Tool room with warehouse racking

[Big Daddy Chop Shop]

Thoughts on this? Basically a 30*50 shop. Use warehouse stacking stacked open end to open end (4'*8' sections) with wire racking up top to act as a mezzanine. Sheet the outside. A non-permanent, size adjustable tool crib.

I had a tool room in my last shop, it was originally designed for another purpose, but it was the best feature. I have presented this to a couple of folks I know and I get strange looks.

Thoughts? Hope this makes sense.

 

[AndrewDouglasBird]

You are saying use racking like this:

Then sheet 3 sides to make it into a room?

 

[Big Daddy Chop Shop]

You are saying use racking like this:

Then sheet 3 sides to make it into a room?

Basically, Yes. but instead of joining to run a row as normal, you would **** orange beam to orange beam to create a super "deep" shelf.

This will go in a corner, so sheet 2 sides, but one with a door. I like my tools out of sight, and they stay cleaner as well. The wire decking would be set at say 7' so the top will be a mezzanine (I have 12' side walls).

Kind of wish I had a bit of artistic ability right now. lol

This seems so simple, there must be a reason it has not been done. With 4'*8' sections of racking, I plan to use 3 sections, so the room will be 8'*12'.

Hopefully i am making this clearer and not worse.

 

[zkdiesel]

Basically, Yes. but instead of joining to run a row as normal, you would **** orange beam to orange beam to create a super "deep" shelf.

This will go in a corner, so sheet 2 sides, but one with a door. I like my tools out of sight, and they stay cleaner as well. The wire decking would be set at say 7' so the top will be a mezzanine (I have 12' side walls).

Kind of wish I had a bit of artistic ability right now. lol

This seems so simple, there must be a reason it has not been done. With 4'*8' sections of racking, I plan to use 3 sections, so the room will be 8'*12'.

Hopefully i am making this clearer and not worse.

Friend did it
Wishes his loft was like my permanent one

 

[evildky]

Because it would be easier to just frame an 8x8 room in the corner of your shop with lumber, if you want it to be non permanent you don't have to anchor the base plates to the floor or even just use tapcons between a couple of the studs so they can be backed out easily later. A wire ceiling will let light in but it's also gonna let all the dirt and dust in. If you use a wire roof or sheet it you'll need some structure to carry the load meaning you'll need at least 3 walls to carry the load.

 

[Bluedodge]

We had one in a shop I worked in. They used the loft area for parts storage. Everything was okay until a bin of small parts / consumables got dropped. **** would all fall through the expanded metal.

The owner finally wised up, tore it out and built a loft using dimensional lumber and 3/4 inch t&g sheet goods.
For what he sold the racking for it was about a break even.

 

[Big Daddy Chop Shop]

I had given thought to the rack letting in dirt/ funk/ etc. That is a good point. I thought about laying ply or even masonite over the wire decking.

I don't think stick building a room would be easier, not for me, I have the racking, actually its set up as a shelving unit now.

I am not sure....lots of good points here. Figured there was a reason why I thought this was sheer genius and everyone I told about it looked at me like I had 2 heads.

Thanks gents.

 

[bullnerd]

I like it.

 

[jmarkwolf]

I did something similar to make a welding booth.

I bought a scaffold from Harbor Freight. Adjusted the "floor" to the top most position to form the "roof" of the booth, then ringed 4 sides with welding blankets.

Works great. And the booth is larger than the booths were in welding class.

 

[St-rider]

If you already have the racking and may want to change things around later I think it's a good idea.

I am planning to do something similar in a storage unit to cover a car in storage and have a loft above. Price wise it is cheaper to frame with wood than to buy the racking I would need.

Either way I still need to have the same material for the roof/loft floor.

 

[Big Daddy Chop Shop]

I am probably going to proceed with this hopefully over the weekend. Lots to do (digging out a tractor from dads building, stuff with kids), but got to get my shop up and going. Will post pics if I work on it.

Thanks guys.

 

[Richard Cranium]

Being you all ready have the racking, It is not a bad ideal.

 

[Steevo]

I knew a guy that used four sections of pallet rack, each 4' wide by 10' long, with beams at 5' and 12' (had a 16 foot ceiling). He set them up long-side by long-side like you are talking about, and parked a car under the lower shelf.
He used supports between the beams every 2 feet, with plywood decking over that. The plywood sheets spanned across pallet racks, tying them together and creating a solid floor for the "mezzanine", where he stored stuff.
He had to remove some bracing from one of the pallet rack uprights to create an opening for access to the mezzanine area, and had a rolling metal stair (picked up at auction) that led up to that opening, then to the 12' top shelf area.

 

[rsanter]

A friend did what you are suggesting. He made the lower area a work area for workbench and toolbox and such. Did not close it in just left the racks as is two deep.
He used the upper part for storage. Worked out very well.

Another friend lined them up against the wall and put the first shelf above head height.
Under one was a workbench.
Under another was his lathe.
Under another was his mill
All above was storage

Bob

 

[Big Daddy Chop Shop]

Some sort of ladder or stair will be used. I am getting excited about this again, thanks gents. I believe this will do want to do, and will do well at it. Hopefully have some pics soon.

 

[Lootenny]

Great minds think alike! I have been considering a mezzanine made of pallet racks also! Looking forward to pics!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Big Daddy Chop Shop]

Here it is as it sits today. The original plan was to just have "high shelving" but I do not like how far it is stretching out. Stuff is getting too far away. Please excuse the mess, still moving in. The mezzanine height will likely be close to the same, but lower. Not sure what I am set at now.

