Server Rack to Tool Storage

Okay so I have had this server rack for about ten years. Work at the time was just tossing it. I brought it home and finally this Spring I knew what I needed from it. I picked up a surface planer at an auction and needed something sturdy to mount it on. So I figured I wold turn this rack into a planer station and tool rack. It's also my welding station.

This is still a work in progress so no this is not the finished product but it's far enough along to share.

OSB was not my first choice but I am doing this with materials I had on hand which are all reclaimed.

So materials used thus far:

Lumber from broken down pallets

OSB salvaged from here and there

old server rack

Screws

Tools:

saw and drill/driver

First step was to make a shelf across two metal cross members about in the middle of the rack. Not tough just measure and cut wood to span the bars. I then screwed a strip on the underside against the cross members so the shelf would not vibrate or slide off the rack. My planer is heavy and so the weight holds it down.

Next I built a shelf to put my welder on under the planer. This is just a piece of OSB on top of four posts one in each corner. I then built a box to fit to fit next to the welder which is where my welding stuff lives, (mask, grinder, gloves, etc). I attached my pipe clamps on one side of the planer. Using the same structure as the lower shelf I put one above the planer. At the moment my jack stands and floor jack are on the bottom and on the top shelf is mostly power saws.

Now I was worried that the rack being on wheels might be an issue while running the planer. I'm happy to say it is heavy enough not to be an issue. In fact other than needing to better close up the bottom to keep shavings and saw dust out nothing seems to move at all while planing material. I also mounted a power strip on the side. This way I can plug the rack in and have the planer and welder plugged in all the time. Also handy to plug other tools in right there.

Now some may say why I don't have any measurements listed? Well frankly chances are if you make this your rack may not be the same size as mine. You may not have the same sized tools as I do so in reality this is an idea or example of a useful shop all from things others throw away.

I hope this gets some creative juices flowing.