Build Your Home :-Building Your Own Shelves With A Little Wood, Work, and Attitude Part 2

I said "Okay"

So what's going on?  Why am I pushing my luck so much?  Well, heck if I know... it just kind of came over me.  Saturday was a big yard sale, and Sunday we were resting up.  At my age, a body needs a lot of resting up.  Monique mentioned maybe we could figure out what we'd need to finish that shelving project. I said okay.  That one word had a huge impact on my upcoming week.  I went to Home Depot.  Bought some stuff.  The strangest part is that I didn't mind.  No fear, no worries.  I mean, I might even have been looking 

forward to it.  A little bit.  Not too much

A Quick Side Note- I Made a Video!

When I got home, I got started.  Right away.  Monique's all "You don't have to start right now", but I was in the groove.  I even planned ahead for this hub.  Not only photos, but video.  If you're one of the people who've known me since back in the '90s, you know I used to produce video.  I had a business, it went south.  I didn't cope very well.  Last week is the first time in over 10 years I voluntarily picked up my camcorder.  It was a pretty big deal to me.  This is far from my best video work, but I'm coming back from a long way, so be kind.  I'll be better.  There's a lot to relearn.

Clear out the Junk

Back to the proper topic:  From the previous hub, you've seen my 2-story shed.  It dwarfs the house.  You've seen the first bank of shelves, on the left side.  The next bank is pretty similar, with a wide gap between the two sets.  Enough room to walk between.  We measured out the aisle by shoulder width. 

First step, there's a lot of junk in the way that has to go.  I mean a lot.  By the time I got to the far back wall, I'd found furniture that nobody remembered having.  Keep in mind, the whole point is to organize.  Monique and I sell on eBay, and have boxes and boxes of inventory we can't reach.  These shelves are supposed to solve that problem.  I emptied the room in stages.  As I needed the space, more went.  It was seriously a work in progress.

I'm Making This Up As I Go

As a matter of fact, I built the shelves in stages.  Remember Indiana Jones saying "I'm making this up as I go?"  Well, he's a hero of mine, and that became my mantra.  For a real carpenter type, maybe you can plan the entire project and make it work.  For me, it had to be done a piece at a time, then decide what the rest will be like. 

With room enough to work, my next step was to decide how high each shelf would be.  Grabbing some of the boxes and cartons that would go on them, I figured an inch or two higher should be plenty.  Cutting a couple of 2x2's to that length, they were my measure for mounting the supports on the wall. 

King Klutz to Instant Expert

At this point, I had to step back and admire it. The supports were all parallel. Every one of them. That doesn't usually happen. Wow, they looked great. Next, up went the 2x4's for the outer corners. The shed is 105 inches from floor to ceiling, so when I was shopping, I bought 105" 2x4's. Talk about convenient... no cutting, just hammer them in place, knock a few nails, and done!

Now for my little measuring sticks again. 2x2's going up, again in perfect parallel. Man, how come nobody ever told me that trick before? From king klutz, to instant expert, just needed a couple of sticks...

A Good Fit

Time to cut the shelves.  I measured them to be firmly braced in between the 2x4's.  These things are gonna be strong.  No shifting, no sliding.  Okay, maybe a little wobble the long way.  But I can fix that later.  No sense building that part until I see if it needs some support, right?  Now for my next trick... all the shelves fit.  Every one.  Up and down the entire segment.  I've got to be channeling Bob Vila.  This whole project has been weird.  Like I'm burning up all my good karma at once.  I haven't even been hurt yet.  Bruises don't count.

That whole piece is ready.  All the shelves in place.  They bounce a bit, but that doesn't mean anything.  That bounce means they'll absorb shock.  That's a good thing.  Do a little more cleanup, get clear back to the far wall, and ready for the next set of shelves.

This is a Job For... Monique!

I had to call in the boss at this point.  Our first idea had been to make several rows of shelves, each one 12 inches wide.  Then it made sense to double the width (it wound up being 34"), and reduce the need for so many aisles.  After building that last one, it's not space efficient to make more like that. 

