Projects

Pipe Shelving Unit

home improvement off the shelf organize pipe shelf shelving
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Posted by ReadyMade
Project by Morgan Satterfield

This unit measures 8 feet 8 inches wide by 7 feet 6 inches tall and 11¼ inches deep. To change the final size, you need to make adjustments to all the pieces. Just take your time and follow these basic construction principles.

Skill Level

Moderate

Active Time

Weekend

Cost

Materials

Six 12-inch pipe pieces 
Seven 18-inch pipe pieces 
One 32-inch pipe piece 
Three 30-inch pipe pieces (custom cut at The Home Depot) 
One 42-inch pipe piece (custom cut at The Home Depot) 
Fourteen 8-inch pipe pieces
 Four 9-inch pipe pieces (black gas pipe for the top flange connectors)
Dish soap/water-based degreaser
Rust-Oleum Painter’s Touch Multi-Purpose Gloss Paint Spray in Black (we used three cans)
2 10-foot pieces of 1×12-inch pine (cut down to 8 feet 8 inches) 
2 6-foot pieces of 1×12-inch pine (cut down to 4 feet 8 inches)
1 can Special Walnut Minwax stain 
1 can Walnut Minwax stain (we blended equal amounts of each color to get our desired look)
8 base flanges
14 three-way pipe tees 
18 90º pipe elbows 
16 drywall screws (you may need anchors if you are unable to locate your studs)

Tools

Drill
¾-inch hole saw Medium-grit sandpaper (#120)
Ladder or step stool

Cover pipes with a few coats of spray paint until evenly coated and shiny. Give the paint a day to dry to make sure the finish is fully cured.

Prep the wood shelves by using the hole saw to drill openings for the pipes; set the holes back ¾ inch from the front edge of the shelf. The width between each hole will be 2x2 inches for the shorter 4-foot shelves with an additional 4 feet for the longer 8-foot shelves.

Sand the rough edges of the freshly drilled holes and give a quick sanding over each piece of wood to prep for staining. Wipe off all dust and dirt.

Stain each shelf. Let the stain dry according to package directions. Once cured, the prep work is over!

Start assembling from the bottom up: Begin with four base flanges attached to the bottom of the four base pipes (one 32-inch and three 18-inch pipes).

Build the bottom shelf support with a 3-way tee, 8-inch pipe, and a 90º elbow. You will need to build fourteen of these. Putting them together ahead of time will help save time. The first batch will be attached to the four base pipes via the 3-way tee.

Install the first short 4-foot length of shelf over the top of the three 18-inch base supports on the right side. Screw three 12-inch pipes through your predrilled shelf holes. Attach three more bottom shelf supports to the top of the 12-inch pipes via the 3-way tee.

Install the first 8-foot shelf on top of the shelf supports and continue the process of building the wall unit vertically. The three 30-inch pipes will get attached on the right side with the longer 42-inch pipe attached on the left. Once the pipes are screwed through each shelf, the unit will begin to stabilize and be more solid. You will probably need an extra pair of hands until then.

Repeat attaching the shelf supports and add the second short 4-foot shelf on the right side. Another round of three 12-inch pipes will screw through the shelf and attach to the supporting 3-way tees. Add three more shelf supports and you are ready to put the final wood shelf up.

The final four 18-inch pipes get screwed through the top 8-foot shelf. Attach your final four 90º elbows and 9-inch pipes to the top of the 18-inch pipes. The final four base flanges are attached to the end of the 9-inch pipes and then attached to the wall to support the entire shelving unit. We used 16 drywall screws to attach the flanges to the wall, but depending on what type of walls you have, you will need to install anchors or use studs to support the screws.