Thanks for that!

Great!

I appreciate you saying so!

Yes, rawlplug is a big brand name with a variety of different plug types!

That’s nice to hear! Are you on Instagram? Really good woodworking community on there

@@Alastair_Freebird I'm not on instagram ... maybe I'll check it out.

Hi! No that is a good idea to show that too! Perhaps one day

You’re welcome

thanks, and yes often the houses I'm working in around sheffield are brick or stone but with a fairly thick layer of plaster. I'm using 30 or 32mm length brad nails and they penetrate the plaster, and maybe sometimes they buckle up against a solid block but they still do the job of holding the batten quickly in place until the more weight bearing screw and plug fixing goes in

Hi Anders, I used to take care over that but to be honest I’ve decided you really can’t see it and I don’t really think about now it unless I notice the rear wall varies a lot.

Yes that’s right it is a more reliable method in case the rear of the alcove is wider than the front. Glad you like the content!

Hello Alex thanks for that feedback it's good to hear! My caddy is a Festool Systainer, a fairly rare arrangement, try sending a screenshot of it to vantainer.com/. or. www.sgs-engineering.com/brands/festool/systainers or various other suppliers to see if they can make up a similar one

@@Alastair_Freebird Brilliant - thank you Alastair!

You can only get them so tight because of the lip, the whole assembly is a bit wider while at the angle necessary to drop it in. Sometimes the alcove width also tapers a bit towards the top or there is a bulge in the wall just above the shelf and this can mean it’s narrower at the point where you are angling the shelf in making it seem even tighter so you trim it then when it lands in position it’s too short! So sometimes a bigger gap for caulking is just unavoidable.

I had this, I stood it up at the back, then let it tip forward into the gap. I know what you mean though, sometimes the lip is just not your friend. Another option is to finish in situation if you are not spraying. i.e. fit front when shelf is in situation, then fill, sand and paint.

Put books on edges!

Thanks! Glue, kreg pocket hole screws, lots of sanding!

@@Alastair_Freebird OK. And then you paint the 2 pieces?

Yes spray painted. I should have mentioned we often have to put a bit of filler in the joint too. And more sanding in between coats of paint!

Hi I have done them at 1.5m, they could be fine beyond that but I prefer to start adding connecting vertical dividers

Thanks @@Alastair_Freebird,that’s really good to know. Curious to know how you would add connecting vertical dividers for wider alcoves?

Yes I would probably do it much as you said if I wanted downlighting but the truth is I try to avoid using strip lights in floating shelves, except as an uplight at rear of upper shelves. I prefer spotlights. Partly for ease of fitting and putting the wire straight into the middle void. Partly also because when a shelf is near eye level with a strip light in it (LED tape within an aluminium channel with frosted cover) I have found there is an uneven glare issue which just bothers me somehow. I mean as your eye moves up or down past it, the led tape may not be perfectly parallel to the channel and it doesn’t look even. I prefer to use strip lights in an entirely concealed position so you only see the reflected glow not the direct glare. And I don’t like running them tight up against a wall where you get a harsh inverted cone of light on the wall

@@Alastair_Freebird Thank you, I'll go with your advice. I had similar reservations. Especially being on track to make nice solid looking floating shelves and then create a lip or gap. It's funny that people aren't bugged by the cone of light on the wall at the edge of lighting strips. They look awful, but even appear on the showcase pieces on Pinterest. I was wondering why they don't at least stop 3cm from the edge. For spots I can use the IKEA system with the wireless drivers (which I've previously paired with my Philips Hue system, so it will all be seamless), two for each shelf, and I can hack a 24v strip for the top of the cabinet (just a little soldering as IKEA don't do those).

@@Alastair_Freebird Hello, I have a follow up question if you'd be so kind. When you do spot lights within the void do you have a way to make the top piece accessible in case there's an issue with the electrics in future. For the finish I plane to still caulk the edges, but do you still glue down the top piece?

Hi you're welcome, yes there is a reason! The aim is to make the shelves appear solid, so the join is placed out of sight. Shelves below average standing eye level have the seam on the bottom. Above eye level, the construction is reversed. This is one of the reasons why we settled on using all 18mm board - we have the freedom to make that decision on site after fitting the wall battens without imopacting the spacing of shelves (I mean, because previously we used to use 6mm board for the bases). This all relates to the fact that we pre-spray the shelves. Way back when we hand painted everything I would fill and sand the join then overpaint. But we get an overall better finish these days with presprayed boards and careful placement of the seam. Note also that we follow the opld joiner's maxim 'if you can't hide a joint then emphasise it' - so although we try to place the joint out of immediate site, if you do look at it you will see slightly rounded arris edges either side of the joint, because this looks neater than trying to make a perfectly tight butt joint and not quite succeeding in making it disappear.

I actually think that marking heights on the wall then offering up the battens with a long level held on top of them, then pinning in place, may prove quicker than trying to position the laser level to each height! I do use a laser to line up the first of the running measurements in each alcove.

Hi! We use a ‘2mm arris roundover’ bearing guided cutter from www.wealdentool.com

@@Alastair_Freebird Thanks, I'm currently at the battens on the wall stage and trying to copy every part the best I can. It's a brilliant system. All the best.

