Using I-beam to store metal stock idea

ndnchf

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My home garage shop is really tight (who's isn't - right?). I don't really have a good place to store metal stock. So I was looking around for some place I could use. I have a big I-beam that runs the length of my shop. So I got thinking about how I could use that, by making suspended brackets. I grabbed a yellow sticky and scribbled this idea out. It would be two pieces of 1/4" x 1" or 1.5" flat stock, bent and bolted together to suspend from the I-beam. I'm not talking about storing a LOT of stock, just maybe 50 lbs worth. I'd use a piece of all-thread just below the beam with nuts on each side of the flat bar to lock it in place. Then use a bolt vertically through the two pieces at the bottom to hold it together. I could weld maybe 4 tabs along the bottom to use as dividers to keep things organized a little. I'd probably make 3 or 4 of them.

Here's my yellow sticky drawing. What do you think? Trying to keep it as simple as possible. Thanks, appreciate your thoughts.

Hanger.jpg
 
My vote would be too skip the bolt in the bottom and make it all one piece. Flex it to get it over the I beam and the cross bolt would hold it in pace.

I'd probably use 1/4 round stock and weld washers for the cross bolt or make a clip that holds the top hooks in.
 
IMHO the bolt in the bottom could create material movement problems. As rgray says place the fastener under the horizontal pieces at the bottom. If possible some reinforcement around the top bend may be a good thing.
Have a good day
Ray
 
they make beam clamps that threaded rod screws in bottom---you need 4 beam clamps---4 straight threaded 1/4" rods the hanging length you want---and about 6 or eight flat bars with two holes for the threaded rods to slip through----one for just under the clamps ---one for the bottom, and the others to space between for levels-----and enough nuts for one above and one below each bar---plenty of flat bars keeps from having stock being piled on top of others and hard to remove pieces easily---once made--- levels can be adjusted by moving the nuts up or down-----the beam clamps aren't expensive but really useful-----Dave
 
Thanks for the ideas and feedback. Here is the I-beam I'm referring to. As you can see I don't have a lot of room. So I only want it to hang down about 6".Beam.jpg
 
You could even c-clamp angle perpendicular to that beam and set your inventory stock on that angle...weld it if its gonna get heavy instead of clamping.
 
A 6" vise is overkill for a RF45 style mill. A 4" is more appropiate for that size mill & IMO 5" max. I have a 5" GMT vise on my PM45 & it's slightly too big. Not enough Y axis travel to make use of the 5" full capacity. Better to save your money rather than getting something too big & most importantly the weight. I take my vise of the table quite often, a 6" is still light enough for me to be carried by hand but I'm glad I have a 5". I also have a 4" vise as well. I prefer the 5" though.

But those GMT 6" Premium vises are pretty nice. I'd love to have one but don't need one on my current mill. But if you plan on upgrading to a full size knee mill in the future than the 6" will be perfect.


Here's what the 5" looks like on my mill.
Img_1921.jpg


I couldn't even complete this cut without my bellows & DRO scale getting in the way. Not enough Y travel & the 5" vise is not even maxed out.
Img_7597_zpscb8b5dd7.jpg


Here's what a 6" vise looks like on another PM45 (gt40's)
View attachment 253544

36aa00285d61194c7e79acc330ccff5e.jpg

13e3dc4f7c934cb3fd84bc37f02bbfdc.jpg
 
You could even c-clamp angle perpendicular to that beam and set your inventory stock on that angle...weld it if its gonna get heavy instead of clamping.

Now that's a good idea too! Hmmm gotta think on that.
 
I didn't know home depot carried Unistruts. I'll have to check them out - thanks.
 
I'm pretty sure home depot sends a guy down the street to the electrical supply house to buy unistrut at retail price with no loyalty discount, and then marks it up 50% from there and tacks the price of gas on top of that.
 
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