Roll-a-round cutoff rack

[astroracer]

Posted this in another thread about cut off storage but figured I would start my own to document the build.
Here is my initial post in that thread.

I have went out in the shop a half dozen times to clean up my drop pile but, once I get out there and look at all of it, I stop. I have no where to put it that is easily accessible and orderly...
I got to thinking about all of the buckets (8 of them!) I am using right now as containers and decided to design a mobile rack to use those buckets.
I measured up a couple of buckets (I have a few different sizes) and modeled up an average size in UG this morning. I had an idea already in my head so I ran with it on the computer. Once the bucket was modeled the rest was easy.
This is a side view. The rack is 24 inches wide.

Here is a front view. It is 42 inches long and about 48 inches high. Six buckets fit comfortably with room for three more in the middle if I decide to go that way. Right now I am thinking I will make this middle bay a vertical rack for tubing.

The buckets set in, and on, 3/4 x 3/4 angle at about a 30deg tip.

A close up of the casters. You can see I am also building in a lot of narrow racks for long lengths, whether sheet metal or tubing, Should work very well. I plan to put steel on the bottom and aluminum higher up.

I did the details last Monday night to build my stock list and ordered the steel Tuesday afternoon. It was in Wednesday so I picked it up and had in the shop by 5.

Got started on the build this morning about 8. I used some reclaimed 2 x 2 x 1/8 wall tubing to build the lower frame. Spent a few minutes cleaning that up with a flap wheel on my HF angle grinder.

Lower frame pieces cut and ready to weld

With the lower frame done we started making the caster brackets. Cut these out of some 1/4" plate. Drilled out to match the caster bolt pattern and put a 45 deg bend on them.

Welding on the caster plates.

While my friend Mel was working on the caster plates I was cutting steel for the actual rack part of the build.
Mel drilling the plates.

Some of the steel I cut. These are 3/4 x 3/4 angle which make up most of the horizontals. The length of the rack proper is 39.75 inches. This let me get three pieces out of a 10' long piece. That little chunk in front is what was left from each piece as "scrap"...

The vertical pieces going together. These are 1 1/2 x 1 1/2 x 48" long. The rack isn't all that big 24" wide x about 42" long and 51" tall. It will have a lot of storage in it though.

With the lower frame done, 4 vertical frame done and most of the horizontals cut we will get this thing welded together tomorrow.

Mark

 

[DanarchyCustoms]

Very nice! I really like the original design and I look forward to seeing more of this project.

 

[toomanytoyzz]

Looks good so far!! Is that an Airco welder I see in the last pic? If so, what model/process(es)? I have an Airco Dip Pak 200 mig welder which I love.

 

[AndrewV]

Stat the patent process, and feel out the market. This a good idea astro.

 

[brownbagg]

what that, about three hundred dollars in steel

 

[Vegaman_Dan]

I feel that the cart is very strongly built as designed- and also very top heavy and prone to tipping over. You've got a lot of money sunk into the materials for this one and it's going to look great. But it's far too much for me.

I'm going another approach to this, and it is neat to see how people do things differently for the same purpose. Some good ideas here.

 

[alfazer]

Nice idea. I think it would be good if it tapered narrower towards the top with shallower buckets at the top for shorter stock so it doesn't get lost in the deep buckets. Also, when fully loaded it will be lighter at the top than the bottom so more stable.
I like the spaces behind the buckets, I guess for holding longer pieces horizontally?

 

[venturesomerite]

Looking good. How did you bend the caster mounts? They kinda look like repurposed tow hitch parts when you look at it to me.

 

[astroracer]

Thanks for the positive responses guys! The rack went together very well. I will be getting it ready for paint in the next few days (evenings I guess).
For the guys who are worried about it being top heavy? No WAY! This thing is very stable, the heaviest material is the 2 x 2 x 1/8 wall caster frame and there is no way this would ever be top heavy unless I get really stupid with what I store in the top buckets. The top buckets will be aluminum drops only so there is nothing to worry about here.
We got it wrapped up today and I think it turned out great!

 

[astroracer]

Looks good so far!! Is that an Airco welder I see in the last pic? If so, what model/process(es)? I have an Airco Dip Pak 200 mig welder which I love.

Airco DipStick 160. It is my main Mig machine. With spot and stitch on the main panel it is pretty handy for anything i am working on. It also does stick and has scratch start Tig capabilities with a high freq box but I never use that side of it.
I have a Lincoln 135 for Tig stuff.
Mark

 

[astroracer]

Looking good. How did you bend the caster mounts? They kinda look like repurposed tow hitch parts when you look at it to me.

Here some pics as we were bending the caster plates. I have a Swag Offroad bender in my 30 ton press and it is pretty handy.

