Wall shelving: sheer or support?

[TBoone]

Currently the far wall of my garage has 2x4 framed shelves with legs to the floor supporting the outer portion and tied into the studs at the back. This structure is 16'long and has 3 shelves all the way across, the lowest being apx. 36" from the floor. I am looking to remove the legs to accommodate a tubing rack to gain floor space and keep the material from getting rusty from being on the floor. I would like to keep the tubing somewhat high as to not impede on outlet usage as well as temporary storage for axles etc. To remove the legs I will need to support the outer edge of the shelves, my initial thought was 45* supports running back to the wall. But this costs me some space to store the tubing so I started thinking of how to build them like a cabinet with sheer walls on either end and a couple in the middle. Seems like it should work just fine providing I use thick enough plywood and proper fasteners as one would use in a sheer wall for a building.

Any thoughts before I give this a whorl? I have no idea of the amount of weight being supported but would gestimate it to be well over a couple hundred pounds in all. Everything from camping gear to toys to car parts and even extra hardwood flooring is on these shelves.

 

[LSU]

Let me throw out some random thoughts and ideas:

Note I didn't say "answers", just some things to think about.

I've have a similar situation where I had an older workbench mounted to a 2x4 exterior wall. Whoever built it post WW2 must have built aircraft carriers during the war because this might be the best made workbench (and it has been copied by lots of my friends).

I was going to remove the 4x4 support legs and "open up" underneath the bench part. My original thought was to use 45 degree braces against the wall and elminate all but one of the 4x4 support posts.

After giving this some serious thought and discussion with friends and relatives (one who is a civil engineer) it was recommended to me that stress on the supporting wall might be more than the standard stud wall could support.

My workbench is about 8' long and its top was 2x6 laid on their side. The origina builder must have planned the top boards and glued them on the ends because it is that smooth.

I used the workbench for various projects and it never moved. Once we set a small block V8 on it while we worked on the engine lift.

As much as I wanted to steal some of the space under the bench, I decided not to and stayed with the original bench. My biggest concern was the supporting wall. I think I could have crafted a bench that was "hung off" the wall but I was worried the exterior wall would bow in.

I know space is a premium in workshops so you gotta do what you gotta do, just go slow before you start cutting the supporting braces out.

Just my two cents. Post some pics if you've got them.

 

[buzz4041]

Why not adapt the frame you have to hold the tubing under one of the shelves. I support tubes with 6" schedule 40 PVC at work all the time in this fashion. It keeps the tubing from sagging between supports it gives it full protection from the elements and you can slip an end cap on it to keep dirt out of the ends.

 

[RazrRebel]

Is it possible to take some extra 2 x 4's and hang the shelf from the roof joist'?

 

[theoldwizard1]

The previous owner of my house built a large shelf across the back of the garage. There is a 2x6 nailed into the studs along the back wall and another 2x6 that runs from side to side about 4' out from the back wall. This 2x6 rests on jack studs. The shelf is high enough that the hood of a car can easily fit under it (high enough that you need a step ladder to reach items pushed to the back of the shelf). There is only 1 angle brace in the center from the front 2x6 down to the bottom plate.

Depending some much weight you want to hold and how deep you want to make the shelf, you could probably run 2x6 or 2x8 from side to side, supported on the ends by 2x4 jack studs at each stud (16") and be okay. (I would hate to see the price of a 20' 2x8 today !) The bonus with these "rafters" spaced at 16", you can probably get by with 1/2" plywood.

 

[larryroohr]

Instead of legs to the floor could you support the outside with cables up to the ceiling joists? Since it's not a bench you might set a short block on, the load may be ok?

 

[Kevin54]

When I built my workbenches and also my shelves in the shed, I ran 45's back to the wall for support. I can stand on my workbench and it won't budge and I weigh in at 240