Metal shelving unit recommendations?

[Elric]

Deep in a hand to box death struggle in the basement. There is a mix of reloading tools, boxes of many varied bullet weights / calibers, MTM ammo cans with moulds, boxes of shotgun shells, myriad boxes of rifle shells, gun parts, and the gamut of things my dad collected and or used over 65 plus years of hunting and fishing. I need to inflict DISCIPLINE onto things that haven't known it for decades...

Edsal has some pretty good shelve units that are able to take 800 or so pounds per shelf (3200 all told for the combined shelves). $40-$80 ish.

Is there an available shelving brand with similar capacities in free standing shelves? 36Wx18Dx60H? Solid shelf, no wire grid. I want the flexibility to store small things on the shelf without fearing that they will fall through.... Wood / particle board shelves, metal shelves cost a bit more...

I put together a Plano plastic 4 shelf unit, BUT they have a 75 or so pound limit per shelf, and that small load needs to be evenly distributed... Ask yourself how dense for weight are lead core bullets? Add a bag or two of shot, and that pretty well blows weight for that shelf...

 

[Brad]

I have some shelves in the garage I got at Menards. Steel adjustable shelving with plywood shelves. I want to say each shelf or rated at 800 pounds or something like that. I have 3 end to end that are 6 ft long each. Lots of storage there.

 

[JWFilips]

One of my clients Is "Intermetro Industries". There shelving is top notch. A bit pricey. The sell to a lot of industrial, medical and Food service!
I have a few that I secured for myself from photos shoots at my studio!
Very heavy duty
Jim

 

[Cherokee]

As an alternative, 12x12's can be your friend. I built shelving in my basement from 12x12's and have lead, ammo, and assorted other stuff chocked full on these shelves. They haven't sagged one bit in 25 years. Don't know prices today so they may be more expensive than pre-made metal shelving. Pics: First, you can see a little bit of the shelves that are floor to ceiling and 12 feet wide behind the 650. Second is the floor/ceiling unit at the end of my loading bench, only 3" wide. On the other side of that is another 12' wall of 12x12's with lead, tin, antimony, various alloys, cast bullets and such.

 

[Ian]

Dang, Cherokee, aside from all the blue, that looks like my loading room. 2x12 everything, full height shelf units, upper cabinets, shelves, bench tops, you name it. Most economical, strong, and quick to build system I could come up with.

 

[Cherokee]

Ian - great minds think alike. LOL. I used a truck load of 2x12x12 when I "finished" my basement 25 years ago for reloading and workshop.

 

[Winelover]

Using free standing shelving units, in my reloading room, that were bought at Home Depot. Five adjustable shelves (particle board inserts) , six foot high, three feet wide, 18" deep. IIRC, they will support 800 pounds. I bought four units and assembled into three, to obtain closer shelf spacing. They are pretty sturdy and seem to be able to support the weight of cast bullets.

 

[Cherokee]

Good solution Winelover - One of the things I like about your solution and building your own is flexibility in shelf spacing so you minimize wasted space.

 

[Winelover]

Those plastic electrical tape containers, fit perfectly in the old one pound metal coffee cans. Six to a coffee can. Each tape container will hold about seventy 35-38 caliber pistol bullets (standing) or about forty five of 44-45 caliber.

 

[Dusty Bannister]

"Is there an available shelving brand with similar capacities in free standing shelves? 36Wx18Dx60H? Solid shelf, no wire grid. I want the flexibility to store small things on the shelf without fearing that they will fall through.... Wood / particle board shelves, metal shelves cost a bit more... "

Not being familiar with this shelf feature, I would think cutting and laying in a sheet of particle board over the wire grid but use some construction adhesive dabs on the bottom of the insert to prevent movement. It would not take a lot to just prevent shifting.

 

[Rick]

Home Depot carries a heavy duty shelving unit that doesn't have the wire shelf but uses particle board inserts. Most likely the same unit Winelover spoke of. They also carry a rinky dink cheapo unit. Don't confuse the two. And as Winelover mentioned the shelves are adjustable to suit your needs.

 

[Cherokee]

Note that even cardboard can be effective over wire shelves to prevent the small items from falling thru.

 

[fiver]

but it don't keep the wire racks from bowing in.
those metal shelves above will bow in also with cast bullets on them, not the metal itself but the cardboard shelf will.

I have a couple of metal shelving units that will literally hold a ton of weight.
I doubt they make them anymore though.
they were designed for holding paper records and books and such.
the shelves slid down into slots cut in the sides of the unit and then they were bolted together, the sides were bolted to a bottom piece and they were cross braced in the back.
every other shelf has a bent up back piece that bolts into the corner piece that rolls around from the side pieces, and they are all bolted up the front.
PITA and time consuming to assemble.
if you have one of those salvage for sale type places in town you might be able to find something similar.
they are about 6'2" tall 3 and 4' wide and about 11-12's deep.

I'm going to the Lowe's in a minute here to buy some good plywood to make some heavy duty shelving units to store full ammo cans and excess bullets.
probably 5/8" or better will be what I end up buying to avoid the whole bowed out shelf scenario.
but I'd be all over more of those metal shelves if I could find them.

 

[Pistolero]

For a lot of bullets, if the span is 18", I'm not sure I would trust 5/8" plywood without a bottom
brace of 1x2 screwed on the back in a couple of places. Bullets sure add up to some serious
weight.

Bill

 

[fiver]

yes they do.

I'm going with 3/4" thickness a 1' depth and 2x2 framing with an upright every 2'.
the back will be screwed to the wall studs.
it's gonna be 3' high and 16' wide sitting on top of a 2x4 frame resting on cement footings.
the whole thing will be covered in ammo, and boxes of bullets, so I'm not taking any chances.
I have too many bowed down metal wire rack and thin boards like above now.
those shelves will be used to hold empty brass, hulls, and wads.

 

[Elric]

Racks came in Tuesday, put them up today. Lot of effort to disassemble the old bench. Real dimension lumber. Four corner posts are short but heavy. What are they, ironwood...

In spite of some scattered reports of butt-pain in Amazon reviews, the Edsal Muscle Racks went together pretty fast. Cheap looking 5/8 or so particle board shelves, but the keyhole / rivet assembly frame is rigid. Didn't put the top risers on, the original wood shelves on the old bench are stout. Four shelves on the Muscle Rack. Nice not to have wood contacting the floor.

Tomorrow after unleashing Belle on unsuspecting woodcock (or so I hope), I'll measure the wood shelves and see if I have enough room to fit the Muscle Rack next to some stuff that is fastened to the wall. Might have to pull the flats of shotgun shells out to move the Muscle Racks, but that will be quick.

Might have to pick up some 1' wide 5/4 or so and chop a new top board that is tall as the four corner posts. Only need 30" per shelf. Next I need to save the wood shelving next to it (actually a bookcase), bunch of heavy stuff in it, and the shelves are pulling out (old school dowels).
On second thought, 6" wide 5/4 cut in a 1' length will brace the wood shelf unit on top. No need to do the full 30" shelf...