Home DIY

we currently have a skirting cover, with a mains wire going along the floor behind the cover. I want to tidy it up, the cover is also too wide and is stopping me installing my string shelving. Would this be up to code?

Just a fun project. Making some holding(?) strips to repurpose an old nicely made bookcase* we had into a kids bookcase.

Had some spare teak coloured varnish, but it made the pine too red so added some tannin followed by an homemade iron stain, then varnished. Aged the brass screws using salt, bleach, and vinegar followed by a blast with a flame.

*technically the top of a desk based on my deduction

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Does anyone know if you could remove the bottom front section of these shelving units on the bottom?

Basically I want shelving along most of a wall in our outbuilding, but there's a tumble dryer that'll take up part of the space. I could just not have metal shelving and then have regular shelves, but I sort of like the idea of just one wall of fuck loads of shelving.

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Does anyone know if you could remove the bottom front section of these shelving units on the bottom?

I wouldn't I've had some in the garage. They rely on all the pieces to make up the strength. They are only made from something like 16guage. The shelves are about 4mm MDF and just sit in the frame. The mdf is not moisture resistant and unless the item sits on the steel, they begin to shrink.
Note the 'had'.

I have similar and you could

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I've done similar, it's fine.

Next question is where/what is the cheapest way to get wooden shelves?

I've got a load of those wall rack rail things.

I have them in my studio storage and it's fine so far. The whole bottom row is missing the bottom shelf and front bar on mine. I think I screwed them into the wall for good measure.

Yeah I'd definitely fix to the wall.

Screwing into the wall and floor where you’ve removed sections would be my advice. Racking like that often benefits from extra fixings to stiffen it up.

Sorry to say it's designed for extra low voltage or pipes not mains voltage. On the other hand it's not like anyone is going to come round and inspect it.

If you're wondering why it's not allowed when a bit of plastic conduit is, it seems to be because someone might come along and drill or cut into it expecting it to be wood.

Fair enough, I had done a bit of reading and it was unclear. I understand the reasoning, but it also suggested that any purpose made cable cover was acceptable. Although there was also mention of 50mm, safe zones and so on that I won't pretend to understand.

there must be a neat solution out there? I need it to not stick out from the wall by so much or be so tall, maybe a neater/smaller cover will do the job, but again, maybe there is a specified minimum size. Who's job is it, carpenter, electrician, general builder?

Surface mounted, clipped to the skirting and painted is the lowest profile. Otherwise you really need to get it under the floorboard level. It has been known for a wire to be between the wall and floor under the skirting, although this arrangement's not ideal it does just about pass muster. There's no minimum size for conduit, if the wire fits inside it's fine.

I got a load of block laminated pine and oak shelves from Wickes. Quality control is not brilliant but for me they were ok (oak ones needed splits and cracks gluing in places, pine was pretty knotty and needed some filling where surface knots had fallen out).
https://www.wickes.co.uk/Products/Building-Materials/Sheet-Materials/Timberboard/c/1000196

Assuming you want solid wood - people often use melamine-faced chipboard or ply with twin track.

So we're doing our kitchen and used some off cuts from the work top and shelf hinges from Amazon to give us a pair of floating shelves. Needed a serious drill bit for the holes in the rear but happy how they turned out.
Looking to add a wine glass rack to the underside as well as a downlight that a spark will fit.
One layer of Danish oil has given it a nice colour and the decorator is in next week.
I was going to go down the "rustic" route with metal brackets but wasn't sure how much off cut I'd have left

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Nice job! Those offcuts are perfect for floating shelves.

If you’re taking them off again to fix the rack you might want to put on another coat or two of the Danish oil. It tends to soak in, particularly on end grain, so whilst it looks better might not afford as much protection as you’d like.

Speaking of which, a question I've been meaning to ask - I have a desk which is a piece of that block laminated pine. Eventually I'd like to put a piece of lino on it but won't get round to it for a while (year or two). The surface is a little bit fuzzy and I'll sand it - I'm considering whether or not to give it a bit of wax too or whether I will regret that when it comes to sticking lino on (with double-sided tape as @dbr recommendation). There are various wax and polish removers/solvents, or if I don't go heavy will that even need necessary?

ML Panels

Cheers.

You've reminded me that that's where we got the wooden shelves for our dining room.

I think I'll go the twin track route as I've already got some.

Anyone got any top tips for getting twin track level? I've now got a lazer so hopefully that'll make it easier.

Wax, polyurethane varnish or Forum Favourite Osmo it. Acrylic double sided tape will stick to all of them so no need to remove it. Probs stick best to PU though.

Alternatively just flip the top over when come to lino it, then you have a nicely finished underside and fresh wood to stick to.*

*that’s if you’ve been lazy and not sealed the underside, which will probably be fine, but could lead to cupping if the top isn’t screwed to a solid frame or is quite thin. It’s a bit of a gamble rally. I finished two bits of 30mm oak block worktop on one side only recently, one was fine, other cupped 3 or 4mm. I’ll let you know what the 30mm radiata pine table tops I did last night look like when I get to the workshop…

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Saved.

Thanks - I have a tub of wax so will try that.
It's L-shaped so no flipping 😁 (alcove plus a little extra bit).
Also going to do the underside as well as I don't like that feeling when the tops of your legs catch the fuzzy underside of an unfinished desk... It's only 18mm and will be screwed lightly to extra long twin track brackets so good point about the cupping.

Put one track at the height you want it. Top screw first so it hangs plumb - check if you're very fastidious, I usually trust gravity. Attach one shelf bracket, then use a level across to a bracket on the next track in the same position.

Guess if using a laser just hang one plumb and then align screw holes along the laser line?

I think I’ve found someone to make me a SYS3-L sized MFT worktop with Systainer latches.