Train Shelf Mounting

You can glue them if you want but I would not put any trains of value on the shelf.  Over time the glue will come loose and the board will fall to the floor.  Since I am pretty sure you are not going to drill through the steel and bolt the wood, I would use a 'C' clamp on either end.

I pretty much agree with the above post. But if you want to do it. They make some really strong magnets that are drilled for a countersunk bolt that could attach to your shelving. This would eliminate any drilling to your steel beam. It would probably require a good pull to remove it. But the shelf you describe seems to be built solid.

Check out K&J Magnetics.

Only thing I would add is maybe liquid nail? That is a solid adhesive but you might not be able to get it off in the future.

Mmm, well, I suspect you'd do fine with a heavy-duty adhesive bond, especially since the shelf will be directly supported underneath by the beam for a good part of its width, but I suspect some sort of a backup clamp at each end would be prudent. It should be possible to drill through the flange, though, since I suspect it's just mild (relatively soft) steel, using a hardened bit and cutting oil, and a bit of patience!

you could get away with drilling a few 5/32 inch holes in each section through the steel and use #6 nuts & bolts to prevent shelves falling -

OR you could fashion a shelf on both sides and connect an under-slung bit of wood under the steel to hold/connect both shelves and prevent them from falling

Any Sugestions on what is the Best Adhesive to use to bond wood to metal ?

Regards

Prentice

Loctite PL is a good adhesive.  Those beams are primed so you'd really only be gluing to the paint. Clamp in place or wedge while adhesive sets up.  As said above the magnets or drilling would be good choices as well

I would Ramset some angles to the steel beams.

How about suspending them from the the first floor joists?  You can have more than one shelf in each group.

Jan

Metal and wood expand and contract at different rates. You can expect buckling to occur unless you attach it in such a way as to allow the wood to "float" on the I beam.

Here is one idea:

I like the magnet idea. I'd personally shy away from drilling the bottom flanges in high moment regions. It's extremely likely it would be just fine, but I'd use a different method. Someone also made a good point about the beams being primed or painted, with adhesive you're really just gluing to the primer.

Something like this may not look bad and would be extremely secure:

Kyien 4Pieces 304 Stainless Steel C-Clamp Heavy Duty C-clamp Woodworking Welding Building Household Tiger Clamp G-Clamp https://a.co/d/eXaBfjV

@John in California posted:

Metal and wood expand and contract at different rates. You can expect buckling to occur unless you attach it in such a way as to allow the wood to "float" on the I beam.

Here is one idea:

Fair point on the expansion, though I doubt in a climate-controlled environment, the cycles would be severe enough to warp the wood - more likely the glue joint would just start to separate. A few dabs in only the middle of the board (and none at the ends) would counteract that effect, but at the cost of weakening the total strength of the bond somewhat.

All in all, short of drilling through the flange to screw or bolt on the shelf, your sleeve idea is IMHO probably the most secure, though I'd be inclined to use a fairly thin piece of plywood or hardboard on the bottom, since all it really needs to do is hold the rest in place.

If there was ever a post that aped the saying on how many (choose the group you would like to insult) does it take to screw in a light bulb, this is it.

@John in California posted:

Metal and wood expand and contract at different rates. You can expect buckling to occur unless you attach it in such a way as to allow the wood to "float" on the I beam.

Here is one idea:

Unfortunately, the end view of the I Beam does not look like that.  The flanges are thinner on the edge than at the vertical.

@Bill DeBrooke posted:

If there was ever a post that aped the saying on how many (choose the group you would like to insult) does it take to screw in a light bulb, this is it.

A quote from a cranky uncle of mine - "ask two plumbers and you'll get three opinions" 🤣

Simple:  Use these, hammer on flange clips.  Caddy M24 for 1/8 to 1/4 inch flange thickness and M58 for 5/16 to 1/2 inch thickness.Turn caddy over and drive on drill 1/4 hole thru wood shelves and use 1/4-20 machine screw screw to back threaded hole. You can pre-fab this and install. Use 1 inch or 1-1/4 length screw with flat washer on top. Put 2 or 3 per shelf length. Measure flange to get correct thickness Caddy. Can remove these fasteners anytime you want. Can find at Lowes Or Home Depot or electrical supply house. Use these all the time at work. Good Luck.

I didn't bother with wood. I just have cars sitting on the metal flange.