Single Side Cantilevering Shelves

One Sided Shelf

These shelves were more about testing an idea than needing more shelf space. Still, they've become a home for a few of my foxes. Yes, I have a collection of foxes.

The challenge was to find a secure way to connect and support cantilevering shelves from one end. 

The shelves vary in length, with the shortest at the top and the longest at the bottom. 18mm thick plywood brackets, all identical, are used to keep all but the bottom shelf square to the vertical side.  They slide into dovetail slots in the supported end of each shelf. Each bracket also has an embedded threaded nut at the bottom for a bolt that will hold them tight to the vertical side.  Brackets are closer to the back side of each shelf to minimize their interference with whatever is displayed on each shelf.  

Support Bracket with Slot for a Nut Carrier

The embedded nuts are typical hex nuts held in a 3D printed carrier.   A simple slot is all that is needed to slip the carrier with nut into. Slots parallel to an edge are easy to cut on a router table or with a CNC while the perimeter is also being cut.  A hole for the intersecting bolt can be  drilled with a clamp on self-centering drilling jig. 

Drilling Jig @ Amazon.com

Typical Shelf Underside

The shelves also have two embedded threaded nuts for bolts piercing the end that connects to the vertical panel. The tightly held shelf traps the bracket.  The bracket holds the shelf level and keeps it from being lifted up. Shelves progress from 6.5" long to 23.25" long. They are 9" deep and spaced 13.25" center to center.  Some ash wood trim covers the exposed sides of the plywood shelves. Corners have a radius that matches the rounded over sides of the vertical panel. 

The bottom 23.25" long shelf is also the supporting foot for the whole system.  It has a bracket below that extends from the vertical panel to a short vertical foot. The bracket dovetails into the bottom of the bottom shelf. It also has an embedded nut for a bolt through the vertical panel. 

Bottom Bracket

The foot includes threaded adjustable feet to keep the vertical side perfectly plum. The adjustable feet screw into embedded nuts. A dado slot receives the bottom bracket end which is held with wood glue and two wood screws.  Trapped in the dado the plywood bracket can't split. Perforations in these parts allow air to flow from a floor vent below the shelves. 

Bottom Foot

This prototype uses a spare ash wood 9" wide x 6' tall vertical section from my much larger and more versatile shelf  system.  It can still be attached to that system if need be, and add its cantilevering display shelves to that system.

9" x 6' solid vertical panel

The notch in the bottom is so cables can pass through.  When used in the shelf system power cables run through to power a radio/music player and lights in the top cap of the shelves. 

All components of this shelf can come apart and stack flat for easy packaging or moving or shipping. The shelves/bracket unbolt from the panel.  The brackets slide out of the shelves.

In use this cantilevering shelf makes a good display space for my foxes. Needed is a light to illuminate the normally dark corner where it resides. There is an outlet on the wall behind the shelves where a light could be plugged in.  I'm in search for just the right clamp on light to do the job.  

4D.

Comments or questions welcomed and appreciated.