Re: Stock Storage

"Bob La Londe"  wrote in message news:1027rvf$qs7c$1@dont-email.me...
If you have a storage solution for the standard (maybe only USA
standard) 12 foot stock flat bar I'd love to see it.  My shop has a 16ft
eave height so I can store it vertically anywhere inside that I have the
floor space, but I am trying to recover, not lose floor space right now.
  I am even considering just storing it all outdoors.
Bob La Londe
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I store longer aluminum stock outdoors under a roof, and it acquires noticeable surface corrosion from our sometimes humid weather and rapid temperature changes when under the Jet Stream. Fog may be condensing on it occasionally.
My formerly inexpensive outdoor roofing is corrugated galvy, PVC or polycarbonate from the big box stores. Northern sun makes both plastics brittle after a decade or so. The galvy can be tied down between pt 2x4s to avoid fastener holes so it can be rearranged. I bought 12' and 16' warped 2x4s at the "cull" markdown for this. If damaged the corrugations can be restored with a plastic + brass hammer over 1-1/2" pipe. I've straightened pieces a falling tree had crumpled.
The shed I put a peaked roof on has a hinged gable end door to slide in long stock. Its wall studs are the full 8' high, with the added 3" of top plus bottom sills 8' steel channel can be stacked upright in a corner, and 10' - 12' pipe under the peak.
I've raised long items up to roof beams with a block and tackle at both ends. It wasn't a good solution because I could raise or lower only one end at a time and a tilted pile wanted to slide. It works well enough for a single item like a canoe or a choker sling load. The load hangs on one side of a column, I'm on the other side in case it falls. A fixed rack below the beams was better, it can be suspended at all four corners if there's extra space at one end to angle long stock in. Supporting long stock ~1/4 of its length in from both ends bends it the least.
jsw