no such thing as a stupid question, just stupid people.

random orbit sander

yeah you may want some sort of “leg” running back to the wall, like a right triangle. that way the weight is not ONLY pulling straight outward, it has a a leg that presses back against the wall for support.

i wouldnt put too much weight or leverage on that shelf. the sheet rock is basically doing nothing and plywood, depending on the quality and with that thickness is not much to grab on to. are there no studs you can hit? depending on how many screws you are able use, i would potentially use GRK brand cabinet screws, if you can find them. theyre some of the best in the business as far as bite and sheer strength. if you can do a longer horizontal run like a ledger you can distribute alot of the load across the wall, instead of on a few points only…my tv mount is designed to hit studs with like 2 1/2" lags…way burlier…but i would consider grk cabinet screws. what is keeping the whole wall from flexing under weight though?

jokes on you, i was lookin for a job when i found this one.