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Wood or metal storage shelves?

Sasquatch912

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Nov 2, 2016
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362
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Georgia
Which shelves would you prefer to store oil, various parts, and various items?

Im debating about a plywood and 2x4 set up or a metal shelving unit from Lowes.

Any suggestions?


Thank You!
 
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dshop

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Feb 17, 2012
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113
check CL for used office metal shelving...I've always been able to find good units at a fraction of the box store prices. It's for paint and oil cans; who cares?... you can get it half price or less.
 

CJ7VFR

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Jan 13, 2015
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2,941
Location
Central New Jersey
Which shelves would you prefer to store oil, various parts, and various items?

Im debating about a plywood and 2x4 set up or a metal shelving unit from Lowes.

Any suggestions?


Thank You!

If you go with the 2x4 and plywood set up, you can customize the shelves to exactly what you want and need, and make them fit into exactly the spot you have picked out for the shelves.

If you buy the metal shelving units, I would go with something like Gorilla Racks or something similar, which go together with just a rubber mallet, and can hold some pretty heavy stuff.

The Gorilla Racks use wooden particle board shelves, but they are strong. I have 5 of them in my garage. I use them to hold all of my vehicle maintenance items like oil, brake fluid, filters, grease and so on. I also use them for general storage items and holiday stuff in bins. I even put one together to make a work bench and added a plywood top on it. You can arrange them however you like.

Jim
 
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Sasquatch912

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Nov 2, 2016
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Georgia

Lelandwelds

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Sep 6, 2017
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Central Texas
I have always had a mix of work castoffs, last guy left behinds, and hand me downs. But,If buying new, I want to average these together and come upmwith something new.
 

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bjcouche

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Sep 11, 2010
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509
Location
Ohio
Some general advice I would give....
For storing liquids, I'd recommend a metal shelving unit with solid metal shelves, not the grating type. This is because if any of the containers develops a leak, the mess is much easier to clean up than if you had a wood shelf and now the liquid has permanently soaked into the wood. I just had an unopened gallon of engine coolant empty itself from the bottom, making a real sticky mess.
For shelves, I've either built my own from unastrut and plywood to get the size and strength I wanted. For me the shelves at the big box stores is either way overpriced or way too wimpy.
They have price tags plastered all over the shelving that I would like to buy, but I think the prices are for the items on the pallet racks, not the pallet racks themselves!
Brian
 
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stevengarage

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Jun 30, 2017
Messages
51
Sams club has some good quality shelving units, I got one a good one from there a couple years ago that works great for me. I would be glad to send you pictures if you like. I built a set of wooden shelves in the corner I use for larger stuff
 

Aquamoose

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Jan 28, 2014
Messages
365
If you’re gonna store solvents, it pays to have a flammable cabinet (yellow). Keeps the smell down too.


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RWorth

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Aug 29, 2016
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Location
Cape Cod , Mass.

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finn

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Mar 27, 2005
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16,335
Location
The UP, God's country
I went with about 48 feet of Gorilla Rack ( it may have a different name now) fro Menards. It’s adjustable and looks good if you buy the door kits.

The shop came with about 32’ of painted wood shelves, and I made some more with scrap I had laying around. Cheap, but not adjustable, and I really need to ad some doors to reduce the cluttered look.
 

David Paul

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Jul 11, 2014
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684
Location
Western New Jersey
I went with the Gorilla type shelving with the metal grates. Holds as much weight as I’ll ever put on it. Not a huge fan of the grates but they work. For anything that may leak or drip, ie oil bottle, I bought a couple of cheap cookie sheets from Walmart to put under them. Works for me.
 

bad_idea

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Jun 11, 2011
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4,335
Location
Pasquotank, NC
Metal shelving, the click together stuff assembled with a mallet. They come with particle board shelves, as those wear out/fail, replace them with 1/2" plywood cut to size. Coat the particle board or plywood with polyurethane, keeps grease/oil from soaking into the wood. Coat all sides and edges with a couple coats.
 

steel 35

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Feb 20, 2011
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Location
Between the PNW and the Emerald Triangle
I opted for wood right now.

Going to do maybe 8' high by 8' long and 3' wide..


Thanks guys!!

I had two that were 7' X 7' three doors, with dividers between sections & vertical center points in shelves, solid backs, various heights they were the best I have had :thumbup:

Figure out what width to cut all the shelves, that's how much to cut off the sheets total depth closer to 32" .
 

bad_idea

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Jun 11, 2011
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Location
Pasquotank, NC
I missed your post saying you are going with wood built to suit. I still recommend coating them with polyurethane before you load them down. The shelf surfaces at a minimum. I don't like painted shelves because the paint always comes up and makes a mess, especially when exposed to chemicals. Grease soaked into a bare wood shelf makes a mess that keeps on giving, to everything you put on that shelf.
 

crewchief888

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Dec 3, 2009
Messages
13,751
Location
NW indiana
downstairs i have a couple metal wire shelving units. we originally bought them for another purpose, they got reused in the basement for storage.

one has most of my wood working power tools on it, another has storage bins for the wifes fall decorations.

in the garage all i have is big box store metal shelving brackets, (garage sale& dumpster "rescues") with 12"-18" particle board (off the shelf) shelves. all the wood shelving was re purposed from previous use in the house.....

i use whatever is available to suit my needs at the time..


:beer:
 
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