Motorcycle Gear Rack v0.6 DRAFT

// 2350mm CONTAINER WIDTH — PALLET TIMBER BUILD — FULL CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENT //

Front Elevation

WHEEL / 500mm WHEEL / 500mm OVER-WHEEL — ACCESSORIES OVER-WHEEL — ACCESSORIES gloves / comms locks / chargers covers / wet gear gloves / comms locks / chargers covers / wet gear PERSON A optional hook zone HELMET — ~450mm zone shelf at ~1300mm ~1240mm hang PERSON B optional hook zone HELMET — ~450mm zone shelf at ~1300mm ~1240mm hang SHARED / REPAIR oils / fluids tool roll / spanners / hex tyre kit / puncture spares / cables first aid / recovery floor 2200mm ~450mm aligned shelf — ~1300mm from floor 2350mm — full container internal width 475mm gear 500mm slot 400mm shared 500mm slot 475mm gear ~780mm wheel

Key Dimensions

// Overall

  • Width: 2350mm (full container)
  • Height: 2200mm
  • Depth: 380mm (all columns)

// Gear Bays (×2)

  • Width: 475mm each
  • Helmet zone: ~450mm clear (top)
  • Helmet shelf: ~1300mm from floor
  • Hang zone: ~1240mm drop
  • Above helmet: ~500mm — optional hooks

// Wheel Slots (×2)

  • Width: 500mm each
  • Wheel clear: ~780mm from floor
  • Over-wheel storage: 3 bays × ~430mm
  • Mid shelf aligned at ~1300mm

// Centre Column

  • Width: 400mm
  • 5 shelf bays × ~420mm clear
  • Aligned shelf at ~1300mm (bay 2/3 boundary)

Material List — Pallet Timber Build

Based on UK standard pallet planks: 100mm wide × 22mm thick. Lengths vary — typically 1000–1200mm. All quantities include ~15% waste for knots, splits, and nail zones. Buy more than you think you need — pallet quality is inconsistent.

ItemDimensionsPurposeQtyNotes
Pallet planks — uprights 100mm × 22mm × 2200mm 6 uprights, 3 planks each = 18 planks 22 +4 spare. Laminate 3 per upright for ~66×100mm section. Use straightest planks.
Pallet planks — shelves 100mm × 22mm × cut to width All horizontal shelves across all zones 60 ~4 planks per shelf width per column. 15 shelf positions × 4 planks = 60. Includes top/base rails.
Pallet planks — cross battens 100mm × 22mm × 360mm 2 battens under each shelf for support 30 Cut from off-cuts. 15 shelves × 2 battens = 30 pieces.
Pallet planks — horizontal rails 100mm × 22mm × full bay width Mid-height lateral bracing between uprights 16 2 rails per bay (front + back face) at mid height. Prevents racking.
Diagonal bracing planks 100mm × 22mm × ~550mm cut diagonal Corner and mid-bay diagonal bracing 12 Cut at 45°. One diagonal per bay per side. Critical for rigidity.
Hanging rail — steel conduit or pipe 32–38mm OD × 475mm per bay 2 hanging rails (one per gear bay) 2 Do NOT use wood — pallet dowel won't be smooth enough. Buy 1m conduit lengths, cut to 475mm. EMT electrical conduit works well.
Closet rod cup brackets 32mm or 38mm to match pipe Mount hanging rails to uprights 4 2 per rail × 2 rails. Surface-fix to inner upright faces.
Wood glue — PVA exterior grade — Laminating uprights, shelf assembly 2× 1L Use Evo-Stik Resin W or similar. Waterproof grade for container damp.
Wood preservative / end-grain sealer — All cut ends, especially uprights 1× 1L Protects cut ends from moisture wicking. Ronseal or similar.
Coach bolts — container fixing M8 × 80mm + penny washer + nut Fix top and base rails to container walls 8 Drill through container corrugation ribs. Washer on both sides. Galvanised.
Total pallet planks (all uses) ~140 From approximately 10–14 standard EUR pallets (11 planks/pallet usable avg)
⚠ BEFORE CUTTING ANY PALLET TIMBER — run a handheld metal detector over every plank. Pallet nails are hardened steel and will destroy a circular saw blade instantly. Remove all nails with a pry bar and punch any stubs flush.

