Simple Do-It-Yourself Brackets for a Wood Shelf

Bracket Sketch

• The project begins with a sketch of the shelf bracket, including dimensions. The bracket has three parts: the horizontal support that holds the shelf, the vertical support that attaches the bracket to the wall and a diagonal brace that holds the two support pieces 90 degrees apart. The length of the horizontal support should be at least two-thirds of the depth of the shelf. The length of the vertical support must be equal to or longer than the horizontal support. The perpendicular edges of the brace should be at least two-thirds the length of the supports.

Materials and Supplies

• Depending on the desired size of the brackets, a set of two wooden shelf brackets may be constructed with a single milled plank, 8 feet long -- 1-inch-thick and 2-inch-thick stock are typically used. Wood screws or coarse-threaded drywall screws are the only fasteners needed. Wood glue, an optional supply, may be used to temporarily hold the bracket components together while you drill pilot holes and screw the trimmed planks together.

Tools

• Tools for this project include a carpenter’s square and pencil, a saw, a drill with drilling and driving bits and sandpaper. The carpenter’s square and pencil are used to mark accurate, perpendicular cutting lines on the lumber. The saw is used to trim the plank. The drill and driving bits bore pilot holes through the wood to prevent splitting and fasten the joints of the bracket. One optional tool, a countersink drill bit, may be used to recess the screw heads. Sandpaper is used to smooth the finished bracket.

Construction Overview

• The support planks are measured, marked, then cut. The horizontal and vertical supports are positioned to form a 90-degree butt joint. Pilot holes are drilled through the joint, then the supports are screwed together. The diagonal brace is measured, marked and trimmed with 45-degree divergent (not parallel) end cuts. The brace is positioned between the supports. Pilot holes are drilled through the supports, into the ends of the brace, then the supports are screwed to the brace.