material rack

[corncrazy]

I work for a machine shop and I was put in charge of our new plasma cutter. The thing is we have all the sheets laying up against the wall and I would like to make/buy something to organize all of our sheet stock. could you guys post up some pictures of what you use to give me some ideas. Things to keep in mind is we have a 2x4 table, we only use about 5 different sizes so far, we need to stock min 3-8 sheets, and we are kinda strapped on space.

[jmsrbrt]

No picture, but think of a toaster...I built a rack that stands up the 4x8 sheets on the long side, four foot high. Another way of thinking about it would be a book stood up on its' binder. This way you can "flip" through the different size sheets until you find the one you want.

[Francisco]

Here's a (terrible, I know - sorry) sketch of what we use for ga 20 to ga 11 material, usually no more than two or three sheets of each gauge.

We had access to a tube bender, therefore we made it with bent round tube, but you can quickly weld one up from straight sections of whatever you have on hand. We left 4" between the spacers. Each 4' x 4' sheet's lower edge rests on the bottom frame members.

[corncrazy]

I like it. Thanks the only thing I think I might add is some strong casters so I could move it around.

[txskinney]

this is one i made a few years ago

[wrathje]

Wouldnt the sheets start to bend over or start to sag half way down?
Currently, I just lay the sheets down on the flat floor then put a piece of plywood on top, and just walk around, It's a pain finding the one I need though.

I was thinking upright like those pictured but with a locking type, like they do with glass on trucks.

Sometimes it might be a couple weeks till I can get to a certain size to cut.

[pertneer]

Wouldnt the sheets start to bend over or start to sag half way down?
Currently, I just lay the sheets down on the flat floor then put a piece of plywood on top, and just walk around, It's a pain finding the one I need though.

I was thinking upright like those pictured but with a locking type, like they do with glass on trucks.

Sometimes it might be a couple weeks till I can get to a certain size to cut.

I used to work at a shop that did a lot of sheet metal stuff. They stored all of their material on its edge. The thinner material was placed between two thicker pieces to keep it from bending, but it really was not an issue. Beside having easy access to the size you need saved time and money.

[Metal Arcs]

I would def go the on edge route, my shop uses flat racks but we also have a considerable amount of space and stock 4x8 sheets in many sizes. The plate is supported in 3 spots and still gets warped, but being outside the building and mainly forklift accessibility thats the way we keep it.

That being said, it seems like you are in the completely opposite side of the coin, so if I were to be making my own storage setup, I definitely would go with on edge design so you can find what you need quick and easy and save space. win, win.

[Marty]

I just fabricated my staorage rack from 1 1/2 angle iron (1/8), used some 3/8 red head concrete anchors thru the plate and then lag scres into the wall studsdone. I have been using it about a year and very happy with it. Takes up very litlle square footage and I installed it in area that does not block traffic, It is typically loaded with 4-7 sheets 12-16 ga steel, plus some 1/8 aliminum sheet plus several steel rems and diamond plate, have had no warpage, I do try to keep the sheets as verticle as possible

[flyfast29]

We made our rack bunk bed style. Its at a high school and easier for all of the helpers to grab a side when the sheet is slid in or out. I found its easier to load and unload than a rack we had that stored the sheets on their edges.

[tnbndr]

I've used both vertical and flat storage methods at places I have worked and my choice would be the vertical storage if you can only have one. What happens with flat storage is demonstrated in flyfast29's photo. You start getting small remnants stacked on top and when you need a full sheet you have to unload all those remnants first and then put back.
The ideal situation if you have room is stack the full sheets flat and put the remnants in rackt vertical so they are easy to sort through and pull out the one you want to use.
Just my $.02.

[TAP]

When I was working plasma I worked alone most of the time,,, I dont have any pics but seemed to work good,

made a vertical rack that would pivot on the wall with 6', 3" channel close to floor with casters in middle and one 2 on the end, had 4 channels together for different gauge, bottom of channel ,3" wide, had pieces of 1/8" UHMW so metal would slide easy when sliding in and pulling out...

then fabricated a lifter/tilter, similar to a sheet rock lifter, would use this to transfer sheets from pickup bed to wall mounted vertical holder, then also use it to transfer from wall holder to plasma table, it would roll easy and tilted with little effort, even 4x8, 1/2 sheets, when tilted into horizontal position it would be about 1/2" higher than plasma table, had 8 skate board wheels on tilt table, 1/8" proud of frame, to make easy roll out to plasma table...

