WOODWORKING PROJECT. PART 6.

 This is the final part of this series of posts. Following completion of the construction process, the next task was to cut the 85 shelves. These are made from the same quarter inch (6mm) melamine faced MDF as the back panel. Each shelf is about 12 by 6 inch (300mm by 150mm). Once cut the leading edge is faced with a strip of black insulating tape to hide the "raw" edge. I have investigated the use of solid plastic edging but the cost is quite prohibitive so £1 for a single roll of tape is a bargain and also easily replaceable if damaged at any time. That said it is also a very time consuming and fiddly task.

Having made the shelves the next step was to manhandle the unit upstairs and install it underneath the existing unit which had been propped up on a couple of temporary legs since the bookcase that originally supported it had been removed. This task called for reinforcements and my youngest daughter Laraine was drafted together with my wife. My all female task force performed very well and while they held the original unit, I removed the temporary legs and put the new unit in place. The old unit was gently lowered about half an inch, lined up and the two units screwed together.

I then attached the units to the wall at the top with rubber connectors. This will allow the units to sink into the carpet over the next few months without pulling the fixings out of the wall. After say Christmas I will remove those temporary fixings and put in something more substantial. The shelves were then wiped clean and installed as seen above.

To help with the settlement issue, and to provide a better storage solution, I then loaded the shelves with boxes of unpainted screws. These will of course be removed, treated and painted over time as the new army is constructed. The final element was the new doors which were delivered yesterday and installed.

The photo above shows the whole unit. Once I have finished upgrading the existing armies, maybe in the new year, I will commence construction of my new 4th army which should take me 5 or 6 years at least to complete. I hope this series of articles has been of interest.