Upgraded Lumber Storage (with build plans!)

My shop needed more robust material storage for sheet goods, boards, and tools. Using some 2x4s, you can make this Lumber Storage Rack to better organize your shop. There are plans linked at the bottom of this article so you can make one too!

1. Size Up Your Needs
2. Build The Frame
3. Wrap It In Sheets

1. Size Up Your Needs

Like most of your workshops, I struggle with an excess of lumber offcuts and awkward sheet goods. In the past, I built a Rolling Lumber Cart to help solve this problem. While the Rolling Cart works really well for most shops, I have overloaded it to the point that it no longer rolls. The sheet storage is also stacked in one place, not segregated for easy access. So the biggest design point I want to address is separating materials based on their sizes so I can retrieve them more easily.

2. Build The Frame

This updated Lumber Storage Rack will be made entirely from 2×4 lumber. Right now, material prices are high so I wanted to minimize the amount and cost of the materials. The cut pieces will be joined together with pocket hole screws and glue and assembled in pieces. To help with the functionality, I decided to add some melamine bottom panels to the sheet good storage areas. Melamine is a particle board sheet with a plastic veneer outer layer. This material is really inexpensive and the slick surface helps slide large sheets out of the rack.

The build plans will explain the construction arrangement, but the lower rack will hold four different sizes of sheet goods, while the upper rack will hold 4 different size board lengths. To make the whole unit more useful, you can skin the structure with plywood or more melamine so you can hang tools or other equipment on the outside faces.

3. Wrap It In Sheets

I, of course, wanted to maximize the usefulness of the new lumber storage rack, so I added some 1/2″ plywood to the outside faces. These large, flat surfaces are perfect for attaching more storage solutions. In another project, I will be making several organization ideas using this empty space. For now, The plywood sheeting covers the structure and the stacks of organized materials held within. Of course, this step is optional, but it looks better and is super functional.

Always Improve Your Space

This new Lumber Cart isn’t meant to replace the usefulness of the previous Rolling Tool Cart. The Updated Lumber Storage Rack is an evolution based on needs. Your shop may not have the quantity of offcuts that mine does, you may need more lumber storage than sheet goods, but either way, we have an option for you. I also encourage you to assess the needs of your space periodically. Just because something is a large presence doesn’t mean that it is as effective as it can be.