Maybe this will help someone save the back..as its to late for me,

Tim
the wall rack was similar to this

[HammerDownJustin]

started with this..and will now keep it for smaller pieces

IMAG1345.jpg

Still have this in the front shop

IMAG1686.jpg

building the new bridge crane for the shop add on..adding bracing under the c channel..ohh and the whole add on is getting r-30

IMAG2188.jpg

Still going to add a few gussets and cross bars with lights under the rack since the metal will block the ceiling

IMAG2255.jpg

First piece of steel up there. Now to get the lights off the wall. They are there temporary till we run the electrical,

IMAG2260.jpg

[motoguy]

I'd like to duplicate this rack:



I'll be storing 4x8 sheets on it. Likely many sheets of gauge, and a couple sheets of 1/4, 3/8, or 1/2. I could see a sheet or two of 1/4 and 3/8...but don't see more than 1 sheet of 1/2" living on it (in the near future).

Space is tight, so it'll be on wheels, just like this one. I had planned on going 24" wide, 6' deep, and 30" or so on the verticals (with 1.5-3" spacing between verticals...haven't decided yet). I'm planning on using 1.5" square tube for the base, and 1.5" round for the verticals.

My real question...will 1/8" tube suffice for this, or would I need something stronger, like 1/4"?

[jmsrbrt]

My rack is with one inch tubes with 1/8" wall. Hasn't broken or bent in 6 years.

[jmsrbrt]

PS...Add some cross pieces in addition to the ones front and back. Tube preferably so you can push the sheets the length of your holder.

[motoguy]

PS...Add some cross pieces in addition to the ones front and back. Tube preferably so you can push the sheets the length of your holder.

I plan on adding crossbracing, and just putting a sheet of 14ga down on the bottom to hold small drops.

[jmsrbrt]

I don't think you need cross bracing unless you aren't confident in your welds, but I would think about another storage idea for the small drops, and the other for full or half sheets. I have a similar, albeit smaller storage for those sheets that are just to large to scrap. Anything of useful size, I keep.

[exapprentice]

This is the concept I had to try and save space for storing steel sheet.

The rack itself would be mounted on bearings either end and rotated from vertical to horizontal to load onto the machine.
The concept included some form of jacking to raise or lower individual material slots to the correct height for loading also mounted on castors;)

Needless to say as this is only a sketch I have not got any further so its on the TO DO list with the rotary drive, powder coat oven and loads more that my boss (she who must be obeyed)wants doing any thing for a quiet life and no hassles

Rotating Steel Rack.JPG

Hopefully it will spark someone else into idea or something

[tnbndr]

This is the concept I had to try and save space for storing steel sheet

Concept is good but the post supports would interfere with lower sheets?
The table I saw had the supports you show on the left side, when rack pivoted it would end up above the supports, thus no interference.
I need to remember where I saw that pivoting table.

[exapprentice]

Hi Dennis

Thanks for the feed back, sorry I should have shown a view from the front or back of the frame

If you can picture something like a U shape when looking from the front the frame that the sheets lay in is rotating between the uprights of the U shaped frame / or maybe it would be easier to explain with another drawing view They say a picture is worth a thousand words (phew)

[motoguy]

The way I understand it, the support posts are on the outside, with the trays captured in the middle. Depending on the sheet you want, you could rotate it either way so that the sheet you want clear the support rails. As it is in the picture right now, if you wanted to cheat off of the bottom of the rack, you would just flip the rack 180 degrees, until that sheet is on the top.

[exapprentice]

Hi motoguy

That's nearly it, I did think about having the support posts height adjustable to make life a little easier.
In my mind it only ever rotates through 90 degrees so the sheets rest into the rack when vertical and maybe rollers on the frame of the rack to help sliding the plate out onto the machine.

It was only an idea
might spark another idea for someone else