Friday, February 10, 2012

First Project: Basement Shelf completed

So I have a decent list of builds I want to accomplish.  Before move in, it was hard to prioritize the list.  Then we moved in and I saw the pile of crap in the basement.  Suddenly some basement shelves were at the top of the list.
Overall this shelf unit is 8' long, 2' deep, and 6' tall (before the casters).  I used 2x4's for everything.  Bottom two shelves have 19" of height, third shelf has 18" and the top shelf is limited by the ceiling.  I screwed swivel casters to the bottom for mobility and modularity in the basement.  BUT, if I build another, I will use bigger casters.  She doesn't move easily loaded down....but she moves.
I built the shelf frames in the garage and carried down to the basement for final construction

This is the pile of crap that motivated me to get the shelf built first

Built and ready to load

And there you go.  This has severely reduced the mayhem of crap but could easily use another one.  Next project is either a workbench/miter saw bench in garage OR custom shelving next to door coming into house from garage.  

8 comments:

  1. Thats a quick build and solves so much, great job. Since were having the basement fininshed, they leave a 15x15 room unfinished that we want to fill with shelving and the metal ones offered start at $60, no thanks. Looks like that amount of wood should be around $30(?), def the way to go. A friend of mine built some similar and then cut pallets in half and used those as a base to keep the shelves off of the floor. He loses a few inches in height but theyre definitely stable. How many casters are you using? Whats their tolerance rating?

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Steve.
      (2) 4'x8'x5/8 OSB (ripped length wise in half)
      (16) 2"x4"x8'
      2lbs of course thread drywall screws (purchased, only used a third of the second box)
      4 swivel 2" casters rated at 125lbs each.
      total cost at Home Depot was $78ish

      Not counting the brand new Milwaukee Impact Driver I bought to replace the recent passing of my beloved 18volt Dewalt Drill. Impact drills ROCK!

      The pallet idea is a good one. Hmmmmm, a pallet with a set of casters screwed to the bottom and you have some kick ass basement storage. Thanks Steve, I think I will get some more casters today!

      I will build another one and will either go with bigger caster wheels or none at all. This thing loaded as you see it doesn't move easily....but it moves.

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    2. Haha ok, so I was a little off on the price estimate, I totally left out the OSB panel in my calcs. The retail shelves are only 6' wide so the extra area youve got is definitely a worth it. And youre right a pallet with casters is a cool idea--added to the list.

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  2. Definitely use larger wheels if you really feel the need to move that storage shelf around... However, if you make them permanent use a vapor barrier where ever wood touches concrete or the wood touching concrete will rot in time...

    Nice job!!!!

    Dad

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    1. thanks dad, I didn't know that about wood on concrete. good to know!

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  3. If you plan to put anything heavy on them, deck screws would work better than drywall screws. Where the shelf attaches to the vertical supports, you might want to add carriage bolts. Drywall screws are pretty brittle...how many of them broke off while you were driving them?

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    Replies
    1. I stopped using drywall for those reasons. I have become a big fan of Spax screws.

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  4. It’s really wise that you decided to finish building the shelf in the basement rather than doing it outside. From there, you could get the right size that you wanted, and not have problems transporting it later on. Anyway, are you trying to add some pallets as well? It would definitely helpful, especially if you have more items to store in your basement.

    Iris Conner @ Agame

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