Moulding Storage

[Scarfinger]

The layout and ceiling height of our shop dictates horizontal storage of moulding. After all these years I am worried that the old rack will collapse. Besides there's some mouldings in there I haven't seen for years. I am about to build a new rack which will be 5 feet wide, 8 1/2 feet high and 10 or 12 feet deep. I have designed a rack built of Particle board with 160 various size pigeon holes to fit small Aluminium up to medium size woods. This is a big construction job using about 60 sheets of particle board however it will put our lenghth stock in good order. But before I build this I thought I would see if anyone has other good ideas.

[Susan May]

Buy chops. http://www.thegrumble.com/framer/ubbs/wink.gif

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Sue May :)
"Everyone is born right-handed, only the greatest can over come it!"

[Scarfinger]

Chops 30% - Length 70%. I like length because I always have 100 mouldings that I can use when a customer wants their job today and it's all ready noon. We can mat, mount, glass, and assemble wood framed projects in 15 minutes. Aluminium takes 10 minutes.

[JRB]

We use virtical storage now but the last time I made a horizontal rack I used 1 X 4, 1 X 6 and 1 X 10 cheapest knoty pine I could find. The boards where 10 ft lengths. I laid the large boards paralell to each other on edge on my base about 6 - 8 inches apart and covered them with 1/4 inch cheapest plywood I could find. I continued building layers untill I reached the ceiling. My 1 X 4s where about eye level.
It was a sturdy rack that served me well for years. I made a hook pull out of ceiling wire with tape on the hook part to pad it for pulling out stray shorts that got pushed to the back.
Hope I helped,
John

[Jana]

Wait a minute. You can assemble a pic in 10 or 15 minutes, start to finish? I think I understand the Scarfinger handle! What about a pic with black suede mat board?

[Scarfinger]

I did say "we". Somedays for fun when we see a customer linger in the gallery after leaving a framing order we see if we can finish it before the customer leaves the store. One framer cuts and joins the frame and then cuts and cleans the glass. During this time another framer cuts mats and backing to size, and mounts the print, the first framer cuts the mats (1 min on the Fletcher F-6100) and everything gets together at the assembly table where the mats and glass are laid on, the subassembly sealed, dropped into the frame followed by a quick points, paper, wire and bumpers. During this part the second framer acts like a surgery nurse passing tools, wire etc. to the assembler. The customer is amazed. We just like to make framing fun!! We, of course, don't schedule this framing Olympics when a black suede mat is involved - heck my old eyes make me pass these on to my daughter

[This message has been edited by Scarfinger (edited September 12, 2000).]

[Scarfinger]

JRB - how did you attach all these pieces of 1x and plywood together? Were the 1x pieces in line with each other as you went up or were they staggered? How many slots in each layer? How many slots/pigeon holes in total?
Thanks.

[osgood]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Scarfinger:
One framer cuts and joins the frame<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I'm interested to know what glue you use in your joints?

[accent]

We also store our moulding horizontally.

Our racks our made from discarded carpet or shipping tubes held in place by a 2x4 frame.
There are larger tubes at the bottom and 2in.tubes at the top.

This holds the moulding tight together and virtually dust free.

The best part is that the cost is almost nill!! Carpet people just discard them .

Accent

[Scarfinger]

Accent, thanks for the idea. I'm off to the carpet store this morning.

[Scarfinger]

The wood mouldings we stock in length are chosen to fit our market but also chosen for ease of cut and join. They are flat backed making them easy to cut and v-nail. We also insist on at least 5/8 inch of rabbet depth so fitting is swift. If I consistantly have trouble cutting and joining a moulding it's gone. We cut on a CTD double miter saw and join on a Putnam VN-2. The VN-2 is built into a table that slopes up away from the operator. The glue is Weldbond (Canadian). I've tried many glues but always come back to this one. The glue takes an hour to harden which means we can assemble the frame on v-nail strength and let the glue set after. The glues that harden in a few minutes have little earley strength and if you handle them in the first hour the corner is likely to fail. I can cut and join one of the mouldings that I am familiar with in less than 5 minutes. On a bet I have done it in 1 minute. But we also sell a 5 inch LJ frame that takes me at least an hour to cut and join and usually ends up in clamps overnight.

