If you’d like to make your own, I have a bunch of DIY high shelf plans and a parts list, including everything I used:
First, I started by building the main body of the high shelf. It consists of a 2×4 piece of plywood nailed to the back. On this 2×4, I attached some hooks. Then, at the four corners, I attached some garage door rollers. These cylinders are truly versatile and were key to the success of this project. 
For the track, I really wanted to buy something off the shelf and ended up looking at garage door tracks. They were cheap, but like everything else, their prices have skyrocketed. Instead, I decided to build my own tracks out of wood. I grabbed the best wood I had in my shop that was long enough, oak, and arranged it in an L shape. For the tracks, you definitely want something solid for long-term durability. I mounted it to the wall by screwing it into place and throwing in a single nail. This will hold up long enough for me to put a level on it and raise it. I only had a 4-inch level in my shop, so I went down, then up, and put in some clamps as I leveled it. Once it looked good, I went back with the screws. I pre-drilled the holes to make sure the acorn wouldn’t split. Next, I repeated the process by attaching the right track in the same way as the left track.
Now that the tracks were attached, I moved on to the top and attached some pulleys. This will be where the cable will reach, before it veers right to the winch. I used some delay to go to my wall here. Then, even though it wasn’t needed, I added a ledger panel…just to be safe. Much of the force on these pulleys will be vertical because they will reach the bottom and pull the high shelf up. To directly oppose this force, I put screws into the ledger board. This is in addition to the backwardness that entered the wall.
Moving forward, the next step is to go back to the rack and attach some components. The first is a thimble hung over the mounting point on a 2×4. This is used so that the wire rope has a path in which it can be laid and then it can be wound back onto itself. To secure it, I used what are called “wire rope clamps,” which screw down on both the lead and output strains. I used DAP’s Tank Bond Thread Locker on all of the project hardware that had a nut. I applied it to the threads before I added the nuts. It is a quick-drying coating that creates an airtight seal that absorbs shock and vibration, and prevents fasteners from inadvertently coming undone. I really like it because the cured fasteners remain completely adjustable, removable and reusable if I have to replace them in the future. I use it on anything that has vibration.
At this point I was able to set the shelf into place. It’s big and awkward so help was needed with this step. Jacob and I brought it in from the bottom, tilted it slightly so the top roller would slide into the track, and then flattened it vertically.
I’ve fed the cable to the pulleys from both anchors, but now I need to combine them into one. What I’ve done here works in the same way as a window curtain. In a rack setup, the component you used is called a trailer hitch. This allowed me to connect both cables to one side, and then release one cable from the other side. This also gave me the ability to make small, small adjustments later once everything was installed and it was time to make the final adjustment.
The final item to add is the crane itself. The mounting bracket is a simple DIY piece made from some square pipe I had laying around. Holes are drilled in locations that match the location of the wall stud to which it will be mounted. The crane is a bit heavy, but nothing too difficult to control. I temporarily mounted a 2×4 to the wall to give myself a convenient shelf to set the lever while putting the lag in the studs.
In the final step, I added the necessary shelves to hold all the products I wanted to store here. One of the coolest things about this project (I mean, besides it being a tall shelf), is that you can customize it to hold almost anything. Just keep an eye on the total weight of the items you’re storing – it should be less than the capacity of the hoist and the components you used. Basic things to pay attention to include what the crane is rated for and do all components have the same rating. One weak link in the chain will lead to its failure. I built the high shelf as the ultimate store storage system for organizing spray paint cans, caulk tubes, paint cans, and painting supplies like brushes.
Before I forget, another thing I did was extend the hanger so it would be near my rack instead of holding it up next to the jack. Now, if my shelf is raised when I need to access my devices, I can walk right up to the wall and lower it down. Then I can either keep it here or I can lift it back up to store it at the top of my wall and keep the hardware rack exposed. amazing!
Are you ready for what comes before and after?! check it out!
By the way, I have a blog and video on how to make a built-in appliance rack if you want to do the same.
Don’t forget to check out our DIY rising shelf plans!
Are you interested in organizing your store? If so, I have several DIY workshop plans to help you! See you all next time!
