found this cabinet, are these shelves structural?

[reinhardt]

i would like to remove the shelves and install these rails on the back of the cabinet to gimme adjustable shelves. my concern is that the shelves may be part of the structure of this cabinet. before anyone gives me too much ****, i found the cabinet on the side of the road and was given the adjustable shelf brackets. a little paint, a little time and i have a storage cabinet above my work bench. i have the doors to the cabinet btw.

so... am i going to wreck the cabinet if i take the shelves out?

thanks,
ben

p.s. one of these days i will paint the walls! that graffiti is from the previous owner's kid's garage band.... ugh.

 

[Brad1234]

Go ahead & take them out. I've done it myself before.

 

[xfanatic]

I've taken similar cabinets before and took the shleves out. I also reinforced them by taking some 2 X 4's and sticking them in each corner. It really helped to strenghten them. Not the prettiest but it made for a quick cheap cabinet.

 

[reinhardt]

I've taken similar cabinets before and took the shleves out. I also reinforced them by taking some 2 X 4's and sticking them in each corner. It really helped to strenghten them. Not the prettiest but it made for a quick cheap cabinet.

do you have a picture? i'm not quite following. i assume this was on the inside of the cabinet? sorry to be so clueless....

thanks for the quick replies, i'm going to yank the shelves out now.

ben

 

[xfanatic]

Sorry no camera right now. But yes, I put a 2X4 on the inside corners and then just out some screws in to secure it all. A 2X4 is probably overkill but it's all I had at the time. Again, it wasn't pretty but slap some paint on it and nobody else new the difference.

I actually picked up a free entertainment cabinet on CL with a glass door on the side. I chopped off the Tv side turned it sidways and had a decent cabinet with a glass door to display helmets in the garage. It was made similar to your cabinet. I 'll put some pics up but probably not till next month.

 

[usmc_noma]

Just take them out. You're not going to have any problem with it. The back piece will help it stay together. If you're still worried about it, just get some 2x2 from HD and brace the corners vertically.

 

[srmofo]

Before you go ripping them out, whats the back made of?

If its anything like 1/4" cardboard printed with wood grain, then youre going to need a new back. Other than that, rip them out

how are you hanging it? Consider a french cleat

 

[Kevin54]

The shelves themselves are not structural, but they are dadoes into the sides. So if you remove them you will have a groove through the side panel that will show unless you are not concerned about that

 

[Norcal]

Instead of those funky brackets drill holes every 1½" to accept metal clips to support the shelves, if the existing shelves have been dadoed into the sides you may wish to overlay some 1X pine over it to cover the no longer needed dados.

 

[josall]

I would use this standard and clip, it will take up less space but still adjustable. http://www.knapeandvogt.com/255_Series_Aluminum_Pilaster_Standards.html?page=details.716
http://www.knapeandvogt.com/237_Series_Pilaster_Supports.html?page=details.552