Home Made Pallet Rack storage

Thumper & Buttercup · Mar 1, 2009

OK guys,

Don't know where to put this but we got a new Berlon Fork attachment for our Tractor. I mainly got it for the quick attach spade to dig out some stumps and bury some large rocks.

We'll I was looking around the shop and all the junk that takes up floor space, I've got room in the back of the shop for a 22' rack with three shelves. First one will be ground height with a middle and top shelf. I'm thinking of using 4x4 posts with 2x6 front and rear boards and 2x6 boards going between the front and back 4x4 footings. Then just add two or three 2x6 braces front to back to help take the weight of the pallet. I figure I can put up about 12 of my shop items and clear up a lot of floor space.

What do you guys think?? I'm going to figure out my cost of doing it with wood vs getting some steel pallet shelves. Here is a quick shot of us hooking up the unit, I really like the quick attach system.

tommu56 · Mar 1, 2009

I'm looking for some used sections of bulk rack around here for my place.

Don't put the beams on the lower shelf's just the upper 2 sets then you can put stuff on dollies and roll it under the other stuff.

tom

Thumper & Buttercup · Mar 1, 2009

Yep,

I figured to leave the bottom off, I've got a finishing mower and a ATV mower that will be parked in the bottom row.

JB4310 · Mar 1, 2009

Are you talking about inside or outside the back of the shop?

Either way shelves are a great way to organize, I bought a bunch of light duty pallet racking from service merchandise, which was a dept store chain that was closing, this was for there own warehouse use. It's light duty but can still hold around 1600 per shelf, easy to put together, spent around 800. for 20+ uprights and all the cross beams and wire shelves to go with it.

I'm a shelf nut, I've got it in my shop, in my garage, shed, basement even in the attic.

JB.

texasjohn · Mar 1, 2009

I have lots of rack storage, cannot more highly recommend it. Entire perimeter of shop has the shelving... about 1.5 foot out from the exterior wall so I can get behind it as well.

I got mine at a metal recycling place... got to wait for it to arrive, then sort thru and make sure you get straight pieces.

Craig's List is another place that I have seen such shelving.

I second the idea of putting stuff on a dolly and rolling it under the first tier of shelves. This is what I do. In fact, EVERYTHING in my shop is on wheels EXCEPT the racks.. this makes rearranging things sooooo handy.

Jagmandave · Mar 3, 2009

I would not use 4X4's or other wood, I'd look around and see if there's a used equiment dealer in you neighborhood, they sell this stuff dirt cheap, especially if you clean/repaint it and it just either bolts together or snaps together, and it's made for the job.

JB4310 · Mar 3, 2009

Jagmandave said:
I would not use 4X4's or other wood, I'd look around and see if there's a used equiment dealer in you neighborhood, they sell this stuff dirt cheap, especially if you clean/repaint it and it just either bolts together or snaps together, and it's made for the job.

Especially with all these stores closing, call one of those companies that go in and buy all the fixtures from the store/warehouse, they must be stocked to the roof now and willing to deal.

Used racking usually fetches close to same money as new, and is hard to get a deal on in booming times, but now is not boom time by any stretch of the imagination.

BarryinMN · Mar 3, 2009

Wood tends to collect dust, dirt, debris, etc. Might try using wire decking drop it on it locks in place done.

I ringed the entire pole barn 40x60 with various height & length shelving all 42" deep to accomodate stuff on pallets. Also have a 24" set used to make a 30" workbench.

I mapped out the parts needed & made one bulk purchase from a used shop.

Last year found parts at auction to make additional racking across the back outside wall. This year one to-do is pour a concrete strip across the back & mount the racking.

Thumper & Buttercup · Mar 4, 2009

Hey Barry,

A guy told me today to check with Mac's, that they have used pallet racks for sale. I'll be checking them out this next week at Fargo.

newbury · Feb 10, 2012

Revival of an old thread.
Last year we bought a piece of Mississippi, nice house w/ 3 car carport and large deck and pool, 73 acres, AND 5,500 sq feet of workshops.

The first pic shows the spread of the workshops, the second and third are representative of what they looked like inside, the fourth is an example of what I'd like to get them all to look like. Exterior walls lined with pallet racks.

I managed to score the teardrop pallet racks in the 4th photo locally (near Washington DC) at $35/12' upright and $10/8' beam. I did not realize how good a price that was. And all I had was a 1993 minivan to haul them in. Now I'm looking to get at least another 20 8'-10' uprights and about 80 12' beams. And I now have the truck in picture 4 and my trailer to haul them with.

So does anyone have good suggestions (like the earlier one of metal recyclers) other than ebay and Craigslist (where I look almost daily) where to find them?