Shop Cabinets

[James Manning]

The new shop is starting to get cluttered with nowhere to put stuff, so I decided it was time to start on some cabinets for storage. Below are some pictures of the base cabinets that I started yesterday, the long wall run is almost 13ft and the short run around 6ft. Just simple but joints with pocket screws with 2 cleats running on the top and back to keep everything solid and square. They are sitting on top of a 2x4 base that was put down first and they are soild as a rock!


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[Dave MacArthur]

They look nice, please keep posting pics of them. I have the exact same shaped/sized L to fill... a cutlist would be even better! ;)

[glenn bradley]

Yeah, buddy! Looking very nice.

[Mike Buelow]

Looks like you have an important shop tool installed already... a reliable stereo.

[James Manning]

Hey guys thanks for looking, I will keep posting as I get more done.

Dave I will I will reply back later with a description for sizing these cabinets, as I am headed for a meeting right now.

James.

[Jim Becker]

Looks like you have an important shop tool installed already... a reliable stereo.

Indeed!
-----

And the cabinets are going to be a great addition. Keep the pictures coming!

[Grant Davis]

James, looking very good so far. I too am interested in seeing future photos. Keep posting.

[Jay Keller]

they look too flimsy for workbench support.

[James Manning]

they look too flimsy for workbench support.


Jay,

These cabinets are not going to be my primary workbench, that is another issue all together. I have a 4x10 outfeed workbench that I am bringing home from work. It has been in service for many years in the carpentry shop, this shop was in service since the early 30's and we shut it down and auctioned off all the big oliver machines. I loved going into that shop while the carpenters were building pallets, cabinets, bookcases, lockers, signs, etc. I wanted to somehow put a small piece of that history into my shop so I got the hugh outfeed table/workbench that was up next to the big oliver tablesaw. I will post pictures of it when I get it home and start to restore it.:)


Also these cabinets are not flimsy, when I put the top on them they will not have any problem holding whatever I want to put on them or in them!

[Jay Keller]

they look flimsy...and too narrow to be useful

[James Manning]

they look flimsy...and too narrow to be useful

Jay,

It appears that you got it all figured out, and your opinion matters, well I guess it does to you anyway, so I will not bother discussing details with you! As it seems you have already made up your mind anyway,

(flimsy & non useful).

Has anyone ever described you that way? :)

[Rob Wright]

Jay - they look great. I have a similar cabinet attached to a wall in my shop (garage) and with it attached to the wall - Not flimsy. I built top from a salvage solid core door and attached it to the cleats. Again - they look great - Rob

[Rob Bodenschatz]

The guy's obviously a troll, James. Ignore him.

Those cabinets are gonna be great. Be sure to post follow-up pics.

[Jesse Thornton]

Hey James,
Your cabinets in the making will be a great addition to your shop. My shop is currently full of open shelves that need to be converted to closed cabinets. Be sure to share more pics when you're done!
As far as a certain previous poster is concerned, I suggest that you simply don't feed the trolls! (http://www.flayme.com/troll/#What) Such comments are only made to stir up contention, not to provoke any meaningful dialogue.
Regards,

[John Lucas]

They hardly look flimsy. They do look very streamlined and neat. If you make shop cabinets that nice, the other cabinets you make in the future will be great!!!

[Jay Keller]

Jay,

It appears that you got it all figured out, and your opinion matters, well I guess it does to you anyway, so I will not bother discussing details with you! As it seems you have already made up your mind anyway,

(flimsy & non useful).

Has anyone ever described you that way? :)
Wow. Pretty sensitive about those cabinets. They will surely collapse under some nominal workshop weight, if you could get equipment onto those narrow counter tops.

[Dennis Peacock]

OK folks....let's "play" nicely here.
This is NOT an open critique of someone's work on shop cabinets. IMHO, these will be very fine cabinets for one's own shop use.

[ryan smythe]

hey jay why don't you show us how cabinets are meant to be made.

[Andy Hoyt]

I built about thirty feet of cabinet carcasses for my shop a while back in the same manner.

I have beaten the bejeebers out of them ever since and they're holding up just fine. What'd I do wrong?

65976

[Jim McCarty]

they look flimsy...and too narrow to be useful
Someone needs a nap.

[James Manning]

Hey thanks everyone for the kind words, and I will keep the pictures coming.

Jay I sure would like to see some pictures of any cabinets you've built so I may pick up a few tips..........:D

[James Manning]

I built about thirty feet of cabinet carcasses for my shop a while back in the same manner.

I have beaten the bejeebers out of them ever since and they're holding up just fine. What'd I do wrong?

65976

Andy those look great, nothing wrong as far as I can see, other than I do not see a picture of the finished cabinets. :)

What did you end up using on top of the 2by's?

[Rob Tolentino]

James,

Thanks for sharing the photos. Look forward to seeing the progress. I think they will make fine storage units for your workshop.

