Reference

Shelving hardware: screws, dowels, shelf pins and brackets (with a metric-imperial conversion table)

The short version: a shelving unit needs only a handful of parts: screws to join the frame, dowels to strengthen the joints, pins to support the shelves, brad nails for the back panel, and anti-tip brackets to fix it to the wall. Kamba lists the exact type and quantity for your design, in metric or imperial. Here is what each part does, plus a conversion table.

The hardware in a shelving unit

Part	What it does	Typical size
Frame screws	Join the sides, top, bottom, and dividers	4 x 40 mm (#8 x 1 5/8 in)
Dowels	Strengthen every joint, one per screw	Wooden dowels
Spur shelf pins	Support each shelf in drilled holes; a small spur on top stops it sliding	Ø5 mm (Ø13/64 in)
Brad nails	Fix the back panel	about 15 cm (5 7/8 in) apart
Anti-tip brackets	Stop the unit tipping forward	2 metal brackets, plus screws
Wall fixings	Fix the brackets to the wall	Choose in store to suit your wall (see the guide)

Metric to imperial: quick reference

Building in inches? Here are the common shelving sizes in both units.

Item	Metric	Imperial
Frame screw	4 x 40 mm	#8 x 1 5/8 in
Pilot hole (frame)	Ø2.5 mm	Ø3/32 in
Spur shelf pin	Ø5 mm	Ø13/64 in
Shelf pin hole depth	10 mm	3/8 in
Back-panel nail spacing	15 cm	5 7/8 in
Standard board thickness	18 mm	3/4 in
Heavy-duty board thickness	25 mm	1 in

Pilot holes: the step people skip

Drill a pilot hole (a small hole that guides the screw) before driving a screw into MDF or into a panel edge (its narrow side). For the frame screws, a 2.5 mm (3/32 in) pilot hole is enough. It stops the board splitting and keeps the screw straight. This one step avoids a lot of failed builds.

Choosing screws and wall fixings

Screws: match the length to the panel thickness. Too long and they punch through, too short and the joint is weak. For 18 mm (3/4 in) panels, 4 x 40 mm (#8 x 1 5/8 in) is a good default.
Wall fixings: this is the part that matters most. Choose it in store to suit your wall: see the guide “Fixing furniture to the wall”. How to fix furniture to the wall

How Kamba handles the hardware

Kamba lists every screw, dowel, shelf pin, nail and bracket for your exact project, with quantities, in your units, metric or imperial, plus the number of wall fixings to plan for, chosen to suit your wall. It also gives pilot hole sizes and the assembly order.