DIY metal rack - instructions and drawings

To restore order and free up space occupied by accumulated things, a metal rack is assembled. You can buy a ready-made design or make it yourself. If the weight of the objects is small, an aluminum corner is used as the material. To store preparations for the winter in city apartments, racks made of steel corners are installed on the balcony. To accommodate a large number of heavy objects, make a rack from pipes in a garage, shed, or cellar.

What types of metal racks are there?

Drawing of a metal rack and the maximum permissible load on it

They are divided by type:

Shelf.
Pallet.
Palletized.
Angular.
Frontal.
Stationary.
Mobile.

Prefabricated metal racks are chosen depending on the size of the room. They are used in the office, in the store, in the garage or at home for seedlings (see How to make a rack for seedlings with your own hands).

All warehouses use prefabricated metal shelving. Because it is a convenient design that allows you to lay out any product compactly. Sizes and shapes are selected depending on the purpose.

The most common shelf racks. They are no more than 2 meters, so they are convenient to use in shops, offices, libraries and archives.

For warehouses, pallet or pallet racks are used. They are larger in size, which allows you to arrange a lot of goods in a small space.

Mobile and stationary shelving is used in archives and libraries. Mobile phones are equipped with wheels, which makes access to documents easier.

Shelving design

Trade rack that can be used in a greenhouse

The rack is a frame made of metal profile pipes. Between them there are shelves for storing various items.

The dimensions of shelves and racks depend on the size of the premises and the loads on them. Let's assume that a prefabricated metal rack is assembled from sheets whose thickness is 2 mm and corners 50 * 50 mm thick 5 mm. This design will undoubtedly be especially durable and will withstand heavy loads.

They are most often equipped with:

separators;
side walls;
back walls;
inclined shelves;
awnings;
mesh shelves;
drawers;
pallets;

Shelving provides optimal storage in a small area. Possibility of expanding them in any direction. Sufficient load capacity and strength.

Designs and sizes

Structurally, garage racks consist of racks, crossbars and shelves. Sometimes, to increase rigidity, transverse ties are also made on the back side - two steel strips welded/screwed to the outer posts diagonally. They compensate for lateral loads, increasing overall stability and reliability.

Garage shelving can be made according to this drawing (dimensions are approximate)

The dimensions - the height and depth of the shelves - are chosen almost arbitrarily, depending on what you intend to store. The only thing that needs to be selected carefully is the span length - the distance between the racks in one section. It depends on the rigidity of the material that you decide to use: the shelves, even under full load, should not bend. For heavy things/objects, the span is about 1.5 meters; if the load is not too large, the distance can be increased to 2 meters, but it’s definitely not worth doing more. If you need a longer garage rack, install intermediate racks, the distance between which still cannot be more than 2 meters.

A few words about the height of the shelves in the rack. The lowest shelf can be raised from the floor level by 50-70 cm (even more if desired). The heaviest items are usually placed here. The remaining shelves can be made at different heights; 30 cm is inconvenient and impractical. In general, a 1.5 liter plastic bottle should optimally fit on the shelf, which is 35-37 cm. This distance is convenient for use.

DIY wooden book rack

First, it is advisable to select a drawing of the future design on the global network, special publications, or develop your own original version. Classic shelving with and without a base looks like this.

Required tools and materials:

boards 2–4 cm thick;
slats 4x4 and more;
holders, wooden blocks, metal corners on which the shelves will rest;
plywood for walls;
self-tapping screws;
wood glue;
varnish, brush;
jigsaw, grinder, electric drill;
screwdriver, hammer;
pencil and tape measure for marking.

Step-by-step instruction

After developing the drawing and purchasing everything necessary, they begin to manufacture the parts. The process must be approached responsibly.

Sequence of operations:

The first stage is choosing a base, if the design provides for it. For it, take a board with a thickness of at least 3 cm. When selecting the length, take into account that it is necessary to install vertical walls on the sides of the base. At the bottom, longitudinal boards 50–70 mm wide should be nailed, and crossbars between them to make the rack strong.
The second stage is the manufacture of the back wall. This element is made of plywood or construction cardboard. Based on the drawing, the height and length of the rack are determined and the part is cut out according to these parameters. It is necessary to align the angles at 90°, otherwise the structure will warp.
The next stage is making the sides. To reduce the cost, thick plywood is often used or walls are dispensed with by using beams. The height of the sidewalls is chosen arbitrarily. Having cut the plywood or beams of the required size, you need to mark out the spaces for the shelves on the inside, for example, cut grooves. It makes sense to strengthen corners, holders or pieces of beams there. If you screw them in after assembly, it will be somewhat difficult.
Then install the sidewalls and tighten them with self-tapping screws.
Strengthen the back wall, cut from plywood. Its presence will help save the structure from distortion.
Only after this should the shelves be made and strengthened. Usually their dimensions are equal to the dimensions of the base. If the corners were strengthened at the third stage, then you do not need to screw the shelves to the sides.

