The Shop > Our Shop
Material Storage
DICKEYBIRD:
I built a large drawer from old cabinet parts I had lying around to go underneath a workbench and mounted rollerblade wheels to the bottom rolling directly on the floor. It worked great until I loaded it up with metal and the urethane wheels blew up into a zillion pieces. I then turned up some aluminum wheels from scrap plate and bored them to fit the skate bearings. Works a treat now and utilizes a space efficiently that was filled with junk & dust bunnies before.
ksor:
-> DICKEYBIRD
Oh - not good for the rubber wheels - I never seen them crush like that !
The alu-ones are maybe better - but I think a small stone or something like that on the floor will stop them - right ?
Why did you place the "angle-iron-peaces" like you did ?
I think you would get a better support to the wheels if you place the vertical flange as CLOSE TO THE wheels as posible - right ?
DICKEYBIRD:
--- Quote from: ksor on January 07, 2012, 09:26:53 AM ----> DICKEYBIRD
Oh - not good for the rubber wheels - I never seen them crush like that !
The alu-ones are maybe better - but I think a small stone or something like that on the floor will stop them - right ?
Why did you place the "angle-iron-peaces" like you did ?
I think you would get a better support to the wheels if you place the vertical flange as CLOSE TO THE wheels as posible - right ?
--- End quote ---
The skate wheels are a 2 piece composite consisting of a urethane cover molded onto a polycarbonate core. The core would probably be plenty strong with the urethane cover peeled off but I'd already finished the whole thing based on the original O.D. of the wheel and didn't want to mess with making spacers or re-designing the thing, hence the aluminum wheels made to the same O.D.
So far no small stones or debris have stopped them. It's been in use for several months now with no problems. I sweep up fairly often.:)
I don't remember why I put axle brackets on the wrong-way round originally but when I took them off to replace the wheels I switched them around the other way.
Lew_Merrick_PE:
I don't have pictures and (right now) everything is buried behind the current project, but I use several solutions. My baseline is a triangular frame made from 1 X 2 boards that allows me to lean (up to) 8 foot long pieces of bar, rod, and angle in sections (similar to http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/JARKE-Bar-Storage-Rack-Shelves-Only-4UK82?Pid=search). Beware of making them too big as: (A) they become a real pain moving pieces around to access and (B) they become too heavy on one side and tip. The areas between the "triangles" get shelves for smaller pieces (though keeping the sides free for access can be a problem).
I have several racks made up from left-over PVC pipe that allow me to store short pieces (3 feet in length or less). Various sizes of pipe (picked up for free at construction sites) make the storage holes. Lengths from (about) 2 feed down to (about) 4 inches provide a quick visual access to things stored. The "short pipes" go on the outside of the unit mounted to wooden shelves with pivots so I can look straight down the pipe to see what's there. I notch the base ends sufficiently so I can reach a finger in to push out the part I want. They get mounted on casters so I can move them around (lesson learned from the Mark I version).
I also used the cheap particle board bookcases for storing small pieces of plate. Each shelf has an ID on it for the material/alloy (etc.) so I can limit my digging. These are currently bolted to walls, but I think that mounting them on casters in a "back-to-back" arrangement might be better (subject to trial) as they regularly get buried behind projects and become a PITA to access. Obviously, a "back-to-back" arrangement will need a "separator" between the cases.
I have yet to find a good system for storing sheet-type materials. The 12 X 4 foot sheets of material (UHMW, ABS, etc.) are far from trivial to deal with. My best to date solution is a pair of (15°) tapered bases that support the material length-wise allowing me to "tip out" to sheets that are "on top" and slide the one I want out sideways. However, this requires keeping the "side" clear for access -- not something that works out well over time.
I admit I am a wuss. I deburr everything going into storage. I hate getting burr-cut! Additionally, I wax all my (non-scale coated) steel and iron for storage. Treewax wooden floor wax works well. If you ever read Sometimes a Great Notion you will know how quickly things rust here in the pacific northwest of America. Waxing solves that problem. (Though, when I store project parts made from steel or iron during process, I spray them with oil and wrap them in saran wrap -- it cleans up more easily.) (Also, muriatic acid and one of the long shallow plastic storage containers works quite well for removing scale from HRS stock for those knowledgeable and comfortable working with acid. About 15 minutes of "dip" (I use small diameter PVC pipe as a "stand-off" in the "tank") followed by a dusting of baking soda and a thorough water rinse -- followed by a quick waxing does wonders.)
Hopefully this helps. I will try to get some pictures after the current machine build project is cleared out. My shop fits nicely in 2500 sq ft and it is currently crammed into 880 sq ft. Every task starts with the how do I clear out the space I need confusion...
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[*] Previous page
Go to full version