He Had Too Many Cans in His Pantry, So He Built This Instead
Canned food had started taking over the pantry, with more cans competing for space on shelves already meant for other food and supplies. Adding another stack would have stored them, but it would not have made them easier to organize or reach.
Instead of adding more shelves, Imgur user bobswoodstuff used an open section of pantry wall to build a storage system around the cans themselves.
Finished project holds 42 cans across six columns in a shallow plywood frame. Cans load from the top and move toward an opening at the bottom, turning a narrow section of wall into storage that works more like a dispenser than a shelf.
He Used the Cans to Set the Spacing
Five cans laid end to end on the workbench gave him a direct reference for the space needed inside the dispenser. Long narrow strips sat beside them while he marked the material for the internal structure.
Building around the cans mattered because the finished rack needed enough clearance for each one to move through its column without leaving excess space around it.
Plywood Was Cut for the Main Frame
Large plywood panels were cut on a table saw before the smaller parts came together. With about 30 inches of horizontal pantry space available, he cut the 1/4-inch plywood back to 32-9/16 by 24-1/2 inches.
That footprint gave him room for six columns and a total capacity of 42 cans.
A 3D Model Mapped Out the Six Columns
Before the finished rack reached the wall, a 3D model showed how the front would be divided. Six tall openings sit between narrow vertical rails, with horizontal pieces connecting the structure across the top and bottom.
The drawing also explains why the finished dispenser remains open across most of its face. Cans need to stay contained without disappearing behind a solid cabinet front.
The Plywood Became a Shallow Box
Cut panels were screwed together around the perimeter of the plywood back, creating a shallow rectangular frame. Clamps held the pieces in position while screws secured the corners.
Depth stays close to the size of a can, allowing the finished unit to sit against the pantry wall instead of projecting into the room like a full cabinet.
Dividers Created Individual Can Lanes
Long plywood dividers split the interior into six channels, and cans went back into the frame while the layout was being assembled. Their fit between the dividers showed how each stack would sit once the dispenser was upright.
Angled pieces near the ends of the channels begin directing the cans toward the lower opening rather than letting the stack end against a flat wall.
Front Rails Kept the Cans Inside
Narrow plywood rails were screwed to the front edge of the dividers with cans still sitting inside the channels. Instead of covering each column, the rails occupy only a thin strip between neighboring stacks.
Cans remain visible on both sides of each rail while the front pieces keep them from rolling out of the shallow frame.
Wood Blocks Controlled the Bottom of Each Stack
Small rectangular wood blocks were positioned near the bottom of the channels. Their placement leaves space below the vertical stack for a can to sit across the lower opening.
This is the part that turns the project from vertical storage into a dispenser. One can remains accessible at the bottom while the rest stay contained above it.
Paint Made Six Separate Channels Read as One Rack
Light paint covered the back and channel interiors, while the front rails received a blue-gray finish. Openings remain above and below the shorter front rails rather than running behind one continuous face.
Once painted, the plywood construction starts resembling a purpose-built pantry fixture instead of an unfinished box with dividers.
Pulling a Can Makes Room for the Next One
Mounted upright, the internal layout becomes easier to understand. Cans sit horizontally in vertical stacks behind the front rails, while the lowest can moves into the open section running across the bottom.
Pulling one from that opening frees space for another can from the same column to move down. Different foods can remain in separate lanes without digging through several rows on a shelf.
Finished Dispenser Puts 42 Cans Against the Wall
Finished rack holds seven cans in each of its six columns, putting 42 cans into one section of pantry wall. Small labels across the top identify each lane, while the open fronts show what remains inside.
Instead of building another set of shelves, the project uses the shape of the cans to determine the storage layout. Six compact columns keep the supply contained, with another can waiting at the bottom as each one is removed.
Would you use a wall-mounted dispenser for canned food, or keep the same space open for shelves?
Image credits to @bobswoodstuff.