Re: [ARSCLIST] LP RECORD STORAGE

[Mwcpc6@xxxxxxx]

For many years I've been using a shelving system somewhat different from any 
I've heard described but which seems simpler and cheaper. Perhaps it is just 
because I am not much of a craftsman, but building a conventional bookshelf 
where everything has to be exactly the right size to fit together is beyond me, 
and commercial shelving just seems so expensive.

I simply cut shelves to size from the least expensive 5/8" to 1/2" plywood 
sheathing or particle board available:10" wide for 7" records or tapes, 12" wide 
for 10" records, 14" for 12" records.

Then I cut a large number of rectangles with one dimension equal to the 
height of the shelving and the other an inch less than the width of the shelves.  
These pieces are made into "T" shaped assemblies which are used as supports, 
risers, and dividers for the shelving. 
The shelving is built simply by stacking the parts as one may have done with 
cinder blocks or orange crates in a college dorm room. The riser/supports are 
not attached to the shelves. The only fasteners are two or three per "T" to 
hold it together. For narrower shelving a few selected "T"s are anchored to the 
wall but for 14" and wider shelving I've had no problems using gravity as the 
glue. (No earthquakes here, but I wouldn't be surprised if this non-rigid 
structure might actually survive mild shaking better than a rigid one.)  I build a 
base frame using 2x4s under the bottom shelf to distribute the load over the 
flooring of the room.

Structurally, the weight is fully supported by the back and divider parts of 
the "T", not hung from a back and end, so shelf sections can't sag without 
deforming into a saddle shape, which is topologically difficult, while all 
vertical load is in compression of the wood of the "T", also very strong. I've had 
eight foot high shelf sections fully loaded with 10" 78s in sleeves and ten 
foot high assemblies with 12" LPs for at least three decades with no signs of 
problems.

In the barn I've used similar construction but with 3/4" sheets of 
underlayment sheeting cut for 24" shelving holding four 24" high stacks of unsleeved 12" 
78s per section for at least five years with no sign of bending of shelving 
or supports. (I am slowly working them down though.) These, and some other 
freestanding double sided shelving for 12" albums are made with no fasteners by 
slotting the risers to slide together like old fashioned egg carton or wine case 
separators.

I have a radial-arm saw to make the cuts, but any lumber yard should be able 
to do it at little or no additional cost. The only extra woodworking I do is 
to use a dado blade to cut a shallow groove in the back of the "T" to make sure 
the separator part of the riser is square, and a drill press to make pilot 
holes for the screws, but if you are more patient than I am, that isn't really 
necessary.  

The best part of this system is that it is extremely flexible. No part is 
heavier than a single shelf, It can be taken down and reassembled in minutes and 
rearranged with different length shelves and different height risers in any 
combination once the various parts are made. The only problem I can see is that, 
the way I use it, it isn't a solid unit; you can reduce it to a pile of parts 
with a good shove, but there is nothing preventing you from screwing all the 
pieces together after it is assembled if you want to, using a jig to drill 45 
degree holes in all of the corners of the "t" sections and long drywall screws 
to anchor everything.

I've seen people spending a lot of time and money on shelving. At the museum 
we've had lots of problems with carpenter assembled library shelving and 
commercial warehouse shelving. Perhaps I should patent and commercialize my system, 
but it seems just too simple for that. Why haven't I seen anyone else using 
it?

Mike Csontos