Determining weight rating for shelving

Hi all!  I am looking at making a corner bookshelf (L style) with vegetabin bin details on lowest shelf for toy and book storage.  The finished product will be about 3 feet tall and 4 feet on each side of the corner with the corner shelves at a diagonal to the rest of the piece (to allow storage for some of the larger toys (race tracks and the likes). I am thinking of using a lightweight furniture grade plywood (probably baltic birch).

 

Not sure how to determine how much weight each shelf can support.  Any ideas?

Tsu Dho Nimh

Tue, 02/15/2011 - 08:39

And remember that all it takes is ONE screw into the rear of the shelf, if it's through a rigid backing, to increase the sag resistance of that shelf. That's because the unsupported span is shorter.  A vertical support, if it's running down to a firm base, decreases sag resistance. A front edging strip or face frame increases the sag resistance considerably too.

 

Ana's plans are ludicrously over-engineered - they are Grace-resistant  :0