[Bram]

Hi everyone

First of all let me say that I'm not native English , so if I make terrible mistakes , please excuse me. Also , I am very new to woodworking. Not even novice , let's say "illetarate" or something ...

I have always been envyous of people who can do beautifull craftsmanship and I decided to take up on woodworking , so I am in the "reading stages"

I already have one question for you people :

I want to make me a closet. I am using 18 millimeter thick MDF plates to start my test project because I want to be able to afford mistakes. So starting with expencive oak or something didn't seem a smart descision.

My question is : Let's say I'm making shelffs to go into the closet in the same MDF. I would use tonge and groove to put them inside. So I make a groove in the side-boards and I make a "tongue" at either end of the shelff to get them fixed.

Does anybody have any idea if this construction (18 millimeter MDF with tongue and groove) is strong enough to support some weight , or could I only stack feather-filled pillows ont it

If the above is not clear (which I can very much understand reading my English ) please ask me extra information.

Thanks already !!

Bram

 

[jerrymayfield]

First of all welcome. A little more information please, how wide are the shelves going to be and how deep. I would probably cut a dado in the side pieces the full thickness of shelf as opposed to the tongue and groove. I am sure someone will be able to help.

Regards
Jerry

 

[Julie]

Hi Bram
You don't need to do anything to the ends of the shelves. A groove in the side boards, the width of the shelf will do. You glue it in there, and it will be a fixed shelf. As Jerry said, the amount of weight it will take depends on how long across the shelf is.
There are some great free plans and ideas here
http://www.freeww.com/shelves.html

(Specifically the one called : Building a Fixed-Shelf Unit should help. Be sure to go on to the second page)

~Julie~

 

[Bram]

Hi All

Many thanks already. That site with plans looks pretty cool and shows nice step by step guide. Although some english terms are new to me , hahahaha (damn the Dutch language and the lack of dutch forums like this one, hahaha)

Anyways : I indeed should have mentioned the sizes , would've been easier.

Sizes are recalculated from metric to inches using 1 inch = 2.54 centimeter

closet : 70 inch height
shelff : 47 inch wide
shelff : 19.6 inch deep

Thanks already !