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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2011
    Location
    Adelaide
    Posts
    103

    Default Steel storage rack

    I built my old mobile steel rack 6 or 7 years ago. Mobility and minimal footprint was a requisite at the time. I had scored the angle iron base (two of) which I subsequently dismembered and rewelded as the original was fairly skew-if. Mounted them on castors, the pair of trolleys has served well moving the otherwise immovable. It was built pre-shed build.

    old_mobile_rack_1.jpg


    I used the back of it for some bits of sheet and shorts, but it was too cumbersome to pull out, so generally whatever was behind was forgotten. Would have been better to put all rotatable castors on, rather than 2 fixed and 2 rotatable. Anyhow, spending time back in the shed, a new rack seemed like a good idea.

    old_mobile_rack_2.jpg
    old_mobile_rack_3.jpg


    There were 4 lengths of 75x75x3mm about the right length left over from the shed build - had bought 8m lengths and these were the leftovers from the cut. Would be perfect if they were about 300-400 mm longer, but they were there and spare. 75mm RHS is overkill for a rack of course, but I am unlikely to use them otherwise.


    At the same time I thought the shelving unit for short bits would be better on the opposite wall (which meant unpacking everything in it of course). So the welders had to move over as well. They started in this (back wall) position in the first layout iteration, but the cables always seemed to be in the way. More irritatingly, they get sprayed with grinding crap. This necessitated replacement of one of the voltage switches. I had though about a welding curtain a few times, missed a couple (too much $) at a couple of auctions 3 or 4 years ago, and new ones are stupid expensive. Alternatives yesterday. PVC, thickish. Cold room strip curtains! Ebay $80. Ordered. It’s on the way.


    this_will_work_1.jpg


    Then I thought to myself (last night), self, working at the welding table, the angle grinder spray mostly sprays to the right, so why not move the welders out of the way, and over to the left of the welding bench? Cool room curtain now essentially redundant.
    The bench grinder bench will just fit to the right of the welding bench, only need to nudge the welding bench 200mm left. Free floor space, which is minimal (1.4x1.6m), measure much the same for the old vs new format. So it’s a go-er. Get all the crud producing items (bench grinders, angle grinders, chop saw, to one end. Excellent.


    Minor compensation for the bit too short was to sit the uprights on some 50x75mm feet (more old offcuts) - test fit illustrated.. Every bit helps. Also means the floor won’t get chewed. I’m liking it.

    steel_rack_2.jpg


    The left hand end works too. And the gun cable hanger is now easily accessible. It was between the two welders before.

    steel_rack_3.jpg


    Cleaned up the RHS lengths with angle grinder rope twist wire brush as usual, flap wheel cleaned the edges and got to tacking. Smaller Fireball square was useful, but first tack up was just slightly out in the other axis, due to the cut end not being quite square. The smaller 8inch Fireball does not provide enough surface width to force compensation on the 75mm RHS.


    OCD dilemma of sorts. Live with it or un-tack it - it wasn't much and it's only a rack... I was literally just deciding that if I didn’t un-tack it and do it again, it would always bug me, when a package arrived, and whaddya know - it’s the larger 12 in Aluminium squares I ordered six weeks ago. Perfect timing, I kid you not.


    fireball_squares_1.jpg

    fireball_squares_2.jpg


    Took a different approach (to laying both pieces flat on the table) and shimmed up the upright to get the 30mm back offset I wanted, and tally-ho.

    fireball_squares_3.jpg

    first_fit_1.jpg



    Brackets to tie to the wall and arms tommorrow.




  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Newcastle
    Posts
    341

    Default

    I've been considering Fireball squares for ages. Was shipping expensive? I presume you got them from the states?

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2011
    Location
    Adelaide
    Posts
    103

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by pippin88 View Post
    I've been considering Fireball squares for ages. Was shipping expensive? I presume you got them from the states?
    the aluminium 12" pair was $55 USD shipping. $136 USD shipping for cast iron 12" pair.

    Fireball have updated their site, the shopping cart will estimate shipping for Oz/Nz; put in your state/city/postcode.


