Last month I set out looking to build a storage shelf for my garage. The idea was to combine a tool storage cabinet with a multi-purpose shelf. Seeing that I have a 1-car garage, the shelf would be fixed to the ceiling.
Initially, the plan was to build the storage shelf/cabinet out of wood. I knew the measurements of my garage, and started out by sketching out some simple plans. Soon enough, however, I realized that a wooden shelf would not only be too heavy for the joining beams of the ceiling, it would also not be very sturdy. After doing more research, it turned out that wooden shelves have a tendency to warp over time under heavy loads, which can cause disastrous consequences. I could not trust a wooden shelf to hold 3 bicycles, some shovels and gardening equipment, plus all my car tools.
Shelf Unit Storage
With wood out of the equation, I turned to metal. The only metal alloy that would be lightweight enough yet rigid and reliable enough to be used as a shelf rack is of course aluminum. After settling on aluminum as a solution to my cabinet and shelf, I set out to search for materials. After a trip to the local hardware store, I realized that cutting and bolting aluminum bars together would be difficult, as I also required bolts that would be able to withstand the weight of all that is stored within the rack. Furthermore, while it fit my requirements perfectly, aluminum was several times more expensive than wood, and each extra inch of aluminum that I'd buy meant that money was being wasted.
After searching online, I was able to find manufacturers of aluminum T-slotted profile framing systems. Aluminum profiles and framing systems are basically bars that are extruded in a special shape as to easily come together. Think of it as a large size version of LEGO. Furthermore, almost all T-slotted aluminum profile manufacturers are able to ship the profiles in exact measurements to the nearest inch.
If I was going to spend my time and money ordering aluminum profiles, the next step was to find a way to design the garage shelving properly. My drawing on a napkin was no longer cutting it and I decided to turn to digital technologies. Most of the manufacturers recommended that I use AutoCAD, which is a 00 CAD program for design engineers and professionals. After downloading the trial version of AutoCAD and playing around with it for 2 hours, I couldn't even draw a basic box from aluminum profiles.
I then found a free program called Frame Designer, which was pretty much like MS Paint for aluminum profiles. While it didn't have any of the advanced features advertised in AutoCAD, it was 100% free and extremely easy to use, not to mention the fact that Frame Designer came packed with its' own extensive catalog of aluminum profiles. Frame Designer even automatically calculates where to place joints and connections depending on what you draw. Finally, I was able to come up with a digital version of my garage cabinet/shelf in under an hour.
Overall, I would definitely recommend using aluminum frames or profiles over any other material for such projects. Not only are aluminum profiles lightweight and virtually indestructible, working with them was incredibly easy and assembly was painless, requiring only a Philips screwdriver. Of course, if you're going to go as far as using aluminum profiles for your garage shelving project, I would highly recommend that you use one of the modern computer-based design programs that I described earlier. Not only does using a computer save you time, it also saves you a lot of pains in calculating and figuring out what bolts, nuts, screws, and fixtures you really need.
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