Threaded rod shelving shelf ends.
November 30, 2016 10:28 AM Subscribe
I am looking for a source for these 'shelf end brackets' from this article. (and also the correct term for them if you know one). Must have the top and bottom holes.
Best answer: I would call these "u-brackets" and searching for that turns up some stuff like this
posted by RustyBrooks at 10:42 AM on November 30, 2016
posted by RustyBrooks at 10:42 AM on November 30, 2016
Best answer: I can't lead you directly to them, but if I were doing this I'd run down to my local machine shop or metal fabricator with that picture, and tell 'em I want some 3/4" inner spacing 1½" deep "U-Channel" cut to 8" lengths with 3/8" holes drilled in it ¾" in from the end and top (numbers are off the top of my head, you probably want to build some cardboard mock-ups).
That particular bracket looks painted or dipped, something any auto body shop can do for you (and if you're trying to match out a room, ala that article, it'd be a good idea to do your lamp shades and other accessories with the same finishing batch), but your fabrication shop can probably assist with pointing you towards people who can do other finishes (like powder coating).
If you wanted to do this your self, aluminum U-channel is available at pretty much any hardware store, you can cut it with a hacksaw, clean up the edges with a file, and drill it with a standard hand-held power drill (though a drill press will align things more nicely).
Or, as H21 suggests, you can also fake it with wood.
posted by straw at 10:43 AM on November 30, 2016 [2 favorites]
That particular bracket looks painted or dipped, something any auto body shop can do for you (and if you're trying to match out a room, ala that article, it'd be a good idea to do your lamp shades and other accessories with the same finishing batch), but your fabrication shop can probably assist with pointing you towards people who can do other finishes (like powder coating).
If you wanted to do this your self, aluminum U-channel is available at pretty much any hardware store, you can cut it with a hacksaw, clean up the edges with a file, and drill it with a standard hand-held power drill (though a drill press will align things more nicely).
Or, as H21 suggests, you can also fake it with wood.
posted by straw at 10:43 AM on November 30, 2016 [2 favorites]
The article states that they are "custom". But you could take this photo into a metal fabricator and they could make them for you pretty easily. Wouldn't be cheap, but then again, neither were the originals, from the looks of it. (I would guess $10-15 per bracket, before powder-coating?)
posted by misterbrandt at 10:51 AM on November 30, 2016
posted by misterbrandt at 10:51 AM on November 30, 2016
Note that you can do threaded rod shelving with nothing more than shelf boards, threaded rod, nuts and washers, as in these examples.
posted by drlith at 2:08 PM on November 30, 2016
posted by drlith at 2:08 PM on November 30, 2016
Additional note: I said aluminum up there, but those particular ends are probably steel (aluminum U-channel tends to be extruded as such, and thus has sharp corners, steel is generally bent from a sheet, so has rounded corners). Soft steel isn't much more difficult to cut than aluminum, but can take a little time and is harder to do with hand tools. Doing it yourself you'd probably want a powered jigsaw or other reciprocating saw with a metal blade, rather than a hacksaw, and you'll want to lubricate your bit when you drill it, and a drill press would definitely make the steel easier to drill through.
Not that that's a problem if you're having a shop fabricate it.
posted by straw at 2:40 PM on November 30, 2016
Not that that's a problem if you're having a shop fabricate it.
posted by straw at 2:40 PM on November 30, 2016
This thread is closed to new comments.
You can get threaded rod at Lowe's or Home Depot.
posted by H21 at 10:40 AM on November 30, 2016