[tartag]

Hey All:

I am sure this has been done and that my searching abillity is what is lacking.


What I'd like to do for a buddy of mine is, "float" his components vertically along his wall. My intial thought was to mount some custom cut Plexi, but am concerned about what the necesary thickness will need to be... Any ideas of market available solutions or even better, some DIY options.


Cheers,

tartag.

 

[toddious]

plexi is very strong stuff, and with a well designed brace, should work fine for what you are looking to do. depending on the weight of your components, i would say 1/2" plexi would be fine, since the weight will be equally distributed anyway. todd.

 

[tartag]

Todd:


I guess the the issue is the mounting bracket itself. My only thought is to use a 'chunk' of 1/2 inch say to span 16" countersink and attach to the studs then mount the 1/2 inch "shelf" of plexi to that...


Other than that I have no idea how to attach it to the wall. I'd be mountng a shelf for each, HK reciever, Sony dvd player. dish pvr reciver, and x-box.


-tartag

 

[scottlr]

I have a collection of old radios mounted on floating glass shelves. The only was I, or anyone else, could think of to float the glass was to go to a cabinet maker and have him make the following:


a piece of wood as long as the glass, about 1.5 inches high and an inch thick. Then a groove - the same thickness as the glass - was cut lengthwise about 1/2 inch deep. The groove was cut at a very slight angle - about 1.5 degrees - to compensate for any sagging.

The bracket was attached to the wall with screws and polyurethane adhesive. Clear silicon was put in the grooves and then the shelf was placed in the groove - perfect fit.


You'd need to use a bigger piece of wood for the bracket, and make sure you're on the studs. I then painted the wood the same color as the wall.

 

[tartag]

Scott- makes good sense. What is the thickness of the glass? and what would you estimate the heaviest radio weighs?


Thanks for the suggestion.

-tartag

 

[scottlr]

My glass is thin - 1/8 inch, but it's tempered. The radios are tabletops and portables, so they're only a few pounds. 1/2 inch plexi should do the trick for you, but I'd think your brackets would need to be about 3-4 inches high and 2 inches thick.

 

[tartag]

Now to find a purveyer of the plexi.


Cheers,

-tartag

 

[scottlr]

One more thing...the edge of the plexi that faces into the room (and perhaps the side edges) should be finished so they don't look jagged after cutting.

 

[Ken Greene]

search here
www.mcmaster.com

they have everything

 

[tartag]

Holy inventory batman! I don't know where to begin with mcmaster!

 

[SVonhof]

tartag, remember that what you are mounting is much heavier than the little tabletop radios that scottlr was putting on the wall. Some of the typicaly a/v receivers/amps can be as much as 50 lbs, which is quite a load on a little groove like that and some plexy. If I were doing it, I would make some sort of brace that would either go up or down-ward at an angle to a backer peice or directly to the wall, where it is secured. Don't want anything falling after 6 months of looking fine up on the wall.

 

[tartag]

SVonhof:


Agreed. The heaviest component is 38 lbs. (H&K Receiver) I am currently speaking with some plexi/lucite manufactures we'll see what if any progress I make!

 

[SVonhof]

Good luck!

 

[scottlr]

That's why I recommended a large bracket and thick plexi. In a 3 inch thick bracket, you can cut a 2 inch groove, andled slightly upward. Mine are angled at about 1.5 degree.


Needless to say, you'd probably have to hit the studs with your mounting screws, and that, in part, will dictate the length of your brackets.


Keep us posted.

 

[elm_sd]

After you have finished the edges of the plexi take a heat gun to the edges, it will take away the dull white look and give you more of the see through look, be carefull not to melt it