Best wood storage rack to purchase?

[Tom Rick]

Hello all,

I need to cover a wall in my shop with some sort of storage system for boards.

I have a 20' run of wall that is over a long bench. I have 5' of height over the bench for the racks.

The wall is 2x4 frame with 1/2" finished rock.

What I am thinking is some form of vertical standard screwed to the stud that takes brackets. I would like the brackets to be adjustable for vertical spacing.
Depth of brackets at least 12".

Is there a decent system I can buy for this application?


Thanks all

[Harold Burrell]

This is what I use. (Some assembly required.)

:D;)

[Russell Smallwood]

Hey Tom,

I bought the system from Lee Valley a long time ago.


Lumber Storage System. (http://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/page.aspx?p=32145&cat=1,43326)

It has been great. Very sturdy. I really like that you can have various depths which allows me to store the wider stuff at the top so that it's not in the way as much. I've had it loaded with 5/4 and 8/4 white and red oak for a while now (need to find a project for that stuff) and it hasn't complained.

I bolted it into the studs with lags and it is rock solid. I worry more about the strain on the wall than the rack.

:)

[Bill Blackburn]

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=25156&filter=lumber%20storage

Reasonable when on sale for the quality...Woodcraft's also nice.
The LV looks to be more spendy but nice too.

Nothing wrong with stringing some 2x4 cutouts across the studs either...cheap. Not as purty but cheap;)

[Russell Smallwood]

The LV looks to be more spendy but nice too.



yes, not cheap but I think the sturdiest.

[Erik France]

I went a cheaper route and used the shelf systems from HD and lowes, Rubbermaid has their name on some of the parts. I got a pretty good deal on them at the time. Support bars at 24"oc screwed into studs. They have been working fairly well. No complaints on the loading.

I probably wouldn't use that system if I did it again though. The height of the brackets is the biggest drawback to me. I've got some serious space issues, every inch counts. I could have fit another shelf into the same space if the brackets weren't as tall.

Adjusting the placement of a bracket can be troublesome, especially the longer brackets. To get the bracket out of my support it has to rotated up at a fairly steep angle. More often than not I have to remove everything off of the upper shelf or two to move a lower one. It was very aggravating at first when I was getting everything set up. After time I haven't needed to adjust them all that often, nor would I really want to. ;)

[Bob Riefer]

I'm at this same point in now too and was planning on making 2x4 brackets lagged into studs - I was just going to make triangles basically and lag them in place. The benefit being that the inside of the triangle would be a good place to store pipe, but negative being the amount of space taken up.

Does anyone have a 2x4 bracket design that they like for lumber storage purposes?

[Mike Hollingsworth]

check craigslist: about $300:
http://www.storageequip.com/images/cantilever_rack_single.jpg

[Mike Konobeck]

I have three of the Triton lumber racks. They are very nice and easy to put up. Don't appear to be available much anymore. My local Rockler has a few left but seems they are going to a cheaper solution like most of the things they have been carrying lately.

I had one pull out of the wall but that was my fault. I was on the edge of a stud and the rack was very full. I fixed it and have loaded it back up with no problems.

[David Weaver]

yes, not cheap but I think the sturdiest.

I use that one, too.

At one point, hartville tool had a 10% over cost sale where they sold their goods for 10% over cost. They were carrying that rack at the time, maybe they still do. 10% over cost on imported goods makes things awfully cheap.

I think the 18" arms were about 6 bucks a pair and I don't remember what the strips were for the wall, but the whole thing was about 60 or 70 bucks for 4 long wall straps and 6 pairs of arms.

If they ever do that again, I'll buy another set. That set is very tough and has more clearance than 2x4s.

[Chris Nolin]

I have and love the LV racks, too. I read somewhere that they were originally designed for use in under-street cable junction rooms or something. I like that they're so easily adjustable for height, and the different length arms make it easy to arrange for width. They seem bombproof, too.

[David Weaver]

I have and love the LV racks, too. I read somewhere that they were originally designed for use in under-street cable junction rooms or something. I like that they're so easily adjustable for height, and the different length arms make it easy to arrange for width. They seem bombproof, too.

