Unistrut For Shelving?

[A**holes Garage]

I'm considering using Unistrut for my wall shelving. It's used a lot in industrial commercial applications and has tons f bracket options, etc.

I thought about screwing the Unistrut to the wall studs and making o buying my own shelf brackets,

Anybody else used it for their garage shelving?

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Something like this?

Movies about Unistrut products

Go to Unistrut.com for all the goodies. Probably quite expensive however, once you get beyond the basic channel and simple nuts and brackets you find at Home Depot and Lowes. Note that a competing product is Thomas&Betts Superstrut and it is interchangeable with the original Unistrut (design patents expired years ago).

http://www.tnb.com/ps/endeca/index.cgi?a=nav&N=585

Charles

 

[A**holes Garage]

Yup, that's a bracket I'd consider if it's deep enough, otherwise, I'll bend and make my own.

I like the flexibility of vertical adjustment, rigid construction and various attachments.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Anybody else used it for their garage shelving?

I used pallet racking myself.

 

[930dreamer]

I've got a ton of Unistrut fasteners, do you already have Unistrut?

 

[nate379]

With uni strut being about $2 a foot that would make for some expensive shelving! If you did floor to ceiling lets say 12 feet long you'd been looking at $80 just in unistrut.

I built some shelving out of 2x4s for my shed, I have maybe $60 into everything. 24" wide, one set is 8ft long, 3 shelfs, and the other is about 28ft (does an "L") 2 shelfs. About 2 dozen 2x4s and 3 or 4 sheets of OSB.

 

[A**holes Garage]

I have the Gorilla style racks, but they won't work since my welder, compressor, generator etc. are about 3' high. So I need to start my shelving about 3' off the floor level.

I got some pricing on the Unistrut, about $20.00 or so a stick. The only wall I'm doing is only 12' wide so the cost is not that big of a deal for Unistrut.

But, I know the brackets and accessories can add up.

Sorry, I'm a steel fabricator, wood is not an option for shelving, benches, etc.

Nope, no Unistrut fasteners yet. Just wondering if anybody has used it or if you can see any negatives in using it?

 

[nate379]

I do steel work too, but I wasn't about ready to pay for all the steel needed to building shelving when $50 of wood did the job. To do the same in steel I would have been into it $500 easily.
I almost build brackets out of steel to attach the wood to, but again, $$ and I needed shelfs done in a day so I didn't have time to screw around fabbing a few dozen brackets.
Of course what works for one won't work for another.

 

[A**holes Garage]

I do steel work too, but I wasn't about ready to pay for all the steel needed to building shelving when $50 of wood did the job. To do the same in steel I would have been into it $500 easily.
I almost build brackets out of steel to attach the wood to, but again, $$ and I needed shelfs done in a day so I didn't have time to screw around fabbing a few dozen brackets.
Of course what works for one won't work for another.

Using adjustable vertical struts like Unistrut just makes sense for me on this one wall since I'll have items of different sizes stacked on them and I'm unsure what hey'll be right now. I can easily move the brackets up and down as my needs change, nothing fixed.

Yeah, building brackets is not anything I'd look forward to fabricating.
If I find long enough brackets from Unistrut or Superstrut, I'll just buy them.

I'll buy some boards for the shelving.

 

[nate379]

I almost bought HD brackets from Lowe's but they were $10 each. I needed something around 20 of them.

 

[akdiesel]

Look into the Uni-Strut page. Lots of info on the load bearing for each of their products. One of the best sites I have seen.
I used Uni-Strut to make a multi-level snowmachine storage. Each level can hold 1000#.
It can be expensive but it has lots of options for attaching to the wall or free standing and as you said it can easily be altered for different items.
Check out Craigslist for Uni-Strut. Be carefull for China made duplicates. This is usually made out of lighter gauge (14-16) and may not have the capacity as the same Uni-Strut gauge.

 

[danski0224]

I'm considering using Unistrut for my wall shelving. It's used a lot in industrial commercial applications and has tons f bracket options, etc.

I thought about screwing the Unistrut to the wall studs and making o buying my own shelf brackets,

Anybody else used it for their garage shelving?

Well, you don't specify what you will be putting on those shelves.

That said, I would use this product before Unistrut: http://johnsterling.com/fastmount.html

It's all made in USA and available at Menards in my area.

Just put the hang track along the top plate for the whole wall.

Then put the wall standards wherever you need it. They make couplers to join them if needed. Put some blocking in the stud cavity to hold the standard if it doesn't line up with a stud.

