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Cheap Storage Shelves Creative Usage

The document provides instructions for building cheap storage shelves out of wood. It details the materials and tools needed, which include 2x4 boards, plywood, screws, nails, and cutting/drilling tools. The steps involve cutting the wood into various lengths, assembling vertical supports and horizontal shelves, and attaching the plywood surfaces. Photos illustrate each step of the construction process, from cutting the lumber to final assembly. The finished shelves are 78 inches tall with four 21-inch deep shelves for sturdy storage.

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95 views15 pages

Cheap Storage Shelves Creative Usage

The document provides instructions for building cheap storage shelves out of wood. It details the materials and tools needed, which include 2x4 boards, plywood, screws, nails, and cutting/drilling tools. The steps involve cutting the wood into various lengths, assembling vertical supports and horizontal shelves, and attaching the plywood surfaces. Photos illustrate each step of the construction process, from cutting the lumber to final assembly. The finished shelves are 78 inches tall with four 21-inch deep shelves for sturdy storage.

Uploaded by

cagedraptor
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 15

Food

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Workshop

Cheap Storage Shelves


by drcj on July 6, 2013 Table of Contents Cheap Storage Shelves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Intro: Cheap Storage Shelves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 1: Materials & Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 2: Cutting the Lumber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 3: Measure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 4: Build a ladder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 5: Start on the shelves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 2 4 6 7 9

Step 6: Putting it all together part 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Step 7: Putting it all together part 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Step 8: Attaching plywood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Step 9: Finishing touches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Advertisements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

http://www.instructables.com/id/Cheap-Storage-Shelves/

Intro: Cheap Storage Shelves


Our kitchen was getting too cluttered with not enough counter-space, so I decided to make some cheap heavy duty storage shelves. Total cost was around $55 not including tools. Each of the 4 shelves are 21"x 45" and the assembled structure stands 78" tall.

Step 1: Materials & Tools


I got all necessary materials at Home Depot. Luckily, my local Home Depot cuts all lumber for free which significantly cut down on the total cost of this build. Some lumber yards charge up to 50 cents per cut, so that would have gotten expensive very quickly. I certainly had the capability to cut my own wood, but it is just so much faster and easier to transport in a sub-compact if you get the store to cut it for you. Materials: 10 * 8' 2 x 4's @ $2.59 each = $26 1 * 4' x 8' sheet of 1/2" thick plywood = $20-$30 80 * 2.5" exterior screws = $5 (just buy a 1 lb box) 1" finishing nails Tools: Pen Power drill Set of drill bits Level Measuring tape Hammer Clamps (optional)

http://www.instructables.com/id/Cheap-Storage-Shelves/

Image Notes 1. Does anyone else have a cat that lays like this? 2. This was one heavy shelf

http://www.instructables.com/id/Cheap-Storage-Shelves/

Step 2: Cutting the Lumber


You are starting with 10 2 x 4's and one 4' x 8' section of 1/2" plywood. The plywood will go on to become the shelves, so it will need to be cut to dimensions of 21" x 45". You will need 3 of these sheets and one sheet of 21" x 48" for the top shelf. 4' x 8' plywood --> 3 * 21" x 45" plywood + 1* 21" x 48" plywood Each shelf consists of two 4' boards with three 18" boards sandwiched between them. These shelves rest on four vertical 78" boards. Four boards should be cut at 18" --> 4 * 78" boards + 4 * 18" boards Four boards should be cut at 48" --> 8 * 48" boards The remaining two boards should be cut into 18" sections until the total number of 18" sections is 12.

Image Notes 1. three sandwiched 18" sections per shelf

http://www.instructables.com/id/Cheap-Storage-Shelves/

Image Notes 1. cut sections of plywood 2. Eight 4' boards 3. Four 78" boards 4. Twelve 18" boards 5. scrap wood 6. cat

Image Notes 1. 78" tall 2. 48" wide 3. 21" deep

http://www.instructables.com/id/Cheap-Storage-Shelves/

Step 3: Measure
Line up all four 78" sections and mark off lines at the point where you want your shelves to lie. Measuring is the most important step, so make sure you are accurate or else the shelf will not be level. Each shelf height is up to you, but my suggested measurements can be seen in the image.

