How to store heavy slabs for easy access and display

[WV Sawmiller]

Robert,

   Thanks for the picture. If I'm seeing it right it looks like you use long stickers and can store slabs on both sides.

   I am thinking about building my rack against or even into the wall of the new bay when I build it. I measured today and it looks like the back wall will not accommodate anything over 10' long. I could do some 12' against the front or on the end but I had not planned to build a wall there. The vast majority of what I have will be 10' or less so I'll figure out something else for the 12-15 foot pieces.

   It looks like you "dadoed" a slot for the stickers which works well. Since I my have some thicker slabs I may use but modify your system by just screwing short 2" strips between the stickers to basically do the same thing you did but I can remove the pieces to adjust them later if I needed to adjust them. 

[Stephen1]

Nice build , I need to see how I can make that 1 sided for my shop wall.
What happens to not so pretty sister slabs of those A slabs? Do you resaw down to Lumber? Or edge to wide thick Lumber? 
Howard, if you want to get rid of those slabs, get them into a kiln, they have air dried down low enough now it will not cost a lot to have KD. Then they will sell for more and you will not have to worry about storing upright. 

[WV Sawmiller]

   Sorry but I don't have access to a kiln. I wish I did. My plan for storing them vertically is simply for better access and visibility not to help them air dry faster. Most of these slabs have been air drying on stickers for 2+ years.

   I did call and think I have located a future Slabmizer for future use. The owner has not had it long and is getting the wiring done and completed. He mentioned a kiln too and may be buying and setting up one of them too and if so I may be able to tap into that resource too.

   Currently I am leaning to building a one sided rack into the back wall of the new extension when I build it. If I need more room I think I can also build a two sided rack in the remaining space.

[boonesyard]

The slab library. Black steel threaded pipe with flanges screwed to the studs and end caps to cover the outside ends. 

[WV Sawmiller]

Boonesyard,

Good looking storage. Looks nice and sturdy.

BTW - you get runner up award for suggestions spending other people's money buying metal pipe and flanges instead of using free/cheap wood. Spending other people's money is always FF policy. :D :D

[WV Sawmiller]

   Well its been a long time coming but if you've been following my sister thread you have seen it coming along.


 
I started moving them in today. These are from one end of the first stack posted earlier.


I also stored these monsters which weigh up to 300 lbs each.

   I still have to build another set of bins on the left side of the first picture but this freed up a lot of space and makes viewing these slabs much easier. 

   The bins are basically John's design only I use the framing of the shed extension and connected to the rafters and such instead of making it free standing. A big thanks to John for the design and I appreciate the comments and pictures from Robert and boonesyard. 

[Ljohnsaw]

The bins are basically John's design

What!?!  So if they fail it's all on me?  This was a committee plan, you can't put that all on me! :D Thanks for the kind words.  One thing I didn't mention and I think you already realized is it really helps if the butt end of the slabs is cut square so they stay nicely in the rack.  Looking great.  How full do you think it's going to get when you've moved all you want to move?

You know those luggage carts at hotels?  They are like 5' long, ~20" wide and close to 6' tall.  I picked up quite a few of those a while back.  They have a tall hoop/handle on each end and a hanging bar down the middle (for hangers).  I removed the bar and just left the ends.  I stacked up a LOT of slabs on one of those in my garage - some as long as 12'.  They have a pair of fixed, larger wheels in the middle and casters on each corner.  I can move this loaded rack around in my garage (if I didn't have it stuffed full of other treasures) with ease.  When the slabs are all trimmed up, the whole thing is very stable and takes up very little space.  They've been in there about 2 years now and should be ready to make the counter tops in my cabin, if I ever get the roof on it!

[WV Sawmiller]

  I don't have a storage area where I could use a mobile cart like that. What you are describing sounds pretty similar to the carts you find in Lowes to move long lumber. If you could hold of some of them it sounds like you'd be in business.

   I did think about moving my slabs around with my 2 wheel dolly/handtruck. On the monster slabs I did have to use the crowbar seen in the picture to walk the big slabs into position. 

   You are right about the square cut ends too! Most of mine are not and I have to spin them around to see which side they want to lean toward.

[Ljohnsaw]

What you are describing sounds pretty similar to the carts you find in Lowes to move long lumber.

No, not like those.  I have the slabs standing on end!  The carts have some red indoor/outdoor carpet on the bed which keeps them from slipping.  I did put a ratchet strap around the ends to corral the slabs but they are very stable.  If I could get to the cart to take a picture, I would.  But, alas, buried too deep in the garage right now.

[WV Sawmiller]

John,

  I'd be interested in a picture as I keep thinking that would be awful top heavy if you were storing real long slabs.

[Nebraska]

Looks good Howard 👍 

[SawyerTed]

I believe John is describing a hotel bellman's cart, luggage cart.  Pneumatic tires help.



 

[SawyerTed]

BTW I'm glad you solved this and shared it Howard.  It has given me some excellent ideas for my place.  

[WV Sawmiller]

Ted,

   I'm familiar with the carts as shown but it still looks to me like they would be top heavy if you store slabs vertically in them. ??? 

    Good luck on any future building plans. If it works I m glad to have been able to help. If it doesn't - blame John. ;)

[WV Sawmiller]

   As a follow up I had a repeat customer call today wanting some live edge walnut slabs. I took him out to the new storage area discussed here and it worked like a charm! He quickly found 4 slabs he wanted and drooled over several other so I expect him back for more.