I am always looking for press brake dies if anyone has some they aren't using.
Mark

 

[astroracer]

Spent a few hours during the week getting the welds cleaned up and the rack wire brushed. Saturday I got a coat of primer on the rack. I brushed it on. Would have went through three cans of spray paint if I had gone that route and I didn't want all of that overspray in the shop.

I used Rustoleum's clean metal primer. It is white so the red paint should be pretty brite over the top of that.

While the paint was drying I was working in the house changing out the old hollow core bathroom door with a new oak 3 panel door that I stained and finished a while back. New door frame and all.

 

[astroracer]

Went out this morning and started putting on the red. This is Safety Red I get at Ace hardware. It's oil based and very tough when it dries.

Got a first coat on most of it and worked on the door install while it was drying.

Once the rack was mostly dry my wife helped flip it over so I could finish the paint.

Had a good weekend. Got the rack all painted and that door finally installed. Tomorrow will get the casters installed and I can start sorting thru the pile...
What did you guys do?

 

[56rpm]

Airco DipStick 160. It is my main Mig machine. With spot and stitch on the main panel it is pretty handy for anything i am working on. It also does stick and has scratch start Tig capabilities with a high freq box...
Mark

If you have high frequency, why would you scratch start it, or how? Do you have rheostat (foot control)?
Nice work btw!

Bob

 

[astroracer]

If you have high frequency, why would you scratch start it, or how? Do you have rheostat (foot control)?
Nice work btw!

Bob

There is no foot control. The box controls output, all of the adjustments are done at the box. The guy I bought the machine from showed me how to use it but I never have. He scratch started the tig torch on a piece of copper and swung the arc down to the work. That's all I know about it.
Mark

 

[Vegaman_Dan]

Looking good. I was hoping to find those same square plastic tubs, but they have been discontinued by laundry and cat litter companies, so whatever you find in the stores now is going to be it.

I ended up going with some wastepaper baskets instead. My stand is too big for my needs, but that may change. Dunno yet. Feels too big. Floor space is always at a premium, and I sort of wish I could do some type of wall rack, but then wall space is also in high demand!

 

[astroracer]

My wall rack is in the hoist room. I used legs from old folding tables to build it. Lagged the legs into the sides of the 4 x 6's. hasn't moved in 9 yrs. and there is a lot of steel hanging in it.
Got the casters bolted up and the shelves cut out of 1/2" OSB tonight. The cart rolls around very nicely. I'll start sorting thru the scrap pile tomorrow. ;D

I have to get all of my buckets emptied out so I start sorting...

I still have one shelf to make. The lower one in between the 2 x 2's

I think this will be a much better solution to storing my cut-offs then piling them on the floor.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I like it. Will regular 5 gallon buckets fit into the spots too ?

I've been thinking of a place to store steel in my garage but I don't have the floor space and there's no "good" wall space. I think I may have come up with a solution though.

 

[astroracer]

If you don't have a stock pile of the square buckets (I do...) You can get them here.
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=23471
Not that expensive but it was nice when you could get them for free after the kitty litter was gone...
I do have to say though that there is a new square bucket full of kitty litter in the garage. I'll ask the missus where she got it....
Mark

 

[NUTTSGT]

If you don't have a stock pile of the square buckets (I do...) You can get them here.
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=23471
Not that expensive but it was nice when you could get them for free after the kitty litter was gone...
I do have to say though that there is a new square bucket full of kitty litter in the garage. I'll ask the missus where she got it....
Mark

While I'm not building a rack like yours, I do think it's laid out quite well. I was just curious if round buckets would fit for replacement purposes. Plastic buckets tend to be quite strong for what they are and what abuse they take but, there have been a few times I've knocked a hole in the bottom.

Before you start ordering buckets online as replacement, I suggest checking out some of your local fast food eateries. They get some supplies in them, like hard boiled eggs, or used to.

 

[astroracer]

The rack turned out real nice and I finally got the time to get that pile of scraps cleaned up this morning. I started by dumping a bucket on the table so I had something to start sorting into.

There was a LOT of junk in the buckets. I started tossing all of the unusable stuff into a tote bin. 75% of what I sorted through went into the tote...

After I had been through four or five buckets this is where I was at. All of the heavy stuff, tubing and anything over an 1/8th inch is in the bottom buckets. Sheet metal up to 14ga is in the middle two and the lighter stuff and aluminum or up top. The drawer unit I had laying around and it seemed like a good storage unit for plate and tube aluminum.

This a pic of the SECOND tote I filled with stuff to go to the recycler.

Getting the pile gone.

With everything cleaned up I am left with this. Everything is in it's place and there is plenty of room for more.

The back shelves hold a lot of shorts. I am already coming up with some ideas to modify the cart....

This was good project. I am glad it's done and can be utilized now.

