Want to make a book shelf or should I say a huge magazine shelf.

[skipnay]

My wood book shelf just isn't doing it anymore. It is about to fall down and is bending at every shelf. If it would be for the middle shelf having a locking mechanism it would be down and out. So anyway I'm thinking about 36'' wide, 6' high, and 12'' deep. I was thinking about using 3/4'' or 1'' square tubing. Would I want to go .120 wall or will 0.083 wall be thick enough? I'm going to build the 6 shelves first then add the main frame to it. I thought about running a cross brace on each shelf at 12'' and 24''. I will probably use 18 gauge in the back to keep them from falling back and giving it more strength.

So will I need the 3/4 or 1''? Will I want the 0.083 or 0.120 wall?

[Broccoli1]

1" 16g square tubing.

[Broccoli1]

Not a bookshelf but this is 1" 16g.

[skipnay]

The 1'' 16 gauge will be that much stronger then the 3/4'' 14 or 11 gauge? I trust you guys I was just kinda wondering.... Also does it matter if I tig weld this or mig weld it?

Thanks again guys.

[FernTJ]

How many stringers going the 36 inch direction? Will there be any decking, USB, plywood, pine?

A full shelf 36 inches wide will have about 120 pounds of paper on it. You could make a shelf out of 3/4 11 ga if you use enough of it. 3/4 11 ga has about 60% of the strength of 1 inch 16 ga.

Mig or Tig wold both work for a book shelf. If the welds are not ground and exposed Tig will probably look better.

[BD1]

I agree with above too. Either tig or mig but tig will be quicker.
You could use flatten perforated sheets for on top of shelves and get it powdered painted

[skipnay]

Basicly I was going to use 2 36'' and 2 pieces going the 12'' deep. I have since decided I am going to put a piece down the middle and notch it so the 2 12'' can kinda run through it. So the 12'' pieces will need notched also. I was then going to just use some 18 gauge so they don't fall through. So the decking will be the 18 gauge. The reason why I was asking about the 3/4'' stuff is because I thought I had that down in the garage already but it is actually 1''.

The top welds will be ground down so the 18 gauge is flat. The bottom welds won't be. Don't know if I'm going to have it powder coated but I will at least paint it. Also thinking about making this now 6 teirs high and if I do that I will build 2 seperate ones and then stack them on top of each other.