thanks - I don;t think I'll need that as I'm keeping the span at 36 1/2",
and using 1" oak for the shelves.

From what I've gathered, for a 12" deep shelf, the general consensus seems
to be 3 pieces about 4" wide each..... This pretty much fits what I was
thinking about, so thats what I'll use for the first batch...

thanks
-J