Build a Wall-Mounted Wooden Rack for Easy Canned Goods Rotation

I tend to keep six months’ worth of food in my house. After being put to the test by a 60-day shelter-in-place order in response to the global pandemic, this supply has proved to be useful. Finally, on Day 60 of the order, I went shopping for four families and restocked my canned goods.

I realized a problem in how I used to store my cans: Stacked up on the floor or on the shelf was not conducive to proper rotation. I found cans that had “best used by” date of 5 years ago.

Because I had plenty of “free” time, I designed and built a wall-mounted can slider that easily dispenses the older cans first out the bottom.

Although I tried to make one that any can could fit in, it was next to impossible so I have made multiple sizes.  I am very proud of the final design, especially because me and wood don’t always get along.

The project required quite a few days to get it like I wanted.  I put in a lot of testing — taking the racks apart and building them again — before I had what I think is a good design. I did learn that I have to pre-drill every hole to keep that thin wood from splitting when screwing together and to use tiny in diameter, 2-inch-long trim screws.

I used oak, poplar, and pine precut lumber. The sides are pine 1-by-4s and the rest are 1-by-2s. The sides are made from the cheaper pine and are as wide as the can is tall. I actually have three sizes of cans: Two of them are for milks — evaporated and condensed milk cans are much smaller in height than a standard can. I did have to make the pull-out slot bigger for the cans of fruit, as the cans are bigger in diameter. I used poplar wood for the holders in front and oak for the bottom where all the weight of the can is resting on it.