Some Designers Need to be Drawn and Quartered!

I like reptiles but I don't have tonnes of space to have cages all over the appartment. So, I decided I will build what is known in the trade as a 'rack'. It's basically a shelf designed to hold 'swearterboxes' for reptiles (mostly snakes) in such a way they are as close together, and lidless as possible, to save space. The 'shelves serve to hold the containers and serve as 'lids', allowing you to slide out each box like you would a drawer of your dresser.

Now, I made plans, figured out the lumber I needed but since I don't have a vehicle big enough to carry 8'x4' sheets of plywood nor the equipment to cut them into the sizes I need. So, I saw these aluminum storage shelves as Canadian Tire and thought, well, I don't need a complex rack right now and this is long and high enough for what I need. Not to mention cheaper and in peices so I can fit it in my trunk. OK problem solved. Right???? Hell NO!!

The shelves are made out of paper t hin aluminum. Like the stuff a pop can is made out of. Now pick that folded in half and about three feet long, shaped like a v. Try and attach that to a shelf made out of the same stuff and the same thickness with short (1/2") bolts and a nut. Ok, I finally get one leg attached to one shelf and let go....and the leg teeters over and falls like it was attched to bristle board. Ok, Prop it up against a table. Work on the second leg. Scratch the crap out of my fingers, drop nuts left right and center (tight spots with sharp edges..more blood sacrificed to the blood god). Oh did I mention the screws are are slotted screws? Do you know how much a pain in the ass it is trying to use slotted screws? Try it sometime. The screw driver slips out constantly, gauching the paint finish, and putting dents into the aluminum, or your fingers if you are too slow. Every single wooden thing y ou buy unassembled uses allen wrench keys or philips crews (the star noses).

Ok, finally attached all posts to one shelf, Yeah. Now, attached second shelf, not to difficult. Push it aside to work on the bottom half. Now the bottom shelf has to be on the second last hole in the post, not to first. Ok, lay shelf on side, attached that way. Yeah right. Finally get two attached, turn it around to do the other side, and the other legs sag all over the place. Get up to get the screwdriver which su ddenly is on the other side, trip over the shelf, stagger about trying not to fall, trip over the struts that are to stablize everything, fall on shelf. Ok, now I have a flattened shelf, with legs twisted even worse than they were before. Fuck. On top of that I spilled a large glass, full with sticky liquid, all over the floor. Ok, clean up the mess, force some shape back into the shelf I crushed and retighen screws.

Now, the directions (yes I did read the directions, so helpful as they were..if I had followed them exactly, I would have had a worse time. Lots of diagrams, no numbers on any of them, so it's a matter of guesswork as which step refers to which diagram. Reading the steps wasn't that easy either, half the ink was smeared or faded...you think they would stop photocopying photocopies after awhile) indicated the top half should be attached to the bottom, and a shelf put right on the joint as well. As ther is only one set of holes, this would mean balancing one half overhead, and holding a flimsy shelf while trying to line up holes to put screws in all at the same time, by myself. Since I don't have Doc Oc's extra 4 arms, decided to do it a different way. I attached the two sections first, t hen put the shelf two holes below the joint.

That worked great..then I noticed the bottom shelf is upside down, compared to all the other shelves I have so far attached. FUCK! Took it off and put it aside. Decided that is enough for one night. Tomorrow I will put it back on, the right way and attached the last shelf. Hopefully Ican do that without too much more pain and agony. Else I may lose my cool and see how fast I can crush that shelf like a popcan. Next time I decide to go for the 'easy' way I am renting a pickup truck and picking up my own wood. Hell, I rather spend another $150 and buy a black and decker foldable workbench, a skill saw and a good drill, than put together another aluminum storage shelf.