The arms certainly don't yield to an angle grinder that easily (I made a mistake locating mine and had to cut 3 inches off the arms of the strap closest to the corner of my garage). They are tough.

[Greg Portland]

Hey Tom,

I bought the system from Lee Valley a long time ago.


Lumber Storage System. (http://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/page.aspx?p=32145&cat=1,43326)

It has been great. Very sturdy. I really like that you can have various depths which allows me to store the wider stuff at the top so that it's not in the way as much. I've had it loaded with 5/4 and 8/4 white and red oak for a while now (need to find a project for that stuff) and it hasn't complained.

I bolted it into the studs with lags and it is rock solid. I worry more about the strain on the wall than the rack.

:)I have the Shopfox system which looks identical except that the LV has a tab to slide the verticals together. I have been very pleased with the Shopfox system.

[johnny means]

I like the shop fox system that grizzly sells. Plenty strong, adjustable, and fairly affordable.

[Bill Blackburn]

LV always does top tier stuff. Never yet been disappointed in a single purchase done there - nice stuff and great folks.

Having said that I can't help but wonder how much more weight one can expect to put on a row - 300# rating on the Rockler seems way more than I would consider ever doing anyway. maybe I'm the only one who thinks this way but sheesh - you will stress and maybe snap the 2x at some point. This is pushing it all I care too. Looked at mine again after I posted earlier and I don't think I have more than 100# on each tier. 300# will never be something I will do either and that ya can take to the bank:D

So how much of yer $$$ did we manage to spend?;)

[ian maybury]

One pretty convenient rack you see about is a vertical strip of pretty thick timber bolted to the wall with anchor bolts, and with lengths of galavanised steel tube epoxied or screwed into close fitting holes.

I can't find commercial racking here in Ireland at decent money, and as a result am heading down this road in the coming weeks..

Ian

[Rick Lizek]

Screw some 2 x 4's together and drill a series of holes for 3/4" rigid conduit from Home depot. Timberlock the 2 x 4's to the studs and cut the conduit to your length. At one shop we kept hundreds of pounds of brass extrusions on this system with no problems. Wood is light weight compared to brass. Simple, cheap, and adjustable. You won't be adjusting it much I'd be willing to bet. Heavier duty than the LV/Grizzly bracket systems.
Another shop they had the LV brackets and they just had to have the same system so I bought the Grizzly. Same fit for less money, interchangeable. Seems the hobby folks have more money than commercial shops for these projects.

[Karl Brogger]

check craigslist: about $300:
http://www.storageequip.com/images/cantilever_rack_single.jpg

Winner.

And what would you call a rack like that? I've always called it a cantilever rack, but I don't know if that is the right name.

[Don Bullock]

I have three of the Triton lumber racks. They are very nice and easy to put up. Don't appear to be available much anymore. My local Rockler has a few left but seems they are going to a cheaper solution like most of the things they have been carrying lately.

I had one pull out of the wall but that was my fault. I was on the edge of a stud and the rack was very full. I fixed it and have loaded it back up with no problems.

I have two Triton sets and a clone that I found on sale a few months ago. Woodcraft currently has their Pinnacle Brand Triton Clone on sale at $49.99.

See post #18 on the following SMC thread http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=153948

[Gene Bartholomew]

You can also build your own. I like the rack system shown on the Woodsmith show. Free plans here at http://www.woodsmithshop.com/download/211/lumberrack.pdf

[Kent A Bathurst]

I have the racks that LV sells - don't think I got them from LV, but they are the same thing. 100% bulletproof, as far as I can tell. I have about 14' run, 16" OC, 12" arms, arms spaced about 10". More than once, I have had 6 levels jammed completely full of WO + RO.

Also, I have a friend that put in the Rockler racks - into 2x6 studs + sheetrock in his garage. They are lighter weight that the LV, but plenty for what he needs, and seem to work well.

It all depends on the anchor job - solid anchoring, getting the slots in the standards aligned at the same height, and getting the standards plumb [walls in 90 year old houses not necessarily dead-nuts :D - some shimming required].

So - experience with both products, and both are good.

[Matthew Hills]

For the systems that hang entirely on the wall (ie, no post going down to ground), do you need to worry about the loading on the wall?

