I thought it was a pretty catchy phrase for what I'm about to discribe. I know everybody out there that has a curio cabinet(overstocked with Harbour Lights of course) has at one time or another looked at those glass shelves and wondered just how much they will say or bend before "pooff" they break. I even imagined that I could see the sag in the miffle where there was no support. One time I even got my 3 foot level out and layed it on the glass shelf to see if I could see more light underneath it in the middle of the shelf then at the ends. C'mon fess up, hasen't this entered your minds?

Ok, here's the solution to your worries and it does'nt cost an arm and a leg. The only tools you'll need is a saw and ruler. Starting with the bottom shelf just above the base, take all your lighthouses off this shelf and accurately measure the distance from the underside of the bottom shelf to the "base bottom". Cut two pieces of materials(1/4" square wooden dowels or clear plexiglass dowels) to the length measured. Place a stickey felt end on the top and bottom of each dowel. Place one dowel in the center of the shelf at the back and the other dowel in the center of the shelf at the front. Replace your lighthouse on the "base bottom". The "base bottom" does not usually need this support because it is usually a wooden shelf.

Next, proceed to remove the lighthouses on the next shelf up from the bottom and take your length measurement between this glass shelf and the glass shelf underneath this one. Again, cut two 1/4" rods to this length and place a stickey felt tip on each end. Put your lighthouses from this shelf back on and the weigth of the lighthouses themselves will not endanger the shelves because they now have supports between the shelves pushing down on the "base bottom". It's simple and foolproof(my wife told me that because I was the fool who came up with this idea and it's relatively inexpensive. The cost of a plexiglass dowel usually runs $1.00 a foot and a wooden dowell usually runs about $1.00 for three feet. You can paint or stain the wooden dowels and if you have a clear curio front and you want it to be near invisable, use the plexiglass dowell. A 1/4" square dowell(or round dowell) is the sturdiest to use and still remain almost invisible. If you have any questions please contact me and I'll try to explain a little bit better.

Rich

Rich, to make a long story short is what your talking about is creating a center pillar inbetween shelf supports, stacked on top of each other directly over the one under the shelf below?

That's exactly right but you know an old man has to ramble on and on and on- - - -

Rich

Seems like a good idea.

My curios have 4 metal brackets that support each glass shelf. The two back ones are at the extreme ends of the shelves.

The two front ones are towards the center of the shelves.

My cabinet only has the four metal clips on each corner so some center support certainly seems like a good idea. Will have to play around with it. Thanks for the idea Rich.

OK, whats a curio?lol How about a single in the center of the shelf, center left/right and center front/back?

Chuck:D

Rich, that is an excellent idea. I'm going to the hardware store tonight and try this on my older homemade display case. This particular case has supports only on the sides and I often wonder how much weight that glass can hold! My most recent case is fastened to the wall with the supports actually bolted into the wall studs. I don't have to worry about the weight pulling them out!

Hey Rich... that's a good idea. We have two cabinets that we purchased and opted with 3/8" plate glass. No chance of those breaking, unless of course we manage to win several golds. But then, I'll hit the lotto and the market will soar to all time highs.

Tim - Keeping the flame lit...

Tim,

I have 2 of my curios also with 3/8" glass shelves. They are 54" wide and 18" deep. These are the first curios I did this to because those would, and are, the ones that collect the bulk of my collection. I also added two additional shelves to each one of these cabinets. The glass shelves alone weighed in at 40 lbs apiece. The supporting rods really work and have taken a load off my mindeven though I have collectible insurance coverage that would pay if they broke. I just don't want the hassel of looking for replacement pieces.

Rich