    The Fabricators pack I got Aug 2018; from email at the time (USD):
    "For the Fabricator Package 8 - Cast Iron, the price is $340 and shipping would be $149. In total for this package, it would be $489.
    For the Fabricator Package 8 - Aluminum, the price $280 and shipping would be $88. In total, it would be $368."

    yes from the US

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2011
    Location
    Adelaide
    Posts
    103

    Default Steel rack build - day 2

    Decided to drill and tap the mounting holes to the girts, rather than tek screws or weld in place. M10x1.0 fine gives 3 threads engagement in the 3mm wall RHS girt. Stepped off the left with timber. The universe reinforced this design it seemed, by virtue of the M10 bolts I had ordered off ebay a few days ago, arriving this morning. That’s fortuitous-ness 2 days in a row. I should probably be worried.

    rack_1.jpg


    The first post mountings I scribed and punched, then thought a template would be far quicker, and most likely more consistent. 3mm holes at this stage.

    rack_2.jpg


    Having drilled the top mount locations, used the laser to set the bottom plate hole. Piece of baclava.

    rack_3.jpg

    rack_4.jpg


    Eyesight not being what it was, a spirit level is ok, but laser is better - and top to bottom.

    rack_5.jpg


    Then I remembered I had a digital level. Handy bit of kit - built the shed with it. First one turns out, was close enough.

    rack_6.jpg


    Second one was ok too.

    rack_7.jpg


    The brackets I had in the offcuts rack, right length and already drilled. 5 of em only though. Didn’t have any same size bar left, but did have some shorter offcuts , so cut and shut.



    rack_8.jpg

    The welding bench is working out well.

    rack_9.jpg


    End of the day, access is a bit too squeezy to tack the right side of the rightmost post. The separating wall behind the shelving rack is a series of scrounged doors, so I’ll lift out the end one from the other side tomorrow, to tack the brackets. Test bit of ally angle I keep for a straight edge put up to set the tone for tomorrow.
    I have a mixed bag of short lengths of offcuts, 65x35, 40x40… and some 75x50. I am thinking I will vertically space at 150mm. Rather have more levels than having to pile things on top of each other. I don’t routinely keep a whole lot anyway. Max length is 2.4m btw. Looking forward to getting the retractable power cable drop finished too.


    rack_10.jpg

    rack_11.jpg







  5. #5
    Join Date
    Nov 2011
    Location
    Adelaide
    Posts
    103

    Default

    First shelf going up. Used the smaller 8” Fireball squares. The angled corners allow getting in to tack and weld across. RHS brackets are 160mm long. Tacked the top corners of each bracket, then removed the Al angle length, re-clamped the FB square underneath the bracket, and tacked the bottom corners.

    first_shelf_1.jpg

    first_shelf_2.jpg


    Top row tacked in place.

    first_shelf_3.jpg


    And put to use

    first_shelf_4.jpg



    Took a different approach to the second row, this allowed tacking all 4 corners at the same time, with the FB square in place.
    second_row_5.jpg

    second_row_6.jpg


    Second row tacked up, and put to use.

    second_row_7.jpg

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Nov 2011
    Location
    Adelaide
    Posts
    103

    Default five rows up

    Two short of long enough offcuts, had to stitch a couple of pairs of short lengths together. Third row up.
    rack_1.jpg

    rack_2.jpg


    Out of 65x35mm, but enough 40x40x3mm for several more rows. Chop saw at the same height as the table is useful.
    Had a piece of 2mm stainless lying around that I had scored as a freebie a couple of years ago. Thought it would make a good backing for the grinders. Just the right length too - the 100mm short on the left is cos it is currently moved right to use the corner column for support.
    I had cut some painted melamine doors down
    ages ago (another freebie that was destined for the trash), to fit to the grinder bench. Decided to screw them to the frame in the short term, the flat surface help define the small area, and stops the grinder spray.

    rack_3.jpg




    I have been looking at utub vids re LED work lights lately, as sometimes there is just not enough to see where to tack, need more light at times. Remembered I had a COB LED I had got from Aldi. Its only 10W and illuminated nicely. Problem is it kept triggering the Speedglas mask, couldn’t see a thing. Tried it to the side, below, behind, eventually gave up.
    led.jpg


    Fourth and fifth rows up.

    five rows_1.jpg

    five rows_2.jpg


    Feeling quite pleased with the result. I have found floorspace, all the material was lying around, and the grot is largely getting contained in one area. I have yet to add tabs to the ends of each bracket, I intend to unload the rack and final weld all the joints on the welding table, so I'll add them on at the same time.









