My Lumber rack

[jhart]

Or a good Jackhammer should do the trick. Nice Rack, Loring

[lrogers]

Only here can you say "nice rack" and not slapped. When are we going to see pictures of it loaded up?

[os1kne]

Nice work!

[big tim]

Nice rack, Loring, but be careful moving it with such a narrow footprint.
Amazing though, isn't it, how quickly the cost adds up. $200 is not bad though.
Good job.

Tim

[Rslaugh]

Loring

I must say you had some afternoon. Very creative rack. As for what could be a screw up, I suspect there maybe two. The first might be that it's way too tall for the footprint, could be a little tipsy on the lumber side when loaded up. Second, the area under the first set of supports, where the 2 x 4 gussets are doesn't look conducive to lumber storage, if that's what you intended. Kinda wondering what that area is for...small cut offs?
.

I think the height will be just fine. On the back side there will be sheet goods on the bottom so a bunch of weight there keeping the CG low. But even without that all the weight on front side is just above or behind the casters. It would have to be on some very unlevel ground to move the CG far enough to that side to get it to tip. I think the only way to load it to get it to tip on level ground would be nothing on the bottom and front with a bunck of wide oak planks on the top of the back side. The racks there overhang the edge enough to move the CG way to that side.

The 2x4's on the bottom of the back will support the sheet goods. the ones in front would have a bunch of shorter cutoffs and maybe a box or two of scaps.

Nice job Loring - I really like it.

[LCHIEN]

I think the height will be just fine. On the back side there will be sheet goods on the bottom so a bunch of weight there keeping the CG low. But even without that all the weight on front side is just above or behind the casters. It would have to be on some very unlevel ground to move the CG far enough to that side to get it to tip. I think the only way to load it to get it to tip on level ground would be nothing on the bottom and front with a bunck of wide oak planks on the top of the back side. The racks there overhang the edge enough to move the CG way to that side.

The 2x4's on the bottom of the back will support the sheet goods. the ones in front would have a bunch of shorter cutoffs and maybe a box or two of scaps.

Nice job Loring - I really like it.

You read my mind. Yes, the sheet goods counterbalance, the space up front is for some boxes for cutoffs and scraps, the racks in back are intended for dowels, all thread, PVC pipe, smaller stuff, maybe in tubes. Initially it was going to have smaller (shorter racks) but I decide to make them all the same so I could use them front or back.

I think Sarge(?) was right, I should have provided a wedge to tilt the sheet goods to the middle. I was thinking about a tie to hold them to the center.

the main tippiness I got into was when I took all the lumber off the rack but left the sheet goods when I tried to get it up the one-inch lip just inside my garage door. Sarge was right about the shifting sheet goods. and I learned one thing, swivel wheels change the tipping point as they roll around.
basically the physics of tipping is if the force vector lands outside the wheel base (center-to center line of the wheels on the tippy side)
If you push it sideways the wheels swivel to align with the direction of pushing and the center point of contact moves farther under the rack. If the wheels stop rolling and you are pushing far up the rack then you can tip this thing, especially if you have unloaded all the wood off one side!

Its sort of insidious how the tip point (point of wheel contact) changes as you push this thing in different directions... hadn't thought about that.

I have to say, I calculated this thing could be well over 1000# loaded, and its pretty hard to move just because of the weight. Still, the wheels helps after it got assembled before it got loaded. I think a fixed one (no wheels) might be best if you can possibly do it. There's no flexing of the verticals or the pipe supports... so that's reassuring.

I spent another $12 on caps for the plastic PVC pipe covers, looks much better.

[John Hunter]

Very nice, now you have to fill it up.

[Bill in Buena Park]

Looks well constructed, Loring. I appreciate your use of 4x4s, I tend to use them myself when framing things I know will need the beef. I built my shop workbench out of 4x4s, 2x6s, and 3/4in plywood - whole thing is lagged together like your rack too (but I went with metal casters) - could easily support 1000lbs if need be.

By your calculations, how many pounds can a conduit rack support? The length of the conduit suggests 12" widths or better are possible, and stack quite a few high by the look of it.

Others have mentioned height loading and possible tippage, but you may have the same issue if you don't balance the weight on both sides - like adding plates to only one side of the bench press bar.

[LCHIEN]

By your calculations, how many pounds can a conduit rack support? The length of the conduit suggests 12" widths or better are possible, and stack quite a few high by the look of it.
.

discussion of the rods selection and testing.
http://www.bt3central.com/showthread.php?t=36523

I Went for 100 Lbs on a 15" rod inserted 2" into the vertical member.
I figured the lumber stack per row as a max of 8" high, 8 feet long 12" wide supported on 4 pipe rods
and a density of around 60 Lbs per cu foot (conservative value, wood density depends on species)
Yields a weight around 80 lbs distributed over the 12" length of pipe used.

[billwmeyer]

I think the last time I used the term "Nice Rack" I got slapped so I'll just say good job!
Bill

[reddog552]

4 swivel castors

Ive been following this thread ,I couldnt tell from the pics If you put on all swivel castors.Ive learned my lesson with that. i built a good 30 or so carts for material storage.Some of them cary in excess of 1500 lbs. Two swivel castors can be moved and steered by one man,4 swivel castors turns it into a hard 2 man job.

[jziegler]

Looks good Loring, holds plenty of lumber.

Looks like a good design. With what you discovered about tipping, what are your thoughts on a rolling cart vs. a fixed rack? I've been thinking of building a lumber rack (not that I have much to store right now) and am not sure what kind to make.

Jim

[LCHIEN]

Reddog,
I used 4 swivels, thinking that it would be easier to maneuver in close spaces.
But I think you are right, I should have used 2 fixed, 2 swivel in restrospect.
It would be easier to steer, albeit parallel parking it is tougher.

Jim, Definately fixed/nonmovable would save height and about 40% of the cost in my case.
It will work better and be lower and cheaper, provided you can build it in place and get to both sides of it easily.

[LinuxRandal]

What brand and where did you get those casters?

I picked up something very similar to your base, from a mail and packing store that closed. It was the base of their mail boxes, but it had cheap casters on it, and one was broke. Was thinking of making a bench, but now you have me thinking otherwise.

Forgot to say thanks!

[LCHIEN]

What brand and where did you get those casters?

I picked up something very similar to your base, from a mail and packing store that closed. It was the base of their mail boxes, but it had cheap casters on it, and one was broke. Was thinking of making a bench, but now you have me thinking otherwise.

WWW.castercity.com

model 9UP5x2-S (Swivel)
9up5x2-R (rigid)
http://www.castercity.com/eshop/10Ex...nTo=../cm9.htm