Plans for a Plan (Blue Print) Cabinet

[Medal Collector]

You remember those old 8 drawer cabinets used to hold blue prints (A0 or A1 size) that had drawers about 4" deep and the cabinet was about 1000mm tall. Well I would like to build one and wondered if any one has ever seen plans for one or built one themselves.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Hellacopter 1]

Dear Medal Collector
I hate to state the obvious, but you already seem to have all the measurements.
Lash out, you can do it, I'm sure. Let us know how you go.
Hellacopter1

[bitingmidge]

Yep, You've got the measurements!

I built one long time ago..out of 1/2" particle board when it was the wonder material, with 3/16" ply bottoms. (It was before metric and MDF)

From memory the sides were about 75mm high and the fronts about 50 with about 30mm clear slot for stickin' yer fingers in to pull 'em out.

Runners were pine nailed onto the carcass and on the bottom of the drawers, and the contacting surfaces and sides of the drawers were waxed to within an inch of their lives. They worked well, but were proned to deflection if heavily loaded.

I did another two A1 size drawers a couple of years ago using 18mm MDF sides, 6mm ply bottoms and 50 x25 aluminium angle for the front and back, all suspended on drawer slides, and they worked well enough too, but again didn't like a really heavy load.

I need a couple more so now you've got me thinking!

Cheers,

P

[Medal Collector]

I know that I know what I want, however I am novice, therefore need to know the finer points ie what jointing is the structure made out of? This is where the plans would come in handy etc. I reckon hidden dove tails for the drawers is a must and that's about as far as I have got to be honest. The material must be tropical mahogany however as it is an inert timber and doesn't release any vapours which destroy silver, (using the drawers to store medals and badges of militaria background)

[JohnM]

Hi there

I have one sitting beside my desk that I picked up at a secondhand furniture shop for $90.00. It is a bit different in that it has four drawers, two 4 inch, one 6 inch and one 12 inch. (Like me it was made before metric).

The frame is made from 2 x 1 hardwood ( type unknown) with ply sides, top and back panel. The drawers are 1/2 inch hardwood sides and back, 1 inch front, with, as you say, hidden dovetails. The drawer bottoms are ply, slotted into grooves in the drawer frame. The drawers slide on the hardwood frame.

Unfortunately I don't have a digital camera to send detail pictures. Let me know if you would like further details.

John

[Medal Collector]

Thanks for that mate, I have started to draft up some plans of my own.

[Slavo]

To try and fix up any deflection problem, you could put muntins in the bottom of the drawers and maybe support them with another drawer runner.

Cheers