Remember, I'm a computer nerd, not a carpenter.  This whole project had been on a wing and a prayer already.  So we looked at it, visualized our space for a while, and decided.  The final shelves would follow the wall in an "L".  Wide on the main wall, narrow under the stairs.  

A Perfect Fit... By Accident

Remember the measuring sticks?  Yep. They were my main unit of height.  By this time, I didn't even remember what the height was, just one stick--or two.  Got the corner up, and the 2x2's built.  Kind of like a cage, to lay the shelves on.  This part coming up was really cool.  I knew I had some leftover pieces from cutting the first shelves.  I had hoped they would fit pretty well, maybe not need much more sawing.  When I slid them into the back corner, Monique accused me of planning for it.  That hurt my feelings.  It was a pure accident.  Mostly.  But they were perfect.  No sawing, no fight.  Just perfect.

When Your Only Tool is a Hammer... All Your Problems Look Like a Nail

That determined how long the back shelves would be. It also determined what size I needed to make the rest of the pieces. I was riding on a wave of confidence by now. I can do this stuff. Wile E. Coyote, Super-Genius. That's me. So, maybe there were little hiccups along the way. Nothing a few nails or metal bracers couldn't hold up.

Oh, and there was that corner support 2x2 under the stairs. It kind of blocked a bin from coming in or out. By this time, it was near the end of the week, and Monique was helping. She nailed some little metal brackets to support each shelf, nailed the 2x2 at the top to the stairs, and sawed the bottom off. Who needs support from the floor. Haven't you ever heard of the hanging gardens? This is the hanging shelf. Built from the top down.

Like the Labors of Hercules?

It's late Friday night when we finish.  On Saturday, start filling the shelves.  Soon, you can see the freestanding shelves are bowing.  I have to admit, they need some support.  Using an 8-foot 2x2, I nail L-brackets all the way up, putting each where the shelf should rest.  Then I angle it in, and jam it under all the shelves at once.  Make another, stuff it under the shelves on the other side.  Great support, firmly in place, yet easily removed if it's ever in the way.  Chalk one up for the computer nerd. 

Building these shelves was an amazing experience.  They practically built themselves.  I've never had a project go that well.  Didn't even break a bone.  It's like Hercules, completing one of his 12 labors.  Heck, for my next task, maybe I'll go rebuild the Augean stables.  Though it might take more than one day.

In the Words of My Father

All silliness aside, this project did go abnormally well.  Especially considering I don't know what I'm doing, and didn't plan ahead.  Most of the wood was already here, or free.  Total dollar cost was about $80, and we had 3 2x4's left over. 

As far as being efficient, we put all our inventory back in the shed, and had lots of shelf room still left over.  Everything is easily accessible.  And I did it myself.  My Dad paid me the ultimate compliment - He's a master carpenter, and he walked in, looked around, said "It looks like a warehouse in here."  

Build Your Home :-Building Your Own Shelves With A Little Wood, Work, and Attitude

How To Build A 2 Floor Shed

Today was project day. We have a lot of those, but this one was unusual. I was actually a willing partner, rather than a conscripted worker. Normally, I avoid 'family projects'. They always involve tools. Tools that can't wait to hurt me. You've seen the movie, Final Destination? Well, that's how my tools act. Every time I use one, it's an opportunity for injury. I do not have the 'guy gene' where most men are born inherently knowing how to build, fix, and improve.

Some projects only give me small cuts and gouges. Some include broken bones. Small sprains are common. It's not unusual for me to call a professional in to repair my repairs. You would think anybody with a minimum of common sense would see the trend, and avoid these situations. However, I fell in love with, and married, a lady who does projects at the blink of an eye. Her mother has the same inclination. When they're faced with a project that would have any sane man quaking in his boots and calling in the pros, they don't run. They research. In our time together, we've torn down a full-scale aviary. Built a 2-floor shed. Put together a 20' x 30' ground level deck. Built furniture. Painted, repaired, remodeled, laid wood flooring, you name it. Right before we met, they installed a beautiful tile floor in the kitchen and dining room. The tiles were those huge stone ones that are 2 feet square.

