Hi guys, just have a quick question hope someone can help out. Need to make a bookcase/tv unit and the customer wants me to use melamine which comes finished. The Lhs of the unit is into a wall so I can use fixings for all the shelfs but the rhs is seen.just wondering if I use dominos on the rhs would they be strong enough?? The sides are 18mm. Cheers David
Domino strength
- Thread starter Monk
- Start date
Bigchasbroon
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- Joined
- Apr 12, 2013
- Messages
- 315
The dominos are strong enough it's more likely the shelf would break. I'd go 5mm and have them off centre slightly closer to the bottom so maybe 5mm between domino and bottom of shelf and 8 above. You also use pocket screws or 5mm pegs for a loose shelf
Would this help?
Sagulator- Calculate shelf strength
I also thought about a edge strip out of the Melamine you are working with to add strength?
Not sure how much it would help, but maybe a shallow dado would also help. If used played with the plunge depth, you could plunge the side of the shelf pre or post dado, and you could go deep into the shelf because you wouldn't be limited by thickness seeing you would be boring the hole parallel to the length of the shelf.
Sagulator- Calculate shelf strength
I also thought about a edge strip out of the Melamine you are working with to add strength?
Not sure how much it would help, but maybe a shallow dado would also help. If used played with the plunge depth, you could plunge the side of the shelf pre or post dado, and you could go deep into the shelf because you wouldn't be limited by thickness seeing you would be boring the hole parallel to the length of the shelf.
Cheers for the replys lads , appreciate it. Hate working with mdf and melamine. Each unit is 1200 wide so I'm just worried about the strength of the shelfs. I'm thinking of doubling up in the gables so I can get a decent fixing in the first one then just glue on the second one and then put a small upstand on the back of each shelf. Think I'll also go with the dado in the gables for extra strength. Looking forward to the project now , bought my festool tools a few months back and still love using them
Holmz
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- Oct 11, 2014
- Messages
- 4,001
Monk said:
I am with you there.
It seems like the labour would be most of the cost for the customer - Or is there a really significant advantage to going MDF?
If the MDF adds labour, then you may be back to the same end cost??
But the Mrs has an MDF shelf in her room, which is 2M long above a window so only 1 support at each end. It has 1-1/2" bow to it. But she says she wants a white shelf.
I suggested paint on wood, so she is considering that.
(Originally it was 'Thanks but no.')