Brackets are offered in several depths and styles. The supported brackets will hold lots of weight.

Bend up some shelves.

That's what I did, but I used 20ga galvanized.

Unless you are getting it for free, the Unistrut hardware will cost you a small fortune. And then you are still using Chinese nuts and bolts to put it all together, unless you find USA stuff.

I used SPAX screws to hold my Sterling hardware to the wood. Made in USA or Germany right on the box

Picture isn't my garage, but I did the shelving.

Not "cheap"- about $300 in hardware and metal. But, it won't warp or absorb oil. And, you can take it down easily.

The hanging stuff is another little project. That was about $600 in hardware (strut and rod not pictured). The shelf along the back is just over 20' long, and each side comes out almost 8'. About 144 square feet of shelving.

 

[Jackfre]

I make up to 8' long shelves with 1/4" tempered hard board covering 1X3. Make the fperimeter box of the 1x3 and add whatever center crosses you need. cover with the masonite. I put a 1x3 or 2x4 fastened vert to the wall Hold up the shelving and screw into the wall stud. Put another 1x3 or heavier as you choose, out front and screw it thru the front of the shelf. I've made these shelves in 8, 12, 16 and 24". For the wider shelves I used 1x4. I have put enormous weight on them without problems. they clean easily with the masonite and they break down easily into the self supporting shelf boxes and the risers. Oh, I do make the risers tall enough to tie into the joists or rafters. As well, on the floor I'd put down a PT 1x6 or so to raise the material off the floor to prevent water from hurting the pine. you end up with the shelf inside the light frame. I'm a pipefitter by trade and love unistrut. You can do great things with it but, Holy $mokes!

 

[A**holes Garage]

I make up to 8' long shelves with 1/4" tempered hard board covering 1X3. Make the fperimeter box of the 1x3 and add whatever center crosses you need. cover with the masonite. I put a 1x3 or 2x4 fastened vert to the wall Hold up the shelving and screw into the wall stud. Put another 1x3 or heavier as you choose, out front and screw it thru the front of the shelf. I've made these shelves in 8, 12, 16 and 24". For the wider shelves I used 1x4. I have put enormous weight on them without problems. they clean easily with the masonite and they break down easily into the self supporting shelf boxes and the risers. Oh, I do make the risers tall enough to tie into the joists or rafters. As well, on the floor I'd put down a PT 1x6 or so to raise the material off the floor to prevent water from hurting the pine. you end up with the shelf inside the light frame. I'm a pipefitter by trade and love unistrut. You can do great things with it but, Holy $mokes!

Thanks good info there!

Do you think I could get by be screwing directly to the wall studs and not tie into the rafters? Not sure how much weight I'm going to put on them but I know the Unistrut has a high weight rating.

I don't think the Unistrut will be much longer than 5' to 7' long since there will be items on the floor that go about 3' up the wall.

 

[Thedroid]

You don't need to fab or buy shelving brackets. Make the whole thing out of unistrut. All you'll need is some of the simple 45's and the spring nuts. You'll easily be able to make the rack whatever depth you want, then just use the 45's to triangulate each one.

 

[Thedroid]

Oh ya, don't forget about the actual 90's for the shelves themselves. Both the 90's and the 45's are available in 1,2, and maybe even 3 hole, and should only cost a few bucks.

 

[A**holes Garage]

You don't need to fab or buy shelving brackets. Make the whole thing out of unistrut. All you'll need is some of the simple 45's and the spring nuts. You'll easily be able to make the rack whatever depth you want, then just use the 45's to triangulate each one.

I've seen the .45'd brackets on the supports out of Unistrut, but they are bulky and take up a lot of room when tying back to the vertical strut. I'd prefer to just do a 90 degree for the shelf support with no 45 back to the strut, but I'm sure that will not work with a deep shelf and the weight I'll be putting on it.

Guess I'll have to experiment...

I'm not going to get started on this project for a few months, go to wait for it to cool down.

In the meantime I'm collecting valuable information here, starting fabrication of workbenches, fabricating carts, for my welder, compressor, generator,etc.

 

[csp]

I have the Gorilla style racks, but they won't work since my welder, compressor, generator etc. are about 3' high. So I need to start my shelving about 3' off the floor level.

Pallet racking would accomodate this. My shortest uprights are 8' tall, and park one of my welders and other taller items on the floor under the bottom shelf. My compressor sits on the top shelf with hard lines going to different areas of the garage.

