How do you store your sheet goods?

[Matt Lentzner]

I was wonder how Saw Mill Creekers store their sheet goods. I myself am in a pretty small area and it is always a problem. I'd like to store them flat or on the long edge but I don't have the floor/wall space. I was thinking of building a shelf that hangs from the ceiling, but I wanted to see if anyone had any clever ways I hadn't considered.

Thanks in advance,

Matt

[Jim Becker]

I have a section of my lumber rack that allows storage of sheet goods. Of course, it was designed for 4'x8' material and now I'm buying 5'x5' BB ply...go figure! (I'll make an adjustment in my copious free time...)

[Steve Clardy]

Mine stand on end in a rack.

Theres no comfortable way for a one man shop to retreive sheet stock out of a rack when its laying down. At least for me.

[Matt Meiser]

I also built a rack to store mine on end, vertically, so I can see the edges of the sheets looking at them in the rack. I made mine 5' deep and 9' high so I can store anythign I would buy. I agree with Steve on handling flat sheets. Getting plywood/drywall/etc at the Lowes or Home Depot is a pain unless you bring a helper (since they never have any around.) Even on edge against a wall is a pain because the sheet you want is usually in the back.

[Per Swenson]

I really don't want to sound snide or silly...

But we use a lot of sheet goods and store ours at the lumber yard prior to use.

Stopped saving cutoffs too.

Sheet good management, develop a cut list system and buy only what you need. Even in large scale applications.

The real estate is more valuable then my tendency to packratitis.

Per

[Mike Cutler]

Mine is on a rolling, steel, "A" Frame cart that I yanked out of a dumpster at work. It used to hold sheet steel, so wood isn't a problem.

[glenn bradley]

Mine is on end between my small-panel bin and a wall. I built a 15" x 48" platform just off the ground to allow some airflow underneath and keep them off the concrete.

I mounted a stop hanging from the rafters so I can lean sheets forward to get to the one I want. I just have to keep the area the sheets are supposed to slide out of the stack into open.

You can see I also have the "planned for 4 x 8, sometimes use 5 x 5" problem Jim speaks of.

[Rick Levine]

Matt,

Funny you should ask, I just built a plywood storage cabinet last week. This is what mine looks like:

It's 44" deep, 8' 6" tall and 38" wide. I divided it into two compartments. One for full sheets and one with three shelves for cutoff and smaller pieces of solid wood.

[Brad Naylor]

We use a lot of sheet goods and store ours at the lumber yard prior to use.

This is good advice.

I run a small custom cabinet shop and we get through maybe 20 8x4 sheets of veneered MDF a week in a variety of woods.

These are stored vertically in racks built for the purpose, but we never have more than about a dozen sheets in stock. Off-cuts are kept only if a decent size or an expensive wood such as cherry or zebrano. Any project will create more off-cuts than you can use, so keeping everything just creates an ever-growing pile.

Long-term vertical storage of sheets goods will cause bowing and should be avoided. Only buy what you need, when you need it. My supplier delivers 2/3 times per week. It's also better for cash-flow - the cheques stay small so I hardly notice I'm paying for the stuff!

Cheers
Brad

[Jim C Bradley]

Hi Jim
From the frequency I see your posts and from what I have read about what you do for Sawmill Creek---I have a question. What is copious time?
Enjoy
Another Jim

[Jim C Bradley]

Rick,
I am finally getting my shop together. Your plywood "Box" looks like a great idea. Do you have problems goofing up the plywood edges when you drag them out of the "box?"
I should say, "Do you think I will have problems goofing up the edges?" I am a very small guy (5' 7" 120#).
Enjoy
Jim Bradley
Oh yes, I copied you photo. Hope you don't mind.

[Jeffrey Makiel]

I store my sheetgoods leaning against a wall until they have a nice bow in them. Then I throw it out.

What a system!

-Jeff :)

[Bob Aquino]

I use an old sheet goods cart that I bought from a HQ warehouse store when they went out of business about 6-7 years ago. I keep most of my lumber on it and the odd occasion I need to move things in and out of the garage (it sits in front of the door), I can wheel it out. Paid around 50 bucks for it at the time if I remember right.

[Rick Levine]

Jim,

I got the design from a picture on one of the wood websites, can't remember which one, and modified it slightly to fit my situation.

I'm about 5' 11" and weigh about 140 and really don't have too much trouble removing or adding plywood sheets to the rack. I do wear leather gloves to keep from getting splinters though.

[Art Mulder]

we use a lot of sheet goods and store ours at the lumber yard prior to use.

I'm "just" a hobbiest, unlike Per, but I completely agree with his method. I also have a smallish basement shop, and I don't have the space for storage. Heck, I don't even have the room for a full 4x8 - I always either get the store to do the first cut, or make the first cut in the garage.

On the other hand, I do keep the offcuts. But there are times when I wonder if it is worth the amount of space the shorts (sheetgood shorts as well as hardwood shorts) consume in my shop.

[John Piwaron]

(...my copious free time...)

Copius free time - what's that? Something from Greece? ;)

["Michael Hinkel"]

Mine is hinged to the wall, 2x6 wide, should have used 2x8 or 10


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