[JhnBrackett]

I'm beginning fabrication on a frame for Formula SAE and we have limited shop space. I've got lots of 5-10' sections of tubing and looking for some of the rigs/ideas y'all have for storing them. I don't have wall space unfort. and horizontal placement is preferred cause of so many people walking aroudn and potentially bumping everything.

Also wondering what a good marker is for metal. Sharpie doesn't show up on steel very well and I'll be doing a ton of cutting and need accurate marks. Chalk has been used previously but that can never give a clean enough line. What do you use?

[bracketeer]

I wire wheel the metal first, then use a black sharpie.

Pipe rack can be built quite easily. Use a piece of 2" flat steel bolted upright to the wall. Weld two pieces of 2" angle together to make an ell. Then weld these to the 2" flat. Two or three along the wall will hold your steel.

[powerrodsmike]

To mark steel I like to use the little pens that have white out, (correction fluid), in them. The ones that have a ball point tip are not as good as the ones that have a little valve. The line is pretty fine and it shows up really well in poor light. Bic has some that work good for this. I used to use china markers, (grease pencils), but they are a pain to keep sharp. For really precision stuff nothing beats blue dykem and a scribe.

[gROCERYgEtteR]

I like silver pencils, weld shop, or art store art store is cheaper.

As far as the steel rack, I have thought about hanging a rack from th rafters of my garage. I wouldn't put too much up there maybe if one of these guys works or has done work as a carpenter they could give you a load limit, dry and out of the way. oh my rafters are open no ceiling and i didn't do it, too much baby stuff wound up there.

[Kevin45]

Get a piece of soapstone. You can use it to mark and the heat will not bother it. Or get a paint pen like they use at a junkyard to mark parts.

[Fast Orange]

The silver sharpies work great on dark metals,black sharpies for cold rolled and aluminum.Blue dykem and scribe for precision marking.

George

[HUH?]

Like Bracketeer I found that storing pipe on my garage wall to be the best
answer. Mine are Bolted to the 6" X 6" posts of the pole barn with six
3/8" lag bolts. They are made with 2" angle iron uprights and 1" square
tube legs just because that is what was laying around the shop. If I were
to hang a pipe rack from the ceiling, I would attach one side to a wall to
take load off of the ceiling joists.

[Beenaway2long]

Make a U bracket out of some scrap steel to screw to the joists above. If you have a finished ceiling, bend the ends of the U over 90 degrees. Put in several, so it will hold the shorter sections of pipe. Just need some 1"x1/8" flat stock.

Soap stone should be sharpened for a fine line. The side of grinding wheel, some sandpaper, even concrete will sharpen the edge. Its so soft, that virtually anything will work.