Bought 7/16 OSB was cheaper AND put two 2×4 supports Between rails (21″) Added a tremendous amount of rigidity and wont allow plywood to ever bow. Your instructions and cut-sheet were SO helpful. Remember, they need to be 21-inches so when your side brackets go on the total width will be 24-inches to fit your shelves. Using a tape measuring and a square to draw a straight line, cut your wood to the following lengths. Practical Bathroom Organization Ideas for Real Life... How to Pack Dishes for Moving and Shipping, How to Keep Your House Organized Easily All Week Long. I think its an easy upgrade to do just use 10′ 2×4’s instead of the 8′ in the plans. Shim to make them easier to move later? You should try Sketchup. If you cut them in half you may want to add a support under the splice, but you’ll have to judge that if there’s a lot of sag. 2) If already built and you’re frustrated to no end after fighting with the shelves…simply square both ends of the shelves (remove the notch) by cutting the shelf off at both ends, this will eliminate the 3″ x 14″ notched area. Ginger Snap Crafts is a place that she hopes inspires others to create along with her! Then just add another 21″ end-brace inside of the frame to give something for the shelves to rest on and slide the shelf right in. Trip to the ER, anyone? Oh, BTW, Lowes had 2x4x8 on sale and I re-purposed some shelving for one of the units, so the total cost to me today for both was less than $120! I just want to take the time and thank you for being one of those countless generous people who provide the world with effective plan for accomplishing the simplest yet most effective projects. Using 2x4s for my DIY garage shelves was a natural solution. Thank you! Attach the top and bottom side supports and then do the middle two. About to build shelves 2 and 3 after putting together my first one a couple years ago. Great - let's find it for you! I built 4 sets of these shelves in early 2013 based on Dave Wirth’s blog post. When it’s “free,” you can’t be picky! I’ll go with 2-3/4″ screws next time, at least for that part of the project. Finally got around to building one yesterday and an overall happy with it. No idea, but it’s like moving 13 2x4s and a sheet of OSB at the same time. They were screwed directly into the drywall, no anchors, no studs… They were for show apparently. Pete, If you put them on the OUTSIDE (like I did) you’ll have to notch the OSB shelves to fit in. I’d probably secure some plumber strapping (you know, the roll of steel ribbon with holes in it) to the wall with tapcon screws or some kind of anchor bolt and screw the other end into one of the shelves, but then you’d need to go buy plumber strapping tape. I did the “inside” configuration as I had to cut the shelves anyway. Thanks so much and maybe I can post a picture or two when it’s done :). Lay your 4 corner posts on the ground together and mark where the bottom of your 2×4 shelf supports will fit across all 4. I attached the bottom front crossbar, then installed the bottom shelf. Thoughts? I just found this site and love it. 1. Thanks Pete, I was thinking about using a full 8′ 2×4 for the 4 corner pieces, but was thinking it then might be too tall for the base since its only 21″ wide. Thanks. It just won’t look as pretty. Great plans. DIY Ceiling Garage Shelves. Our number one goal (besides getting the house finished!) 2. The shelves are about 8′ wide and I’m not worried about sagging. Do you have any idea how much weight these shelves would safely hold? I did what I did because I think putting the brackets (2x4s) on the outside gained me like 6 or more extra inches of shelf space and if I lined them up along a wall they would be flush to each other like a continuous shelf instead of having space between them for things to fall down into.