Attach the angle brackets to the wall where you want the freestanding shelves to go.
To make the shelf, take a liner and at the bottom of the shelf, add a piece of 5/8" plywood, then add a spacer made of luan that is the same thickness as the angle bracket and top of the skin goes on top.
Note: Angle iron brackets are made from 3/16" thick steel.
Glue 5/8" plywood to the bottom of the skin, and then glue the edge of the skin to the front and sides of the shelf to cover the wood core of the sandwich. Use nails to help keep the edge in place. place until the glue dries (Image 1).
Use a bead of paneling adhesive or construction adhesive on top of the plywood and spread it out with a trowel (Image 2). This is the base for the next layer, which is the luan.
Put the luan once the glue has spread and fasten it with nails. The luan is about half the width of the shelf, allowing space to slide over the angled bracket.
Repeat the application of the construction adhesive on this layer, then put the top of the skin in place and fix it. This is actually the bottom of the shelf and will not be seen, so regular nails can be used to secure the entire unit.
After gluing the planks together, drill pilot holes near the end of the plate for the T-bolts that will line up with the holes to be drilled in the angle iron.
Using a slightly larger drill, countersink the hole to receive the head of the t-bolt, repeat this process on the other side of the rack for the t-nut. The t-nut has sharp points that bang into the wood and chip. they stay there forever..
Once the shelf is glued on, use clamps to hold everything in place until the glue dries.
You can mount the shelves while the glue continues to dry.
Slide the shelf onto the angle bracket and use the pilot holes to drill through the angle iron where the T-bolts will sit (Image 1), attaching the shelf to the angle iron.
Note: Use a hardened alloy drill bit when drilling steel.
Taper the end of the T-bolts so they don't stick above the shelf. Be sure to use cardboard to protect the wood (Image 2).
