Our father was a talented wood worker. His shop, with tools of every size, shape and form, was a sight to behold. We once watched him convert a gorgeous old inlaid-wood, console television into a portable, glass-shelved bar cabinet. The conversion was ingenious, the workmanship magnificent. Our father is gone but the cabinet remains in our family.

To begin the conversion he removed the top of the cabinet and gutted the insides. Then he refinished the top - including the underside - and reconnected it to the cabinet, using hinges. He used special hardware that was capable of holding the heavy cover in the open position to provide easy access from above. The television face panel that had been immediately behind the front doors was removed with the entrails. The cabinet ended up with a hinged top and a pair of doors in the front. They opened to a large open area that soon would be filled with several glass shelves.

We can remember watching him install two slotted metal channels on the inside of each side panel. He said they were called shelf standards, and that they were ideal for creating an adjustable shelf system. He told us that small shelf-support brackets could be inserted into the slots and that they would provide support at either end, creating sturdy adjustable shelves. The glass shelving consisted of hefty quarter-inch safety-plate. When the top and front doors were open the shelves glistened as light traveled from one opening to the other.

Though many years have passed we have remembered his creation, and when we need shelving we almost always turn to metal uprights.

Dad loved intricate projects that required patience, attention to detail and the hand of a master craftsman. But, the metal shelf bracket system that he used on the inside of his glass cabinet proved to be one of the easiest and most efficient ones that we had seen at the time, or have witnessed in 40 years since. You can't find a shelf system that is easier or less expensive to build.

Most of us would relish extra shelving in our homes. How about an extra shelf or two over the washer and dryer to hold laundry products? Or, over the wet bar in the family room to hold glasses? In the home office to hold books or equipment? Inside closets, in the garage or on a bedroom wall, shelving cuts back on floor clutter while making things easier to find.

Installing the uprights onto the wall with molly screws or toggle bolts provides sufficient sturdiness for most loads. However, we think that the best installation occurs when the standards are screw-mounted directly into wall studs. Nothing is stronger. With that installation, the shelf brackets likely would break before the uprights would pull away from the wall. Normal stud spacing for exterior walls is 16 inches. And although there might be the same spacing on your interior walls, don't be surprised if the interior studs in your home are two feet apart. To prevent shelf sagging and to distribute the load evenly, you should ensure that the uprights are not more than two feet apart. Check your wall stud layout carefully with a stud sensor before beginning installation. Many walls contain randomly placed studs that can ruin your chance for a uniform layout.

An important thing to remember when using metal uprights is that a pattern to the notch layout should exist. If you intend to cut shorter pieces from longer lengths, be sure that the notches are all the same distance from the cut. And, be certain the notch patterns all run in the same direction.

Install a screw at the top of the first upright. Leave the screw loose so that you can use the upright as its own plumb bob. This make vertical installation easy. To find the plumb point, swing the upright from side to side. Once it comes to rest, make a mark and swing it again. When you are fairly certain you've found the right point, install the rest of the screws. You can then horizontally align each of the following standards with a level.

Standard 90-degree shelf brackets range in depth from six inches to 18 inches. Angled brackets also are available that can be used for shoe racks or to hold magazines. Shelving can be stone, wood, glass, plastic, metal _ you name it.

Imagine this: two or three polished brass uprights mounted on a wall. Next, mirrors are placed on either side of the uprights and between them as well. The mirrors bring the finished wall surface almost flush with the face of the uprights, giving them a recessed appearance. To complete the project, half-inch-thick glass shelves are laid in place.