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Lumber storage for a garage shop

59525 Views 55 Replies 33 Participants Last post by 716, Feb 10, 2016

WayneC

Discussion Starter · Mar 12, 2007 (Edited by Moderator)

Hi all, I would like to solve my lumber storage issue once and for all and was hoping I could get some good suggestions. I have pretty much ruled out establishing racks on a wall. The only wall available has windows.

I have been thinking of making a rolling cart with one half shelves and the other half sheet good storage. Any advise, suggestions, examples, or plan recommendations would be most welcome.

41 - 56 of 56 Posts

alanealane

· #41 · Mar 3, 2010 (Edited by Moderator)

Wayne, in my basement shop, the only wall I had available for a rack also had windows. So instead of using the wall itself to support my lumber, I built my own "wall" out of 2×4 and 2×6 dimensional lumber. I basically framed a wall with its 'studs' 24" on-center. To get it to stand by itself, I put a 12" to 18" horizontal 'foot' that goes in the same direction as the shelf brackets at the bottom of each stud. At the end of each of those feet, I installed a self-leveling foot that allowed me to compensate for the unevenness of my shop floor (whoever poured the floor made it slope steeply away from the walls). I went to the lumber store and got their heavy-duty shelf track and brackets. They work extremely well.

It's not really a movable rack, but it doesn't really take much more floorspace than an wall-mounted lumber rack would, and I've got about 1200 lbs of lumber and veneer on it with room to spare. The rack doesn't hinder any light coming through the windows either.

Just another idea amidst many other good ideas here…

I hope everything turns out well for you!

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Sawkerf

· #42 · Mar 3, 2010

This was originally posted almost three years ago, has been viewed more than 16,000 times, and drawn 40 replies - none of them giving a "once and for all" solution.

I'll keep waiting…......................but I ain't gonna hold my breath!! - lol

WayneC

Discussion Starter · #43 · Mar 15, 2010

I'm not sure there is a "once and for all" solution. I have seen a number of nice projects. I did slap this together one Saturday morning out of need.

Lumber Cart 1

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8iowa

· #44 · Mar 15, 2010 (Edited by Moderator)

Here in Gainesville, I only have 1/2 the garage. (194 sq ft) Any kind of horizontal storage for lumber is just not practical. Either you take up too much floor space with boards stacked according to type, or have a single stack where the board that you need is of course always on the bottom. Needless to say, it is not a good idea to have your lumber in direct contact with a concrete floor.

I'm using a corner in the garage, about 3' x 3', for vertical storage. I plan to build a floor rack to hold boards a little more efficiently. In a small shop, storing just about anything on it's smallest footprint is a necessity.

SCOTSMAN

· #45 · Mar 15, 2010

I have a lumber storage problem too.At the moment I have all or most of my wood stored in my shop. This means it takes up valuable space ,so I need really to build a seperate small building for it to allow me to get some more needed space back in my woodshop for new machines I have my eyes or mind on .Alistair

bobkberg

· #46 · Mar 15, 2010

I guess I'm similar to everyone else…I don't store large sheets - just buy them as needed. I built a rack out of the 1 1/2 by 1 1/2 steel framing and keep the large stuff up there. I have a rack on the ceiling for long skinny stuff (moulding, etc.) and there's always something that won't fit anywhere….

Konomigon

· #47 · Mar 16, 2010

I store lumber lumber under my workbench. I also make a free standing lumber rack thats kind of like a tall skinny workbench. It's about 8 feet long by 4 feet tall and about 30 inches deep. The rack is too tall for working, but makes a great storage space for bench top tools not in use.

HokieMojo

· #48 · May 10, 2010

it looks like it works for you. I bet it is heavy though. I have a lot of trouble moving my lumber rack at this point.

CL810

· #49 · May 12, 2010

I don't know if this will work for you but it helped me.

http://i982.photobucket.com/albums/ae307/JACL810/WoodShelves.jpg

The front lower section handles 4' x 4' sheets while the top 3 shelves will handle wood 8' long. The lower back 3 sections are for scrap. All sides are pegboard and I lined the inside with 1/8th masonite so boards wouldn't hit the framing.

CL810

· #50 · May 12, 2010 (Edited by Moderator)

H

wasmithee

· #51 · Jan 19, 2011

Here's a post of the one I built:
http://lumberjocks.com/projects/42798

rieferman

· #52 · Jan 19, 2011

When I built my miter saw countertop, I cantilvered it off the wall in such a way that I have 8.5 feet of run underneath it for lumber stacking. Then, above the bench, I used 12 inch lengths of pipe into holes in 2×4's lagged to the studs to hold more lumber. My opinion is that a lumber shelf should hold no more than 3-4 boards, so I spaced the shelves about every 8 inches or so. More lumber on one shelf means buried pieces near the bottom that basically become land locked.

orinmed1

· #53 · Feb 10, 2016 (Edited by Moderator)

For my sheet goods and boards I built a rack 5 feet wide (5ft for baltic birch) and 8 feet long. I Have my shop in my basement and I have 12 foot ceiling. I used an atv winch with a inverter to go from 120 to 12V and attached it with a series of pulleys to raise and lower the rack as I need lumber. When it is lowers I have two bars the extend to the closest wall 3 feet or so to stabilize the rack and keep it from swaying. When I am done, I fold the stabilizing bars back and raise it up tight to the ceiling again. Works pretty awesome. I swiped the idea from my dad who made stairs that folded down to get up in the attick of his garage. As he grew older using a rope to raise and lower the stairs got to be too much so he attached a cheap harbor freight winch…..and bingo….life was easier. I try not to put more than a 350 pounds of lumber on the rack…..based on the opinion of a friend who is a structural engineer. I figure he knows what he is talking about so…..I listen. Good luck.

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PaulHWood

· #54 · Feb 10, 2016

overhead, but I have a 9-'0" ceiling in the garage

http://lumberjocks.com/projects/122833

plywood, not mobile because I wanted to stand them up and when I did that, it won't roll around the garage do to garage doors. used the side for hanging jigs, etc

http://lumberjocks.com/projects/122825

dschlic1

· #55 · Feb 10, 2016

I purchased three heavy duty shelving rails from the big box store and a dozen shelf brackets. Screwed the rails to the concrete block wall of my garage, placed the brackets about every three inches, instant (sort of) lumber rack. Rails are three feet long, so go from floor up to about three feet. Most windows are higher than three feet. Should be doable.

716

· #56 · Feb 10, 2016 (Edited by Moderator)

I bought these from Lowes a couple of months ago. They were selling them for $20 or so so I bought a lot and spaced them more dense than recommend. Cannot be happier!
Rockler seems to have them on sale from time to time too. If not in a hurry wait till Father's Day or Black Friday

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