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How to Create Plumbing Pipe Shelves

Feast your eyes on these Plumbing Pipe Shelves that may inspire you to do yourself!

How to Build Plumbing Pipe Shelves from the Cavender Diary

The only wall in our living room has been begging for some shelves. Check out some of our inspiration below.

Empty Wall in the Living Room for My Shelves

There were some modernish chrome/black glass ones there for a few years. Thought we could live with them, they were so cheap, but I just couldn’t any longer. Black Glass????

We’ve been using plumbing pipe for projects all over the house; like the Rolling Log Holder , our Vintage-Looking Dog Bed , and in the Garage for storage. We’re going to use even more in the closets and maybe even as a shower curtain rod. Stay Tuned

After much rooting around the Home Depot plumbing isle, here’s what we came up with to hold our 10 foot wooden shelves together.

Here are the Pieces I need for Each Shelf Support - Copy

Here’s a footing, completely screwed together….

All the Pipes Connected for my Plumbing Pipe Shelves

I spaced 4 of these babies across the wall and attaches the back flange to the wall with drywall screws.

I Set my Footings in Place and Attached Them to the Back Wall

Ignore the tall pipe on the left. I was just getting a feel for how tall I wanted it. 4 shelves including the top…..43 1/2 inches from the floor.

The wood shelves, almost the entire length of the wall, slide down on each pipe and rest on the T joint.

I use a 1 inch paddle bit to make 1 inch holes in my shelf boards for the 3/4 inch pipe. My pipes are set 30 inches apart, and 15 inches from each side of the end of the shelves.

Use a 1 Inch Paddle Bit to Make Holes for the Pipe

The boards rest perfectly on the T’ connectors. 1 in the front and the second in the back

The Shelf Rests on Top of the 2 Ts

Lots and lots of measuring, but connecting the pipes and sliding on the wood shelves was a pretty easy process.

One shelf at a time, and attaching each back flange to the wall with drywall screws.

Looking good so far.

Side View of the Plumbing Pipe Self Unit

The final posts are topped with flanges just like the feet.

I carefully measured so that each one is exactly 42 1/2 inches from the floor. They easily twist to adjust the height.

My Flange Heigth is Exactly 42 and half Inches Tall

…and 14 1/2 inches from the back wall.

My Flange is Exactly 14 and a half Inches Away From the Wall

I leveled a 10 foot cleat, made from a 1X4, across the back wall……again, I attached it with drywall screws.

The Shelves with the Cleat Added to the Back Wall

……with 1X4 inch notches cut out and lined up perfectly with my flanges.(See where this is headed yet?)

I Knotch Out My Cleat for the Supports

14 1/2 inch supports, cut from a pine 1X4, fit in these notches and rest on the flanges in front.

Like so…..

My Support Piece Fits in the Knotch and Rests on the Flange

And the top boards sit on the supports.

The Cap Shelf Rests Perfectly on top of the Brace

A 1X2 trim piece hides all the ugly and makes my cap shelf look more substantial.

Looking Down on Our Plumbing Pipe Shelves

I didn’t want to stain my shelves, so I aged them a little with a mixture of steel wool and vinegar….(More on that to come later)

…..and then filled them with crap. Like so…..

Our Finished Plumbing Pipe Shelves in the Living Room

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The Top of Our Plumbing Pipe Shelves

Books on the Plumbing Pipe Shelves in the Cavender Living Room

Plumbing Pipe Shelves from the Cavender Diary

Good place to fit the overflow of books from the den.

Article source: http://thecavenderdiary.com/2014/10/17/how-to-build-plumbing-pipe-shelves/

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