Carpentry and Woodworking - Shelf brackets for support - depth?

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034runner
01-20-09, 10:09 AM
So I have 52" shelving that obviously needs support. They are notched into the side panels (not on pegs). Now I'm thinking how to support them in the middle. The shelves are about 2 feet deep. Do shelf brackets need to be the same depth as the shelf?

Thanks

chandler
01-20-09, 12:26 PM
Notched into the side panels of what? Do the shelves have face molding? How thick is the shelf material?
034runner
01-20-09, 12:40 PM
It's integrated so the sides of my bookcase are attached directly to drywall. Then the shelves are notched into the sides.

I'm using 3/4" thick melamine. I'm going to use melamine tape for the face of the shelves. Ultimately I'm going to paint the entire bookcase.

034runner
01-20-09, 02:01 PM
And is there something else I can use instead of brackets or making the bookshelf double wide?
chandler
01-20-09, 04:12 PM
Melamine (I am sure you mean MDF) will sag at that length without support. You would be better off using 3/4" 13 ply cabinet grade plywood and face it with 1x2 dimension lumber. That will give you two planes of support, and you may not have to use center support at all, depending on what your load will be.