   The bottom line is this system is a huge improvement over my previous storage methods! Thanks again to all who helped put this together.

[Ljohnsaw]

In the design committee contract there is the stipulation for the additional income generated from the storage improvement project shall be disbursed to the committee. 😉

Glad it's paying dividends.

[WV Sawmiller]

    You guys have really created a monster here! The work and the costs just keep growing long after I thought I was done.  ??? 
 
   Man, this is bad. I took some benches and stuff to the flea market Sunday and got rained on so when I unloaded them yesterday I spread them and the moving blankets out to let them dry before I stack them again and I put some on the floor space in my LE slab bin storage and even stacked bundles of tomato stakes in an empty bin and that worked so well now I am considering moving up to the next bay and putting a floor and maybe some more bins in there. : It is a steep drop so I'd have to stair step it up about a foot on the low end but then I could use the back of the existing bin to make back to back bins and store tomato stakes and long items there and have a nice floor for the benches which are currently just stacked on pallets.

   I mostly blame John and/for the vertical bin design and Moody was the first to (correctly) suggest I needed a wooden floor. Tom must have family down here in the gravel selling business and convinced me I needed gravel under the floor supports.  ;)

   Of course if I do this bay there is only one more bay in the shed to add a floor to so I can foresee that coming then if I'm not careful there is that whole other pole barn facing it which also has a dirt floor. Man this never ends!

[WV Sawmiller]

   Inertia - the biggest problem I have is typically just getting started on something. I went back out and laid a 12' 1X6 down on edge with a level and looks like I need to raise the low end about 8". I went ahead and moved some oak leg stock I had drying there and stacked in a bin. Then I went ahead and took down an 8' shelf in the next bay that had crates of cookies stored in them. The shelf would have been in the way but fit perfectly in the next bay which is the same size so that is complete.

   When I get the benches moved I will be able to excavate and level that area a little. There may be big rocks just under the surface and I may not be able to dig anything out and may just have to fill in/raise the level. Once I get some framing around it I will fill with rocks from the pasture, rock bar or creek to reduce the amount of gravel I have to buy. Then I can add gravel, level it and put my floating sleepers on it and start with the flooring.

  I will have to move a stack of 10' long ash 4/4 lumber out of the way before I can put in my framing and other events like my wife's 50 year HS reunion and such are going to delay me doing much more till we get back from that. The next bay is about 9' wide at the front  and 11' wide at the back.

[GRANITEstateMP]

Howard, to honor the key members of the design committee maybe you could name each completed bay after a member?  It may help with inventory too.  You could keep LE slabs in John, and tomato stakes in Tom... just spit balling some ideas, always trying to help ;D

[Ljohnsaw]

As a member of the design committee, we are still waiting for our dividend checks... :D

[WV Sawmiller]

Granite,

   Great idea. Let me find my purple paint to make the appropriate signs. ;)

John,

    Remember dividend checks come from the increased profits from the committee members ideas so first I have to cover the increased costs to implement the idea then make some money. Keep that in mind when making Value Added suggestions and remember the more of the member's money you spend the longer you have to wait for a return on investment. Cost saving recommendations however show an immediate return and you can expect much faster responses. In other words, "Don't hold your breath." :D

[WV Sawmiller]

  That Dang design committee is still costing me money! After adding floors to the last two bays in my storage shed I decided it would be nice to have a floor in the next bay where I store my benches.


 
I had nearly emptied the bay taking a bunch of benches to a local flea market so I went ahead and removed the other items store there and  found these 2 locust cut-offs from uprights installed 3 years ago. I decided to cut them into boards for formwork to hold the gravel and fill.


 
I got enough 3' & 4' boards to make some ugly but serviceable formwork for the entire area. I think I have 1-4' board left over.


 
I put the formwork in. There will be a 1' stepdown on the right/high side so I brought in several tons of rocks from a run-off in the pasture. (I know - the design committee would have just recommended commercial/purchased fill : but I was trying to save some costs.)


 
The last 2 days I made 3 trips to my local gravel dealer and bought 4.5 tons of crusher run and covered the rocks and filled up the formwork. I have nearly 1 ton of leftover gravel for the next such build or other needs. Sorry for the picture - bight sunlight on front and deep shade makes it hard to see. I may get another more uniform picture later.


 
I cut one 10' locust pole into 3- LE 8/4 sleepers. I will put these on top of a sheet of plastic/moisture barrier on top of the gravel. These will trim to an 8', 9' and 10' sleeper. I'll need to cut some more locust from post/poles in stock or cut another tree to get enough.

 I saved a bunch of 2" square poplar strips from a recent order and have enough to put on top of the sleepers to use as floor "joists" to nail wooden flooring to.

 Now I am torn between using poplar 4/4 boards I have in stock or cutting a nice, dead standing white pine to use for flooring.

  Current costs is about $120 for the gravel and $18 for the plastic plus about 110 miles on my truck and trailer.

  Any suggestions on white pine for flooring such as this?

[Old Greenhorn]

I knew you would get there eventually. :D

[btulloh]

Well I know I'm not a committee member, but . . . I think you should skip the white pine and use something more durable. Teak for instance - or better yet, Italian marble. 

[Don P]

We made it till 1 today then I was back on the cool side of the hill separating dirt from gravel.. what is this gravel store you speak of? That'll never work, it would be about as crazy as trying to sell water.