Matt

[Mike Hollingsworth]

For the systems that hang entirely on the wall (ie, no post going down to ground), do you need to worry about the loading on the wall?

Matt

How much lumber?
How much wall?

Why risk it?

[Charlie Barnes]

Screw some 2 x 4's together and drill a series of holes for 3/4" rigid conduit from Home depot. Timberlock the 2 x 4's to the studs and cut the conduit to your length. At one shop we kept hundreds of pounds of brass extrusions on this system with no problems. Wood is light weight compared to brass. Simple, cheap, and adjustable. You won't be adjusting it much I'd be willing to bet. Heavier duty than the LV/Grizzly bracket systems.
Another shop they had the LV brackets and they just had to have the same system so I bought the Grizzly. Same fit for less money, interchangeable. Seems the hobby folks have more money than commercial shops for these projects.

By "timberlock", do you mean use lag bolts or something else?

Thanks.

[glenn bradley]

Here's mine (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=169417&d=1291607258)which uses 2' standards.

For your wall, maybe . . .

Lowes item #197716 @ $7.62 = 4' double slot standard
Lowes item #107941 @ $3.34 = 11" arm (I use 11's and 14's)

[Kent A Bathurst]

For the systems that hang entirely on the wall (ie, no post going down to ground), do you need to worry about the loading on the wall?

Matt

Let's try a bit of old-fashioned math here:

Let's say you load the racks with 500 BF of 12' QSWO @ 4.2 #/bf = 2,100#. 2,100# spread out over 12' is 175# per lineal foot, or 14.6# per lineal inch. 500 bf is a lot of wood, and QSWO is one of the most dense domestic woods.

With wall studs @ 16" OC, and one rack standard attached to each stud, that means each standard + stud are carrying 16" x 14.6#/in = 234#, in addition to the load carried by the building structure itself.

I'm not a structural engineer. But I can tell you that if someone's house cannot carry 234# of added load on top of a single stud, then I'm not going upstairs :D. Heck - I've got bookcases upstairs that have to be putting that much load or more on top of the studs that are supporting them.

And - the risk of fasteners failing is also a non-issue, IMO. There would be multiple fasteners in each standard in the example above. Most of the weight would be straight down [fastener shear strength] and some would be trying to pull the fastener out of the studs [withdrawal load]. I don't know the shear values [depends on the specific materials] but I do know that the withdrawal load of a lousy #10 wood screw is a minimum of about 100# per inch of thread penetration into typical studs. To calculate the exact load values on each fastener would require me to dust off my knowledge of vectors, sine, cosecant, whatever - not that curious at the moment.

You have nothing to worry about, IMO.

[Tom Rick]

OK- thanks all for the ideals.

I ended up going to the local BORG and went with the Rubbermaid gear. It is not as heavy as I would have liked but will do the trick for me. It's done- one thing more off the list & I can move onto hanging the batts of insulation that are crowding the shop.

http://i1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa458/trboatworks/Mobile%20Uploads/1209101533.jpg

[Robert Joseph]

A cheaper option.....look behind the big Borg stores. They have lots of bent steel that they throw out when it's damaged by a forklift. Even a minor ding and they will toss them. I got mine from Costco (checked with management first) for nothing. It's 18' high so you can cut one piece into a whole rack. You do need the uprights and beams, but the beams are usually damaged in the middle and can be cut out.

Cut the foot off the upright and into 5.5' sections, bolt them flat to the wall and cut the beams to whatever length you want sticking out. Mine is 36", and I've had it stacked full of maple without any sagging. It's 6 foot high and 12 feet long with 3 rack levels. I just need 2 more beams and I can add a 4th.

[Homer Faucett]

You have nothing to worry about, IMO.

Kent, that's the best analysis I've seen in the forum on this subject.

I was concerned over this same question about 6 months ago, and ended up buying a few Rockler racks when they came out. And then added some of the Woodcraft supports with the 45 degree reinforcement portion to add to the legion shelving standards that I had picked up at auctions. I put about 3000 lbs of lumber on the block wall in my shop using these systems, and, since I had to unstack all the lumber and move it before installing the systems, I knew it was going to be about 3000 lbs of lumber hanging on this wall (mostly poplar and oak left over from building the barn back in the '50's).

