I figure as most of you are pretty handy and like to work, this might generate some conversation. I have this new lean to/wood shed, and i want to keep things neat. I used these off the shelf brackets and holders at the ends and they quickly start to bed. I do the cris cross thing at the ends to minimize the load, but they do not leave me with any level of comfort. Fast forward to now, I just bought 24 pieces of 2x4x.25 wall steel from the local steel shop. I am going to weld up my own brackets in the coming weeks, on bad weather days. It should be interesting since I am teaching myself to weld, but it pacifies two of my interests at once. Even though my wood is in a shed, I want a small amount of airspace underneath for maximum air flow and drying. I am not sure about pictures...at least until I refine my welding skills. With that being said, anyone else have some neat creations for this or any other wood related items?
Don't be afraid to post pics of your welds, there are a few welders on here im sure could give POSITIVE reinforcement or critique. I would say learn to look for penetration, keep inclusions out and worry about neatness weld prettiness last.
All good points. I just bought a new AC/DC arc welder, and have 0 formal training. Something to learn and enjoy that is not at a computer, which I am sitting at al day for work.
Two things that burn out your eyes! Lol What type of welder did you pickup? Find some thick stuff to practice on first then another scrap peice same thickness to dial in heat. Its a good skill to learn and like anything else even pros should still be leaning.
I'm not sure I understand but it seems like you have some brackets that probably hold 2 x 4's for uprights and then you still crib the ends? If this is correct, I don't understand for sure. Cribbing, if done right is all one should need so no need for other things; KISS, or Keep It Simple Sir. Here is some of the wood we'll be burning this winter and it was cut during the winter of 2011-2012 then split and stacked in April 2012. This is typical of our stacks. We aren't really that particular when it comes time to stack the wood but they seem to be solid stacks as we've had exactly one pile that did not hold and that is in over 60 years of stacking wood. That still ticks me off that one had to fall but it happened. Still, not too bad of a record and no extra expense involved. As for air underneath, if the wood is dry it should not be needed inside a shed but it also does not harm. Good luck on the welding. It can be fun and it can be frustrating.
Cribbing is the word I was looking for, thank you. The trick is having a few other hands stack some wood, and do this poorly with the end results being pretty obvious. I also stack a fair amount of rounds sometimes, which again if not done right creates instability. I do prefer the 2x4 runners underneath for the air flow, but also because the bugs and other creature do not find a home in the bottom layer. Appreciate the feedback though.
2 x 4 runners can work well. We just cut some saplings in the woods to use under the wood. It's cheap and we have plenty.
