IKEA Detolf support for Billy shelf

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IKEA creates an excellent Detolf glass cabinet, but it's possible that you'll want to double the number of shelves to maximize available space. Happily, IKEA also produces a standalone Billy glass shelf that is specifically designed to fit within the Detolf cabinet. With these supports in place, you can easily attach them as accessory shelves above one of the existing shelves. The design includes a protruding lip that fits snugly between the lower glass shelf and the glass wall, providing additional stability. Note that this makes it incompatible with the lowest shelf of the Detolf (which is not glass), although the design could be easily modified to remove the lip for that application. Instructions: 1) Adjust the SCAD file as needed to suit your preferences. Most importantly, the h variable controls the height of the main support - in the supplied file, the support is 150mm tall from the base to the bottom of the Billy glass shelf. With 3.3mm feet and 4.8mm glass, that means the top surface of the upper shelf will be 158.1mm from the surface of the lower shelf. 2) Print the piece four times for a consistent look. Mirror it for two of the prints to have a consistent side facing forward on all four corners. Tested with PLA, but ABS should work as well. 3) Remove the rubber stopper from the plastic screw in the brackets that came with the Billy shelf. In this application, it doesn't help and only adds wobbliness and play to the finished shelf. As the screw itself is plastic, it won't damage the glass shelf. 4) For each support, attach a bracket using the supplied metal screw. The screw will self-tap into the plastic. Keep the bracket approximately level (wide side down) and tighten the screw firmly. It helps if you pre-tap the screw a few mm into the piece first without the bracket to ensure it goes in straight, then remove it and replace it with the bracket in place. 5) Insert an item into the bracket (e.g., the shelf itself or a screwdriver), tighten the plastic screw. Then, using the item as leverage, rotate the bracket until it is at 90° to the support. 6) To lock the bracket in place and prevent rotation, apply some superglue to the edge of the bracket. The superglue should wick in slightly, particularly at the top and bottom. The combination of the superglue to stop rotation and the pressure from the screw to stop separation will result in a very strong bond. 7) Apply rubber feet to the four supports. 8) Attach one support to one corner of the Billy shelf and tighten the screw. 9) With the remaining three supports handy, bring the shelf to the Detolf and carefully slide it in. Allow the support that is already attached to slip into place between the bottom shelf and the outer glass wall. You may need to re-center the bottom shelf. 10) One by one, slide in the remaining three supports while keeping the shelf balanced. You can leave the screws loose for now though having them pre-adjusted to the point where the shelf slides in snugly helps. 11) Ensure the alignment of all four supports matches and that they are perpendicular to the shelf then tighten the screws. A flathead screwdriver of the right size can work better than a Philips screwdriver on the easily damaged plastic screws. 12) All done! Put things on the shelves and enjoy.