DIY Fail: Kitchen Cupboard Shelf Won't Budge (What am I doing wrong?)

portach king

Hi lads,

So, I thought I was going to have a nice evening with a simple DIY task. I picked up a 64L pull-out bin from , thinking, "How hard can this be?" Famous last words...

I reached to pop out the middle shelf, but it seems stuck fast. It's like it's been superglued in place. My bare hands were no match, and
before I go back for round 2 with a rubber mallet, I figured I'd seek some advice from those who know more than me.

I've only dealt with shelves sitting on pegs before, but they always just lift off (some of the other shelves do just that, others are as stuck as this one), so this is new for me. Any tips on how to tackle this stubborn shelf?

Thanks in advance for any help, and here's hoping I can reclaim my evening!

RobertFoster

It could be screwed in from the sides (maybe the back too if it's solid) rather than glued.

If you've no access to remove the unit to unscrew it, and you don't mind sacrificing the shelf, you could cut out the centre of the shelf.

With the shelf cut in two a knock from a hammer should break the screws easily enough.

Perks

The rubber mallet from below and bang upwards is the way to go alright.

As suggested the shelf could be screwed from the inside wall of adjoining units. Open units either side and check for screws at shelf height prior to using mallet.

ps reason for banging upwards is if screws are holding the shelf in place you will only get blow out on the bottom side of the shelf keeping the top visually pleasing.

Calahonda52

Acrews unsightly to be visible.

The least amount of malletting the better as you may damage the inside of the press, especially if its pinned at the back

My approach is to use a jigsaw with a metal blade and cut as close as you can to each side.

You should locate the screws this way and u can cut around them

FrancieBrady

Those high units typically have one shelf screwed, Follow RobertFoster's advice above. I wouldn't be hammering anything. Try to repeatedly bend the cut shelf up and down so the screw eventually snaps, Less chance of blowing out a chunk of the melamine finish.

astrofool

Odd that the supports are there, maybe they were used as a guide if it was custom made.

Above recommendation of using a jigsaw seems the best option.

kirving

Can you see any screws from the left hand side?

You could use a strong magnet to try and locate screws, by running it around the edges on the top/bottom.

I wouldn't be at all surprise if the shelf was screwed in from the left/right (to prevent the sidewall from bowing outward, and also left to sit on the plastic pegs to help bear any load.

portach king

Thanks for all the advice guys. No signs of of any screws or nails, and I've searched thoroughly.

I tried tapping it upwards with a rubber mallet, but stopped when cracks began appearing on the base of the shelf around the support pegs. I still have no idea how it is attached so firmly (I'm assuming glue at this stage), but it seems it has been done very deliberately.

portach king

For now, I've left the shelf in place and decided to install the bin in another, less hassley, cupboard. My wife would have preferred it in location one, but we'll live!