How to get wood rack brackets aligned?

**DaveVman** · 6th April 2024, 09:23 AM

I am custom making a wood rack 300mm below the ceiling to store one row of timber horizontally.
5 brackets which I will screw into the studs in my garage. How do I get these to all be inline with each other? I'm afraid they will end up slightly out of line but I do tend to over think everything. Is it really not that important to that the rack brackets mm perfect?
The plan is to have each bracket screwed to the wall with 2 x 100mm screws. 100mm because there's 50mm of bracket plus gyprock before reaching the timber stud.
So I thought about making the holes over sized so I had wiggle room to adjust the brackets but that won't work because once they are loaded up they will slip in the oversize holes.

Note that bracket is 90 degrees rotated in photo. Blue part will be horizontal.

I bought a rack kit and cut it into 5 parts. So each bracket will only be about 200mm tall. Then it needs a spacer which will be MDF. See photo. I am also adding a extra spacer of melamine to spread the pressure against the plaster wall. The photo shows a dry assembly. The horizontal blue part is longer than the vertical black part but I am hoping the 2 x 100mm 12G screws can handle it. If it fails I'll swap them for 3 x 125mm 14G screws. I made the vertical part 200mm because I want to use that 300mm just under the ceiling and about 100mm is cornice.

I cut the black part with an angle grinder. Rough as guts. So I can't use either end of the black part as a reference.
I look forward to your suggestions as to how I make these slightly adjustable so that I can get the horizontal blue arms all aligned when I screw them to the wall. Equally let me know if I am worrying about nothing and I should just try to get them as close as I can with a level and it will be good enough.

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**Boringgeoff** · 6th April 2024, 10:19 AM

I'd measure down from the ceiling or you could fix both ends and then pull a string line through nice and tight to align the other three.

Cheers,
Geoff.

**DaveVman** · 6th April 2024, 10:42 AM

P.S. silly me. I just remembered that I have a laser level. So now I'm wondering how I am going to get my laser precisely 2400mm into the air. This is what I should be thinking about.

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**DaveVman** · 6th April 2024, 10:45 AM

Originally Posted by Boringgeoff

I'd measure down from the ceiling or you could fix both ends and then pull a string line through nice and tight to align the other three.

Cheers,
Geoff.

Yes. Thanks. Love it! Simples. I do have a string line level buried somewhere. Plus I just remembered I have a laser level if I can figure out how to get the laser that high onto the air. Plain forgot I have the perfect tool. [emoji23]

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**mic-d** · 6th April 2024, 11:02 AM

If the uprights are all slightly different lengths choose the longest one and install it against the cornice at one end. Measure to the bottom of the installed bracket and transfer the mark to the other end. Take the next longest one and install it aligned to the mark. It will at most be within mm of the other so not noticeable over the distance. Clamp a straight edge between the two or a really straight piece of timber to the arms of the two and bring the others up to it and install. Alternatively use a very tight string line. Space the string line off the two end arms with a spacer like a 20c piece or it could be pieces of ply. Bring the intermediate spacers into position with another 20c piece on top until it is just kissing the string and install. Repeat for each bracket. The spacer prevents each installed bracket from interfering with the line of the string.

**Wrongwayfirst** · 6th April 2024, 01:23 PM

You have a laser level, so you have the perfect tool. If you have a piece of timber make a story stick. If the laser is set at 1mtr and you need a line at 2 mtr then mark a point 1mtr on the story stick hold this mark on the laser line and voila, transference has occurred.
cheers

**Mountain Ash** · 7th April 2024, 09:41 AM

The string line will be better than a laser because you can line up the front edge/tip of the brackets (these may not all be at 90°/ made the same). Laser is great to find level (and mark locations on the wall) but I would think that a straight line is more important (any height discrepancies at the rear of the bracket, where it meets the wall, can be packed out)

**Skew ChiDAMN!!** · 7th April 2024, 07:53 PM

This is a job where a simple water level would be sufficient. Just a long length of clear tube filled with water.

The best thing about a water level is that it works around corners or situations where line of sight is interrupted; the hose doesn't care where it's being run, it's only the water-level at each end that's important. Does take a bit of getting used to, but the price is certainly right.

**havabeer69** · 8th April 2024, 09:28 PM

don't over think it.

even if they're slight out of height with each other... just pack out the top till they're all level??

**DTH1** · 16th April 2024, 02:06 PM

Originally Posted by Skew ChiDAMN!!

This is a job where a simple water level would be sufficient. Just a long length of clear tube filled with water.

To make the water easier to see, add some red food colouring. Works a treat.

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