Work bench drawer lining

[lou sansone]

good evening fellow wood workers

On one of my work benches I have about a dozen drawers that I store many of my carving tools and other ww tools in. I tried some " rubber mat stuff " to line the drawers with but it just slides around and is a mess. I tried the sears craftsman tool box drawer liners as well and it was just as junky. so what do you folks like ?

lou

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Lou....have you tried the rubber drawer lining material made for RVs? I've used the stuff in my 5th wheel trailer and it doesn't slide around at all.

[Ken Garlock]

Lou, I bought a 70 ft. roll of the stuff you don't like, or at least I think they are the same:confused: I lined 10 drawers with it, and I agree that it can and does slide around. Although I haven't done this, stop at an office supply store and pick up a bottle of rubber cement. Paint a square area on the underside corners of the liner and put it in place. Put a weight on each corner overnight and see how it does the next day with tools in the drawer. When I get disgusted with my liners, I am going to try the rubber cement as a first attempt. A small bottle of rubber cement is a small price to pay for a potential solution....

[Bill Simmeth]

Haven't done it (yet) myself, but a friend is pleased with sheet cork cut to size and installed with 3M 77 spray adhesive. I think he used 3/16" cork.

[Jamie Buxton]

There's stuff called anti-skid shelf liner. It is a net covered with high-friction rubbery material. It comes in several colors. You can buy it any place where shelf paper is sold -- hardware stores (in the houseware section where wood guys almost never go), kitchen-supply places, etc. Even Home Depot has it. It may be the same stuff Ken's talking about in RV stores.

[Jim Dunn]

The stuff Jamie above is talking about I use in my work van to line the shelves. This van is used on and off road and generally stays in place. I found that a router pad is about the same material.

Jim

[Dev Emch]

Hi Lou...

I think that it would depend on what your storing in those drawers. As I recall, those drawers were rather large so have you put in dividers? Have you frenched any of the drawers?

Carving tools and chisels for that matter tend to be very sharp so a proper nose dive can cut most materials. Some of the high end chisels vendors such as LN and C.Barr often ship their sets in leather tool rolls. This works wonders in protecting the tools if they are tossed loose into a drawer or tool chest.

Some tools such as precision layout tools and squares and micrometers etc. are best stored in an oak tool box with felt drawer linings. That is why the Grestner boxes have been around for hundred years and are still popular with the machinist crowd. By the way, the oak absorbs rust inducing moisture for those who wish to ask.

So for super sharp cutting items, I like to keep them in small neat boxes lined with leather. A nice conolley split hide will be just nice. I like the cream and light brown colors. DO NOT GET THE HARLEY TANNED CHAP LEATHER. That stuff is like road kill died black and is to hard or tuff to work with and way to thick. Look up leather working or leather suppliers in your phone book. You will be amazed what you can find.

When using this stuff on bottom of drawers. The way I like to do drawers involves holding the bottom in from the rear using a couple of brads. Thus, I can pull the bottom out of my drawers in about 10 seconds. Hopefully you will have enough groove space to accept the leather clas bottom once done. if your starting from scratch, then dado the grooves a bit thicker. This way, if you ever cut up and destroy your drawer linings, you can replace them quickly. A similar arugment holds for green felt.

Green felt is the lining of choice for small drawers holding machinist items as mentioned. I use a synthethic felt purchased at the local craft shop these days. But i think Grerstner still sells wool felt for drawer linings in either green or maroon. Both are very attractive and create wonderful drawers for storing small, precise tools.

Good Luck in your quest....

[Rob Will]

Haven't done it (yet) myself, but a friend is pleased with sheet cork cut to size and installed with 3M 77 spray adhesive. I think he used 3/16" cork.

Bill has it right, the best way to hold sheet goods in the bottom of drawers is to use spray glue. You might need some cardboard or paper to keep glue off of the drawer sides. Also be sure to spray both parts and let it tack off for a moment before you "stick it".

In another post here Dev mentioned the posibility of sharp cutting tools banging together and cutting drawer lining material. That would definitely be of concern so some sort of partitions are in order. The leather sounds cool for those really sharpies.

.02 Rob

[lou sansone]

thanks guys

I was hoping not to have to glue it in.

lou

[Guy Germaine]

Use double-stick tape

[Frank Pellow]

thanks guys

I was hoping not to have to glue it in.

lou
Lou, I used 3M spray adhesive. Is is easy to appy and will come off easilty should I want to remove one of the drawer linings.

[tod evans]

Lou, I used 3M spray adhesive. Is is easy to appy and will come off easilty should I want to remove one of the drawer linings.

frank, the spray 77 is supposed to be removable but the 90 is permanent.

[Bart Leetch]

I don't know if this will work but I used to use regular black rubber floor runner flipped up side down in my mechanic tool box. I had that cheap Sears stuff & the rubber floor runner replaced it.

Of course the fact that I got a big chunk of it free had nothing to do with it. :eek: :D ;)

[Jerry White]

Lou, I have had good luck with this drawer liner. Of course it will not separate your sharp tools from one another, it does adhere to the drawer bottoms pretty well without adhesive. I looked all over for this product and ended up calling the manufacturer for help. They directed me to Home Depot.....and there it was. I had walked by it many times before.

http://www.leggett-cpu.com/cpucatalog/showvantage.asp?show=722 (toolbox liners at bottom of page)

Hope this is of some help.

Jerry White

[Frank Pellow]

frank, the spray 77 is supposed to be removable but the 90 is permanent.
I didn't know that they had more than one kind. I just checked, and mine is the 3M 77.

[lou sansone]

I don't know if this will work but I used to use regular black rubber floor runner flipped up side down in my mechanic tool box. I had that cheap Sears stuff & the rubber floor runner replaced it.

Of course the fact that I got a big chunk of it free had nothing to do with it. :eek: :D ;)

hi bart
yea I think I need somthing that will not wrinkle when the drawer is slammed shut with all types of wrenches and other tools on it. this may do the trick. thanks for all the other suggestions
lou

[Ted Shrader]

Lou -

I used some rubber backed low loop-pile carpet in mine. The stuff stays put on it. Got it from the borg off a bulk roll. Sold as carpet runner and is 30" (or 36") wide. You can put it in carpet side down for rubber next to the tools or else right side up. Your choice.

Ted

[lou sansone]

Hi ted.. I like that idea as well

thanks
lou