OK, time for a (gasp!) woodworking topic :-).
I'm about finished building 7 bookcases for our library in the family
room. I want to fasten them to the wall for safety.
The standard angle brackets would work fine, and be high enough that they
couldn't be seen from below, but it just didn't seem to fit with the
image of the maple/birch cases.
I happened to glance at my Kreg jig the other day and got an idea. Take
a 0.75" x 1.5" by 3" piece of nice hardwood, taper it to half a torpedo
shape, put a Kreg hole through the large end to fasten to the wall and a
couple of vertical screws through the body to fasten to the bookcase.
Repeat for other cases.
OK, it's overkill and nobody will see them, but I'll know their there :-).
"Larry Blanchard" wrote:
>>OK, time for a (gasp!) woodworking topic :-).
>
>>I'm about finished building 7 bookcases for our library in the
>>family
>>room. I want to fasten them to the wall for safety.
>
>>The standard angle brackets would work fine, and be high enough that
>>they
>>couldn't be seen from below, but it just didn't seem to fit with the
>>image of the maple/birch cases.
>
>>I happened to glance at my Kreg jig the other day and got an idea.
>>Take
>>a 0.75" x 1.5" by 3" piece of nice hardwood, taper it to half a
>>torpedo
>>shape, put a Kreg hole through the large end to fasten to the wall
>>and a
>>couple of vertical screws through the body to fasten to the
>>bookcase.
>>Repeat for other cases.
>
>>OK, it's overkill and nobody will see them, but I'll know their
>>there :-).
---------------------------------------------------
"John Grossbohlin" wrote:
>
> Does seem like overkill... but I'd mostly worry about splitting the
> blocks. ;~)
>
> How about a French cleat that lets the case pretty much rest on the
> floor while holding the case to the wall at the top? That would make
> it easy to level all the cases to each other. Some shims and a base
> molding would finish off the bottom.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Mikey likes it.
Living in shake rattle and roll country, securing things to walls is
of primary concern and that includes water heaters and wall
mounted TVs.
Lew
Larry Blanchard wrote:
> OK, time for a (gasp!) woodworking topic :-).
>
> I'm about finished building 7 bookcases for our library in the family
> room. I want to fasten them to the wall for safety.
>
> The standard angle brackets would work fine, and be high enough that they
> couldn't be seen from below, but it just didn't seem to fit with the
> image of the maple/birch cases.
>
> I happened to glance at my Kreg jig the other day and got an idea. Take
> a 0.75" x 1.5" by 3" piece of nice hardwood, taper it to half a torpedo
> shape, put a Kreg hole through the large end to fasten to the wall and a
> couple of vertical screws through the body to fasten to the bookcase.
> Repeat for other cases.
>
> OK, it's overkill and nobody will see them, but I'll know their there :-).
One thought: Will it be sitting on carpet? If so, It will settle a
little when it gets loaded with books.
--
GW Ross
For every action there is an equal
and opposite criticism.
On 8/5/2014 6:59 PM, Larry Blanchard wrote:
> On Tue, 05 Aug 2014 13:16:53 -0500, Swingman wrote:
>
>> Many ways to tackle the issue, sounds like you have a good solution for
>> your situation, and were conscientious enough to think of it in the
>> first place ... be surprised how many don't.
>
> Oh I definitely would have fastened it one way or another. I just wanted
> something a little fancier than an angle bracket or the suggested screw
> through the shelf. After spending about $1500 in wood and supplies for
> the 7, I thought they deserved better :-).
>
Precisely Larry and you never know if another real woodworker, like
yourself, may come behind you one day to remove or move those book
cases. You want him or her to know that you were concerned about all
aspects of the build..
On 8/5/2014 11:26 AM, Larry Blanchard wrote:
> OK, time for a (gasp!) woodworking topic :-).
>
> I'm about finished building 7 bookcases for our library in the family
> room. I want to fasten them to the wall for safety.
>
> The standard angle brackets would work fine, and be high enough that they
> couldn't be seen from below, but it just didn't seem to fit with the
> image of the maple/birch cases.
>
> I happened to glance at my Kreg jig the other day and got an idea. Take
> a 0.75" x 1.5" by 3" piece of nice hardwood, taper it to half a torpedo
> shape, put a Kreg hole through the large end to fasten to the wall and a
> couple of vertical screws through the body to fasten to the bookcase.
> Repeat for other cases.
>
> OK, it's overkill and nobody will see them, but I'll know their there :-).
Your insurance company may thank you for it one day.
This is one of the biggest liability issues that a cabinet/furniture
needs to take into consideration when delivering and installing projects
for a client -- whether there are children in the house, or not -- a
safety/anti-tip mechanism is a must for ALL tall cabinets/bookshelf
systems that are free standing and not built-in.
Personally, I even refuse to leave a tall bookshelf or cabinet in
someone's home unattended, particularly with children in the house, and
have a policy that these items are not delivered until they are ready to
install, and they are fully, and safely, installed prior to leaving the
premises for any reason.
