Slotted angle: an inexhaustible source of creativity

I recently did a brief study of the basic components of shelving systems and found that I could make structural sections for small bridges, workbenches, shelves, partitions, fences and a whole range of other very practical equipment to serve as daily work equipment. This article demonstrates how a little imagination and some power tools can transform you into a professional improviser and money saver. In an age of rising costs and financial pressures, it is still possible, with minimal investment, to create low-cost, highly useful equipment at a fraction of the cost of retail prices. With modern hand tools, what used to take hours and be tedious work has become fast, fun and rewarding. If you thought the slotted angle was a museum piece, think again. There are more low-cost, quick-build features that can be extracted from the slotted angle in less time than a trip to the local DIY branch to buy a lower-strength, less-specific flat pack for your needs.

get inventive

The slotted angle is one of the most economical and versatile profiles. Laminated to the mile and finished with an anti-corrosion coating, it’s an ideal solution for a variety of useful work facilities that are easily built specifically for the task at hand, whether it’s in the garden shed, greenhouse, garage or at work. With the input of your own time, you can easily create some impressive kits at a price and quality that you’ll find impossible to match elsewhere. Starting with some very simple construction shapes, it is very easy to see how a rectangle, square, or triangle can be constructed very simply. These are the building blocks for any basic structure or framework. Once you have a frame, you can tile or line it to enclose or control the space you’ve created. Angles can be laid back to back to form a ‘T’ shape, butted end to end to create strong structural box or channel sections and even ‘I’ beams or ‘H’ sections. As all angles are pre-drilled, they provide perfect fixing surfaces for finishing, access, storage or mobility fixings and from then on you are only limited by your own imagination.

Structural shapes are created by a simple joining mechanism comprising a square or angular plate as a valuable but very low cost accessory. A cut section can easily be used to join two lengths together to extend and create load-bearing sections for implementation in your build. Once built, the sections can be joined together to form new structural shapes, such as rectangular frames or trusses. Other simple but highly effective forms of load support, such as angle brackets, can be easily fabricated for reinforcement and nut and bolt fasteners are quickly used with power tools. Armed with these power tools, you can make your own workbench or storage rack and start producing to outfit your home or business at very affordable prices.

Savings – What to expect

There are so many uses, for example, the slotted angle on its own is a quick and strong way to fix a PVC strip door. By attaching it to other angles, it’s easy to change the shape and strength to allow you to span greater distances. It is easy to fabricate triangular support brackets to allow angles to cantilever forward away from a wall to avoid obstructions. You can also make wall-mounted shelves and storage systems in the same way. A £145 fabricated version of a bin rack to hold plastic bins to organize components for assembly work can be made yourself for under £30. A fancy workbench that would retail for over £300 it can be built for less than £200. This is a saving of 30% and provides a worktop, two lower shelves and two upper shelves. Louvered panels, fastening tools, or more storage bins can be easily added. Carts can be built for around £30 plus beavers or a flat top workbench can be built from as little as £70 to which lighting rails, power rails for electrical outlets or rails for tools. Even carriers can be made from as little as £90. A kit will easily make a workbench or cart.

20 practical things to do

It is a very easy way to save money and get a custom job. With modern power tools, they are very quick to build. A bench can easily be put together in an hour, making it as quick as many DIY self-assembly kits at a fraction of the cost. There has never been a better time to be your own DIY entrepreneur. Here is a list of items you can easily build from a slotted angle

1. Shelving.
2. backstage
3. Tool holders.
4. Work benches.
5. Work stations.
6. cars
7. Stillages.
8. Garage benches.
9. Benches for greenhouse plants.
10. Conveyors.
11. Light structural sections in the following shapes: T’s, H’s, box rectangles, trusses, frames and corbels.
12. Wall racks.
13. Container storage mounting racks.
14. Steps.
15. Simple fences and partitions.
16. Little sheds.
17. Gates and doors.
18. Rolling bases for transporting stacks of plastic boxes.
19. Mobile bases for pallets.
20. Lintels and supports for luminaires and PVC strip doors.