“Quick and dirty” shelves — your ideas?
forestgirl
| Posted in General Discussion on
I need to throw up a set (say, 3) of temporary wall-based shelves in our laundry room, to get stuff off the floor while I put down new flooring. No other place to put the stuff! What would be your advice for the quickest and least expensive approach (ply is available). This isn’t super-heavy stuff.
forestgirl — you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can’t take the forest out of the girl 😉
Replies
How about 2x4's and plywood? Down and dirty, easy and fast. Then, maybe take it apart when you need the wood or modify it and hang it on the wall in your shop.
I'm not getting my brain in gear for the outer-edge support part. Without buying metal brackets, that is. Maybe I should just sleep on it and try again tomorrow. All my mind's eye sees is my lumber rack, ROFL.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
I have made rectangular frames that were screwed or nailed to four legs, then placed a piece of plywood on each frame. Short screws to hold the ply in place and voila!
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
Oh for cryin out loud.Go buy six inexpensive shelf brackets. Or do yourself a favor and get the closet rod holder kind. Pick up some closet rod while your at it. Screw them to the wall, put any old boards on them, no need for screws cuz these are temporary. Slip the closet rods into place.... now you have a place to hang the fresh laundry. Done.When you get around to doing something permanent you can still use the shelf brackets someplace in the shop. Believe me.....you will find a need.
jamie
I keep a bunch of milk crates and boards handy.
When I'm working on a project and need shelving quick, I stack the crates sideways (so I don't loose the space) and place a shelf on it.
Usually 3 or 4 tiers is all I can trust for stability.
You can't ask for easier, faster, or cheaper.
Jeff
Jeff, this stuff has to be off the floor by about 3.5-4 feet. Thanks though.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
2x2 against the wall
plywood shelf
eye screw in stud
eyebolt in corner of shelf
rope from eye scre to eyebolt for support
If a bit on the heavy side or cautious - a 1.2 along underside of frront edge of shelf and the eyebolt thru that
Quick and dirty1 - measure the board twice, 2 - cut it once, 3 - measure the space where it is supposed to go 4 - get a new board and go back to step 1
I used cheap n nasty pine T&G for my stock storage shelves, made crude load bearing brackets from 2x1 and screwed the lot to the wall studs... hasn't fallen down in 5 years but it'd take just 10 mins to dismantle...
Mike Wallace
Stay safe....Have fun
One sheet of 3/4" plywood or less;
cut three pieces off to the width and depth of the shelves demensions you need, then two pieces for end plates. Several mid shelf supports for second and third shelf. Assemble with pocket holes. Cut to fit three pieces about two inches wide by aprox the length of shelves. Attach under each shelf at rear for mounting the whole unit to wall. The whole project should take about 45 min. to cut , drill, and assemble. This should do the job nicely for temp shelves.
Edited 3/14/2006 9:02 pm ET by csacoe
Forest Girl,
If the ceiling joists are exposed in your laundry room, place some 2x4's face to face with a joist, and drill (and mount) a hole for a carriage bolt, nut, and washer. The long edge of the 2x4 should flush against the wall. Hang three or four spaced every other joist, screw on some shelving brackets, some ply' on top of that, and you're done.
Dan Kornfeld, Owner/President - Odyssey Wood Design, Inc.
Hi Dan, thanks! We do have one ceiling tile down, but it's not a big enough area and it's right in front of the door.
I think I have the ultimate solution though. We have two small (read: short) utilitarian bookcases that I think I'll empty and mount on the wall, using a ledger strip. Then I can move the tall laundry-room shelves out of there until the floor is done.
This is my first room-remodeling experience. The laundry room is u.g.l.y! I'm gonna put down new vinyl, fix the ceiling, and hopefully ($$ from the CFO) replace the panelling in there. Next is the bathroom floor. By then I should have the floor thing down pat and be able to do the kitchen!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
"We have two small (read: short) utilitarian bookcases that I think I'll empty and mount on the wall, using a ledger strip"
Jamie,
You might consider either a piece of ply', mdf, etc... across the back of the bookcases, or at the very least, a 6" wide plywood strip attached on either side of the unit. Depending on how the bookcases were constructed, they may not be able to take the stress of being suspended. I hung a utility cabinet in a basement bathroom by simply attaching two plywood strips across the back of the cabinet (one near the top and the other closer to the bottom), and then used some lag screws and washers drilled right through the back panel and the plywood into the wall studs. I only bolted the top - the bottom piece of ply' was there only to keep the case evenly spaced away from the wall.Dan Kornfeld, Owner/President - Odyssey Wood Design, Inc.
FG,
For quick and dirty I use gussets (ie. triangular pieces of ply).
Attach 2x3 or 2x4 uprights to the wall, attach gussets to the uprights, put a piece of 2x3 or 2x4 between the ply gussets coming out from the wall...put plywood shelving on top. All the assembly can take place on teh workbench and then attach to the wall....very strong.
Thanks BG, if I need more space than the old bookcases provide, that might be an option.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
I don't know if they are still available but I at one time had some "hanging fixtures". Made of 1/4" wire, they were u-shaped, about 12" on each leg, bent to a hook at the top of the vertical legs. Screw eyes in the joists could support a whole series of these in sequence. Slip the shelving material into the horizontals. Easy up - easy down! Never touch the floor. You could cobble up a substitute.
Jerry
I think I have a few of those buried somewhere. thanks for reminding me!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
So you need the stuff out of the way for about 3-4 days? In my house that would mean putting down a tarp and storing it in the living room.
Our living room is so small, there is absolutely no room to put anything else in there. We have no free space. The way my life goes, there's no guaranteed time-line. I'm solely in charge of a 6-day-a-week business, 2 cats, a demanding dog, a couple acres of property, and a bad and very unpredictable lower back. If anything to wrong with any of those, any timetable goes to H in a handbasket.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Have been there, but fortunately not now. Good luck--and keep juggling.
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