How to anchor an acrylic sheet to a plaster wall?

[Burnings]

I have got a 300x600 acrylic shelf which is 10 mm in thickness. What is the best way to anchor this straight/plane shelf to a plaster wall?

It will probably hold about 3 - 4 kilos of weight. I can locate the studs and screw a bracket in - but I dont think I will be able to put a screw through acrylic sheet safely - as such I'd need a clamp/bracket that can be screwed into the stud but has a U shaped or a semi circle grip, which grips on the acrylic sheet. I was under the impression such brackets would be a dime a dozen as I have seen many a glass shelves in showers affixed this way - but I am surprised to not see to many of these options in bunnings website. Is this the only choice available? https://www.bunnings.com.au/flexi-storage-decorative-shelving-black-matte-rectangle-shelf-clip-2-pac...

Any other suggestions please?

[JacobZ]

Hi @Burnings,

Unfortunately, I could only locate the Flexi Storage Decorative Shelving Aluminium Rectangle Shelf Clips and these Flexi Storage Decorative Shelving Aluminium Slim Shelf Clips. If either option works for you, then this would certainly be ok.

The other option is to use angle brackets like these Carinya 250 x 200mm Black Angle Brackets, pre-drill holes in the acrylic shelf with a sharp HSS (high-speed steel) bit, then use a round head bolt or mushroom head bolt with a rubber washer on the top and bottom of the shelf to help prevent cracking.

If you take care when predrilling the holes, use the rubber washers and don't overtighten the nut, this should work.

Allow me to tag @AlanM52, @Nailbag and @Noyade to see if they have any ideas.

Let me know what you think.

Jacob 

[Nailbag]

Hi @Burnings 

I've had to install quite a few acrylic shelves and perspex wall sheets over the years. Below are some tips I have learnt through trial and expensive error and a few from a plastics specialty supplier I now go to. In particular the 2nd point on the drill bit. 

• Clamp the material to a flat sacrificial piece of timber
• A dulled/slightly-worn HSS bit is the best to use so, not sharp. This was the advice they stressed the most. Sharp bits can grab and crack or split the material depending on thickness.
• For larger holes, start with smaller bits and work your way up. I would do 3 stages for a 10mm hole.
• Make a slightly larger hole when using fasteners to allow for expansion of movement during the fastening process.
• Use lower speeds as this will reduce excessive heat build up, causing the acrylic to melt and bind the bit. 
• Drill small depths at a time and remove the bit regularly while still keeping it turning. Don't stop and then pull the bit out. And let the bit do the work
• Avoid drilling close to edges. The thinner the materials the further away. EG: The 6mm I was drilling into had to be min 15mm in from the edge.

Nailbag

[AlanM52]

Hi @Burnings,

@Nailbag has nailed it...

Cheers

[Burnings]

Thank you. That post has a lot of experience in it.

I intend to make this acrylic sheet an edgelit shelf. Which is to say, I will stick an LED light strip to one end and hope the shelf glows. 

If I put screws in, they will cast a shadow and the shelf wont illuminate as one whole block. Having never done this, I suspect a fastener will cast a shadow just like putting an object right in front of a torch light would.

I already have the  Carinya 250 x 200mm Black Angle Brackets as of now, I am thinking I will anchor the brackets into a stud with a good long screw and use a double sided tape to secure the acrylic sheet to the bracket. This does not seem like it will stand the test of time, but I dont see any other option. 

Ideally, I would have liked a "side clamp" - dont know if such a thing exists. So the LED strip sits in this U channel - then the acrylic sheet is butted up against the diodes as much as possible. Then the acrylic sheet/whole setup is anchored to the wall using the side clamps/grips which would need to come 20mm out of the wall and sort of grip this sheet and hold the weight. 

[JacobZ]

Hi @Burnings,

These Flexi Storage Decorative Shelving 300mm Black Matte Shelf End Brackets sound kind of similar to what you're describing.

The only issue is that these are made for use with a 16mm-thick shelf. If you sat a strip of 6mm MDF in each bracket to act as a packer, then run your LED strips along the upper portion of the bracket so that it doesn't cast a shadow from the packer, this might work.

Let me know what you think.

Jacob 

[Burnings]

Thank you, thats a fantastic option @JacobZ - I did not know such a bracket existed. 

The only issue might be that the 600mm wide (10mm thickness) acrylic might flex in the middle? I intend to put three odd bottles of liquid on top of the shelf. So - about 5 kilos of weight. Even if I put a supporting bracket in the middle or some sort of support - the studs in my wall are 450mm apart - so for a 600mm sheet, the shelf end brackets might not work. I am going to think about it a bit more tomoz.

[EricL]

Hi @Burnings 

Another option for support is to cut into your plaster wall and install noggings between the studs. You'll then need to put the cut section back into place and plaster the joins. A fair bit of work but the best part of course is that the shelf now has extra support and can hold the weight of your bottles. 

Eric