Improved shop storage

Ned Bulken

Member
Messages
5,529
Location
Lakeport NY and/or the nearest hotel
With the recent upturn in activity in the shop. things were getting a bit messy
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I've got so much stuff on my benchtops that I couldn't find things easily. It was time for a better way to keep my stuff off the floor.

I've had this mag tape cabinet for awhile, but until today it basically was just taking up floor space.

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Job 1, empty out the tape racks
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I started by building a set of 'free standing' shelves for case storage, Just some two by stock and 3/4 CDX.

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and to keep it from tipping out, I added a brace to the top, which I'd already had cut from an earlier shelf attempt.

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The cabinet has slots which these brackets fit into:

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I thought about simply cutting a slot across the plywood, but I thought it would be very weak.

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I added a 1x1 with a groove cut in it, and then screwed the shelf to that, and also two screws Up into the 1x1 to lock it in place.

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I also added a cross bar on the 1/2" thick shelves to help if the shelves sag at all. I pocket screwed those to the end bracketts.
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Outstanding idea Ned. The roll up door is great for the tighter spaces. Using the brackets will make things flexible in the future.
I'll have to keep an eye out for one of those!

Wes
 
Outstanding idea Ned. The roll up door is great for the tighter spaces. Using the brackets will make things flexible in the future.
I'll have to keep an eye out for one of those!

Wes


Wes,
My father and I used to run a used high tech salvage operation, sort of a high tech sanford & son (and about as comical), We got several of those from the local GE plant when Martin Marietta merged with them, and they closed two plants, moving the operations to a third one in Syracuse. My dad has one this size and another shorter one in his basement in VA.

The internal dimensions are 77" high, 33.5 width and 16" depth between the tambour rails.
 
Hey that was slick in utilizing those brackets for the shelves!!!! I had to recheck, thought you had turned the cabinet around on the last picture and was showing the back and I couldn't figure out what was so cool!:doh::rofl::rofl:
 
Hey that was slick in utilizing those brackets for the shelves!!!! I had to recheck, thought you had turned the cabinet around on the last picture and was showing the back and I couldn't figure out what was so cool!:doh::rofl::rofl:

Even if I had a different place to put that, It isn't going to move far now that I have stuff in it. About the only other mod I might make is to screw in a security strap to the top/back so that if it tries to tip over it won't be able to.

Jon,
I was going to do a floor to top set of legs, but I realized I was going to lose a lot of volume to the risers. those brackets are plenty strong for this application, and there's nothing I have in the shop that would Fit in there that would overload them, so they were the ideal solution.

I still have two more pairs of brackets, just no more room to use them at this point, and looking at that statement (about the weight etc...) I suppose I Could tear the lower shelves out and put the brackets down there, but I like what I built, so it will be staying.
 
Hmm, did you insulate the wall before you put that beast in place? Something tells me you aren't going to want to move it as it gets full of stuff. :doh:

looks great, though.

...art
 
I love re-purposeing storage cabinets in the house. The most satisfying thing, is realizing that all the things that originally were stored in it are absolutely worthless - there's just this sens of freedom when you throw away things which have no apparent use to you at that time (at least if you REALLY never ever needed those items ever again haha!)
 
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