Lego Shelf

This Instructable is for making a Lego Shelf. I made several for my Son-In-Law's Lego model collections. The first couple made were floating shelves about 7" deep. He needed a deeper shelf for some of the bigger models. I decided to make a 12" deep shelf and add supports to it to distribute the weight better.

Tools:

1. Radial Arm saw or Chop Saw
2. Table Saw
3. Sander
4. Brad Nailer
5. CNC Router
6. Fusion 360 software or equivalent (optional)
7. Router and Router Table
8. 3/8” Straight Cut router bit,
9. 1/8” Roundover router bit
10. Sandpaper, 150, 240 & 320 grit
11. Double Sided tape
12. Wood Glue
13. Wood Putty
14. Paint (various colors as desired)
15. All-Purpose Primer

Materials:

1. Three pieces of 1" x 3" x 8’Pine or Poplar boards
2. One piece of 1 3/4" x 3’ dowel
3. 2’ x 4’ x 3/16” Birch Plywood
4. One 2” x 2” x 8’ Pine board
5. Two Wall Anchors
6. Two 1” Wood Screws

I usually start my project by making a quick sketch of the item and include some of the measurement. I proceeded to layout the the location of the Dowels using the array function in Fusion 360. This allowed me to evenly space the dowel and determine the overall length of the shelf to accommodate the dowels in an aesthetically pleasing way.

Using a Radial Arm Saw or Chop Saw make the following cuts;

1. Cut a 45-degree angle on both ends of the 1” x 3” at a length of 35”. One piece is required.
2. Cut a 45-degree angle on both ends of the 1” x 3” at a length of 12”. Two pieces are required.
3. Cut a 45-degree angle on both ends of the 1” x 3” at a length of 10”. Four pieces are required.
4. Cut a 45-degree angle on both ends of the 1” x 3” at a length of 8”. Four pieces are required.
5. Cut a 45-degree angle on both ends of the 1” x 3” at a length of 6”. Four pieces are required.
6. Cut a 45-degree angle on both ends of the 1” x 3” at a length of 4”. Four pieces are required.
7. Cut a 45-degree angle on both ends of the 1” x 3” at a length of 2”. Four pieces are required.
8. Cut a 45-degree angle on both ends of the 1” x 3” at a length of 2 ½”. Sixteen pieces are required.
9. Cut the 1 3/4” dia, dowel to a length of 1 ¼”. Fourteen pieces are required.
10. Cut the Birch Plywood to a strip of 34” x 11 1/2”. Two pieces are required.
11. Cut the 2” x 2” to a length of 30”. One piece is required.

Using a Router mounted in a Router Table rout the following

1. Using a 3/8” Straight Cut Bit, rout the top and bottom of the backside edge to create a ledge that is 3/16” deep by ½” wide off the 35” piece (see figure below).
2. Rout the same ledge on the two 12” long pieces.
3. Using a 1/8” Roundover Bit, route the front side of all the 1” x 3” pieces.
4. Using a 1/8” Roundover Bit, carefully route one side of all the 1 ¾” dowels.

Using a CNC Router carve the Lego Logo on the top of the dowel pieces

1. Import the attached SVG file into Fusion 360 and create the tool path for the router.
2. Mount the dowels on the CNC base plate using a jig or double-sided tape.
3. Start your CNC and begin carving.Repeat for all 13 pieces.

Glue and nail the following pieces together to make rectangles

1. Glue and nail with a Brad Nailer, two 2 ½” boards to two 2” boards to make a rectangle.
2. Glue and nail with a Brad Nailer, two 2 ½” boards to two 4” boards to make a rectangle.
3. Glue and nail with a Brad Nailer, two 2 ½” boards to two 6” boards to make a rectangle.
4. Glue and nail with a Brad Nailer, two 2 ½” boards to two 8” boards to make a rectangle.
5. Glue and nail with a Brad Nailer, two 2 ½” boards to two 10” boards to make a rectangle.
6. Glue and nail with a Brad Nailer, two 2 ½” boards to the ends of the 35” board boards
7. Glue and stack the 10”, 8”, 6” 4” &2” rectangles together to make the shelf supports.
8. Glue and nail with a Brad Nailer, the 2 pieces of Birch Plywood to the top and bottom of the 35” long Shelf.
9. Glue the Shelf Supports to the underside of the Shelf, approximately 2” from the side.
10. Starting in the center of the shelf, glue a dowel 1 ¼” on each side of the center line
11. Continue gluing the Dowels every 2 ½” on center over the remainder of the shelf.

1. Using Wood Putty, fill all nail holes and any other imperfections and allow it to dry.
2. Sand all parts to remove excess putty and smooth out the wood in prep for finishing. Start with 150 grit sandpaper continue with 240 grit & finish with 320 grit.

1. Using an all-purpose primer spray the shelf completely with an even coat.,
2. If required apply a second coat of primer.
3. Spray the shelf with your choice of color spray paint.2 coats may be required to get complete coverage

1. Attach a the 2” x 2” x 30” board to the wall using wall anchors. Ensure the board is level and at the desired height.
2. Slide the backside of the shelf over the 2 x 2” an secure it with two 1” wood screws.

1. The Lego logo could also be engraved on the dowels using a Laser Engraver.
2. If you decide to make the shelf shorter or longer than 35”, you can use the array function in Fusion 360 to calculate different lengths an dowel placement
3. There are several options for the Lego logo on the dowels
4. Laser Engraved
5. Vinyl Lettering
6. Hand Painting
7. Leave the logo off
8. The shelf can be made without the support brackets. However, it is not recommended that if the shelf is more than 8" deep.