Making a 3 drawer fruit cabinet

[taydin]

My next woodworking project will be a 3 drawer cabinet for storing fruits. I first looked for steel wire basket type drawers (chrome plated, with nice telescopic rails). But these drawers are all standard length (50cm), but I need 35cm long ones and couldn't find any.

So I am thinking of making wooden drawers. To add some aesthetic appeal, I am thinking of using different color wood for the front/back and left/right and then join the sides using finger joints. For example, left/right will be dark red wood, front/back will be light brown. The finger joint should add nice contrast.

The cabinet itself will be made from dark red MDF laminate with a single door. The whole cabined will be 90x35x35cm (height x width x depth) and will have 4 chrome plated feet.

I am hoping to get any critique about these ideas and also different ideas on things that can be improved.

[munruben]

I see no reason for not making the drawers out of timber. Should be a nice feature described the way you have. Good luck with it. :2tsup:

[RufflyRustic]

Hmm, about the only suggestion I can make, is to ensure the cabinet is sturdy and attached securely, so if it becomes top heavy, it doesn't fall over when the top drawer is opened.

Your plan sounds good. have you decided on a finish for the drawers or will you leave them natural?:)

[taydin]

Hmm, about the only suggestion I can make, is to ensure the cabinet is sturdy and attached securely, so if it becomes top heavy, it doesn't fall over when the top drawer is opened.

I will probably mount the cabinet to the wall.


Your plan sounds good. have you decided on a finish for the drawers or will you leave them natural?:)

Haven't done any finishing on any kind of wood so far, so I am not really sure what to use. But I am leaning towards using mat finish that brings out the natural look of the wood.

[Arron]

My only reservation with using wood is how it would treat the fruit. I'm wondering if the joints between the pieces will be an attractive place for mould. In fact the timber generally will be a bit porous so there's a nice dark, damp inaccessible place for mould in the pores. I think after you have stored fruit in it for a while you may find the time the fruit will stay in good condition will decrease mysteriously, due to the buildup of resident mould and other pathogens.

When we bought our last fridge there was a plastic grill thing (since lost) that is meant to be placed in the bottom of the chiller to prolong the life of fruit and veg. It worked - it probably doubled the time the vegies stayed crisp. I dont remember what it looked like exactly but the lesson learnt was not to store fruit/veg sitting directly on a hard surface.

Also wondering about ventilation.

cheers
Arron