Anyone have some good links to sites dealing with built-in shelves? I have a few issues of Family Handyman magazine that have some nice designs. But I wouldn't mind seeing a few other ideas (and methods).

Hi: FWIW, I did a built-in bookshelf/CD unit along a 10' wall last summer - built it out of poplar for the face frame, MDF for the shelves and sides, and 2x4s for spacing out the three different cabinets. Here's a pic for one design option:

I have a couple of built-ins. they are oak plywood sides and shelves, face frame is oak also, as is the front of the shelves, all of which are adjustable on tracks. will try to find the camera and figure out how to post a picture or two.

ront

Oooh, very nice chanle51. A few questions for you. For the MDF shelves and sides, is that one piece of 3/4 in MDF or two back to back as the vertical separators? Did you use drilled holes and pegs for supporting the shelves? Rabbets? The middle shelves have a pretty good span. Did you do anything special to support them? Oh, and are the doors MDF also?

Hi. I was originally planning on using back to back MDF , but ended up sandwiching some 2x4s between the two units to give it more thickness (otherwise the face frames may have looked too thin) and more screw holding power. The vertical units are just rabbeted MDF (I knew what the spacing needs were, so did not have to go the peg route.) As for the spans, there are cleats on the back wall into studs (on which the shelves sit) plus the face frames - without those you're right, there would be lots of deflection.

The doors are poplar frames with (I think) 3/8" MDF panels.

boy chad, that's nice!

So Nice Chad..!!

Did you run the face frame past the side...
And the return on the crown moulding is hard to see.?
You Shore Dew Nice Work...with that blade in backwards
Dont know how... But easy to see... you Get Er Done..
And Very Nicely...

Follow up...

Chanle, did you build these in place are as a unit(s) and then finish assembly in the room. The reason I ask is that I want to know how much room you have between the top of the cabinets and the ceiling (the gap that the mouldings covers). If these unit(s) are assembled before being pieced together in the room, I would worry about them being too tall and not being able to be rotated into upright position without hitting the ceiling...

Hi Engrpetero:

Good question - I assembled the three units in place (standing up) in the room for the very reason you mention. For some reason my brain was working the day I planned out the job.

Thanks Fran,Ernie:
You caught me Ernie - I did overlat the outside edges of the face frame (usually 1/8 to 1/4" depending on the scale of the item.) I think I cheated a lot on this one and instead of actually doing a 1/8" return I cut a 1/8" thick spacer and glued it to the bottom of the crown on the side to make up the difference.

Busted!

In reply to:

---

Busted!

---

Sure Works for Me $$$..... And have to say again...
You do such NICE WORK there Chad !!!...
And Clean...