How to Use a Lumber Rack

Store lumber in a rack for easy identification.

A lumber rack stores and organizes wood for easy access. It also separates different wood species like maple and oak. The woodworker and carpenter find them indispensable in a work shop. Accessing the right wood for any project is simple and error-free. Several different types of lumber racks exist for different purposes. For instance, some store kiln wood while others organize wood blocks for lathe projects. The steps to using each are very similar.

Things You'll Need

• Spreadsheet software
• Lumber inventory
• Sticker labels
• Magic marker

Instructions

1. Take inventory of your wood first. Identify each piece of wood by species and type. For instance, maple plywood is different from a maple block. Write down the number of all the blocks, boards and plywood types for each species of wood. Use a spreadsheet to do this if necessary. Label each column as a different species and each row as a different board type, then write down the number of each in the proper field.

2. Label each shelf on the rack with a species name like maple, oak or birch. Only label racks with species you have or intend to use. Write the full name or an abbreviation on a sticky label with a magic marker and apply the label to the shelf.

3. Write the type of board on another sticker label and apply this next to the species label. This denotes the type of board that will be stored here, for instance, block, plywood or stud boards. This step is not always necessary, as it will be obvious which type of board it is just by looking at it. However, it is helpful.

4. Stack the lumber into the rack by placing the proper type of board and species in the appropriately labeled spots. Maple plywood sheets go on the rack with the labels "maple" and "plywood," for instance.

Tips & Warnings

• Arrange the rack for ease of access, storing the boards you will use most often on the most-accessible shelves. If you use oak plywood most often, place this on the most-accessible shelf.

• If you are more concerned about lifting the boards, arrange the boards by weight, placing the heaviest ones (like thick oak boards) in the most-accessible areas.

References

• Inside Wood Working: Integrating Lumber Racks Into Your Shop
• Wood Gears: A Lumber Rack Example

Resources

• Woodsmith Tips: Building a Lumber Storage Rack