Vertical wood storage (with angled/pitched platform) suggestions?

[Matt Putnam]

I like the idea of "soldiering" the boards for easier access.
Alan, it looks like your separator bars are also just pushed into holes drilled in a board mounted to wall (as Jim describes on previous reply), correct?
So I no longer feel the need to have a pitched platform. But two other reasons for a platform - 1) it would be easier to sweep the floor along the platform (less dust, etc. between the boards on the floor); and 2) I'm on an unsealed slab. I've read here and there about moisture coming up into wood with from concrete.

Pros/cons?
Agree/disagree?
One con I can think of is it somewhat limits my storage area to the space defined by the platform. But in my case, that may be a good thing.

And if I do want a platform, I'd think a piece of 3/4" plywood on a 2x4 (flat) frame would do it. Maybe 2' spans between 2x4 members. Thoughts?

[glenn bradley]

But two other reasons for a platform - 1) it would be easier to sweep the floor along the platform (less dust, etc. between the boards on the floor); and 2) I'm on an unsealed slab. I've read here and there about moisture coming up into wood with from concrete.

Pros/cons?
Agree/disagree?
One con I can think of is it somewhat limits my storage area to the space defined by the platform. But in my case, that may be a good thing.

And if I do want a platform, I'd think a piece of 3/4" plywood on a 2x4 (flat) frame would do it. Maybe 2' spans between 2x4 members. Thoughts?

The platform does delimit the storage space. As to dust, you can clean up to the edge easier but, on the platform is another story ;-)

Moisture was the reason for my platform more than the tilt. the tilt was just a bonus that avoided chains or bungees. My platform is 3/4" ply that is about 3/4" off the concrete in the rear and 2" off in the front with one more rail in the center for support.

Always more than one way to skin the cat but, I can't set things that will wick directly on my slab; YMMV. The platform was made out of junk ply scrap laying around and glued and brad nailed together so it was no bother. I have another one at my MIL's for overflow . . . how's that for thinking outside the box?

[Matt Putnam]

The platform does delimit the storage space. As to dust, you can clean up to the edge easier but, on the platform is another story ;-)

I thought about that as I typed my message for sure. I struggle to keep my floor clean. Not that I try that hard - just the opposite - cleaning becomes way down on my priority list. But I think if I can sweep my concrete floor and "accept" everything else in the shop may be dusty/dirty I'll be a bit more at peace with it. We all have our issues and OC tendencies.

My platform is 3/4" ply that is about 3/4" off the concrete in the rear and 2" off in the front with one more rail in the center for support.

Does this mean you stack your boards with the broad side (not the edges) against the wall? That was the orientation I had in mind at first but then I thought the angled platform and a vertical wall means the wood would touch the wall at its top edge but not sit against the wall - and as I stack more wood on that (especially if they're shorter boards) the back board would tend to bow towards the wall. Thus my thought on making a pitched back wall perpendicular to the pitched platform - and then I thought I'm probably making this too complicated. Over complicating is definitely one of my tendencies. A 10' pitched wall will be a bit tricky to make I think and will chew up some space I'd rather not give.

[Patrick Johnson]

I thought about that as I typed my message for sure. I struggle to keep my floor clean. Not that I try that hard - just the opposite - cleaning becomes way down on my priority list. But I think if I can sweep my concrete floor and "accept" everything else in the shop may be dusty/dirty I'll be a bit more at peace with it. We all have our issues and OC tendencies.


Does this mean you stack your boards with the broad side (not the edges) against the wall? That was the orientation I had in mind at first but then I thought the angled platform and a vertical wall means the wood would touch the wall at its top edge but not sit against the wall - and as I stack more wood on that (especially if they're shorter boards) the back board would tend to bow towards the wall. Thus my thought on making a pitched back wall perpendicular to the pitched platform - and then I thought I'm probably making this too complicated. Over complicating is definitely one of my tendencies. A 10' pitched wall will be a bit tricky to make I think and will chew up some space I'd rather not give.

You may be overthinking it just a bit. Standing a board on end means most of the weight is directed downward with only a slight force in the horizontal direction. In my vertical storage area, I placed horizontal 2x4's every 2 feet from floor to ceiling (8' ceilings, so 4 boards). The shorter boards go on the inside and rest on the lower 2x4's and the longer boards are on the outside and rest on the higher 2x4's.

I absolutely love vertical storage over horizontal storage. It's much easier to access and see the wood grain in lumber that way.

Patrick

[Alan Lightstone]

If he's still overthinking it 5 years later, I think we have other problems we need to address.

[andy bessette]

Wood and long metal storage.



Plywood and sheet goods storage (with clamp rack).