Fasteners & Hardware

// Structural Screws — Primary Fixings

TYPETorx head structural screw (TX20/TX25). NOT Phillips — cam out under load.
UPRIGHT LAMINATION4.0 × 60mm. Every 150mm along joint. Pre-drill 3mm pilot to prevent splitting.
SHELF TO UPRIGHT4.5 × 70mm. 2 screws per plank end. Angle slightly (toe-screw) for pull-out resistance.
BATTEN TO SHELF4.0 × 50mm. 2 per batten into shelf planks from below.
RAIL TO UPRIGHT4.5 × 80mm. 3 screws per joint — top, mid, bottom of rail end.
DIAGONAL BRACE4.5 × 80mm. 2 screws at each end into upright/rail.
QTY ESTIMATE~400 screws total. Buy 500 box.

// Bolts — Heavy Joints & Container Fix

CORNER BOLTSM8 × 80mm hex bolt + M8 nut + 30mm penny washer each side. Through-bolt all 4 outer top corners.
CONTAINER FIXM8 × 80mm coach bolt through top rail and container rib. Galvanised. 4 along top, 4 along base.
QTYM8 × 80mm × 20 off. M8 nuts × 20. M8 penny washers × 40.

// Connectors & Brackets

JOIST HANGERSSimpson Strong-Tie LB or similar. Use at every shelf-to-upright junction for maximum pull-out resistance. ~30 required.
ANGLE BRACKETS50mm steel angle brackets at top corners of each bay — 4 screws each side. 12 total.
RAIL CUPS32–38mm closet rod cups × 4. Stainless or galvanised.
HOOK PEGSM10 × 100mm hex bolt through upright face for optional hook zone. Washer + locking nut rear face. 6–8 off.

// Consumables

SANDPAPER80 grit for rough shaping, 120 grit for shelf faces. Especially shelf top surfaces — snag risk on textiles.
DRILL BITS3mm pilot, 5mm clearance, 8mm for bolt holes, 38mm spade/forstner for rail holes.
CLAMPS4× F-clamps or sash clamps for laminating uprights. Borrow if possible — 24hr glue cure.
SQUARE & LEVELEssential. Check square at every stage. A racking rack is useless.

Joinery — Detailed Instructions

3× 22mm planks = ~66mm GLUE JOINT ← screw every 150mm

// Laminated Upright (cross-section)

Glue and screw 3 planks face-to-face. Stagger end joints — no two joints on the same layer at the same height. Clamp for 24hrs before use.

toe-screw + joist hanger toe screws joist hanger

// Shelf to Upright

Toe-screw shelf planks into upright face at 45° angle — one screw top-angled, one bottom-angled per plank end. Add Simpson joist hanger for critical shelves (helmet, over-wheel lower). Cross batten underneath, screwed up through shelf planks.

M8 through-bolt + angle bracket M8 bolt angle brkt

// Corner Joint (top rail to outer upright)

M8 through-bolt with penny washers both sides at every top-rail-to-upright corner. Add 50mm steel angle bracket on the inside face — 4 screws each leg. This is the most stressed joint when the rack is loaded with wet gear.

diagonal brace — one per bay 45° diagonal 2× screws 2× screws

// Diagonal Bracing

One diagonal brace per structural bay on the REAR face of the rack (against the container wall). Cut at 45°, 2× screws at each end. This is the single biggest contributor to rigidity — do not skip it.

Build Sequence

1

Prepare Pallet Timber

  • Scan every plank with a metal detector — remove all nails
  • Sort planks: straight + clean = uprights/shelves, knotty/curved = battens/bracing
  • Cut all planks to final lengths before gluing anything
  • Lightly plane or sand one face of upright planks — glue needs flat mating surfaces
TIP — Cut all 6 uprights to exactly 2200mm first. Stand them vertically against a flat wall to check they're all identical height before laminating.
2

Laminate the 6 Uprights

  • Lay 3 planks face-to-face. Stagger end joints — no two on the same layer at same height
  • Apply exterior PVA glue to mating faces — full coverage, no dry spots
  • Clamp with F-clamps every 400mm. Leave 24hrs minimum
  • While clamped, drive 4.0×60mm screws every 150mm through all 3 layers — pre-drill 3mm pilot holes to prevent splitting
  • Leave clamps on overnight. Label each upright L-outer, L-slot, C-left, C-right, R-slot, R-outer
⚠ Do all 6 uprights before moving to step 3 — you need them all square and cured before assembly.
3

Build the Top and Base Rails

  • Top rail spans full 2350mm — built up from 3 planks laminated flat (same as uprights but horizontal)
  • Base rail: same construction
  • Mark shelf positions on both rails before assembly — easier now than when vertical
  • Drill 8mm bolt holes through top rail at upright positions (6 positions) for M8 through-bolts
4

