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In this instructable I show you how you can build a heavy duty rack with 2x4s,
particle boards and wooden dowels. All you need is a saw, a cordless drill and
some clamps. But you can speed up the process a lot if you have some power tools
available.

About This Instructable

11,197 views

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ernstp (/member/ernstp/)
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42

More by ernstp

Step 1: Cut everything to size

DIY Heavy Duty Rack

by ernstp (/member/ernstp/)

Download (/id/DIY-Heavy-Duty-Rack/?download=pdf)

(/id/DIY-Heavy-Duty-Rack/)

9 Steps

(/id/Shop-made-angleclamps)

Collection

I Made it!

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(/id/Build-a-compost-binfrom-pallets)
Tags:
rack (/tag/type-id/category-living/keyw ord-rack/)
storage (/tag/type-id/category-living/keyw ordstorage/)
heavy duty rack (/tag/type-id/categoryliving/keyw ord-heavy+duty+rack/)
shelf (/tag/type-id/category-living/keyw ord-shelf /)

(http://cdn.instructables.com/F4C/GC0B/I8OBE3Q0/F4CGC0BI8OBE3Q0.LARGE.jpg)

Related

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FGS/YQ3S/I8OBE3P3/FGSYQ3SI8OBE3P3.LARGE.jpg)

The rack is made from 25 mm waterfproof particle board and 50x50 spruce beams.
If you live in the US you can use 2x4s and rip them in half.
I bought the particle boards pre-cut, which saves a lot of work. The beams are cut
by setting a stop block and cutting all pieces witht he same length at once. You can
als use a miter saw or even do this by hand.
(http://cdn.instructables.com/FF5/ZJ8K/I8OBE3PZ/FF5ZJ8KI8OBE3PZ.LARGE.jpg)

DIY! Above Stove Shelf

(http://www.instructables.com/id/AboveStove-Shelf/?
utm_source=base&utm_medium=relatedinstructables&utm_campaign=related_test)
IKEA Hack Mail Rack
(http://www.instructables.com/id/IKEAHack-Mail-Rack/?
utm_source=base&utm_medium=relatedinstructables&utm_campaign=related_test)
DIY Kitchen Pot Rack
(http://www.instructables.com/id/DIYKitchen-Pot-Rack/?
utm_source=base&utm_medium=relatedinstructables&utm_campaign=related_test)
Cardboard CD rack
(http://www.instructables.com/id/Cardboard_C
utm_source=base&utm_medium=relatedinstructables&utm_campaign=related_test)
by Sandberg

Step 2: Connecting the beams and posts with wooden dowels

Vertical Bike Rack from

2x4s
See More (/tag/type-id/?q=)

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FWR/8KIQ/I8OBE3QZ/FWR8KIQI8OBE3QZ.LARGE.jpg)

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FID/0M8Z/I8OBE3R0/FID0M8ZI8OBE3R0.LARGE.jpg)

The beams are glued to the posts with wooden dowels. This gives a very strong
connection which is almost as strong as real mortise and tenon joint. The chalange
with this kind of connnections is to drill two holes for every connection which must
match excactly.

Step 3: Drilling the holes into the beams

(http://cdn.instructables.com/F39/KA4M/I8OBE3RW/F39KA4MI8OBE3RW.LARGE.jpg)

(http://cdn.instructables.com/F8W/0QAA/I8OBE3ST/F8W0QAAI8OBE3ST.LARGE.jpg)

You can mark and drill the holes into the beams by hand. To speed this up, I built a
horizontal boring machine (https://youtu.be/aZT57AUCyPo). Once set-up I can drill
a lot of holes fast and precise.

Step 4: Drilling the holes into the posts

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FU2/O20R/I8OBE3VU/FU2O20RI8OBE3VU.LARGE.jpg)

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FW8/X7ZD/I8OBE3O6/FW8X7ZDI8OBE3O6.LARGE.jpg)

(http://cdn.instructables.com/F6E/10JF/I8OBE3SU/F6E10JFI8OBE3SU.LARGE.jpg)

If you drill the holes into the beams by hand you have to transfer them to the posts
with dowel center finders. Make sure to mark every connection with a number to
make sure you find the matching beams after drilling.
I found this process to speed this up:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Mark one hole on all posts at the same time.

Then drill the first hole.
Put a dowel into this hole.
(http://cdn.instructables.com/F55/V9WI/I8OBE3TQ/F55V9WII8OBE3TQ.LARGE.jpg)
Move it to
a stop block.
Drill the second hole.

This procedure allows you to drill many holes fast and precise.

Step 5: Glue up

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FV0/XKGM/I8OBE3TR/FV0XKGMI8OBE3TR.LARGE.jpg)

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FZH/V3LJ/I8OBE3UN/FZHV3LJI8OBE3UN.LARGE.jpg)

(http://cdn.instructables.com/F1U/R8WQ/I8OBE3UO/F1UR8WQI8OBE3UO.LARGE.jpg)

Now it's time for the glup up. Make sure you find a glue strategy that works fast
enough. With normal wood glue you get ~10 minutes before the glue starts to set.
Normaly I solve this problem by switching to ludicrous speed
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygE01sOhzz0) ;-).

