Shelving recommendation

[tjdill]

I've been using legal filing cabinets to store my books in. 1 4 drawer and a 2 drawer. Well the short one is getting full and it's time to move up. Thinking of using drawer boxes on an open shelf. Here's the one I'm looking at: Edsal 7 Tier

 

It fits my space requirement pretty well, otherwise I'd have gone wider. Depth isn't an issue, but that was the best happy medium I could find. Anybody here done this before? Any suggestions on a better shelf or will that one suffice?

 

Thanks in advance!

[Waylander]

I've been using legal filing cabinets to store my books in. 1 4 drawer and a 2 drawer. Well the short one is getting full and it's time to move up. Thinking of using drawer boxes on an open shelf. Here's the one I'm looking at: Edsal 7 Tier

 

It fits my space requirement pretty well, otherwise I'd have gone wider. Depth isn't an issue, but that was the best happy medium I could find. Anybody here done this before? Any suggestions on a better shelf or will that one suffice?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Comic drawer boxes are designed to stack - why have the shelving if you can stack the drawer boxes themselves?

 

I have 60 comic drawer boxes in a 5 high * 12 wide configuration.

 

Linky

[tjdill]

I just like the flexibility that shelves give me. Drawer boxes here, CGC short boxes there, Toys on another shelf, so on.

[DrawerBox]

Most shelving will sag over time. The longer the length between supports, the higher the likelyhood. Steel shelving tends to sag more than wood because sheet steel is more flexible. (Consider how easy it is to bend the hood of your car if you sit on it!) Keep in mind that loading 30" of shelving with boxes means each shelf has to support as much as 200#.

 

The best way to prevent this is to have frequent vertical support legs, perhaps every 12"-18". The next best approach is to use shelves that have a vertical trim piece along the front and back edges. That is why better quality wood bookcases have a trim board along the front of the shelf. The engineering principal is the same as the design of I-beams that are used to support a floor. If you go with shelves this needs to be the prime consideration.

 

DrawerBoxes have multiple support members because the sides of each box act as support, and binding them together with the BoxLox forces the sides to support each other.

 

The other consideration is do you want to have to slide a box off the shelf and lift it every time you want to get into it? That is a key difference between using shelves versus drawers that pull and then hang open to give you access.

 

Since DrawerBoxes come in several sizes that are compatible with each other the concern about flexibility in storing different items is a moot point.

 

All you would accomplish by using shelves is wasting space since there are inevitable gaps vertically between shelves and horizontally at the end of the shelf.

[gradejunky]

I was using some heavier duty plastic shelves that could hold 3 shorts for quite a few years. Recently I got some of the metal wire shelves because over time the older units were sagging and I was afraid of a total failure in the future. The shelves you linked to are not very good looking IMO. Go instead for something like this:

 

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Honey-Can-Do-4-Shelf-14-in-D-x-36-in-W-x-60-in-H-Chrome-Shelving-Unit-SHF-01456/202493257#

 

Those still aren't the best like top quality restaurant grade units, but those are about 3-4 times as much as well. I have all my boxes now on similar shelves.

 

 

Problem with these is the wires the boxes make immediate contact with run horizontal so they catch the boxes as you pull them out. I am going to eventually cut some 1/4" ply wood/composite material, and line the shelves to alleviate this and add even more support.

 

The black shorter/narrower unit is from Target I think and is a little more sturdy than the chrome ones for obvious reasons.

 

Damian

[tjdill]

I dig those wire shelves. I'm in between making my full decision. It's mostly a time investment at this point...

[oakman29]

I use magazine holders.It's really nice to not have too many books leaning on each other stressing the spines,like you would in a short box.It makes it really easy to find any comic quickly,and it makes for an organized set up.

[gradejunky]

I've seen many others do the magazine boxes as well. I personally don't like the idea of the books being exposed myself, but to each their own right. (thumbs u

[Bill1]

 

Lowes, 1000 pounds per shelf, 5000 per rack. about $80. 20 boxes per unit. CGC boxes fit too.