Easy Plywood Storage Rack Swings Out | Evening Woodworker

This plywood storage rack is super easy to build, holds a ton of plywood or sheet goods, and swings back in place when you're done. If you want to step up your plywood storage game, this rack is the way to go. You can even build this without wasting a bunch of sheets of plywood to build your rack to store plywood! This entire project can be done with a miter saw and a drill. It's simple, it's DIY, and it works great!
Tools used in my shop:
Ridgid Spindle Sander: homedepot.sjv.io/vd1Ej
Ridgid Router 2.5hp homedepot.sjv.io/MeoRo
Husky 30gal Air Compressor: homedepot.sjv.io/mdro1
Dewalt 12" Sliding Compound Miter Saw: amzn.to/2UWVRiR
Dewalt 20V Drill Driver Combo: amzn.to/2JBEwXy
Dewalt Random Orbital Sander: amzn.to/2R5qP7t
Polyurethane mallet: amzn.to/3bVgl2z
Ridgid 12V Drill Driver Combo: homedepot.sjv.io/7gKK5
Hudson Shop Apron: amzn.to/2R5oSIb
Also check out my social media pages:
/ eveningwoodworker
/ eveningwoodworker
Website: www.eveningwoodworker.com/
I am an engineer by day and a woodworker by night... usually after the kids are in bed and before the neighbors call the cops!
I have a passion for building things out of wood and all things woodworking. I am always looking for new projects that look fun and challenging. My woodworking inspiration comes from my kids, my wife, and the forests around my house. I consider myself a serious hobbyist and I hope you can learn something and get inspired from the projects and mistakes that I make. I will also show you how I organize and work in my small shop in 1 bay of my garage. I will share videos of my past, current, and future woodworking projects with the goal of getting you out in the shop making sawdust!

[@CanadianCitizenshipTestKit]

Great idea for plywood storage, but the real lesson here is how to slowly, incrementally, steal more and more of the garage from your wife. Well done! You are an inspiration!

[@EveningWoodworker]

Shhh! Don't reveal my secrets!

[@michaelcrossley7349]

This is great! Super simple, but very functional!!

[@rickmitchell1824]

I’ve been looking for an idea like this for my daughter’s wood shop. Thank you for the great demo.

[@benjenkins2415]

Awesome. Just what I was looking to create. Thanks!

[@jeremylawson6648]

this is so simple it’s beautiful.

[@erinwalsh6803]

Super simple and functional... thanks!

[@phillippearce9680]

Great idea!👍

[@kimmokannala4576]

Also I will build this soon. Seems simple and handy.

[@jonathanwoodstock8556]

This is perfect for my shop. I will be definitely reproducing this soon. Thanks for the content!

[@EveningWoodworker]

Glad you liked it!

[@shahabasta8006]

Found this video today. Built it in my garage this afternoon. Used heavy duty hinges to connect the side and bottom so that it would be able to flex when swinging over the uneven garage floor. Worked out well. Thanks so much for this video.

[@EveningWoodworker]

That's great, I'm glad it helped! Good work building it right away too.

[@food35]

What a great idea when I’m done cleaning my wood shop tomorrow I’m building this for sure!!!!!

[@EveningWoodworker]

Nice! Good luck!

[@handcraftedconstruction438]

Nice sir. All the good stuff is simple… usually👊🏻🇺🇸🙏🏼

[@Lutzboater]

Great design. Simple and effective. You do good work even in daylight!!

[@EveningWoodworker]

Haha thanks! Yep sometimes the projects get worked earlier in the evening now that it's lighter later

[@danham3344]

Really cool and simple idea. I will soon be setting up our new wood shop and always like the "space saving" designs. 😃👍

[@EveningWoodworker]

Great! I'm glad it's helping!

[@LithiumSolar]

That's a very cool idea! I'm looking for a storage method as stacking it against the wall results in warped wood, it starts sliding forward over time, and it's always that piece in the back I need when I'm working on a project. Ha. I might be making me one of these!

[@EveningWoodworker]

If you keep this packed full, there's no room to warp!

[@RyanKudasik]

Awesome! I think I'm going to try to make a vertical version! Thanks for the idea

[@EveningWoodworker]

Glad it helped! Good luck!

