Workshop Drawer Unit

[GraemeCook]

I have finally decided to attack the clutter in my shed and build a large drawer unit to store tools, materials and stuff.

The available space is 2400mm wide and a height of 1200mm & depth of 450mm would be convenient, perhaps 3 drawers wide. These also fit well with melamine sizes - 19mm for the horizontals and drawer sides and 25mm for the verticals that carry the weight of the drawers.

I have a number of questions and would appreciate any constructive advice as to how I finalise the design.


I much prefer full extension drawer slides. For a workshop, not a glossy kitchen, what economical full extension slides should I look at or avoid,



If each drawer width is about 750mm (30inches) is 5mm melamine suitable for the drawer bottoms.



I want to dove tail the individual drawers; when I glue them should I also glue the bottoms into their slots or just slide then in dry and screw to fix.



would 19 and 25mm melamine be strong enough for the carcase of this unit. (19 = top/bottom, 25 = verticals)



I think the bottom drawer should have an internal height of 325mm to accomodate my bulkiest circular saw. How should I space the heights of the other drawers to optimise usable storage.



is a 3mm melamine back suitable for rigidity and dust proofing.



what have I forgot to ask???

This will be my biggest such task so I am a little nervous and any guidance will be appreciated. Even if you think its a crazy idea.

Cheers

Graeme

[Pat]

Handles?

Graeme, I make everything out of 17mm ply, offcuts from work. With the 19/25 melamine, it'll be a heavy bugger. Sorry I cannot help more, but maybe shoot off a om to Journeyman Mick, he builds kitchens.

[Harry72]

The 5mm in the drawer bottom seems a little thin for a workshop cabinet, some 12mm ply would be strong across 450mm.
What are you using for the sides of the draws, if your going to the detail of dovetailing you might as well use some nice hardwood.

[mic-d]

I don't think you mean you are wanting to dovetail particle board do you? You might also want to look into 20mm and 25mm paulownia blockboard which is nice and light and good to work with. At 750mm wide I would use 15mm ply for the base or 12mm with a muntin.

Cheers
Michael

[switt775]

Here (http://elraco.com.au/index.php?cPath=116&osCsid=0083ddb86149f37e8bd696e305460d84) is a place to try for the full extension drawer slides.

[GraemeCook]

Keep the ideas flowing, guys.

Sorry I don't work with you, Pat, and have access to your 17mm ply offcuts. Getting some 2400x450mm offcuts would take some planning. As I don't intend carrying the drawers around, I doubt that the weight will be an issue.

I have never made drawer units before so this is in part practice for a kitchen unit in the future. Hence dovetails in melamine/chipboard. As its intended to be utilitarian I had dismissed wooden drawer sides on cost basis. Will check prices before I buy anything.

Will look at paulonia blockboard, Michael. Have never used it. I don't like machining chipboard & MDF (especially) but cost is an issue, especially for a shed.

Harry, I suspected 5mm would be too light for the bottoms - hence the question. Thanks. Thicker bottoms will probably be advantageous if I later decide I need partitions. Perhaps 12mm bottoms on deeper drawers, 5mm on shallower ones.

A mate has just suggested that I standardise on 19mm melamine and rather than doing one unit 2400mm wide I do three identical units each 800mm wide. "Lots of reasons why the kitchen fabricators do it that way..." Is this good advice.

Any ideas on how deep I should make the drawers? Or the mix of deep and shallow drawers? This seems a key issue to optimise the storage space - any significant space above the highest thing in a drawer is waste space - perhaps better to put in a shallower drawer and an extra drawer.

Finally Switt, I was really after first hand experiences - good and bad - with full extension drawer slides rather than advertising hype. What experiences have you had with the slides.

Thanks for the advice so far. I am refining my ideas.

Cheers

Graeme

[Pat]

Graeme, I have these (http://elraco.com.au/product_info.php?products_id=1968&osCsid=0083ddb86149f37e8bd696e305460d84)from Elraco, very simple to install, as long as you have the correct levels :doh:. Rated 45Kg, so will do for most items. They stay shut, so remember to do the drawer handles first :doh:. No photo's as I have to build the next two drawers then install them, that's what I am supposedly doing now, not playing on the net :)

[GraemeCook]

Thanks, Pat, now stop playing on the web and go and install the drawers so you can give us a warts & all report as to how well they work.

Now, if you are not ingenious enough to stuff up their installation, then I may be able to manage.

