Stock Storage

[Bob La Londe]

For the type of work I do I buy a bit of aluminum flat bar.  My last order was a little over 900lbs of 12ft long bars, and I had another 600-700 lbs of full bars on hand plus shorts and cutoff. 

The cutoffs I put on shelves, but the 12 footers I really haven't a place for.  At the moment I've got the latest order outdoors leaning up against a shipping container, and the rest of the older stock is leaning up against shelves and walls inside the shop.  The inside of the shipping container is lined with shelves being used to recover space in the shop, and it's not setup for practical stock storage. 

I hate it. 

Of course I also buy a little bit of 20' aluminum pipe and tube.  That is to long to lean up against anything inside the shop, but one problem at a time. 

If you have a storage solution for the standard (maybe only USA standard) 12 foot stock flat bar I'd love to see it.  My shop has a 16ft eave height so I can store it vertically anywhere inside that I have the floor space, but I am trying to recover, not lose floor space right now.  I am even considering just storing it all outdoors. 

[lloydsp]

Bob, how about some winch-elevated horizontal racks, so you can raise the load up out of your workspace when you're not actually needing a piece of stock?  Several lines and pulleys per shelf, but only one winch pulling on all of them.

Lloyd

[Bob La Londe]

That is something to consider. 

[Bob La Londe]

I decided to throw money at the problem.  Behind my shop is a 20x60 concrete slab.  On the edge of the slab was is where I placed the 40' high cube container leaving 12 feet between the container and the building. 

My future plan has been to place two 20ft continers that are current at my parents house on the far end of the slab facing outwards (doors will open over dirt), and one I already have (currently out front) against the building parallel to the 40 footer.  This leaves a 4 foot passage (nominally) between the 40 foot containers and the other containers and a 12 x 24 open area protected from casual view. 

Its always been my plan to put a 12 x 20 shade structure for outdoor work in that 12 x 24 space for blacksmithing, foundry work, etc.  The little bit of blacksmithing I do now is typically done just inside the south door of the shop with the overhead door standing open.  I set my little blacksmith furnace on the welding table.  The light is not ideal.  It makes it hard to see the color of the metal with the direct sunlight coming in the door. 

I had planned to add the shade structure after the containers were in place, but I can add it first.  I just need to be extra careful when placing the parallel container so I do not damage the shade.  After the containers are in place I can move any racking I buy or build inside one of the containers.   

I threw money at it and ordered the shade this morning.