Scott Crevier's General Help Resource: Q4026: How can I build some storage shelves for my basement?

Scott Crevier's General Help Resource

Q4026: How can I build some storage shelves for my basement?

Document #

Sat 24-Apr-2004 11:29pm

I built three identical shelving units for my basement. This page describes exactly what I built. Of course, you can customize certain items or measurements, but my purpose is to just show you what I built, and to say that it works great! The units are very strong and sturdy, and they provide some MUCH NEEDED storage space in my basement.

Many thanks to my friend Bob Olson for helping me out! If you've got your own "Bob Olson" to help you, I highly recommend it.

We started with some plans written out. From those plans I bought all my supplies. But we ended up modifying the plans as we went along. The result was a unit that made better sense, especially when buying the supplies. For example, I originally wanted 8' x 30" shelves. But, since plywood is sold in 8' x 48" sheets, it was easier to make the shelves 8' x 24" instead (and it actually fits nicer in the basement anyway).

I've converted the parts list into a shopping list, since you can't buy all the lumber in the exact measurments that you need (unless you special order). Also, I already had a box of nails here, so I did not include the price below.

Parts List:
Qty	Product
4	¾" plywood, 8' x 2'
8	2" x 4" x 8'
4	2" x 4" x 6'
8	2" x 4" x 21"
112	2½" 8D common nails

Shopping List:
Product	Qty	Unit	Total
¾" plywood, 8' x 4'	2	20.75	41.50
2" x 4" x 6'	4	1.70	6.80
2" x 4" x 8'	10	2.10	21.00
2½" 8D common nails	-	-	-
	TOTAL:		$ 69.30

Some features:

This unit is built from 2x4s and ¾" plywood. Not the nicest looking piece of furniture for your living room, but it looks great in my basement.
There are 4 shelves. The vertical clearance for each one is as follows: the bottom shelf is 15", the next two shelves each have 20" of clearance. The clearance on the top shelf will depend on your ceiling height. The unit is 6' ¾" tall (including the thickness of the top shelf). The ceiling height in my basement is 82". So my top shelf clearance is 9¼".

Figure 1 shows a simple diagram of the major dimensions. The idea behind this design is that the bottom shelf is just high enough to keep stuff off the floor. Also, the top shelf is on the very top of the unit. Given the fact that the plywood is ¾" thick, the top of the unit is actually 6' ¾" high. Instructions follow:

Here are the steps for cutting the wood:

Cut out the 8 pieces of 2" x 4" x 21" using two of the 8 foot 2x4s. You can cut 4 out of each one, and you'll end up with 12 inches of scrap left over from each one.
To form the 4 leg supports, cut out 4 dados in each of the 4 six foot 2×4s as shown in Figure 2. Don't forget that a 2×4 actually measures 1½" × 3½". Therefore, each dado cutout will also measure 1½" × 3½". The bottom dado begins 3" off the floor. This allows a little bit of space to insure that everything on the bottom shelf stays up off the floor. Also, note that the top dado is flush with the top of the leg.
Cut the two sheets of plywood in half lengthwise. This will give you four 8' × 2' sheets, to be used for each of the four shelves.
Cut out a 1¾" × 3¾" notch in the four corners of three of the shelves, as shown in Figure 3. These notches will help the shelves stay in place, when mounted around the four legs. The fourth shelf does not need these notches, because it will sit directly on top of the entire unit.

Now, to assemble the unit, you have to have a good picture in your mind as to how the 2×4's and plywood fit together. Instead of trying to explain it in words, I'll give you the photos:


Pic #1	Pic #2	Pic #3	Pic #4	Pic #5	Pic #6

Pictures #5 and #6 give you a good idea of the overall look of the shelving unit. Pictures #1 thru #4 give you a closer look at some of the joints. Just look at the detail to see how everything fits together. For example, you can easily see in #4 how many nails I used for several of the joints.

NOTE: If you happen to use these plans to build some shelves, let me know how it goes. Also, if you send me a couple pictures, I'll add them to this page.

Tue 10-Jun-2003 CST

Scott Crevier • De Pere, Wisconsin, USA

scott@crevier.info
www.crevier.info