[Alan Schaffter]

I like the idea of "soldiering" the boards for easier access.
Alan, it looks like your separator bars are also just pushed into holes drilled in a board mounted to wall (as Jim describes on previous reply), correct?
So I no longer feel the need to have a pitched platform. But two other reasons for a platform - 1) it would be easier to sweep the floor along the platform (less dust, etc. between the boards on the floor); and 2) I'm on an unsealed slab. I've read here and there about moisture coming up into wood with from concrete.

Pros/cons?
Agree/disagree?
One con I can think of is it somewhat limits my storage area to the space defined by the platform. But in my case, that may be a good thing.

And if I do want a platform, I'd think a piece of 3/4" plywood on a 2x4 (flat) frame would do it. Maybe 2' spans between 2x4 members. Thoughts?

3/4" galvanized steel pipe just slid into holes drilled in a piece of 2X2 oak bolted to the studs.

You'll need to sweep the flatform instead of the floor. A platform can't hurt but it doesn't need to be fancy, instead, just run a few 1X2 sleepers on the floor parallel to the wall. It doesn't need a deck.

[Sam Layton]

Hi Matt,

Here is my rack. I also included sheet good storage. Vertically, I can store up to 14'. I made the plywood side tall enough to store 5' x 5' baltic birch as well. Above that is a storage area. I still have to add my safety chain. I could not rotate the photo's

Having trouble with the photo's. Hopefully see below.

[Matt Putnam]

Sam> I'm getting an error trying to open the linked photos. Is it just me or everyone else getting that?

[Alan Schaffter]

Sam> I'm getting an error trying to open the linked photos. Is it just me or everyone else getting that?

Same here.

[Sam Layton]

I can't rotate the photo's. Any ideas on how to rotate please let me know.

Thanks, Sam

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[Matt Putnam]

Thanks for getting the photos uploaded, Alan. Those really help. And now you've got me thinking about the same approach. I was originally thinking of vertical solid wood storage on one wall and a plywood rack on the opposite wall. Now that I see yours I think I could do the same. A couple questions...
1. Is the back of the vertical wood part simply some 2x material at an angle and then covered with a piece of plywood?
2. What's the footprint of yours? I have an 8' x 10' area to work with. If I can get the solid and plywood on one side, some racks on the oopposite wall, and a path between it would make for an efficient use of the area.
3. How wide (from wall to back of vertical braces) is the plywood storage area?

[Sam Layton]

Hi Matt,

I like the idea of having all of my wood storage in one area. Where mine is located I can just open the shop door, unload the truck, and put my lumber or ply in the rack. Near the lumber rack is my table saw, and radial arm saw.

I have just finished building my shop, and I am in the process of setting everything up. I built the lumber rack out of left over material from the shop. The vertical section is 2x4's covered with plywood and placed at an angle. I will measure everything a little later this morning and post again. The vertical part is 8' wide and 12' high. It took 3 sheets of ply. I am not sure of the other measurements, I will measure this morning, and try to take better photo's.

Above the ply storage I will leave for storage, or maybe ply cut off's. I am not sure yet.

Sam

[Sam Layton]

IMG_1579.jpg
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OK, I finally got the photo's going the correct way.

The vertical board surface width is 8' 3".

The plywood storage width at the floor is 42". Then another 23" for the floor of the vertical board storage. The overall foot print is 8' 3" x 65".

The plywood storage is 64" high, and the top of the plywood storage is 40" wide.

Having the ply 64" high allows me to be able to store 4'x8', sheets of ply, and 5'x5' sheets of baltic birch ply.

It sounds like you have plenty of room. In my last shop, I had the same type of wood storage rack, except smaller. My last shop, the ceiling was 10' tall. The total footprint was 4'x4'. My plywood was stored on end, and was 2' wide. My vertical lumber took the other two feet minus the 2'x4' frame. Storing the ply vertically worked out fine. I just did not have enough room to store it horizontally.

There is discussion about which way to store the vertical boards, edge, or face against the wall. I like the face against the wall. That way it is in 100% contact with the rack, and hopefully will not warp. I have been storing my wood this way for years with good luck. I can still move the boards around to select the boards I want to use.

If you have any other questions feel free to ask. I hope this helps.

Sam

[Matt Putnam]

Thanks, Sam. This helps hugely.
Based on your info and others I'm leaning heavily towards a setup similar to yours:
- vertical solid wood storage, at an angle
- plywood on edge, behind the solids, with full length boards on bottom and cutoffs on top
- solid boards stacked flat against the angled wall

Where I may vary somewhat is the footprint. My intended storage area is within an 8' x 10' "nook" - essentially an 8' wide by 10' deep opening off of my main shop area. Ideally, I'd like to use one of the 10' walls for wood and the other for metal racks. If my racks are 16" deep and I plan for a 24"-30" wide pathway down the middle, I'm left with about 50" (from wall to front of wood storage platform. That's a fair chunk less than yours. Would you think of your arrangement - with 15" less depth - as workable? I know this is all depends on how I'll use it, how much wood, etc. but you seem to have some experience with variations.
Thanks in advance for the advice.