Finally built a shelf that didn't collapse after 3 tries this weekend

I was in my backyard last Saturday trying to stack heavy pots on a cheap wire rack I bought at a garage sale, and when the whole thing buckled and sent a ceramic planter crashing onto the patio, I knew I had to build something sturdier out of treated lumber, so I measured twice, used deck screws instead of nails, and it held up through a thunderstorm that night; has anyone else switched from store-bought racks to building their own?

4 comments

4 Comments

charles_coleman1mo ago

By the third try I was pretty sure my garage was cursed. @the_alice said it best, some projects just take a few extra rounds of trial and error before they decide to cooperate. My first shelf was basically a pile of lumber leaning against the wall, second one held together for about an hour before it sagged in the middle. Third time I went heavy on the deck screws and even added some cross bracing just to be safe. Now I'm honestly scared to put anything heavier than a bag of potting soil on it because I don't want to test my luck again.

the_alice1mo ago

Ha! Three attempts sounds about right for me too.

the_robin1mo agoMost Upvoted

Three times? Wait, are you saying you actually got it on the third try, not the second?

the_viola23d ago

Hot take: if it didn't collapse in a thunderstorm, you're golden right? That's basically nature's stress test. Deck screws are the secret weapon for sure, no contest there.