Hinged Shelf Brackets Save Space

Hinged Shelf Brackets Save Space FARM SHOP Miscellaneous “Permanent shelving is a great idea for some areas but in others I like the idea of having a flat wall when the shelves aren’t needed ” says handyman Tom Hohl To achieve that he came up with a space-saving idea that he uses in his main shop as well as on the side of his woodshed and in his sugar shack Hohl’s simple approach was to build heavy-duty L brackets and mount them on sturdy door hinges that are screwed into studs on his shop wall When he needs the brackets to hold a temporary work shelf he folds the 3 brackets out and places a 4-ft plank on the horizontal surface “I make the brackets in the shop with 2 by 4’s that extend out 16 in with an 18-in vertical support that bolts to the hinge A single 2 by 4 provides diagonal support at a 45 degree angle ” Inside his sugar shack two brackets on one wall are installed to hold his sap boiling tank after it’s removed from the firebox “After the sap is boiled down we empty the tank and have to remove it from the firebox so it doesn’t overheat ” Hohl says “Because the tank is very hot when we take it off the fire I covered the horizontal arms of the brackets with 1/8-in steel to protect the wood ” When the tank is returned to the firebox the hinged brackets fold flat against the wall This allows about 2 1/2 ft of walk space beside the firebox and tank to tend the sap fill and pre-heating tank “The brackets didn’t take long to build didn’t cost anything except for the hinges and they sure are handy ” Hohl says Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Tom Hohl Duluth Minn

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