# Bridge made from metal adjustable wall brackets



## Festus (Jun 28, 2010)

Steve Jensen wrote an article on making a bridge from metal adjustable wall shelf brackets. I can't find the article or the man. I need to know what materials he used for the base. I recall it appeared to be about 1/2" or 3/4" square metal rods, but I'm not certain if they are also from shelving units or not. The vertical supports are just coat hanger size wires cut to length, then screwed in place. If anyone knows about the article I am referring to, please send the location. I wanna put one on the MIRR. THANKS, FESTUS


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

I don't know about any article about such a bridge, but I made one from two types of shelf support materials many years ago (2002?).

The "girders" across the bottom are the square type shelf standards that are designed to fit against a wall so that arms are slipped into vertical slots to stick out perpendicular from the wall to cradle a board to make a shelf.

The arches and cross bracing of the bridge are shelf supports that are supposed to fit against the inner sides of a cabinet with small clips inserted into horizontal slots to support boards from the ends.

The "deck" is composed of 2 of the square types for the outer girders and 2 of the flat type through the center for track support. There are short sections of the flat type bolted crossways every 6-inches to hold the deck together.

Originally I figured the "suspension cables" would just be for decoration, but I found that the square type birders were not strong enough to keep from sagging and with an engine in the middle, it was a steep up-grade both ways to get off the bridge. So the cables are in integral item in the structural integrity. They are copper coated welding rod (I thought the copper would help keep them from rusting, but within days the rods were coated with rust).

I "belly bent" the arches VERY CAREFULLY as the metal is very weak at the slots and will easily kink, if not break, without extreme care. I assembled all the shelf standards with bolts and nuts (and small angle brackets to attach the arches to the deck, bent to a slightly more acute angle than 90°).

Then I turned the bridge upside-down to provide a small amount of pressure that sort of flattened the arches (pre-stressed them). I cut the "cables" to length for each location, plus 3/4-inch for a 1/2-inch bend at the bottom and a 1/4-inch bend at the top. I bent the 1/4-inch bend at what would be the top (when completed) and inserted the "cable" into a hole or slot in the arch and ran it into one of the slots in the square girder and then bent the 1/2-inch right angle to hold it between the two shelf standards and hold the arch and deck in a fixed relation to each other.

The arches and the "girders" all have uniform spacing of the slots, but the arch shape means they will no longer align. So the "cables" don't all fit at the same number of slots apart in the arches, a couple of them have to hang at a slight angle and the spacing between the "cables" is not entirely uniform, but it is not really noticeable.

Once all the "cables" were in place, I put tape over the slots and mixed up a LOT of epoxy and poured it into the square channel to hold the "cables" in place. I removed the tape after the epoxy had hardened (without the tape the epoxy was too thin and would leak through the slots). I then turned the bridge upright and dabbed a small amount of epoxy on each of the "cables" where they came through the arches.

I also used some of the rod for "X"-bracing between the arches (just for looks).

The bridge has lasted outdoors in all kinds of Iowa weather and the only problems I have had are that I put the cross bracing on the ends of the arches too low for a friend's 3-cylinder Shay to fit without removing the ash screen from the smoke stack, and the bridge is just BARELY wide enough for that engine to fit (the window shade/awnings will catch on the arches if the track is not PERFECTLY centered).

The other minor problem is that I thought the shelf standards were aliminium (didn't test them with a magnet) but they are a form of iron and have rusted where the anodizing has been scratched. The whole thing needs a good coat of paint now.

I have since found some aluminium shelf standards (the flat type) and some brass rods and may try to make another bridge if I can find some of the square wall-mount shelf standards made of aluminium .

Here is a photo of "Gina Bridge" when it was new. Because I was impressed with the structure, I was going to make an identical 2nd bridge and name it "Lola"... then I could have the "Gina - Lola Bridges...Ta Da!" as that famous actress also had a couple of impressive structures.


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## Festus (Jun 28, 2010)

That's it. WHAT A TEAM!!! I'm glad I brung you along. Thanks. My friend, a welder and maker of trailers pulled behind cars, trucks and anything else, has already suggested several upgrades that ought to make my bridge a bit more rigid, but I don;t believe it is important as the track it will go on is already well supported by either a 2x4, 3/4" plywood, 1"x4" and supported by 2"x2" trestles/supports with a piece of 2"x4" on top. When I insert this bridge, that section of track must be modified so it will appear to be part of the bridge, not part of the wooden 4 leaf clover trestle I originally built that is about 15" above the ground. Thanks for your help. Anyone else with any input is also welcome. FESTUS


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