Lay Out and Square the Frame — On the Ground

  • Lay all 6 uprights flat on the ground in final positions — measure between them carefully
  • Clamp top and base rails across the top and bottom of all uprights
  • Measure diagonals — they must be equal. Adjust until square, then clamp firmly
  • Drive 4.5×80mm screws through top and base rails into each upright — 3 screws per joint
  • Check square again after screwing — it will shift slightly
TIP — Do this on the container floor if possible so you can stand it up in-situ. Much easier than carrying a assembled frame into a container.
5

Install Through-Bolts at Corners

  • At each of the 4 outer top corners: drill 8mm clearance hole through top rail and into upright top
  • Insert M8×80mm hex bolt, large penny washer each side, M8 nut — tighten fully
  • Add 50mm steel angle bracket on inside face of each corner — 4× 4.0×40mm screws each leg
  • Repeat at base corners
6

Stand the Frame Upright — Fix to Container

  • Stand the frame up — you need at least 2 people for this, ideally 3
  • Brace temporarily with a diagonal plank screwed to the floor and frame face — keeps it vertical while you work
  • Push the frame back to the container wall
  • Drill through top rail and container corrugation ribs — 8mm bit through both
  • Insert M8×80mm coach bolt, large washer on container exterior face, nut and washer on inside. 4 bolts along top rail, 4 along base
  • Check vertical with a spirit level on all 3 axes before final tightening
⚠ Fix to the corrugation RIBS — not the flat panels between them. The ribs are structural. Flat panels will deform under load.
7

Install Mid-Height Lateral Rails (Racking Prevention)

  • Fit horizontal rails between uprights at ~1100mm from floor (mid-hang zone) on both front and rear faces of each bay
  • 3× screws per joint — top, mid, bottom of rail end — 4.5×80mm
  • These prevent the uprights from racking side-to-side under load
  • Check frame is still square and vertical after fitting each rail
8

Install Diagonal Braces (Rear Face)

  • Cut diagonal braces to fit in each bay on the REAR face — corner to corner at 45°
  • Mark, cut one plank, test fit, then use as template for all others
  • 2× 4.5×80mm screws at each end — pre-drill to prevent splitting the end grain
  • Fit one diagonal per structural bay (between each pair of uprights) — 5 bays = 5 diagonals
  • Alternate direction bay to bay for balanced bracing (\ / \ / \)
TIP — After fitting diagonals, grab the top of the frame and push firmly sideways. There should be almost no movement. If it still racks, add a second diagonal in the opposite direction to make an X-brace in that bay.
9

Build and Install Shelves

  • For each shelf: cut planks to bay width. Lay side by side with ~5mm air gap between planks
  • Screw 2 cross-battens underneath (front and back of shelf), 75mm in from each edge
  • Fix shelf assembly into position: toe-screw through shelf plank ends into upright face at 45° — one screw angled up, one angled down per plank end
  • For load-bearing shelves (helmet shelf, over-wheel lower shelf): additionally fit Simpson joist hanger to each upright before sliding shelf in — screw hanger to upright, drop shelf into hanger, screw up through hanger base into shelf batten
  • Sand all top shelf faces to 120 grit — no snags on jackets, gloves, liners
⚠ Install shelves working TOP to BOTTOM. Much easier to fit upper shelves before lower ones are in the way.
10

Install Hanging Rails

  • Mark position of rail cups on inner faces of gear bay uprights — 10mm below helmet shelf
  • Screw cup brackets firmly — 4× screws per bracket minimum (these take the full weight of wet gear)
  • Cut steel conduit to 475mm (bay width minus bracket depth — measure your actual brackets)
  • Deburr cut ends with a file or bench grinder — sharp conduit edges will snag glove liners
  • Drop conduit into cups. Add a locking pin or self-tapping screw through the cup flange into the conduit if cups don't grip firmly
11

Treat and Finish

  • Paint all cut ends with end-grain sealer — especially upright bottoms which sit near the container floor
  • Apply one coat of exterior wood oil or stain to all exposed timber — protects against container damp and condensation
  • Check every screw head is flush or countersunk — proud screw heads will snag textile gear
  • Load test: hang wet/heavy gear on the rail and push the frame. Should not move. If it moves, add an X-brace to the offending bay
// DRAFT v0.6 — pallet timber build — all dimensions subject to actual mudguard clearance measurement and local pallet plank dimensions — not for construction without site verification — check container internal dimensions before cutting //