Storage/Display question

[WV Sawmiller]

   I know this has never happened to any of the rest of you  :D but I find I am running short of storage space for my lumber, benches and slabs.

   My immediate concern is a place to store heavy mantels and live edge slabs where they can continue to air dry and be displayed when customers are interested in them. I keep looking at places I can add on to my existing shed


 
   This is my existing lumber storage shed/pole barn shed when first built. All bays are full as are the shelves I built on the back side and ends.

     I have thought about trying to add a couple more posts on to the end and making a 4-6 foot shelf with a cover attached to the end of the existing shed or possibly just building another small shed for this purpose. I thought about horizontal and even vertical storage and wonder about the pros and cons of each when storing thick slabs (2"-4") and such. I'm thinking 8.5' -10.5' slabs/mantels. I even thought about boring a hole in the end and hanging on a peg but decided that would be too difficult (and dangerous). If stored on their sides or ends is cupping and bowing going to increase significantly? I thought about storing on sides with stickers between and keeping tension with ratchet straps. Then to display I could release the straps and open them like pages on a book then close back when done. Don't know how well that would work.

    For those of you who cut and store heavy pieces like this and have storage that is working well for you I'd love to see your options and I am sure others here would too. Thanks.

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

Add on 1 more section or take an existing section and build a second floor.
A small set of steps from the outside of the shed to the 2nd floor and you would have a really nice upstairs room to display your benches.

[WV Sawmiller]

David,

   I already built shelves on both ends and against the back wall. Below is the end section with the 2 shelves there. The end is already full of 4/4 walnut and I have 2" slabs on the shelf along the back wall. I have long stuff underneath the shelves.

   I have similar shelves in the middle on both sides of the first bay and against all the back wall.  The only place inside I have not built shelves yet is along the middle between the second and third bay and I will likely eventually build there.


 
    I am hoping to build storage along an outer wall where I can drive my little tractor with FEL close enough to slide heavy slabs/mantels directly off the forks on to the shelves.

   I am thinking about adding about 3-4 feet on the very end of the shed as one option.

[Magicman]

You don't need more shed/storage space.  You just need to sell more lumber.....problem solved.   ;D 

[WV Sawmiller]

Lynn,

   Thank you for you gracious offer. When can I expect you to come get a big truckload? :D

David,

   BTW - I don't have room for another section on the end unless it is about 3' (and that may be an option). I first built 2 bays then realized I had room for another and built the third. I'm only about 3' from the white oak at the end and the fence makes a pie shape down there as it drops off to the creek below. I thought about adding in front but then I lose a lot of maneuverability for my equipment and such there.

[WLC]

Could you build another shed somewhere else on the property that is convenient enough to store your lumber/slabs instead of adding on etc?

[btulloh]

I can't really tell from the picture, but it looks like you're mostly using the floor.  That's the same problem I'm having, although I'm starting to stack pallets now and use more of the vertical space.

One thing's for sure:  There is never enough storage space.

[WV Sawmiller]

WLC,

   Yes. that is an option. I have other spaces in the area I could build sheds and such if I have to do so. I was also hoping to see any really creative racking and such or hear of anyone's successes or lessons learned when storing and displaying such items.

btulloh,

   I am using pretty much all my floor space and have built internal shelves about 3' wide up about 6' high on all the interior except the dividing wall between the 2nd & 3rd bays and will eventually build one there. I try to store my slow moving stuff up there but it makes it difficult and dangerous to put them up there by hand and show to a customer.

[flatrock58]

I have the same problem.  I cut too much wood and don't sell enough.  My wife said I am a wood collector! I needed to cut a log of pines back in the summer, but it was molding because I didn't have a place to stack with fans. 

[scleigh]

WV, I'm afraid air drying and storing / showing lumber are 2 different animals. I'M in the same boat, I've got 120' sawing / drying shed, and a 24 x 40 shop but am slowly grading a spot for a kiln and an insulated showroom. My land isn't as hilly as yours, but it is either uphill or downhill and it takes time to get a suitable building spot.


  .

[YellowHammer]

WV, I'm afraid air drying and storing / showing lumber are 2 different animals.

I agree that the two have different requirements.  We air dry ours for about a year before we finish them in the kiln.  So we get them out of the way, in a separate shed, stacked high to get as much weight as possible on them.  Or we put them on our concrete pad, stacked high, pallet on top of pallet, with a sheet metal panel as roof. We palletize in about 800 - 1,000 bdft units, which means the individual stickered packs are about 4 maybe 5 foot high, depending. Then we stack two, if not three packs on top of each other.  So maybe up to 3 MBF stacks per 4x8 foot parking space.  Pallets or skids work wonders as the rigid runners of each pallet act as rigid crossmemebers and push evenly down on the one underneath, putting a lot of even, downward pressure on them.  A forklift is a great thing for moving and transporting these packs.  Even if a customer wanted a specific one, I wouldn't break the carefully stickered pack down to get it.   

Once they are dried, we break everything down and deadstack on pallets.  We put some slabs and thick pieces in the rack, but the majority are left on the pallets where customers can pick and choose easily. 

[69bronco]

If I attempted to air dry/store hardwood in any quantity outside, the powder post beetles would be tying there bibs on and liking there chops!

[YellowHammer]

This isn't my lumber yard, its down the road a little, but air drying outside is standard practice in these parts.

[WDH]

I broke down and built a dedicated, insulated, kiln dried lumber and kiln dried slab showroom.  The wood will be stored vertically in bays along the inside perimeter of the building.  Just finished, and I am creating the bays at this point in time.  12' wide roll-up door so that I can drive right in with the pallet of wood with the tractor (kiln is limited to 10' lumber, so I only saw 10' lumber for sale).  Air conditioned and heated.  Will control humidity with dehumidifiers. 

