CD storage solutions

[Harpo]

Well, the reason for my question is that most bookcase shelves are 10-12" in depth, so potentially 'wasted' space storing a CD (or DVD) just one deep - hence the reason I made those boxes about 10" deep - mainly putting in my non-classical discs that I listen to rarely these days - will label the outside to indicate contents!

OMG! I thought my spouse was alone in his never-ending quest for better and more imaginative CD storage. I see now that he has many compatriots. I don't know if this is reassuring--or scary. 

[Octave]

I thought I'd bump this thread up and risk repeat-asking something, since I've only gone back several pages.

I'm looking for good sturdy free-standing (not wall-mounted) bookcase-style cd racks, or bookcases for that matter, which can be easily broken down for transporting.  It's been so long since I've been in the market for anything, I have no idea how common these are; in the past I've bought the cheapest garage-sale bookcases I could find, and the lightweight bookcases I've found in the past have been meant for assembly but not break-down and re-assembly (after moving).  A cheap price is nice, but sturdiness and portability is probably essential...I might be moving a lot over the next ten years.

[Gurn Blanston]

I'm currently in the process of preparing my music room for the acquisition of this rascal here;

http://www.spinkeeper.com/coflrainwh.html




I don't know yet how taking it down will work, since that is not one of my criteria. Hopefully when it arrives it won't take a rocket scientist to put it up...   

[jlaurson]

I thought I'd bump this thread up and risk repeat-asking something, since I've only gone back several pages.

I'm looking for good sturdy free-standing (not wall-mounted) bookcase-style cd racks, or bookcases for that matter, which can be easily broken down for transporting.  It's been so long since I've been in the market for anything, I have no idea how common these are; in the past I've bought the cheapest garage-sale bookcases I could find, and the lightweight bookcases I've found in the past have been meant for assembly but not break-down and re-assembly (after moving).  A cheap price is nice, but sturdiness and portability is probably essential...I might be moving a lot over the next ten years.

I made stackable boxes, to solve the problem:



 

[SonicMan46]

I'm currently in the process of preparing my music room for the acquisition of this rascal here;

http://www.spinkeeper.com/coflrainwh.html




I don't know yet how taking it down will work, since that is not one of my criteria. Hopefully when it arrives it won't take a rocket scientist to put it up...   

Hey Gurn - looks like a LOT of extra storage for you!  Just make sure that you put 2-4 long screws  into several studs in the wall -   Dave

[SonicMan46]

I made stackable boxes, to solve the problem:

Jens - those look GREAT!  I need some similar boxes (not as many, though) - just curious what wood are you using (type & thickness), and did you milled all of those pieces or purchased them cut to size?  Thanks for any information - Dave

[jlaurson]

Jens - those look GREAT!  I need some similar boxes (not as many, though) - just curious what wood are you using (type & thickness), and did you milled all of those pieces or purchased them cut to size?  Thanks for any information - Dave

I have a great lumberyard around the corner from my parents, who gave me a good price on the wood, cut to size. (Maybe a few Euro more per square meter, for the cutting... a deal I could not refuse!)

I used 8mm "multiplex" plywood for those (Beech or Birch will do). nailed, glued, and pressed. Key to success being the "tool" with which to craft them. I made about 60 (40 of which still await final assembly and their spray-coats of lacquer)... and the twenty I have in use barely made a dent into the CDs I have here... even as I use Jazzloft sleeves. In the 35cm deep versions, I can fit about 70 CDs, if most (but not all) are in sleeves.

I only cut the gliders (which make them stackable) and the bits that keep the lid in place... because any wood (though preferably not too soft) will do and you don't need to be too exacting, as long as you have at least two each of the same thickness.

If you could use blueprints & sketches, let me know.

[Gurn Blanston]

Hey Gurn - looks like a LOT of extra storage for you!  Just make sure that you put 2-4 long screws  into several studs in the wall -   Dave

Well, Dave, you give some up to get some. I had an unsatisfactory wall mount unit where this is going, the upside of that being that I have already reinforced the wall, and now when I attach to the studs it should be good and solid. Can you imagine if that peeled away and landed on its face?      Yikes!  But it advertises to hold 2262 disks, and you know, ultimately that means 2262 jewel cases, but a lot more disks than that. I'm looking forward to.

Oh, quick question; should I elongate the screw holes vertically in order to give room for it to all settle down, what with carpet and all? 



