DIY Industrial Shelf

DIY Industrial Shelf - Tutorial

The wife wanted a shelf, so the wife got a shelf. This project will run you about $70, depending on if you have supplies already such as a paintbrush, stain, screws, etc.

Here's a list of the supplies I used, and I got them all from Lowes.

• Rust Oleum 11-oz Oil Rubbed Bronze Spray Paint ($6.88)
• Miniwax Wood Finish Dark Walnut 8oz Oil-Based Interior Stain ($4.77)
• One 1x10x60 Pine Board (Lowe's had a 60" for about $20)
• 3 Mueller-Proline 3/8-in Dia Galzanized Floor Flange Fitting (3 x $3.78)
• 3 Mueller-Proline 3/8-in Dia Black Iron Cap Fitting (3 x 1.78)
• 3 Galvanized Pipes 3/8-in x 12-in (Can't find on website, but were about $7 each)

You could do this project with black iron pipe, but it's a little more expensive and will put a little more stress on your drywall. Depending what you're putting on the shelf, the galvanized pipe should be fine.

Since you won't be seeing the piping that much, one or two coats of spray paint should do. I screwed together the pipe fittings first, put the screws in place, then spraypainted them (you don't want the silver screws to show so make sure you do spray the tops). While you're waiting for those to dry, you can start staining your shelf. I used a dark walnut stain and only applied one coat because we didn't want it to end up extremely dark. Apply with a paint brush and wipe with a rag. The longer you let the stain sit before wiping, the darker the stain will be. Let dry and reapply stain again if you want the board to be even darker. You could buy a clear coat for a glossy finish if you'd like.

Once everything has dried, start looking at the wall where you want to mount your shelf. I was able to drill my two outside pipes into studs. I got at least two screws for each flange into the studs, and I used plastic wall anchors with the remaining screws. The middle pipe unfortunately was not lined up with a stud, but since I hung the two outsides pipes first, the middle was more for show than it was support. I used plastic wall anchors for the middle pipe and everything so far seems fine. If you can't line the shelf up to go directly into studs, I would strongly recommend using drywall anchors with a toggle lock. 

When drilling holes for your pipes, just take your time and measure twice! Another thing you could do is put painters tape on the wall and then use a level to make sure your tape is level. Drill your holes, then remove the tape from the wall. 

Have fun, it's an easy one that really makes a room look much better!