Many people make the shelving unit open at the back. In this case, it is necessary to screw all the shelves to the sides, and strengthen special corners at the top and bottom that will prevent the structure from warping.

We make and assemble a metal frame with our own hands

When all the necessary materials and tools are ready, we begin to manufacture the structure. We follow the following algorithm:

We use a marker to mark the pipes from which the blanks will be made.
Using a hacksaw or grinder, we cut the racks, transverse and longitudinal crossbars.
We make the sidewall from blanks. To do this, we first mark the location of the jumpers on the rack, connect them with clamps or weld them.
We attach the second rack to the welded jumpers.
We process the welds with a file or grinder.
We lay the first side frame on the workbench and assemble the second from the blanks, securing the parts with clamps.
All parts are connected by welding.
We assemble the second side frame with a bolted connection, without fixing it with clamps, so that clamps can be installed.
We weld the longitudinal jumpers to the sidewall using a joining angle.
We process the seams with a file or grinder.
We weld the second side panel to the jumpers.
We weld metal plates-legs to the ends.
To secure the shelves, we will make embedded parts from metal plates. Each mortgage five cm long must have two holes for self-tapping screws.
We weld the plates in increments of 30 cm.
We install the finished rack vertically, check for strength and stability by shaking it to the sides with our hands.

If the rack is prefabricated, we weld the sheets and begin painting with special metal paint. If you need a collapsible structure, the frame is ready, we prime it, paint it and make shelves. Usually in this type of rack they are made of wood about 1.5 cm thick. We install them on a metal base using corners after the paint has dried.

Tips and tricks

Sometimes a garage rack is made mobile. This is convenient if the room is often rearranged and if it is generally quite spacious. Wheels need to be welded to the legs of such a rack.

When placing your work equipment and items on the rack, remember that it is better to put the heaviest ones on the lower shelves, and rarely used ones on the high ones. We place things that are often in use on the central levels.

On the outside, you can make small hooks on the side walls to hang work clothes and wires on. The versatility of the rack is an important aspect in its use.

How to assemble a commercial metal rack for a store

To assemble a metal rack yourself, you don’t need any special skills. There is no need for special tools. You can assemble it using the parts, racks and shelves included in the kit; no additional ones are required.

Metal racks are made in such a way that they can be easily disassembled and reassembled at any time.

The entire installation process is divided into certain stages, the sequence of which should not be changed, because the structure must be assembled strictly in parts.

You can assemble a metal rack with your own hands as follows:

Step 1. Preparing the racks.

The parts of the stand are a perforated double-sided profile, screws for adjustment and a base. First you need to assemble a stand from the indicated parts. We determine the top and bottom of the profile, for which we inspect the rack and look for the absence of a notch in the bottom perforation, this will be the bottom. The notch is removed during production in order to better connect the profile and the base. To fix the base with the profile, heels or screws, whoever calls them, snap into place at the bottom of the stand. Then the adjusting screws are tightened on the base.

When installing a wall rack, only one base is used, in the case of installing a free-standing structure, two bases are used, one on each side.

Step 2. Installation of the rear panels.

The back panels are considered the base of the metal shelving unit. To install them, the racks are pulled together, this prevents the panels from falling. They can be perforated or solid. To carry out the screed, traverses are also used, which strengthen the structure, increase its load-carrying capacity and make it resistant to other loads that arise during operation. This can be a simple movement of the product around the sales floor or mechanical impact on it during product placement.

Let's continue assembling the rack. To do this, we put panels on two assembled racks along their entire height.

It is important to check that the teeth on the panels snap into the holes on the posts. Otherwise, they will fall out, which is very inconvenient when working.

Purpose of the rack

The direct purpose of the rack.

It doesn’t matter how complex the rack will be, you must first prepare for the work and decide how the furniture should look in the end:

Decide on the location where the structure should be located.
Take measurements.
Create a sketch, drawing.
Select material.
Perform assembly.
Final result.

Universal rack for a greenhouse.

Shelving and bookcases can be created for a variety of purposes.

Country racks

There is no need to purchase expensive models; it’s easy to create a rack for cans with your own hands.

Ready storage rack.

Design options:

Robust design for cans or tools.

If desired, you can place on them not only conservation, but also a variety of metal parts, as well as men’s tools.
During the summer season, you may need racks for strawberries (see How to grow strawberries in a greenhouse) with your own hands.

Interesting design for strawberries.

