Shelving: Carpenter wanted (or good advice for me to do it!)

[salaryman]

I want to fit some quality alcove shelving next to the chimney breast in the living room for all our hundreds of books. They need to be sturdy as the width of the shelves will be 120cm, so I would use batons for the shelves to rest on which need to be "hidden" by a front lip, if you see what I mean.

If I was to do this myself, where would be the best place to buy the wood and have someone cut it all to size? I checked out B&Q and it was pretty poor - they only had standard size pine shelving which wasn't deep enough (only 30cm max, whereas I need 33cm), and the baton wood was either too thick or too thin!

I'd also like to talk to a carpenter to see how much it would cost to get a professional job done. Can anyone recommend one? I'm in SE17. Any idea how much this might cost? Five shelves, that's all.

Cheers!

 

[marty21]

<subscribes to thread>

and if anyone can recommend one in east london, to rescue hundreds of books currently stored lovingly in plastic bags in the attic

 

[Fruit Bandit]

shelving is a piece of piss especailly if you buy some of these

and then cut some wood/mdf to fit, we have these and the shelves are about 4 foot long, the brackets easily hold the weight but you must make sure that the wood you uses is thick and strong enough. Also, if you do use these brackets make sure they are all level

it's cheap, easy and quick

 

[salaryman]

shelving is a piece of piss especailly if you buy some of these

<snip>

Thanks Fruit Bandit, but we're really looking to fit shelves with no visible bracket.

This site explains exactly how to do it, but it is rather complicated (for me anyway!) and requires loads of tools which I don't have and can't afford

http://www.diydoctor.org.uk/projects/makingshelves.htm

I think I really need carpenter recommendations!

 

[Mrs Magpie]

Ms T has a great carpenter, but she's not around at the moment...in the meantime I've PMed pbman, who is probably Urban's best DIYer.

 

[_angel_]

My best friend lives in London and was bemoaning the fact a carpenter had given her a quote of hundreds to fix a small cupboard up for them. Any contact details for good carpenters would be excellent for her.


Could do with knowing a few at my end (Leeds) actually!!

 

[spliff]

I recently got wood cut to size for shelving by a firm in North London called
M.P. Moran in Kilburn (I know Mike dislikes advertising on this site but.......)they were really helpful and everything was cut perfectly, free delivery etc. My problem was the building is 112 years old and the alcove changes its width here and there so I had to do some sanding on some of them to get a snug fit. For my order I thought they said £30.04 which I thought about right. It turned out to be £13.04 which made me a very happy bunny indeed

They have a branch at: 200 Kennington Park Road. 020 7735 9291.


spliff xxx

 

[Mrs Magpie]

They have a branch at: 200 Kennington Park Road.

When I worked round the corner from them, I used them a lot...very good. For everything else I used Blissetts on the Brixton Road. Fantastic shop with an old fashioned counter and all the goods behind and real people serving you, and where you can still buy one nail if that's what you want.

 

[salaryman]

They have a branch at: 200 Kennington Park Road. 020 7735 9291.

which is about 300m from my house! wow. thanks spliff, i'll check them out next week

 

[spliff]

SO. Thats nearly sorted then innit. Blissetts for screws nails etc. Also on Morans website there is a handy map so you don't get lost.


spliff xxx

 

[Crispy]

Blissets is an absolute treasure of a shop. There is nothing DIY related that they don't sell. They'll also let you wander round the timber yard and take a bag of offcuts for a fiver It's not in Brixton btw, but on the Brixton Road about 100m down from Oval church.

 

[Mrs Magpie]

When old Mr Blissett retired he interviewed all prospective buyers. The lovely Derek got the shop because he wanted to keep it the way it was.

 

[Oxpecker]

I've got a good mate who's a chippie. He's done work for me and charges a lot less for people he likes he's kind of alternative in dress, with an occasional mohican, but very professional having done lots of work in the houses of parliament and harrods. I can put you in touch if you want.

 

[pilchardman]

I want to fit some quality alcove shelving next to the chimney breast in the living room for all our hundreds of books. They need to be sturdy as the width of the shelves will be 120cm, so I would use batons for the shelves to rest on which need to be "hidden" by a front lip, if you see what I mean.

If I was to do this myself, where would be the best place to buy the wood and have someone cut it all to size? I checked out B&Q and it was pretty poor

This seems a perfectly good scheme. I've done it myself. It doesn't require a professional.

B&Q is not the best place for wood. You need a wood yard. There'll be one in an industrial estate near you.

I'll take a pic of my chimney brest alcove shelving if you like...

 

[pilchardman]

One side.

Other side.

You can see the battoning. It's rough, but you don't see it normally. I cut all the wood myself. It's not hard.

hth

 

[Oxpecker]

One side.

Other side.

You can see the battoning. It's rough, but you don't see it normally. I cut all the wood myself. It's not hard.

hth

How long did it take to remove all the Mills and Boons before you took those pics?

 

[pilchardman]

How long did it take to remove all the Mills and Boons before you took those pics?

Lol. I didn't think of that.

<rushes off to check what's visible in pics>

 

[pilchardman]

No. That's OK. There's only one I'm embarrassed about, but I don't think it's too visible.

 

[pbman]

The best way to install shelves with hidden support is to cut a rabbit (groove) in the side and back boards. Make it the same size as the thickness of the wood. That would be the strongest way and the cleanest looking. Rabbit joints can be cut with a dato blade on a table saw or with a router. This is the exact same method they use in making furniture type shelves,on high end stuff.



http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/dc_furniture_shelves/article/0,1793,HGTV_3450_1379421,00.html

AFter the shleves are instaled you will need to face it with face frame, all the way around to cover up the rabbit groves.

This is a bit more difficult than normal, I woun't bore you with more details unless your actualy going to do it.

Tell me if your up for it, and i can give you more details...........