[78-L] Making of 78 Shelving

[Iñigo Cubillo]

I am currently using (since 2000 when I assembled it) the IKEA EXPEDIT
model shelf with 25 cells. It holds approximately 2,500 78s (actually more
than 100 78s when the cells are tightly loaded). This is IKEA, but I want
to say that the shelf is there almost 15 years after installed !
The good thing is that the construction of the shelves is the good one for
heavy records: the horizontal shelves are the long ones, running all the
shelf width, and the vertical dividers are cutting the span of the long
shelves. Thus, no sagging.

Be careful with the four border boards; they seem 5 cm thick, but indeed
they are thin double-boards filled with paper. Nevertheless, the
construction of the shelf is so clever that there is no problem to load
with 78s. Even I have moved mine from one room to another twice in these
years.

A couple of tricks: One is to replace the small plastic pads that come in
with the set, to act as legs below the lower border. It is better to use
thick (3-4 mm) adhesive felt pads located just under each vertical line of
dividers (one at the front and another at the back); these dividers carry
all the weight of records down to the floor!

Another trick is to buy 2 mm tablex board of the same color as the shelf
(mine is white) and carefully nail the boards to the back of the shelves
all along. The IKEA EXPEDIT is a transparent shelf; it has no backing. The
board covers the entire back of the shelf, and helps to stiffen the whole
structure, instead of using the four weak corner metal stiffeners that come
with the set.

Besides that, i did not worry too much for the weight, given that the shelf
is placed against a wall. The actual weight of 78s is near 150 gr each, so
the entire shelf weights 400 kg (800 lb). This is not too much, as it is
the weight of a hollow brick wall of the same size, or like a sofa with 5
men. The weight is like if you doubled the partition wall.

Another nice thing is that the shelf cells are sized 35 x 35 x 35 cm (13.8
inches) so you can put your 12" inside, and record albums too.

Iñigo Cubillo
Madrid SPAIN