Listen to the Angels

ANGEL'S

Do-It-Yourself

11 Centers (46 outlets in California, Arizona, Texas, Oklahoma and Alabama and itself a unit o1' Handy Dan Home Improvement Centers) recently worked with a major rack manuf'acturer to come up with a virtual lumber supermarket outside their San Jose. Ca., store. Using standard steel pallet rack frames and other components they put together a rack system comprising approximately 20,000 cubic feet of storage space for various lengths of lumber, standard and odd-sized plywood sheet, wall board, and a myriad of other "do-it-yourself" building items.

Leneths of' Iumber are stored in cubicle openings similar to rolledup rugs in a carpet store. Material is loaded into the openings one piece at a time, and customers can remove it in the same manner. all Iumber is marked as to size, price, etc.

Customers can examine the

Story at a Glance

Working with a rack manufacturer, Angels devised a clever and relatively inexpensive solution to the old problem of storing lumber and other bulky items.

PALLET RAGK is set up to handle odd lengths of many varieties of wood. Customers can pull out pieces one or more at a time. Ladders provide access to second level. Detail (lop righl) shows pallet rack construction. Upright {or standard paliet frame is in foreground. In center background are horizontal row-spacers tying front and rear paltet frames together with approximately eight feet of storage space between them. Wood decking was chosen by Angel's as an added economy. These shelves (lower lett) tor random-size sheets of grain and general condition o1'the lumber in the light of day, making their selections and placing their purchases on a hand cart lbr transport to the cashier'. Extra bulky items, such as rolls of'home insulation, heavy unit packs ol' interior shelving, and such, are stored in the top level shelves and handled by fbrk lift truck.

For iterns especially subject to damage from moisture, the store set up a special section of racks against the outside wall, with a shed-type roof'extending out over it and and an adjacent cutting area. Plywood and sheetrock are stored in this area.

The entire outdoor area is colorf'ully decorated with an array of multi-colored flags overhead. The shelving itself', bright green and orange, adds to the festive look.

(Please turn to Page 2ll) plywood, 4'x8' sheetrock, and chipboard, are outdoors but covered by a protective shed-type roof to keep moisture away. Cutting area is adlacent to these shelves, also under roof. Head-on view (lower right) of lumber rack shows how heavy, bulky items like wall insulation, unit packs of interior shelving, wallboard, and so forth, are stored on top of rack. ltems are on pallets, and are loaded and unloaded by lork lift trucks. Short-lenglh load beams tie pallet frames together, allowrng odd-size openings.