Shelf Rails

Shelf Guards for lack of the correct name. basically a retaining rail so stuff don't fall off the shelf.
Not much of a project but definitely necessary.
Sometimes I think Mainships were built with absolutely no thought given that they might actually be used on the water.
Most shelves and ledges have a 1" high lip. Now anything on your shelf over 1" high will take a nose dive with the
slightest bit of rocking, whether from a waves or wakes.
I just cut some strips of red oak 1/2" thick X 1 1/2" tall X whatever length I needed for the V-Berth and did the same with Teak in the forward head.
I try to keep the wood the same as what is already there. I went to Home depot and bought some strips of 1" wide X 1/8" thick aluminum strips.
I bent them into an "L" shaped bracket and cut to desired height (height). Then drilled the mounting holes - 2 into the shelf and 1 into the retaining strip or shelf guard. I used cap nuts on the screws coming through the wood strip so that no one will cut their fingers on a sharp edge. These are not the sturdiest retaining guards known to mankind but more than sufficient to do the intended job of preventing things from falling off the shelf.
I made my own "L" Brackets because the 'store bought' ones had the holes in the wrong places and didn't look as good either - at least , to me.

Thanks Tony. Great idea and will solve my little problem quite handily.

The aluminum L bracket idea was the element of the project my pea brain couldn't figure out until seeing your post. I love simple solutions.

The Al can be hidden by laminating a very thin strip of matching wood to the visable edge.

Nice idea and look

That reminds me, we are using a plastic ruler for a fiddle in the bathroom med. cabinet!! And me with a shopfull of woodworking tools. I need to take care of that pronto.

Steve said:

That reminds me, we are using a plastic ruler for a fiddle in the bathroom med. cabinet!! And me with a shopfull of woodworking tools. I need to take care of that pronto.

Click to expand...

Now that is a great word for those rails. Another salty term to add to my collection. thanks

SD

Steve said:

That reminds me, we are using a plastic ruler for a fiddle in the bathroom med. cabinet!!....

Click to expand...

Steve

Thanks for filling in the word "Fiddle" for me.
For the life of me, I just could not remember the name "fiddle rails".
It is a very common word for me and when I wrote this post and looked at it over and over again, I just kept drawing a blank.
Lately I have been suffering from word recall problems and it is starting to concern me. I will have to check it out.
BTW, I still have not started my trip from TX. to Ky. Lake. Wife has been going through one medical disaster after another. Last week was her thyroid removal. We originally planned to leave in mid-Feb and that was a while ago. Our last phase is getting boat to a yard which might actually happen by end of June. Hate to make the trip in really hot weather and hurricane season. But it is what it is.
I will holler at you well before we get to Houma.

Regards

Looking forward to seeing you there.

Steve

Last Sept. I decided that if I wait till I was able to afford to retire I never will, so I did it anyway. I turned 66 in Jan. and now I am one of the 47%.
It's a great feeling. I can't remember ever NOT working.

"Sometimes I think Mainships were built with absolutely no thought given that they might actually be used on the water."

Many folks consider this correct for both the interior and exterior fittings , or lack of fittings.

FF said:

"Sometimes I think Mainships were built with absolutely no thought given that they might actually be used on the water."

Many folks consider this correct for both the interior and exterior fittings , or lack of fittings.

Click to expand...

We looked at a couple and the rails & cleats made from aluminum.

Biggest problem for Loopers was the lack of a midships cleat.

Watching two 75 year olds hang on lines in locks , instead of simply riding the wall was disgusting.

Sadly the factory refused to instal a set on their newbuild.

They sold the boat as soon as they could.