Handtool cabinet design questions

[Alex Yeilding]

I am planning to build a wall-hung handtool cabinet.While playing around with tool layouts on pegboard mockups, I am thinking about construction details, and hope experienced folks here can help if I am heading down a dangerous path!

My current thinking is a "clamshell" design, with same-size 16x26x8 (maybe less on the depth, and subject to my tool layout experiements) boxes.

1) I plan to use a piano hinge for the strength. Should I be considering something else instead?

2) The front of the "door" and the back of the fixed box will be rigid (face frame with raised panel on the door, and 1/2" veneer core ply screwed into a rabbet in the back of the fixed unit). Do I still need to worry about racking of the unit, due to the weight of the "door" with its tools? I can put some arches or triangles at he corners of the openings if I need to, but I'd prefer not if not needed. Box will be out of 4/4 hardwood, probably walnut.

3) When the door is open, I don't want it just hanging free. I've thought of several solutions, but would welcome others. My current best choice is a wall -mounted catch that the door opens into. This could hold it securely, and relieve some of the weight from the hinge.

Thanks in advance for any thoughts.

[John Schreiber]

I haven't built anything like that, but unless there's a strong need for clam shell design, I'd go another way. If the front is divided and opening in both directions, it requires two hinges, but it dramatically decreases the stress on the hinge and makes quick access to the contents easier.

Just my $.02

[Bill Geyer]

Here are photos of my cabinet. It is 28" x 32" x 16" when closed.
The piano hinges have held the weight for the last 2 years just fine. I used rare earth magnets on the sides to hold it open. I only wish it was larger...

[Barry Vabeach]

Alex, I built mine over 10 years ago and used a piano hinge and no sagging yet. Mine was built as a closed box which you saw open - pretend that instead of hanging on the wall, it is face up on a bench - you have 4 pieces of wood form the sides, the top is solid wood in a rabbet towards the top of the sides, and the bottom is ply in a rabbet in the sides near the bottom. Once the glue dries you slice it open so you have a top and bottom. I then screwed a cleat to the "bottom" and hung it on the wall and used the piano hinge to attach the bottom, which is now the back, to the top, which is now the front. I didn't add any triangles, and haven't seen any signs of racking, I assume that is because of the plywood in the rabbet in the back. My other suggestion is to plan for open space in the cabinet. When I first made mine I jammed my planes in side by side with nearly no space between them, but it allowed me to keep some other space completely open - over the years that will get filled in quickly. My suggestion is to shoot for 25 - 30 % of the space be kept empty at first - if you can't do that with your current tools, make it bigger.