Sheet Metal storage

[twopints]

Hi Guys

Im looking for some ideas as for sheet metal storage, here in Oz sheets are 1220 X 2440 (or 8' X 4' in old money) looking to store full sheets and off cuts and easy to get at the off cuts, so as to use them first

some i found on the web

ebay australia item 230769058966 ( i have no affiliation with this sale just an example of what i am after)

Cheers
Fred

 

[machine_punk]

Re: Sheet Metal strorage

I highly recommend storing your 4x8 sheets horizontally (flat). If you routinely keep several gauges, build a unit with some sort of shelves to hold several different gauges.

The main issue with storing metal sheets on their sides? Weight. Flip more than a couple of sheets out of the way to find the sheet you want and you could find yourself crushed. For offcuts (shorter than 1/2 sheet), I find that stacking them against the wall or a solid object works.

Other than that...look at the woodworking sites. They have been thinking about, and figuring out amazing storage units for, 4x8 sheets for a LONG time.

 

[gorilla]

How you store sheet metal has a lot to do with what size it is and how much of it you keep on hand. Do you move it with a forklift or by hand? Our shear was equipped with a roller table so you could load a sheet on with a forklift and then move it about by hand. We stocked SS'T and Aluminum from .032 to .250 on horizontal racks from floor to roof and drops on separate vertical racks. We considered it unsafe and sloppy to lean materials against the walls. It was also shop practice to mark drops for size with a marker when we put them in the rack so you did'nt need to measure ten pieces to find what you needed.

 

[gonefirefighting]

I bought a cheap simple garden shed to store all my metal stock and sheet goods. keeps them dry and out of the way but still on the side of the shop.

 

[twopints]

Space requires vertical starage dont have the luxury of storing it horizontaly,

using some type of rack negates the risk with "fliping out sheets" and also draging sheets over each other

sheets moved by hand no fork lift

what i keep on hand
steel in 3mm,2.5mm,1.6mm,1mm and 0.8mm

Ally in 3mm, 1.6mm 1.2mm and 1mm

thicker steel and ally i only keep in small bits and its got a place

 

[bad_idea]

If you have a fair quantity of 4x8 sheets stored vertically I would recommend whatever rack you build gets bolted to the floor. With 1/2" studs. No need to have the whole rack tip onto you.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I have been trying to figure out some steel storage, mainly for sq tubing/angle. I was thinking the other day to build something like this, see attached.

I'd only make it one side and tall enough that 4x8 sheets could slide between the wall and the rack. Maybe mount some conveyor rollers on the bottom, to ease the removing/replacing of the sheets.

 

[MP&C]

Pics don't show it well, but I made a rack to hold my sheet metal vertically, to take up less shop space.... As I mostly do patch panels, I normally get the full sheets cut into 24 x 48 prior to bringing them home. The rack was built out of some pipe laying around, I normally keep 18, 16, 14, and 12 in stock... I'll be spraying bus parts in the shop tonight, so I'll try to geet some better shots of the metal rack...

 

[GreyOwl]

Any reason not to build something similar to the one you linked in your first post? That looks simple to me, just some channel, tubing and a little welding time.

 

[twopints]

Greyowl, you know the story we are all trying to build some thing a bit better, its good see other ideas, Eric that is some thing i will think about , Robert yes would like to see more photos of your set up

Cheers
Fred

 

[BoostAddiction]

Here is a material storage unit I made up for my garage. I keep a small amount of sheet, foam, plastic, rod and other material in this.

After building- it's full of stuff right now. Powdercoated to match the rest of the garage.

 

[MP&C]

Hard to see on the bottom but there's three pipes crossways so the metal doesn't sit on the concrete..

Two dividers, uses the same bends on the outside pieces.

I did need to get a couple pieces longer than 48" in doing some of the bus repairs. Luckily the rack was strategically placed between two cabinets so the doors would still open, but I had to get creative with the garage door track to keep the long piece vertical....

 

[srmofo]

Heres how I keep my 4x8 wood. Works remarkably well and utilizes the "Dead" narrow space between parked vehicles and the wall. Since it is on the hinge I am able to load and unload it easier as well as get to the stuff in the back. The open design allows me to see smaller stuff and store more partial sheets without the stuff getting lost at the back. The bottom is actually laminate covered MDF the scrapped from some old treadmills. It really helps to slide the heavy 3/4 ply without much effort.

I originally wanted to do it out of metal, but my metal skills are not the greatest and at the time my diversion 165 wasn't hooked up yet.

 

[bobadame]

Here's mine. I store my sheets vertically to save floor space. The rack is 48" wide and 10' tall.

 

[bad_idea]

You said ideas too, so here is my plywood cart. It started out life as a banquet table cart for a large company. They sh!tcanned it and someone sold it to me via CL. I cut it narrower to fit the space it is in and also welded tabs for a couple drawers underneath to hold small drop pieces of steel. I don't do any sheet metal work, so I don't have any on hand.

 

[Rentawrench]

Show us your work area. How many working?

I went into a shop in NC ,he has a large flat work area( just larger than a sheet) an shelfs under it to hold each sheet size.

steel on one alum on other ,cutoffs on a third,shelf only has to be a couple in high.
Someday I'll take pics

 

[twopints]

its a back yard hobby shop only one working usualy, or have a mate or two around, all though i have about 9 different thicknesses mixed ally and steel, i have never had that meny full sheets at any one time, now the sheets and partial sheets are just kept leaning against the wall next to the guillotine (for you in the U.S. shear ?i think) i was initaly thinking a trolly or rack as per "bad idea" and "srmofo", i like the thought of "bobadame" vertical rack for space saving but dont have the head room

Im swaying to wards the idea of cutting the sheets in to 1220 X 610 (24 X 48) as per "mp&c" suggestion this will make handling easyer and a rack like his or "boost addiction" if i need a bigger sheet for a job i will just buy it in as needed

A work bench with a rack underneath with the sheets on shelves ahhh a dream to have that much space, may be when i win lotto and get a bigger work space i will keep that one in mind

Thanks guy for the ideas and geting me out of my fixed mind set

Cheers
Fred

 

[NUTTSGT]

Heres how I keep my 4x8 wood. Works remarkably well and utilizes the "Dead" narrow space between parked vehicles and the wall. Since it is on the hinge I am able to load and unload it easier as well as get to the stuff in the back. The open design allows me to see smaller stuff and store more partial sheets without the stuff getting lost at the back. The bottom is actually laminate covered MDF the scrapped from some old treadmills. It really helps to slide the heavy 3/4 ply without much effort.

I originally wanted to do it out of metal, but my metal skills are not the greatest and at the time my diversion 165 wasn't hooked up yet.

That's a slick idea, simpleyet very effective at using the dead space.