I plan on an 18" shelf layout on three walls. Being in a wheelchair full time, I want to mount it directly on the walls with no legs.
If I make the shelf from 1X3's and a 1/2" plywood top, will the metal brackets be ridgid enough? How far apart is necessary? I could easily do every 16" for spacing.
What do you think?
73
Bruce in the Peg
Being as your in a wheelchair, if you think there is any chance that you may have to lean on it or pull on it or use it as leverage for support, then I would recommend the 16" spacing, otherwise 32" seperation will be plenty as most of the span will be supported by the 1x3s. Either way just make sure that your shelf brackets are mounted solidly into the wall studs and you should be fine.
Have fun with your trains
I am going to use shelf brackets on the sections of my layout expansion that will be fixed to a brick wall. I plan on having 24" shelfs so I will add a small piece of 1x2 or 1x3 to extend the bracket itself, for the penisula I will use regular legs.
James, Brisbane Australia
Modelling AT&SF in the 90s
My shelf layout is 24" deep along two walls, and 18" deep along the third wall. Plywood and Homasote surface. I used the metal adjustable shelving supports from the "big box" home supply store - the kind where a metal bracket with slots is attached to the wall and screwed into the stud and then metal braces slide into those slots. Get the kind where there are two slots for every bracket to reduce lateral movement. I put a support on every stud (16" centers).
I have had no problems or complaints with this system. The shelf is plenty sturdy for the plaster and driving of track spikes and whatever else is needed.
Bill
when you go to buy the shelf material at either Lowes or Home Depot, the boxes and containers will have the load bearing abaility of the equipment
Look at what the LION built. The weight is on the floor, the row of studs it just tacked to the wall so that it does not tip. If you will need to use the table for personal support, use more anchors to the wall.
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I think the key is making sure the bracket system is solidly anchored. My shelf bracket tracks are screwed through 5/8 drywall directly to the studs (load bearing wall) with three inch deck screws. To get the length I needed for max 600mm wide shelves (the longest available slide-in brackets were 16" size) I screwed lengths of steel stud to the brackets with 1/4-20 machine screws and nuts, with lock washers.
Sometimes I put my weight on the extensions when levering my 100+kg frame out of a chair. So far nothing has moved even a fraction of a millimeter.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - with runs of benchwork supported on shelf brackets)
I'm using John Sterling shelf components from the local 'big box' home and garden store. I'm putting the shelf hangers every 18" inches, and using shelfs that are 16" wide by 3' long. On the shelf brackets, I use two screws to attach a 1" x 3" piece of wood - the store I go to sells them pre-cut to about 12" length for use as garden stakes - and the shelfs are sturdy enough that they don't need bracing underneath. One thing I like about this method is the uprights attached to the wall allow you to add shelfs above and/or below the layout, so you can have a shelf under the layout for controls, and put a shelf layer above the layout level to attach lights to.
For what you are planning make sure you get the more rigid type shelf supports close do the depth of your layout on the one leg and as long as you can get them on the other. Go with thicker ply, like 1" although I'm sure 3/4" would be fine. Then the 1x3 would just end up being decoration if spaced every 16". A normal weighted person could walk on this setup an long as it is installed properly. Now personally (if I was in your situation), I would have a local metalworking shop make up a metal frame with built in brackets, then you could pull yourself up if needed and then just caulk 2" fomam on top.
I have a double deck N scale layout. The upper deck is 18" wide supported by 14" shelf brackets with 1/3 toppers on the brackets and 1/2" plywood roadbed. It is plenty strong. I mounted a bracked on every wall stud--16". I think you will have no problem with this type of construction. If your layout is true shelf with a flat top, one think you will have to consider is that the brackets a designed intentionally to angle back toward the wall slightly, about 2 degrees. To make shelp perfectly level you will need to ship the back edge of your shelf.
Ron
Owner and superintendant of the N scale Texas Colorado & Western Railway, a protolanced representaion of the BNSF from Fort Worth, TX through Wichita Falls TX and into Colorado.
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I used steel shelf angle support brackets and a 2x3 frame (could've used 1x3 frame, but 2x3 is cheaper and fits brackets better). I spaced the brackets every stud 16", because I'll be using the horizontals to support drawers. I think a 32" spacing would be more than sufficient.
An option for long spans is to mount steel angles to the shelf brackets. My workbench is supported lengthwise by six foot slotted steel angles.
Greg Amer
The Industrial Lead
Blind Bruce I plan on an 18" shelf layout on three walls. Being in a wheelchair full time, I want to mount it directly on the walls with no legs. If I make the shelf from 1X3's and a 1/2" plywood top, will the metal brackets be ridgid enough? How far apart is necessary? I could easily do every 16" for spacing. What do you think?
Bruce, after reviewing the posts on here you have some great advice and I would just suggest this. If 32 inch centers are strong enough and you build yours on 16 inch centers there is no penalty for it being stronger than you need. The additional material that will be used will not be missed by the time next months budget rolls around. It will provide the added benefit of adding to the stability of anything on top of it. One of the things that is being done to the club layout I am a member of is additional supports to take care of some adjustments to grades. The additional supports can help to eliminate warping do to seasonal changes in temperature and humidity. Also more supports can be thinner which maybe of benefit to some one wishing to roll up to the layout and possibly project some of his chair and or body under the layout with out needing to make compromises to the viewing height.