I'm going to build some shelves in a couple of days out of 1/2" acrylic, and I ran into a question about coupling. I plan to build a frame out of aluminum angles, which the acrylic will rest in. The frame will attach to the supports (aluminum channel rack rails) at all four corners.
Once I'd thought up this frame, I immediately wondered if the actual shelf should be loosely coupled (just resting in the frame) or tightly coupled (i.e. screws). The purist in me says loose coupling sounds great: isn't that the point of acrylic? Then the cynic says that acrylic is already so "dead" that it won't make much difference, and the tightly coupled design is more stable.
Any thoughts?
Once I'd thought up this frame, I immediately wondered if the actual shelf should be loosely coupled (just resting in the frame) or tightly coupled (i.e. screws). The purist in me says loose coupling sounds great: isn't that the point of acrylic? Then the cynic says that acrylic is already so "dead" that it won't make much difference, and the tightly coupled design is more stable.
Any thoughts?
- Status
- This old topic is closed. If you want to reopen this topic, contact a moderator using the "Report Post" button.