# Sheet Goods: Part 1, storage



## SteveEl (Sep 7, 2010)

I'm trying to decide how to store sheet goods. I keep hearing "store 'em flat" and then in the magazines featuring great shops, most of the folk have their panels standing on the side or on end. Does it matter how long I'll store stuff before use?

Flat, or upright?

If possible, pics of your panel storage area welcome!

Thanks!
SteveEl


PS... I'm a basement slug. panels will be down there with the spiders.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Sheet goods should be stored flat. If you have the room, lay down cleats (like stickers), spaced to support the first sheet, to keep it up off the floor. Sheets thereafter can lay right on top of the preceding one.

If you don't have the room for flat, sheets can be stood on edge, or on end. Spacers should be set perpendicular to the sheets, on the floor. Sheets should be as upright as possible, with little lean. A stand up rack can be made to clamp loose sheets.












 





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## phinds (Mar 25, 2009)

Commercial operations may have room to store panels flat (as, I agree, they really should be) but most of us hobbiests with limited space always store them on edge. Keeping them upright/straight/flat is the key to not having to cuss too much when you go to use them.

I do what Cman suggests and put spacers down to keep them off the floor and I keep them absolutely vertical and I haven't had any problems.


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

I store sheet goods on hangers suspended from my garage ceiling. I ran supports from the rafters up to the roof joists for increased support strength. I then used angle iron from the rafters to hand down 18". I then fastened horizontal angle iron to these and lay the sheet goods on these angle irons. Makes a little work to get something down, but it works. You need a 3rd hand for full sheets of 3/4" goods.

Sometimes it gets a little rough on this 74 year old body.

G


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## SteveEl (Sep 7, 2010)

Thanks for replies. 

A vertical question.... Suppose you have a lot of panels. How do you keep them flat and vertical, yet allow you to dive into the pile and pull one out?


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## rrbrown (Feb 15, 2009)

cabinetman said:


> A stand up rack can be made to clamp loose sheets.


I built a stand with a solid flat face that the sheets lean up against. I then strap or clamp the sheets to keep them flat. It has worked good so far and since the sheets are standing upright it takes up less floor space.


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## SteveEl (Sep 7, 2010)

Rich, I'm thinking of building a closet. I can see how your method will work with panels leaning back against a wall. I could unclamp them, pull the pile out a bit to get the sheet I want, and then wiggle and push the bottoms uptight against for clamping. 

But I'll be stashing these guys in a made for the purpose closet, with the edges facing out. I'm trying to think up a way for nudging the far bottom corners up tight to my vertical wall for clamping when I'm done. Ideas?

And doesn't the bottom edge get kind of banged up when you do this?

SteveEl


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