Sheet Material Storage???

[Michel]

Hello All,

Just after a bit of advice on sheet material storage (8' x 4'). I have two options really :? : -

1) my ceiling height is 9 foot and i could install a false ceiling in part of the workshop to store sheets horizontally. Would lower the ceiling height in part of the workshop though to about 7 1/2 foot.

2) I could build a racking system and store the sheets vertically.

both ideas are possible, the problem i can see with the overhead storage is getting the sheets up and down. The vertical storage would make this easier, however would increase the risk of warping over time.

Any ideas/opinions would be appreciated.

Regards

Michel

 

[CYC]

This is a particularly sore subject for me too. It takes so much space against one wall in my workshop I try to buy only what I need for a specific project. Left overs still take too much room.

I'll be interested to see what good tricks the Users have come up with

 

[dedee]

If you were to store the sheets vertically could you not rig a clamping system to hold them tight to the wall (or tight to a frame against the wall)& stop them warping. I did this with much smaller sheets (4x2). I placed the sheets between 2 pieces of scrap ( approx 3"x1"x2'4") with a nut and bolt at each end. I used 2 of these top and botton. With larger sheets you would need more but could attach the bolts directly onto a frame on the wall.

Andy

 

[Chris Knight]

This works for me. The thing is made from a single sheet of ply, and the "box" hinged to the wall, riding on HEAVY duty castors

 

[Michel]

Re:-

This works for me. The thing is made from a single sheet of ply, and the "box" hinged to the wall, riding on HEAVY duty castors

Thats a good idea :idea: , do you find the boards keep their shape okay over time :?:

Did you use locking castors for stability when loading and unloading boards :?:

Cheers

Michel

 

[Anonymous]

I used to stand them up against a wall rather than in Chris's splendid support and mine bowed. I now lie them on the floor if possible and would go for overhead if I didn't already have my planks up there or build something like Chris's store.

 

[houtslager]

if you look at my pictures on the MSN group UK woodworking I made a timber storage for solid timber planks, and resting on those "boxes"is our sheet atorage facility :lol:
Here we store them in the length so as maximise the storage.Above the sheet storage is a flat area for vunerable items ie; veneers and formica materials.
The room is quite small being 14'x 6' .
Hope this gives you an idae
HS in Amsterdam [still]
http://groups.msn.com/_Secure/0UwAF...Dg8/new wood store.jpg?dc=4675497997877825824

 

[Bean]

Mine are raised off the floor on scraps but lean at an angle onto an old door, seems to keep them flat. I have no room for anything else.....currently


Bean

 

[tim]

I'm in the same boat re sheet storage. I don't have room in the workshop so I keep them in the garage leaning against the wall. The biggest problem I find is when mixing a large number of sheet thicknesses ie to get to the 18mm sheets I need to move 5 6mm, 4, 9mm and 2 12mm . I do quite a lot of built in work (not much fun but pays the bills) so I can have 20 or 30 sheets knocking around.

I have seen a drawing of a plan that works quite well - which I will try to attach but I'm also currently designing an A frame with strorage on each side and racks down the middle for solid timber. As soon as I've drawn I'll stick it here for comments and thoughts.

Just realised that I haven't got a clue how to stick the image here - why can't we upload attachments!

T

 

[Alf]

Just realised that I haven't got a clue how to stick the image here

How to post pics. Just avoid Imagestation if you would...

Cheers, Alf

 

[Michel]

Hi Tim,

that's the same problem i have at the moment. I store my sheets in a spare room against the wall, but i always seem to need the sheet at the back :roll:

Any pictures or ideas would be great

regards

Michel

 

[tim]

okay here goes with pic:

hope it works! My plan is to sort of mirror two of these and keep the middle empty to fill with timber.

T

 

[Michel]

Hi Tim,

Thank you for the design, it seems good to me

I have seen a similar design here

http://shop.store.yahoo.com/woodstore/lumstorrac.html

which might be of use to you

On your design can you tell me the design principle of the pivot, for example what stops it from collapsing etc.

Regards

Michel

 

[tim]

Michel,

For clarity, this isn't my design but it will be the basis for mine. What stops the pivot form collapsing is the angle that the foot is cut at so that it binds on the floor and the weight of the sheets bearing down on it ie the force is directed downwards rather than laterally. Will it hold - should do - I would trust it anyway.

What do others think?

T