Super Storage Lift
A high shelf that automatically lowers with the p push of a button
With the push of a button, this electric shelf rises to the garage ceiling and gets stuff out of your way!
Lots of garages garages, including mine, are crammed full of stuff—every inch of storage space within arm’s reach is used up.
But chances are, they have plenty of empty space near the ceiling.
High shelving is a great option for taking advantage of that space, but I wanted something convenient to access. I didn’t want to be lugging heavy bins up a ladder.
I set out to design a contraption that would do that work for me. For lifting power, I chose a “linear actuator.” Since I’d never used one before, I built a prototype to see whether my idea would work. I pushed the button on the remote. Success! This shelf glides down for easy loading, and pushing the other button lifts the shelf up and out of the way.
1 ASSEMBLING THE SHELF & CABINET
I cut and labeled all the parts and then assembled the shelf (Figure A). The cabinet (Figure C) doesn’t get completely assembled yet; the bulkhead (M) is added in Photo 9, and the back (A) is the last part to be attached, in Photo 10.
2 MAKE SUPERSLIPPERY GUIDES
I made Lshaped guide strips from a lowfriction material called UHMW (ultra high molecular weight) plastic. They allow the shelf to slide easily as it travels up and down and also prevent racking from an unbalanced load. To start, I made the rabbet cut on a table saw and then predrilled the screw holes.
3 POSITIONING THE GUIDE STRIPS
To get the guides positioned just right, I placed the shelf face down on the floor and centered the cabinet on top of it. Slipping the guide strips under each side of the cabinet puts them exactly where they need to be; I just needed to make sure everything was square before screwing them down.
4 WHEEL BRACKETS ARE NEXT
On the back of the shelf, I marked a line 2 in. from the edge, top to bottom. Then, I marked a line 2 in. from the top and 4 in. from the bottom. With the wheels inserted, align the corners of the wheel brackets with these lines and attach them to the shelf with 3/4-in. screws.
5 SIMPLE SPACER FOR THE WHEEL TRACKS
With the curved side of the wheel track facing the front of the cabinet, I slid the track over the wheels. To make sure it ran parallel to the front of the cabinet, I used a strip of 3/4-in. plywood as a spacer. Then I put one 3/4-in. screw near the top, one in the middle and one near the bottom of the track. More will go in, but only after it’s hung on the wall.
6 STRENGTHEN THE SHELF
First, I centered one mounting block (N) exactly 2-1/2 in. from the top of the shelf and attached it with wood glue and 1-1/4-in. screws. I used the same method to stack the second mounting block on top of the first.
7 DRILL BOLT HOLES IN THE SHELF
With the shelf and cabinet still face down and the actuator positioned so the carriage sat centered on the spacer block, I used the brackets of the carriage itself as a guide to drill 3/8-in. holes through the spacer block into the shelf.
8 USE TAPE TO HOLD THE BRACKET
With the actuator bolted to the shelf, I slid the shelf and cabinet together so the included T-bracket would touch the cabinet top. The double-sided tape on the T-bracket kept it perfectly positioned while I removed the clevis pin and got the actuator out of the way. I used 3/4-in. screws to finish the job.
9 INSTALL THE BULKHEAD
Once the T-bracket was screwed on, I reattached the actuator, put the bulkhead (M) in place and hit it with a hammer. This pressed the screw heads of the lower mounting bracket into the plywood so the bulkhead could sit flush with it.
10 INSTALL THE BACK LAST
I used the same spacer blocks (P) that spaced the dividers in the shelf. This time I used them along the inside of the cabinet to keep the back from sagging while I screwed it in.
11 SWAP POLARITY
Since I chose to mount the actuator upside down, I had to swap the lead wires so the carriage would run the correct way when the up or down button was pushed on the remote. All I needed to do was cut and swap the white and blue wires coming from the control box.
12 ANCHOR INTO STUDS
Using a support stand I made from scrap wood, I positioned the cabinet against the wall and drove one lag screw in. While my helper checked for plumb, I drove the other three lag bolts in. After securing the cabinet to the wall, I removed the middle and lower screws from the wheel rails.
13 MOUNT THE SHELF TO THE CARRIAGE
A lesson I learned from making the prototype was that the shelf can’t slide straight up into position; the mounting blocks on the back of the shelf won’t clear the bottom of the cabinet. With my helper on the other side, we swung the rails out just enough to guide the wheels into them. Once the shelf was lifted high enough, we swung it back in, and while my helper kept it steady, I lined up the bolt holes to the actuator carriage.
14 ADJUST THE ROLLERS
With the shelf installed, I plugged in the electronics and tested the movement of the shelf. Looking at the guide strips as it moved, I noticed a gap near the top. To close it, I adjusted the upper wheels a little tighter to the shelf.
15 FIT THE ACCESS PANEL
The power supply and the receiver were installed in the lower section of the cabinet. I used brass trim-head screws to attach the access panel (G). I had to cut the panel down to fit, so don’t be surprised if you need to do some final fitting.