These were Free-bees from work, they had been used outside, height cut, and the safety folks flipped. I am they guy who gets told to make problems go away. So basically these will be rotated 90* and stacked open face to open face, probably 3 deep (all I have now) to make an 8*12 room.

 

[AndrewDouglasBird]

I would think they wouldn't be very stable without a support across the 8' length near the ground. Seem like the legs would want to kick out. Maybe if you bolted them down?

 

[TK-421]

It's not a very popular idea because just coughing up the money to build an actual loft is a better idea.

 

[pmiranda]

Since you already have them, why the hell not. I like it. I'd seriously think about covering the shelves with plywood and attaching LED light strips to the bottom so you have a nice workspace under there.

 

[Big Daddy Chop Shop]

It's not a very popular idea because just coughing up the money to build an actual loft is a better idea.

Do you really believe that? I mean I can, but why? I guess we may be wired a bit different, but i like a challenge, this is free, and well, I like a challenge. I have tons of other stuff I'd also rather spend probably $5-900 on.

I would think they wouldn't be very stable without a support across the 8' length near the ground. Seem like the legs would want to kick out. Maybe if you bolted them down?

as pictured, they are stable as can be. If I do the room I will use tapcons or redheads as they are designed to have them

Since you already have them, why the hell not. I like it. I'd seriously think about covering the shelves with plywood and attaching LED light strips to the bottom so you have a nice workspace under there.

Some kind of lighting for sure. and yea, something to "keep the funk out" a bit for certain.

 

[ezover]

one of the companys i deliver to made the entire 2nd storage floor on top of pallet racks. seem to work out well for them. do not remeber what that used for the floor.

 

[csp]

Do a google image search on "pallet rack mezzanine". There are all kinds of ideas for flooring, stairs, etc.

 

[Big Daddy Chop Shop]

I have done that search, some good info. Just hope I am feeling up to it, I had a re-lapse of the stomach bug that kept me out of the shop last weekend, I haven't been that sick for years. No fun.

 

[pmiranda]

Yikes. Does this belong in the "should I put a toilet in my shop?" thread?

 

[Big Daddy Chop Shop]

Got some work done over the weekend, still need to get it settled, but the racking is in place. Sheeting is in the shop but not up yet.

FWIW, I love it, my pops came over, he said, "Oh, I get it now, yeah, that is a great idea" and even the wife finally said, "I get it".

The weekend got a bit full (as usual) with a back doctor visit, kids stuff, digging out a tractor from my dad's hoard, and getting it going, sleeping, you know, all that "other stuff".

The tractor was a good release, let me work on something other than the shop itself.

Hopefully will get at least some sheeting and put away done this week and weekend, 12 hour work days and 2 hours driving doesn't leave much.

 

[Big Daddy Chop Shop]

Took a bit to get pictures up, but here it finally is. Not sure this will be the "final" layout, but looks like it'll work for now. Decided against a totally sealed room for ease of working. Still gave me what i wanted, all my tools in a very compact space. I have also included a picture of the "magic bolt bin". Nuts bolts, electrical connectors, and basically all the other supplies all in bins. Weeks and weeks of work.

 

[crx4luke]

That looks great. It definitely gives you a dedicated place to keep all of your tools.

 

[Vegaman_Dan]

Simple, inexpensive, effective. You can reconfigure it, add on to it, or move the entire thing without too much work. You might find you want to add a second one for the fasteners/bolt room. It also gives you more wall space on the outside of it for storage/hanging items.

NAPA uses the same method in their distribution centers in a large warehouse by creating an entire second floor using the racks. It's very useful.

The only thing I'd suggest is that you bolt the two sections together so they are a solid unit.

 

[Big Daddy Chop Shop]

Thanks gents, there are actually 3 sections here, and I do plan to bolt them together, just not done quite yet. I Love it. It is much larger than my old one. One of the best improvements made yet- total cost $0

 

[scooz14]

man id kill to even get a good deal much less free racking

 

[Backhoe Bill]

man id kill to even get a good deal much less free racking

I got mine from an Office Depot that was going out of business. Keep an eye out for stores having going out of business sales.

 

[Big Daddy Chop Shop]

If you look closely, it is not great. It was originally 20', cut down and used outdoors for a decade. But Free is free. I certainly wont be loading it anywhere near capacity. For the less than 1000# of stuff on top, its certainly overkill

 

[csp]

Cut down and surface rust doesn't take away from its usefulness one bit!

 

[El Barto]

Just be sure to bolt in the load beams so they don't pop out if the uprights were to move. I don't trust the "locks" that come with them.

Full disclosure, I am in California so around here, we are a little paranoid about the ground shaking.

 

[Big Daddy Chop Shop]

The locks are the old school ones, full diameter steel pins with spring clips, not the cheesy sheetmetal deals.

 

[shortykorte]

Super idea with free racks!
Do you by chance have one of the orange shelf pieces install low on the very back corners? Adding the little shelf like you did should keep uprights from spreading. Good job.

 

[Big Daddy Chop Shop]

Super idea with free racks!
Do you by chance have one of the orange shelf pieces install low on the very back corners? Adding the little shelf like you did should keep uprights from spreading. Good job.

I have a "medium" height shelf all the way to the rear. I can walk under it still so it is just over 6'.

Your idea is pretty good about the low one, the more I think on it, the more I think I will likely anchor these to the concrete.

 

[ilovevocs]

Very nice. Glad you did cave to the naysayers.