They are very easy to make; you can install any seedlings on such furniture and be sure of their safety.

Thanks to the presence of a large number of extra shelves that can withstand impressive weight and easily cope with the load.

Materials and tools

Racks are made from various materials. It all depends on the shape and weight of future objects that will be placed on it. But the most durable and reliable are structures made from profiles or corners. To make your own rack from the materials described above, you will need the following components:

Profile pipe 20 x 40 or 30 x 40 mm. In general, any profile can be used, and additional reinforcement and stability can be provided through jumpers and wall mounting.
If there is no pipe, then a corner with a shelf width of 30 x 50 mm will do. This will even create low sides for future shelves and prevent small parts from rolling off onto the floor.
Boards with cross-sectional parameters 15 x 25 mm or 15 x 150 mm. This depends on the items stored on the rack: for large items, shelves with gaps are suitable, and for small parts it is better to create a continuous covering. This element can be made from sheets of plywood.

To create a homemade rack you need to have the following tools and supplies:

welding machine for connecting the main components of the structure;
drill for creating holes for fixing shelves;
grinder and cutting wheel for metal;
electrodes;
level;
roulette;
drill;
self-tapping screws for fastening shelves;
scribe;
wood saw.

Type

Racks can be made in two design options:

Floor supported

Mounted

The first group usually consists of structures made of vertical posts with shelves between them. The second group is most often made from ready-made standardized parts - shelving beams (attached to the wall) and brackets (inserted into shelving beams). They are designed for relatively light loads, but are convenient due to their simplicity and the ability to change the height of the shelves.

Racks supported on the floor are conventionally divided into two subgroups:

Separately installed structures with the possibility of access from two sides

Shelves installed close to the wall (usually they are additionally attached to it for greater stability)

The choice of one option or another is determined by the characteristics and configuration of the room, as well as the needs of the owner. Large warehouse complexes have a large number of racks, but small storage rooms have only a few structures installed along the walls. If the lower tier of the room is occupied by workbenches or cabinets, hanging structures are installed.

In addition, there are straight and corner racks. The first are installed (hung) along one wall, the second - along two adjacent walls.

Another important property is the type of construction:

Whole . The rack is welded from the profile once and for all, no changes can be made. Used in rooms where similar items are constantly stored (for example, similar structures can be used to store workpieces)

Team . If necessary, such a rack can be completely or partially disassembled, the height or number of tiers can be changed. This design is good almost everywhere. However, you have to constantly monitor the condition of the threaded connections, otherwise they will rust and it will be very difficult to disassemble the rack

An important indicator is the material of the shelves. If the supporting structure is made of a metal profile, then other materials are used for the shelves:

Boardwalk

Plywood

Chipboard

OSB, etc.
Expert opinion

Vakhrushev Ivan Andreevich

Furniture maker with over 15 years of experience

Practice shows that the most durable and reliable option is plank flooring. It is durable and can withstand significant loads. Plywood is somewhat worse, and OSB or chipboard are used only in the absence of more serious options. The reason for this is the instability of these materials to air humidity. Chipboard and OSB absorb moisture, the bonds between particles gradually weaken, and the shelves simply fall apart.

Since the humidity regime in storage facilities of any type is quite complex, it is not recommended to use shelves made of such materials. You can impregnate them with special compounds, cover them with drying oil and other paints and varnishes. However, such treatment is not always permissible - an odor appears and the fire danger increases.

In addition to simple shelves, which are ordinary platforms, baskets can be used to store loose or small items. These are containers made of metal lattice, mounted on bracket supports (used in conjunction with shelving beams).

How to make a classic shelving unit with solid walls

Classic shelving is reinforced with a solid frame on the outside, and sometimes also with a back wall. This design will withstand heavy loads, such as full shelves of books.

What do you need

Plywood sheet 2×125×250 cm;
plywood sheet 0.6×125×250 cm;
three slats 2.5x5x250 cm;
one rail 2.5×8×250 cm;
a circular saw;
pencil;
long ruler and tape measure;
jig for drilling ends (if any);
drill with a diameter of 3 mm;
clamps;
drill;
hammer or nail gun;
confirmations and nails;
220 P grit sandpaper;
paint and brush, wallpaper and glue (optional).

How to do

Unfold the plywood sheets and battens onto the following elements.

Frame:

two side walls 2×30×180 cm;
five shelves 2x30x70 cm;
top of the rack 2×30×75 cm;
back wall 0.6×75×180 cm;
bottom plug 2.5×8×70 cm.

Facial finishing:

two vertical slats 2.5×5×170 cm;
two horizontal slats 2.5x5x75 cm.

Let us remind you: if you do not have a circular saw, you can cut the elements to the desired size at a hardware store.