How is everyone this evening? Well, I hope.
I have a metal workbench in the metal working portion of my shop (200 sq ft of 1600 sq ft). The opening of the bench measures approximately 68″ wide, 34″ tall, and 24″ deep. The cabinet will have three sets of drawers. The cabinet will sit on the bottom shelf of the metal cabinet which is about 2″ above the floor.
Paint grade plywood or MDF will be my choice of material. My dilemma is drawer face design and face frame design. I don’t know if the face drawer face should be flush with the face frame or overhang.
Anyway I build it, it will be easy. I would like the cabinet to look balanced, even though it is in my shop. I really don’t know the best way to deal with the top and the bottom of the face frame since it is sitting on a shelf inside an existing bench.
I will use it for tool storage, measuring tools, bits, blades, various gunsmithing tools, etc.
My goals are the cabinet to be functional, simple, balanced, and not look like it was built in the back yard with a hand saw, hammer, and a bag of nails.
Thanks for any suggestions.
Grits
Replies
Grits,
I used solid wood for the cabinet carcas but it was inexpensive. HD had laminated pine, 1" thick, 24" wide about 8' long...good enough for painting. I rabbited and dadoed the stock into nested drawers, no face frame. The drawer fronts are 5/4 stock and partially overhang the opening...dovetailed the drawers.
I did not intend to build with this laminated pine when I went into HD...but it worked out pretty well. It's thick enough for strength, rabbits, dado's, to support drawer fronts, etc....and it's easy to work.
Edited 11/9/2005 7:18 am ET by BG
Bg
Thanks. If I can figure out how to do it, I will post an image of the metal bench.
Grits
I would not use a face frame due to the loss in storage. Use full extension slides, 1/2" thick drawer sides and bottoms. Just a simple drawer front will be fine. maybe flush handles or inset style. Some very shallow drawers will be very useful for thin stuff. ie micrometer, rules, calipers etc.
Shallow drawers are exactly what I was planning to use for the top drawers? I may make one a little deeper for my granite surface plate. How deep would you make them. I have a habit of overprizing things.
Thanks
Grits
Edited 11/9/2005 9:58 pm by Grits
This is all going to be utilitarian, so I would just say that overlay drawers (false drawer fronts) are a whole lot easier to build than inset drawers. Plus, you can easily use metal drawer glides.********************************************************
"It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."
John Wooden 1910-
Edited 11/9/2005 10:28 pm by nikkiwood
I'm thinking 9 drawers about 1 3/4" deep as that is the size of the full extension slides. Just step up from there. Look at what you want to store in the drawers. Setup for maximun organizing of you stuff.
I built a self-supporting box from birch plywood and thick maple edge banding that just fits between the stretchers and the legs of the bench. I used a flush drawer front; only one large one because I like free space between the benchtop and the top stretcher to allow using clamping cauls under the top.
I made the box relatively airtight so I could put closed cell foam on the edges and store my planes in the box with silica gel all winter. I couldn't help myself and used some blistered maple veneer for the drawer front and some scrap walnut, ebonized, for the handle.
Pardon the mess. This picture was taken at the end of summer after five months of mostly outdoor work.
Thanks
No need to apologize for the mess. That is my middle name.
Grits
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