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

  1. #1
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    Vertical wood storage (with angled/pitched platform) suggestions?

    I'm setting up my wood shop and will be building a vertical lumber storage area. I'm not looking for pros/cons on vertical vs. horizontal at this time - I'm going vertical for now. I have 10' ceilings in the shop and will likely build one horizontal area up high for the few boards I have that are longer than 10'.
    I like the idea of having the platform at a pitched angle so wood leans towards the wall. I read someone used a 5 degree angle somewhere so will go with that unless I hear otherwise here. I'm thinking of cutting "sleepers" at an angle and 3/4" plywood covering those for the base. In addition, how about the back wall of the storage area having a matching angle? It seems the boards (if stacked tightly) would have less tendency to bow. Sound like a logical plan - and if so, how to execute that? Maybe the wall being pitched is not worth the trouble.
    I also like the simplicity of the 1" galvanized pipes as separators of the bins. Any real cons of those?

    Thanks for any suggestions, pics , or feedback.

  2. #2
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    You've just invented the vertical orange lumber racks at Home Depot. I called a local warehouse rack place in Houston several years ago and bought 3 used sets of them. $250/each. Done. They might be too tall for your shop though - you would have to measure. I think the rack ends are 10' tall, but would cut easily with no detriment to their function.

    Todd

  3. #3
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    You don't need any platform.
    Here is what I have.
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Jaromir

  4. #4
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    If you have a location in your shop that is open to the ridge you can store some pretty long stuff. I use a platform tilted at 3 or 4 degrees. No need for chains even in earthquake-land. Since these shots were taken I have reorganized and added another two feet of width.


    Vertical Lumber Storage 001.jpg

    There's a sort of kicker about 5 feet up that holds dividers and keeps the tops of the boards from digging into the wall farther up.

    Vertical Lumber Storage 002.jpg . Vertical Lumber Storage 003.jpg . Vertical Lumber Storage 004.jpg

    The boards store like books on a shelf and make stock selection and organization easier . . .

    Lumber Storage Reorg (2).jpg . Vertical Lumber Storage add-on (3).jpg

    than on my horizontal racks that occupy the first 2 feet down from the rafters.

    Lumber Storage Reorg (1).jpg
    "A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".


    – Samuel Butler

  5. #5
    The rack is 10 feet high and the base is about 16" from the wall.

    I think thats about 10 degrees.

  6. #6
    I drilled 1" holes in 2x4's and used 3/4" ID galvanized pipe. A rubber chair foot fits the outside of the pipe. Plenty solid. I put my boards 90 degrees to the wall, so they are like books. Slide out and look at it, push it back if I don't like it. No board at bottom at all, no chains, no problem. If a board leans out, rotate it 180 degrees.

  7. #7
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    If you stand the lumber "soldier style" so the edges are towards the wall/shop and the faces rest on rods that extend from the wall, you can more easily access and inspect both sides of individual boards.







    Don't forget safety chains!


  8. #8
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    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?

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Matt Putnam View Post
    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?
    "A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".


    – Samuel Butler

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by glenn bradley View Post
    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.

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by glenn bradley View Post
    If you have a location in your shop that is open to the ridge you can store some pretty long stuff.
    Again - just got complicated .
    I'm planning to put an OSB ceiling in so I can climate control the shop. My trusses have a horizontal board at 10' so that was my planned limit. I planned to put the wood in an area against an exterior wall and thus where the roof meets the wall - so 10' even with "attic" space. I could move this lumber storage area to a wall about 8' inboard of the exterior wall which would give me some attic space above. But I think I'd only get about 2' of extra height (if that) and I don't know that it's worth it as the framing and wall construction (to extend the shop "envelope") between joists would get tricky.
    Last edited by Matt Putnam; 01-11-2017 at 10:19 AM.

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Matt Putnam View Post
    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.

  13. #13
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    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.
    Last edited by Sam Layton; 01-12-2017 at 12:09 AM.

  14. #14
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    Sam> I'm getting an error trying to open the linked photos. Is it just me or everyone else getting that?

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by Matt Putnam View Post
    Sam> I'm getting an error trying to open the linked photos. Is it just me or everyone else getting that?
    Same here.

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