Image Notes 1. Just using the level as a straight edge here

Image Notes 1. Units are inches

http://www.instructables.com/id/Cheap-Storage-Shelves/

Step 4: Build a ladder


Line up an 18" section with your line, ensure it is square. Pre-drill 2 holes with a drill bit only slightly smaller than the diameter of your screws. This is necessary to keep the wood from splitting when you insert the screws. Screw the two pieces of wood together. Wash, rinse, and repeat until you basically have a ladder, then build another ladder which will make up the other side of the shelf.

Image Notes 1. lining up 18" segment with lines drawn in previous step 2. board used to ensure the end was square 3. These middle boards served as spacers and support. very useful 4. Make sure BOTH sides are square before drilling 5. I didn't clamp, I simply kept my weight on the 18" board to make sure it didn't go anywhere 6. Make sure ends are in line or the shelf won't be level

Image Notes 1. Making sure the ends were flush and square before drilling

Image Notes

Image Notes

http://www.instructables.com/id/Cheap-Storage-Shelves/

1. Drill holes, THEN insert screws 2. Use two screws on each side to prevent rotation

1. Beautiful isn't it?

Image Notes 1. Use your level to make sure you didn't f-up somewhere along the line

Image Notes 1. Tah-dah! its a ladder

http://www.instructables.com/id/Cheap-Storage-Shelves/

Image Notes 1. After all that tedious work, make sure you build an identical second ladder

Step 5: Start on the shelves


The first part of making the actual shelves involves attaching a cross-beam to four of the 4' sections exactly in the middle. There's no good way to do this, but the best way I could figure out was to place both boards on a flat table, lined up the best I could, then attach then with screws - taking care to pre-drill holes.

Image Notes 1. What we are building in this step

Image Notes 1. The best positioning I found for screwing the two pieces together 2. Always keep a spare battery charged

http://www.instructables.com/id/Cheap-Storage-Shelves/

Image Notes 1. I measured the mid-line, then eyeballed it with the attachment

Image Notes 1. Well that didn't turn out all that bad now did it?

Step 6: Putting it all together part 1


Now you have all the pieces you need to attach everything together. Lay both ladders on their sides with the 18" segments on the insides, then lay the cross-beams built in the last step across the ladders where the 18" segments attach. Make sure everything is square, then start screwing everything together (after pre-drilling holes) with 2 screws per joint to prevent rotation.

Image Notes 1. cross-beams flush with side of ladder 2. Attach with 1 screw in 78" segment and 1 screw in 18" segment

Image Notes 1. The joint is made very strong by the perpendicular screws

Step 7: Putting it all together part 2


Now that you have the rough shape of the storage shelves, all that needs to be done is to flip it over and attach the four remaining 4' boards to the other side. Make sure to secure the remaining boards to the cross-beams as well. You may need straps to hold the sides in as you secure the final boards.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Cheap-Storage-Shelves/

Image Notes 1. straps used to bring sides in as I secured final boards 2. Test fitting 21" x 48" plywood piece on the top

Image Notes 1. Make sure to secure the cross-beam when you attach the final boards 2. Straps can be removed once all boards are secured

Step 8: Attaching plywood


Use finishing nails to tack on the plywood sheets to the shelves. Because this thing was so tall, I did the top shelf while it was laying down, then flipped it up to attach the remaining pieces of plywood. REMEMBER: the top piece of plywood is the largest piece because it over-hangs the supporting studs. Additionally, once you raise your shelves upright, make sure to check to make sure they are level,

http://www.instructables.com/id/Cheap-Storage-Shelves/

Image Notes 1. 1" finishing nail 2. What a joint

Image Notes 1. This thing is BIG 2. And heavy 3. curious cats

Image Notes 1. Make sure the shelves are level

http://www.instructables.com/id/Cheap-Storage-Shelves/

Image Notes 1. He thinks its a cat-tower

Step 9: Finishing touches


Move your shelves into position and add any finishing touches you want, like wood-stain, polyurethane, paint, or kitchen appliances.

Image Notes 1. Its always convenient to have more outlets

http://www.instructables.com/id/Cheap-Storage-Shelves/

Image Notes 1. So much more storage space!

Image Notes 1. Take pride in your work!

http://www.instructables.com/id/Cheap-Storage-Shelves/

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