Floating shelves are simple enough in their construction to be completed by a novice, but they look expensive after some sanding and staining. The depth of your shelf can be easily customised depending on your storage needs. The shelf includes a finished shelf box that slips over a mounting frame, which is screwed into drywall anchors or wall studs. The frame is completely concealed so the shelves appear to float next to the wall.
Note: If your 25x76mm boards are thicker than 19mm, cut the shelf ends and frame struts shorter as needed.
Place a 914mm-long shelf side piece under one of the 25x254mm shelf tops. The front face of the side piece should be flush with the front edge of the shelf top and the pieces should be square at both ends. Using your drill driver, drill pilot holes with a 210mm drill bit to help prevent splitting the wood. Secure the top to the side piece with 38mm wood screws, driving one at each end and one in the middle. Fit a 210mm end piece at each end so all edges are flush. Drill pilot holes and secure the ends with screws driven through the top of the shelf and into the end pieces. Add one more screw at each bottom corner joint. Repeat the same process to assemble the other shelf.
Flip each shelf over with the open side facing up and place a 25x254mm bottom piece on top of the assembly to create a box. Adjust until all edges are flush, drill pilot holes and secure the bottom with five wood screws, one in each corner and one centred along the front edge.
Fill all of the screw holes with wood filler, using a knife, and let the filler dry as directed. Use the Mouse® Detail Sander to sand all edges and faces of the shelves smooth. Use sandpaper to grind down uneven edges and rough surfaces. Remove all sanding dust with a clean cloth.
Apply stain to each shelf with a paintbrush. Wipe off excess stain with a rag, moving in the direction of the wood grain. After the stain has dried overnight, apply a few coats of varnish to seal the wood (following the manufacturer's directions). Multiple coats will make the surface smoother to the touch and easier to clean.
Each frame is made up of two 867mm pieces of 25x76mm for the front and back of the frame, and three 178mm pieces for struts at each end and in the centre. Place struts inside the front and back pieces to form a rectangle with square (90-degree) corners. Drill pilot holes and drive 38mm screws into the top and bottom of each joint.
Drill four holes along the back of each mounting frame and have a partner hold the frame to the wall at your desired height. Use the level to ensure your frame is level, and then mark through the drilled holes in the mounting frame with a pencil or screw to indicate placement for drywall anchors. Install four anchors as directed by the manufacturer. Mount the frame by driving 51mm screws through the holes in the frame and into the drywall anchors. The frame shouldn't move and should be flush with the wall for maximum support.
Note: Drywall anchors are suitable for shelves that will only hold lightweight items. If your shelves will support a lot of books or other heavy items, mount the frames using 76mm screws driven into at least two wall studs.
Slide each finished floating shelf over its mounting frame until it’s flush with the wall. Secure it in place by driving two 38mm screws through the bottom of the shelf and into the frame in each corner.
May 2017 - Black Box is introducing a line of made-to-order pre-terminated fibre cables which can be configured and quoted online in seconds at black-box.eu/PreTerminatedFibre.
With just a few clicks, the configurator walks users through cable types, cores, connectors, and other options, including breakouts and pulling eyes. The configurator builds a custom SKU and provides end-users with a price for instant ordering.
Pre-terminated fibre cable saves IT professionals, resellers, integrators, and infrastructure contractors time and money on enterprise fibre deployments. Lead times are greatly reduced. The company can build and ship the cables in as little as 2 days. Black Box fully tests and labels cables before shipment so they arrive plug-and-play ready. Installation time can be reduced by as much as 70% by eliminating long field termination times and errors.
Pre-terminated cables are quite economical too. Black Box estimates that users will save money with pre-terminated fibre cable compared to buying the bulk cable and terminating it themselves. Users will eliminate costly fibre waste, consumables, expensive termination equipment, and the labor needed to terminate the cable.
"The new pre-terminated fibre offering is in response to customer demand for faster, easier data centre deployments," says Ryan Hopkins, Cable Product Manager at Black Box. "Pre-terminated fibre gives users a no-hassle, error-free way to install and change enterprise fibre without worrying about the cost, time, or reliability of field terminations."
Black Box is a leading technology solutions provider that helps customers design and build their Ethernet and multimedia cabling infrastructure. The company offers CAT6A, CAT6, and CAT5e, fibre optic, USB, AV, and custom cables. Black Box provides its customers with free, pre-sale application engineering and 24/7 technical support.