Shelves shelves shelves (and more shelves)

[50-Something Gal]

Hi everyone this is my first post.
I've inserted a picture of precisely what I'm talking about so we can get everyone on the same page.

As I've gotten older I've needed less and less closet space for clothes and more and more shelves. I'm a widower with 3 cats . . . and a really good canned-foods grocery outlet close by. They of course have canned goods, but they also have extremely good beer. Don't worry, I'm actually going somewhere with this heh heh . . .

I'd like to drop a steel rivet-based shelf unit (4 shelves + 1 base-shelf) into my hall closet and turn every inch of it into storage. The closet is 30" Deep X 58" Wide + (the standard) dimensions in height. Two lovely paneled-wood sliding doors invariably hide the contents of the closet, which is why I want to turn it into a . . .

Pantry

I'm determined to build this system this way as opposed to some other because these "rack systems" (as they are often called) have 3 significant features to them: First, they have a low-profile (as opposed to building shelves with two-by-fours, for example). Second, you can disassemble them and transport them to other closets/other rooms. And third (and most importantly), they are incredibly strong. Depending on the design of "beam" (that image you see to the right of the "teardrop" post, above) you use, you can quite literally place hundreds of pounds on each shelf. Beer, in other words. And canned foods, including cat food and cat litter. If you doubt one woman needs this much storage, try having 2 big tomcats and one obscenely large female cat and you'll find yourself devoting one room just to them tsk lol.

I can sum the problem up with one measurement: 58"
Oh and (lest anyone doubt it) when I say 58" I mean not one quarter of an inch wider! Try to fit a 60" rivet beam into this closet and . . . you're taking out the closet.

I can cut the (1" plywood) shelves myself, no problem -- and I've actually managed to hunt down 30" beams (forming the depth of the pantry) -- it's the 58" beams that are going to be difficult. So here's my question:

Is this the type of metalworking project that I could have done locally do you think? and more to the point -- what terms do I use to describe that I would need someone to cut steel beams down to 58" . . . and then re-attach the two rivets on each end? Is this called "forging"? Am I looking for a "foundry"? or is this type of work referred to as something else?

I just don't even know how to begin researching this and I don't want to look like a complete dork when I start calling around heh.

Thanks everyone! Great forum!

50-Sumpin'

[LazyPup]

During the Viet Nam conflict I spent 8 years in the U.S Air Force as a Warehouse Management Specialist and I couldn't begin to describe how many miles of storage shelves I built during that time.

The product you have illustrated comes in a large variety of factory precut lengths with the rivets already set in place. Typically the sections are available in 12", 18", 24", 36" & 48" and some may be available in 60", 72" and 96". When it is necessary to make a custom length in the field they customarily cut the material to length then drill holes where the rivets would be and use ordinary stove bolts to assemble the rails to the posts. Some of these products also use a different type of rail for footers or headers. While the final assembly is quick and easy it is often a nightmare to preplane and determine the number of pieces you will require in each length.

There is another product called "DEXION SLOTTED ANGLE" That is very user freindly and will produce almost the same end result.

The DEXION SLOTTED ANGLE is simply a ten foot section of steel angle iron that has holes and slots precut in the material. It can be easily cut in the field using any metal cutting tools that you may have, I.E. a hacksaw, or a circular saw, reciprocating saw, jig saw, chop saw, power miter saw, etc that has been fitted with a standard metal cutting blade.

The advantage is that Dexion uses the same material for posts, rails, headers and footers and can be cut in 1" increments to whatever dimension you may require. It is then assembled using standard stove bolts and nuts so the only assemble tool you will require is a 1/2" socket or open end wrench. In practice dexion can be thought of as a childs erector set on steroids but in practice it will produce an end result that will hold up to industrial strength demands. Once you have the frame assembled you would then use plywood shelving in the same manner as for the product you illustrated.

Another advantage of the dexion material is that you can easily put additional dividers between the posts if you need to change the layout on differnt layers of your shelving.

You can usually find Dexion in most of the larger home supply centers although you may get a much better price if you buy in bulk from a local commercial supplier or check for online sources.

I am attaching a link to one site. I just found the site by running a search for Dexioni so I have not done any business with the supplier in the link. Please do not take this as an endorsement for the supplier but it will give you an illustration of the product and approximate costs.

http://www.lkgoodwin.com//more_info/slotted_angle/slotted_angle.shtml

[50-Something Gal]

LP . . . DEXION® is certainly an option; aesthetically it leaves a lot to be desired, however. These shelves will be in my home, not in my garage, and I don't want my vision to be assaulted everytime I slide open the door to retrieve a good. I'm really only interested in solid-steel beams. Thanks anyway.

50-Sumpin

[Troy]

Hi everyone this is my first post.

Welcome to the forum!

During the Viet Nam conflict I spent 8 years in the U.S Air Force as a Warehouse Management Specialist and I couldn't begin to describe how many miles of storage shelves I built during that time.

Sounds like a smart place to spend it, less bullets flying in there I assume!

[HayZee518]

there's a company called thomas & betts that manufacture amongst electrical fixtures and fittings an iten called unistrut. it is a solid U shaped channel with slotted holes on its underside and two backbent struts on its upper side which grip appropriate "spring loaded nuts" that can be moved anywhere along its length. T&B also make fittings like angles with holes in them for forming angles with the unistrut. the "nuts" can be gotten in the (1/4-20, 3/8-16, or 1/2-13 threaded bolt sizes.) I have used them for making on floor or rather bolted to the floor racks for 4 inch conduits consisting of 12 - 4 inch pvc conduits.

[50-Something Gal]

I've used UNISTRUT® before but didn't know it had a brand name.

For this project, I think the only holes I want to be looking at are the vertical posts; but even if that weren't the case, I seem to recall that these rods are not cheap.

Plain old steel. Thick. Heavy. Solid. More than adequate for this pantry. Thanks for the reminder though.

50-Sumpin'

[JPcoupe]

Shelving

If you want the beams at 58" you might contact a smaller welding shop in your area, have 2" cut from the center,won't interfer with the end pins and if needed you can get i pint of rustoleum paint over the welds