Lumber rack, need suggestions...

[chabat]

My next door neighbor wants me to weld him up a lumber rack for his barn. Largest wood he will stack on there will be a few 1x12's but mostly 2x4's, 1x4's, maybe some rebar, or a pipe here and there.

The design is an A-Frame like a swingset with 1 foot wide shelves. He wants to go as economical as possible. The A frame will be 6 foot tall with 4 shelves. I will be welding it up with my Lincoln 125/225 ac/dc stick welder.

What would be best? I was thinking 1/'8" square tube. But what size? 1"? 1.5"? Or go to a thinner 14 ga 2" sq tube?
I don't have a pipe jig to fishmouth pipe was why I was thinking sq tube.

Looking for medium strength.

Any suggestions on what to make it out of?

[Keith_L]

Any suggestions on what to make it out of?

Well, um...............this probably isn't what you want to hear.............but a good way to do this ON THE CHEAP is cut a truck frame in two...........I guess that's assuming you've got a couple lying around - I do. I'd ship ya one but it might be a bit expensive Oh, and the other one in the yard is spoken for by the wife - she wants to turn it into a bookcase downstairs - no joke.

Ignore the ugliness, you could make it more aesthetically pleasing. Oh, for a moment she thought this one was a jungle gym, it certainly looks better when she's in the picture

[chabat]

Wow, umm, great idea! But I don't have a truck frame. That pic of the girl is funny.

Anyone else have a suggestion?

We planned on buying steel, just trying not to overbuild to keep costs down...

[Broccoli1]

Same A-Frame idea just use Angle iron, like in this pic but made to your size. I had 2 of these at a Studio I worked at and we loaded them up with Steel Pipe and AL Tubing.

[chabat]

Did you build that Broccoli?
What size/thickness of angle did you use?

[Broccoli1]

Did you build that Broccoli?
What size/thickness of angle did you use?

No. It was cheaper to just order them and they just bolted together- and I wasn't going to get paid by the Company to make them.

I believe 1"x1"x 1/8" Angle

Worked good though.

[chabat]

Broccoli, that rack looks awfully narrow, what were you putting on it?

[chabat]

I came across a similar design Broccoli. I may just copy this... Northern Tool Item #97220-1605. It says it can support 2k pounds and it is 14 guage...

[Broccoli1]

That's what I had in mind for what you wanted to build-

The ones we had were narrow but we used both side by side and we were stacking 1-1/2"x10,12' AL pipe, steel pipe and some 1"x1"x 6' AL Sq. Tubing.

[trial&error]

I came across a similar design Broccoli. I may just copy this... Northern Tool Item #97220-1605. It says it can support 2k pounds and it is 14 guage...

for only $109 when you figure material time and resources, your gonna have a hard time beating it, that is unless you just want to do it, or you need a new tool for it , or some other worthy reason.

[chabat]

I know, $109 ain't bad, but we are bartering. I help him with welding, he will build a mini mx track for m with his tractor...

Bartering is a great thing. My brother is the master of barter, I should learn a few things from him.