Quick workshop shelves

[brewdexta]

I was just about to use the lathe this evening and I got sick of moving all the crud around, I've never sorted out somewhere to put the chucks etc. and the wheeled table that I use for this at the moment gets covered in al sorts of other junk.

So I decided to build some shelves, but I thought I would do it with a twist. I would try and do it with available materials and very quickly as I wanted to get on with the tractor, not messing with shelves, plus my folks are over and I couldn't spend all night in the workshop.

Here's where the shelves are going, I designed them in about 5 minutes in my head, no diagram which is unusual for me, so plenty of opportunity to make a dogs dinner of it.

A narrow space but enough to put some order amongst chucks, faceplates and gears.

First thing I realised is the design had to facilitate quick assembly and also had to cover up wide tolerances.

So I had a look at what I had knocking about, I came up with the idea of slotting some box and inserting some sheet steel and tacking it.

I had six sheets of 400 x 200 0.9mm steel so that was the size of the shelves.

Continued....

 

[brewdexta]

So I slotted some 50mm box on the rapidor to half way through to get them more or less square then evened them up with the slotting disk.

Here's a sheet tried in place

I then cut two lengths of 25mm box for the corners, I slotted these with a disk half way through but corner to corner.

continued.....

 

[brewdexta]

Here's it after one hour of work including scrounging around the workshop for the bits. Its just tacked for now and needs some triangulation underneath plus some brackets to hold it to the RSJ. it would have been better if I joggled the shelf edges for strength but I don't have joggler yet and I do have a bit of small angle I can add later.

I shall finish them off tomorrow, I reckon another 30 mins. I won't paint them as I will probably add. improve and modify them a bit once I get them used.

Cheers
Andy

 

[chunkolini]

Tack a piece of say 20x3mm strip along the side, a few mm from the edge.
this leaves a nice sharp edge to do max damage to careless elbows etc.
Slightly confused, they dont seem to be supported at one end.
Are you using skyhooks?

 

[brewdexta]

Slightly confused, they dont seem to be supported at one end.
Are you using skyhooks?

That will be the triangulation I mentioned

I'm putting a couple of bits of 25mm box from the front back to the 50mm box.

 

[chunkolini]

Aaah.
it is great to gte these stupid jobs out of the way, how long has the clutter been bothering you?
I try to have a day now and again where I faff about improving the workplace. Always worthwhile.

 

[brewdexta]

Aaah.
it is great to gte these stupid jobs out of the way, how long has the clutter been bothering you?
I try to have a day now and again where I faff about improving the workplace. Always worthwhile.

Only about 3 or 4 years

The shelves are a bit heath robinson but will get the job done and I can tart them up later. I take your point on the sharp edges, I was going to radius the shelves with the plasma and get a joggler but these little jobs seem to be taking over from my main priorities.

 

[chunkolini]

Gaffer tape?
Ah! tack a piece of strip along the edge giving a lip to stop things creeping off the edge, and leave a gap say 20mm at the ends to allow dust to be swept off every five years.

 

[brewdexta]

or beer line split down the middle. I do have a bit of small angle that I could tack around the edge. I shall leave it as is for a bit until I get inspiration, a few minutes spare or a cut my finger on the edge, whatever comes first

 

[brewdexta]

I put the frame bracing on this morning, and some tabs to bolt it to the column.

The shelves do need some bracing but the frame is very strong now. I shall put some small angle on later after I have marked up the column for the holes. Total time so far about 2 hours.

Cheers
Andy

 

[MattF]

I shall leave it as is for a bit until I get inspiration, a few minutes spare or a cut my finger on the edge, whatever comes first

You can pretty much guarantee which will happen first.

 

[brewdexta]

I got another hour this afternoon while the eldest was having her 8th birthday party at a pottery. I sorted both problems, saggy shelves were supported by a couple of bit of bar underneath, again bits I had hanging around. The second problem, the sharp edges was sorted by a bit of beer line, AKA 9.5mm OD plastic tube.

Here's Andy patent tube slitter, it cuts a nice straight line down one wall in seconds without slicing your fingers.

Here it is in place

I'll finish the rest later, job done an clutter out of the way. I need to sort out the chucks, some are junk but at least they are in one place now.

I can see the lathe once more

Cheers
Andy

 

[Bill Edwards]

I hate to have to point out this critical flaw, but...

It's already full. This means you'll still end up filling the trolley again! You still need more space!

 

[brewdexta]

I must admit I thought I would have room to spare, however some of the chucks are worn out and need binning. But being pratt/burnerd etc I find it difficult to part with them.

Maybe I'll do others do with old chucks past their best and stick them on ebay and let some other poor sod deal with it

 

[brightspark]

I must admit I thought I would have room to spare, however some of the chucks are worn out and need binning. But being pratt/burnerd etc I find it difficult to part with them.

Maybe I'll do others do with old chucks past their best and stick them on ebay and let some other poor sod deal with it

not going to put them as in good condition are u ive seen some right crap on there and wondered what poor condition would look like

 

[ukracer]

I hate to have to point out this critical flaw, but...

It's already full. This means you'll still end up filling the trolley again! You still need more space!

OMG wendlespanelwick will be having a turn soon. lol

 

[Robotstar5]

I hate to have to point out this critical flaw, but...

It's already full. This means you'll still end up filling the trolley again! You still need more space!

That's easy, another set of shelves on the next column.

 

[brewdexta]

not going to put them as in good condition are u ive seen some right crap on there and wondered what poor condition would look like

I shall put them on as new old stock

Seriously though, I couldn't pass then on as anything other than well worn, unfortunately many other don't have an issue selling old tat, just because its used doesn't need to mean its FUBAR.