Adding drawers below stretcher on Roubo-style workbench

[Marko Milisavljevic]

I would like to add drawers under the bottom shelf of my Roubo workbench (which I'm building from Benchcrafted plans). Like this:

http://www.popularwoodworking.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/RouboGermanBench.jpg

They should be durable and easy to operate with one hand. Self-closing is a plus. If they are built with traditional methods that's a bonus, but I'm happy to use modern sliders or whatever contraptions too, for as long as they are not apparent when drawers are closed. Having never built a drawer of any kind I'm not sure how to suspend them under the bench. I am also concerned that if I simply suspend them as they apparently seem to be in above illustration, they are likely to collect plenty of dust. Any suggestions?

[Brian Holcombe]

Modern slides are aggravating on small drawers. They are nice on big drawers (like one would use for a kitchen). I would strongly recommend you rethink the use of modern slides on this setup.

You could install battens running between the drawers dado the drawer sides and put strips on the battens to act as guides.

[Sean Hughto]

With all due respect to L'Monsieur, I would not have such drawers in my shop. First, they don't look recessed enough - I fear I'd be forever kicking them when standing close to the bench. And if recessed enough, they would not be easy to access. Also, the front of the bench is likely the messiest place in the shop as far as sawdust and shavings and cut offs and what nots - these drawers will make cleaning up a PITA. Building them would not be hard, however.

[Marko Milisavljevic]

Sean, is your concern about having enough clearance below drawers to pass a broom? I could raise the front stretcher as appropriate.

While I want to keep bulk of the space under the top open, I have a small shop and a few drawers would be very welcome (right now I have none, everything is stored on shelves in plastic bins which is a pain to get to). This would be another alternative:

http://www.woodsmithshop.com/download/601/shaker-style-workbench.pdf

In that plan, bottom stretchers are replaced with drawer carcass, so less space is wasted while retaining rigidity.

[Sean Hughto]

You could do a lot of things. You could simply make wooden trays or boxes that slide on the floor under the bench in that same space. There is a ton of room for a rolling cart under the end with the tail vise.

This one lives in that space under my bench:
http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2317/2281043624_ff65229e3b_z.jpg

[Craig Dupler]

You could do a lot of things. You could simply make wooden trays or boxes that slide on the floor under the bench in that same space. There is a ton of room for a rolling cart under the end with the tail vise.

This one lives in that space under my bench:


This is an old thread, but I found it to be inspirational one. I'm nearing completion of mine, and decided to both raise the shelf a couple inches and extend the vises so that the parallel guides would be BELOW the shelf. That way the sliding vise's parallel guide would not be sweeping the shelf, which pretty much makes it unusable.

[Stanley Covington]

With all due respect to L'Monsieur, I would not have such drawers in my shop. First, they don't look recessed enough - I fear I'd be forever kicking them when standing close to the bench. And if recessed enough, they would not be easy to access. Also, the front of the bench is likely the messiest place in the shop as far as sawdust and shavings and cut offs and what nots - these drawers will make cleaning up a PITA. Building them would not be hard, however.

All of Sean's points are right on the money, especially the kicking part. In addition, if your shop is slab-on-grade construction, the drawers will tend to be damp. Not a problem if the floor is elevated.

Stan

[steven c newman]

372379
What lives under my bench.....