DIY Network

Finishing Shelving Units With the shelves built, it's time for the finishing touches! From "DIY to the Rescue" episode DTTR-708

The finished cabinets offer architectural beauty and function.

With the shelves put together, the next step is to making them look beautiful! To create a more aesthetic appeal to the shelves, the homeowners, Anne Marie and Don Suhocki, and DIY to the Rescue crew installed crown molding around the edges of the shelves. After the crown molding was installed, the shelves were painted with a power spray gun.

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Materials:

nail gun
trim pieces - 5 per shelf (1 x 2’s)
wood glue
measuring tape
router and round over bit
crown molding pieces
power paint sprayer
wood putty
paint for shelves
4 x 8 piece of birch plywood
chalk line
table saw

Figure A

Steps:

1. To make the shelves a little more stylish, add trim to the outside edges. To do that, put down a bead of glue on each vertical edge, then make sure the trim piece cut earlier (1x2) is flush with the outside edge (Figure A).

2. Next use a nail gun to solidify the trim’s staying power (Figures B & C).

Figure B

Figure C

3. Then measure the length of each shelf after the vertical trim has been added (Figure D) and cut three more 1x2 pieces according to the horizontal length of each shelf (Figure E).

Figure D

Figure E

4. Glue and nail the trim pieces like the rest of the trim (Figure F).

5. To give the trim a smooth and finished look, use a router to round off the ends of the trim (Figure G).

Figure F

Figure G

Figure H

6. Make sure you keep the router pushed against the workspace and that the router goes on the workspace the opposite direction as it spins (Figure H).

7. Next, for the crown molding line up the pieces where you want them to go and cut off the excess length (Figures I & J).

Figure I

Figure J

8. To secure the molding to the shelving unit, use a pneumatic stapler along with glue (Figures K & L).

Figure K

Figure L

9. To make the rest of the shelves, repeat the process above in steps 1-8 according to the height of the ceiling you’re working with.

10. Before painting the shelves, fill in the holes with wood putty to create a smooth service to paint over later (Figures M & N).

Figure M

Figure N

11. To paint the shelves, use a power sprayer to give the shelves an even coat of paint.

12. If you do not have access to a power sprayer, it is easier to prime and paint the shelves before you piece them together (Figures O & P).

Figure O

Figure P