Results 1 to 5 of 5

Thread: Has anyone made any of those "library style" sliding rack shelves?

  1. #1

    Has anyone made any of those "library style" sliding rack shelves?

    I'm talking about this style:

    library-rolling-stack-shelving-compact-book-stacks.jpg

    I think it could be a fun project and a neat way to save a small amount of space in my shop. I'll probably only have about 4 racks, so the space savings will be small, but the "gizmo factor" is off the charts

    I think it would be pretty easy to do with some standard shelves on some fixed casters, then adding a dual rack and pinion so the whole thing doesn't twist. Slap a handwheel at about waist height and connect to the rack and gear near the floor, and there ya go.

    You'd have to worry about debris getting caught in the mechanism of course.

    Has anyone seen a DIY version of something like this?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    San Francisco, CA
    Posts
    10,304
    I think you should motorize it, so the motor drives a rack back and forth. With the motor moving the rack, there's no issue with debris getting caught in the drive mechanism on the floor. Maybe you have a handheld remote control for the motor.

    Hmm. Maybe you use an RC controller, so you can steer each rack around. You can park each one of them anywhere.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2021
    Location
    Western North Carolina, USA
    Posts
    27
    Hi Bert,

    The last I saw one of these systems it was in a doctor's office, holding medical records.
    These were pretty sturdy shelving units and looked like they could easily be converted to housing
    fasteners, special bits of wood, spare machine parts, finishing supplies, tubes, hoses, all those pieces
    that fly in the face of just-in-time thinking, and keep me from having to
    run out regularly to get some small part or whatever.
    Twenty-five years ago when everybody was going digital they were selling for near scrap metal prices;
    wish I could have bought then.
    It might still be worth checking with a large dealer of used office or medical supplies.

    Thanks and good health, Weogo

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Evanston, IL
    Posts
    1,424
    Law firms also used them for the large collections of federal and state court reporters they needed. Now that everything is available online, I doubt many keep the books. Perhaps the time for buying used ones from law firms has also passed. When I was a young lawyer, I spent many hours moving those shelves back and forth. They are massive and sturdy items.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Location
    South West Ontario
    Posts
    1,502
    I’m having considerable difficulty with the concept in a workshop environment. If I can’t glance down a shelf and see stuff I’ve no idea where it is. That rolling shelf system totally relies on a precise filing and index system. The items usually are all the same size and easy to file. The time taken to index everything would be a nightmare. When that ‘big tool’ you just bought rearranges the shelf you have to re-index a bunch of stuff.
    Do you want to make stuff or just file it?

    One example in my shop was a rack system to hold 4x8 sheets vertically, about 20. The top held 4x8 sheets of melamine flat, as many as you want. Outer shelves on both sides held jigs, tools, etc. My bright idea was to build it on large wheels so I could move it around for ease of access and loading. The down side: There would have to be 4 of me to move it an inch!
    Last edited by William Fretwell; 02-28-2021 at 3:03 PM. Reason: Add example
    ​You can do a lot with very little! You can do a little more with a lot!

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •