Question about using threaded rod with shelf

[abehil]

Hello,

I want to build a shelf above and to the side of my garage door. It's being built to store two bucket seats from my Quest mini van.

I use my van like an enclosed pick up so I won't be putting the seats back in until I sell it. I can't dedicate any floor space to the seats - floor space is precious to me. These seats are a lot heavier than totes filled with even moderately heavy stuff. The idea of them falling scares the **** out of me.

The shelf will be 6' by 2' with one of the long sides lag screwed to the side of the garage wall and one short end lag screwed to the wall above the closed door. That leaves one corner unsupported which I'd like to use something like threaded rod from the ceiling. That corner can't be cantilevered because it will hang over the garage door track. The shelf will be a frame of two 6' and four 2' cross members **** joint attached (probably with metal hangers). I'd like to use 5/8" OSB as the decking because it's cheap but I also know it's heavier than plywood - will this matter enough with this shelf? The ceiling and walls are sheetrocked.

My question is:
How exactly is the threaded rod attached? I'd like to have the threaded rod load spread across more than one joist/rafter. How do I do this so there isn't going to be some sort of failure in how the rod is attached?

 

[sberry]

Bridge a couple joists with a 2/6, drill hole and threat the rod thru. Something to remember is that the load will be split to 4 connections. While all this feels heavy when a guy is lifting it will mean 1/2 seat to a hanger plus 1/4 the weight of the shelf. A wire as well as a rod would work.
I have one with a 4 x 8 hung on the wall and a couple number 9 wires coming off at 45 from above as hangers.

 

[creativecars]

I used 3/8 all thread, coupling nuts and hanger bolts.

 

[Cyberbear]

I did a shelf like yours a while back. I lag screwed a length of angle iron to the front of the shelf and drilled holes in that for my 3/8" steel rods. I used angle brackets at the top and everything was easy to assemble and level out. I used jam nuts top and bottom to make sure every connection couldn't vibrate loose.

 

[mikegt4]

I have a shelf similar to what the OP wants. My shelf (actually two shelves, one above the other) is about 12' long by 30" wide. I lagged a 2x4 to the wall studs horizontally to act as a ledger board, the wall edge of the shelf resting on it and screwed to it. I placed a 2x4 across the bottom chord of the trusses and dropped 1/2' all-thread down through holes drilled in the 2x4. The rods go through 2x2 framing built into the front edge of the shelf(s), a nut and washer top and bottom of each shelf and the 2x4 above the truss bottom chords. It is strong enough stand on. I spaced the all-thread at about 36" due to the double decker configuration.

 

[AnthonyJ124]

You could use unistrut on the ceiling. I could swing from it no problem. I just spanned a few joists with the strut, then threaded everything together and ran a couple extra jamb nuts on. The threaded rod in my case went right through the pallet and had a couple fender washers on it. I did this at my rental property and it was super strong

 

[Wanna Ride]

No worries with the threaded rod, it's plenty strong. In fact, 3/8 rod is good for about 600lbs IIRC. That's 600lbs each.

I've got a similar project going on in my garage right now, and I'll finish it this weekend. I salvaged two heavy cabinets from work, that were going to get tossed. But I wanted them mounted on the wall, up high and over one of my benches. Using them to store paint cans, oil, brake fluid, and all kinds of general automotive cans, bottles, etc. basically, a bunch of weight. The cabinets are each 36" wide, and 18" deep. I think they're like 30" tall. But I wanted them butted up to each other, so together they're 6' wide. I screwed the cabinets to the wall (into studs, of course), but that's clearly not enough to support them, when full of weight.

So my plan is to build a frame out of 1'x1'X1/8" angle. I'll attach that frame to the wall (into studs, of course), and then secure the frame, with 5/16" threaded rod, up to the ceiling. Once up into the rafters, I'll have a 7' 2x4 spanning several ceiling joists, with the two pieces of threaded rod, secured to the 2x4. Probably overkill, but it will support much more weight than I'll ever be able to throw in those two cabinets.

I'll post up some pics when I get it done.

 

[abehil]

I have the shelf frame up on the wall and a ledger board on the ceiling. Getting that ledger up on the ceiling by myself was interesting. I had given up on the threaded rod idea because I couldn't seem to figure out where and how I wanted to use it.
At first I had used metal hangers to connect the short cross members to the outside edge of the shelf but they turned out so crappy with nothing straight I tore them back off and I instead used pocket holes to build the shelf frame. I always glue pocket hole joints as well. The shelf is straight and level.

I'm back to threaded rod now. I want to be able to box in the shelf with sides and maybe wide doors to keep sawdust out. Once up I suddenly noticed the vertical 2x4's were going to interfere with that.

To attach the 3/8" threaded rod I have come up with a bit of a work around so I won't have to take the ceiling ledger down. I have cut some 6" pieces of 2x4 for the threaded rod to connect directly to, then I'll attach the short boards to the ceiling ledger and shelf. Please see the pictures below.

Question: For the sake of my curiosity would anyone be able to estimate what the weight capacity would be for each of the top mounts when using four 1/4" x 3" lag screws to secure the 6" board to the ceiling ledger. I read that 3/8" rod has a capacity of 600 lbs. Will the 4 lag screws provide at least that much holding strength?

These will be lag screwed to the ceiling ledger board with 1/4" x 3" lag screws and the rod passed through with a nut/washer above and below.

These will be lag bolted or screwed to the inside of the shelf's front ledger board and the threaded rod will run through it and again nut/washer top and bottom.

 

[abehil]

Thanks for all the help. Here is the shelf finally. The two bags hold the rear captions seats from my van. 65 lbs for the taller one which I had trouble hauling up the ladder but the shelf didn't creak or bow. I'll be adding some sort of sides and front (maybe doors) to keep dust out.