Supporting my 'study' worktop thingy!

ChilliBob

That sounds a pretty nifty bit of upcycling! Nice one! I did consider using my speakers as part of the support but I was told this was an utterly stupid idea which destroy the sound.

Anyone reckon those gallows brackets I posted would work? They seem a decent price for something that looks decent too. 

Eldi_Dos

Would gallow brackets transmit sound and vibration into adjoining room and would that be a problem if so?

Bees Make Honey, Don't Stop Now would be good inaugural track for a Diy music room.

Bendy_House

ChilliBob said:

Anyone reckon those gallows brackets I posted would work? They seem a decent price for something that looks decent too. 

Which ones?

Anyhoo, I suspect you understand the principles behind the different type of support, as you are clearly a pretty competent DIYer - that worktop cut looks very neat.

LEGS: A batten along the wall, screwed nice and deep with beefy screws, and the forces will be almost completely downwards - a sheering force - so provided the screws won't break, then the batten should be good to go. At the front, you just need to ensure the legs used can't be kicked sideways, so a strong bracket at the top, or else a fixing to the floor as well. Very few other forces.

GALLOWS: Quite different. These will not only be taking the downwards worktop weight at the back, but also a force trying to pull the brackets away from the wall, as the weight of the worktop will be acting to 'pivot' the top around the strut position. So the fixing screws into the wall will need to be that much more secure against being pulled out. The further down the strut goes - ie if you were DIYing these, then the strongest setup would be to have the struts going right down to the floor at the bottom of the wall. The higher up the wall the strut end braces, the more the whole caboodle will try to rotate - pivot - around that point.

Also, at the top of the strut, which will be near the front of the worktop, that needs fixing securely too, or it'll try and slide forwards. 

ChilliBob

Thanks for the comment regarding the worktop, it's the bit of diy I am most proud of as it goes. Was sad to leave it as we moved house! It came out far better than I thought, can I pull it off again? We shall see!

So, the bracket was here: https://www.leaderdoors.co.uk/liberty-doors-single-gallows-pine-porch-bracket-cp300-p74197

I do understand some stuff sbout forces, but not enough. When I mentioned a baton at the back to my Dad and said would rawl plugs be enough? He looked at me and said well yeah, as the worktop isn't trying to pull it off etc - he used to be a draughtsman and checker so knows this sort of thing!

I really should read up on it more - I know kitchen cupboards being held up by those baby red rawl plugs is often an example given.

I'd feel 'safer'  with legs, but, they would get in the way, and look crap compared to these gallows.

I'll post my thoughts regarding specific fixings for both the baton and the Gallows tomorrow to garner opinion! 

ChilliBob

Eldi_Dos said:

Would gallow brackets transmit sound and vibration into adjoining room and would that be a problem if so?

Bees Make Honey, Don't Stop Now would be good inaugural track for a Diy music room.

This room is on the side of the house, other side of these brackets is the stairs, so, I think I'll be okay.

Interesting point though. Turntables sound crap on surfaces which aren't solid and well supported... 

I think I may need two gallows and one baby gallows, ill explain more tomorrow - messing around with bedtimes and all sorts now to think straight! 

Bendy_House

ChilliBob said:

Thanks for the comment regarding the worktop, it's the bit of diy I am most proud of as it goes. Was sad to leave it as we moved house! It came out far better than I thought, can I pull it off again? We shall see!

So, the bracket was here: https://www.leaderdoors.co.uk/liberty-doors-single-gallows-pine-porch-bracket-cp300-p74197

I do understand some stuff sbout forces, but not enough. When I mentioned a baton at the back to my Dad and said would rawl plugs be enough? He looked at me and said well yeah, as the worktop isn't trying to pull it off etc - he used to be a draughtsman and checker so knows this sort of thing!

I really should read up on it more - I know kitchen cupboards being held up by those baby red rawl plugs is often an example given.

I'd feel 'safer'  with legs, but, they would get in the way, and look crap compared to these gallows.

I'll post my thoughts regarding specific fixings for both the baton and the Gallows tomorrow to garner opinion! 

They would surely be strong enough! 

Your dad had it - a batten along the back won't be 'pulled out' much (other than with general worktop movement - moving stuff around, using it to hep haul yourself to your feet, that sort of thing. But the gallows will not only be constantly trying to pull away at it's top corner, but will also be doing the load carrying that would be SHARED between a batten and legs. It would need very strong and secure fixings.

They ain't cheap either, but they are stylish.

If going for them, what I would do is to ABSOLUTELY fix a bracket/block/whatevs to the RH wall just in from the door frame to support the front-RH corner of the worktop. This should be EASY, hidden, and make a world of difference - really take a load from these brackets. I would then, tobesuretobesure, fit one leg at the front-LH corner. THEN I'd be happy with a couple of gallows, probably cheaper and simpler than these, as they'll barely be visible. That shouldn't fail.

Bendy_House

Check out the 'gallows brackets' options on, say, ebay. Toolstation have 600mm recycled plastic ones for £27 each. I presume they are strong, and they look ok.

Martin_the_Unjust

Gallow brackets are simple enough to make yourself, basically they are only three bits of timber screwed together.

I certainly wouldn’t be paying £40 plus for one

Bendy_House

Martin_the_Unjust said:

Gallow brackets are simple enough to make yourself, basically they are only three bits of timber screwed together.

I certainly wouldn’t be paying £40 plus for one

Yes, and a nice project.

How deep would they need to be? 500mm should be fine, if you wanted them out of sight at the front. But 'deeper' down the back wall for added strength - the further the better.

And the important detail is that the strut's ends should be FULLY secure to each rail and not be able to slip. So worth cutting in a shallow mortice near each end of the rails to take the strut's tips. Oh, and also that the two rails are well secured where they join at their right angle corner.

And if Chilli adds that hidden support bracket at the RH front, and a leg LH front, the dynamics of the gallows will change dramatically so they now largely only need to hold the w'top UP, and not pull forwards, as that force will have gone.

ChilliBob

Regarding cost of gallows brackets, yeah, I thought that seemed pricey, until I looked around and it's quite good. Making myself I'd need this timber: https://www.wickes.co.uk/Redwood-PSE-69-x-69mm-x-2-4m-PK1/p/236388#

To make one gallows bracket, so at £32 before I even put a saw to it, £40 for something ready made doesn't seem too bad. Yes, it does need dowels gluing but thats it.

This is already enough of a project for me - got the rest of the house to decorate, a new born to care for and all kinds of other stuff!

I'll read in more detail tonight and hopefully draw up something (crude!) to add more colour to this and hopefully understand more what you guys are suggesting