Narrowboat shelf brackets

£20.00

Shelf brackets for narrowboats

Collection/delivery: free for those local to me (hackney river lea area or Cheshunt), if I’m posting select the right delivery method 🙂

As most boats can’t use regular 90° IKEA shelf brackets on the side walls, due to the lean in, we’ve got a solution for the less DIY inclined /time poor / tool poor etc boat owners.

I’ve measured the upper wall angle of a fair few boats, and there’s only a couple of degrees difference between the majority of boats… So I decided on an angle that’ll work for the majority of boats, drew a quick sketch on the computer, and 3D printed as a test. Then CNC’d a whole bunch of wall brackets from a sheet of 25mm furniture birch plywood, and pre-drilled holes.

SIZE: they’re 15cm x 15cm, (6 inch), so a shelf with a 15-25cm depth should be fine.

£20 one pair of brackets (ie enough for one shelf)

SKU: Brackets Category:
1. The angle might be a couple of degrees safer than that of a level shelf (ie lean back towards the wall to reduce the likelihood of anything falling off, not really noticeable to the eye approx a few° degrees). Open the black and white image on your phone, hold phone to the wall, you’ll be able to see the angle of the bracket.
2. I’ll refund anyone who buys and they lean down based on the wall angle of their boat (once the item has been returned). Please use the silhouette image to check prior to ordering.
3. I can’t tell you the weight load they might take, as I don’t know what you walls are made of / what you’ll be screwing into.
4. 1 week delivery time, I’ll try and do it much quicker, but it’s always wise to manage expectations (I’m using royal mail).
5. I’d still recommend putting a lip or rail on whatever shelf you put on the brackets, in order to stop things falling off if you rock the boat.
6. I’m not responsible for anything that may fall off a shelf, don’t put your granny’s ashes on the shelf.
7. “Wayne”, we know you’ll say you’ve made an equivalent in fives minutes for your boat, and it cost you 50p and a bit of gaffa tape, but no one really cares. Put a gold star 🌟 on your fridge.
8. By the time you’ve sorted wood, found your tools out, measured the angles, not mis-cut etc it’ll have cost you more than £20 in time…
9. They are adequate, functional and good enough, perfectionists feel free to sand, paint, oil to your needs / heart is content… I’m not selling perfection, so don’t expect it (remember ikea give people an allen key and people are happy with that).
10. We’ve (I say we, I’ve done 2 of the 150… ) drilled 4 pilot holes with countersinks in every bracket to make it easier for you, they are mostly perfectly straight, a few are a tiny bit off at the back but you won’t see/notice once screwed to the wall.
11. I am supplying screws of a size and length that I think will work for most instances, however I don’t know what thickness or type of wood your walls are made of. So as with most boat things engage your grey matter and make the best decision you can.
12. Some boaters suggest gluing as well as screwing… the brackets to the wall. As per the point above, I believe you know your boat best.
13. This will seem backwards to most people, but screw the brackets to the wall first, before screwing your own shelf onto the brackets (this is to do with the wall angle being different on different boats, and there might be a tiny gap, but is too difficult for my small brain to explain succinctly).
14. I’ll use an impact driver, but that’s just because I’m me… but don’t go overly “gung ho” with an impact driver, screw into the wall but don’t drive through the screw through the bracket like someone possessed idiot. ie don’t put the shelf up whilst mid argument with someone.