Another rack for Harbor freight organizers

[dmcgrath009]

Long time lurker of the forums here I recently moved into a new house and started building out my basement shop.

Been working on a few projects down there and will likely put up a thread about the entire project but for now I wanted to share my approach to a storage rack for the harbor freight organizer bins.

The rack itself is built from 3/4" ply and the runners for each bin are 1/2" ply

The unique part of this approach I havent seen anyone else take is how I modified the cases. You can see in some of the photos below I removed a portion of molded case at the back edge so that most of the top edge if the case sits nicely on the 1/2" pllywood runner. The matching front molded corner I left in place and it acts as a stop for the cases as you slide them in.


Here is a video explaining the case modification

 

[dmcgrath009]

The rack was built as part of my work bench, the outside frame is built for 4'x4' and the top is a piece of Quartz I picked up from the remnant yard at the local countertop dealer. The bottom has 8 adjustable leveling casters so the bench can be moved if needed.

 

[rayra]

well done. Can you post the info on the feet / casters?

 

[dmcgrath009]

Rayra,

Here are the casters I went with, they have a hard rubber foot that can be raised and lowered with a built in ratcheting mechanism.

Short video of them in action - https://photos.app.goo.gl/CtYXtS9tNaFM1W3KA

The reason I went with these casters is becasue the bench will be primarily stationary but there will be some projects where I may need to move it out of the way. I also wanted to be able to level the bench.

 

[Jayman17]

I like the rack and judging from the bits I can see in the background of your photos, It looks you have a really nice shop too.

Jay

 

[dmcgrath009]

I like the rack and judging from the bits I can see in the background of your photos, It looks you have a really nice shop too.

Jay

Thank you for the kind words Jay!

I will make a whole shop thread soon, just figured this deserved its own thread as I think its a fairly common issue people are trying to tackle.

 

[y'sguy]

I really like what you have done especially the casters.
Do others ever use these parts holders in a vertical storage position, "book-style"? I think I would prefer it but realized it may not work as the contents might fall out of the separate compartments. Just a thought on a project I may attempt.

 

[dmcgrath009]

Thank you y'sguy!

I have not seen anyone go with the "Book-style" configuration for these organizers reason being exactly what you outlined, you would be more likely to have parts move from bin to bin internally. I think it would really depend on what you are storing.

 

[Meursault74]

Great work there. Love the rabbet joints for the 4x4's.

Did you screw and glue any of the construction in general, or just screw?

 

[captain14]

I like it. How long did it take you to design it after your initial thoughts?

 

[dmcgrath009]

Great work there. Love the rabbet joints for the 4x4's.

Did you screw and glue any of the construction in general, or just screw?

Meursault,

Thank you, I was going to glue it together but found the screws were sufficient. Also if I ever need to take it out of the basement it will be a lot easier this way.

I like it. How long did it take you to design it after your initial thoughts?

Captain14,

I picked out the top for the bench first, the lead time to have it cut to size and finished was a few weeks so I had time to think about how I wanted to build this. I laid out the height of the bench and the number of storage bins I could get under it, considering the frame and built from the inside out. The rack system was built and then the 4x4 frame around it to fit. I work best on the fly and was better off in the situation building in stages.

 

[remagenman]

That is a lot of small cases! You have a use for them or future proofing?

 

[dmcgrath009]

That is a lot of small cases! You have a use for them or future proofing?

I've got about half of them used at this point. Once I do the garage I'll build a second rack and move some things around.

 

[Retroman]

Really nice work and shop, you must be very organized by what I could see in your pics.

 

[dmcgrath009]

Really nice work and shop, you must be very organized by what I could see in your pics.

Thanks Retroman,

It's a constant battle to stay organized but overall much more of an enjoyable working experience.

 

[rayra]

Rayra,

Here are the casters I went with, they have a hard rubber foot that can be raised and lowered with a built in ratcheting mechanism.