My experience is that you need dedicated air drying space and separate space to store and protect dried lumber.  Also a place for the customers to shop.

Here is one of my two air drying sheds.



 

The new Hamsley Hardwood Lumber Room. 



 

I figure that if I am going to do this, I may as well have something nice for as long as I am able to do this  .
Howard, you might have to just go out on a limb (old saying) and bite the bullet (old saying) and build you a lumber storage room.  It never ends....(True Old Saying).

[YellowHammer]

Danny, that new building looks great!  Congratulations.  HHWH (Hamsley Hardwood World Headquarters) is growing!   8)

An edit on my previous post, we air dry thicker slabs for about a year, but 4\4 lumber only about a couple months or so. 

[Magicman]

   Well I can say that I knew you back when.    (old saying)

[WV Sawmiller]

   Thanks for all the responses. I checked your location SCLeigh and looks like about 220 miles away so I guess borrowing your kiln services is not an option :D. I am real small potatoes compared to most of you guys who do this for a living. I do it as supplemental income and hobby so don't have the equipment and such you guys usually need and have.

   I have about decided to just extend the roofline on my hay barn/tractor shed and make a 4' shelf area there. I can extend the 5 ridge tin roof about 6' to cover the wood. Just need to put in about 3 posts then attach the other side to the existing shed wall. I have to drive right past it from the mill to current storage and just around the corner if I need to show a customer.

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

    I checked your location SCLeigh and looks like about 220 miles away so I guess borrowing your kiln services is not an option .

I thought SCLeigh picked up and delivered?

[WV Sawmiller]

   Yeah but those mileage fees are a killer. :D

[WDH]

He probably offers free shipping on orders over $50  :D.

[OffGrid973]

Slabs, take pics when coming off the mill with a little water to bring out the grain, label em with a tag/number and stack those heavy slabs higher.  Less square footage and keeps bookmatched pieces together and easy to find.  Also easier for your customers to look through (especially remotely)

[scleigh]

The picking up and delivering are getting in the way of my sawmill hobby.
Christmas can't get here fast enough, have worked until 11 pm several nights, logs piling up >:(

[Don_Papenburg]

Build a four lane bridge across he creek above the high water line , use your trees to make timbers instead of lumber  for construction . Use up some of your thicker slow moving boards for flooring . then next year build a roof over the bridge ,making a covered bridge .  Instant destination shopping for the wood worker , Who would not want to tell their friends that they bought wood from a covered bridge to build that project.



Don't forget the trolls that live under the bridge for the entertainment shopping experience!!!!!!!!!!!

[moodnacreek]

My thick planks are stickered under packs of 1x lumber , say 1000 bd. ft. min.  on top.  Many piles are 0ver 14' high.  There is no way to display that I can think of. 2 inch stuff goes through march twice. Then it might go in a shed stood  up. I have ben doing this a long time and learned the hard way. Your shelves or racks will be nice for dry lumber but I don't see how you could dry hard wood without too much warpage . Also over hanging wide stickers on both ends of each coarse [all others lined up vertical ]  makes a big difference.  My lumber has no end cupping since I started doing this.

[WV Sawmiller]

   Okay, I studied the situation some more, took some more measurements and decided I could extend the roof of my hay barn/tractor shed a few feet and at least temporarily move some of the bigger slow moving items there. Its only 30-36 yards from where I normally saw at home and on the opposite wall from my tractor shed.

   I put in 2 squared locust posts and a cross tie I had laying around in between them. Worked out to be on 10' centers and 5' wide. I cut a stock 20' poplar log and got 5-2"X6"X20' boards. I nailed 2 of these to the existing shed wall opposite some existing framing I'd nailed the sheeting to. I nailed 2 level with them to the new posts and the last on on top of the posts where the trusses would extend to. I cut a 6' stock poplar log and got 11 2X4s to extend my roofline. I got 2 more out of my slab pile. I scabbed them on to the existing trusses.

  I cut a 10' poplar stock log and got 6 more 2X4s for shelving and 3 1X4s for strips under the roofing. I checked my local trader and found someone selling a stack of 4' 5 ridge roofing tin perfect to match my existing roofing.


 
38 Sheets of used 4' long tin and 2 6' sheets. I pulled the 12 best 4' sheets for my roof extension and will use the rest for covering stacks of air drying lumber. Total cost $60.


 
I placed and weighted down my new additional roofing to mark where I needed to cut off the excess truss length.


 
I cut my trusses to length and installed 3 rows of strips to support the tin. I then slid one end of the 4' tin under the existing roofline and screwed it down with leftover screws from my woodshed project from a few weeks ago.


 
I cut the 10' 2X4s into 5' lengths and nailed them on one end to make 2 shelves. Note the one old glove left on the horizontal support. While I was working Sampson and my old Aussie Shepherd got bored and were busy eating my new pair I just got out the other day. I just can't win.


 
I have shelves on one end. I will wait on the installing the others until I finish stacking on these just so I have the extra access as long as possible.

    The only things left to do is a little clean up to some cut off ends and trim the supports as needed. I toenailed in the nails to support the shelves and will get some 2" trimmings out of my slab pile and cut to length and nail between them just for a little extra support and to make sure they don't rotate and fall over under a heavy load. I also need to nail up a strip as a guard out from the tin as the roofline is now about 5' high and perfect to walk into. I don't want to cut my forehead or get sued by a careless customer.

   Then I just need to move my stock around. I figure to put the older, dryer mantels on the smaller shelf on top. I can turn them on edge vertically if/when  I need the extra space. I'll probably store slabs on the bottom shelf for a while.

   Anyway, this gives me 5'X20' of width and 5'-6' of height.