After last week’s wood cutting exploits I have finally managed to get my Hungarian Shelves up. I had decided to varnish the wood in different colours to emphasis the effect. I chose a dark oak varnish for the uprights but did the shelves themselves in clear gloss varnish. It looks quite good but I think it would have been easier to do the painting after the shelves were up rather than before. You live and learn I suppose.
The only thing I did discover is that the uprights have to be installed with millimetre accuracy. I found that the best technique is to measure and drill out the top screw and loosely attach the upright and then position the other holes accordingly. After that the shelves slot in surprisingly easily. In total, the materials cost just over £60 (although I have stacks of the dark varnish left over). I did have to spend out on a couple of tools but tools are always handy to have in. The only thing I did wish I had spent more on is the wood for the shelves. I used the standard planed softwood rather than the more expensive furniture wood and the shelves have warped slightly longitudinally. It’s barely noticeable and they still function perfectly well but it is a bit irritating after the amount of time I spent on them.
The one thing I didn’t expect with this is how much space it has freed up in the room. I think it is similar to the effect of mounting the TV on the wall rather than on a table. However, as well as making my dining room look bigger it has made my CD collection look smaller. I’m sure Mr Amazon will help on that one although simply sorting the CDs back into alphabetical order has unearthed a Muddy Waters album I thought long lost. Well, what should one file it under: “M” or “W”?
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