[Jim Miller]

For moulding racks you can use plastic rain gutters with 2x2 & 2x4 supports. The gutters come in 10 ft. lengths from most home-improvement stores. The plastic is soft enough that it won't easily mar finishes.

We have both vertical (tilted) and horizontal length storage made with plastic gutters. You need only two or three points of support, as the extruded plastic is quite stiff -- will not sag even if full of moulding.

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Jim Miller, CPFcm; GAFP Committee Member

[Lance E]

I am currently building a whole new workshop, moulding racks are the biggest headaches ever, the carpet tube idea is good, seperate the tubes with reinforcing steel grid or similar it holds well, also a gap about 2 feet from the front and a couple further down the tube so short lengths don't run away on you. If anyone has plans or ideas for vertical racks I would like to hear them.

[Scarfinger]

I have also looked at the cardboard tubes used for pouring concrete. They are a bit pricey but the 6 inch diameter might work. Caution, if you order 6 inch you will get 3 different sizes. they make them in sets that fit inside each other to keep shipping costs down so 6 inch may be 5 1/2, 6 1/2 or 6 inch.

[ajhohen]

Scarfinger: When I got started, I used cardboard tubesalso, but the cardboard tubes I got was from a flooring business...at no charge. Check with any local flooring businesses. The one I got it from was happy to get rid of them... ajh

[JRB]

Scarfinger,
The racks are held together pretty much by gravity. All the boards are lined up with each other. When your building it put a little spacer board between each board at the far end or back of the rack to keep the boards from moving. After the rack is complete, as your facing it, it will look like a grid. Nail strips of wood down the front along all the boards from top to bottom. This will tie the boards and the rack together.
The plywood is held to the boards with small box nails on the top of the boards.
The number of slots would depend on how wide you make your slots and how wide and high your rack is.
This is an easy and cheap rack to build.
I looked at the carpet tube idea and decided it wasted to much space.
I would check out Jim Millers' idea with the plastic rain gutters before you make a decision, it looks like a winner.
John

[ArtLady]

Be careful with plastic gutters or tubes. Wood retains moisture and plastic may cause problems when the temperature or humidity changes. You may want to make circulation holes along the length of the tube. I have been following this thread and I think the carpet tubes or something similar may be more kind to the wood stored.
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Timberwoman
AL
I cut the mat, I pet the =^..^= cat.

[This message has been edited by ArtLady (edited September 13, 2000).]

[artist]

I'm getting ready to move next door and the thought of moving all of my length is giving me nightmares. I think my solution is going to be handled with a 2" wooden match.Also what do you guys do with all the shorts that you are afraid to get rid of because you know you someday you can make a frame out of that 2'stick and that will make your car payment.

[RW]

Artist - What kind or car do you have???? The profit on a 2' stick of moulding cannot come close to making my car payment! Am I doing something wrong?

[Bob Carter]

Knowing artist from another site (good to see you again), if anybody can squeeze a car payment out of scrap moulding, he's my odds-on favorite. By the way, noting your pastimes on your profiles, I'm guessing you listed your pastimes in order of preference?

[artist]

Bob; glad I found you guys, thanks to chris
in Pittsburgh. Note: preferences were in the right order. P.S. I missed all the old stuff
generated on the other site, but it looks like I didn't miss much. Glad to see everyone being their old selves!!!

[chopnjoin]

I like all your ideas on storing length moulding, but I buy chop and would like some ideas on storage. I can have up to 50 frames delivered all different sizes and styles.
My workroom is not very large and I now have them leaning against a wall with their wrappings on.