Woud you do plywood or MDF for Shelving
I am moving a bunch of my stuff into a storage facility. Track Tires, Wet Vac Carpet Extractor, books, etc.
I plan to setup Double Rivet Shelving units speced at 5′ Wide x 30 Deep.
Why 30″ instead of 24″ ?
Tires footprint is around 26″, and most of the larger equipment related stuff border around 28-30″ Deep. The other stuff that will sit on the upper shelves are much smaller in footprint.
What wood would you use in this app for shelf material.
All the local supply shops are closed today and I need to check what they stock in 4×10 sheets. With 4×10 sheets, I can at least maximize doing 2 shelves per sheet instead of wasting a whole sheet per shelf if I had only 4×8 sheets to work with.
Debating between MDF, not sure what the going rate of AB plywood is, or I’m leaning in the bottom shelves where all the heavy stuff will be, I would do a hardwood plywood for deflection purposes and a lesser expensive plywood on top.
Any suggestions or what woods you would use in this application.
Each shelf will be 5′ long and 30″ Deep.
On one bank of shelves, if 4×10 sheets are not easily available, I may just opt to do 24 Deep Shelving.
A link to the shelving system can be found here
http://www.pencoproducts.com/index.asp?pageID=8&cId=2&pid=11
Edited 10/25/2009 7:32 pm ET by mobiledynamics
Replies
See this is your first post, welcome to BT.
I'd rip up some of my 5 ft by 10 ft stash of baltic birch plywood, wold get 4 pieces each out of those. Unfortunately, if you need to buy that stuff, kinda pricey.
I don't even use MDF when it is free except for 'ground cover', but that's just me. Oh, I have used a piece of 3/4 for a secondary surface for cutting glass.
Fill in your profile for future posts, who knows, you might be in Seatle area and able to talk me out of a few sheets of the BB <G>
MDF won't last for those distances. 3/4" cdx would work, or look for culled lumber at HD and Lowes, you could run 1x4 or 1x6 slats from front to back.
"Put your creed in your deed." Emerson
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
5' is too long unless you put 2x4s under them, or intermediate posts to the ground at half-way. MDF will sag. Plywood is better. AdvanTech may be even better, if it's available.
Forrest
hmmm...now you have me thinking. Is it thickness that counts ----or species/types of wood ?I have some misc heavy gear was well like a Target tile saw, etc I may store on it as well.I have some 1/2-3/4 (I think) thick cherry and walnut flooring somewhere in the garage. Good solid hardwood....
Edited 10/25/2009 9:10 pm ET by mobiledynamics
Thickness only for deflection, most structural woods have nearly the same modulus, between 1.4 to 1.7 E6.
Twice as thick = 4X as strong, 1.5 times as thick = 2.25X as strong, etc... Breaking is a function of fiber tensile strength which varies quite a bit between species, anywhere from 6ksi to 13 ksi.
30" sapn fron to back (assuming both frnt and back edges supported ) will be good, if only on the ends you need to add 2x4s or steel angles.
<<Twice as thick = 4X as strong, 1.5 times as thick = 2.25X as strong>>When it comes to deflection, "Twice as thick is 8X as strong." Deflection is inversely proportional to the cube of the thickness.That's why 5/8" thick is TWICE as stiff as 1/2" thick sheets.Just thought you would want to know. <G>
Edited 10/27/2009 8:21 am ET by Pixburd
Leftover 3/4" flooring would work."Put your creed in your deed." Emerson
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
Any issues with 3/4 ply hardwood - 30" depth (only supported by 4 sides and a center beam) and sagging with heavy equipement or tires. Each tires weights 60lbs on average .Target Tile Saw, etc..... ?Maybe I do need to use 2 x stock for the bottom selves ?
If you had a point load in the middle of the span, yes. But you said the tires have a 26" footprint, so they rweach almost to the shelf supports. Same for the tile saw, it will probably reach almost front to back."Put your creed in your deed." Emerson
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
Thanks. I actually ended up calling Pentco and their beams have extra lateral support holes as well.So it would be center support at 2.5" feet, and also lateral supports 12" offset from both right and left sides.I plan to do this for the bottom shelves in which the heavier items would be.
--------On the point load, excellent point as the weight is spread. There are some oddball items like this commercial grade carpet extractor. It has casters on them, so the load is on the 4 casters.
OKAY. I think I have it figuered out....Question : Baltic Birch 5x5 sheets at $1.74 sq ft - $45 per 5x5 sheets - 3/4"OR ?leftover brazilian cherry hardwood 5/8 thick.Cherry is at least 2X harder in rating than the Birch. More work on my end as I need to glue the T&G of them and then cut to size but I'm sure the end results will be worth it.So do I go with the 3/4" baltic or 5/8 leftover solid brazilian cherry
I think it would be a shame to use Baltic Birch ply for shelving. That stuff is wonderful for making jigs, boxes, drawers, etc. For utility shelving I'd go with cheap but thick ply.Scott.
I can buy a shelf board material that is essentially some pressed bd as you use for Formica countertops - a high density particle bd that comes 25" or 30" wide - no waste. Check into that.
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I don't plan on ~reinventing the wheel~ and redoing the shelves . The goal is to setup shelving, move what I plan to move into storage and then just use the facilities. The bottom shelves will hold the track tires/wheels and the power equipment stuff.Top shelf will be ~home goods~ and not man cave hobbies.So MDF seems to be out. I thought all pressboard was bunk ?
Unless it's some crazy $$$ type.
