DVD SHELVES – MAKING THE SHELVES

So it’s time to cover some ideas for making the shelves.
You can download the drawing with all of the dimensions on it from the front page or the first post, and you can read about the materials in the previous post,
but actually getting started?  …Well, here’s how!

All of the shelves are made 18mm.  Since all of the uprights and shelves are 190mm wide you can get the MDF sheets cut when you purchase your timber.  This will make is easier to handle and save you alot of time and hassle.  Most good hardware stores will easily be able to cut the sheets for you. 16 pieces in all! – Plus 4 peices at 60mm wide. (these are for the riser box at the bottom of the shelves)

TIP: Don’t forget to cut them along the LONG edge of the sheets so that they are all 2400mm X 190mm! – You may be temped to cut the shelves along the 1800mm side, but the sheets are often out of square and this may cause you issues down the track.

Once you have all of long lengths you can cut them all to length.  The outside peices are different lengths and need to be cut at a 45degree angle so it is tidy from any viewing angle.

TIP: before you cut the uprights and shelves clamp the pieces together, for either the shelves or the uprights, so that when they are cut they are all exactly the same length! – also keep them clamped for the next part of the assembly!

Next you will need to cut the slots on the shelves and uprights so that the shelves and the uprights slot together – here is the best way to do that.

<<= In the picture to the left you will see that I have shown that making the slots on the font of the shelves and the back of the uprights is the best way to go.

This will impact on how your shelving will look when it is finished.

If you followed the previous tip and clamped the shelves together to cut them to length then leave the clamps on and mark and cut all of the slots at the same time.

Marking and cutting in this fashion will assure that all of the shelves are level and all of the uprights are pefectly vertical!

ANOTHER TIP: With the shelves or uprights clamped together, set your circular saw to a depth of 95mm and make a number of cuts to form an 18mm wide cut area.  After that, you can then use your chisel to simply clean out the wafers left behind by the saw and clean up the edges!