Cheers

Graeme

[switt775]

Finally Switt, I was really after first hand experiences - good and bad - with full extension drawer slides rather than advertising hype. What experiences have you had with the slides.

Graeme

???

No advertising hype. I do not work for, nor am I in any way associated with this company, their owners, their children, pets, etc.

I was after some full extension slides a couple of years ago, did my research, and found they seemed the best buy. Have purchased some slides form them, which I have yet to use, but on opening them thought they certainly looked up to the job.

Yer welcome.

[GraemeCook]

Sorry Switt, didn't intend to upset you or imply anything about you.

I was just stating the obvious - all commercial sites hype their products. Ever seen one that says "This product is crap..."?

Lets hope those drawer slides work for you, and keep us all informed as to their qualities, as you find them

Cheers

Graeme

[Pat]

Graeme, despite the best efforts of the F up Fairy, the blessed drawer slides work like a charm. Very easy to install, just had to subtract 26mm from the cabinet void to get the drawer width. I ended up using a screwdriver to install them as my drill had to much grunt for me to control it. I installed one drawer with the cabinet on my bench, then the other two in situ.

[switt775]

Sorry Switt, didn't intend to upset you or imply anything about you.

I was just stating the obvious - all commercial sites hype their products. Ever seen one that says "This product is crap..."?

Lets hope those drawer slides work for you, and keep us all informed as to their qualities, as you find them

Cheers

Graeme

That's OK, I was having a bit of a cr*ppy day at work and probably over reacted. Sorry about that.

If I'd taken an extra minute to add a few details in my 1st post, I'm sure it would have been clearer.

[Johncs]

Sorry Switt, didn't intend to upset you or imply anything about you.

I was just stating the obvious - all commercial sites hype their products. Ever seen one that says "This product is crap..."?

Lets hope those drawer slides work for you, and keep us all informed as to their qualities, as you find them

Cheers

Graeme

Just the other day I had a sales person (actually, it might even have been the boss) say, "We really do not recommend that xxx. We sold one once, the customer wasn't happy, it needs work and strengthening."

Not in corporate advertising, but staff tend to spill the beans.

[MajorPanic]

Have a look.....


HERE (http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/showpost.php?p=52988&postcount=1)& HERE (http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/showpost.php?p=146772&postcount=1)

[GraemeCook]

Have a look.....


HERE (http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/showpost.php?p=52988&postcount=1)& HERE (http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/showpost.php?p=146772&postcount=1)



Thanks MajorPanic. Those cabinets look great and functional.

For cost reasons I had almost decided to go with melamine but will now get some more quotes to see if the better appearance is affordable. I have also decided to go with an all drawer unit - later I may add some cupboards on top of the drawers.

Now that you have been using your cabinets for four years how have you found them?


my guess is that the wide drawer is well and truly full, and you would like more small compartments,
would you like to have another deeper drawer,
how have you found the drawer depths,
would you like more drawers.

In essence, what would you do differently if you were starting from scratch, but with that four years experience.

I hope you do not mind me using your experience ti refine my design.

Cheers

Graeme

[MajorPanic]

Hey Graeme,

I still have another 5-6 meters of cabinets to build for the back wall of the shed.
I really like the drawers, but the cupboards hold larger & odd shaped stuff better with the adjustable shelves.

If you are going to build drawers work out what you want to put in them first.

I will probably build another 2 sets of drawers & one more wide fittings drawer. The rest will be cupboards including a sound insulated & power ventilated cupboard for the large compressor & a small stainless sink.

[boban]

You can do everything you want in 16mm melamine. It is more than strong enough for the job.

Nail (brad gun) and screws and it will be fine. I inherited a unit made by a joinery mob that they used to store all their screws, nails, biscuits, hinges etc. I took it with the intention of building something a little sturdier when the need arises. It has the full extension slides and the drawers hold a lot of weight. 5 years on and its still like it was when I picked it up and it has been moved a few times.

The beauty of melamine is the finish.

[GraemeCook]

Thanks Major & Boban

Those odd shaped larger things was why I was thinking about a deeper drawer. Agree got to think about what I will put in them - problem is that I do not know the size of future stuff.

Yep, finish of melamine is clean, but ply/wood is pretty.

Cheers

Graeme

[Johncs]

Have a look.....


HERE (http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/showpost.php?p=52988&postcount=1)& HERE (http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/showpost.php?p=146772&postcount=1)


What is the finish on those Major?

[MajorPanic]

The finish on the cabinets is 30% gloss lacquer.

It seems to have held up very well over the past couple if years. :cool: