ᐅ Who uses their KALLAX for model railways – is the load capacity sufficient?
Created on: 13 Aug 2024 19:17
C
chenmeo
Hello everyone,
I have a question for the community involved with model railways and the IKEA KALLAX shelving unit as a storage and layout surface: Who uses their KALLAX shelves specifically for setting up a model railway or at least for storing tracks and trains? I am particularly interested in whether the load capacity of the KALLAX units—especially when placing tracks, trains, and possibly landscape elements or electronic components on multiple levels—is sufficient.
How do you handle this in practice? Are there any experiences regarding the load-bearing capacity, for example due to the weight of the materials? Do you need to reinforce or modify the shelving unit in any way?
So far, I have only found rough specifications from IKEA, which provide the load capacity per shelf panel, but I wonder how this works in practice for larger, integrated model railway setups.
Looking forward to your answers and experiences! Thanks in advance.
I have a question for the community involved with model railways and the IKEA KALLAX shelving unit as a storage and layout surface: Who uses their KALLAX shelves specifically for setting up a model railway or at least for storing tracks and trains? I am particularly interested in whether the load capacity of the KALLAX units—especially when placing tracks, trains, and possibly landscape elements or electronic components on multiple levels—is sufficient.
How do you handle this in practice? Are there any experiences regarding the load-bearing capacity, for example due to the weight of the materials? Do you need to reinforce or modify the shelving unit in any way?
So far, I have only found rough specifications from IKEA, which provide the load capacity per shelf panel, but I wonder how this works in practice for larger, integrated model railway setups.
Looking forward to your answers and experiences! Thanks in advance.
Hello chenmeo,
I have been using my KALLAX for several years for a somewhat larger H0 layout, similar to your dimensions.
The 13 kg (29 lbs) per shelf is a good guideline. I reinforced the shelves with wooden slats on the underside – this was invisible and easy to attach. This allowed me to increase the load to around 20 kg (44 lbs) per shelf without any risk.
When arranging the tracks, I make sure there are no strong point loads, meaning no heavy landscape elements or electronics concentrated in one spot. Proper load distribution is crucial.
My tips:
- Support the shelves additionally with small brackets
- Build tracks using lightweight materials where possible
- Monitor the load (avoid heavy weights focused on one area)
For your setup, it sounds like a solid and manageable layout. The KALLAX should handle it easily, especially with reinforcement.
Good luck!
I have been using my KALLAX for several years for a somewhat larger H0 layout, similar to your dimensions.
The 13 kg (29 lbs) per shelf is a good guideline. I reinforced the shelves with wooden slats on the underside – this was invisible and easy to attach. This allowed me to increase the load to around 20 kg (44 lbs) per shelf without any risk.
When arranging the tracks, I make sure there are no strong point loads, meaning no heavy landscape elements or electronics concentrated in one spot. Proper load distribution is crucial.
My tips:
- Support the shelves additionally with small brackets
- Build tracks using lightweight materials where possible
- Monitor the load (avoid heavy weights focused on one area)
For your setup, it sounds like a solid and manageable layout. The KALLAX should handle it easily, especially with reinforcement.
Good luck!
Ramon4 schrieb:
The 13 kg (29 lbs) per shelf is a good guideline. I reinforced the shelf boards with wooden slats attached to the underside.That sounds like a good idea. How exactly did you fix the wooden slats? Are screws going into the chipboard okay without issues?
Did you also apply any kind of moisture protection, since you mentioned that chipboard is quite sensitive? I want to avoid any damage caused by increased humidity or water vapor from electronic components over time.
Wood strips can be easily fixed to the floor with screws, which provides strong support and significantly increases load capacity. Make sure to use countersunk screws so nothing sticks out.
For moisture protection: a clear varnish or sealing lacquer for wood works well. This creates a protective layer that prevents water vapor.
I have been using my KALLAX shelves like this for years, and it works great.
For moisture protection: a clear varnish or sealing lacquer for wood works well. This creates a protective layer that prevents water vapor.
I have been using my KALLAX shelves like this for years, and it works great.
Domau0 schrieb:
It would be interesting to know the exact size of your project – that would help better assess where potential risks are.Thanks again to everyone, especially for the detailed advice!
My project is this HO scale layout on two KALLAX compartments, each about 60 cm (24 inches) wide and 1.2 m (4 feet) deep. Looking back, I realize that the distribution and reinforcement with wooden slats are definitely essential.
I will also seal the shelving unit to prevent damage to the particleboard. Once it is assembled, I will gladly provide feedback on how the load-bearing capacity performs in everyday use.
Your opinions are very helpful for my planning.
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