Jump to content

Pottery Display Rack


Recommended Posts

  • 2 weeks later...
  • Replies 50
  • Created
  • Last Reply
  • 1 month later...

These are not exactly Mark's design, but as you can tell they are highly influenced by Mark's design. I had a metal fabricator build these for me. The black metal matches the look of the shelving unit I was using before, and matches other black metal elements in my display. I just picked them on Friday, and cut the shelf boards for them today. 

 

My previous shelving unit had a completely straight up-and-down design. They were stable enough, but in the back of my mind, I always worried they could tip over. These new brackets have a wider footprint based on Mark's design. Now I think I can put those worries aside. Also, I was able to customize the shelf heights to match exactly the pots that will be displayed here. Not a single cubic inch will be wasted! 

 

As always, thank you Mark C. for sharing your ideas so generously. You are improving many businesses!

 

post-1612-0-53234100-1486341924_thumb.jpgpost-1612-0-65005000-1486341934_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mea 

What keeps them from spreading apart if bumped? catch on the shelve top and bottom or non slip feet?

I take it these do not fold flat but stack in the car L shaped or do they fold up? and if so what is the stop to keep that at 90 degrees?

So many questions-looks like the shelves are melamine ?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

that looks great, mea! how high is that top shelf, looks over my head? what kind of shelf material did you use?

 

it appears you can place the supporting metal anywhere along the length of shelf, very versatile. :)

The top shelf is 60 inches tall, so just above my eye level. The shelves are wood, they are Ekby Hemnes shelves from IKEA.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mea

What keeps them from spreading apart if bumped? catch on the shelve top and bottom or non slip feet?

I take it these do not fold flat but stack in the car L shaped or do they fold up? and if so what is the stop to keep that at 90 degrees?

So many questions-looks like the shelves are melamine ?

Nothing will keep them from spreading if bumped, other than gravity and the weight of the pots. My previous shelving unit worked the same way. Not the most secure, but overall stable enough.

 

They do not fold flat, they nest together and lay across the bottom/back of the second row of seats in my minivan, with other flat-packed pieces stacked on top.

 

I was using melamine shelves before, but this time I spent a little extra on wood shelves. They look a bit more polished, and they are lighter.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes they are built of square steel tubing. Each one weighs about 16lbs, so 32lbs combined. Which is manageable to carry. They are both the same size, but exactly 90 degrees so they fit together snugly. Here's another photo showing them nested.

 

post-1612-0-50196300-1486396941_thumb.jpg

post-1612-0-50196300-1486396941_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They are powder coated. My initial plan was to paint them (never heard of powder coating before this) but the metal shop talked me into powder coating. It wasn't too expensive, it looks much better than paint, and I can tell it will require a lot less maintenance.

 

First show of the year is coming up in a few weeks, can't wait to use them!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Powder coating is great stuff .If you are not familiar with it then you should know it can chip if hit hard or flake if metal bends. It pretty tough as long as one knows the limits. I have had lots of stuff done this way-all the pro panel metal parts you see are powder coated for reference .They use the black flake look.

I tend to have aluminum boat parts done as it protects them

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The shelves are 44 inches wide. When I bought them they were 47 inches but I cut them down. This is exactly wide enough for four stacks of plates.

 

The unit is 60 inches tall. It is 8 inches deep at the top and 20 inches deep at the bottom. The narrow top shelf will be for a single row of small mugs and tumblers, plus maybe a small flower vase. The wide bottom shelf has two jobs: 1) it will be for the pots that customers have reserved in advance of a show. That bottom shelf is too low for many people to explore, so it's perfect for the already sold pots. I want to have the sold items on display without taking up valuable real estate. Or 2) at shows where I don't have enough reserved pots, I will make a pretty tabletop-like display of plates and bowls there. This is another feature I've long wanted in my booth, but I didn't want to devote valuable stock space for it.

 

With my previous shelving unit, I only had four shelves, and the stacks of dinner plates were on the bottom shelf. I sold a lot of plates, but I could see how hard it was for people to bend down that low. Now the plates will be on the second shelf.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

One last note-the last person who made some of these spent $450 per rack-which is about what I paid a for materials and labor 20-25 years ago for them.

I own 5 of them now. I had one in a shop that sold about 20k a year off of. This tracks really display work well for sales.That shop changed hands and I took my rack out and only sell limited forms to now as I'm not very happy with current owners. I have been in that shop since 1975.

A few other nots is I suggest staying away from using ash as it attracts moisture and can mold easy. The maple or silver maple is super tough. Any hardwood plywood will work but birch is high colored and all plywood shelves need that strong back glued on from for support.

This units fold flat and shelves stack flat into themselves for travel. All the pegs are on the rack side not shelves except the mug rack which has pegs on it.

HI Mark,

Would you send me these plans? I am going to do my first pottery show this May, and I'm looking for my husband :) to make me some displays. Thanks much,

Nancy

jibahoy @ gmail.com (no spaces)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.