Rumi's new computer desk, Version 2.o, Part 1 »Plywood Storage in a cramped garage shop...
I needed somewhere out of the weather to store plywood between projects, and with a tiny garage shop I didn't want to waste any floor space if possible. I had already built a simple wood rack for small stock storage, but this time I want to store up to full 4' by 8' @ 3/4" ply sheets, and be able to put them up and take them down without enlisting the entire neighborhood to help.
I got to thinking about pulleys and sleds and this is what I came up with. It's built with standard 2x4's, 1/2" ply corner braces and some simple hinges and hardware. I have a tracked (roller) garage door that opens and just clears under the ply rack by about an inch, so I have to close the garage door when moving ply.
In the picture above you can see the two pulleys attached to the hooks by carabiners. On the two sides are the static support lines, these keep the ply rack exactly square and level as suspending the rack only in the middle might cause it to wobble or end up warping the wood. The butt plate is a scrap of 3/4" CDX and serves to hold the loaded ply on when the rack is lowered.
In hindsight I'd have purchased two double pulleys as loading this with two sheets of 3/4" ply requires some grunting and lifting.
Here is the static end (or back-end) of the rack. I used standard 3" heavy-duty hinges with lag bolts, the rope is a safety and is not load bearing under normal circumstances. Paranoid perhaps, but despite my best efforts I have to share the garage with my wife and daughter...
Here the rack is lowered, I've added lines to each side to stop it at about 45 degrees. This is pretty close to an optimum angle for loading while allowing clearance for the workbench and table saw. There are two 1/2" ply supports on each side to keep the ply in place when loading or unloading.
It's not perfect, but it works for now. In my dream shop I'll have plenty of space for material and won't be forced to hang ply off the rafters, so I don't expect to "upgrade" this project anytime soon...
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