| Project by Adrian A | posted 212 days ago | 2329 views | 17 times favorited | 13 comments |  |
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I figured it was about time to start sharing some of my projects around the shop. Here’s a recent one.
Materials:
4×4 Douglas Fir (Home Depot – $60)
3/4” Galvanized Pipe (Lowes- $100)
Spax Lag Bolts & extra 2×4 (Home Depot $20)
Total Cost $180 before tax
I originally had a lumber cart that I had made from plans, the popular one with plywood on one side, scraps on the other, and wood down the middle. It worked great, but I wanted to save some floor space in the garage. Im trying to setup my shop less mobile, and more stationary. So I sold it to make this one.
Started out by marking each 4×4 every 12” down the center and making a pen mark. This is where I would drill the holes for the pipe. Since 3/4” Galvanized pipe has an Outside Diameter of 1.05” I wanted something just under. I tried 1” forstner bit, but it was just too tight to hammer in the pipe. I went to woodcraft and found a 26mm bit at woodcraft which measures 1.02. And this was the perfect tightness.
Drilled those holes at a 4degree angle on the drill press. I setup a fence on the drill press to make sure each hole would be done exactly the same on each 4×4 post.
I bought 10 foot sections of pipe at lowes, and they were nice enough to cut them into 17” lengths. After pounding 3.5” inches into the posts, this would give me 13.5” of lumber rack space. I could of gone longer, but my garage door was in the way since i wanted it close to the corner of my garage.
I went home and took out the hammer and started banging them in… after about 3 went in I decided I didnt want to pass out in exhaustion. I went next door and borrowed a sledgehammer. Took about 3 hits, and they were good. Then marked out where the wall studs were so I knew where to hang the posts.
I used a car jack to hold them in place while i lag screwed into the top and bottom plate. and also 2 other lag screws in the middle of the posts. I did the first 2 posts that way, but when I got to the 3rd post I pushed the post to the ceiling and the pipes didnt line up horizontally. I was using a long level to check they were even across. Well I forgot about the tilt in my garage floor, and didnt properally give me a little slack on the first 2 posts. So I had to REALLY use my car jack to raise the next few posts so it would all be level. This of course made my ceiling raise a little in that corner, but luckily its just attic space above my workshop so it didnt matter, and you cant visually see. So remember to leave slack on your first few poles.
I finished it off by putting a 2×4 across the top screwed into the posts, and into the ceiling joists for cantilever support.
It is crazy solid, maybe a little overdone, but it works great!!!!
Thanks for checking her out :)
Adrian
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13 comments so far
jap
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1032 posts in 224 days
#1 posted 211 days ago
That type of wood rack is the best in my opinion,
-- Joel -- http://diversitywoodworks.wordpress.com
DIYaholic
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7309 posts in 845 days
#2 posted 211 days ago
You are a GENIOUS!!! That is a strong and awesome lumber rack!!!
I built a very similar one. I used 1/2” black pipe (it was FREE), 4×4 PT posts (they were FREE, even the white paint was FREE). I covered the pipe with foam pipe insulation to prevent the black pipe from staining the lumber (it was FREE)(picture taken before the foam was installed). I did have to buy lag bolts & hardware, total cost about $20.00. I placed holes every six inches for adjustability & made extra lengths of pipe.
I would say; “Great minds think alike!!!”
-- Randy-- I may not be good...but I am slow!
whitebeast88
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1870 posts in 361 days
#3 posted 211 days ago
great lumber rack adrian.thanks for sharing how you built it.
-- It don't have to be straight,it's just a suggestion!!!
buckeyedudes
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136 posts in 1298 days
#4 posted 211 days ago
Yes – here – here; Nice rack Adrian!!!
-- Before you louse it up, THIMK!
mloy365
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305 posts in 1300 days
#5 posted 211 days ago
I like it! So many way to go with this one!!! SOG, way didn’t you post this about a year and a half ago?
-- Mike - Northern Upper Michigan
copcarcollector
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57 posts in 287 days
#6 posted 211 days ago
NICE! That garage floor slope will get you for sure – had to do some major shimming on a cabinet install in my Moms garage.
Nice lumber storage
bigike
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4023 posts in 1459 days
#7 posted 211 days ago
Great idea I need a new bigger one. Thanks for the info.
-- Ike, Big Daddies Woodshop, http://www.icombadaniels@yahoo.com
ptweedy
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75 posts in 1564 days
#8 posted 211 days ago
When I built mine using 4×6 dunnage I covered the pipes with plastic pipe and a plastic pipe cap on the end of the metal pipe. works well. I should have done my layout like yours. I snapped a level line at the bottum and near the top of the wall and drew a line near the top on the 4×6s. I marked the stud locations, predrilled the lag bolt holes, and ran them in with my air impact wrench. I then drilled the holes for the pipes, big mistake, should have clamped them together on the floor and used a jig to get the correct spaceing and angel. next time.
Adrian A
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108 posts in 1073 days
#9 posted 211 days ago
DIY; I do love the sound of free.
MLoy; My bad. hehe
ptweedy; I recently purchased a mini lathe to begin turning, so my first project will be turning little round wooden caps for the metal pipe. I knew this was a must since when I was lagging the posts into the wall i hit myself twice with the end of a pole. Once in the tooth.. so glad i didnt lose it. :)
All; Thanks so much for you nice comments
Jeff
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16 posts in 223 days
#10 posted 208 days ago
Perfect….. I’ve been fence sitting trying to decide how to store my lumber and your idea is the one I’m going to use in my shop. Can’t wait to get back to my shop and get started. Thanks..
-- Muskoka Jeff
Mork
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97 posts in 945 days
#11 posted 207 days ago
Super idea and in fact I have thought about doing something similar. For those that interested in building something like this in a basement shop you can use the floor joists to bolt 2×4s to. I used plywood for the shelf supports but pipes have a smaller dimension which allows more storage space. I thought about using 1/2 pipe drilled into the edge of the 2×4s which would probably be strong enough for a shelf less than a foot deep. Wood works great but it take up space. My shelves are “over kill” a two inch piece of 3/4” plywood is more than adequate!
RussellAP
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2394 posts in 457 days
#12 posted 206 days ago
Looks good. I need something like that but I’d be afraid the wall would fall over with that much weight on it.
-- Failure does not stop me, it makes me try harder..... because I'm crazy.
Adrian A
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108 posts in 1073 days
#13 posted 206 days ago
Mork: Nice rack. All the wood rack designs similar to yours and the one woodsmith has all lose space with the brackets. Even some of the premade metal racks have angle brackets. That was one of the main reasons i went the pipe route.
Russel: No chance of it coming down. It has 3 main anchor points, and 1 attachment point. 1) Its anchored to the floor through the bottom plate of the wall studs (which is anchored to the concete floor) 2) Its anchored to the joists by top plate (which is tied to the joists) 3: If you look at the pic where I have the posts on the wall but no lumber, you will see a 2×4 thats tied into the joists and into the posts, to further help carry the load on the joists and not the wall. Then of course lag bolts into the wall studs is my attachment points on each stud.
So with those anchors you have moved the force down to the floor, and not out from the wall.
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