50 Inch Wide Low Drawers

[Curt Rowe]

I've been building shop cabinets to stash my ever increasing collection of tools. While search around I saw a Snap On base cabinet that would be perfect with the exception of the $5000 price tag. What I liked about it was that it had two 50" wide drawers. One was only 3" high. If I made a 2" to 3" high drawer with maple sides that was 50" wide, would it sag oven time? It would be about 22" deep. I'm thinking of making the bottom out of 1/2" or 3/4" plywood. The drawer would be filled with marking measuring tools most out of aluminum. I plan to add a 3/4" face to front side so that would it more strength. I suppose I could do the same to the back.

[Malcolm McLeod]

Both sides and bottom will sag, even if just a little (gravity is a real downer). With a couple of precautions, I'd think you would be fine - assuming you just want them to continue to close properly. I'd be generous with drawer spacing. A 1/16 gap might not stay that way.

Side-mounted guides would be 'worst-case' for front & back, since it gives you greatest unsupported span (vs. bottom-mount guide(s)). I might stick with 3" deep. If in doubt , a full span 1/8"x2" flat plate (Al or steel) screwed to backside of drawer front (and drawer back?) will make it stronger.

Even with the bottom material you plan, I'd recommend a divider spanning L-to-R. Screw up thru bottom into divider and the unsupported span of bottom is halved.

[Anthony Whitesell]

I, too, think it will sag. Even holding a 48"x96" piece of plywood by the 8' edges, you can see a slight sag in the middle. That's without any weight on it. Unless you have any tools that are longer than 22" (the depth). I would consider adding at least one divider. Not just as dividers but also for support. I would add then front to back. This would make the dividers only 22" (opposed to left to right at 50", sorry for the devil's advocate Malcolm) less likely to sag and better to carry more weight. I would consider 1/2" thick dividers glued into a 1/4" deep dado and screwed from below.

Any chance of mounting the guides under the drawer instead of on the side? Then there is no unsupported load.

With that said, I have a drawer under my workbench for holding a box of bandmill (sawmill) blades (I believe the shipping weight is just short of 50 pounds). The drawer is 48" deep and 38" wide with a 1/4" hardboard bottom. The difference with this draw is that it is purpose built and the weight distribution is guaranteed to be even and from edge to edge.

[Jeffrey Martel]

If you wanted wood, then I would make the drawer out of wood but use Aluminum angle iron on the inside of all faces to give it some rigidity. Basically aluminum drawer, but skinned with wood.

[Malcolm McLeod]

No foul here - - I just interpreted from Curt's description that 50" width was primary interest.

[Jim Becker]

If you wanted wood, then I would make the drawer out of wood but use Aluminum angle iron on the inside of all faces to give it some rigidity. Basically aluminum drawer, but skinned with wood.
This was my thought, too...and if you want to take the time, you can inset the aluminum angle into the wood parts via rebates so they are all flush and look like they grew that way. :)

[eugene thomas]

I would spring for good drawer slides....

[Jay Jolliffe]

Why not 2 25" drawers then you don't have to over build & they won't sag....

[Curt Rowe]

It's sounding like more work than it's worth. I liked the idea of the 50" wide drawer because I could have all my layout tools in one drawer with room to spare. The only tool I have that needs a drawer that large is a 4' level. I can always find another home for it. Then next largest tool is my 670mm x 400mm square or about 27" x 16". Cabinets 30" wide are not uncommon, are they? I could build a 30" and 18" side by side and open both drawers at the same time ;)

[John TenEyck]

If you put a center guide under it the effective span will only be 25" and even a 2" draw isn't going to sag if all you put in it are measuring tools. Realistically, I'd make the sides out of 5/8" stock, at least 2-1/2" wide and use 1/2" plywood bottoms. Side mounted metal drawer slides and a center mounted wooden guide underneath.

John

[Lee Schierer]

If you wanted wood, then I would make the drawer out of wood but use Aluminum angle iron on the inside of all faces to give it some rigidity. Basically aluminum drawer, but skinned with wood.
Aluminum may be too flexible to give sufficient support over a 50" span.

The critical factor is how much weight you will be putting in the drawer. The 3" high sides made from maple are not likely to sag over time standing on edge. Since your drawer is only 22" deep, place your 1/2" drawer bottom in dados in all four sides and glue it in place since you are using plywood, dovetail the four drawer corners and add one or more dividers front to rear inside the drawer. These dividers could be 1/2" wide by the height of the drawer. Attach them to the front and rear and attach the bottom to them with screws and glue. Buy quality drawer slides so they don't bind if you pull on the drawer from one side or the other instead of straight on.

Addendum:
According to the sagulator (http://www.woodbin.com/calcs/sagulator/), a 50" long free floating shelf of 1/2" plywood with two 3" tall by 3/4" thick maple board edge banding with a 100 pound load at the center of the span will sag just .19", distributed load the sag will be .10".

[Jeffrey Martel]

The aluminum tied into the 3" maple should be sufficient to hold measuring tools. I wasn't saying to use it exclusively, but to tie it in to add reinforcement.

[Peter Quinn]

3/4" sides, 1/2" bottom preferably of a good baltic birch material, go back 3 inches from the front, in a divider side to side over the 50" length...gives a spot for your level, then divide the space again front to back running off of that partition like a stair box...not going to sag enough to matter...then put two of these (http://www.harborfreight.com/1-inch-roller-ball-bearing-67060.html) under the mid span...cut a little notch in the back of the drawer to let them pass, mount to the bottom of the cabinet or to a well built web frame/dust shield....definitely no sag. Or simple put three slides on the drawer, one on each side, one under neath mounted on center. This is not a difficult problem to solve. Don't be dissuaded.

[David Eisenhauer]

Assuming your drawer bottoms will be dado'ed in to the drawer sides and front/back, run some hardwood "mullions" front-to-back and side-to-side in the drawer bottom void left after dadoing the drawer bottom up off the bottom of the front/back and sides. I also wonder if it would help to glue the upper surface of the "mullion" arms to the bottom of the drawer bottom and help turn it into more of a single unit?

[Larry Edgerton]

I have done 48 inch drawers many times, no problems. One thing I do that may be different is use heavy 100 pound sidemounts, and then under the drawer hidden in the 1/2" recess I use a sidemount mounted flat. This is not so much for support of weight as to make the drawer pull/push without binding the side slide when pushed from off center.

There is always the Accuride 500 pound slides....

I'm with Peter, don't be talked out of what you want, figure out a way to make it work. That's the fun part of woodworking.

[Tom M King]

Let it roll on the floor on castors, but guided back into place by drawer slides. It'll get expensive to put another one on top of that one.

[Frank Martin]

Why don't you look into other brand of metal tool storage cases as you already liked one. I have one from Trinity, I think 40" wide. All stainless steel, very good quality and under $1k. I think Costco sells it too.