Gary. I searched previous questions but could not find anything related. I hope I am not repeating anyone. I am building a hutch out of birch plywood with poplar facing 48″W X 94″H X 18″D (painted). There are no drawers, doors, etc, just shelves (six fixed). The shelves will be 46 1/2″ long by 17″ deep. It will be built in to the existing space and will be storing heavy dishes. It obviously needs to be stout. My question: I would like to span the entire shelf distance without middle supports. Is this possible? What can 2, 3/4″ pieces of plywood glued together support at that distance? Are there different materials that could be used instead that would take paint? Any suggestions? Thank you for your time.
curtiscastle
Replies
Curtis,
Here's how this works. Take a 1x1 and it will support so much weight. Double its width and it will support twice as much. But double its height and it can support 4 times as much. I can't tell you what your plywood will support. What are the middle plies made of, how much glue was used? Who knows?
What I would do is band the plywood, front and rear with some heavy banding in the 1x2 or 1x3 range. This will stiffen the shelf for most loads. It also gives a nice feeling of solidity for the unit and is a heck of a lot less work than face gluing up plywood. I would glue and biscuit the banding on for the best strength. Good luck.
Gary
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