5mm shelf pins? Which ones are best?

[SittingElf]

Just bought the LR32 Hole Drilling System Set and will be building some shelving units.

Wondering what 5mm Shelf Pins you all have found to be a perfect fit and well made.

Will want for both light and dark woods.

Ideas?

Cheers,

Frank

 

[jeh]

I have used the ones that Rockler sells. I prefer these over the ones with the flat tops. I also will rout out a slot for the pins to rest in so they are no visible. Also, locks them in to prevent them from pulled forward in non-face frame applications.

 

[Sparktrician]

Hafele sells them, too.  Concur with JimH2 on routing a recess for each pin. 

 

[rljatl]

What is the best method to rout out the recess for those small pins?  Is there some trick to it?

 

[mouppe]

I used these with their mating shelf sleeves and they are of excellent quality.

http://www.widgetco.com/shelf-pins-5mm-antique-brass
http://www.widgetco.com/shelf-pins-5mm-antique-brass-grommets-sleeves

I find it is easier to put a 1/8" lip on the face frame which prevents the shelves from sliding forward than to rout out recesses for each pin.

 

[tjbnwi]

I use the Blum clear.

http://www.wwhardware.com/blum-plastic-5mm-support-with-steel-pin-b034-0040

I order 1000 at a time.

Tom

 

[Sparktrician]

What is the best method to rout out the recess for those small pins?  Is there some trick to it?

It's relatively easy.  You must know the distance back from front edge and back edge of the shelf and the distance between, plus the depth of the rout needed (basically, a hair over the pin diameter).  Set up your router table with the correct size bit and adjust the fence back from the bit by the selected diameter of the routed channel.  It's a very good idea to clamp stop blocks to the fence so you can duplicate the routs easily.  Check out the attached picture.  You can also do it vertically if you want the contour of the routed channel to be rounded to match the diameter of the pin.  Be sure to test your setup before going into production.  Also remember that the right end spacing for the stop blocks may differ from the left end due to the differences between front pin to front edge and back pin to back edge.  You may need to route all the "right" ends, then shift the stop blocks and rout all the "left' ends. 

 

[mwildt]

What is the best method to rout out the recess for those small pins?  Is there some trick to it?

I had to modify a shelf on an existing cabinet and I used a basic clamp on dowel jig. I clamped a sacrificial piece (same thickness as the shelf) to the shelf then drilled it from the end of the shelf.

I'm sure there are other solutions for this, but that is what I did in a pinch.

 

[jeh]

What is the best method to rout out the recess for those small pins?  Is there some trick to it?

It's relatively easy.  You must know the distance back from front edge and back edge of the shelf and the distance between, plus the depth of the rout needed (basically, a hair over the pin diameter).  Set up your router table with the correct size bit and adjust the fence back from the bit by the selected diameter of the routed channel.  It's a very good idea to clamp stop blocks to the fence so you can duplicate the routs easily.  Check out the attached picture.  You can also do it vertically if you want the contour of the routed channel to be rounded to match the diameter of the pin.  Be sure to test your setup before going into production.  Also remember that the right end spacing for the stop blocks may differ from the left end due to the differences between front pin to front edge and back pin to back edge.  You may need to route all the "right" ends, then shift the stop blocks and rout all the "left' ends.

That is how I do it. You could also fashion a jig out of some scrap plywood if you don't have a router table. I have taken a scrap piece of plywood that is wider than my router base and longer than my shelf and then attached 1x2 scraps to the top that prevent the router from moving any direction other than from the side to the middle of the shelf and then added another to limits the router movement to the length of the shelf pin. I'd label them so you don't get confused. By having it the same depth as your shelf you avoid positioning errors and get two done at once. If your pin holes are not symmetrical then you will need to make custom left and right ones.

The important part is to mark the slot position on the side of all of the shelves before starting with a pencil mark. Might also put a pencil mark on the bottom to remind you.

You can also make a single jig and just move and clamp it for each whole. If you do this definitely leave some slop in the width of the slot to account for minor positioning issues.

 

[tjbnwi]

Just use Dominos.

Tom

Pictures need to be flipped----Thanks.