Shop Shelves

[Ken Higginbotham]

I am going to build some shelves for the shop and was wondering if anyone has pictures of what they have that works well (and not so well :p) Here's what I am leaning towards a the moment:

[Dewey Torres]

Ken,
I try to opt to keep things off of the floor which makes sweeping up the shop easier. Just something to keep in mind if it matters to you.

[Jamie Buxton]

SMC's Search function will bring you many threads about shop shelves. Here's one: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=102554&highlight=shelving

[Ed Hazel]

What do you want to put on the shelves?
I do not like shelves that go all the way to the floor.
I have been slowly replacing my shelves with upper cabinets I make them 12 14 and 16 deep I find that I can fit must everything in them It keeps the contens clean and it looks nice and clutter free the downside is it is more expensive and time consuming to build them and it is harder to find things as they are hidden.

[Ken Higginbotham]

Ken,
I try to opt to keep things off of the floor which makes sweeping up the shop easier. Just something to keep in mind if it matters to you.

Hum good point. I have a couple things I could put on the floor like a roll around tool box and a shop vac. Maybe those would be ok to have on the floor...

[Ken Higginbotham]

What do you want to put on the shelves?
I do not like shelves that go all the way to the floor.
I have been slowly replacing my shelves with upper cabinets I make them 12 14 and 16 deep I find that I can fit must everything in them It keeps the contens clean and it looks nice and clutter free the downside is it is more expensive and time consuming to build them and it is harder to find things as they are hidden.

I have several tools like a sanding station that would be nice to be able to store at a lower level. That's the reason I like the shelves in the picture. I do plan on some over head cabinets over a work bench area later on...

[Ken Higginbotham]

SMC's Search function will bring you many threads about shop shelves. Here's one: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=102554&highlight=shelving

Thanks Jamie, I did a search but maybe not good enough - :)

[Paul Johnstone]

Another thing to consider.

I really am time limited, so I just bought some of those shelves at home depot which are basically angle iron and particle board. They are ugly, and the particle board should've been thicker, but it holds a lot of stuff and frees up time for me to do other stuff. It's also pretty cost efficent.

Another option, at the home improvement stores.. they have rails that you can bolt to the walls, and shelf supports that snap in. These are great for storing lumber on and are pretty inexpensive.. it cost me about $100 for 4 rails and I think 16 shelf supports (twelve were 16" deep, four were 24" deep). It took maybe an hour to install these, and then the task was done...You could cut plywood shelves for these.

It all depends on what you are after. Some people like to make very nice things for their shops (which is better than some furniture I make). Other people like me will settle for very utilitarian things in their shop. But if you think this is going to be a fun project, by all means do it. I'm not being condescending, please don't take it that way. Everyone has different projects that they prefer to do.

[Ken Higginbotham]

Another thing to consider.

I really am time limited, so I just bought some of those shelves at home depot which are basically angle iron and particle board. They are ugly, and the particle board should've been thicker, but it holds a lot of stuff and frees up time for me to do other stuff. It's also pretty cost efficent.

Another option, at the home improvement stores.. they have rails that you can bolt to the walls, and shelf supports that snap in. These are great for storing lumber on and are pretty inexpensive.. it cost me about $100 for 4 rails and I think 16 shelf supports (twelve were 16" deep, four were 24" deep). It took maybe an hour to install these, and then the task was done...You could cut plywood shelves for these.

It all depends on what you are after. Some people like to make very nice things for their shops (which is better than some furniture I make). Other people like me will settle for very utilitarian things in their shop. But if you think this is going to be a fun project, by all means do it. I'm not being condescending, please don't take it that way. Everyone has different projects that they prefer to do.

Good points Paul. Actually I was looking for a way to get to use my new SC table saw. :D I was considering a jig to cut the shelve slots in the uprights that would work like a box joint jig. I have some of the HD shelves you describe and they are nice and fast to set up.

[Ray Schafer]

Ken,

In my last house, I built the exact shelves in your picture. They were OK, but here is what I found:
1. It was difficult to get the distances just right between the posts because of curves in the wood. Not a big issue really, just a little bit of a pain.

2. I found that once I had the shelves loaded, I NEVER adjusted the shelf locations in 3 years that I lived there.

3. The slots were a pain to create and I did not use most of them because of #2.

So, when I built something similar just this past weekend, I did it differently. I created the posts using 2X4s and then just screwed small pieces of 2X4 to the posts as shelf supports. That is, just like you use four shelf supports in a cabinet for adjustable shelves, I screwed a small piece of 2X4 to each post where I wanted the shelf to be. This took a fraction of the time, and is still adjustable, because I can unscrew the support and move it to where I want it.

If you want to build the shelves in your picture, they will work fine, but I recommend that you take a faster approach and move on to more important things -- like building furniture!

[Rick Moyer]

Good points Paul. Actually I was looking for a way to get to use my new SC table saw. :D I was considering a jig to cut the shelve slots in the uprights that would work like a box joint jig. I have some of the HD shelves you describe and they are nice and fast to set up.


Sometimes it is qiucker and cheaper to buy what you need like this, but making it is also a good way to get some practice on some techniques you may need to use later on in actually making something else. Your call.