Ever so careful so that the drill bit didn’t come through the top of the shelf. So ever so carefully, I drilled a pilot hole in the pencil marked spot where the bracket has a hole. If mounting a shelf that could have up 75 lbs in total weight, need to know how many brackets to support that weight safely. ; Position the shelf brackets against the wall along the bottom of the shelf. 29. Mark inside the holes so you know exactly where to insert the screws. Use a standard level to make sure it’s placed in a straight line, then lightly mark the wall with a pencil on both ends. I didn’t want to just set the shelf on the brackets with nothing holding it to them… I was a little concerned it could too easily flip off. You may want a partner to help with this step. Secure floating shelves without clunky brackets or braces. It's often sufficient to simply "eyeball" the location. Everyone needs a single shelf somewhere in their home. Place the shelf bracket back on the wall and align the top hole with the hole you just drilled into the wall. But if you want to avoid drilling holes, use an adhesive glue to support your shelf. But if you're putting up several anchors to hold items at precise locations (a series of shelf brackets would be a good example), you'll want to measure the locations carefully to be sure they're at a consistent height. How to put up a shelf with brackets (without any dramas) ... then take a look at the location of sockets and taps on either side of the wall and make sure you're not going to hang the brackets where any pipes or wires might fall. Tighten it enough so it can’t swing freely, but not so tight that you can’t rotate the bracket. Mark out the position of your shelf. Wrought Iron Shelf Brackets If you are into metal processing and welding, you can create beautiful shelf brackets from wrought iron in your workshop. 4. Installing these shelves on the wall typically involves drilling holes in the wall -- which provides maximum support. Mark the site at which you want to hang the object on your wall with a pencil. Weight-bearing shelves support heavy objects, such as mirrors, vases, books and picture frames. Standard shelf brackets are a great solution because they are easy to install and, depending on their dimensions, can withstand large loads. Have someone help you hold the shelf against the wall. Drive screws through the pilot holes you created on the bracket and into the wall studs. Hang Bracket from Top Hole. I will show you how to mount a shelf measuring 3/4" X 10" X 36". Screw the bracket onto the wall using a screw, but only tighten it to the wall slightly. To support the shelf, I'm using two cherry concave 8 shelf brackets from Tyler Morris Woodworking.. One shelf bracket is mounted to a wooden stud and the other is attached to drywall only using Toggler drywall anchors. Hold the shelf bracket up to the wall at your marked line. (2) Size of brackets - some of the large solutions like French cleats, etc, seem to be 3 inches in width (top to bottom), thus if the part you are connecting it to is only 2 inches wide, not really an option because part of the bracket would be visible.