Tool cabinet question

[Ron Conlon]

I'm finally getting around to building a wall-mounted hand tool cabinet, and in looking at some samples in Jim Tolpin's The Toolbox Book, I noticed that the fronts and backs are often made from 1/4" ply. Tool hangers/holders are then screwed into this. That seems like there would not be much screw penetration (3/16" max) to be supporting some of the heavier items.
Anyone have any first-hand experience with this? Did you build one with 1/4" and wish it were thicker?

[JohnT Fitzgerald]

Ron - what heavier items are you planning on storing in the cabinet? Another option is to mount pegboard onto the back and hang items from it, or build the cabinet with a small shelf or two for maximum strength for heavier items.

[Casey Gooding]

1/4" backs are often used. What you typically can't see is that there are 1/2" or 3/4" nailers behind that back that are attached to the cabinet that allow you to use 2.5" to 3" screws into your studs. This will give you more that enough strength to support heavier items.

[Ron Conlon]

John-
Tolpin has hand planes mounted with the bottom of the plane up against the back of the cabinet. He has small lipped shelves on which the heel of the plane rests. But these lipped rests would only be screwed into the backing 1/4" ply, which doesn't seem strong enough to me.
Casey- I'm not referring to the join strength of the back to the cabinet- For example, in the inside of one of the doors, there will be a tool hanger/rest which is screwed into the back of the door. Obviously the screw can't come through the front of the door, so the screw could only be penetrating the plywood 3/16" max. That does not seem to be enough strength for a wood screw, particularly in ply.

[Harlan Barnhart]

I screwed my tool supports from the back. The screws have full penetration in the supports.

[Mike Holbrook]

Maybe the tool rests are actually glued to the doors/back and the screws were used to hold the two pieces together until the glue dried.

[Tom Vanzant]

In Jim Tolpin's book The Toolbox Book, his wall-hung toolbox on page 85 has 1/2" back and door panel, not 1/4". No problem with screw penetration. FWIW, I mounted my hangers thru the rear panel.

[Ron Conlon]

Tom-
You're absolutely right. I just looked up the referenced tool cabinet and it does have a 1/2" back. I guess I'll also make the doors thicker so that I can feel like tool hangers can support the weight load as well. I'll probably take Mike's idea and use glue as well.

Thanks all for your input!

[Brent Smith]

I made mine with 3/4" back and doors. I use hand shaped wood tool supports. Having the 3/4" allows me to screw them in from the front which gives me the easy option of moving them around if new tools are added.

[Russell Sansom]

I don't have a copy of the cabinet you're alluding to, but have faced the problem with thin hardwood panels. I dado'd shelves into the sides of the cabinet and avoided the backs and fronts completely. I agree with your original supposition, though. I wouldn't be comfortable screwing into 3/8" ply. Screwing through it from the back would work, of course.

[Mike Ruggeri]

My tool cabinet is currently a work in process, but, as Brent also did, I used 3/4" for backs and doors as I wanted something solid to secure the tool holders.

Mike

[Jim Koepke]

Another trick would be to use two panels on the door. One to cover the inside piece with all the screws going through it.

jtk

[Jim Belair]

Another trick would be to use two panels on the door. One to cover the inside piece with all the screws going through it.

jtk

That's exactly how I did my tool cab. with inner panels 3/8" and a framed raised panel outer door for looks. It's a bit inconvenient if you don't yet have enough tools to fill the doors but I didn't have that problem :rolleyes:

Jim B

[paul cottingham]

I made the same toolbox from Tolpin's book wit a 3/4" back and door. I've never regretted the decision, it holds a ton of tools.

[Casey Gooding]

I gotcha. I would absolutely not try to screw anything into the 1/4" plywood. You could always screw into the rails or stiles of the door. Or you could have a thicker panel.

[Niels Cosman]

I built my till with a 3/4" carcase and a 3/4" back rabbeted in the back with glue and highpoint screws. The back attaches wall with a, 1" thick french cleat that is glued and screw to the back panel and a maple backer panel on the inside surface of the carcase (maple-ply-maple). I over built it like crazy and it's not the prettiest till , i would do it the same way again. I dont really see the need to skimp on material when the tools are so valuable- play it safe. There is a signifigant investment in those tools(one that i cant replace) and the thought of them falling to the floor sends shivers down my spine. The way it's built i don.t even think twice about the amount of weight in there.

I was going to put hardwood edging on the surfaces of the ply endgrain on the front, but never got around to it (and probably never will). I am planning on moving shops in the next month or to and MIGHT get around to building a door with space for saws and layout tools.

[Rick Erickson]

I made mine with a 1/2" back and 3/4" doors. More stuff is hanging on the doors than on the back.