Introduction: Free-Standing Lumber Rack

By Wood Shop Mike
About: Husband to a great wife, father to my baby girl, and child of the one true king. 9-5er during the day and woodworker the rest of the time. Follow along as I offer tips, tricks, and woodworking plans. I star…

Hello again and thanks for checking out this project!

Like usual, this project was first posted to my blog here. Check it out sometime if ya like and peruse some of the other things I've covered from small engine repair to fine furniture building.

INTRO

With my new shop space, I have a handful of things to organize before I can really call the space a "shop". One big item on that list of to-dos is a lumber rack. There's a spot in particular that just fit the bill for being an area for lumber storage, so I set out to design the best solution for my lumber rack to fit the space. I think it's gonna be great! and... "It's gonna be huuugge!"

The new lumber rack design is pretty similar to the one I made at our old house when my shop was in the garage. Which, strangely enough, I don't have a picture of, but it was built very similarly to this one. (second photo in this step is an example I found athttps://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/lumber-storage...

Anywho, now that I have tons of floor space, I decided to make my 2.0 version of this lumber rack free-standing. The finished design is 10' wide and almost 8' tall with 4 "shelves" that extend about 30". That's a lot of storage!

Another nice thing is that this design is modular. So, if you have a space that's more than 12' wide you can add additional racks. Or if you only have a space that's 6' wide... you get the idea :)

Step 1: Ready to Build One?

Lucky for you, I've got the plans that can be downloaded here along with cut sheets and a pricing guide so you can get an idea of what the project will cost before you even run out to the lumber yard!

Download the plans here, they're free!

Step 2: Individual Rack Construction

Go ahead and cut all the pieces to make the racks.

I went ahead and screwed the two 2x4s and small 2x4 spacer for the bottom of each rack together.

Now here's where my build and your build will be a little different. In the plans I call for a continuous piece of plywood to be used. In mine, I used two pieces of OSB on either side of my racks because I had tons left over from other projects. I cut the OSB length so that the seam would line up in between two of the "arms." If that doesn't make sense, just look at the photos.

Screw a small block to the bottom of the lower 2x6 on the side you'll be adding plywood to first. This block serves as a spacer for the bottom 2x4s while securing the plywood.

Lay out the 2x6 vertical pieces and 2x4 arms and align them against a straight edge. I'm using the rail for a Biesemeyer fence I have yet to install on a tablesaw, but any extra board or angle iron you may have will work. Lay out the pieces as closely together as possible.

Apply glue and then clamp the 2x6s to your straight edge.

Screw (1-1/2" & 3-1/2" screws) the plywood to the 2x6s and 2x4s, taking care to keep everything tight as you're working. Flip the rack over and add the plywood skin to the other side again using glue and screws to secure the assembly.

Step 3: Foot and Arm Braces

Once both sides are skinned, secure the bottom 2x4s with 3-1/2" screws. Make sure this is square with the vertical members, otherwise your rack will lean forward or back.

Now screw the diagonal supports in place with 3-1/2" screws.

The last piece to add for the individual racks is an additional 2x4 with 3-1/2" screws on the left or right side for some additional rigidity.

Step 4: Assemble the Rack!

Now, move the single rack assemblies wherever you're going to set up the rack and space them apart about 2' O.C.

Make sure they're plumb and level to one another before you go to town tying them all together.

Now just get some 2x4s and tie all the racks together with more 3-1/2" screws and you're done. I didn't have any 2x4s on had that would span the full length with a single piece, so I compromised and used shorter 2x4s, but more of them. You'll get the idea from the photos below.

The last thing to do is fill it up with some lumber.

Thanks for reading y'all! If you want to see more content like, find me across the web!

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