How to Build a Bracket
- 1). Place the hardwood board with one 8-by-12-inch side flat on the work surface. Form a flexible curve ruler from the corner of one 8-inch long side at a diagonal down to the opposite corner in a pleasing curved shape.
- 2). Trace along the flexible curve with a pencil to transfer the curve onto the board. This is the curve from the top of the bracket down to the bottom of the bracket. It is in a triangular shape with the base of the triangle being the top and the tip being the bottom.
- 3). Place the board with the marked curve side down so that the opposite 3-by-12-inch side is facing up. Insert a keyhole slot bit into a router and lock it into place. Center the router on the board approximately 3 inches down from the top. Turn the router on and plunge it into the wood to cut a keyhole slot. Cut a second keyhole slot up 3 inches from the bottom of the board on the same side. The keyhole slots will enable you to mount the bracket to the wall.
- 4). Cut the curve out using a band saw. Guide the board through the saw in a steady motion that is just fast enough to allow the saw blade to cut the wood.
- 5). Insert a roundover bit into the router. Rout along both of the curved edges of the bracket with the router. Guide the router along the curve on each edge in a steady motion. Always rout edges in a counter-clockwise direction.
- 6). Sand the entire surface of the bracket with a fine-grit sanding pad until it is completely smooth. You can now use it in any shelf project.
Source...