So you need a shelf in the house but you are looking for something more permanent and probably more eye catching than an Ikea box set. Here is how to build your own free floating shelves.
1. Collect Your Tools Before you get to it make sure that you have a propane torch, flux, solder, steel wool, plyers, protective eyewear, a pipe brush and an application brush. Have these on hand and ready to go. Check that there the torch has enough propane it (having your torch run out in the middle of a job can be a huge pain).
2. Clean off the Pipes If you look at your copper pipes in the basement you will see they have discoloration and dirt all over them. Wipe off the pipes with a rag and then take a handful of steel wool and rub the ends of the pipes you are going to connect. Even if you are installing new pipe make sure to rub the steel wool along the end of the pipe for a good 2-3 inches. As you rub the steel wool on the pipe you will see a shine to the pipe as the dirty outer layer has been scraped away. Hopefully you also have a small wire brush that you can use to slide inside the pipe and rub back and forth as well as twisting to get the same shine on the inside of the pipe as you did on the outside with the steel wool. There are different size brushes for different size pipes, make sure you get the right size otherwise you may end up ruining your brush. Clean the outside and inside of both pipes (not necessary for both but will save you time in case you mixed up which pipe is connecting to which).
3. Lay the Flux Take a brush and dip it into your flux dish and rub flux around the outside edge of both pipes (I usually use my finger and a rag instead of a brush but a brush leaves less mess). Also place some flux on the inside of the fitting where the two pipes will be inserted. You can also use your steel wool on the fitting before laying down the flux if you wish.
4. Install the Sink Flip the top of the vanity over (which you should have removed from the rest of the cabinets, etc. below and install the faucet (follow the instructions for the individual faucet you choose to install. Depending on your choice you may need to drill larger wholes through the top of the vanity. After you have placed the faucet you will want to place the drain into the bottom of the sink tightening the bold on the drain located just below the bottom of the sink. Make sure it fits snugly so there is no leaking water. You can reuse your flexible lines if you wish but it may be a good idea to replace them looking for the kind that have wire mesh sewn into them. Attach these hoses to the bottom of the sink/vanity before placing it back onto the vanity. The compression fittings on these hoses do not need Teflon tape. Tighten the fittings all the way down and then a quarter turn more. Make sure not to over tighten these.
4. Build the Cleats and attach them To build the cleats you will need to cut wood (just grab a solid 2x4) down to different dimensions. You will want it cut the cleats two inches shorter than your shelf lengthwise and then rip the 2x4s to 1-3/32" using a table saw or circular saw. After you have cut your cleats you will want to use a level and mount in order to get the cleat straight. You can mark the straight length with a pencil and then line up the cleat and take lag bolts and use a drill to drive them in tightly to the wall.
5. Mount the Shelf Once your cleats are mounted and your shelves glue are dried (you can obviously paint or finish your shelf before this last step) apply glue to your shelf. You want to apply your wood glue to the top of the cleat on the wall and the bottom of the insert on your shelf. Take your shelf and slide it onto the cleat making sure it fits smoothly against the wall. Use a square to make sure that the shelf is ninety degrees to the wall and then use a mount to let the shelf dry straight; you can also nail the end of the shelf down into the cleat if you wish to make sure it stay firm.
On a side note if you are having a plumber or general contractor replace your old copper piping with pvc pipe make sure to keep the copper yourself rather than letting them walk away with it. Copper can sell for a good price at scrapyards or metal works.
1. Collect Your Tools Before you get to it make sure that you have a propane torch, flux, solder, steel wool, plyers, protective eyewear, a pipe brush and an application brush. Have these on hand and ready to go. Check that there the torch has enough propane it (having your torch run out in the middle of a job can be a huge pain).
2. Clean off the Pipes If you look at your copper pipes in the basement you will see they have discoloration and dirt all over them. Wipe off the pipes with a rag and then take a handful of steel wool and rub the ends of the pipes you are going to connect. Even if you are installing new pipe make sure to rub the steel wool along the end of the pipe for a good 2-3 inches. As you rub the steel wool on the pipe you will see a shine to the pipe as the dirty outer layer has been scraped away. Hopefully you also have a small wire brush that you can use to slide inside the pipe and rub back and forth as well as twisting to get the same shine on the inside of the pipe as you did on the outside with the steel wool. There are different size brushes for different size pipes, make sure you get the right size otherwise you may end up ruining your brush. Clean the outside and inside of both pipes (not necessary for both but will save you time in case you mixed up which pipe is connecting to which).
3. Lay the Flux Take a brush and dip it into your flux dish and rub flux around the outside edge of both pipes (I usually use my finger and a rag instead of a brush but a brush leaves less mess). Also place some flux on the inside of the fitting where the two pipes will be inserted. You can also use your steel wool on the fitting before laying down the flux if you wish.
4. Install the Sink Flip the top of the vanity over (which you should have removed from the rest of the cabinets, etc. below and install the faucet (follow the instructions for the individual faucet you choose to install. Depending on your choice you may need to drill larger wholes through the top of the vanity. After you have placed the faucet you will want to place the drain into the bottom of the sink tightening the bold on the drain located just below the bottom of the sink. Make sure it fits snugly so there is no leaking water. You can reuse your flexible lines if you wish but it may be a good idea to replace them looking for the kind that have wire mesh sewn into them. Attach these hoses to the bottom of the sink/vanity before placing it back onto the vanity. The compression fittings on these hoses do not need Teflon tape. Tighten the fittings all the way down and then a quarter turn more. Make sure not to over tighten these.
4. Build the Cleats and attach them To build the cleats you will need to cut wood (just grab a solid 2x4) down to different dimensions. You will want it cut the cleats two inches shorter than your shelf lengthwise and then rip the 2x4s to 1-3/32" using a table saw or circular saw. After you have cut your cleats you will want to use a level and mount in order to get the cleat straight. You can mark the straight length with a pencil and then line up the cleat and take lag bolts and use a drill to drive them in tightly to the wall.
5. Mount the Shelf Once your cleats are mounted and your shelves glue are dried (you can obviously paint or finish your shelf before this last step) apply glue to your shelf. You want to apply your wood glue to the top of the cleat on the wall and the bottom of the insert on your shelf. Take your shelf and slide it onto the cleat making sure it fits smoothly against the wall. Use a square to make sure that the shelf is ninety degrees to the wall and then use a mount to let the shelf dry straight; you can also nail the end of the shelf down into the cleat if you wish to make sure it stay firm.
On a side note if you are having a plumber or general contractor replace your old copper piping with pvc pipe make sure to keep the copper yourself rather than letting them walk away with it. Copper can sell for a good price at scrapyards or metal works.
About the Author:
MBA Construction is a general contractor in Williston North Dakota. We specialize in design-build, build-to-print and construction management in the energy, industrial & medical industries.
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