sheet storage - flat vs on-edge

To minimize warp, laying plywood flat has to be the best. But the cons are 4' x 8' of floorspace and more difficult to sort through 10 sheets. How much is any warp associated with an on-edge storage system really going to effect the finished project?

Reply to
coloradotrout
Loading thread data ...

It needn't be floorspace; you can rack onto a hinged frame and winch it up to the ceiling afterward. Be sure to have redundant fastening before walking underneath...

Biggest problem is that, when cutting big sheets, the slight bow makes it not lie flat on the table saw. Clamp-on guides and a handheld circular saw work even with a bit of warp, but aren't as accurate.

Me, I just buy the plywood and sheetrock in project-sized quantities as needed. A few days storage on edge doesn't hurt. The only wood there taking on a bow now, is scrap anyhow.

Reply to
whit3rd

coloradotrout wrote in news:d92ecb82-03c7-432f- snipped-for-privacy@k26g2000vbp.googlegroups.com:

If your plywood is supported by a frame, you don't need to worry as much about warp. A table, for example, may have a 1x4 apron that supports 3/4" plywood. Screws keep the plywood firmly secured to the 1x4s.

Puckdropper

Reply to
Puckdropper

Unless there's any moisture. Overnight will do it, if your storage is damp (or outdoors)

Reply to
Andy Dingley

It needn't be floorspace; you can rack onto a hinged frame and winch it up to the ceiling afterward. Be sure to have redundant fastening before walking underneath...

Yeah, 600#'s hanging from the ceiing is probably not going to be a good situation PLUS you have not solved the problem of sorting through the sheets.

Reply to
Leon

the problem with "on edge" storage is that in not too long of a period of time the panel will warp. It may not be a problem with the project end result but cutting warped material, edge banding warped material, and or attaching a frame around the edges is going to be problematic. Buy it as you need it, don't store it until you can afford to store it properly, laying flat.

Reply to
Leon

So generally speaking I need to stop my tendancy to hoard good-buys on plywood ;-)

Maybe a compromise would be to incorporate 3 bandclamps with my slightly out of vertical storage rack plans.

I only have 8' ceilings, and like another posted noted, flat storage has a real disadvantage for sorting. I could possibly justify a 4' x

8' roll around cart, but part of my storage rack was to enable me to store some hardwood pieces as well.

Clearly this is justfication for a 24' x 24' shop addition ;-) errr... but I'd need to include space for a sink, toilet, frig, microwave, and bed -- and good plans for a fold-up bed ;-) !!!

Reply to
coloradotrout

If you are stocking up for a future unknown project a good buy today may not be so good when you start to process the material, which has not been properly stored. Would you buy any plywood that had been stored on edge for

2-3 months?

What ever insures complete support of one side of the panel. Weight on the opposite side, other panels works better.

I have a horizonal rack hanging from my ceiling in my garage. I never put more than 1 full sheet of 3/4" ply up there but will put several "left overs" up there. Incorporated on the side is a similar narrower slot for odd pieces of lumber. I have a store room for the larger quantities of boards. The rack for the ply is about 8" wider than a sheet for easier in and out.

My shop is 18x 25 and I still would not consider an area for plywood inventory storage even if it was only 1 stack. Way too much valuable floor space taken up. Now once I get up to about 24x50 it may start to make more since for me.

Reply to
Leon

What if a number of sheets of plywood are stored on edge, but they're all clamped together into one solid unit until time for use? I'm wondering what warping if any might occur?

Reply to
upscale

That's how I did it, with about 5 sheets and they stayed true.

Reply to
-MIKE-

Sounds reasonable to me.

Reply to
Steve Turner

It varied as I took each out to work on, of course.

I would say... a few weeks, maybe. I can't remember, for sure, but it was at least three weeks from the time I had 5 sheets, until I worked down to 2 clamped together.

But this was 13ply birch and pretty stable to begin with.

I had a lot going on at that time and the project took a while. :-)

Reply to
-MIKE-

How long did you have them stored that way before you started using them?

Reply to
upscale

Hard to say but over time something may happen and that is not to say that if you don't store plywood on a flat surface that it will not warp either. Basically you don't want to look at the plywood at any given day of storace and see anything but a flat surface.

Reply to
Leon

You're like me ... you would prefer the retailer store it until you're ready to use it, then buy the flat ones.

Reply to
Swingman

Yeah, I agree, but a couple years ago Home Depot had a bunch of 3/4" birch/maple ply selling for something like $25 a sheet. Then I spotted some returns that they sold for even less. It's been sitting near vertical for over a year now, so I suppose the damage is done. Mostly now I'm looking for a way to roll this around so I can paint the shop and organize it.

Reply to
coloradotrout

Mine is similar to this one

formatting link
I have had no warping issues at all with the sheet goods I have on it. Like you I bought some HD $25 sheets a couple of years ago and the remaining ones are still in great shape. On my cart I used both sides for sheet goods and made the center A frame narrower in width as I wasn't planning on storing much in it anyway. I used 5/8" BC which was warped to begin with as it was what I had on hand. After assembly everything was nice and flat. The ends of the A, and the 2" holes in the top, provide plenty of space for clamping stored sheets to it to keep them flat. I can send you some pics if you want. I'll be adding a panel cutting jig to one side but that is still in the planning stage right now. Art

Reply to
Artemus

Art,

That's pretty much what I'm planning also. I will keep the mid section of the A-frame open for some storage pretty much as shown.

Reply to
coloradotrout

Hey. You started a thread about a roof leak problem on your home over on alt.home.repair, then when people were discussing your situation, you disappeared. What's up with that? You seemed to lose interest when you got an answer that was basically, "put a little roof snot on it and don't worry about it". From your description I'm thinking you might have a bigger issue than a single nail poking through a shingle. Are you interested in a real diagnosis or just asking idle questions? If it's the former, you should post some more detailed pictures.

Sorry to hijack this thread, but you abandoned the other one and I figured this would get your attention.

R
Reply to
RicodJour

If you are looking to store a number of sheets vertically or horizontally there are steel racks made for it. http://www.edwardsstorage.=com

Reply to
Tyler Cook

HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.