Totes are great for organizing and storing smaller items, clothing, and even tools. But everybody knows when you place a tote at the bottom of a stack of bins, you’ll probably never open it again. Knowing this, general contractor Tom Silva designed and built a storage rack on wheels to make accessing storage bins easier.
Measurements for Boards
- (4) Length – 67-½”
- (8) Vertical – 33-½”
- (12) Horizontal – 30″
- (4) Diagonal Brackets (to stabilize rack) – 17-½” then miter cut each end at 45-degrees
How to Build a Tote Storage Rack
- The first step is creating one board to act as a template:
• Measure the distance from the bottom of the tote to the underside of its lip, and add 1 inch (for our example, 13 ½ inches plus 1 inch).
• Mark the 2×4 at 14 1/2 inches from the bottom and 18 inches from the bottom (the 2×4 cleat will sit between these marks).
• Mark again, using the same measurements for the next cleat, and continue to create as many rows as desired. - Using the template board as a guide, cut all of the uprights to length on the miter saw. Use a stop block for the best results. You’ll need four uprights for one stack of totes, six for two stacks, and eight for three stacks.
- Bundle all of the uprights together so they’re perfectly flush on their ends. Using a framing square, transfer the marks from the template board across all of the upright boards.
- To find the length of the cleats, measure the length of the tote from front to back and add one inch. Cut the cleats to this length on the miter saw. You’ll need two cleats for every tote.
- Mark and cut the top and bottom plates (you’ll need at least two top and two bottom plates):
• Measure the width of the top of the bin and add 1 inch to the overall measurement (in our case, it was 20 ½ inches).
• With a bottom board laid on the work table, place a small piece of scrap placed flush at the end, mark the bottom board at this distance from the inside of the scrap.
• Place the inside edge of another piece of scrap at this mark, and mark the other side.
• Continue measuring and marking for each stack before bundling all of the top and bottom plates and transferring these marks with a framing square.
• Cut the boards to length on the miter saw. - Cut four 2-foot diagonals with opposing 45-degree angles to nail on the back of the rack for stability.
- Place a set of uprights on the work surface and attach the cleats across them using deck screws. Repeat for each set of uprights. Note that any uprights in the middle of the rack (with totes on both sides) will require cleats on both sides.
- Place the assembled uprights between the top and bottom plates. Screw through the bottom plate and into the ends of the uprights.
- Once assembled, check to ensure the rack is square and adjust as needed. Attach the four diagonal boards to the back to ensure it stays square and stable.
- Attach casters to the bottom of the rack at each corner using short structural screws. Finally, turn the rack upright and fill with totes.
Materials
Tools
Tools & Materials
