Drag an orange dot to resize; a dashed line shows when it snaps to a common size. Click a dot, then use the arrow keys to nudge 1/8″ (hold Shift for 1″). Every size can also be typed in the panel.
Checks
- The runner passes the sag check.
- The top passes the sag check.
- This piece must be fixed to the wall. The hardware and step are included.
- Runners are 19″ apart for a 20 1/4″ rim. Measure your tote's rim (the widest point at the top) and the body just below it: the gap must be at least 1/4″ wider than the body and 1″ narrower than the rim.
- Planned for 40 lb per tote, 240 lb in all.
Shopping list
| Qty | Item | Est. |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | 2×4 stud, 10′ (board) | $24.00 |
| 4 | 2×2 furring, 8′ (board) | $16.00 |
| 1 | 23/32″ sheathing plywood (CDX), 4×8 sheet (sheet) | $42.00 |
| 1 | 2 1/2″ wood screws (box of 100) | $10.00 |
| 1 | 3″ exterior screws (box of 75) | $12.00 |
| 1 | 1 5/8″ wood screws (box of 100) | $9.00 |
| 1 | Furniture anti-tip kit (stud mount) (kit) | $9.00 |
| 1 | Wood glue (bottle) | $5.00 |
About $127 · rough estimates, check the store
Parts
| Part | Qty | Length | Width | Material | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Back post | 3 | 50″ | 3 1/2″ | 2×4 stud |
| B | Front post | 3 | 50″ | 3 1/2″ | 2×4 stud |
| C | Runner | 12 | 31 1/2″ | 1 1/2″ | 2×2 furring |
| D | Back stretcher | 2 | 48 1/2″ | 3 1/2″ | 2×4 stud |
| E | Top | 1 | 48 1/2″ | 33″ | 23/32″ sheathing plywood (CDX) |
Cut list
23/32″ sheathing plywood (CDX), sheet 1 of 1
2×4 stud, 120″ → A 50″ · A 50″
2×4 stud, 120″ → A 50″ · B 50″
2×4 stud, 120″ → B 50″ · B 50″
2×4 stud, 120″ → D 48 1/2″ · D 48 1/2″
4 × 2×2 furring, 96″ → C 31 1/2″ · C 31 1/2″ · C 31 1/2″ each
Kerf 1/8″ included. Every cut runs edge to edge.
Have the store cut it
Most home centers rip sheets on their panel saw. Show them this; do the short crosscuts at home.
- 23/32″ sheathing plywood (CDX): rip into strips 33″, keep the rest.
Steps
- Tape measure
- Speed square
- Pencil
- Drill/driver
- Clamps
- Safety glasses
- Hearing protection
- Dust mask
- Circular saw and a straight edge (or have the store cut the sheets)
- Stud finder
- Level
- Sander, 120 and 180 grit
1Before you start
Read every step once, start to finish, before you buy or cut anything. Each step names the parts it uses by letter; the parts list gives their sizes.
Set up somewhere flat with good light. A pair of sawhorses with a sheet of plywood on top makes a fine work table.
Wear safety glasses whenever a tool is running, hearing protection for saws, and a dust mask for sanding and for cutting treated wood or sheet goods. Tie back long hair and loose sleeves. Keep children and pets out of the work area.
- Tip At the store, pick straight boards: hold each one up to your eye and look down its length. Skip boards that bow, twist or have big knots near the ends.
- Tip Measure twice, cut once. Most mistakes are a misread tape, not a bad cut.
2Cut and label the parts
Cut every part on the cut list. Cut the longest parts first: if one goes wrong, it can still become a shorter part.
To mark a cut, hook your tape on the end of the board, make a small V with its point exactly at the measurement, and draw a square line through the point with a speed square. Put an X on the waste side.
Cut on the waste side of the line, so the blade's kerf (about 1/8″) comes out of the scrap, not your part. Cut sheets with the good face down when using a circular saw: the blade splinters the top face.
Write each part's letter in pencil on a face that won't show, and stack the parts by letter.
