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30th October 2023, 04:20 PM #1Senior Member
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I couldn't be bothered building drawers for my cabinets - alternative ideas?
I've built a bunch of cabinets that are now on wheels and have all my bench top tools on top. Excellent! Cabinets are made from 16mm melamine.
The plan was to build build lots of drawers out of melamine to fit in the cabinets and give me lots of storage. But as it turns out, I just couldn't be bothered! I want to get on with actual projects. But I also need the storage and organisation as I have crap everywhere in cardboard boxes. I would need to build about 24 drawers, which is fair bit of work.
Options (aside from just biting the bullet and building the drawers):
- Use storage containers - lids keep the dust away, they stack nicely, but a pain to get stuff in and out
- Cupboards with shelves - definitely less work, a bit more adaptable with changing needs, but stuff probably gets lost down the back
- Buy pre-built drawers - I'm sure this is possible, but probably not off the shelf to fit the exact dimensions of my cabinets
- Pay someone to do it - yeah probably not worth the money for shop furniture that will get beat up
Any other ideas?
Also, side note, what is the thinnest material you would use for making the drawers? 16mm melamine makes a solid drawer but perhaps overkill?
Thanks
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30th October 2023 04:20 PM # ADSGoogle Adsense Advertisement
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30th October 2023, 04:53 PM #2SENIOR MEMBER
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I'm in the same boat you are currently building storage with drawers.
The issue i find with building anything for storage is you need to have what you're planning on storing in mind, without this you'll end up building something that is bit of a waste of space.
So bit of chicken and egg scenario, if you've got stuff to store i'd def get cracking on the drawers, if not i'd make do until you have a need.
Having said that if i were to go back in time and tell myself when i first started woodworking, would be to make lots of cabinets with appropriately sized drawers, sure they are a bore to make and like yourself would very much like to make "actual" projects. But what i'm finding is more frustrating is working in a space with limited time and constantly having to move stuff around to find a suitable working arrangement or not being able to work efficiently because i'm forever trying to recall where i left whatever i needed at that point in time.
Hence i'm where i'm at now, putting everything i would like to be building on hold, to build cabinets with drawers.
Back to your question, if i had to decide and needed the storage my go to would be build boxes that fit inside your cabinets as an interim with dividers, from there make simple boxes can be as simple as brad nailed together or as complex as you want. Once you have your storage requirements (and list of projects dwindle) i'd finalise the cabinet drawers.
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30th October 2023, 07:55 PM #3I would love to grow my own food, but I can not find bacon seeds
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31st October 2023, 06:27 AM #4Senior Member
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31st October 2023, 06:31 AM #5Senior Member
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I’ve finally finished lining the walls with French cleats. Now comes the fun of building little holders for everything. I will say that they make a huge difference for me. Being able to easily move things around is really useful. Even just seemingly superficial things like how high up on the wall to mount a particular tool to make it easily “grab-able” is a breeze with the cleats. So I recommend giving them a try if you haven’t already.
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31st October 2023, 08:47 AM #6SENIOR MEMBER
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I like the way this guy builds his shop draws as the can be rearranged as required
https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=qtq41rF0Jyfj7AeJ&v=suCVWmYdvhI&feature=youtu.be
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31st October 2023, 01:01 PM #7
I went through this exercise 12+ years ago and actually built a `15 drawer unit for my shed as practice before doing a kitchen renovation. I learned a lot.
Drawers actually hold a lot more than shelves and it is much more accessible. You probably need more shallow drawers than you expect, and fewer deep drawers.
Melamine drawers are held together by screws - I do not think there is enough wheatbix to go thinner than 16 mm. If you use solid timber or plywood and dovetail or lock mitre joint then you can go down to 12 mm, possibly 9 mm.
What I did.
First I gave a local joiner a cutting list and asked him to supply, cut and edgeband all drawer sides and bottoms. I did not have have to breathe the dust, hi machines were far more accurate and no mistakes, and his edgebanding was far better than any iron on stuff. Cost was about the same as I could by the melamine.
Then I assembled the carcases with 5 mm self tapping screws on 200 mm centre into predrilled holes. Used the backkkkks of the carcases as "squaring templates". Really fast after about the third carcase.
Then I did the drawers using the bottoms as "squaring templates". Used then $15 Chinese full extension runners available from both Blum and Hettich agents. Single extension runners are a false economy and those powder coated things from BigChain are crap.
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31st October 2023, 01:08 PM #8
Mate has shelves spaced to take plastic milk crates. They look efficient, but it is an absolute pain to find anything - Even if you guess the right box, little things are always down the bottom and hiding.
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31st October 2023, 01:16 PM #9
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWMof36OcYA&feature=youtu.be
there is a couple of others that Ive lost re using ply/MDF as your drawer runners.
There are also others about using standard size 'bearers' for your drawer slides and making different size drawersI would love to grow my own food, but I can not find bacon seeds
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4th November 2023, 01:03 PM #10Senior Member
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You could use storage containers with the lips running in grooves for support, with or without lids?
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4th November 2023, 02:02 PM #11Senior Member
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4th November 2023, 02:08 PM #12Senior Member
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This might work actually.
JONAXEL Storage combination, white, 50x51x70 cm - IKEA
That might fit inside the cabinets. $50 for 4 drawers…
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4th November 2023, 03:46 PM #13
Without lids those Ikea things will fill with crap like sawdust and wood shavings which will attract rust.
Seeing as you've already built the cabinets your choices are now limited, however you may be extremely lucky and find a range of plastic lidded containers that can be used as drawers; just fit cleats on the internal walls for the lips of the containers to run along as suggested earlier. Or, as is more likely any containers of a suitable height will be too narrow for the carcase sides; fit shelves in the cabinets for the containers to sit on.
If you find some containers that are just a bit too narrow but otherwise perfect in every respect... make some new carcases that will fit inside the existing ones. use the cheapest particle board with glue and nail construction, cut grooves or fit cleats to allow the containers to slide in and out. When you eventually get sick of looking at them... make the proper drawers that you wanted in the first place!Nothing succeeds like a budgie without a beak.
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4th November 2023, 05:59 PM #14Senior Member
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5th November 2023, 02:16 AM #15GOLD MEMBER
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We have companies that specialize in parts of cabinets suppling them to small shops. Many get doors from one company, drawers from another and cases from a third etc. I suggest sniffing around for drawer makers to see what they can supply. Usually arrive as flat packed for you to assemble. Made of dovetailed hardwood, plywood and other manmade materials, often pre-finished. Cost more than you doing if from scratch but easier. Even companies that supply entire flat pack kitchens might do an order of drawers only.
Pete
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