Sturdy Wood Storage Shelving for Garage or Basement

These are the plans to build a biggish size freestanding shelving using readily available construction lumber. The main design style was adapted from DIY Garage Storage Shelves | Shed Shelves: Strong, Easy and Cheap - it's easy to understand and build, but also able to hold a great deal of weight. The difference in this version is to inset the shelving panels into the frame. This helps keep the shelves square with a structural element, adds a bit more vertical storage space, and looks a bit cleaner. This is also has enough depth and weight to be free standing!

Afterward I also saw this design which is also the same idea! Easy 2x4 Garage Shelves | DIY Storage

1. Lumber for the frame
2. Straight 2x4" will work great. I used 2x12" southern yellow pine that had been in the garage for a while and milled it to roughly that size.
3. If using 2x4", ripping the round corners off of each side will help keep the joints stay flush.
4. Don't stress about not being exactly at the thickness and width dimensions in the diagram. It's more important that they are all equal to each other.
5. Likewise, the lengths can be adjusted to fit your space and needs.
6. Sheets for the surface
7. I used 23/32" pine plywood - but this was probably overkill. OSD would work great and be a little less expensive. MDF would work fine too, and be even heavier!
8. Construction Screws
9. I used #9 3" and #9 2"
10. Seal
11. I used a coat or two of shellac before assembly.

Tools

1. Saws
2. All the cuts could potentially be done with a circular saw and guides, but a miter saw with a way to do stop block will speed it up. A table saw will enable making the rabbets for the shelves. I also used a router to finish the exact height of the rabbet.
3. Drill and/or Driver

Parts:

1. Posts - 72" x 4
2. Optional: leave an extra inch and trim it after assembly
3. Shelf Width - 36" x 8
4. Shelf Length - 60" x 8
5. Shelf Mid - 34" x 12
6. Wait to cut these to final length with the shelf frame.
7. These will also have a shorter height to accommodate the rabbet.
8. Long Spacers - 20" x 8
9. Short Spacers - 18" x 4
10. Bottom Shims - 1" x 4

Total part length: 1,704"

1. Panel - 63" x 36" x 4
2. Wait to get final shelf dimensions after assembly before cutting these. I bought three 8x4" panels and had enough material.

The easiest way to plan these cuts from your stock is to use a linear cutting list calculator tool such as optiCutter. Add all the lengths of your cuts, the initial stock length, and it will minimize the amount of waste. I've added an image with the cuts using 8' 2x4"s. These dimensions will require 19 boards, plus a few extra for defects and errors.

For the Shelf Width and Length pieces, cut a rabbet on each upper interior edge. It should be exactly as deep as your panel material - and I kept the width at that same dimension to keep it simple. I used a table saw to cut the exact width and within 1/16" of the final depth, and then finished it with a straight router bit on the router table. There's a bunch of videos showing how to do these cuts.

The Shelf Mid parts can then be cut to their final height after these rabbets are complete.

The screws for the shelves get placed at the ends of each Shelf Width piece. See the dimensions in the image. These measurements are based on the width of the Shelf Length piece they'll be attached to, and also leaving space for the Post screws to go perpendicularly in between. I added a countersink to each hole as well.

The screw holes to attach Shelf Mid parts to the Shelf Length can now also be done. Use the same heights as before, and space 15" from each end and also 30" dead center.

The pilot holes for the Spacers can be added now. You'll want to have these spaced from the ends with enough clearance to use your drill when they're attached. A couple inches should be fine.

There's a bunch of these ends to screw together, so making a harness to hold the parts in place makes it go a bit faster. Just make sure they're square to each other, clamp them down, extend the pilot hole into the Shelf Length piece, and add a 3" screw in each spot.

After the Width and Length are assembled, cut the Shelf Mid parts to the exact width, clamp them into place, extend the pilot holes, and add the 3" screws.

Cut the sheet panel to the measured distances for your shelves and sit them into place. I ended up needing to clamp the opposite corners on a couple of the shelf frames to get it square - this is a good thing! I added four screws down into the Shelf Mid pieces to hold it in place.

Optional - add a seal to help prevent damage or stains. I used shellac.

Now the fun part! You'll want to assemble in (or near) the place where the shelf will live.

I started by placing the first shelf on the Bottom Shim pieces and then clamping a post on each corner. After everything was as square as possible, I added pilot holes into the Posts halfway between the screws attaching Shelf Width and Length. The outer hole takes a 3" screw and the inner a 2".

After attaching all four posts, add the first set of Spacers. Clamp these in place as square as you can, extend the pilot holes, and attach with screws. These will use the 2" screws.

Now that the first set of spacers is in place, place the next second shelf on top. Adjust all the posts to square again, and repeat the process to attach this shelf and the next set of spacers. Continue this until it's completely assembled.

If you have any improvements or suggestions for others, don't hesitate to chime in! If you end up making one of these, please let us know and add a photo.