Probably would be ok… I am cautious and have done them 150cm long no trouble. Wider than that I prefer to add a central divider tying upper and lower shelves together for a bit more rigidity. But if you don’t plan to load the shelves fully with books or vinyl records it will probably be fine to be honest.

Hi sorry I missed this comment - last time I fitted these I went back to caulk but trying to keep the gap as tight as possible (because of easier water based cleanup). But our installer Neil has started using white Sumo Grip from ProTrade

Hi David I must have forgotten to show that in the video - they are 18x18mm and predrilled with 6mm holes and countersunk. I made them from offcuts of birch plywood but have also done it with MDF (oriented so the drilled holes pass through the face of the layered mdf structure not through the edge which would split) and for most shelves they are strong enough once all is built up together as per this strength test video:

kzfaq.info/get/bejne/p7JxdbFezqq9mYE.html

@@Alastair_Freebird Many thanks. Much stronger than I thought and fortunately no Vinyl LPs to store - just as well as the wall is not as solid as it would be under current building regs. It will be interesting seeing your mitre design for the lip. Gosforth Handyman has a free standing floating shelf using this method kzfaq.info/get/bejne/mNWooZaLvtvKlXU.html

We actually join the lip as a butt joint using pocket hole screws. White quick to do and your can go straight to sanding and painting. But a mitre joint could save on the finishing time as it’s hard to avoid the end grain telegraphing through. I’ve been meaning to try motoring again but would hope to make it work with a taped joint - I mean glue both faces, tape them tight together along the joint laid flat then close up the joint, using the glue suction and tape to hold it in place til it dries.

32mm 16 gauge 👍 I’m annoyed I forgot to say that 😄

They don’t really penetrate the brick but hold in the plaster

Lol thats what I thought but hadn't tried it yet thanks very much

Hi Josh yes I find that the Uno plugs work very well in plasterboard too and are much easier to use than the unnecessary worm screw or splayed-clamp fitting types (I would only use Uno plugs, not just any red plug. And I would use other types of plasterboard fitting for types of load that want to pull away from the wall as opposed to just weighing downwards).

Toolstation I think. Or screwfix!

Hi! 18x18mm battens

And see this video kzfaq.info/get/bejne/q7KcrceKl62XfH0.html

Like this: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/q7KcrceKl62XfH0.html

Or like this: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/e6hyeNx9rbHHhYU.html

Hi Peter we use Sayerlack AT99 15% Sheen, I like the finish and it’s durable enough for most of our work but I don’t believe it is as tough as the paints you are describing

@@Alastair_Freebird Thank you. Also, type above, RAL9016 (traffic white) not 1016 (a yellow). The paints I used are indeed tough, but I had them for different projects, and so happened they work well on cabinets but I would like to use a safer system so will look into Sayerlack. Great videos and great builds Alastair.

I know what you mean mean but no. The screw grabs well enough into the uno plugs that it sinks it’s head a little into the material of the batten and really positional engages in a position like that. Also the pins provide extra positive location (although they could bend and pull out on their own; combined with the screw holding the batten tight to the wall they can’t really move laterally)

Good stuff then. I recently battened out the walls and ceilings of entire one bed basement flat to install dropped ceilings and fake walls for led tape to run behind, took me a whole week just to batten it. This would have been a quicker method!

We sometimes add vertical dividers to brace shelves together. Or make the internal spacer from oak. Or integrate a metal bar there behind the front lip - a metal upright from a twin slot shelving system works well

They are called modesty blocks

Hi we have just raised our prices. It's £250 fixed fee on any job. Then £500 for first 3 floating shelves. and £150 per extra shelf after that. This job actually was about 10% lower (won just before we raised prices). But customer said our prices were reasonable. Some would say very expensive. Depends what people are looking for.

@@Alastair_Freebird Thanks for the info. I'm definitely too cheap! I'm starting to creep the prices up but it's difficult to find where to be with prices. Thanks

It would be really hard to control a router in this way. Planer used one handed is much easier, with the base plate to guide depth of cut

It is sometimes the best tool for the job!

Hello there! Well, thanks for taking the time to watch. I actually agree with you on the fit . I sacrificed quality of fit here a little for speed. I do use the templating method you’ve described when I take more care, like on alcove countertops. And the electric planer is risky, very easy. to cut in on the corners when there’s less support. Again I was prioritising speed and keeping the same tool in my hand. There is an element of how good is good enough. I used to be more of a purist, now I am sometimes more pragmatic about getting the job done in the day. I would disagree on the need to coat the unseen side of the mdf - I understand the balance issue however in practice this has never become a problem in all the jobs I’ve done like this, once parts like this are restrained in a structure. I expect we’ll have to agree to disagree on that point

I often use a track saw generally but the cuts to meet the wall are usually not straight and it can work out quicker to follow them with a sharp handsaw - also because the lip is just a little deeper than max cut of the track saw.

@@Alastair_Freebird way I do it or have done it is cut the face peace down with a Japanese pull saw gives a nice neat cut and finish does not tear out. Then I cut the flat surface with the track saw but I have the depth of the track saw set to the thickness of the material usually 18mm. That leaves it it won't blow 🤷 works for me. Suppose keep doing what works