Shipping container shelving


This post continues a description of a metal shelving system I began in a previous post.  In that previous post I described the larger metal framework designed to transfer the weight of the shelve directly to floor of the shipping container storage unit.  This post will discuss the four metal shelves I finished several weeks ago, but forgot to write about.
A number of possible shelving unit designs were created using an older version of the Google SketchUp software program with the above graphic most closely resembling the final product.  I find Google SketchUp to be very useful for creating fairly accurate project designs and visualizing the final results.  The graphic below shows an early version of the shelving system in a structure identical in dimensions to the shipping container.  Viewing the entire project ahead of time enables me to see where I need to make changes without wasting time and resources. 
With the design completed ahead of time assembling the shelves was merely a matter of cutting the square tube into the correct lengths and welding them together.
A photograph of a piece of wire mesh being spot welded to the top of a shelf. 
Once a shelf frame was complete, it could either be topped with wire mesh or sheet steel.  
To make uniform metal hooks from rebar I constructed a bending tool (visible behind the pile of hooks). 
One interesting part of this project was creating the hooks that were to be attached to the shelves, which is documented in the following photographs  
The bending tool is basically just a small piece of steel pipe welded to a larger diameter piece of steel pipe.  A handle of round steel bar is also welded to the larger pipe.
Before bending I heated the lengths of rebar in a small wood fire until they were glowing red-orange.
To start bending, a length of heated rebar is inserted (with pliers) into the smaller piece of steel pipe.  Although the piece of rebar in the photograph looks cool it was actually very hot and I wore welding gloves during this process.
Then, while holding the large pipe to the ground with one hand, the handle is rotated 180 degrees with the other hand.
The hook is then quenched. 
Some of the hooks were welded directly to the larger framework that holds the shelve. 
Other hooks were welded to the shelves. 
Things are currently somewhat chaotic in the container, but I'll eventually have everything more organized. 

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