Plans/Designing for DIY Building

1ddqd

Back when I was a kid, we moved into a new house and my dad needed some shelves for the garage. Not just flimsy metal or plastic shelves for knick-knacks. He needed man-shelves, to hold tons of metal nonsense and just in general, heavy shit.

Now the time has come that I have my own garage and need to build similar shelves. I want to build ones as high quality as those he did, but he doesn't have any plans and just built them. I'm a bit more "step-by-step" and was hoping there's an online repository of plans for just this sort of occasion.

The problem is searching "garage shelves DIY" still doesn't return the type of awesomeness I expect.

Basic need for project: shelves that are at MOST 15 feet long and at MOST 3 feet deep. I know that would be enough for someone to just go buy some 2x4, 4x4, and plywood sheets, but like I said, I like to cover my bases.

1ddqd

Ok, toyed with SketchUp for a sec and here's the gist of the design (ends of shelves):



The main question I have is whether I should use these metal brackets (screwed with some heavy duty carpentry screws? something thick? pre-drilled holes?) mounted as on the left or as on the right? The top ones will have to be mounted like they are, but the 3 shelves below can go either way. Which would be best for supporting strength? For the beams to be hanging or supported from below?

Improvolone

Unless you are going to weld, I think your best bet is to get some heavy duty L brackets from your local hardware store. The longer the bracket, the more weight it will be able to support. Make sure everything is level and use wood screws. I would pre-drill to be on the safe side, you don't gain anything by not pre-drilling but it can help wood from splittting.
I wouldn't go more than 5 feet wide for this.

The good thing about wood is that while it does have a breaking point, it won't suddenly hit it. You can see the wood start to bend, maybe even the brackets pull at the screws. Super heavy shit goes on the bottom, and generally keep heavier stuff to the outside on the other shelves.

1ddqd

Roger that. Does the bracket's orientation make a difference?

Xaquin

how much weight are you going to put on them?

It looks from your picture like you're using 4x4s which would probably be overkill as opposed to 2x4s

stratslinger

A couple things:

First, if you're planning to put significant weight on the shelves, those types of brackets on the supports are not going to be your friends. They'll hold up to light loads, but they will fall apart with heavier.

Check out these as an option:
Finley 2x4 Basics Shelf Kit

I picked up a couple sets of those (and all the requisite 2x4's) a couple years back for some basic basement shelves. They go together quick and easy, and definitely can support some weight (I've got, among other things, 3 or 4 window air conditioners on mine during the winter).

If you prefer to go with something more ambitious, from a construction standpoint, consider 4x4 posts for the vertical supports on your shelves, and notch them for your 2x4 horizontal supports. This way, you can easily connect the horizontal supports into the vertical, and each horizontal support will actually be suported from underneath by the 4x4, allowing the shelf to hold a lot more weight before failing.

Edit: Note, on the 2x4 basics deals - I got 2 sets of the supports, and built an 8' long by 16" or 18" deep shelf. If you want a deeper shelf or longer shelf, you'll need more of the kits.

1ddqd

The vertical supports are going to be 4x4, the horizontal beams will be 2x4s.

In terms of total weight, I'm looking at maybe 200lbs as the heaviest any shelf would hold (which would be the bottom shelf lol).

Are those brackets available outside the kit? I'd rather just go down to Home Depot and buy whatever I need (gift card for Xmas and all).

Improvolone

I've never seen brackets like that at Home Depot or Lowes, but they look pretty awesome.

fuelish

If you can do sketch up you can do a plan and item estimate. I think it would be easier to draw it out rather than try and do it in sketch up if for no other reason than paper makes it easy to add notes and lengths.
Try and use sizes that reduce wastage(If you make your shelves three feet deep you end up with two feet of wastage from a 4x8 sheet, so consider two feet, which is usually plenty, then you get four shelves and no wastage)

You could also build it like a deck, using 1x8s in long runs with crossing supports but this will reduce the height for each shelf.

Consider the library, they will have books on carpentry, outbuildings, and decks so you can get a solid idea of construction methods.

Improvolone wrote: »

I've never seen brackets like that at Home Depot or Lowes, but they look pretty awesome.

There should be a section there with all kinds of brackets and hangers, from the ones pictured to hangers for different roof beam angles.

stratslinger

I've never seen the 2x4 basics things outside of Amazon, but your gift cards can certainly be used to cover the cost of the 2x4's. They're nice and quick to assemble, which was a plus for me (I'd rather spend woodworking time working on cool projects, rather than simple utility shelves!!!).

But the notched 4x4 idea would work out pretty well for your design too, if you're married to the idea of getting it all through Home Depot. Just be cautious hogging out those notches with a circular saw, and you should be good to go.

1ddqd

If I notch the 4x4s, could I use a jigsaw to do that? Use a drill to start the track, then jigsaw to cut the rest?

proXimity

A 4x4 is a bit big for a jigsaw to cut through. If you have a circular saw, that would be ideal. A Reciprocating saw (sawzall) may work also.

LewieP's Mummy

Just use an ordinary hand saw - if you're careful, you can be pretty accurate - just measure twice, then cut, after drawing your cutting lines.

Also, have you thought about slot together galvanised steel shelves? Or these?

They are both fairly strong, as well as being pretty easy to put together. Ok, I know these are in the UK, but I just googled metal shelving, there must be loads of places in the US that sell them.