# How to make Ventilated Wold Shelving



## mike cohen (Nov 27, 2011)

Does anyone know of a technique that can be used to make ventilated wood shelving?
Here are a couple examples of what I'm looking for:
gregorywoodproducts.com









Similar product on Amazon
http://amzn.com/B001EJO0HU

I can imagine cutting a dado in the rails, but how do you keep the slats in place?

Thanks!
Mike


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## Big Dave (Sep 16, 2006)

You could mortise slots for each slat but more than likely you don't have a dedicated mortiser. I would cut a groove then make small spacers to put between the slats as you assemble the shelf panels. Glue and clamp everything together. Maybe put a few small nails to hold things in place while the glue sets up.


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## tcleve4911 (Dec 16, 2006)

how about small dowels?


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

Glue is good for holding slats or most other things in place.

G


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

Dado, insert spacer stock, hand plane flush to dado, use stop block to cut repeated accurate spacers, put it all together!

That's the quick n dirty... Do I need to elaborate? I certainly will if you like!

~tom ...it's better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt...


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

firemedic said:


> That's the quick n dirty... Do I need to elaborate? I certainly will if you like!


That would be nice. Quick and dirty=cut rails, cut spacers, cut slats. Lay out rails. Set slat, then spacer, then slat, then spacer, and on and on. Just glue, maybe a pin nail. Where's it gonna go? No dadoes=quick-n-dirty.:laughing:












 







.


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## mike cohen (Nov 27, 2011)

Dado + spacers seems like a pretty easy way to go. Thanks for the quick responses!

A dedicated mortiser is on my christmas list. Would it be more or less work than the approach using a dado + spacers? I have not yet had the pleasure of using a mortiser.


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

mike cohen said:


> Dado + spacers seems like a pretty easy way to go. Thanks for the quick responses!
> 
> A dedicated mortiser is on my christmas list. Would it be more or less work than the approach using a dado + spacers? I have not yet had the pleasure of using a mortiser.


More work with a mortiser. 

Unless you do A LOT of production mortising, the money spent on a power mortiser might be better put towards some other tool that would see more use?

~tom ...it's better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt...


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## mackem (May 20, 2007)

Think of it as spindles in a staircase. :smile:


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## doobsdad (Jun 20, 2014)

I am doing this same project. My problem is trying to get the slats all in. If I widen it enough for one slat, the last one falls out. Any trick to this?


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## Brian T. (Dec 19, 2012)

I tried, just once. Could not figure out how to get all the slats in.
Since that failed, I bought cheap, louvered, bifold doors and used them.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

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doobsdad said:


> I am doing this same project. My problem is trying to get the slats all in. If I widen it enough for one slat, the last one falls out. Any trick to this?


You might try a scissors type movement. Set one end so the slat is somewhat in, and as you add slats, start closing the scissors. I've had the same problem when making shutters.


















.


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## Trav (May 30, 2011)

doobsdad said:


> I am doing this same project. My problem is trying to get the slats all in. If I widen it enough for one slat, the last one falls out. Any trick to this?



I am not sure of how this would be a problem. Are you glueing and using a mechanical fastener one at a time? I would think you could just slide the slats down the dados, squirt some glue in the dados, slide the slat in place then shoot a finish nail in and move on to the next one. 

IDK. Never done it but not sure how that wouldn't work.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

The one shown looks like they didn't use any spacers, just inserted the slats in a dado. You could glue and shoot a nail in every second or third one to keep them from falling out. I believe the way they have doubled the rails in the front is to prevent sagging however they don't have enough verticle pieces between it to do the job. If it was for hanging clothes then a round rod would be better.


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## Trav (May 30, 2011)

What is the advantage to ventilated shelves?


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## DST (Jan 10, 2011)

kind looks like a louvered door. Can get those cheap at the local habitat for humanity restore


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## amckenzie4 (Apr 29, 2010)

Similar to what other folks have said, only without the spacers:

Plow a groove in each rail for the slats. Set each slat in place, and fix it with a finishing nail centered on the width of the slat on each side. Use a spacer block to make sure they're a constant width from each other.

The only real downside I've seen to that is that dust collects in the groves, and somethings things get caught in them.


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## PhilBa (Jun 30, 2014)

A little late to this but to the assembly question, I see several approaches:

1) make a jig to hold the slats in place horizontally and then place the rails on. Spacers go in last. use a relatively slow glue.
2) clamp the rails with the right distance between them and add each slat and 2 spacers in turn.
3) vertical jig for holding the slats in place. Assemble one sided and then cap with the second rail.


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