[@carlric]

great idea

[@ajsstudiosinc]

I just finished mine based on your design. It works great. I like that you can remove the supports for different configurations. I learned along the way that I needed to plane some down to fit the holes. At first I just pounded them.l’ll have a hard time removing those.

[@folklorefanatic7193]

Great idea! This is one of the few plywood storage rack plans that doesn't require a miter saw. I want to build a sparate, smaller cart for scrap dimensional lumber, and this means I'll have a way to store the plywood in the middle of our garage.

[@EveningWoodworker]

Thanks, good luck!

[@stevemiller1159]

Great idea! Most of us have limited space, anything to maximize what we have is a good thing, wood storage has always been a problem for me. I'm in the process of building the practical miter station, I've had a DW715 for a couple years without a good place for it. The build is going good, it's a weekend project and I'm not in a hurry, just enjoying the build. The plywood storage rack will be a welcome addition to my work shop.

[@EveningWoodworker]

Awesome! Thanks for the support. I'm glad you're able to use the designs

[@kokenhammer]

Good Idea mate

[@fjrkev]

👏 brilliant

[@jimturpin]

Wife and I got into woodworking last year, and plywood storage is a problem. Found your video and your solution is perfect for our garage as well! Thank you, you saved the day! And SUBSCRIBED! Look forward to your videos!

[@EveningWoodworker]

Thank you! I'll try not to disappoint!

[@bruce-le-smith]

good stuff, subscribed, thanks

[@juneritchie2498]

Inspiring!

[@scotth5503]

I built this earlier and realized a few problems that may be somewhat specific to my garage. If you have an old fridge in the corner by the entrance like I do (or anything of similar size) you'll have to mount it closer to the back. This reduces the ease of loading as it's most likely going to be blocked by stuff. And this led to problem 2: if you have to cross a settled slab, it's not going to roll very well and the end caster will be off the ground. Good idea but needs flat-ish floors and to be mounted as near as possible to the door. At least it can be repurposed into a standalone cart relatively easily.

[@kingbamafan]

Great idea for a confined storage space. One improvement to mitigate the bent hinge would be to use a gate style hinge and mount in such a way that it could move up or down to accommodate a sloped floor.

[@EveningWoodworker]

Good idea, although I'm not sure i need to swing it out very far anyway!

[@powerpc6037]

Great and simple idea. My storage atm is just 2 planks on the floor and the sheets can't be left standing up straight or they fall over to the front. This makes it really hard if I need the sheet closest to the wall as I have to move every other sheet out of the way before I can grab it. And since I only have a 5x8m garden shed with a 3x1.2m workbench in it in the center, I don't have that much space to put all those sheets before they block me from moving anything. And I have some wall-mounted stuff in the way that block me from pulling out any sheet parallel to the wall, so that hinge system is really handy.

[@EveningWoodworker]

You should try it! It sounds like it could work for you.

[@ewong7492]

Been using one like that for many years, it works great. Can't remember where I first saw the design....

[@EveningWoodworker]

Glad to see I'm in good company!

[@reserved2006]

Great idea. I used spring loaded casters on the far end then just a single caster for additional support at the hinge end. The spring loaded casters should take the variation in my garage floor and reduce the stress on my hinges. Time will tell. Thanks for the idea.

[@EveningWoodworker]

I'd be curious how that works for you. Mine has a swing limit!

[@rjmills126]

About time! Been waiting for this

[@rjmills126]

That was way simpler then I thought. Good idea though!

[@EveningWoodworker]

Thanks! Some of the best designs are the simple ones... now you can improve on it!

[@868_4_Life]

ME WANT!!!! ME BUILD THIS!!!! Thumbs up!

[@EveningWoodworker]

Do it!

[@868_4_Life]

@@EveningWoodworker IN PROGRESS! I picked up the spring loaded caster today. Will grab the rest of the material and figure it out as a go along. Thanks for the idea!

