Hi – I’m setting up a new shop and I want to make a really good sheet goods storage unit. I’d like to store the sheets standing up the long way in a unit that is divided into four sections, each being around 18″ wide. I need to make it tall enough to handle 10 foot sheets also. It will be up against a wall in the back, but not on the left or right sides. Any ideas?
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Replies
This is my least favorite way of storing sheet goods, standing a sheet on end takes quite a bit of effort and the sheets are hard to slide in and out when they're racked vertically. At the same time, it takes up less floor space and allows access to any sheet in the rack, there are always trade offs.
That said, frame the rack like a series of stud walls with plywood on the sides of each compartment. Attach the top to the ceiling, if possible, for stability. Make a bottom of 3/4 inch plywood on a 2 by 4 frame, and cover it with sheet metal, that wraps over a rounded front edge before building the walls. The sheets will slide much easier on the metal. I've seen it recommended that you install a roller, like those used on roller stands, along the front edge to also make it easier to get the sheets in and out of the rack, but I've never tried it.
Don't forget that MDF and particle board panels are often times 49 inches wide.
John White
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