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Josh White
Machined aluminium bracket mounted on an oak post
Tekton |
A Modular Wall Mounted
Bracket System
In this project, I was tasked with machining a 3+ part functional assembly. I expanded the project by designing a wall-mounting system.
Josh White | 4 Week Project
[Photo, Uma Freitag]

Inspiration

Collage of wall-mounted shelving references, including Jean Prouvé's wall mount and Dieter Rams' 606 Universal Shelving System
Jean Prouvé|
Wall Mount
Dieter Rams|
606 Universal
Shelving
System
After discovering the 20th-century craze for wall-mounted furnishing, a pivotal point in design that pushed flexibility, utility and customisation, I was inspired to design a novel system in my metals manufacturing class.

Form Sketches

Pen sketches of bracket ideas, the final bracket, and the rail, cam pin and bracket assembly
Bracket Ideation
Final Bracket
Rail
CAMing Pin
Bracket

CAD Iterations

3D printed bracket, rail and pin iterations
I went through several iterations of CAD modelling, using quick mockups to inform design direction based on my sketches.
Several models were 3D printed to pinpoint scale, proportion and function. A full working model was also printed, including the bracket, rail and pins.

CAM Lock System

Line drawings of the bracket unlocked and locked on the rail, and the CAM locking pin, with leader lines to each part
Unlocked Position |
With the CAMing pin unlocked
bracket is loose and not
flush against the rail
Locked Position |
After the CAM pin is rotated
the bracket is fastened
tightly to the rail.
CAM Locking Pin |
Knurling for additional grip
and 0.125” offset for CAMing
*90 Degrees
Bracket |
Rail |

Engineering Drawings

Bracket Pocket Drawings
Bracket Dimension Drawings
Pin Drawings
Rail Machine Drawings

In order to hand machine my bracket system on a Bridgeport mill and lathe, I created engineering drawings for each part, extracted from my Fusion CAD file.

Machining Process

Machining stills: rail, shelf bracket operations, and the finished pins and bracket
Rail
Shelf Bracket
Pins & Final
Stock was squared and fly cut, then through holes, horizontal slots, plunge cuts and pockets finalised the form.
Notable processes: triangular pockets on a rotary table, 2° tapers with angle blocks, and angled face surfacing using a cutoff to create a square compound angle.
Pins were made using a 1/8" parting tool.
The finished rail, pins and bracket, laid out and assembled
[Photos, Josh White]
Close-up of the bracket on its rail
[Photo, Uma Freitag]

In Context

Rendered room with the bracket system holding shelves, a cabinet and a desk
In reality, the bracket system would mount to a wall and allow for the attachment of furnishings like cabinets and desks.

This allows the user to cater to THEIR needs.
[Render, Josh White]

Outcome A fully hand-machined, working bracket, rail and cam-pin assembly, extended into a wall-mounted furnishing concept.