 

[Thedroid]

You don't have to go all the way to the end of each horizontal.

 

[snorky18]

We have miles of it at work.

I like it but it seems really expensive for a home shop. May be considerable overkill depending on which size you unistrut you're looking at and how much weight you want to put on it. IIRC for what we have at work the pull out load on a 1/2" channel nut on 1&5/8" by 1&5/8" 12 gauge unistrut is something like 1750LBS.

You're paying for the ability to easily change the configuration of your shelves at a later date, so if you think you will be changing stuff constantly it may be appropriate for you.

Personally, I hardly ever change shelf configurations once I set them up correctly. I generally prefer pallet racking, wood, or wire mesh.

 

[A**holes Garage]

You don't have to go all the way to the end of each horizontal.

True

We have miles of it at work.

I like it but it seems really expensive for a home shop. May be considerable overkill depending on which size you unistrut you're looking at and how much weight you want to put on it. IIRC for what we have at work the pull out load on a 1/2" channel nut on 1&5/8" by 1&5/8" 12 gauge unistrut is something like 1750LBS.

You're paying for the ability to easily change the configuration of your shelves at a later date, so if you think you will be changing stuff constantly it may be appropriate for you.

Personally, I hardly ever change shelf configurations once I set them up correctly. I generally prefer pallet racking, wood, or wire mesh.

Yes, I'm mainly wanting to use it for it's clean, simple look (probably paint it the same color as the wall) and I also like the fact the height and configuration can be easily adjusted.

 

[fireguy]

http://www.eng-prod-inc.com/products/Easy_Up/

I use this in my shop. Goes up easy, sturdy. I got the medium grade. I have had no storing pipe fittings and other steel product on 6' and 8' shelves. Not cheap.

 

[Jackfre]

Thanks good info there!

Do you think I could get by be screwing directly to the wall studs and not tie into the rafters? Not sure how much weight I'm going to put on them but I know the Unistrut has a high weight rating.

I don't think the Unistrut will be much longer than 5' to 7' long since there will be items on the floor that go about 3' up the wall.

You need to run the vert supports to the floor, install stiff legs (45's?) to the wall or suspend it from the rafters. Your choice in how you attach...securely attach, that is. Another good thing about my method is you can adjust shelf height as necessary by simply sliding the shelf up or down.

If you were referring to a Unistrut shelf, you have the same conditions. The unistrut will hold anything as long as you make the mount bomb-proof. You could run your supposts to the floor and space them so you can roll your goods under the shelving. Thats what I did on mine. Plenty of space below but well supported. I like stuff to stay where I put it!

 

[dittle fart around]

The only way I'd use Unistrut is if it was stolen from work, I mean borrowed, or given to me free of charge. Pallet racks are easier to adjust and would hold just as much weight. Unistrut is a great, as an industrial electrician I've got a lot of experience using the product. Once you start making shelving it eats up the fittings like crazy. We would weld it for those types of uses.

 

[A**holes Garage]

The only way I'd use Unistrut is if it was stolen from work, I mean borrowed, or given to me free of charge. Pallet racks are easier to adjust and would hold just as much weight. Unistrut is a great, as an industrial electrician I've got a lot of experience using the product. Once you start making shelving it eats up the fittings like crazy. We would weld it for those types of uses.

lolol, I've been around the Unsitrut product for years as well. I've seen all kinds of structures / supports made out of it. Never worked with it myself but thought it would fit perfectly for my small one wall shelving project. Like I said earlier, it's only a 12' wall, can't be all that expensive can it?

i guess I'll find out!

 

[mzahn]

Unistrut is the original strut product, but there are many equals out there, b-line, phd-mfg, kumar industries, o-strut, the list is endless. Go to your local commercial fastener wholesaler and tell them that you work for whoever and your paying cash. You will likely save money.

 

[buzz4041]

It will be strong and nice but expensive. I have built and installed many a frame and rack out of all flavors of strut. It was easy to order as project was paying for it but to buy it on your own and the accessories will get pricey quick.

 

[schultz]

I used pallet racking myself.

Same here.

 

[ahawksfan]

If anyone is interested in some Unistrut shelf brackets that are very reasonable priced let me know (ahawksfan A T hotmail.com).

 

[srmofo]

I almost bought HD brackets from Lowe's but they were $10 each. I needed something around 20 of them.

If you go back by the hardwood boards they have utility shelf brackets for $2 to $5. I'm guessing you were in the wire shelf aisle with all the expensive home decor ****