  7. #7
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Perth, Western Australia
    Age
    67
    Posts
    362

    Default

    Doing some nice work there.
    Something you might want to consider is putting some mesh between a couple of uprights.
    I used some scrap 25x25mm and 50x50mm on my rack. Great for putting all those short pieces you end up with on.

    Tony

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Nov 2011
    Location
    Adelaide
    Posts
    103

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by bts View Post
    Doing some nice work there.
    Something you might want to consider is putting some mesh between a couple of uprights.
    I used some scrap 25x25mm and 50x50mm on my rack. Great for putting all those short pieces you end up with on.

    Tony
    Hi Tony,

    yep, I had been thinking about that. I was going to put some across the feet as well to give more support for shorter bits of sheet offcuts too.

    The gray steel (ex DOD) rack to the right is my 'short bits' storage. The shelf depth is 400mm. So with a bit of stick-out for the minority few bits in the 450mm or so length, they fit without being obtrusive/hazardous into the floor space.

    The between centre spacing of the verticals of the rack, is 500mm. And with 65mm wide brackets, 450mm upwards lengths sit across a pair of brackets, was part of the design plan.

    Having those 300-400-ish offcuts on the rack though, makes for easier 'pickin'. So I have been thinking about a bit of mesh for some odd bits. But as I have it organised, a couple of shelves for 40mm plus RHS, shelf for smaller RHS, one each for flat & round bar and tube, angle, and bottom shelf for current project cuts, I will/would have to put mesh on sections of most. Might be a challenge to my sense of symmetry

    I was planning to visit the steel supplies in the next couple of weeks, to get a sheet of mesh to go on the bottom shelf of the welding bench, and figured that would provide some offcuts to go on the rack.


    The other good idea I have come across, is to use lengths of gutter. The engineering workshop at the hospital I was at years ago, had a 10 foot wall with a number of lengths of gutter fixed to it as a rack. Rod in one, tube in another, small fat bar... just for usable offcuts. Absolutely minimal stick-out from the wall/minimal footprint. Brilliant system. Easy to rummage, nothing falls off, flat-ish front face so OHS happiness.

  9. #9
    BobL is offline Member: Blue and white apron brigade
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Perth
    Posts
    7,182

    Default

    Rack looks great.

    My rack is a much lighter weight version as the heaviest stuff I have on any one shelf are a couple of pieces of 1" steel rod with about half my stuff being Al
    One of the best things I did was use uneven spacing of the verticals at one end house to store shorter stuff.

    The verticals are just 30 x 6 mm straps bolted to the roof truss and tek screwed to the shed girts. The supports are 150mm 1/2" steel rod bent to shape and covered in 1/2" back poly pipe. Holes are drilled through the strap and the rod poked though and welded on the back, You can see how I have I have chucked a board on one side of the DP to use as a shelf for drill bots.

    I was castigated for such a light weight structure on the woodies forum. My testing procedure consider of me (then 125kg) hanging/standing off/on single hooks, they gave a mm or so. 9 years later and considerably more loaded up than shown here its still standing

    stackedrack.jpg

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Nov 2011
    Location
    Adelaide
    Posts
    103

    Default

    [QUOTE=BobL;1967664]Rack looks great.

    My rack is a much lighter weight version as the heaviest stuff I have on any one shelf are a couple of pieces of 1" steel rod with about half my stuff being Al
    One of the best things I did was use uneven spacing of the verticals at one end house to store shorter stuff.

    The verticals are just 30 x 6 mm straps bolted to the roof truss and tek screwed to the shed girts. The supports are 150mm 1/2" steel rod bent to shape and covered in 1/2" back poly pipe. Holes are drilled through the strap and the rod poked though and welded on the back, You can see how I have I have chucked a board on one side of the DP to use as a shelf for drill bots.

    I was castigated for such a light weight structure on the woodies forum. My testing procedure consider of me (then 125kg) hanging/standing off/on single hooks, they gave a mm or so. 9 years later and considerably more loaded up than shown here its still standing

    QUOTE]

    Thanks Bob.

    30x6 flat bar is almost the equivalent amount of steel as 30 x 3mm wall SHS, which is about what I would have built from (well maybe 40mm for 'convincing' aesthetics) if I had to buy fresh materials. A structural engineer mate got me to think about the total amount of steel in the cross section as a very rough way of making comparisons when I was building my shed.

    It's also about what is expected to be loaded on it - neither of ours are Sydney Harbour Bridge

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