(I'd like to interrupt this hub for a brief intermission... My brother-in-law Rick, carpenter extraordinaire, built the shed, with all other family members acting under his guidance. This was not clear in the above paragraph. There will be much more detail in a future article coming soon to a hub page near you!)

Monique and her Mom are forces of nature, and similar to being caught in a whirlwind, I typically get pulled along with each new project. Monique has come to accept that I can pick things up, move them, and do the basic physical labor. She handles anything requiring skill or actual thought. Mom has almost accepted it, but sometimes she still asks my advice as if I would actually know the answer. 

Requirements for a Do-It-Yourself Project

But today. Today was different. Today I actually took charge of a project. We made shelves. We made huge shelves, in our shed. The shed is mostly for eBay, for inventory, and for supplies. It's been getting out of control, and we needed some way to get organized again. Somehow, the idea of shelves lining the entire wall came up. Then we thought of shelves branching out from the wall like a library. I nearly had a panic attack, but managed to stipulate we build the shelves one section at a time. The goal for today was to build floor to ceiling shelves on the left as we enter, from the door to the corner. For a long time, there was an assortment of cabinets, bookshelves, and buffets for storage. In the middle was this great wheeled monstrosity that shipping boxes were kept in. It was supposed to be movable, so you can access everything behind it. If you look at the picture, you can easily tell it was a previous project of mine.

People know we need boxes, and we started getting more than we could keep up with. So the wheeled box storage unit must go, and new shelves must be built.

When I do a project, there are requirements. First, no painting. Once it is assembled, I am done. Second, minimal tool use. Preferably only a hammer, but if I must use power tools, only a drill and a skill saw. And they can only be used briefly. Third, any project by me must have some endearing flaw. A slight lean, maybe a non-right-angled corner. Just some little way that makes the project truly mine. 

How to plan your project

First the shed needs to be cleared. Lots of work, but easy enough. Just cart it all outside. Once it's empty, I like to look at it for a while. Try to visualize exactly how this is going to happen. My first plan only requires one 2x4, some nails, and the shelves. I'm thinking, maybe I can do this whole thing without buying any materials! Then it occurs to me... my design won't be very strong. Maybe it needs something under the shelves to brace them. Searching the pile of left-over lumber from previous projects, I find enough timber to support the first shelf. And one piece of plywood big enough for the entire shelf.

Soon, that one shelf was built. Maybe a little cockeyed. I think I attached some parts to the top of my measured line, and other parts to the bottom of the same line. When you're really close to a project, you don't realize that front left corner isn't exactly square. Until it's too late and you've already built more shelves. But you know what? It's entirely functional, and not like we're building to impress anybody. I say let it stand as is. Besides, there's only a half-inch difference in width. I'll just cut the shelf wider on one end.

Now... one shelf down. Two more to go. This is going great! Until I realize I don't quite have all the pieces after all. Quick trip to Home Depot, get 3 long pieces of wood, a box of screws, and we're good to go. Back home, slap the supports up quickly, it's getting late. I hate projects that take more than one day. Time to cut the plywood for the shelves. There aren't any more big pieces, so it's cut kind of like a jigsaw puzzle.

In the meantime, I'm using nails where possible, and screws everywhere else. If I ever need to take it apart, at least half of it will be very easy. After the last shelf-piece was cut and put in place, it became obvious that some of them wobble. That'll probably clear right up once we put things on top of them. 

How To... Not!

By now, it's getting late, sun's going down, and supper is almost ready. Monique was my able assistant (and subtle guide) most of the day, but she had other things to do, so much of my work was unsupervised. She was quite proud of my shelves when she came back out. I did catch her frowning intently at them. When I asked what was on her mind, she said "planning how to approach the next part of the job." Probably 

something along the lines of "Don't let him work on his own any more!"
This isn't so much a "How-To", it's a "How-Not-To". But mainly I wanted to show that ANYBODY can improve and reorganize with the addition of a few shelves. And if you lack the guy gene, don't feel so bad. You're not alone.

Here's a short addendum: Our shelf building project only cost $11.00. None of my injuries required a doctor. And the next time you think about doing a self-help project, remember this... Somewhere out there, a skilled professional needs a job to feed his children. You shouldn't deprive him.