I know this topic of how do I store my lumber has come up many times but,as a newbie, I don't recall reading posts about it. My question is how do y'all out there store/ stack your wood? Are any of the commercial racks any good and if so which ones? Or do you build your own racks and what do they look like? I have lots of questions but few answers. Any input appreciated. Thanx.
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I use a couple Triton lumber racks to store long boards (10-12ft). Best price I've found is at Sommerfeld Tools. With four supports (using two kits) it can hold plenty of weight.
For shorter boards (6-9ft) I built some simple storage bays using 2x4, plywood and OSB dividers. You can't really tell from the picture, but the back of the frame tilts out at 7 degrees to make sure nothing falls forward. Vertical storage is a great way to easily sort through boards and cut down on the heavy lifting.
Two of the bays are 2' wide, and one is 4' wide so I can store sheets goods (and drywall...) I plan to add 3-4 bays since I'm already out of space
Shorts go in a rolling cart:
I also put a Triton wood rack in the main shop area to hold the boards I'm using for the current project.
For shorter boards (6-9ft) I built some simple storage bays using 2x4, plywood and OSB dividers. You can't really tell from the picture, but the back of the frame tilts out at 7 degrees to make sure nothing falls forward. Vertical storage is a great way to easily sort through boards and cut down on the heavy lifting.
Two of the bays are 2' wide, and one is 4' wide so I can store sheets goods (and drywall...) I plan to add 3-4 bays since I'm already out of space
Shorts go in a rolling cart:
I also put a Triton wood rack in the main shop area to hold the boards I'm using for the current project.
This should be some good reading for you:
Best way to build wood rack?
wall storage for wood
Wood stickers for air drying
how to store wood properly?
Dry Lumber Storage Question.....
wood storage system
Dry Lumber storage
How do your dry and store your lumber?
Lumber Rack- take two *w/pics*
Storing wood vertical vs horizontal
Lumber Rack/Sheet Storage Plans
Where do you store your wood?
If you have any questions re: how to effectively search for info here, feel free to ask!
Best way to build wood rack?
wall storage for wood
Wood stickers for air drying
how to store wood properly?
Dry Lumber Storage Question.....
wood storage system
Dry Lumber storage
How do your dry and store your lumber?
Lumber Rack- take two *w/pics*
Storing wood vertical vs horizontal
Lumber Rack/Sheet Storage Plans
Where do you store your wood?
If you have any questions re: how to effectively search for info here, feel free to ask!
I built a lumber rack on my wall and immediately wished I had not . It is just too tough to sort through the lumber to get the piece you want. Especially if you do it like I did and make a very high lumber rack. I am convinced that a vertical rack is the way to go.
Salem
. It is just too tough to sort through the lumber to get the piece you want. Especially if you do it like I did and make a very high lumber rack. I am convinced that a vertical rack is the way to go.
Salem
This may be extreme but it is something that I have thought about; consider buying a shed from the BORG. If you have a small shop it may be worth it.
My shop is a 2-car garage which I have to share with 1-car, a hot water heater, a sink, etc so space is at a premium. I try not to buy lumber until I am ready to build but then I miss out on the things like the recent $0.50 / bdft walnut lumber run. You can get a shed for $1000 new and I am sure craigslist can find them even cheaper. It will solve the storage problem and not take away from your shop space.
My shop is a 2-car garage which I have to share with 1-car, a hot water heater, a sink, etc so space is at a premium. I try not to buy lumber until I am ready to build but then I miss out on the things like the recent $0.50 / bdft walnut lumber run. You can get a shed for $1000 new and I am sure craigslist can find them even cheaper. It will solve the storage problem and not take away from your shop space.
Because of low ceiling height I went with a horizontal rack, the build is here:
http://www.ncwoodworker.net/forums/showthread.php?t=14728 :wsmile:
http://www.ncwoodworker.net/forums/showthread.php?t=14728 :wsmile:
One thing about vertical storage. If you don't have a long wall or several walls the space fills up quickly then gets layered, then piles out into the floor. That's when you have to move 200 board feet of lumber to get to that one board that got trapped against the wall.