PS - Jens, love those boxes. They look rather labor intensive. Fact or illusion?

[SonicMan46]

I have a great lumberyard around the corner from my parents, who gave me a good price on the wood, cut to size. (Maybe a few Euro more per square meter, for the cutting... a deal I could not refuse!)

I used 8mm "multiplex" plywood for those (Beech or Birch will do). nailed, glued, and pressed. Key to success being the "tool" with which to craft them. I made about 60 (40 of which still await final assembly and their spray-coats of lacquer)... and the twenty I have in use barely made a dent into the CDs I have here... even as I use Jazzloft sleeves. In the 35cm deep versions, I can fit about 70 CDs, if most (but not all) are in sleeves.

I only cut the gliders (which make them stackable) and the bits that keep the lid in place... because any wood (though preferably not too soft) will do and you don't need to be too exacting, as long as you have at least two each of the same thickness.

If you could use blueprints & sketches, let me know.

Hi Jens - yes, I was thinking of a thin furniture grade plywood - if possible, please PM me some of the plans - mainly just need the measurements (I'm a pretty experienced woodworker w/ a fairly complete shop), if no trouble.  I"m planning to move my Blues CDs (about 300) to another room and I'll need storage units that are 10-11" in depth to best utilize the shelf space on several bookshelves.  Thanks!  Dave

[SonicMan46]

Well, Dave, you give some up to get some. I had an unsatisfactory wall mount unit where this is going, the upside of that being that I have already reinforced the wall, and now when I attach to the studs it should be good and solid. Can you imagine if that peeled away and landed on its face?      Yikes!  But it advertises to hold 2262 disks, and you know, ultimately that means 2262 jewel cases, but a lot more disks than that. I'm looking forward to.

Oh, quick question; should I elongate the screw holes vertically in order to give room for it to all settle down, what with carpet and all? 

Hey Gurn - as to your question above, you certainly could elongate the screw holes to accommodate the downward weight shift once the storage unit is LOADED up w/ CDs - I'd probably just drill two holes vertically near each other and then file the sides; depending on your screw size and head shape, a washer may be needed?

Another option that I've used on tall bookcases are the L-shaped brackets shown below (some come w/ slotted holes) - just put one limb down and attach to a stud, then slide the bookcase in place (even w/ some downward pressure), and screw the horizontal limb to the top of the bookcase.  Dave

[jlaurson]

PS - Jens, love those boxes. They look rather labor intensive. Fact or illusion?

Yes, certainly. If you do it right, sanding everything, and especially if you include the lacquering, which takes hours of shifting and drying and wearing a mask and operating in nasty fog. 

A very bloody simple box, really... but turns out it can be quite tricky. And with every batch you learn something new... no matter how much you thought about it before. They've become so much simpler, already (in the process, without inhibiting functionality) than they were originally put on paper.

On the other hand, if you build yourself a tool, which I did, and if you do enough at a time (the last time I did 40 in one wash... or rather: the same step, 40 (which is to say 80, since there are the lids, too) times... and thanks to the nail-gun, I was able to do those in the time it had taken me to do the first dozen... and they turned out better, too. Still, if I made those for sale, I'd have to charge between 20 and 25 smackers per box to cover material and get minimum wage. :-)

[SonicMan46]

Well has been a while so bringing this thread TTT - for myself, I ran 'out of room' in my den for newer classical CDs; pic (below, top left) is a storage unit in a corner of the den next to the fire place - the larger middle unit w/ 6 boxes across & 3 boxes vertical contains my blues & jazz CDs - 9 boxes for the blues (nearly 300 CDs) - decided to move those to our 'computer room' w/ most of my other non-classcial CDs.

So, I made 6 'little' boxes (no tops to maximize storage) which match in size the 'wine' boxes discussed in this thread earlier; each box has a walnut front & poplar back (1/2") + 1/4" Baltic birch plywood sides & bottoms (top pic, right); depth made to utilize space on a standard book shelve - each box holds nearly 50 CDs.  The 6 boxes are stored in a walnut bookshelf I made a number of years ago & on the floor (bottom, left) - also back then, a walnut wall unit was constructed (bottom, right) - NOW, except for the jazz, all of my non-classical recordings are in the other room!  Dave


 

 

[jlaurson]

more boxes'n'boxes...

[SonicMan46]

Jens - yes, you've gone to more box building!  YIKES - quite a few there - 

For myself, just needed 6 for that blues collection which I'm not planning on expanding -