# Should I Use Shelf Pin Sleeves?



## JIMMIEM (Feb 5, 2016)

I'm building a face frame wall cabinet that will have adjustable shelves supported on their ends with shelf pins. The cabinet will be made from 3/4" cabinet grade plywood. The shelves will also be made from 3/4" plywood with a hardwood edge sized per The Sagulator. Is there much, if any, benefit to using shelf pin sleeves?


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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

Do you have a jig which will permit drilling for them?


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## pottz (Sep 15, 2015)

id say it's a matter of personal preference,ive never used them and never had any issues.i think it's a matter if you want that finished look.id invest in a good quality jig if you dont have one.


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## JIMMIEM (Feb 5, 2016)

> Do you have a jig which will permit drilling for them?
> 
> - Loren


I made a guide out of 1/4" tempered hardboard. It works with a plunge router, guide bushing, and bit.


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## pottz (Sep 15, 2015)

> Do you have a jig which will permit drilling for them?
> 
> - Loren
> 
> ...


yeah that will work fine.


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## JIMMIEM (Feb 5, 2016)

> id say it s a matter of personal preference,ive never used them and never had any issues.i think it s a matter if you want that finished look.id invest in a good quality jig if you dont have one.
> 
> - pottz


Most of the stuff I do is Mission/Arts and Crafts…..more functional than fine finished. I made my own guide out of tempered hardboard to be used with a plunge router with a guide bushing.


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## Kudzupatch (Feb 3, 2015)

We have pins in our kitchen cabinets AND HATE THEM! I am sure they are cheap and easy and that is why they are widely used. But the holes open up over the years, pins come out and you stuck standing there trying to balance a shelf while finding and installing the pin.

Next house we are going to make sure that our cabinet maker uses something else.


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## Mike_D_S (May 3, 2012)

For kitchen cabinets, bookshelves, etc with adjustable shelves I think shelf peg style pins are the only thing that should be used. Positive retention of the pin with a properly sized shelf and the come with (or without) a hole for a screw to attach the shelf to the peg.

They'll be less likely to tilt and sag over time as well, though properly sized holes and use of a good ply for the cabinet case will drastically cut back on that problem.


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## wapakfred (Jul 29, 2011)

I don't believe there's a functional benefit to the sleeves, it's mostly an appearance thing (IMHO).


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## bondogaposis (Dec 18, 2011)

I use them some times, especially when making shelves in pine. You have to drill out a slightly larger hole than the pin size. I like them on book shelves where the shelves are open, it gives a nice finished look. I don't bother with them on cabinets that have doors as the shelf pin holes are largely unseen.


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## splintergroup (Jan 20, 2015)

Personally I wouldn't bother unless the shelves were extra heavily loaded or changed position a lot. Most of my shelves are still in their original positions 8^)


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## SMP (Aug 29, 2018)

> For kitchen cabinets, bookshelves, etc with adjustable shelves I think shelf peg style pins are the only thing that should be used. Positive retention of the pin with a properly sized shelf and the come with (or without) a hole for a screw to attach the shelf to the peg.
> 
> They ll be less likely to tilt and sag over time as well, though properly sized holes and use of a good ply for the cabinet case will drastically cut back on that problem.
> 
> ...


I second this. Using the straight type in soft wood like pine or mdf is asking for trouble.


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## Mike_D_S (May 3, 2012)

Also, there is a technique for cutting a recessed profile into a shelf front which makes it look thinner from the front, but keeps more beef in the back 3/4 to help prevent sagging.

Basically you start with say a 1" or 3/4" shelf and make a cut from the front edge and then trim that piece off from the bottom and form the transition a bit. Done carefully it won't catch the eye and an increase shelf capacity a lot without making the shelf look out of scale with the case.

Something like:


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