I recall doing out kitchen and their was this one cabinet line - ultra high density MDF stuff that was running at least 1K linear foot for their cabinet line.Wouldn't Formica/pressboard have the same drawbacks as others have stated with MDF ?Cheap thick plywood even at 3/4" - I would consider A/B or some variant as I would prefer a smooth surface on the top ?Hardwood is a compromise in cost & stability....Leftover flooring won't cost me a penny but 5" wide cherry wood for shelving seems a tad silly. It's 5/8" but Janka rating is plenty hard over any pine or birch hardwood.Decision, decisions.Don't want to use metal solid shelving.Keep the suggestions coming.Edited 10/26/2009 6:30 pm ET by mobiledynamics <!-- MOBILEDYNAMI -->
Edited 10/26/2009 6:31 pm ET by mobiledynamics
do you really need shelfs for your track tires? or will they just rest across 2x4's spaced 18" or so apart? the trie racks in our trailers have always been 2 rods spaced so that they "cradle" the tire in an upright position
p
In the past, I have always had them stored in the garage. Never wall hung on a tire rack .
Stacked vertical. 3 sets of wheels.......in 2 stacks 10 tires each. Then there is the daily drivers in which there are summer tires in another stack and vice versa - winter tires depending on season. We don't run all-seasons on any of the cars...On the shelving, was planning to store them horizontal but I did not want to make one shelf a dedicated duty tire shelf. Thus - I was planning to spread the load amongst the bottom shelves on at least 4-5 shelf units.I did consider what you statedm similar to this stylehttp://www.tiresstorage.com/tire%20shelving%20dimensions.JPG
If the shelves are to be 60" long, I'd use a combination of 2X4 framing, and just about any kind of sheet goods I could get cheap.
Cuz there just about isn't any sheet good that you can buy that will make an effective shelf that is 5 feet long, unless it's got some framing under it.
And that's true even if all you're storing is fluffy stuff. (You've got tires, machines, and books -- not very fluffy.)
Build the frames, add legs, and sheet it with whatever. If you don't, it will sag, soon.
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I can't live proud enough to die when I'm gone,
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Are we referring to just the overall length and thickness of wood. Obviously, it's supported on all 4 edges. As well there will be a beam running the depth in the dead center.As well, 2 more support beams running the depth. Both of these are running 12" from each corner. So there is extra bracing per se. for whatever shelf material will be on top.Other alternatives is solid steel shelving which I'm avoiding.Looked at open wire shelving. God awful expensive , and half the load rating. I liked the fact it was open air circulating though...
If there's already support beneath the shelves, then use whatever ply, MDF, or OSB you can find cheap.Ususlly the 7/16 OSB is a very good price. And it'll work for your purpose. Looks like cr*p, but in a storage facility, who would care?
I won't be laughing at the lies when I'm gone,
And I can't question how or when or why when I'm gone;
I can't live proud enough to die when I'm gone,
So I guess I'll have to do it while I'm here. (Phil Ochs)
1/2' would be fine if you've got support in the middle. Use the OSB at HD - was running $8 a sheet a while back.JT
Support looks like this for bottom shelf
5' Width
1' Support 2.5' Support 1'Support1' Support is 1" off each cornerThe remaining 4 shelves I plan to only have 1 center support (or not depending on your feedback) 5' Width
2.5' Support ------I was actually on Advantechs website last night checking out their stuff
Edited 10/26/2009 9:48 pm ET by mobiledynamics
My shelving order is being loaded onto freight next week. Took awhile to get into production but it's shipping.
My flooring is 3/4 thick, various planks ranging up to 7 feet long - T&G solid wood.
The shelving is 5 feet long, 30" deep with a center support running the depth in the center span at the 2.5 foot mark.
IF I decide to use the hardwood flooring instead of the solid ply, I plan to glue up the flooring making then 30" deep, and just rip them across every 5 feet. The planks would run parallel to the width of the shelf unit.
For all you pros out there, is this the ~wrong~ route to go if I decide to do the T&G and I should be laying these planks parallel to the depth of the shelf units so there is more *ends* touching the side- thus having more support ?
Just remember the t&g on flooriing isn't uniform from top to bottom (top fits tight and bottom is loose) so gluing them up for what you're doing either requires a light cut to even both sides, or ripping the t&g off alltogether. solid wood will span better than ply so I'm a fan, but that sounds like a lot of work.
My last shelves for tools were 8' spans with 3/8" ply top and bottom over 2x3's on both sides and the end. Loaded with tile saw and stacked 3' deep with tool bags from end to end it sags about 3/4" in the center. 3/4" ply over 2x4's will support the same with only about 1/16" sag in the middle. My next set will probably be 1/2" ply or osb over the 2x3's for something that's easy to work with yet stiff enough for anything I'll do with them.
I'm seeing more shelves in clothing stores made out of carefully sanded osb with a thick clear finish on them--looks good.
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The individual planks should run the 5' diminsion. ex: w/6" wide planks, each shelf would have 5 @ 5'x6" planks.SamTA Pragmatic Classical Liberal, aka Libertarian.
I'm always right! Except when I'm not.
In a ideal world, yes on six 5" planks...My planks mix in length from 1-7'. 5" wide.
If I did run them parallel, I was planning to make sure I ran the shorter lengths so that they would land on the edges or the center supports.
land on the edges or the center supports.
More important to make sure you don't have two multi-piece strips side by side. Put a full length piece between 'em.SamTA Pragmatic Classical Liberal, aka Libertarian.
I'm always right! Except when I'm not.