I know for fact that Leon and I think alike on this issue as we have
both helped the other in installing our large projects, and we both
always have come up with a solution to that problem to fit the project,
well before we ever walk in the door.
Many ways to tackle the issue, sounds like you have a good solution for
your situation, and were conscientious enough to think of it in the
first place ... be surprised how many don't.
--
eWoodShop: www.eWoodShop.com
Wood Shop: www.e-WoodShop.net
https://www.google.com/+eWoodShop
https://plus.google.com/+KarlCaillouet/posts
http://www.custommade.com/by/ewoodshop/
KarlCaillouet@ (the obvious)
"Larry Blanchard" wrote in message news:[email protected]...
>OK, time for a (gasp!) woodworking topic :-).
>I'm about finished building 7 bookcases for our library in the family
>room. I want to fasten them to the wall for safety.
>The standard angle brackets would work fine, and be high enough that they
>couldn't be seen from below, but it just didn't seem to fit with the
>image of the maple/birch cases.
>I happened to glance at my Kreg jig the other day and got an idea. Take
>a 0.75" x 1.5" by 3" piece of nice hardwood, taper it to half a torpedo
>shape, put a Kreg hole through the large end to fasten to the wall and a
>couple of vertical screws through the body to fasten to the bookcase.
>Repeat for other cases.
>OK, it's overkill and nobody will see them, but I'll know their there :-).
Does seem like overkill... but I'd mostly worry about splitting the blocks.
;~)
How about a French cleat that lets the case pretty much rest on the floor
while holding the case to the wall at the top? That would make it easy to
level all the cases to each other. Some shims and a base molding would
finish off the bottom.
On 8/7/2014 10:18 PM, whit3rd wrote:
> On Wednesday, August 6, 2014 12:29:34 PM UTC-7, Larry Blanchard wrote:
>> On Tue, 05 Aug 2014 21:19:39 -0400, G. Ross wrote:
>
>>> One thought: Will it be sitting on carpet? If so, It will settle a
>>> little when it gets loaded with books.
>
>
>> I never heard of an auto-adjustable wall fastener.
>
> Could mount a shiplap strip on top, to make a rib next to the wall.
> Screw a mating strip to the wall-- like an upside-down French cleat.
> Or short brackets screwed to the wall, if appearance is better that way.
>
> The strip would hold the top-shelf books a bit forward, but allow 'em to
> shift left/right.
>
Ir simply an "L" bracket with a slot instead of a hole for the wall
screw to slide along.
On 8/5/2014 11:26 AM, Larry Blanchard wrote:
> OK, time for a (gasp!) woodworking topic :-).
>
> I'm about finished building 7 bookcases for our library in the family
> room. I want to fasten them to the wall for safety.
>
> The standard angle brackets would work fine, and be high enough that they
> couldn't be seen from below, but it just didn't seem to fit with the
> image of the maple/birch cases.
>
> I happened to glance at my Kreg jig the other day and got an idea. Take
> a 0.75" x 1.5" by 3" piece of nice hardwood, taper it to half a torpedo
> shape, put a Kreg hole through the large end to fasten to the wall and a
> couple of vertical screws through the body to fasten to the bookcase.
> Repeat for other cases.
>
> OK, it's overkill and nobody will see them, but I'll know their there :-).
>
Sounds like that should work. I have the advantage that I build all of
my cabinets with back face frames too. That allows enough wood above
the top side of the top of the unit to anchor a screw.
On Wednesday, August 6, 2014 12:29:34 PM UTC-7, Larry Blanchard wrote:
> On Tue, 05 Aug 2014 21:19:39 -0400, G. Ross wrote:
> > One thought: Will it be sitting on carpet? If so, It will settle a
> > little when it gets loaded with books.
> I never heard of an auto-adjustable wall fastener.
Could mount a shiplap strip on top, to make a rib next to the wall.
Screw a mating strip to the wall-- like an upside-down French cleat.
Or short brackets screwed to the wall, if appearance is better that way.
The strip would hold the top-shelf books a bit forward, but allow 'em to
shift left/right.
John Grossbohlin wrote:
> "Larry Blanchard" wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> OK, time for a (gasp!) woodworking topic :-).
>
>> I'm about finished building 7 bookcases for our library in the family
>> room. I want to fasten them to the wall for safety.
>
>> The standard angle brackets would work fine, and be high enough that
>> they couldn't be seen from below, but it just didn't seem to fit
>> with the image of the maple/birch cases.
>
>> I happened to glance at my Kreg jig the other day and got an idea. Take a
>> 0.75" x 1.5" by 3" piece of nice hardwood, taper it to half a
>> torpedo shape, put a Kreg hole through the large end to fasten to
>> the wall and a couple of vertical screws through the body to fasten
>> to the bookcase. Repeat for other cases.
>
>> OK, it's overkill and nobody will see them, but I'll know their
>> there :-).
