On Sunday, July 22, 2018 at 4:06:05 PM UTC-4, Leon wrote:
On 7/22/2018 12:01 PM, DerbyDad03 wrote:
On Sunday, July 22, 2018 at 11:13:12 AM UTC-4, Leon wrote:
On 7/21/2018 10:00 PM, DerbyDad03 wrote:
While you guys have been figuring out how to use SketchUp and bickering
about which operating system is best, I've been making sawdust. ;-)
I built this old fashioned way: with a tape measure and a pencil. Well, OK
a couple of tape measures and "Hey! Where the hell did that pencil go now?"
The loft along the back wall has been there for years. Everything else was
designed and built today, on the fly. The only "computer" involved was my
phone playing a whole lot of Allman Brothers, Stevie Ray Vaughan and similar
artists on a Bluetooth speaker. ;-)
https://i.imgur.com/0v44CJq.jpg
Cool!
Thanks. The previous storage "system" was a mis-matched set of whatever
POS entertainment center, shelf unit and old cabinet that I just sort of
ended up with over the years. It was time to clean the garage anyway, so
I figured I would start from scratch.
Pop Quiz:
There a single piece of wood that serves no actual purpose. It was added for
purely aesthetic reasons.
(It's not the short 2x4 on the upper right. That will be used to hang
seasonal yard equipment, e.g. brooms or snow shovels. I'll probably
finish off all the ends of the shelves in that section. It'll look more
solid/finished.)
OK, so where's unnecessary piece of "structure"?
Top right rail.
Not if you are referring to the 9" 2x4 with the nail in it. That has a
purpose: Hanging brooms, etc. as mentioned in the OP.
Actually the right back rail against the wall at the top. The lower
shelves had narrower rails on the wall.
Oh...the ledger for the top shelf. That one is both structural and
aesthetic, as are all the 2x4's for the top shelf. The loft has 2x4
framing so I carried that "bulkiness" around to the side just for the
top shelf.
Now if you had used SU you might have added a corner
leg where the side and back wall intersect. ;~)
Why?
To prevent sag. I put up some shelves in a closet very similar to your
layout. The corners sagged after being loaded. I added a leg near the
corner.
What do you store in your closets? Old truck rotors? ;-)
If your right outer rails bow from weight, this will also allow the left
outer rails to sag close to the intersection. And this may never be an
issue but the good news is that if they do, it is an easy fix.
Just for fun, I did a test.
This is 90 pounds of Soap Box Derby weights:
https://i.imgur.com/WQijSyd.jpg
This is the shelf height before the weight was applied:
https://i.imgur.com/h5AYumU.jpg
This is the shelf height after:
https://i.imgur.com/ZgvkNb4.jpg
I guess that's about 3/32" sag. Granted, it would probably get worse over
time, but then again, I doubt I'll ever have 90 pounds concentrated on the
front rail, smack in the middle of the shelf's run. ;-)
You are right, the possible of sag certainly exists, and I do like your idea
of suspending the support from above. I'll keep that in mind.
In my store room I used a 2x4 to come down from what would be ceiling
joints and attach to each shelf but did not go lower than the bottom
shelf. Same effect as your strapping that is hanging down but went down
to attach to each shelf. Keeps the bottom open for easier access.
The ledgers support the back corner and the front rails support the front
corner. The 8' back shelves span the T joint, tying it all together. The
floating corners serve both form and function.
https://i.imgur.com/QmnSJcA.jpg
BTW...the ledgers are strips of plywood left over from this project as well
as a few left over from the bookcase project. Waste not, want not. ;-)