Rolling Wood Storage Carts

[jteneyck]

My shop has been over crowded with wood stacked up in piles on the floor for quite some time - years actually.  Every time I use up the wood in a pile I seem to have more that takes it's place.  I'm not complaining about the wood, only that it's made moving around the shop difficult.  So I decided to build some rolling wood storage carts to store those piles on.  That won't really free up any new floor space, but it will make it possible for me to roll the carts from one part of the shop to another so I can flex my work areas, and even roll them out of the shop, temporarily, if I really need more space. 

I made a prototype cart - basic, screwed together 2 x 4 construction and casters I bought at HF.  I used 6 casters rated at 275 lbs each, but it's really hard to roll around after I loaded it up with a big stack of wood.  And for the cost of those casters and the bolts and nuts needed to attach them to the cart I could buy two of HF's 18 x 30" utility carts, rated at 1000 lbs each.



So I used two of them for the next cart:



The size is 60" long by 19" between the uprights, which are 48" high.  The 3/4" black iron pipe sections are 24" long, one reason the cart got to be that width.  The holes in the uprights are 1-1/8", 3-1/2" on center.  60 holes for each cart got a bit tedious, but I wanted flexibility for different width boards.

As I loaded the carts I sorted through each wood stack and culled out boards I really have no need for.  I'll either give them away or cut them into firewood if no one wants them.  Here's a photo of my prototype cart on the right and the one with the 2, HF utility carts as the base on the left.  That one rolls much easier. 

 

Stacking the lumber on edge makes it a lot easier to pull out any board I'm interested in. 

As I said, I haven't saved a lot of space by doing this, but my wood stacks are now off the floor, better organized, and can be rolled around when I need access/space.  The cost to build a cart was in the $50 range.  


John 

And yes, you careful observers, those are pieces of my MiniMax J/P on the floor.  It's been bugging me why I can't take off more than 1/32" w/o the motor bogging down, so I took the motor out and took it to a motor repair shop to diagnose/repair.  Hopefully, I'll get it back in another week - I'm not building anything but 2 x 4 and plywood projects in the meantime.  

John

[WaterlooMarc]

This is a great idea! I've been looking for ideas for a cart to set my wood on while I'm at the jointer/planer. I usually just stack it on the tablesaw or bandsaw but that involves a lot of needless shuffling. I've recently just starting piling it on top of a stack of systainers on the dolly because at least I can keep it close. But this idea is elegant in its simplicity. I have a few of those dollies in the basement leftover from my move. I think I shall commandeer one and build a scaled back version of this. Thanks for posting!

[EdL]

Ime, for something like that one should use steel wheeled casters with ball bearings.

I built the lumber rack/cart from a years ago Wood magazine project, only wider & taller. It's heavy....even with the steel casters it takes some effort to get rolling.

Great Lakes caster is a good source, you don't have to re-morgatge the house to get casters that'll make life easier than HF crap.

Ed

[jteneyck]

Ime, for something like that one should use steel wheeled casters with ball bearings.

I built the lumber rack/cart from a years ago Wood magazine project, only wider & taller. It's heavy....even with the steel casters it takes some effort to get rolling.

Great Lakes caster is a good source, you don't have to re-morgatge the house to get casters that'll make life easier than HF crap.

Ed

That would be best, but I couldn't find any casters like you mention for less than about $15 each, which is what one of the HF carts costs.  We'll see how well the HF carts work.  I can always upgrade to better casters if they can't handle the job, but it's not like I'm going to be moving these around on a daily or even weekly basis. 

I'd appreciate it if you can provide a link to those casters you mentioned.

John

[TomFromStLouis]

I built two similar but smaller carts for shorts and skinnies that were piling up. Larger pieces simply must find a place on the wall rack. My mobile racks hold pieces vertically.

For us wood hoarders, making inevitable piles mobile is a terrific idea for the same reason mobile machines make sense.

[oakey]

John
Great design hope you don't mind me copping
I have lots of short pc,s that are hard to store and search through from a pile in the corner
I usually store them for a while then house clean the whole stack to the stove
that looks like a great way to store odd lengths and widths

[jteneyck]

Thanks.  No problem at all copying it, improving it, etc.  One idea I had was to use two of the uprights, with pipes, to store pieces up to maybe 5 or 6' long at one end, and then make a box at that what sit at the other end for vertical storage of shorter pieces up to about 4' long.  Haven't done it yet, but don't see any reason it won't work.  Lots of options as you think about it.  

John

EDIT: I also contemplated drilling holes in the pipes just where they intersect the outside of the uprights, and putting a cotterpin, nail, or some type of clip through the hole. That would not only prevent the pipes from possibly slipping out of the uprights, but also help stiffen the sides against racking. But I decided to just try it first w/o doing that, and was pleasantly surprised with how well it works. Still, that would be the safer solution and anyone building a replica may wish to do that, as I may in the future, too.

John

[Stwood_]

Looks great. I like it.
Those dolly's are piano dolly's. They do a great job for what they are made for, and you've adapted them for a good solution.

[Richard D.]

There is nothing to keep it from racking sideways. Over time I think it will sway. If you rarely move it you'll be OK but with a lot of rolling around it'll loosen up. X-brace the back.

[jteneyck]

It's stiffer than you think.  The uprights are screwed to the bottom plywood plates and the 2 x 4 base.  I can tie the top of the uprights together if required, but the ends can't be braced because lumber sticks out both ends.  I don't plan to roll them around very often; they are fine for my purposes as they are.  Others may wish to do differently based on their needs. 

John