Above 1200 Sq/FT The Salvage Garage

[stillp]

A (possibly untrue) story I heard about rolling racking: A multinational truck/earthmover manufacturer set up a parts depot in the UK a few years ago. They wanted it to be a real showcase, so they used rolling racking, 20 feet high, 75 feet deep. It was set up in a building that was the same width as the racks all pushed together plus one aisle. The racks were motorised, and a single computer-controlled fork truck could just fit in the single aisle, so the computer moved the racking so that the aisle was where the fork truck needed to be. The main computer had full control over where items were stacked, and could optimise the truck's route as well as the rolling racking for multiple picks, so whne something needed to be placed on a rack it went wherever was most convenient for the truck. Because of the acceleration needed to raise and lower the forks, as well as to move the truck out of the aisle so the racking could roll, they had a specially-wound high-speed motor made to raise and lower the forks. Just in case, they had a spare motor made. When the inevitable motor failure happened, management congratulated themselves on ordering a spare, but then they wondered where it was... only the computer knew. After some clever software work to find the location of the spare motor - it was in the third rack from the outer wall of the building, but they couldn't get to it because the truck was stuck in the only aisle, several racks away so the racks couldn't be rolled. Apparently to get to the spare motor they had to cut a hole in the building wall and tunnel through the intervening racks...

Pete

 

[86turbodsl]

For those watching, I researched sliding shelving a while ago, and found these available:

• NSF shelving on rails at ULINE: https://www.uline.com/BL_3945/Sliding-Storage-Shelves?keywords=Track+Shelving
• Sliding shelves on pallet racking at LevRack: https://www.levrack.com/

I'm sure there are others out there.

JR used levrack in his new shop on youtube. We looked it up. Those things are $$$$$.

 

[Strouty]

I can totally see that happening, luckily for this exact reason I am not going to have things computer controlled......

As for the open floor space, well, that is only temporary.

I will have Benson back in there and possibly some of this new shelving before too long.

On a totally separate subject, I keep having issues with wood blocks under my trailer jack, they either get frozen in or they get left behind. I was trying to figure out something better, I had a nice aluminum plate that was working out well until the last thaw, now it is completely encase in ice and won't be found until the ice age is over. I then remembered I had a plastic baseplate for my hi-lift jack. It is almost exactly the right size and it works awesome, I will be buying more just for the trailers. It shouldn’t freeze in as easily and it won’t absorb water, plus it is bright orange so I shouldn’t forget about it. It has really good grip too, I thought it might slide around, but I couldn’t push it.

 

[zanyad]

JR used levrack in his new shop on youtube. We looked it up. Those things are $$$$$.

I know.

 

[Strouty]

I like the idea of the Levrack, but they screwed the pooch, there should be shelving on both sides or they should be screwed together, no reason to be able to open up a space that has nothing there. How much was the stuff?

 

[86turbodsl]

His setup under 8 feet of pallet rack was thousands. I dont remember the exact number. but it was a big one.

Edit: I looked it up. 8' pallet rack with the levrack below was 4G / section.

 

[Strouty]

I am paying $2500 for what I am buying, but it is a lot more rugged than that stuff. Plus the fixed shelves will be useful too, maybe.

I spoke with the installation manager that handles this area and he gave me some tips, also gave me his cell phone number so I can send him pictures tomorrow. He also said $2500 was stupid cheap, so I like that.

 

[csp]

Basically the shelves can be rolled tight against each other and then you open only the one you want to access, so it essentially eliminates all the aisle space except one aisle.

Not quite that simple. You move all of them that are in between the current aisle space and the one you want access to. Murphy's law says that one you want will be the furthest from where the aisle is at any given moment.

Those tracks have to be very close to perfectly level and parallel to each other, so unless you have a very flat floor you're looking at a lot of work to install them so that the racks move without binding.

 

[Strouty]

I don't think anyone has a truly flat floor, so leveling will be important no matter where they are installed. Shouldn't have to move any shelf more than two aisle widths to gain access, close the open aisle, then open the new aisle. So it shouldn't be too bad, especially with the gear reduction mechanism, it takes one pound of force to move 4000 pounds of shelves. That seems like a nice amount of leverage to me.

 

[Strouty]

Nice and cold outside, they say it is almost 5 with a nice 15 MPH wind, should feel awesome. I am headed to Connecticut to look at the spacesaver shelving soon, maybe it will be warmer there.

 

[rvieceli]

safe travels

Ron

 

[Strouty]

Thanks Ron.

I will post some pictures when I get there. Who knows, I may not even buy the stuff, all depends on what I see in person.

 

[Johnno]

Strouty I am right next to Bradley Airport in Ct and its not much warmer this am. I only saw a high of 10 or 11 on the ride this morning. Have a safe trip.

 

[walrus]

Low ball the guy some more if you have to get it outside his building

 

[Firstram]

Low ball the guy some more if you have to get it outside his building

Be a shame for them for them to get trashed by some hack crew whose only mission is to get them out of the building.

