Sheet Pan Racks For Drying?

[DirtRoads]

Anyone use these for drying?

 

http://www.webstaurantstore.com/45131/sheet-pan-racks.html

 

What gauge aluminum pans to use?  I was thinking about those perforated  pans?  Put a piece of sheet rock in the pan or just slide a bat in.

 

And those plastic cases for drying?

 

http://www.webstaurantstore.com/16941/bun-pan-rack-covers.html

 

 

[BeckyH]

These are the backbone of my professional life. The perfed trays are pretty lightweight. You would be better off cutting plywood to fit the rack. You could put some wire grating on top for better air movement, or wrap the boards in canvas. The useable area is about 2" narrower than the rack if you are doing anything taller than the spaces between shelves. They are available with different shelf spacing, so think about the size of the stuff you want to store/dry. The zippered vinyl covers are good at holding moisture-I used them as makeshift proofing racks by adding a pot of boiling water at the bottom with my product at the top. If you keep your wares about a foot from the bottom of the rack you can put in a water pan underneath and it should hold enough moisture to keep things leather hard for a while. You will have to experiment with your local humidity. Get the heavy duty ones and they will last for a very long time. Be nice to the casters or they will get tricky to steer and kind of jumpy, and that could mean stuff falling over or cracking.

[oldlady]

sharon, those are exactly what i use.   i have several of them of various sizes and all were free from restaurants who bought new ones.  you do not need the aluminum pans, just use drywall.  cut it to a half inch smaller than the width allows so they slide in and out freely.  use 5/8 drywall for strength and cut it just a touch longer than the rack.  the supports are very wide and will hold your drywall shelves safely.  the ones i have are 18 inches wide mostly.  there is a 24 inch one and a 14 as well.

 

if you worry about bare drywall getting into your clay, just cut the sheets carefully and if they are just a little ragged rub the ragged edge over some concrete and it will "sandpaper" the edge to the point nothing will fall off.  so many people worry that if they do not duct tape the edge that their pots will have blowouts of gypsum because of using drywall.  these are probably people who wear belts and suspenders.  

 

cutting drywall is not "cutting the drywall", it is about cutting just the paper and then letting the weight of the piece fall and break cleanly.  work on a flat, wide table with a SHARP utility knife and do not draw a pencil line.  use a metal straightedge made for cutting drywall.  it is a very useful tool at 4 feet by 2 feet and will hang out of the way until you need it for measuring or guiding square corners, etc.  cut the paper top, slide the piece to the edge of the table and let it fall.  the paper on the back will hold it while you cut that back side with your knife.  there must be youtube demos of cutting drywall.  it is simple.

 

you are in a very humid area.  you might not want to cover anything with plastic unless you plan to do more work on it or put the racks in a very windy area, perhaps near a fan.  drying things is more of a problem in mississippi.

[Marcia Selsor]

I have two. One is larger and I welded it together because it came in two pieces from a recycling center in Montana. My other one also came from there but in one piece. I wrap the larger one in sheets of heavy plastic duct taped in place for drying large slabs.

Marcia.

[oldlady]

i looked for a name on the 5 racks and found 3 different companies.  one is FMI  stands for FAB X metals inc and is in Rocky Mount, nc  800-677-3229.  they made 3 of mine.  all are 18 inch x 28 inch drywall size.  two are shorter than the tallest ones shown in your catalog.  i would think that they would be easier to handle if they are going to be rolled around a space. my floors are not connected and there is no way to move them except by carrying each shelf.  not heavy when i move them.

 

the other maker is Bucksco from Wilkes Barre.  it is taller and has 18 shelf spaces 3 inches apart.  it has been changed from the original 18 inch width to 24 inches. it was my first rack from pizza hut when they remodeled.  my daughter widened it with a plywood floor and top and a piece of angle iron stuff in the center.  it is very tall.  it rarely moves.  when i got it, i covered 3 sides with Tyvek. 

 

if you plan to get very many, i would only say that it is more pleasant for human beings to be able to see over the top of them and not feel surrounded by all that industrial looking height.  the short one is 5 feet with its wheels and is easy to move around.  adding wheels to the tall ones makes them 6 foot 5 or so.  buying new or used from a restaurant supply house might allow for more choices.

 

WIN-HOLT is  name on the 14 inch one.  they are at 1800-444-3595 and in Atlanta and Dallas.  i was very fortunate to get all these over the years.  they have various spacing which is fine for my purposes.  i use them all the time.  amazing amount of drying space in only a small floor area.

[Chris Campbell]

Check out used restaurant supply places before you buy new ... I got mine very cheap that way.

[dhPotter]

This is what I use. Built from 2x4's, 1x2's, 3/4 inch plywood, left over Tyvek or plastic sheet, velcro for closing, and casters for rolling. The shelf racks are 6 inches apart. It is 7' h x 2' w. Works great. I cut the velcro into 12 inch strips, it made it easier to handle and it allows you to open the cover a lot or a little.

[oldlady]

chris is right.  the racks used by bakers get heated every day and collect dirt all over the place but usually on the trays.  eventually, they get so soiled looking that the baker wants new ones so you as a customer, don't get repelled by the burned on mess.  that is how i got at least one of mine.  i didn't want the metal trays so it cleaned up fine for someone working with mud. 

 

if you visit your local walmart bakery section, you might see these racks in use.  ask the bakery manager about when they will be replaced and if they say they return them somewhere, find out where.  then visit that restaurant supplier's used equipment area.  

[NFallon]

I have two. As Chris suggested, used or wholesale restaurant supply stores are a great place to find these. I only bought the racks. I cut 1/8 inch plywood for the trays. A few pieces of newspaper under the wet ware allows the clay to dry. Plastic clothes protector from the local dry cleaner can cover each plywood tray for uniform drying when needed.....Neil

[Cherry]

I bought the 6 foot one. Eventually cut it down to 4 feet because it blocked my view. Tried the cookie sheets but the lips were awkward, I couldn't slide things onto the sheets but didn't like turning them upside down. I now use plywood. Some are not as deep so I can put tall things in. Also bought the plastic cover. Love it. As long as I remember to zip it!

[Mark C.]

I use three of them-one was free the other two sold to me for scrap value of aluminum about 25 years ago.

I used to roll around pots on them now thay are fixed.I use thin shelving and dry pots on them in a covered outside area next to kilns.

Mark

 

 

You can check with places that do baking (markets-costco-bakeries) as they replace them now and then and you can get them for next to nothing.