Work Bench Tool Cabinet

[Ace Karner]

I have spent the last two week ends working on this tool cabinet to go under my cheap workbench. Since my workspace is only 12 X 18 feet I need to use all the dead space I can for storage.

I have found since I got into woodworking that I am acquiring an amazing array of small and varied tools and equipment, and that they always seem to be hiding under something when I go looking for them.

So my solution was to design and build a cabinet to replace the junk collecting shelf under my bench.

I will have 20 10 and 3/4 by 14 1/2 two inch deep drawers and 5 that will go in the center compartment that are 4 inches deep.

The carcase is made from maple veneer lumber core plywood cutoffs that were biscuit joined and the runners are maple that was salvaged from some old table legs. The trays or drawers were made with 1/2 inch sides and 1/4 bottoms of Baltic Birch which I had to buy. :)

The drawers are assembled using box joints, a lot of them.

Thanks for looking and I will post pic's when I have finished but for now I'm getting set to watch a couple real good ballgames, can't tell you who I'm rooting for, have too many friends here from all over the country. :D

ace

[Bob Marino]

Ace,

Nice work. Especially like the idea of using scraps. I know what you mean about trying to organize and making the most use of dead space, particularly in a small shop.

Bob

[Dick Parr]

Very Nice Ace, I like that fact that you didn't need any hardware to make this. Give's me some idea's.

[Kent Cori]

Great idea Ace and a dynamite job of execution!

[Steve Inniss]

Wow!

Question Ace, will it be sitting on the floor under your workbench, or attached/suspended underneath it?
I made a new workbench base out of turned pine trunks pinned with oak turnings -very substantial, and I am trying to come up with a good underbench suspension idea for a drawer cabinet.-Steve

[Bruce Page]

Ace, Very Nice! I need to make one of those someday, I doubt that it will be near as nice as yours!

Boy, that would be a lot of box joints...

[Glenn Clabo]

Wow! Nice!

And by the way...GO PATS!

[Ace Karner]

Thanks guys for the kind words.

Steve, the legs on the bench are straight square legs with a shelf in dado's in four stretchers. I'm going to remove these and the small center drawer that you can see in the bottom of the pic and mount the case between the legs with carriage bolts that are counter sunk on the inside of the carcase, that way it can alway be removed while at the same time giving stability and weight to my bench to aid when I'm bearing down with a neander plane.

[Jim Becker]

Great job, Ace...I'd be cross-eyed doing all those drawers! Storage under the bench is a nice thing to have and as you say, there are a lot of little things that get picked up along the away that need a safe place to live (and be easily found). Kudos from me, too, for using a lot of material you have around. It's sometimes too easy to forget about it while you make even more scrap from new material! 'Can't wait to see the final pics when you get it all together.

BTW, make sure you leave a method to clean out stuff that falls through the dog holes...DAMHIKT!

[Steve Inniss]

Thanks guys for the kind words.

Steve, the legs on the bench are straight square legs with a shelf in dado's in four stretchers. I'm going to remove these and the small center drawer that you can see in the bottom of the pic and mount the case between the legs with carriage bolts that are counter sunk on the inside of the carcase, that way it can alway be removed while at the same time giving stability and weight to my bench to aid when I'm bearing down with a neander plane.

Thanks Ace.

That's going to be an excellent bench in a small space. Hey, I've got about 8 boxes of screws, nails, washers etc., etc. I can send you for those drawers if you need even more stability. -Steve

[Mark Singer]

Ace,
Excellent work and great design! Everything is visible.
Mark

[Daniel Rabinovitz]

Ace
My goodness!
You are a glutton for punishment in making drawers.
But am I envious - alot of great storage.
And very well executed - Extremely nice.
Daniel