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Build your own rotating can rack

Posted: March 30th, 2009, 4:01 pm
by ChelC
This one is done with cardboard, but I don't see why you couldn't build wood ones with some cheap OSB or something. My husband and I were planning on devising our own, but if someone's already done the measuring for us, all the better! The shelf reliance ones are just too pricey when you could actually be spending that money on more food.

http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/2009/02/ ... ting-rack/

Re: Build your own rotating can rack

Posted: March 30th, 2009, 5:16 pm
by Spence
Those are sweet, nice links the past little bit btw.

Re: Build your own rotating can rack

Posted: March 30th, 2009, 6:16 pm
by ChelC
http://extension.usu.edu/files/publicat ... FN_503.pdf

The above document has lots of info. I haven't reviewed it all yet, but on pg. 92 there is a drawing for a shelf system to rotate cans, but this one needs access on two sides. I'm considering placing shelves as sort of a peninsula in the center of our food storage room. You could adapt this to be front loading, but you would lose much of the capacity.

A similar idea can be found here (with side to side access, rather than front and back):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCnXfO7YMfk

Re: Build your own rotating can rack

Posted: April 2nd, 2009, 11:16 am
by ChelC
Okay, so I tried the little cardboard version, mine is drying right now. I'll make another post when I test it out. I think cutting cardboard with a utility knife is a much bigger pain than just getting some 1/4" plywood and using a table saw or something. I've found that my cardboard varies a bit from the width of the cardboard used in the plans, so the measurements have needed some adjustment. Gluing is also tedious. It would be easier to use wood and a brad or finish nailer.

Anyway, the plans are good if you don't want to spend any money. They seem like they will be fairly sturdy, surprisingly. I'm just too impatient and my husband is too much of a perfectionist, so we'll be making our own versions in wood and custom fit them to our shelves. The cardboard version makes it easy to see just how you want it though and is definitely a help for creating our own plans.

I'll try to remember to write down measurements for the wood version when we make it in case anyone wants to copy it.

Can you tell my kid is sick and I'm bored out of my gourd???

Re: Build your own rotating can rack

Posted: April 4th, 2009, 7:06 pm
by Sudilly
ChelC wrote:
A similar idea can be found here (with side to side access, rather than front and back):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCnXfO7YMfk
Thanks this is an excellent idea. I can't wait for dh to build! :lol:

Re: Build your own rotating can rack

Posted: April 5th, 2009, 4:14 pm
by ChelC
We made a larger wooden one this weekend, and maybe tomorrow I'll post pics and measurements. It works quite well and holds tons of cans. Cost $25 for the plywood and brads. We used every scrap of the plywood - almost. The unit is approx 30 inches long, 16" deep and 16" high. It is front loading and front unloading, with four tiers. We plan on building another one or two. It was a fun project.

Re: Build your own rotating can rack

Posted: April 6th, 2009, 1:46 pm
by ChelC
I posted some pictures of the one we built on my blog.

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/dontfencemein/676514/

It wasn't too difficult to come up with a plan. As you can see by the pictures I'm pretty good at creating a plan and delegating the actual build. :lol: Just kidding, my husband actually enjoys doing this kind of thing, he just hates the planning part, so we make a good team.

If anyone is interested in building one and wants measurements, let me know. I don't want to bother typing all that up if no one wants them, but would be happy to if someone thinks they'd like to copy it.

Re: Build your own rotating can rack

Posted: April 6th, 2009, 2:38 pm
by Spence
Nice work Chelc. Looks like your husband is a pretty good craftsman. Think I will give a try at making one.

Re: Build your own rotating can rack

Posted: May 17th, 2010, 9:01 pm
by jajmom
Do you have the plans for this? I have looked everywhere and I don't want the cardboard ones. Your husband did a great job. I'm new to this and want to start out right.
Thanks
Maggie

Re: Build your own rotating can rack

Posted: May 18th, 2010, 9:27 am
by ChelC
I don't have plans, but I do have measurements. Plans will require me to take it apart or build another to get a few measurements I forgot to write down (in order to get the correct angles on the shelves) and we are buried in other projects right now. If you use the cut list I posted to my blog, you can fiddle with the angles of the shelves and get it right, it shouldn't be too difficult to figure that part out. You can see in one of the photos how we assembled it with a brad nailer, one compartment at a time. When you figure out the shelf angles on the first compartment, just jot down measurements for placement and attach your cleats to all of the dividers. Good luck!