Floating Shelf #1

We like the looks of floating shelves and the rec room is the perfect spot for one.. or two. When I have all the shelves in, I will b making something to hide the wires.

This shelf had to be 12" wide and 4' long so the easiest thing to do is to buy 3 pine panels 1x12x48. 2 panels are for the top and bottom and the third is cut up for the face and sides.

I built the 2x2 frame about 1/2" smaller than the inside of the finished shelf. 2x2's are never really square or straight so I found the best one to use as the back piece. I marked the center of the back piece and put it up on the wall to mark the studs on it so I could put the 4 cross members in. I cut the face and side pieces 3 1/8" to allow an extra 1/8" play for the frame using my straight edge and circular saw then lined up each piece to the top and bottom, glued and nailed everything together. I need to run cords through the shelf so once the glue had set, I slid the frame into the shelf and clamped it together then I used a 1" forstner bit and drilled 2 holes side by side and cleaned it up with a chisel

I leveled and screwed into the studs and because of the size of the shelf I drilled holes for toggle bolts. Test fit the shelf and sand the back as needed for a nice fit to the wall. Use wood filler for the nail set dimples then sand smooth. I used 2 coats of summer oak and 2 coats of polyurethane. I don't know if it is because I use foam brushes but polyurethane always seems to have a texture to it so 1 light pass with 400 grit paper and it is satin smooth