So how do you guys store your short pieces? 4' and under?

I bring in alot of 20' and unless for a specific job I cut them in half so I can store them verticaly in a rack grouped in rounds,squares,tubing etc., that way I can store pieces that are 4' plus without to big of a mess.

The smaller stuff I just have a shelf on pallet rack dedicated to the shorts and I just throw them on there and try and keep the groups somewhat organized, real small crops of the same thing I try and throw in buckets with similar pieces.

I am asking because I'm trying to think of a better system for my new shop for the short crops just to keep them more organized, I'm thinking about a 4' wide 3' deep by maybe 6' high heavy duty rack with 6 shelves divided as needed so I can make each shelf for a specific shape or type of steel.


How do you guys do it?

Chris:

I use PVC pipe...the heavy wall stuff....to seperate my cut offs. Being the frugal man that I am nothing much goes to waste around here...

JPH

A while back I took a couple of oak planks and drilled a series of matching 2-1/2" holes in each, then screwed each to a pair of vertical members with feet. About 18" between planks and a few inches' clearance above the floor, if memory serves. Nice because you can see the parts in there (unlike PVC), but only good down to stock the length of the rack's height. If this idea really does it for you I can take pictures of mine and post them.

T-Gold, no need for pics I understand what you did, gives me some ideas.

Thanks.

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j50/mike-hr/rack0002.jpg

I scrounged 3 mobilehome hitch tounges from a contractor (2-1/2 x 10 inch I-beam). When they set up a triple-wide, they cut the hitches away for scrap. I disassembled them , welded 2 pieces lengthwise for shelves to make this rack for my 1-6 foot remnants.

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j50/mike-hr/rack0019.jpg

For smaller than 12 inch pieces I use a shelf with dividers to store by thickness. These are great blocks and shims for fabricating.

I made some racks from square tubing that attach to the side of the shop to hold 20' joints. Between two of the verticals I welded a tray that is five feet long and two wide with an expanded metal bottom. This will hold anything less than 5 feet but I also built a box that sits on the floor for pieces shorter than 18" so stubs, blocks and miscellaneous stuff goes in that. In addition, I mark non-ferrous, stainless, tool or spring steel and keep that separate from the mild.

I have several plastic 5 gallon laundry soap buckets along one end of workbench. I try to keep like pieces in each bucket. i.e. round in one, square in another, angle iron in a third, etc. Not for molten steel, however ;)

I recycle the plastic buckets my wife get cat litter in. The bottoms are currogated (sort of) so I drill a few holes to let any water run out. My work area is outdoors on the patio, so I have to keep tha tin mind when I am looking for storage and the like.

A shop I did some work in, a few years ago, just had a couple of large wooden crates for the scrap. Every so often they would take the smallest pieces and forge weld into billets for 'damascus' like stuff. It worked very well for them and helped the place look more realistic for a 1900 blacksmith shop.