So, I was naturally a little concerned when I started reading all the warnings about needing the beefiest standards and cautions against using tapcons to secure the standards to the block wall. I eventually bit the bullet, and just did it after doing a similar calculation to yours. Nothing has fallen or broken in the last 6 months, and the standards are loaded to the gills--I literally have an 8' tall wall that is solid wood, nearly 20' long.

I just realized that I have more wood than I can possibly use in the next 5 years, even if I really work at it. I think I need to really work at it! But at least it is now organized!

FYI, I saw the earlier post recommending the Triton racks over the "flimsy" Rockler racks. you might want to look at the load ratings for each. The Rockler racks are rated for a higher load rating, if I recall. And they were about 1/3 the price when I bought mine.

Tom, nice looking shop!

[Bob Riefer]

I had 20 feet of galvanized pipe laying around, and I cut it all up into 12 inch pieces last night to make the racks that Ian mentions at the top of the page.

My question is... How many boards do you generally like to have on one shelf/rack? My feeling is that more shelving levels, each with fewer boards stored there, is more convenient (i.e. you don't need to unstack tons of stuff to get to the board you want). I think 4 boards per level is what I'm aiming for in my shop.

[Bob Faris]

I see you have already purchased your racks, but others may be interested in using Unistrut channels and brackets. I've never priced the components so I don't know what the cost would be.

http://store.eberliron.com/products/unistrut_parts/unistrut_brackets

[glenn bradley]

My feeling is that more shelving levels, each with fewer boards stored there, is more convenient (i.e. you don't need to unstack tons of stuff to get to the board you want).

I'm with you. Digging for the right board is bothersome and invites material damage. I've got about 6" or so between arms so, 2 to 5 boards stickered depending on thickness.

[Kent A Bathurst]

........ I put about 3000 lbs of lumber on the block wall in my shop.......I was naturally a little concerned when I started reading all the .........cautions against using tapcons to secure the standards to the block wall. .........Nothing has fallen or broken in the last 6 months, and the standards are loaded to the gills--I literally have an 8' tall wall that is solid wood, nearly 20' long..........

In my previous home, I had about 16' long x 5' tall filled mainly with QSWO + RO. I remember calculating about the same weight as you. Mine was stored above the CMS table on the LV-style racks, attached with Tapcons. IIRC, the shear strength of a 1/4" Tapcon in hollow block is around 1,000# and the withdrawal is something like half of that. A few Tapcons in each standard, and ain't nothing coming down on my head.

[Kent Parker]

Mine was pretty simple. Just 4 x 4's and pipe and a days labor. It is completely full and still hanging in there.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=18503

[John Spitters]

Screw some 2 x 4's together and drill a series of holes for 3/4" rigid conduit from Home depot. Timberlock the 2 x 4's to the studs and cut the conduit to your length. At one shop we kept hundreds of pounds of brass extrusions on this system with no problems. Wood is light weight compared to brass. Simple, cheap, and adjustable. You won't be adjusting it much I'd be willing to bet. Heavier duty than the LV/Grizzly bracket systems.
Another shop they had the LV brackets and they just had to have the same system so I bought the Grizzly. Same fit for less money, interchangeable. Seems the hobby folks have more money than commercial shops for these projects.

I've built a similar system numerous times also using the rigid conduit, 3/4"
I take several kd 2x4s run them through the tablesaw to true up the edges, with a square I'll mark them together with lines every 6". Then go to the drill press set the table at a 3 degree angle and drill 15/16" holes (This gives you a pretty tight fit to the conduit) every 6". I'll also drill apx. 3 other holes part way through in each piece for lag bolts that will attach each upright to a stud., But prior to putting them up I will attach a ledger board to the wall for additional support and to also keep the whole assembly true and level. On 16" stud spacings I've had up to 24" lengths of conduit loaded up with wood and never experienced any problems with overloading. Most all of the weight on your lumber rack is in shear mode with the forces working downward with gravity, but I have found that a 16" length of bar ( or less ) is ideal. It's cheap, adjustable and easy to build.

John