without ruining them. You’ll have to cut them in place 2 in. away from the wall with a circular saw to expose the lag screws and then remove the cleats with a wrench. That’s unfortunate, but you can always make another set cheaply and easily.

Click image to enlarge.
1. Trace the horizontal location for each shelf using a 4-ft. level as your guide. Use a stud finder to mark the locations of the studs and lightly press masking tape over each one. If you don’t have a string line, use a long straightedge and mark the wall with a pencil. Check your marks with the 4-ft. level.

Click image to enlarge.
2. Cut the door blank lengthwise after clamping a straightedge guide to the door. Be sure to use a 40-tooth carbide blade for a smooth cut.

3. Measure the space between the outer veneers of the door and cut cleats from a 2x4 to this thickness. Our measurement was 1-3/32 in. Use straight, dry lumber for cleats.

Click image to enlarge.
4. Predrill 1/4-in. Dia. Holes at the stud locations after you cut the cleats to length (the measurement between the end blocks of the door half). Hold the cleat to your line on the wall and drill into the stud with a 1/8-in. bit. Using a wrench, install one lag screw into each stud until it’s tight. Use 1/4-in. x 3-1/2 in. lag screws. Each cleat must be straight as an arrow.

5. Cut away the corrugated cardboard cores at least 1-1/2 in. from the cut edge. Scrape away the glue carefully without gouging the wood surface.

6. Dry-fit the shelf to make sure the blank fits over the cleat. Check the backside of the shelf and scribe it to the wall if necessary. Use a block plane or sander to remove material from the back edge for a tight fit.

Click image to enlarge.
7. Apply glue to the top of the cleat and the inside bottom edge of the door blank. Slide the shelf over the wood cleat.

8. Nail the shelf to the cleat using a square as your guide. Start at the middle and work your way to each end. Use 1-in. brad nails spaced 8 in. apart.

Click image to enlarge.
9. Build shorter shelves by cutting the shelf to length. Glue a filler block flush with the end and nail each side with small brad nails.

From The Family Handyman - October 2000

• Scribing for a Perfect Fit
• Easily transfer odd shapes and profiles with just a pencil or a pencil\/compass combination.
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