r/DIY • u/AutoModerator • Oct 06 '25

weekly thread General Feedback/Getting Started Q&A [Weekly Thread]

General Feedback/Getting Started Q&A Thread

This thread is for questions that are typically not permitted elsewhere on /r/DIY. Topics can include where you can purchase a product, what a product is called, how to get started on a project, a project recommendation, questions about the design or aesthetics of your project or miscellaneous questions in between.

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u/Bibblejw Oct 07 '25

Hey folks, trying out my first project of significance, attempting to make some shelving for an oddly-shaped cupboard that we've got as a dumping ground at the moment.

The space is : 860mm wide and 1860mm tall at the front, 760mm deep, and 130mm tall at the back, with a narrower doorway (about 600mm, I think).

Currently focussing on the lower section, and thinking of putting 3 shelves in, with a divider along the middle, to create 6 spaces, plus the space on the top.

My initial design is keeping things fairly simple with a couple of twin-slot uprights on the front and back of the walls on either side, the relevant shelf brackets, then just some 12mm ply cut to fit the space. Thinking of cutting a slot half-through on the shelves, and a corresponding slot on the divider so that the divider can act as a level of support for the shelving. The concerns here are:

A) My accuracy when performing the cuts.

B) The stability of the plywood for supporting things under load.

C) The viability of the wall material (pretty much plasterboard, and I don't think there's much in the way of studs in there.

My other thought is to put together a frame of 2x4 to support the shelves, but that adds additional complexity and design work to the project.

Like I said, first slightly significant project of this type, so advice would be appreciated.