Need opinion on a carpentry project

[sniper]

I've just about got my lumber storage addition complete on the back side of my shop. My plan is to put a lumber rack attached to the studs on the outside wall. I'm going to make it out of 2x4s with the horizontal part half-lapped to the vertical piece and attached to the stud, each stud getting one.

My question is:
1) Should I use 3" lag bolts or a regular nut/bolt to attach the vertical piece to the stud? I'm planning on putting a single bolt top, bottom and centered between each shelf for a total of 6 bolts per stud.

Thanks for the help.

Steve

[goaliedad]

A little glue and attach it with some beads




In this case I would go with nuts and bolts, but that is just me

[jcredding]

Another way to do it is to cut the horizontal pieces and then sister them with 1/2 inch plywood that will then slide around the vertical 2 x 4 and you can sink 4" carriage bolts high and low through the ply and vertical 2 x 4. I did that for years and stored nearly 1000 bf of wood on 5 levels for a long time. I've recently gone to vertical storage, but if you need a picture PM me and I can get you one.

Good luck
John

[MstrCarpenter]

I would use 4" head lock screws. They're a little expensive compared to zinc plated lags and washers, but about the same as hot dipped galvanized. The head is large enough that you won't need washers, they zip right in with a cordless impact with no pre-drilling required, and they won't pull out or shear.

[jteneyck]

If you make the vertical piece a 2 x 4 and run it to the floor you won't need much to hold it to the studs.  A piece of 1/2" plywood at the upper and lower quarter points and a few 2" screws will be more than enough because the only load will be shearing.  

John

[Steve N]

Steve, just to be clear you are using the 2x to build arms that will essentially act as shelves? Or are you just making arms that will hold wood from sliding when you put the lumber on edge?

Hardly any consideration if standing it up, just screw on some horizontal boards, and use 1/2" black pipe stuck wherever you want into some 5/8" holes. Best if you angle them down into the wood so the pipe sticks upward, it'll never fall out that way. Stack your boards on end and I've been told when looking for that perfect board you just sort of index through them.

If you are making shelves then I like the style below. Have the studs go all the way to the floor as John suggested. For the number and type of lags. I like those cap head threadlock screws a lot. You could get by with 4 of them holding up a 8 to 10' long 2x4. As John said it's just shear force, Any something to keep them stuck to the wall will be fine, Your 2x4 and Plywood arms will be taking the load, pushing downward. That is where the plywood gussets come in. Some 2" screws back into the 2x4 will do fine. I'm hesitant to glue this, as soon as you do, you'll decide to do something different, and taking it down without glue is a piece of cake, with glue it's new drywall.





Before starting lay it out on paper. Next build your gussets all the same. You can mount a straight 2x, or piece of hardwood on a line across your vertical 2x4's where you want the bottoms of the gussets to go, put a level on it, and temporarily screw it down. Then you can easily line the gussets up straight and true. After doing a row across, unscrew your ledge, and move it down one level.

[Lynden]

Using 2x4s and plywood gussets reduces the amount of lumber that can be stacked on each level. A better solution is to use 3/4" pipe as shown below.

http://lumberjocks.com/projects/73142

[joe1086]

+1 on black iron pipe. I oriented my 2x4s with the short side against the wall. Used 3/4 pipe, holes drilled a couple degrees from horizontal. Fast and super strong.

[Phil S.]

Another vote for black iron pipe.  I bored holes edgewise into 2X4's, tacked them to the overhead joists and loaded them up.  Sturdy and minimal loss of space compared to standards supported with gussets.

[rwe2156]

You definitely need more than lap joints.  I would turn the 2x4's so the narrow edge is against the wall and use 6" lags into the studs. WoodWhisperer has a video on this method.

I've tried the pipes as mentioned the problem is getting them all exactly level with each other.