>
> Does seem like overkill... but I'd mostly worry about splitting the
> blocks. ;~)
>
> How about a French cleat that lets the case pretty much rest on the
> floor while holding the case to the wall at the top? That would make
> it easy to level all the cases to each other. Some shims and a base
> molding would finish off the bottom.
Maybe I'm missing something here, but why not just use your Kreg or simply
just drill through the back of the top shelf, where the stud aligns, and
running a toenailed screw through there and into the stud? do that in 2 or
3 places and everything should be rock solid.
--
-Mike-
[email protected]
Swingman wrote:
>
> Generally, but not in all cases, it is easier to come up with an
> "anti-tip mechanism" of some sort, than it is to rely on the
> possibility of being able to screw a freestanding item to a stud.
>
Go figure! I would have thought that a toenailed screw through the top
shelf and into a stud would have provided all of the stability necessary.
--
-Mike-
[email protected]
On 2014-08-05, Lew Hodgett <[email protected]> wrote:
> Living in shake rattle and roll country, securing things to walls is
> of primary concern and that includes water heaters and wall mounted
> TVs.
Are there wall mounted TVs that aren't secured to walls? Or do you
mean something that keeps the TV from doing the normal range of motion
the mount is designed to support?
--
Grant Edwards grant.b.edwards Yow! Did I do an INCORRECT
at THING??
gmail.com
On Tue, 05 Aug 2014 13:16:53 -0500, Swingman wrote:
> Many ways to tackle the issue, sounds like you have a good solution for
> your situation, and were conscientious enough to think of it in the
> first place ... be surprised how many don't.
Oh I definitely would have fastened it one way or another. I just wanted
something a little fancier than an angle bracket or the suggested screw
through the shelf. After spending about $1500 in wood and supplies for
the 7, I thought they deserved better :-).
"Larry Blanchard" <[email protected]> wrote
> I happened to glance at my Kreg jig the other day and got an idea. Take
> a 0.75" x 1.5" by 3" piece of nice hardwood, taper it to half a torpedo
> shape, put a Kreg hole through the large end to fasten to the wall and a
> couple of vertical screws through the body to fasten to the bookcase.
> Repeat for other cases.
>
> OK, it's overkill and nobody will see them, but I'll know their there :-).
Why not hid a couple Kreg holes in the top of the bookcase (located so they
hit studs) and sink in a couple of longer screws in them?
Simplicity times two.
--
Jim in NC
---
This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! Antivirus protection is active.
http://www.avast.com
On Tue, 05 Aug 2014 21:19:39 -0400, G. Ross wrote:
> One thought: Will it be sitting on carpet? If so, It will settle a
> little when it gets loaded with books.
Good thought. Hmmmm. In my case it isn't on carpet, it's on a basement
floor with vinyl tile. But it might move someday, even if only after I
die. I do have levelers but that would be a PITA.
I never heard of an auto-adjustable wall fastener. But if I used longer
screw into the top through clearance holes and left 1/4" or so exposed,
that should allow enough downward movement for carpet compression.
Perhaps with a little printed note explaining why the screws are sticking
out :-).
BTW, this house is old enough that the "vinyl" tiles are "vinylbestos".
The consensus says as long as the surface is unbroken, leave them alone!
Larry Blanchard wrote:
> On Tue, 05 Aug 2014 21:19:39 -0400, G. Ross wrote:
>
>> One thought: Will it be sitting on carpet? If so, It will settle a
>> little when it gets loaded with books.
>
> Good thought. Hmmmm. In my case it isn't on carpet, it's on a
> basement floor with vinyl tile. But it might move someday, even if
> only after I die. I do have levelers but that would be a PITA.
>
> I never heard of an auto-adjustable wall fastener. But if I used
> longer screw into the top through clearance holes and left 1/4" or so
> exposed, that should allow enough downward movement for carpet
> compression. Perhaps with a little printed note explaining why the
> screws are sticking out :-).
>
Wicked over engineered thinking Larry.
--
-Mike-
[email protected]
On 8/5/2014 1:18 PM, Mike Marlow wrote:
> Maybe I'm missing something here, but why not just use your Kreg or simply
> just drill through the back of the top shelf, where the stud aligns, and
> running a toenailed screw through there and into the stud? do that in 2 or
> 3 places and everything should be rock solid.
Finding a stud in the right location to be safe is not a given without
some prior planning in the design with regard to the location.
Many times bookshelves, in particular, like those without backs or with
thin backs, are not built with a device, like a built-in tack strip,
that will support a screw.
Screwing a bookshelf to a wall- even it has provisions for fastening to
a wall - to a less than plumb, non-square wall may result in it not
setting square to the wall, base or floor.
Generally, but not in all cases, it is easier to come up with an
"anti-tip mechanism" of some sort, than it is to rely on the possibility
of being able to screw a freestanding item to a stud.
YMMV...
--
eWoodShop: www.eWoodShop.com
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KarlCaillouet@ (the obvious)