Choice of steel size for shelving?

[Kai]

Hi Folks!
Figured this was the right place to ask with it sort of being a "Materials" question!

Need to knock up some custom shelving units for a cupboard.
Was going to use all angle with plywood/MDF shelves, boxed in by angle.

The shelves need to be about 3m high and are quite large. They wouldn't necessarily be holding anything particularly heavy but obviously i want them to be sturdy.

So the question is: what size Angle can i get away with for the uprights?

Also, what's a god steel supplier in the Glasgow area who'll deliver.
Thanks!

 

[DuffyBB]

Ive used FH Brundle in Springburn and Gilchrist steels in EK and they've been ok. Not sure what delivery costs would be tbh, I collected.

Probably looking at 30x30x5 or 40x40x3 at a guess.

Edit: That may be a bit heavy...have a look here.

 

[Kai]

Thanks very much, so if that's a bit heavy, what do you think? 30x30x3?

I'll check out the places you mentioned. I use to live in Ayr and Ayrshire steels were excellent. Bit far for them to deliver though.

 

[Justme]

Will depend on the bracing you use.

Industrial types might be made using 5mm yet domestic made with 1 or 2mm but loads of designed in bracing to hold it all together.

 

[Dev]

Why not buy lengths of dexion, the stockist will possibly have the guillotine to cut them to length and they're already drilled and painted.

 

[gav0994]

Thanks very much, so if that's a bit heavy, what do you think? 30x30x3?

I'll check out the places you mentioned. I use to live in Ayr and Ayrshire steels were excellent. Bit far for them to deliver though.

Ayrshire steels will still deliver up your way! Bob has the lorry going all over Scotland most weeks!

 

[Kai]

Bit late with the reply here, i just went ahead and put in an order with Ayrshire Steels. Cheers for letting me know about the deliveries gav0994!

Dev, i looked into dexion, or rather generic slotted angle. Brand name Dexion seems to cost a fortune!

In the end, i couldn't find a supplier locally and with delivery and wondering what i'd do about shelves, i ended up just getting angle uprights from Ayrshire Steels. It actually works out cheaper. I'll just drill where i need to bolt the shelves. If i ever need to move the shelves or add more. I'll drill new holes!

Thanks folks.

 

[Kai]

So while i'm waiting for the steel, i've knocked up a quick model of what the shelves will look like. The question is, what way to turn the shelf angle?

The only welding i'll be doing will be the shelf angle, everything else will be bolted together for a) adjustment and b) portability.

Do i sit the plywood shelving "inside" the angle shelf frame, which would require the corners of the plywood to be cut to allow the nut to bolt to the frame.
-or-
Do i sit the plywood on top of the shelf frame?

 

[normspanners]

on top makes it stronger, I would say, because the self is thicker, but inside is tidier.
nice drawing BTW

 

[Kai]

Thanks, yeah i was thinking it would be a bit stronger. I'm also starting to question if i'll have enough bolts per shelf. I'm thinking 2 per corner. M6x20mm.

Do i need to use washers?

 

[normspanners]

most dexion shelving only uses 1 x 6mm ht bolt at each corner and mine was loaded with KGs of car parts OH! and then the occasional fat b*****d stood on the shelves (at the corners) to see on the top shelves!! and they stood it no problem.

 

[Kai]

Nice one norm, thanks for the info. That's put my mind at ease. It's M6 hex head bolts i have so that'll be grand.

Cheers!