Lumber Storage Rack Question


bushwacked

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I am looking for wood storage solutions and was thinking of just buying something to make it easy and quick. However I am not sure on the weight side what would be a good target to shoot for.

This one below can hold 100 pounds per row. To me, that does not seem like a lot of lumber storage ... a couple 12' 8/4 maple I think would max out that row. Am I missing something here?

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my plan when I finally get my shop finished, is to go buy a few 100BF of 3-4 species just to have and kinda a shop warming present to myself. I am not sure this rack would get close to holding that. 

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The Portamates are okay but IMO they have too many horizontal supports and not enough verticals.  That's what I use in my shed but for my main racks in my shop I use shop-made ones which you can build to support any amount of weight.  That's the way to go if you can spend a day building...plus they're cheap...some 2x4s and a sheet of plywood, some glue and some lag bolts.  Heavy duty.  Marc has an old video somewhere.

BTW...the Portamates go on sale from time to time.  The last set I bought I think was from Lowes and they were like $20...ish.

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2 hours ago, Eric. said:

The Portamates are okay but IMO they have too many horizontal supports and not enough verticals.  That's what I use in my shed but for my main racks in my shop I use shop-made ones which you can build to support any amount of weight.  That's the way to go if you can spend a day building...plus they're cheap...some 2x4s and a sheet of plywood, some glue and some lag bolts.  Heavy duty.  Marc has an old video somewhere.

BTW...the Portamates go on sale from time to time.  The last set I bought I think was from Lowes and they were like $20...ish.

I have a few of them as well but I agree with Eric.  You can get pretty fancy with how sturdy you build them but I have learned that for me, I want more levels with less height capacity.  It is such a pain to dig through a bunch of layers if the board you want is on the bottom.  The 2x4 with electrical conduit that Jay Bates uses is plenty strong for the height levels that I prefer. 

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Oh yea , those are the same standards they use in grocery stores and commercial displays. I've got a buch of old metal grocery store shelves that I used in my old shop for lumber storage. Eventually they will line the walls in my new shop. 1 1/2" tapcon screws into concrete blocks held up for years and years. I filled every hole in each standard.

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I made mine from 2x4's and 1/2" EMT conduit.  I have the 2x4's resting on the floor, so the weight is transferred all the way to the concrete floor.  It's against a foundation wall so I didn't have to drill into the concrete.  I drilled the holes for the conduit at a very slight upward tilt (maybe 2 degrees). I think I saw plans for this in Wood Magazine but I'm not sure.  You can Google it and see all sorts of information about this type of rack.

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I used 4x4's and 1/2" galvanized pipe mounted at about 10-15 degrees. The pipe is set in about 3+". Only problem is whatever gets stored under the other lumber is the first piece that I need next project! The 4x4's are mounted on steel spacers in case of moisture. The posts are secured with steel strap and suitable angle brackets.

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Just now, BillyJack said:

If you have patience and check local business auctions you can find similar carts to this for less than $100. Some won't have cross members when purchased but a quick metal purchase and a local welder will make it the way you prefer to have it...

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That's awesome if you have as much space as in the picture.  Not really practical for the Sunday duffer in a garage.

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10 hours ago, BillyJack said:

Considering what most hobbyist consider as DIY lumber carts I think it's practical..

The problem is "most." "Most" is wrong. In fact, that cart is in line with the scrap cart at the cabinet shop where my dad works. I am with most, and don't want anything that big in my garage or I could not work while it rains. I'd need sunny weather to wheel it out first. I think that is why wall racks are such a big topic in these forums. 

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1 minute ago, Pug said:

Man, you guys keep a lot of lumber on hand!  I usually out have about 20-30 bf at any given time in about 3 species (usually cherry, walnut, Maple, and occassionally Poplar).

What do you do with the little cut offs, excess, etc? Are you really careful about buying the exact quantity needed for a project?

Also is your local lumber supply really convenient. Mine is a bit of a drive, so I'm tempted to buy speculatively so I'm not totally empty.

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2 hours ago, C Shaffer said:

The problem is "most." "Most" is wrong. In fact, that cart is in line with the scrap cart at the cabinet shop where my dad works. I am with most, and don't want anything that big in my garage or I could not work while it rains. I'd need sunny weather to wheel it out first. I think that is why wall racks are such a big topic in these forums. 

Hobby guys have been putting them in their garages for years. It was the thing along with clamp carts.

Remember it's a suggestion, not a have too. What may not work for me or you may for another.

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I am in a smaller 2 car garage and floor space is at a premium so a rolling cart would not work for my space. I grabbed a bunch of the port a mate racks when they were on sale at Lowes a while back. On the right side I put up more supports than usual (every 16") so I could hold shorter pieces. It also gave me piece of mind that i could load them up and not worry as much about the weight. Above the window I went every other stud. As Eric mentioned they do have a lot of horizontals but it has worked out fine, keeping me for making tall stacks of lumber that I have to unload just to get to that one board on the bottom that I need. That is usually how it goes here.

 

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6 hours ago, Isaac said:

What do you do with the little cut offs, excess, etc? Are you really careful about buying the exact quantity needed for a project?

Also is your local lumber supply really convenient. Mine is a bit of a drive, so I'm tempted to buy speculatively so I'm not totally empty.

I normally buy a few more sticks than I need for a project, but I don't  go nuts.  After the project is finished, all pieces under about 2" wide and 24" long go in the burn pile.

My lumber supplier is about 20 minutes from home, and less than 10 min from work.  So relatively convient.

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