[Von Bickley]

James,

Great looking cabinets.... Keep the pictures coming.:) :) :)

[Andy Hoyt]

James - I used two layers of 1/2" PTS Pine plywood that was left over from when I refloored the shop. Here's your pic:

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[James Manning]

Andy,

Thanks for the photo, I can't decide if I want to half-lap 2by's like you did or just get some 3/4 ply and double it up for 1 1/2 thick top. The finished width of the top will be 18" and I will wrap it with 1by's. I was in the local borg yesterday and they had some nice laminate tops that someone ordered and never picked up. I could rip the backsplash off and make them work. Might be condsidered to fancy for a shop though.......:)

James.

[Art Mulder]

James - I used two layers of 1/2" PTS Pine plywood that was left over from when I refloored the shop. Here's your pic:

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Nice looking bowl, Andy... :D

[Jim Becker]

James, I have been in Andy's shop and his work surfaces and cabinets are well built for the intended application The technique you both use is quite common, sturdy and strong. Again, I look forward to your progress pictures.

[Dennis Peacock]

Nice looking bowl, Andy... :D

Good eye Art!!!!!!!!!!!!! ;)

I'm glad this subject came up. I seriously need to make my shop some cabinets.

[Art Mulder]

Good eye Art!!!!!!!!!!!!! ;)

Thanks, The other one looks like a good popcorn bowl also.

re: flimsiness... Unfortunately I don't have references at hand, but I have heard many people testify to the strength of plywood on edge - which is what James has here with the cabinet sides. There was a workbench featured in a recent FWW where all the legs and stretchers were plywood on edge.

Once these cabinets are fastened to the wall, and have a face frame on them, there will be no possibility of racking. At that point, I would expect these to easily carry a few hundred pounds or more.

Anyone have a link to tables that show the weight carrying limits of plywood on edge?

I also enjoy learning what people do in their shops. My old kitchen-reject cabinets will have to go someday...

[Nancy Laird]

Andy,

Thanks for the photo, I can't decide if I want to half-lap 2by's like you did or just get some 3/4 ply and double it up for 1 1/2 thick top. The finished width of the top will be 18" and I will wrap it with 1by's. I was in the local borg yesterday and they had some nice laminate tops that someone ordered and never picked up. I could rip the backsplash off and make them work. Might be condsidered to fancy for a shop though.......:)

James.

James, if you can find some laminate tops to use in your shop, GET THEM!!! LOML worked for a countertop shop when we first moved here and he has built most of our shop tops with unclaimed laminate tops--even managed to get a huge one for a 4' outfeed table for the Unisaw. Just rip the backsplash off and if they are the post-formed type with the curvy front, rip that off too, then put a solid apron on the front and ends. Ours have been installed for 12-13 years and are as solid, flat, and in as good shape as they were when installed. You won't regret it.

If you have a countertop fabrication shop in your town, you could possibly get the tops even cheaper there---they always have stuff piled in the back that wasn't fabricated exactly right, or the laminate used was wrong, or some other reason. Lots of those tops go into the dumpster--(midnight dumpster diving, anyone?). You truly cannot go wrong with laminate tops for your cabinets.

By the way, IGNORE THE TROLL.

Nancy

[James Manning]

Art,

I have built several cabinets like this over the years for my shop and for others. If you look closely you will see some small black screws in the bottom and in the back cleat that locks them to the wall & to the bottom into the 2by base. Everyone that comes into my shop goes over and pushes on them and they all say the same thing, these things don't budge at all (no racking). Now for the weight load rating for vertical plywood I do not know......but for normal small item shop tools they will hold plenty. The full extension slides I am using have at least a 100lbs rating, 100 x 3 drawers per cabinet loaded is 300lbs. The one large vertical cabinet is going to be for mechanic type wrenches & air chucks and so forth, this will keep the kids from plundering into the shop looking for a way to put air into a basketball or bicycle tire. When I start running my air-line drops I will place one near the roll-up door so we will have easy access to air for working on the golf-cart or 4 wheeler etc.

[James Manning]

James, if you can find some laminate tops to use in your shop, GET THEM!!! LOML worked for a countertop shop when we first moved here and he has built most of our shop tops with unclaimed laminate tops--even managed to get a huge one for a 4' outfeed table for the Unisaw. Just rip the backsplash off and if they are the post-formed type with the curvy front, rip that off too, then put a solid apron on the front and ends. Ours have been installed for 12-13 years and are as solid, flat, and in as good shape as they were when installed. You won't regret it.

If you have a countertop fabrication shop in your town, you could possibly get the tops even cheaper there---they always have stuff piled in the back that wasn't fabricated exactly right, or the laminate used was wrong, or some other reason. Lots of those tops go into the dumpster--(midnight dumpster diving, anyone?). You truly cannot go wrong with laminate tops for your cabinets.

By the way, IGNORE THE TROLL.

Nancy

Nancy,

I agree, I love laminate for tops...very durable stuff. I will look into this some more today after work and see what I find.

thanks

[Eric Wong]

I've got shop cabs of a similar design. Once screwed to the wall through the back strip, they are rock solid. I've had hundreds of pounds on mine, including two people standing on them for some lighting work.
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