Bill’s custom-made steel shelving unit

In a world of flat-pack IKEA furniture, it can be tempting to opt for cheap MDF shelving when designing storage solutions. But we all know the frustration of shelving that doesn’t quite fit or feels like it will collapse after a year or two.

Custom-built solutions are the dream but can seem like a mammoth task to complete on your own. A misconception is that projects like this require extensive experience, numerous tools, and weeks of free time. But this doesn’t have to be the case, as 14-year-old Bill Owens shows us.

We spoke to Bill about how, in just a few afternoons during his school holidays, he built a custom steel shelving unit for his music equipment. The results are impressive.

The inspiration

Bill has loved music since he can remember. Beginning piano lessons at the age of 4, he soon branched out into singing and has since taught himself how to play the ukulele, guitar, trumpet, and drums!

This love of music has meant he has amassed considerable music equipment.

“I have a bunch of guitars, a keyboard, a large bass amp, a smaller amp, guitar pedals, a heaps of cables.”

Bill decided to build a shelving unit that could store his guitars, amps, leads, microphones and keyboard (and house the obligatory teenage necessities such as an Xbox), while also having a benchtop to work on his guitars (for re-stringing etc.).

The design process

With a vision in mind, Bill embarked on the design process. He began by sketching out ideas and seeking guidance from his dad, Alan Owens, who has been part of the Edcon Steel team for more than 20 years.

“My design started off looking like a normal, rectangular set of shelves,” he explains.

“But when I showed Dad, he reminded me that I can design it however I like because I was making it myself. I could make it as extravagant as I liked.”

After several drafts and consultations with his dad, Bill settled on a unique design featuring a pocket for his amp, two cable holders and compartments for his guitars and pedals.

The project

Bill took a trip to the Edcon Steel Revesby store to pick up the necessary materials.

He opted for steel sheet for the shelves and benchtop to ensure durability without adding too much weight. Steel rectangular hollow sections (RHS) acted as bracing for the unit, while steel round tube (CHS) were perfect for cable organisation.

“We had the steel custom-cut to size at Edcon, but we did everything else ourselves,” Bill explains.

Armed with a welder and angle grinder, Bill and his dad spent a couple of hours each evening putting the pieces together.

“Dad taught me how to use the welder and angle grinder, which was really cool.”

The result

In less than a week, Bill unveiled his custom music station. The stand features a sleek, modern design, making it the perfect addition to his music space. It has enough room to store his equipment and provides easy access to his amps, while the built-in storage for cables and pedals keeps everything organised.

“I’m really happy with how it turned out.”

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