 

[Strouty]

I took apart a section, seems doable, but the shelving is junk, we made a deal at $2k and he is providing a 30 yard scrap dumpster, that way I don’t have to bring home the stuff I don’t want. I can essentially leave all the raised flooring and anything else. I did tell him I would help get the scrap loaded. There were 10 carriages total, most of them have three wheels that contact the track, I think it will be enough stuff to do what I want and there is no way I can build it for that price. I can also take whatever I want, so the fixed shelves may go back with me, not sure yet.

 

[Strouty]

What brand is it? My dad used to sell them. I can see if he knows anything about the ones you got.

The tracks are usually bolted to the floor and have to be perfectly level. Around the tracks it's laminated particleboard to make everything flush.

After shooting some pictures over to the installation guy, he said that this stuff is Borroughs and it is called “aisle saver”. Equally rugged stuff.

 

[Strouty]

Strouty I am right next to Bradley Airport in Ct and its not much warmer this am. I only saw a high of 10 or 11 on the ride this morning. Have a safe trip.

So are you offering to help???

 

[86turbodsl]

I'd probably bite on that at 2k as well. Lots of storage for that. Question is, do you have the right things to store in it?

 

[Johnno]

how close by are you? What town in CT are these?

 

[legenddc]

There are lots of cool parts storage systems with automation and computer controls for automatic retrieval. Simpler ones go around like a carousal so they take up very little floor space and can go up really high. I know one place that bought on and built a new roof around a machine almost like a chimney. They cost way more than $2,000.

With the aisle saver Strouty bought he'll be able to put almost anything in it from paperwork to parts, fluids, etc. as long as it fits on the shelves.

 

[Strouty]

I am actually tossing the shelves, I will attach my own storage to the carriages, the shelves are kind of weird and won’t really work for what I want anyways. I can put pallet rack type shelves on the carriages or just regular shelving. The part that isn’t easy to build is the carriages. It will also be a lot easier to store. I am sure later on I will wish I had saved some of the shelving and I still may save a bit of it, I just don’t want to have something that I am going to move around a bunch, then scrap later anyways.

 

[Strouty]

I can essentially take as much as I want or as little as I want. That gives me options and I like options.

 

[jeffmoss26]

ohh that is cool!

 

[Strouty]

It would hold a lot of locks.

Tonight I messed around with the Blue Burb, been having issues with the defrost again, seems to be intermittent issue, so of course it was working tonight. I may try and replace the climate control head, I sure would like to know why it is doing what it is doing. When the issue happens, I essentially get no air from any vent, just a dribble, so to speak, then once things work, it works perfectly. Tomorrow I am going to tackle the brakes and a few other things, probably be on the lift for a few days.

Thursday I am going back to work on dismantling the racking system and I will probably bring some pieces and parts home with me.

 

[Strouty]

Plenty cold again this morning, but it is supposed to warm up into the mid 20s, so that will be nice.

I have errands to do today, then a bit of office work, then loading the tools for tomorrow's trip, after all that we are going to start working on the Blue Burb, try and get as much done as we can. I don't want to have a really late night, I have to leave at 5 am to get to Connecticut on time.

Hope everyone in the wake of this cold air stays warm.

 

[xtremek]

We're down right balmy here, probably the upper 20s here, and little wind. If it gets much warmer, I may open up the pool.

 

[Strouty]

I bought some new Milwaukee pack out storage boxes, should help on this trip, don’t want tools bouncing around everywhere. Also, the more I think about the stupid shelving, the more I think it is all coming home with me. I already thought of three places I can use it without any modification.

Once my Buddy gets here we will start in on the Blue Burb, he has all the brake parts with him, so I don’t have much choice.

 

[Plastikosmd]

I’m beginning to detect an issue with storage

 

[Strouty]

I am not sure if I enjoy the storage mechanism more or the stuff that is stored inside it. I think they are kind of like chocolate and peanut butter.

 

[Strouty]

Just arrived at the racking again. Going to try and get everything dismantled.

 

[Strouty]

New cart will be nice, have everything I need in one trip.

 

[shortykorte]

What will you be storing with this system along with the Lista system you already have?

 

[Strouty]

I would probably use this new system to store Lista parts, then use the Lista to store aisle saver parts.

The rails are so easy to remove, a caveman could do it.



One thing I will say is that these rails are no where near level, they must move up and down a quarter inch or so. That makes me feel good, I know I can do better than that.

 

[harley jim]

Looks like the rails are just sitting on a grout bed, are there any fasteners to the ground?

 

[Strouty]

They were fastened, but I don’t see any shims or anything, kind of looks like they “leveled” it from the top of the form, then just poured runny non shrink grout into it. There were several spots that the carriages would roll away because there was a dip in the track. I am sure I can do much better.

I am still loading stuff, just broke my hand truck, can’t use it as a cart anymore. Good timing, I still have a three hour ride home, I haven’t had lunch, and the truck isn’t loaded yet.

 

[Strouty]

Got the best load I could considering.

 

[mybigwarwagon]

At that rate you will be done in 30 years or so.

 

[Strouty]

I think I can get everything on the next trip, with a trailer, may even bring two trucks.

Just got home, about a 20 hour day, I feel old.

 

[xtremek]

I hate to break it to you, but you are old. It's just that being old on days like yesterday, it shows through.