# Shelves in Kitchen Cabinets



## berry (Oct 17, 2005)

I'm making some kithcen cabinets. I've posted here before and gotten some great info so... In the upper cabinets I'm trying to decide how to add shelves. I know I want them to be adjustable but that's as far as I've gotten.

I can drill a series of holes and use dowels or real shelf hardware

or I can mount standards standards in grooves cut in the cabinet side

or add standards and leave them standing proud

or?????? 

so if you prefer one method or the other or have yet another option - I'm interested in your opinion. (My cabinets sides are 3/4" cabinet grade plywood that I'm making from scratch. The shelfs will be melamine.)

Thanks in advance!!!


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Berry

Here's just one more way.
It's bar that has little slots that you snap a clip into it.
The bar is about 1/2" wide and about 3/16" thick and it's screwed into the inside cabinet.
The clip is a plated metal and it just snaps into the bar, it's quick and easy to install, it comes in 2ft,4ft,6ft,8ft. and you just cut it to what you need it to be and just screw it into the cabinet

One of the neat things about it you can put it in place after the cabinets are in place and if you want to add a group of spice shelves ( 1/4 wide )size in the back of one of the cabinets you can do it quick and easy plus you can move the shelves just about anywhere after the cabinet are up and hanging.


Bj


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

I second Bobj3's comment! I use the satin aluminum ones, set about 1/8" deep into a dado in the gables. That leaves them almost flush with the surface. It's the _only_ system for me. (The brass ones are nice too)
I dado slightly oversize allowing me to do my finishing without messing up the pilasters or having to fight to get them into their dados.


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Sorry...that didn't come out right. I meant that I _prefinish_ before installing the pilasters into the slightly overwidth dados


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Man, it must be waaay past my bedtime...
Pilasters and Accessories at Richelieu Hardware


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## MAFoElffen (Jun 8, 2012)

bobj3 said:


> It's bar that has little slots that you snap a clip into it.


I've done all the above include this. They call it Adjustable Pilaster Standards and shelf clips. It works great. If you dado them in like I do, it's just as much work to install as a fixed dado'd shelf slot. After installing a few, then I started numbering the slots, because at 1/2 inch increments, customers had trouble trying to get a shelf leveled. On kitchen shelves... well canned goods and such add up weight fast. On double door cabinets, I like to add a support to the rear panel and to the back of face center frame piece other wise those sag eventually. Asthetically, most of my past customers didn't want to see this type of support. To me, on my own stuff or my own preference, I always thought this type doesn't look as finished. Behind closed doors right? I know.



berry said:


> I can drill a series of holes and use dowels or real shelf hardware
> 
> or I can mount standards standards in grooves cut in the cabinet side
> 
> ...


Most of the time I do drilled with peg supports. I prefer this method. It is really easy once you get a system/technique. Mine? I take a piece of hardboard and drill holes in it to use as a template. I use 1 1/4" spacing. I don't know why that spacing = it's just what I was taught and no-one ever told me any different. I usually start holes about 6 1/2" for the bottom base dado and stop about 6 1/2" to 7" from the top (depending the the height of the cabinet.) I tape over where to holes are going to be drilled with blue painter's tape. I use a template to drill the holes, not just for the spacing, but because veneer or mdf seem to lift up and tear out if you don't. On double door'ed cabinets, again, I drill holes into the back panel/back spline and into the back of the front face center frame post.

Yes I tried dowels way back when. For adjustments (and often does someone decide to adjust a shelf?), after sitting a while with weight, if you "have" to move that shelf, then peg does deform a bit and I usually had to remove it with a pair of pliers and replace it.

Fixed shelf:
Supported standards, to me don't look as finished, unless you make them decorative and in context to the trim work. I've used them. I don't personally prefer them in a cabinet. I don't mention that option to a customer unless it goes with a look they're after.

Dado'ed, dado/doweled or mortised. (not mentioned, but just as fixed as the above supported fixed standard.) I think these look finished for a fixed self. But then it "is" fixed/nonadjustable.


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