I found the need for a lumber rack, and knew I wanted to orient the lumber vertically. From my many lumber shopping adventures, I find it easier to sort through and retrieve lumber from vertical racks.
-
-
-
-
-
The far left compartment is for sheet goods. The rest of the rack will store hardwood.
-
-
-
-
-
The rack is made from 2x lumber which ties into the top plate of an exterior wall, and to a beam.
-
-
-
-
-
The brackets are made of scrap white oak.
-
-
-
-
-
They are assembled with dados, glue and screws.
-
-
-
-
-
The brackets are secured to the wall with 3 Spax screws each. In reality, the brackets don’t need to carry much load but they feel quite sturdy.
-
-
-
-
-
For the base, I used a 2×6 along the wall, which will set the lean angle of the lumber. I also installed angled joists that will support a plywood floor. The only plywood I had on hand was a couple sheets of quartersawn white oak, which I didn’t want to sacrifice for a lumber rack. Next time I pick up some shop ply, I will add a 3/4” floor on top of the joists.
-
-
-
-
-
The sheet good rack is anchored to the floor with ram set nails.
-
-
-
-
-
Now I can start filling up the rack.
-
-
-
-
-
I already had a bin for short offcuts, which works fine.
-
-
-
-
-
And with all this new floor space, I decided to make a name sign with my son.
-- Willie, Washington "If You Choose Not To Decide, You Still Have Made a Choice" - Rush
15 comments so far
stefang
home | projects | blog
17040 posts in 4796 days
#1 posted 06-02-2014 05:05 PM
Looks really good Willie and it also has the hallmark of your skillfully produced furniture. I wish I had room for something like this myself. As it is, I have a long platter cart and really no place to store my timber, except in shop loft.
-- Mike, an American living in Norway.
pintodeluxe
home | projects | blog
6543 posts in 4275 days
#2 posted 06-02-2014 05:58 PM
Yes, you definitely need some dedicated space for a lumber rack this size.
-- Willie, Washington "If You Choose Not To Decide, You Still Have Made a Choice" - Rush
Jerry
home | projects | blog
3577 posts in 3110 days
#3 posted 06-02-2014 06:47 PM
Hey Willie, another fine project on your part. I have a question, though. Does vertical make warping any more likely? I know that woodcrafters orients almost all of their lumber vertically, but when I get stuff home, I always lay it flat on an edge to prevent warping. I don’t know if I am right or wrong in assuming this will help. I DO know that when I lay a board flat on its side ( as opposed to on edge ), it’s guaranteed to cup overnight.
-- There are good ships and there are wood ships, the ships that sail the sea, but the best ships are friendships and may they always be. http://www.geraldlhunsucker.com/
pintodeluxe
home | projects | blog
6543 posts in 4275 days
#4 posted 06-02-2014 07:35 PM
The rack holds the lumber nearly vertical, so warping is not an issue. Crosscut lumber sells their lumber out of vertical racks, and it is pretty easy to access.
-- Willie, Washington "If You Choose Not To Decide, You Still Have Made a Choice" - Rush
BigRedKnothead
home | projects | blog
8594 posts in 3444 days
#5 posted 06-02-2014 07:59 PM
Man, I got grief for making my lumber rack out of oak…..yours is even quartersawn. Your sure to make people scoff….lol.
Nicely done.
-- "At the end of the day, try and make it beautiful....because the world is full of ugly." Konrad Sauer
gfadvm
home | projects | blog
14940 posts in 4152 days
#6 posted 06-03-2014 01:03 AM
Nice! That should be a lot easier to pick through that flat storage. I’m with Red: QSWO for lumber rack?
-- " I'll try to be nicer, if you'll try to be smarter" gfadvm
Roger
home | projects | blog
21055 posts in 4266 days
#7 posted 06-03-2014 12:07 PM
Looks and sounds like a gr8 wood storage solution. Like others have said, it’ll be easy to pick through to find what you need.
-- Roger from KY. Work/Play/Travel Safe. Keep your dust collector fed. [email protected]
pintodeluxe
home | projects | blog
6543 posts in 4275 days
#8 posted 06-03-2014 04:51 PM
I mostly use QSWO for furniture projects, so I always have a pile of seconds on hand. For me, it is actually cheaper to use this rustic oak than to go buy fir. I think I paid $.39 per BF.
-- Willie, Washington "If You Choose Not To Decide, You Still Have Made a Choice" - Rush
Buckethead
home | projects | blog
3196 posts in 3330 days
#9 posted 06-03-2014 04:57 PM
I’m a bit jelly (read: jealous) of that QS oak bracket action. Under two pence bf? Now I’m super jelly.
-- Support woodworking hand models. Buy me a sawstop.
buck_cpa
home | projects | blog
150 posts in 3349 days
#10 posted 06-19-2014 04:07 PM
nice work – how’d you cut those dados? Looks like a complicated cut…
also, did you use a template for the sign, or freehand?
pintodeluxe
home | projects | blog
6543 posts in 4275 days
#11 posted 06-19-2014 04:29 PM
Hey Buck,
The joints were cut with a dado blade at the table saw. I angled the dado blade, and increased the depth of cut until the board seated fully in the bracket.
The sign is made with router templates. I couldn’t find a font I liked, so I made my own templates from 1/4” mdf core plywood.
Thanks
-- Willie, Washington "If You Choose Not To Decide, You Still Have Made a Choice" - Rush
English
home | projects | blog
695 posts in 2939 days
#12 posted 06-19-2014 09:09 PM
Wow! That’s a big rack. Wish I had room for that.
-- John, Suffolk Virgina
goggy
home | projects | blog
74 posts in 4878 days
#13 posted 07-01-2014 03:24 AM
Well thought out. I like the details.
MrGwald
home | projects | blog
1 post in 457 days
#14 posted 02-24-2021 05:20 PM
I am a high school teacher and would like to put this in my shop. Do you have plans/dimensions for this?
pintodeluxe
home | projects | blog
6543 posts in 4275 days
#15 posted 02-24-2021 05:44 PM
Mr. G,
Sorry I don’t have formal plans, but the pictures tell the story. I can say I still use this rack and wouldn’t change a thing in my shop.
It can be adapted to varying size lumber and shop spaces. For me, vertical storage is the way to go.
Cheers
-- Willie, Washington "If You Choose Not To Decide, You Still Have Made a Choice" - Rush
Have your say...