[@TM-rp7bd]

You can add a spring to your caster to compensate for the slope and get full swing

[@EveningWoodworker]

Hadn't thought of that one

[@billparrish4385]

The way you know an idea is perfect is when someone shows it to you and you end up kicking yourself for not having thought of it already! Good stuff, and I will be doing this with my own sheet goods storage, in my too-small garage shop space, over in that side space beyond the garage door track where it's cumbersome to put a larger plywood cart. Regarding bending the hinge pin, it occurs to me an extra chunk of 2x4 between the hinge and the wall, with elongated holes allowing up and down movement, could solve that problem. Screw the first 2x4 to the wall, then drill/cut vertically-elongated holes into the second 2x4, attach it to the first one with thick lag screws and washers for sliding that 2x4 up and down on the first, then add the hinges to the second 2x4. I don't know if the forces involved might cause the lag screws to fail, but 2 per chunk of 2x4 'feels like' it should be enough to support the outer, hinge-mounting 2x4 chunks.

[@EveningWoodworker]

I don't know if that would move up and down the way you're imagining unless it was really greased. But I'd be curious if it works!

[@mthangar]

Hi Jared I'm a new sub. Suggestion to improve your swingout storage. Cut the lower frame midway, overlap the boards and install a bolt as a pivot. The outboard support wheels will follow the uneven floor without stress on the hinges.

[@EveningWoodworker]

That's a great tip! That should resolve my problem.

[@anthonysandvig5876]

You may solve your hinge issue by using heavy duty Lift-Off Hinges

[@EveningWoodworker]

Good idea! I'll look into that

[@chevyvega6622]

Does this keep the plywood from cupping or warping? I bought 4 sheets of sapele ply that were absolutely perfect and straight. Had them on 2x4 on my concrete shop floor for a week. When I was getting them ready to cut with a track saw I could not believe what happened...they were all warped or cupped...what the heck. Can never keep ply without this happening

[@EveningWoodworker]

Check out my favorite woodworking tips & tricks: kzbin.info/www/bejne/a6rYomZqfbZ0msU

[@robertstewart9658]

Thinking an eye bolt and rod arrangement might alleviate the swing out issue.

[@EveningWoodworker]

Hmmm that's not a bad idea!

[@jsunwalters]

Did you make a video of building the original larger one? I think I see how you did it from this video but it would be nice to see it on its own.

[@EveningWoodworker]

Unfortunately, no I didn't film that one. It's pretty straightforward though. Let me know if you have any questions

[@jsunwalters]

@@EveningWoodworker Thanks for the reply. Yes I went ahead from what I could see on this video and it turned out fine. I should have made a video of it myself though lol!

[@iheyeguy5033]

What would you recommend changing to make it a standalone rack that could be moved around the garage if needed? I don't have a good wall to attach it to.

[@EveningWoodworker]

I would probably make the base a bit wider so you couldn't push it over by accident.

[@freecadfundamentals292]

Could you spring load your wheels to compensate for the slope

[@EveningWoodworker]

Possibly, but the weight may bottom out the spring loaded wheels anyway

[@wizkidme]

Could the hinge issue be fixed by using a ball joint or something similar low on the wall instead of the hinge?

[@EveningWoodworker]

I think I'd need to use a hinge that could slide up on the pin. Ball joint may work but then I gotta have something at the top hinge that can allow it to flex down.

[@dawncox7048]

How many sheets does it hold comfortably?

[@EveningWoodworker]

Depends on the thicknesses of your plywood, but whatever will fit on a 2x10... so you have about 9.5" to work with for each section.

[@tsmiles_]

Any reason not to just put casters on both ends and then it’s completely mobile vs swing out? Just thinking about the hinge bending problem.

[@ryanhuff585]

I just built a lumber rack and I wish I’d considered this idea. Once you load up a mobile lumber rack with all the lumber and plywood sheets you have, it gets pretty cumbersome… this is a great idea

[@EveningWoodworker]

When you have casters on both ends, it can make it more likely to tip over depending on how wide the base is. This makes it basically impossible to tip over... unless a lot of bolts rip out of the wall!

[@tsmiles_]

@@EveningWoodworker - That makes complete sense- thanks for the response. We are in the opposite situation where I’m trying to eek out as much of the garage for my shop that I can from my husband who is into more tech than tools 😜

[@greglauderdale7595]

Insert expensive lumber/plywood comment here.

[@EveningWoodworker]

Yes I'm displaying my kids college savings on that wall