OK please realize that it was a slow day at work and I wanted to play with a new design application.

I've tried to sketch up a door rack similar to the above with a little less $$ and material. What I would use follows:

Qty 2: 36" 2 x 6 (already found in a dumpster)
Qty 3: 24" 2 x 4 (ditto)
Qty 4: 2" casters with mounting hardware
Qty 2: 48" 1.25 PVC
Qty 1: ~ 22" 1.25 PVC
Qty 2: "T" Connectors of 1.25 PVC
Approx 10' Pipe insulation
Qty 2: 5" bolts w/washers and nuts
Qty 24: 2.5" wood screws
Carpet scraps
Bungee cord that will be stretched tight at 48"
or
2 that will be stretched tight at 24"



The pics below should pretty much show how to build out the frame of the dolly.

For the middle 24" 2x4 drill a 1.25" hole completely thru to set your PVC into on either side.

Drill another hole (size?) lengthwise thru the board and the spot where the PVC would set into the hole. Bolt the PVC in thru this new hole so that it is secured. The plus side of this is that you can easily remove these bolts and have a nice furniture dolly to use or hang on the wall without the 4' PVC tubes sticking out of it.

Fit/glue the T connectors on top of the 48" PVC. Fit the 22" piece between them.

Wrap the PVC in insulation to avoid scratches, but leave the outward facing and open T connector spots accessible.

So now you have a nice little dolly. Your going to have your doors resting on the 2x6, butted up against the 2x4. So put some carpet scraps there or something. Lean the door into it and pray that the PVC holds while you get the other door. Do the same with door #2. Now the weight of the two doors is nearly equal and pushing into the PVC. The force on the PVC should be negligible.

Finally get out that bungee cord. Hook one end into an open T connector, wrap it all the way around the top and your doors. Hook it back to the end of the T. I guess at this point you could have used one elbow and one T, but you get the point.

Again I need to say I havent actually built this thing. I have gathered some of the mats from the local construction site. I may have missed one of those totally obvious things that you dont think of until it all collapses on you.

Ill attach a couple screen shots of it and you can get the SKP file here . If you want to see more of it, download Google SketchUp at http://sketchup.google.com. Its free and pretty damn cool.





If anyone sees something glaringly obvious that I overlooked, please let me know. Ill try actually putting this together this weekend if time allows. Thanks again to CincyJK for the great idea. I hope my knock off is 1/4 as good.

 

turb0dog...looks good. I don't see any issues as long as you've got the bungee cord on there. I like your base, with the 3 cross boards, as opposed to mine. I may have to do that; that way I can put each of my vertical pieces on their own board. At the time, i was working with the 2x4 I had laying around.

 

yeah you really need the bungee. otherwise youre gonna be out two doors.

do you remember what the weight rating on your casters was? i think the 2" ones i saw the other day were rated 45lbs. i assume that means 45lbs each as they were packed 1 per pack.

 

This is a pretty cool design ... using the boards to hold the bottom of the doors in place instead of additional upright sections.

I would be interested to hear if anyone has used PVC for their door rack and how sturdy it seems given the weight of the doors (especially the front doors).

 

I am still trying to find the pieces that I need to make a corner (L shape with an extrusion from one side). It stinks to have to work so much. I will be looking again today. I would like to make it out of PVC, and when I get the pieces, I'll share.

 

I think you should be looking for a "T" shape rather than an elbow with an extra extrusion.

 

The front doors are heavy, but if both doors are leaning against the PVC opposite of one another, the weight of the doors (which is mostly resting at the bottom anyway) essentially balances out. The PVC does not have to take the full weight of the door leaning against it (for very long at least). The PVC only needs to not crush between the weight of the two doors on either side.

Im planning on giving this a shot this weekend. If you never hear from me again its because ive humiliated myself by ruining my doors.

 

I believe that's what mine were rated. They function fine w/ the weight of the two doors.

 

First off awsome work. & thanks for sharing.Something I would add to both of these designs is a solid bottom. Even if it's 3/8's plywood. I'm assuming since you have rollers on these things they are going from the driveway to a garage? I know if I was doing this, at some point one of my doors would shift & drop between 2x4's to the cement. If they are rolling around the garage only probably not an issue.

 

OK. I just returned from a supply house, and for all PVC the cost would be between 75 and 100 before casters, and I got contractor prices.

Turbodog - The piece I was looking for is not a "traditional plumbing supply", and neither are crosses (X), so I would have to get them from somewhere else. I think I am going to use your idea, about the crossover with PVC and not steel, and cover the bottom with carpet (I can get scraps from a friend for free).