New Shelves! The Backroom/Man(less)cave edition

The backroom/man(less)cave has become a catchall for storage bins, paint storage, recycling center, pet feeding zone, yard-sale pile, and general miscellany collection area. There is some semblance of organization, but nothing substantial. Basically, just zones where things that are kind of similar in theme are generally placed. The biggest issue has been the stacks of bins and tubs against the back wall. I've been stacking them a two or three high, but they've started to inch their way forward into the rest of the room. Add a bunch of stuff my sister has begun moving in ahead of her move and it was finally time to do something about the space.

this place is a little out of control. . . good thing I don't actually want to get
anything out of those tubs right now!

I initially priced out some shelving systems and quickly decided that I couldn't necessarily find the size or sturdiness I wanted together in one unit. Anything short was too narrow and flimsy; anything sturdy was typically too tall for my vertical challenges. And, nothing was wide enough without needing to place two units side-by-side. Not to mention the insane pricing on most I was finding - even the short, flimsy ones. So instead I drew something up that, given my drill-wielding skills, and comfort level in using a fast-spinning saw blade, I was confident I could construct. 

this. I will build this.

In another life I might have been an architect or engineer; I did an architectural/technical drawing course all four years in high school, and started off college with aspirations to be an engineer. While I'm fairly satisfied as a science teacher leaning towards the natural sciences, I really like drawing up plans for things, particularly things I think I can make. When I was living on the island, I drew up a little plan for a bike rack and threw it together with scrap lumber I found around the house I was living at. It came out pretty much like I planned which was very exciting. But I digress.

tbbr: throwback bike rack

Once my sister started moving stuff in a few weeks ago I knew I had to get moving on the shelf. She promised to help, and came over last night. I initially was going to buy plywood for the shelves themselves, but decided to repurpose the closet doors I had pulled off the closet in my room. The doors are just about two feet wide, and about six and a half feet long - basically the size shelf I was looking to construct. I picked up eight two-by-fours from the local lumber yard (my new favorite place, and the guys were super friendly and seemed to trust that I knew what I was doing despite showing up in "teacher clothes" at 8am) and I was ready to go.

I borrowed a chop saw from a friend (little does he know he's likely not getting it back; and, since I don't think he'll be reading this, we're probably in the clear!), and got to work yesterday after school.

obligatory saw-in-action shot. note the glasses - safety first!
also note the sh*t-eating grin. he's definitely not getting that thing back.

I built the shelf frames first. . .

two shelf frames, done!

you must be this tall to be a shelf.

supervisors in action. and yes, they were pretty much thatclose the
duration of shelf assembly

And then attached them to the four side support pieces. I even got creative enough to "sink" the top shelf frame just enough so that the shelf(door) would sit flush with the top of the four supports.

"see what I helped (watched) my sister make!"

finished shelves! not the top shelf is flush with the top of the supports!

For less than $30, and less than three hours of time, I have a decent set of shelves that are doing a great job at containing the tubs and bins that were oozing into the middle of the room. I still have some organization to do back there, but I'm pleased with the result.

okay, so there is a shelf in the somewhere. . . but see how much more
organized everything is? the black shelf is from gwenny, and will
eventually be against one of the other walls. or maybe in her room. . . 

I'm pretty much an expert at this point. Although, in all fairness, it is in my genes - dad has always built things, from a tree house to Molly-doll furniture to "21" trunks, to the house my mom is still living in. As well, he was doing the carpentry and contracting thing for the last 14 years or so, so I have learned a thing or two over the years. When I bought this place last fall, I fully admit I had hopes that he'd be around long enough (and feel strong enough) to help out with at least a few things. And while that is sadly not the case, I'm fairly certain that he'd be suitably impressed with what I've been doing around the place, and would be glad to see my growing workshop space.

Your bonus shot of the evening, courtesy of my sister moving things around so we could assemble the shelf almost in place:

we'll just ignore the fact that this bin contained only my old pair of tele boots
"I wondered why it was so light - what a poor allocation of storage space"