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FUX/BGPI/I8OBE3UP/FUXBGPII8OBE3UP.LARGE.jpg)

Step 6: Prepare the boards

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FZ5/S2AU/I8OBE3P2/FZ5S2AUI8OBE3P2.LARGE.jpg)

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FHI/E3Z7/I8OBE3UR/FHIE3Z7I8OBE3UR.LARGE.jpg)

While the glue is drying you can prepare the boards. The size of the posts is
marked on every corner and notched out with the jig saw. Doing this on four
corners of all boards takes some time.
This is actually one of the tasks I did not find something to speed up the process. If
you have an idea let me know in the comments.

Step 7: Sanding, painting, beautifying

(http://cdn.instructables.com/F9D/LPYW/I8OBE3VN/F9DLPYWI8OBE3VN.LARGE.jpg)

Depending on where your rack is going to be used, you want to sand, paint,
varnish it. Since mine is used in the basement I'm happy with sanding.

Step 8: Add angles

(http://cdn.instructables.com/F4W/HJEI/I8OBE3VP/F4WHJEII8OBE3VP.LARGE.jpg)

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FFW/0HRX/I8OBE3VO/FFW0HRXI8OBE3VO.LARGE.jpg)

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FS9/9QVK/I8OBE3VQ/FS99QVKI8OBE3VQ.LARGE.jpg)

For the assembly I used my shop made anlge clamps

(http://www.instructables.com/id/Shop-made-angle-clamps/) from my last
instructable. And to make the rack even more sturdy I added a number of them as
a permanent solution.

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FDZ/DN8Q/I8OBE3VR/FDZDN8QI8OBE3VR.LARGE.jpg)

Step 9: Finished!

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FFD/3B54/I8OBE3VS/FFD3B54I8OBE3VS.LARGE.jpg)

And that's it. What you get is a sturdy heavy duty rack. I've built a bigger version of
this rack for my garage as wood storage, which caries more 1000 kg of wood.

We have a be nice comment policy.

Please be positive and constructive.

I Made it!

Add Images

RobertWa (/member/RobertWa/)

Make Comment

10 hours ago

Reply

From my experience almost all shelves sag over time when exposed to weight
board is especially vulnerable to moisture (you may luck
out with waterproof PB). One can either flip the shelves regularly or install
horizontal support under the front and back of the shelf. You could probably use
and thinner piece of plywood if you have horizontal support. I used leftover 2x4s
and exterior siding from a scrap pile in a nearby house build.

(/member/RobertWa/)
and moisture. Particle

ernstp (/member/ernstp/) (author)

RobertWa

9 hours ago

Reply

Adding horizontal supports is indeed a good and also the most

reinforce the boards. Thanks for mentioning this.

(/member/ernstp/)
economical option to

The first racks are now 1.5 years old. Up to 1 board there's no visible sag.
This one board carries ~300 kg. I think I'm going to add a 50x50mm
beam to fix this (as there's no such thing as a 2x4 in Europe :-( ).

woodNfish (/member/woodNfish/)

RobertWa

9 hours ago

Reply

4 hours ago

Reply

Putting an edge lip on a shelf solves that problem.

(/member/woodNfish/)

terry.mitchell.7186 (/member/terry.mitchell.7186/)

Rip 2x4s in half? Why not start with 2x2s?

(/member/terry.mitchell.7186/)

Arxitas (/member/Arxitas/)

8 hours ago

Reply

8 hours ago

Reply

Very nice!
(/member/Arxitas/)

just_moleculez (/member/just_moleculez/)

Well done! Since I like to keep my 'stuff' out of sight, I would add some doors to
way you have constructed them - if I am seeing this correctly you could easily make some doors out of the same particle board or just use 1/2"
(~12.5mm) material. I like to use plywood if the price is right - it's more forgiving
of my mistakes. ;o) All the same well designed and executed right down to the
video instructions.

(/member/just_moleculez/)
your design. The

richdres1947 (/member/richdres1947/)

8 hours ago

Reply

Would love to see an Instructable on the Clamping Jig you used.

(/member/richdres1947/)

Biodynamic (/member/Biodynamic/)

yesterday

Reply

Great build! Any chance you could add a close-up image of the added support
angles? I'd love for my students to be able to build one for our classroom.
(/member/Biodynamic/)

ernstp (/member/ernstp/) (author)

Biodynamic

yesterday

Reply

They are simply srewed into the corners. I made an instructable about the
(/member/ernstp/)
temporary ones:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Shop-made-angle-clamps/

yesterday

Reply

2 days ago

Reply

kingofprojects (/member/kingofprojects/)

very useful.
(/member/kingofprojects/)

TomV4 (/member/TomV4/)

Wonderful Instructable. "Ludicrous speed" link was a triple plus.

(/member/TomV4/)

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