Sand the faces before assembly while they're flat and easy to reach: 120 grit, then 180.
✓ Lay the parts out and count them against the parts list. Measure a few: if one is off by more than 1/16″, recut it now.
STOP. Let the saw reach full speed before it touches the wood, keep both hands clear of the blade's path, and never reach under a board you're cutting. Support long boards on both sides of the cut so the blade doesn't pinch.3Mark the posts
Lay all 6 posts (A and B) side by side, bottoms flush against a straight board, and clamp them.
Square a line across all of them at each runner top: 14 3/4″, 30 3/4″, 46 3/4″ above the floor end. The tote rims rest on the runners, so these lines are where the rims will sit.
Mark an X just below each line: the runner goes under the line, not over it.
✓ Hold any two posts together: every line meets its neighbour.
4Build the ladder frames
Each frame is one back post (A) and one front post (B), 31 1/2″ apart outside to outside, joined by the runners (C). Make 3 frames.
Lay a pair of posts flat, narrow edges up. Glue and screw a runner across them under each line, ends flush with the outside of the posts: 2 screws, 2 1/2″, at each end. The two end frames get runners on the inside face only. The middle frame gets runners on both faces: put the second face's screws 1″ higher or lower than the first face's, so they can't hit each other inside the post.
- Tip Predrill the runners: 2×2s split easily near the ends.
- Tip Rub paraffin wax or a candle along the runner tops; totes slide much more easily.
✓ Each frame's diagonals are equal within 1/8″, and every runner's top edge is exactly on its line.
5Stand the frames and add the back stretchers
Stand the frames up against the wall, 22″ apart between posts. Cut two spacer sticks to exactly 22″ and set them between the posts at the top and bottom to hold the spacing.
Screw the back stretchers (D) across the back of the back posts, one 4″ and one 44 1/2″ from the floor: 2 screws, 3″, into every post.
✓ Measure between the posts at the top and bottom of each column: the same. The front posts are plumb on both faces.
STOP. Two people for this step: the frames fall over easily until the stretchers are on.6Screw on the top
Lay the top (E) on the posts, flush at the front and both ends; at the back it covers the stretchers.
Drive 2 screws, 1 5/8″, down into each post and into the top stretcher every 8″.
- Tip The top becomes one more shelf for light, bulky things.
✓ The rack stands square: the diagonals across the front are equal and it doesn't lean when pushed at the top.
7Test every slot with a tote
Before loading, slide an empty tote into every slot. Its rim should ride on both runners, the body hanging free between them.
If a tote is tight, sand or plane the runner's inside face; if one side drops off, add a strip of 1/4″ plywood to the runner.
Load the heaviest totes on the lowest rows. Keep each under 40 lb.
✓ Every tote slides in and out with one hand and stops against the wall at the back.
STOP. Anchor the rack to a stud (the next step) before you load it. Never climb it.8Anchor to the wall
Slide a stud finder along the wall behind where the piece will stand and mark the studs.
Fix the anti-tip kit's bracket to the back or top of the piece, then screw its other end into a stud with the screws supplied.
Do not load the piece until it is anchored.
STOP. Confirm the wall type first. Drywall on studs: use the studs. Plaster or masonry: use the kit's matching anchors or ask a pro.9Finish
Ease every sharp edge and corner with 120-grit sandpaper so nobody gets a splinter.
Sand all over with 180 grit, always along the grain (the direction the wood fibres run). Scratches across the grain show through stain.
Wipe off the dust with a barely damp rag and let it dry.
Paint, stain or a clear coat (water-based polyurethane is the easiest). Apply thin coats with the grain, let each dry fully, and sand lightly with 220 grit between coats.
Let it dry for the time on the can before using it.
- Tip Try your finish on a scrap of the same wood first: stain looks different on every board.
Conceptual layout, material estimate and assembly guide from the sizes you entered. Not engineering, not a building plan, not stamped or approved. Confirm measurements on site; follow local codes and product instructions; anchor tall pieces before use. Using this plan means you accept the Terms of Use.