9 DIY Ideas for Wood Storage

Regardless of the size of your shop, wood storage and scrap wood storage is always a challenge. After you decide what scrap wood to keep and what to toss, developing a method of sorting and storing wood is imperative for keeping your shop safe and organized.

Even though I have been building for years, I still haven’t found a method that completely works for me. I built this scrap wood storage cart more than five years ago. Once I finished it, I sorted all of my scrap wood by length and inserted it in the corresponding slot. Guess what? Much of the wood I put in there five years ago is still in there!

sos storage

When choosing a method for wood storage, make sure the method is one that you KNOW you will use. Despite knowing I prefer things at eye level, I built a rolling cutoff cart, which sits on the floor. During the build I was thinking “This is not at eye level and I’m never gonna use this” and “If the scrap is organized, maybe I’ll use it.” Nope, I never used it. EVER! And my friends reading this will say “he’s like the size of an adorable, little garden gnome, this cart IS at his eye level!” And to that I say “C’mon guys, I’m 5′ 4″ – hardly a garden gnome!!!” But I do agree with the adorable part 😉

All joking aside, when choosing a storage solution, go with your gut. Unless you’re planning to make a concerted effort to change your ways (if you’re like me you probably won’t), choose a storage solution that works for your known preferences. In other words, don’t be like me and build something that sits on the floor when you know you will only use it if it’s at eye level.

9 diy storage ideas for scrap wood

Below are nine wood storage ideas that fit with my personal preferences and I would be more likely to use. I’ve categorized the free plans by shop size.

Get involved! Do you have a wood storage solution that works for you? I’d love to hear about it! Share your ideas in the comments.

Small Shop Wood Storage

Overhead Lumber Rack – Fine Woodworking
Overhead Lumber Rack

Wall Mounted Lumber Rack – anawhite.com
Wall Mounted Lumber Rack

Folding Lumber Racks – Kreg Tool
Folding Lumber Racks

Medium Shop Wood Storage

Cutoff Storage Bins – Shop Notes
Cutoff Storage Bins

Cutoff Catchall – Wood Magazine
Cutoff Catchall

A Smart Cart for Scraps – Fine Woodworking
Cutoff cart

Large Shop Wood Storage

DIY Lumber Storage Cart – Shanty 2 Chic
DIY Lumber Storage Cart

Wood Storage Workbench – The Sawdust Maker
Wood Storage Workbench

Portable Lumber Rack – Addicted 2 DIY
Portable Storage Rack

4 Comments

  1. Thank you for the inspiration!! I have some old scout chuck boxes I can repurpose for small scraps. I have been trying to find something to do with them. Thanks!

    1. Hi Lisa – Thank you for stopping by. That’s a repurpose and store your scraps. Thank you for sharing!

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