These shelves, al though lacking in elegance, make excellent quick shelving in a garage or potting shed.
They can be made from a variety of materials, including pine, fir, or red wood, and depending on your needs, you can build them low, high, or sized to sit on top of or fasten above a workbench or counter.
If you have the pieces of wood cut at the lumberyard, making these shelves requires minimal woodworking skills. The fasteners can be metal or plastic channels formed in T, L, and X shapes designed to join 1-by boards or standard L brackets of formed steel.
If you will store heavy items or wish to build a large shelf unit, then 2-by lumber is the appropriate stock for the structural parts of the case such as the sides and top and bottom pieces. Shelf clips will not fit on 2-by stock, but L brackets will, as will flat steel brackets available in many shapes including L’s, T’s, and X’s.
Since glue is not used in the construction of these simple shelves, they will eventually loosen as the wood dries and shrinks. Usage also lessens their stability. To keep shelves rigid, simply nail a sheet of 1/4-inch plywood to the back of the unit. Prevent a tall unit from falling forward by attaching it to the wall near the top of the case.
Using 1-by stock
The following instructions are for building a basic shelf unit that measures 32 inches tall, 42 inches wide, and 11¼ inches deep. Substitute other dimensions if you want a case of a different size.
1. Select 1 by 12 boards in the wood of your choice. Many lumberyards have vertical bins of pine shelving, kiln-dried vertical-grain fir, and S4S (sanded 4 sides) KD redwood.
2. Cut (or have the lumberyard cut) boards to the following sizes: 1 top at 42 inches; 3 verticals at 31¼ inches; and 4 shelves at 19 7/8-inches.
3. Purchase connectors and brads or screws required to secure connectors in place: 4 L’s; 10 T’s; and 4 X’s.
4. Select and cut a sheet of ¼-inch plywood to 32 inches by 42 inches. This plywood is optional. Under most circumstances clips will make shelving sturdy enough. You can add a plywood back later if necessary.
5. Before assembly, apply a finish to the shelves. Note that metal or plastic clips can be spray-painted to provide a bit of color or to prevent rust. Assemble pieces as shown and that’s it—almost instant shelving!
Using 2-by stock
If built in redwood, these shelves can be used outdoors. Follow these steps for a heavy-duty shelf unit 36 inches high and 42 inches wide.
1. From 2 by 12 stock, select and cut 1 top at 42 inches, 2 shelves at 39 inches, and 2 verticals at 34½ inches.
2. Decide on the type of connectors to use, and buy 8 L brackets or 4 flat steel L’s and 8 flat T’s. Steel connectors come in many sizes. If you are unsure about what size to buy, inform the salesperson of the intended function and size of the unit and ask for recommendations. Be sure to buy enough flat-head wood screws for all the holes in the connectors.
3. Choose and cut a ¼-inch plywood back to 41½ inches by 35½ inches. (This size allows for a ¼-inch setback at the edges.) A plywood back is strongly recommended if you use standard L brackets; it may be unnecessary if you use flat steel connectors.
4. Apply a finish to the pieces, then assemble unit as shown.
Open utility shelf: Use 1-by lumber for all shelf and side
pieces
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