Has anyone designed a mobile timber rack?

[MilkyBarKid]

Hi,
I could do with a mobile way of storing timber - has anyone designed a mobile woodrack if so would you care to share your design tips and any hints or suggestions. I'm thinking of something about 10 feet long to hold perhaps 500 lbs of timber
Thanks
MBK

 

[devonwoody]

Not many of us have a sufficiently large workshop to call for one of those, but how about an old caravan with timber stored inside and store the caravan on someone elses drive and fetch home when required. :x

 

[Hitch]

When you say mobile, do you mean on good castors to move around the workshops, or do you mean axles, wheels and drawbar type mobile?

 

[tim]

I've seen a couple of A frame type designs in mags like FWW. I would have thought though that a frame to hold 500lbs or so will probably end up being a bit of a beast and need some pretty heavy duty castors or wheels to have any chance of moving it safely.

How far do you want to move it?

Cheers

Tim

 

[Hitch]

A simple frame from say 40mm steel box section... a decent tyred castors....

Very slightly tapering frame design, middle could be used for sheet material, and arms for boards....one side or either side.

Easily carry 500lbs.

Send me a PM if your anywhere near me :lol:

 

[SketchUp Guru]

I built a mobile rack for my shop about 6 years ago. It is 8' long, holds full sheets of plywood on one side and lumber on the other side. I think it is probably overbuilt but it hasn't ever threatened me with collapsing so I guess it works. It has some casters I got free from work. Wrong kind though because the tires, tyres, rubber is a little soft. Now it makes sort of a galump, galump sound when I roll it.

I could make a quick sketch of it if you want. A photo wouldn't show much because it is hidden by the plywood and lumber it is supporting.

 

[Midnight]

I ummmmm.. take it a landrover with a good roofrack doesn't count huh...???

 

[MilkyBarKid]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. I've not got a massive workshop (yet!!) but have things dotted round the country in rented lockups hence the need for something moveable. By movable I mean something I could wheel into a trailer to move around - not tow with a car). I'm a bit fixated with making everything movable. I've got a couple of 600lb engines in wooden boxes on cheap 6" pneumatic castors which move quite easly.

Dave - any sketches would be very welcome of your design. I was thinking along the lines of a couple of upright wooden posts mounted on a mobile frame with a set of triton racks (http://tinyurl.com/e7c3x) bolted onto either side to equalise the load. I'd like to get them reasonably high off the ground so bracing the uprights might be difficult.

Hitch, I'm a bit far from Plymouth but thanks for the offer, I may take yet take up your suggestion up and weld something up in 40mm steel.

Thanks
MBK

 

[SketchUp Guru]

Here's a quick screen shot. Sorry about the quality. Its all 2x6 (6x2?) lumber lag screwed together. 8' long and the angled pieces extend a little better than 48 inches above the base. Lumber goes on the back with short pieces running front to back between the uprights.

 

[devonwoody]

To MKB

Perhaps it would pay you to have a carriage with casters and then a rack that rides on top of the carriage which can be removed. This would enable you to collect other racks from your vast storehouses.

 

[MilkyBarKid]

Dave,

Thanks for the diagram - I hope you didn't have to spend too long with sketchup to produce that drawing. I like the look of it - I think I'll try something similar - I think I might modifiy it to carry timber on both sides
and make it a bit longer to cope with the 12' lengths of timber I've got.

I dread to think how much all that 6x2 is going to cost in the UK - it might be cheaper to get thewelder out!!.

Thanks again
MBK

 

[houtslager]

well you could always "borrow"one of the big trolleys from one of the DIY sheds 8) Her is an old piccie of mine, sorry its loaded to the bear but its in Amsterdam and I am in Germany.If you want more info, you'll have to wait till the weekend.

 

[SketchUp Guru]

MBK, that didn't take too long so no worries. I expect you could get by with 4x2 for a lot of that rack. I'm a belt and suspenders kind of guy and tend to overbuild things like that. One thing to consider though is where you'll attach the casters and how. I've run into that several times due to lack of planning. :roll:

 

[MilkyBarKid]

I'd love to see details of your timber trolley Houtslager - do you also have the tsizes and thicknesses of the sections you've used and an idea of how much weight it supports. Are they 150mm castors?
MBK