And there's no place to move it to. :rotflm:
And there's no place to move it to. :rotflm:
ahhh.... the voice of experience!:rotflm: I have a large shop BUT I still need a barn!:BangHead:
:gar-La;
Heh,heh,heh ! I have my storage vertical and the wall is 11' high and about 24' long so you wouldn't think that I would have the above mentioned problem. I have it sectioned off seperating WO, RO Cherry BW, Cypress, Cedar, etc. which should help, but once you put a few thousand Bd/ft into it, the above mentioned problem comes into effect. But the truth be told is that it's no worse going through that, then it is moving boards on a horizontal storage rack which I also have.
Whatever storage you choose will probaly not be enough as we all end up filling it up, but a real sin is having room on your wood rack :gar-Bi.
Ths is the rack I installed in the garage when the garage was my shop. It is actually 2 racks, each one constructed from one sheet of 3/4" ply. Found the plans on-line somewhere.
No pictures, but I attached elfa-style uprights onto each stud and use their shelf standards to hold the wood (no actual shelf). For those of you with no "Container Store" nearby, similar things are available as closet organizers at the borgs (vertical track with two rows of holes all the way down).
Seems to have held up for years under a heavy load.
Seems to have held up for years under a heavy load.
Look for creative ways to use space. I have an odd little closet-like space off my workshop that has worked out great for large-tool and wood storage. The roll-out sheet-goods rack has worked out really well. I don't remember where I got the idea for that, probably a magazine, but it is genius!
I've got a few pics here:
http://christophermerrill.net/ww/shop/storage1.html
I've got a few pics here:
http://christophermerrill.net/ww/shop/storage1.html
My experience with horizontal racks are:
ANY horizontal surface will become cluttered!:help:
The piece I want to use right now is ALWAYS on the bottom!! :icon_scra
Dust LOVES horizontal surfaces! :confused_
I finally just moved all my mess out to the barn and am trying to only bring in what I need for the immediate project. Even more difficult is taking back to the barn what I didn't use!! :rotflm:
ANY horizontal surface will become cluttered!:help:
The piece I want to use right now is ALWAYS on the bottom!! :icon_scra
Dust LOVES horizontal surfaces! :confused_
I finally just moved all my mess out to the barn and am trying to only bring in what I need for the immediate project. Even more difficult is taking back to the barn what I didn't use!! :rotflm:
I was a big proponent of vertical stacking. Pictures and a description of my rack are in this thread and a couple of other ones Mike listed so I won't repeat everything, just provide an update and a few additional comments:
Almost four years and many hundreds of board feet later, I am still convinced vertical is the way to go for all the reasons I stated originally.
Vertical may not be possible in shops with low ceilings. The ceiling height slopes from 8' to 10' in the area of my rack.
I added safety chains (almost too late :confused_ ) to the ends of the pipe.
I never added intermediate height bars.
Examine what kind of wood you will be storing and using, and how much of it. Most racks are not intended for wet wood or short pieces.
When I say I stack vertically, I don't mean leaning the boards against the wall. I mean stack them soldier-style with edges towards the wall.
I still need to build a (rolling?) bin for cutoffs.
(Photo taken before the addition of safety chains)
Almost four years and many hundreds of board feet later, I am still convinced vertical is the way to go for all the reasons I stated originally.
Vertical may not be possible in shops with low ceilings. The ceiling height slopes from 8' to 10' in the area of my rack.
I added safety chains (almost too late :confused_ ) to the ends of the pipe.
I never added intermediate height bars.
Examine what kind of wood you will be storing and using, and how much of it. Most racks are not intended for wet wood or short pieces.
When I say I stack vertically, I don't mean leaning the boards against the wall. I mean stack them soldier-style with edges towards the wall.
I still need to build a (rolling?) bin for cutoffs.
(Photo taken before the addition of safety chains)
Now THERE'S a tip for you -- the pic says it all.
But one truth no one mentioned is that you'll probably plan for relatively small storage needs, you should have planned for much larger storage needs, and it won't matter anyway, because there's never enough storage and you're always going to have to fight to find what you want.
Rich (wall storage in the shop -- now removed, ceiling storage in the shop -- now removed, wood bins constantly full, external flat storage always running out of room, "previously owned" steel carport with stickered flat storage and vertical space -- never enough room and always a pain to sort through) :rotflm:
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