 

[Strouty]

Anything you would change? I saw the original design in another thread, but I missed the actual build.

 

[fnieto]

I like the rack system you designed, but all my plastic buckets get brittle and crack breaking into pieces over time.
I keep short solid stock for machining in metal 5 gallon pails. They hold up much better.
I think a rack similar to yours would free up floor space.
Nice job.

 

[torched]

I like it, nice job! The only thing I might change is replacing the wood with expanded metal so you don't get a build up of dust and metal debris. That's a great way to store the really small stuff.

I finally built a rack for mine and imposed a rule on myself that if it is too small for the rack it goes to the scrap yard with the exception of aluminum.

 

[saceone]

pardon the ignorance but what software did you use for the sketch ?

 

[astroracer]

Thanks guys, I haven't changed a thing on the cart. It's sitting on the cold side right now, out of the way. I have been picking through the drops as I am building a couple of smaller projects. It sure is nice being able to find usable steel without having to dig around on the cold floor for it.
I haven't had any issues with brittle buckets. I think that becomes a problem if they see any daylight or weather. Mine don't, haven't busted a bucket in years...

pardon the ignorance but what software did you use for the sketch ?

I have an old version Unigraphics NX. It is a pretty powerful 3D CAD program. I have been running UG for over 20 years and am currently running NX10 at work.
Mark

 

[sanddan]

I like it, nice job! The only thing I might change is replacing the wood with expanded metal so you don't get a build up of dust and metal debris. That's a great way to store the really small stuff.

I finally built a rack for mine and imposed a rule on myself that if it is too small for the rack it goes to the scrap yard with the exception of aluminum.

I like it! Currently I am using several box's and odd corners in my shop to stash rem's, I really need to build a storage rack like this.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I like it, nice job! The only thing I might change is replacing the wood with expanded metal so you don't get a build up of dust and metal debris. That's a great way to store the really small stuff.

I finally built a rack for mine and imposed a rule on myself that if it is too small for the rack it goes to the scrap yard with the exception of aluminum.

If you add some rails (long ways) to the smaller cross bracing tubing, I belive you could build a drawer to fit in there for some smaller piece organization.

Pardon my poor paint skills but as a reference.

 

[torched]

If you add some rails (long ways) to the smaller cross bracing tubing, I belive you could build a drawer to fit in there for some smaller piece organization.

Pardon my poor paint skills but as a reference.

It's funny you say that, that's why I put those small cross rails on so I can mount some drawer slides. I still really like Astroracers idea for the small stuff with the buckets being up high and tilted so you can see what's in them.

 

[Jeff Ivers]

Nice racks astroracer and torched!

 

[Man Cave]

Good looking rack and useful too. I have my drops in five gallon buckets scattered all over my shop. I mainly have 4130 chrom moly and I don't throw anything away. I store the drops by wall thickness. I need a better way to store 4x4 and 4x8 sheets of aluminum. Material storage can use up valuable shop space. Love the garage journal for ideas.

 

[APEowner]

Nice solution. I may steal that idea when I get to organizing my new shop.

but all my plastic buckets get brittle and crack breaking into pieces over time.

Rubbermaid Roughneck totes! They're expensive but they hold up in all kinds of temperatures and under all kinds of abuse. I've had between 2 and 6 of them in the back of my pickup truck for close to 20 years. I've actually worn through the bottom of a couple but I've never broken one even in sub-zero temps.

 

[bgarrett]

Thank you for this thread Its just what I need to do

 

[gearhead1]

Brilliant! I need to do exactly this!

 

[gearhead1]

I like it, nice job! The only thing I might change is replacing the wood with expanded metal so you don't get a build up of dust and metal debris. That's a great way to store the really small stuff.

I finally built a rack for mine and imposed a rule on myself that if it is too small for the rack it goes to the scrap yard with the exception of aluminum.

I like it! Currently I am using several box's and odd corners in my shop to stash rem's, I really need to build a storage rack like this.

If you add some rails (long ways) to the smaller cross bracing tubing, I belive you could build a drawer to fit in there for some smaller piece organization.

Pardon my poor paint skills but as a reference.

This is perfect! Excellent idea!

 

[2oolhound]

Nice racks astroracer and torched!

Great topic and some great ideas here so far!

I can't see them eliminating square buckets, maybe not as strong as round but so much more efficient. You could actually make metal mesh ones pretty easily if you had to.

 

[astroracer]

I have been using the same plastic buckets for almost 3 years in this rack, and some of them are older then that. If you keep them out of direct sunlight they seem to hold up much better.
Being able to roll this thing anyplace I need it is the best feature. It's great for access to all sides and the rack isn't locked into one spot so junk and dirt don't build up around and under it like most stationary storage racks see...
Mark