[1.8] How to render chest-like block?

I'm editing code from my custom block mod for a new mod and having a hard time registering a new type of block.

I'm trying to make shelves, so the block is more like a chest.  I'm taking this in baby steps and I've borrowed many of the methods from the BlockChest class, but it extends BlockContainer, which I can't seem to find anywhere, instead of Block.

So when I try the code to render the item in my main mod class (ShelvesMod.java), it chokes on my attempts to use methods like "getName" and "renderItem.getItemModelMesher":

  @EventHandler

  public void init(FMLInitializationEvent event)

  {

  if(event.getSide() == Side.CLIENT)

  {

  renderItem.getItemModelMesher().register(Item.getItemFromBlock(shelfBlock), 0, new ModelResourceLocation(ShelvesMod.MODID + ":" + ((BlockShelf)shelfBlock).getName(), "shelfBlock"));

  Minecraft.getMinecraft().getRenderItem().getItemModelMesher().register(Item.getItemFromBlock(shelfBlock),0, new ModelResourceLocation(ShelvesMod.MODID+":"+ ((BlockShelf)shelfBlock).getName(), "inventory"));

  }

  }

Sorry I can't figure out how to "insert code"; the button above doesn't seem to do anything.

I plan to figure out how to actually render the texture of the shelves plus icons of the items on the shelves next, but for now I just want to know how I should be handling this item. 

Any suggestions on how to render a chest-like item?

UPDATE:  Ok nevermind.... I'd forgotten to un-comment my declaration of renderItem

  RenderItem renderItem = Minecraft.getMinecraft().getRenderItem();

  renderItem.getItemModelMesher().register(Item.getItemFromBlock(shelfBlock), 0, new ModelResourceLocation(ShelvesMod.MODID + ":" + "shelfBlock", "shelfBlock"));

  Minecraft.getMinecraft().getRenderItem().getItemModelMesher().register(Item.getItemFromBlock(shelfBlock),0, new ModelResourceLocation(ShelvesMod.MODID+":"+ "shelfBlock", "inventory"));

UPDATE2: code runs, but the placeholder model doesn't show up, even though in the BlockShelf class I'm specifying a tab in which it should appear. 

        this.setCreativeTab(CreativeTabs.tabMisc);