Make Your Own Video Game Rack
Video game storage can be a problem. You may not care about the mess, but games are expensive, so keeping them stored safely is in your best interest. Spending money on expensive retail shelving units when there are perfectly good games you could buy with it, may not make much sense. Making your own, easy, quick and possibly free racks, while recycling, just may be the perfect solution.
Instructions
Preparing Your Rack Parts
1. Find wooden boxes. Check with grocery stores or ask the produce manager of your local market. Look for 18-inch wide by 12-inch deep by 6-inch tall apple crates, with slat sides and solid wood ends. Old soda crates of the same size also work well. They are generally more expensive and more difficult to find.
2. Buy them from local thrift shops and flea markets, if you can't find them free. They usually sell for a dollar or less. Soda crates go for around $12 to $15. Each of these boxes will make a shelf that will hold 20 to 30 games. Get enough to make racks for your entire collection.
3. Use the solid wood end of the box as a template and mark out a shelf on a piece of ¾-inch plywood. This will be the perfect size to fit between the slats. Be sure to mark only the outline of the box end, slipping your pencil under any slats that may be in the way.
4. Cut your shelf with a jigsaw. Make sure your material is held down or clamped to your work surface. Jigsaw blades poke through the bottom several inches. Situate your plywood to avoid cutting your work surface.
Finishing Your Video Game Rack
5. Use a tape measure to find the center of your box lengthwise. Mark both sides at the center. Set your shelf so that the marks are in the center of the ¾-inch thickness of the plywood. Nail or screw in place.
6. Use an electric sander or sanding block to sand any rough edges or splintered areas. Spray a coat of primer over the entire surface of the box and allow to dry.
7. Choose your favorite color of spray enamel and paint the box with two or three good coats. Hold the can 6 to 8 inches from the surface and "brush" the paint on in short, moving bursts. Avoid heavy saturation to prevent runs and drips. Allow the paint to dry to the touch between coats.
8. Allow the box to dry thoroughly. You can add stickers or graffiti or just leave it a solid color. These boxes can be stacked by screwing through the ends to attach them end to end, or hung from the wall with drywall screws. Locate a stud to drive into and use at least four 2-inch screws per box.
Tags: Game Rack, Video Game, Video Game Rack, Your Video, Your Video Game
