🖼️
The project:
This is a minimalist design room divider with shelves that appear to defy gravity and 'float' in mid air. It was required to properly segregate one room area from another but without impacting the open plan design ethos and sight lines of the living area. It was designed to also be functional with shelving for locating some sculptural pieces and books etc.
- Materials:
31.2mm hollow steel tube
https://www.bunnings.com.au/metal-mate-31-8-x-1-2-3m-galvanised-steel-round-tube_p1130458
25mm timber dowel insert into steel tube
https://www.bunnings.com.au/25mm-1-2m-tasmanian-oak-dowel_p0099506
Golden teak timber panel
https://www.bunnings.com.au/specrite-1800-x-600-x-18mm-golden-teak-acacia-multi-use-panel_p0456515
Levelling feet top and bottom of steel tube
https://www.bunnings.com.au/richmond-40mm-x-m8-ball-jointed-levelling-foot-2-pack_p0011644
Aluminium round tube
https://www.bunnings.com.au/metal-mate-10-x-1mm-1m-aluminium-round-tube-1m_p1067742
Tas Oak rear edge to shelves
https://www.bunnings.com.au/porta-40-x-8mm-2-4m-tasmanian-oak-dressed-board_p0080363
Blind rivets
https://www.bunnings.com.au/otter-4-8-x-4-8mm-open-aluminium-blind-rivets-100-pack_p0012061
And of course…. a various assortment of sandpaper, filler, wood glue, paint, wood oil and screws.
- Tools:
Ozito bench saw
https://www.bunnings.com.au/ozito-2000w-254mm-10-table-saw-tbs-2010_p0412274
Ozito drill press
https://www.bunnings.com.au/ozito-450w-corded-drill-press_p0412276
Pipe cutter
https://www.bunnings.com.au/craftright-32mm-tube-and-pipe-cutter_p4902185
Hand drill
https://www.bunnings.com.au/ryobi-18v-one-drill-driver-starter-kit-r18dd22_p0715241
And of course a various assortment of the usual basic tools - screw driver, allen keys, rivet gun, clamps, sanding files and paint brush.
- Step 1:
Cut single sheet of golden teak timber to 8 off specific same shelf sizes and cut front edge at 45 degrees to form a 'shark nose leading edge detail.
Lightly sand all shelves and sides and oil with a clear timber oil.
Cut Tassie oak timber to size for rear edge of shelves, and cut top edge at 45 degrees for similar 'shark nose' detail pointing vertically. Spray paint in black colour. Counter sink and screw fix to rear side of shelves; fill screw holes, sand and touch up paint.
Fix, with black screws, a 75mm x 75mm flat right angle bracket (pre painted black) to each side of each shelf. Locate to the very rear of each side of each shelf.
Cut all tube and circular timber dowel to required lengths with tube cutter.
Counter sink screw insert nuts (for levelling feet to screw into) into ends of the timber dowel. Timber dowel (being a smaller diameter than the steel tube) is covered in glue and inserted inside the steel tube. After glue sets, these are additionally fixed with rivets 50mm from end of the steel tube.
Drill 6mm vertical holes through steel tube at 400mm spacings for shelf locations. Spray paint steel tubes black.
Attach a self levelling foot to the top and bottom of each column and place in the required position and adjust levelling feet to create maximum compressing at floor and ceiling level. Suggest a single screw is fixed through each levelling foot into the floor and ceiling to prevent risk of any movement.
Attach shelves in required location by using a 6mm threaded rod cut to length and inserted through the angle bracket on each side of the shelf and through each column on either side of the shelf. Tighten with black hex enclosed head nuts. On remaining angle bracket hole, rivet fix into column for shelves to be fixed in place.
