If you’re looking for a great place to store your firewood, check out this DIY firewood rack. Previously, I used to collect my different sizes in containers around the fireplace, which wasn’t really attractive. So I threw these together on a whim. The three parts allow me to separate small, medium to large pieces of wood. Grab a set of plans and let me show you how I create them.
Let’s build a firewood stand
DIY firewood stand plans
$9.99
I’ve created a bunch of plans to make building this firewood rack quick and easy!
Materials I used in this build:
Step 1: Choose materials and cut to size
I designed and built these things on a whim, so when choosing materials, I looked around my shop to see what I already had that fit the sizes. I found this 3/4 inch stack cut from some shelves and tore off the part I would make the body from. Then for the back, I have some 1/2″ plywood from who knows what.
I started by tearing the papers to the desired width. If you want the exact dimensions, I have a bunch of plans available on my website. I tilted the blade and then cut the necessary angles to create the tapered reliefs. Since there were a lot of repeating parts, I set up a stop block so I could make them all the same. When you do this, you want to make sure the stop block is set back far enough so that the plate doesn’t touch it when it makes contact with the blade. Because this is what can cause a back kick.
To save from switching the blade back and forth, after cutting one side at the desired angle, I would flip the board over and cut the other side since it still had 90 on one end. This will leave the remaining panel with angles on both ends, so I can cut it for the curvy sections. Personally I always like to do a test first and do a dry test to make sure things will work as you planned. This sounds good though.
Step 2: Fasten the edges of the firewood stand
Now I only needed 12 of them so I installed the new fence spacing for this part and cut the rest into pieces.
This project consists of only four different parts. What I’ll call the side, the peaks that are a little bit taller than everything else, the horizontal shelves, and then the zigzag points. Keep in mind that it will be easy to add more to subtract the number of cubes, depending on your space needs.
Okay, now I’m going to join the edges that will be facing the front. Actually, on second thought, I like the idea of drawing it instead. Note: If you are using edge tape, you will need to do this before screwing the parts together, but if you want to paint, you can go straight to assembly.
Step 3: Assemble the firewood rack compartments
To assemble, I started on top of my workbench and what I did was put some wood glue, I’m using DAPs weldwood here, on each joint, then nail things together using a 23 gauge nailer. This is a pretty weak joint so the wood glue has time to attach, so I was careful while moving it around to attach the next leg. If I didn’t have a 23 gauge, I would use an 18 gauge instead.
After I attached a few of them, I thought it would be easier to do it on the floor so I could see everything clearly while attaching the legs. So I moved it to the ground and continued. I like to taper and taper to create the points of the cubes, then attach the horizontals which will create separation between them.
I paused when I got to the top because the way I designed it, the top edge would already be seen. However, I linked these two parts before adding them. This is as simple as heating the iron and heating the glue on the back of the tape until it sticks to the edge of the plywood. This will be a little different from the class, but it doesn’t bother me.
Step 4: Paint the firewood rack compartment
I left it where it sat to give the glue time to set and dry. While I was at it, I grabbed the pieces that would make up the back from the 1/2 inch plywood scraps. I also grabbed the pieces that will make up the sides. I want them both to be painted the same color as my wall which means I need to give them a few coats before attaching the cubes.
Since I finished painting, I also wanted to paint that front edge of the cubes. First give them a good sanding to make them smooth. Now, when working with plywood, there are usually voids on each edge. In order to get a smooth paint surface, I apply some wood filler to the putty knife. I use DAP Premium wood filler. Not only does this material dry quickly, it’s easy to sand and is great for color matching if you’re staining something.
After letting it dry for about 30 minutes, I went back with a sanding sponge to smooth it out so I could brush the paint onto the firewood stand pieces.
With that out of the way, let me press this button here to lift my finishing rack up and locate the hardware I’ll need to attach the cubes to the back.
Step 5: Shape the back to fit the firewood rack compartments
I started with a slightly larger back than I needed, then dropped the cubes onto it and lined them up so the bottom cube was flush to the end of the plywood. I used a nailer to hold things in place to start. The end is easy as it should be flush, but to make sure the rest doesn’t get distorted, I pulled a tape to get the perfect distance before processing the rest. Since it couldn’t fall down now, I tilted the whole unit on its face so I could access the underside to throw the screws. Here, I made sure to pre-drill to prevent splitting.
Step 6: Secure the firewood holder compartments in the back
It’s easy to locate the top because you have a clear view of where the shelf will be. However, the second option is difficult because it is located in the middle of nowhere. What I do is I grab the speed square, this crescent has an extra 6 inch base that folds out so I can put it in the center of the shelf, get down to the desired dimension, and pre-drill. If you don’t have this speed square or another long square, a level will also do the trick.
For the angled part of the shelves, a speed square wouldn’t work, so I grabbed a scrap and cut it at an angle at the end. This way I can place it on the shelf and let me set the height. Making sure to keep it in the same location I moved the scrap to the face closest to me to now drop it back to the line I made which gives me the corner shelf location to pre-drill and attach the screw.
With the retreat, this thing now feels really secure and powerful. I turned it over to take a look. I actually think it looks pretty good with a square back on it and I was thinking of leaving it as is but then I decided to stick with my original plan and make the back consistent with the geometry. I couldn’t locate my palm router, which is actually the perfect tool for trimming the back, so instead I placed a flush cut piece in my router table and cut it that way. The key here is to keep the unit nice and flush on the table as you move it.
I placed the unit and attached the side. This will help support the horizontal racks that will actually support the load of firewood.
Step 7: Install the firewood stand and cut the firewood
The last thing to do is install them. Now I personally wanted to raise mine off the ground so as not to block a port I have on the right side. Then I would also use this area to store my toys and puzzles. With that, I propped the units up, found the screws, and then installed some screws into the back of the unit to secure it.
Well, let’s load it up and see how much it can hold. Now, much better than before. Instead of ugly boxes and bags, I now have a beautiful firewood rack with a designated space for wood. This will allow me space to store and separate all the different sizes of firewood over the winter. Then I personally like the look of the wood enough to keep it all year round, but I can also store other types of jokes during the spring and summer if I want.
What do you think of them? Remember how easy it is to zoom in or out. I even think it would look good horizontally, depending on how much space you have. I have a bunch of plans for this project as well as many others on my website. In fact, if you want firewood storage ideas, I have a few.
I will see you next time.
