# lumber rack shelf thickness?



## WoodNSawdust (Mar 7, 2015)

In my shop I have vertical standards mounted on the 2×6 studs on 24" centers. Sometimes I have pieces that are shorter than 24". Up till now I have been stacking the short pieces on top of longer pieces, but that causes the same species to be on multiple shelves sometimes on the far side of the shop. So I have been contemplating adding ply as horizontal shelves that I will screw into the shelf brackets. I have some construction grade 3/4" ply or some 3/8" Baltic Birch. I hate to use the better BB ply, but don't really want to waste 3/4" for the shelf. What would you do?


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## rwe2156 (May 7, 2014)

Have you considered vertical storage?

I made one last year and absolutely love it!


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop (Mar 26, 2011)

Buy a sheet of 3/8" construction ply.


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## WoodNSawdust (Mar 7, 2015)

I mentioned the 3/8" and 3/4" ply because I have it in stock.

What do you think about 1/4" ply?


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## pintodeluxe (Sep 12, 2010)

1+ for vertical lumber storage. Anything longer than 3' is placed in my vertical rack, and the shorts are set into a stepped height bin for easy access. It is so much easier to flip through your stock, and select the piece you need. With horizontal storage, you constantly have to lift and re-arrange the stack.
Good luck with whatever you decide.


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## Yonak (Mar 27, 2014)

WnS, here's a thread you may find interesting :

Storing Scrap Lumber


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## WoodNSawdust (Mar 7, 2015)

I would tend to agree on storing wood vertically, BUT my supplier has it in 8' to 16' lengths. I would hate to cut it just to store it and I am enough of a pessimist to figure that immediately after cutting I would wish I had a longer length.

So for now it is horizontal storage.


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## Tennessee (Jul 8, 2011)

I went to vertical storage years ago, when I realized I needed a way to access all of my species and boards, yet all I had was a small room, about 12' by 7'. I have to get all my boards cut no longer than 8' - 10'. But it works, and I have about 500-600 Bd. Ft. in this small space. Every board is accessible. I even have room for a scrap shelf, a messy rack that is 48" long by 24" deep, with shelves. My ceiling is under 7' in this room, a kind of annex to my basement. I either cut off what I need in this room, or carry the planks over to my garage, (attached to the house), which is my shop.
The shelves work, and I just added about 125 Bd. Ft. of white oak, ambrosia maple and white maple in this morning after a run to the mill.


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop (Mar 26, 2011)

WnS, I know. But you asked what I'd do, and my suggestion is 3/8" construction ply…


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## TimberMagic (Mar 4, 2015)

Perhaps the suggestion was for vertical storage for just the short pieces? Seems like a reasonable suggestion. I store all my stock vertically, only because I've not gotten around to building a horizontal storage system. I like vertical storage, but I have a basement shop, and when I buy lumber that is too long to store vertically, then I think about moving the horizontal storage project higher on the priority list!

Regarding plywood shelf for supporting lumber-I'd go 3/4", and never worry about any sagging.


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