Most cost effective benches/shelves/storage?

[BearTricks]

I'm finally going to sort out my workshop's storage after eight months or so of throwing everything in boxes and never being able to find what I need.

My workshop is only fairly small, just big enough to squeeze in my lathe, a tabletop bandsaw, bench grinder and hopefully a drill press when I find a good deal on one. I'd probably want to build some storage but timber and plywood from all the big box hardware stores seems ridiculously overpriced, and of course I want to spend as little as possible. At a guess, I'd say that my workshop is about 8' x 6', and maybe 8' tall. It's a stone outbuilding with a small courtyard that I use whenever I want to do anything that requires some serious space.

Does anyone have any recommendations for places to buy cheap plywood and/or timber? I've never really used MDF although I did have a veneered MDF ikea table that I stuck my grinder on for a while, but the vibration kept shaking the bolts loose and if I drill any more holes in it it will probably fall apart.

I'm in Greater Manchester on the border with Lancashire if that helps.

 

[Slinger]

For adjustable shelving try, Spur Shelving in North Devon (they have a web site). They manufacture them on-site. I have used them for some 40 years & have always been pleased with their products. They do various size brackets to fit their uprights & they are very well made.
Slinger

 

[JSW]

For timber and sheet materials check out Gumtree, there are some really good deals on timber and ply go up on there all the time, literally 5 hrs ago a load of 6mm ply went up on mine, and while only 6mm, if I had a need for it, I'd have grabbed it.

As for storage, I recently adopted Jay Bates' stance on drawers over shelving, shelves are just places that accumulate clutter, drawers on the other hand are far more useful, design them from the outset for your needs, and go for it.

I built a fairly substantial set 4 ft wide, 2 ft deep, bottom 2 drawers are 12" deep top 2 9", they house nearly all my power tools, track saw, circular saw, 2 ROS's, belt sander, palm sander, 2 trimmers, etc etc, and those all fit in ONE of the bottom drawers! Double extension drawer runners rated at 45kg (when I was building it, I sat in the bottom drawer and pushed myself in and out the housing to test) all housed within what USED to be shelving space, far more practical!

HTH's

John.

 

[Zackyb]

Hi there,

May I suggest looking on ebay for cheap ply wood, I often look for reclaimed wood on the sit, and more often than not people are just trying to get rid of it quickly, although it may seem strange getting used plywood, it definitely serves its purpose, especially for building things like workshop shelves, and tops of workbenches, as they all naturally get a bit battered anyway. here's a link: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/4ft-x-2ft-Har ... 25abd7151b although this may not be in your area, it just shows how cheap some people sell plywood for on ebay, ive seen stuff like this in shops like b&q for nearly £30! You would have to look in your local area on ebay.

good luck

Regards
Zack

 

[AndyT]

There are a growing number of projects, often set up as not-for-profit companies, which collect un-needed wood, to sort and re-sell. Ideal for old scaffold planks, once-used shuttering ply and loads of other stuff as well.

There's a listing here which may help:

http://www.communitywoodrecycling.org.uk/find-your-nearest-enterprise/

which comes up with these people in Openshaw

http://emergemanchester.co.uk/touchwood

 

[No skills]

I salvage as much as possible for projects like this, all the above is good advice plus get out and about and look in a few skips (with permission of course!), also building sites throw away so much timber that is useful to the individual - might be worth asking if there are any near you.