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josie's avatar

What is a good design for shelves using 2x4s and OSB?

Asked by josie (30934points) October 28th, 2019
9 responses
“Great Question” (2points)

There are examples all over the internet, but I am looking for recommendations from anyone who has built them in their basement and or garage. I have a miter saw. Simple is better.

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Answers

lucillelucillelucille's avatar

Before you design anything, I’d rethink the use of OSB for the shelves as it can de-laminate if moisture is on it, plus it is not great for supporting much weight.
Personally,I’d use plank for the shelves.
(Home Depot’s open ‘til 9 pm weekdays)

josie's avatar

What do you think about ½ or ¾ plywood then. I would sort of like the shelves to be 2 feet deep and cut them out of 4×8 sheet.

lucillelucillelucille's avatar

@josie- Thicker is always better. Will they be 4’ wide?
8’ I’d use a support which then makes them 4’.
See how I got what I wanted all along? LOL :)

josie's avatar

I’m easy

johnpowell's avatar

I actually just got a 4X8 sheet of plywood. Lowe’s quartered it for me for free.

https://i.imgur.com/1IZdppI.jpg

At first I was all, “fucking hell, 55 bucks for a sheet of plywood”. But then I figured about 13 bucks for each 2X4 section. And Lowes actually sells the precut 2X4 sections. 28 bucks for one. So the 55 doesn’t seem so bad now.

I actually got it because I need to make a crosscut sled for my table-saw. The other three parts are probably going towards making some sort of shelves for the fridge and microwave in my room.

https://i.imgur.com/KTwbzlU.jpg

But I built a out-feed table for my table saw a few months ago. I plan on going with a similar plan of using glued up 2“X4“s to make 4“X4“s for struts since they are dirt cheap. And then using a dado blade on the table saw for notches. But you can do that with a miter saw and a lot of time. Or instead of dados just cut a bunch of pieces and use a lot of glue and clamps.

https://imgur.com/a/7LmGoq9

But the design is solid. Perhaps overly solid. Fish-tank solid.

I also just did these last weekend for my sisters shop where she sells shit she got from goodwill to hipsters for 1000% mark-up. Mostly just cut dados on 1.5“X1.5“s that were 2 bucks each at Lowes and used their premade shelf boards. It is all pine so it is light. But it is pine so it is wobbly even with tight dados. But they are for light stuff like lamps so they should be fine. (I was so upset that she was using the materials she did. It ended up costing way more for lesser lumber).

https://i.imgur.com/S6DPKbv.jpg

johnpowell's avatar

Oh.. I should add that I love woodworking.

But you might want to look into if you have a community college that has a wood-shop. The one here does and I took a community-ed class that got me about 60 hours in their dope shop (hello 48 inch drum sander!). After tuition and fees it came out to two hundred bucks. But they had nearly every tool imaginable and they bought wood in bulk so I got nice lumber on the cheap.

josie's avatar

@johnpowell
Thanks for the good information. Thought of you when I was eating Kraft Mac and Cheese last night.
Did you know you can buy that cheese powder in bulk?

Sagacious's avatar

Use solid wood for the shelves.

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