Floating Shelves, Hidden Cleat
€12,00
Floating Shelves, Hidden Cleat
€12,00
Most floating shelf plans skip what matters: how much the shelf holds. Ours is a hollow box over a hidden 2x3 cleat, with a table of what each length and depth carries.
An original Square & Furrow plan: designed for today's homes, every step drawn, cut list for standard lumber, imperial and metric.
At a glance
- Size: 24, 36, 47 1/2" (610, 914, 1206 mm) long; 6, 8" (152, 203 mm) deep; 3 1/2" (89 mm) thick. Drawn 36 x 8", rated 30 lb (14 kg) on two studs (10 lb per ft)
- Skill: Confident beginner; a helper for steps 8 and 11
- Build time: One weekend, plus 30 days before the full load
- Materials: approx. US$60–120
- In the plan: 13-page PDF, US Letter, 12 illustrated steps, imperial, with metric in the lists and steps
Inside the 13-page plan
- An exploded drawing that shows how every part goes together
- Dimensioned views of the finished build, in feet and inches
- Materials list and hardware schedule, with standard lumber sizes and metric equivalents
- Cut list for standard lumber, so you can cut everything before you start assembling
- Clear illustrated step-by-step assembly drawings: one job per step, every part drawn, fastener positions marked
Safety: Screw the ledger into wood studs behind 1/2 or 5/8" drywall only (steps 7 and 8); plaster, tile, brick, steel studs or a double layer: do not use this plan. Check for wires and pipes first. Load no more than the table says (30 lb (14 kg) for the 36 x 8" on two studs), no single item over 10 lb (4.5 kg), nothing over 5 lb until the test. Never sit, climb or hang on it; not over a bed or crib. A shelf that falls hurts whoever stands under it.
The PDF plan is a digital download; nothing ships. An original design by Square & Furrow, produced with AI-assisted tools and checked by our build model.
Illustrated step by step
Imperial + metric
Cut list & checklist
Instant PDF download
Built to work
Floating Shelves, Hidden Cleat
Built in home workshops more than a century ago, and redrawn for the way you build today.
RenderingStep by step
Every part drawn. Every fastener marked.
Each step is one job with its own clear drawing: the parts it adds are shaded, every nail and screw position is marked, and the hardware and tools sit right beside it. An exploded view shows how the whole build goes together before you make a single cut.
Before you build
Your tools & materials checklist
Tick what you already have. Whatever is left is your shopping list. Your ticks are saved on this device, so you can come back to it from the lumber yard.
0 of 0 on hand
Tools
Materials
Buy list for the drawn 36 x 8" shelf (cutting layouts: Figs. 2 and 3). Plywood: buy it flat and straight, birch or oak veneer, and measure the real thickness in the store: it is 15/32" (12 mm), not 1/2". 2x3: sight along it; no bow, no big knots at a notch.
Questions about this plan
What are the finished dimensions?
24, 36, 47 1/2" (610, 914, 1206 mm) long; 6, 8" (152, 203 mm) deep; 3 1/2" (89 mm) thick. Drawn 36 x 8", rated 30 lb (14 kg) on two studs (10 lb per ft). The drawings are dimensioned in feet and inches; the materials list, cut list and steps give metric sizes alongside.
What skill level do I need, and how long does it take?
It's rated confident beginner; a helper for steps 8 and 11. Expected build time: One weekend, plus 30 days before the full load. It suits someone who has built a simple piece of furniture or cut a mortise and tenon before; each step still names the tools it uses.
How much does it cost to build?
Roughly US$60–120 in materials at typical US lumber-yard prices. Prices vary a lot by region, so price the materials list at your local yard before you start.
What tools do I need?
Pencil; Combination square; 4 ft (1.2 m) straightedge; Level, 24" (600 mm) or longer; Stud finder with live-wire detection; Compass (to scribe a corner); Painter's tape; Circular saw with a fine-tooth plywood blade and a clamped straightedge guide; Backsaw or fine handsaw; Sawhorses or foam board to cut on; Sharp 3/4" (19 mm) chisel and a mallet; Household iron (edge banding); Random-orbit sander or sanding block; Sandpaper 80, 120, 180 and 220 grit; Foam brush; Lint-free rags; Drill/driver and an impact driver, with 1/8", 3/16", 5/16" and 3/8" bits (3, 5, 8, 10 mm), a 6" (150 mm) 3/16" bit, a countersink bit; T-30 bit for the 1/4" structural screws, 5/16" hex bit for the 1/4" x 5" wall screws; Right-angle drill attachment (only if there is a shelf above); Up to 6 F-clamps, 6" (150 mm) opening or more, and a 1" (25 mm) ratchet strap, 10 ft (3 m), or 15 ft (4.5 m) for the 47 1/2" sizes; Glue brush; Cedar shims, a pair; A scrap 2x3 for a stop block; A 5 lb (2.3 kg) bag of rice for every 5 lb of your shelf's rating (six for the drawn 36 x 8") and a folded blanket for the load test; plus a tape, pencil, safety glasses, hearing protection and gloves. The interactive checklist on this page lets you tick off what you already own.
Where does this plan come from?
It is an original Square & Furrow design for today's homes, produced with AI-assisted tools and checked by our build model. You get a materials list, metric sizes, a cut list for standard lumber and clear illustrated step-by-step assembly drawings, every part drawn. Sizes are in feet and inches, with metric alongside.
Can a beginner follow it?
It's rated confident beginner; a helper for steps 8 and 11, so it helps to have built something framed before, or to have a handy friend on the bigger lifts. Each step is a single job with its own drawing: the parts that step adds are shaded, the nails, screws and bolts it drives are marked where they go, and the hardware for that step is listed beside it. An exploded drawing at the front shows how the whole build goes together before you cut anything.
What do I get?
A 13-page print-ready PDF (US Letter) to download after purchase. It prints well at home or at a copy shop, and reads fine on a tablet in the workshop.