Building a Large Shelf

anotheruser

I want to create something like this:



The measurements we're looking at are:

310cm long
30.5cm wide

Thickness doesn't matter too much, probably a couple of centimetres.

Wood type doesn't really matter, MDF, pine, anything on the cheaper side as I know costs could sky rocket.

I've called up some local timber yards who haven't really understood, and a few have gone on to talk about 8x5 or a whole bunch of other measurements, where I got completely lost.

One says it will be £4 a metre, but the width is only 22cm. Another has said the cloest they have will be £45 per shelf (I need 6!).
Another told me it would be £26 a shelf with a width of 27.5cm.

All seem to struggle on the width wide of things but I've seen wood wider than that. Although I suppose it's the length that limits the width.

I'm not looking for oak or anything but surely there is a company out there, locally, that can supply wood in those measurements? To be honest, I'm looking more towards the MDF side of things.


Alternatively, splitting it up might have to be an option. We'll "wedge" them in so the lines will be really feint but the'll still be there, which is what we want to avoid.

Any advice?

ST1991

Ikea do fittings that 'join' 2 shelves together in the middle- Jointing Bracket EKBY BJÄRNUM.

Perhaps something of that sort?

Or, write down the exact size of wood you want (2M Long, 25CM Deep and 5CM Wide) and email a few companies. I am of a similar mindset that this shouldn't be hard for them to supply.

TheCyclingProgrammer

What sort of look are you going for? Do you want to use slotted shelving as in that photo (bit industrial looking perhaps)? Hidden fixings for a "floating" look? Brackets? If you're going for standard bracketed shelves all you really need are brackets and shelving boards, which you can paint.

Take time to measure everything out, mark out where the shelves and brackets will go and the distance between the shelves and make sure everything is level. You'll want to get the thickness of your boards and the bracket spacing right to handle the loads and avoid sagging, especially if its going to hold books.

Slotted shelving would obviously be the easiest to do as you only need to fix the top track, hang the rails and put the brackets in where you want them.

Cisco001

Just get a few shelf bracket and buy the shelf.
http://www.toolstation.com/shop/p17722?table=no
http://www.diy.com/departments/twinslot-white-shelf-board-l800mm-d300mm/207674_BQ.prd

It would be 4 x shelf board, with one of them chop 10mm.
If you have 6 x 3100mm length, it cost you £228 in materials.
But obviously, you need to cut 6 of them, and drill all the holes.