Rierdge 6 Pcs Heavy Duty Floating Shelf Bracket 10 Inch, Solid Steel Blind Shelf Supports, Hidden Brackets for Floating Wood Shelves with Screws and Wall Plugs (Black)

In retrospect, I probably should have spent more and bought floating shelf brackets designed with a back plate, rather than installing 5 individual 4" brackets. While the project seems simple, it's really tricky to get the holes in your shelf lined up EXACTLY with the prongs.I used a story stick to figure out where the holes needed to be (each in a stud). Then I drilled the holes with a drill press. Even then, there were slight variations in the angles of the holes, which meant that I had to ream the holes until all of the prongs would slide in. (Oh, and don't believe them when they say you need a 10mm drill bit. I used a 7/16ths bit, and still needed to ream out the holes from there.)Also, the holes in the brackets are too far apart, and in order to ensure that the screws went solidly into the studs, I had to screw them in at an angle. This left the screw heads jutting up a bit instead sitting down into the bracket. I ended up routering the shelf with a Dremel so the bracket would be countersunk and the shelf would sit flush against the wall.This project would be tricky with a perfectly square board, so it was even more complicated with mine--an 8' x 2" solid oak barnwood floor joist with a slight twist in one end.But on the positive side, the brackets didn't bend or break, and they are doing the job I needed them to do. Just be advised that it's not the easiest project for a beginner.

Use your own drywall anchors and screws!I intended to anchor my shelves into the studs but the dimensions didn't work out. I set the first board with the drywall anchors and screws that came included. It was terrible. The screws don't tighten into the anchors and the boards were incredibly loose, plus they create a gap between the shelves and the wall.I used my own basic drywall anchors and everything worked perfectly.

If you purchase this item, I highly recommend you use your own screws. Yes, I pre-drilled the holes.