Short video of them in action - https://photos.app.goo.gl/CtYXtS9tNaFM1W3KA

The reason I went with these casters is becasue the bench will be primarily stationary but there will be some projects where I may need to move it out of the way. I also wanted to be able to level the bench.

Thx, much appreciated. I have a 3-car attached suburban garage with the single stall as my workshop. I've put most of the shelves, workstands and a large 4x8 table all on wheels. I can expand or contract the space as needed for projects. I'd particularly like to put these or something like them on the big rolling work table.

 

[tksorensen]

Wow!! That is so impressive and will be valued for years to come.

 

[dmcgrath009]

Thanks for the kind words, it's been working out really well so far.

 

[Trapps]

Nice build. I really like the charging station and battery storage!

 

[Onebean]

Very nice work on the HF organizers rack. I like those casters too (already have a set in my Amazon cart). I‘m envious of your organization, very nice work overall. It’s threads like this that inspire me and raise the bar. I can’t wait to see the full thread on your workspace. Till then, take care.

 

[Skyman]

Very impressive. Great work!

Live well,

SJW

 

[dmcgrath009]

Bit of an update, I liked my basement storage racks so much that I opted to incorporate another set into my new garage bench. Here is how it turned out!

 

[Jim_No_Garage]

Wow - that looks really nice! So how do these cases hold up if they are heavily loaded (ie with lots of small screws or washers) since you are only supporting them at the edges? Other examples of such cabinets had individual shelves that the cases rest on to support the weight.

Cheers

Jim

 

[dmcgrath009]

Jim,

They hold up pretty well actually, some of the heavier cases have a ting bit if sag in them but completely usable and haven't caused any issues yet.

This case is pretty heavy filled with M6 hardware and it's been stored in the basement racking for over a year.

 

[Trapps]

Awesome!!!

 

[brownbagg]

i refuse to make my shop into a warehouse

 

[dmcgrath009]

Haha, what? What would constitute making your shop a warehouse?

 

[calandrod]

Bit of an update, I liked my basement storage racks so much that I opted to incorporate another set into my new garage bench. Here is how it turned out!

I appreciate that level of organization

 

[southalabama]

i refuse to make my shop into a warehouse

Your shop your rules

I live an hour from any decent supply of materials. I find it easier to keep a stock of my own. In todays world even when I do go to the store looking for materials they are often out of stock.

 

[southalabama]

Haha, what? What would constitute making your shop a warehouse?

Your shop your rules. Same for him.

He doesn’t sound like he likes storing materials. I do. Makes sense to me in todays world and in my geographic location.

 

[Alchase]

Heck I am so organized I sometimes can’t remember where I stored a tool!

 

[fourjeepin]

i refuse to make my shop into a warehouse

I prefer to be able to grab the hardware I need from my bins and keep working vs, driving to the warehouse each time.

Nice job OP

 

[garysanders]

How far apart did you space the side rails?

 

[logical]

i refuse to make my shop into a warehouse

Be sure to let your wife know so she can put that little gem on your headstone.

 

[mazdarick]

Bit of an update, I liked my basement storage racks so much that I opted to incorporate another set into my new garage bench. Here is how it turned out!

Do you happen to have dimensional drawings for your cases! I'd like to build this in my super unorganized garage and you rack looks really nice!

 

[niget2002]

I need to redo mine. The rails aren't working as well as planned.

 

[bazzz]

I like the idea of rails for the boxes to hang on instead of making a plywood shelf for it to sit on like I did. This would have saved me some material and probably a lot of time. Here’s a picture of my version of the storage I created under my bench.

 

[Jgaz]

I need to redo mine. The rails aren't working as well as planned.

In what way? Do the cases themselves need more support?

 

[niget2002]

In what way? Do the cases themselves need more support?

Nothing to do with the cases. It's the material I used for my shelves. I tried to use hardie board and the shelves are sagging.

 

[Cairo94507]

Really nice rack for storage. The entire garage looks like it would be a very enjoyable space to work.