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Thread: Best way to build wall cabinets on exposed studs?

  1. #1

    Best way to build wall cabinets on exposed studs?

    I built a 10’x12’ workshop and left the sheathing and studs exposed on the inside. No drywall or insulation. I’d like to build shop cabinets and I want to maximize every inch of space in the shop I can.

    Can I mount the sides of my cabinets on the sides of the studs to form the carcass and utilize the space between the studs?

  2. #2
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    It is a way to maximize your space. I have used the stud space for storage often, mostly on interior walls as the harsh climate in our area requires exterior walls to be insulated.
    Best Regards, Maurice

  3. #3
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    Ideally when you hang cabinets on a finished wall you locate the studs and use those to support the cabinets. If the wall studs aren't covered it is easy to locate the studs.

    You may also use a french cleat on the wall and the back of your cabinets to hang them. Your wall cleats could span several stud bays. This would allow variable spacing and easy rearrangement.
    french cleat.jpg
    Or you can build shelves like these.
    shelves.jpg
    Last edited by Lee Schierer; 07-13-2022 at 8:47 AM.
    Lee Schierer
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  4. #4
    I guess I could string the French cleat across the studs and still build the individual cabinets to utilize the space between the studs?

  5. #5
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    I did utilize the space between the studs when it was a storage building but when I moved the use to a shop I insulated and ran 1/2" ply on the walls after running electrical. Yes it is space but in the big picture not much.

  6. #6
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    I've used the space between the studs for open shelving. That works okay. I'd be a little concerned about making closed cabinets which do that. I'm guessing your outside wall surface is just 1/2" sheathing or the like. It may not have a humidity barrier like roofing felt. This would mean the rear of a closed cabinet would have temperature and humidity swings which might give you condensation on steel tools, which in turn might mean rust. Leaving the doors off to let air circulate would be safer.

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by Jamie Buxton View Post
    I've used the space between the studs for open shelving. That works okay. I'd be a little concerned about making closed cabinets which do that. I'm guessing your outside wall surface is just 1/2" sheathing or the like. It may not have a humidity barrier like roofing felt. This would mean the rear of a closed cabinet would have temperature and humidity swings which might give you condensation on steel tools, which in turn might mean rust. Leaving the doors off to let air circulate would be safer.
    If I wanted cabinets that I could close to keep dust off things, what would be the best option? The shop is not air conditioned, so rapid swings in temperature and humidity haven't happened.

  8. #8
    +1 for french cleats.
    "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."

    “If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.”

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Will Mullendore View Post
    If I wanted cabinets that I could close to keep dust off things, what would be the best option? The shop is not air conditioned, so rapid swings in temperature and humidity haven't happened.
    Check you local Habitat Re-Store for kitchen cabinets. Probably cheaper and faster than making your own.
    Lee Schierer
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  10. #10
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    What's your weather like? If you think you might reedit, you could install 3/4" foam first. That will insulate and brighten the space without eating much space. Then make shelves 6" deep and 48" long, notched and recessed 2 3/4" into the joist space. Support them on 3 x 3 metal angle brackets screwed to the front of the studs. These can be raised or lowered as your needs evolve.

    Swinging doors would need room to swing, kinda wasteful. How about doors that hang in place and have handles to remove for access? There exists plastic board made like corrugated cardboard. Lift off a big panel with one hand, grab a tool and put the panel back.

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by Tom Bender View Post
    What's your weather like? If you think you might reedit, you could install 3/4" foam first. That will insulate and brighten the space without eating much space. Then make shelves 6" deep and 48" long, notched and recessed 2 3/4" into the joist space. Support them on 3 x 3 metal angle brackets screwed to the front of the studs. These can be raised or lowered as your needs evolve.

    Swinging doors would need room to swing, kinda wasteful. How about doors that hang in place and have handles to remove for access? There exists plastic board made like corrugated cardboard. Lift off a big panel with one hand, grab a tool and put the panel back.
    I'm in central MS so my weather is extremely humid and very warm most of the year. My shop is still evolving since I built it in January, but as of right now I'm working with the door and window open so the inside is basically ambient conditions 24/7.

  12. #12
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    My concern would be a hot humid day followed by a cool night causing condensation and considerable rust on tools.

    I live in the high desert region of Central Oregon which is hot days and cool nights but very low humidity. My shop is better insulated than my house (many less windows in my shop than my house). I find that I can work in my shop until about 1:00pm or 2:00pm in comfort before the sun heats the shop so much that if becomes uncomfortable during the hottest time of the year. This is without AC. Just having the ample insulation helps regulate the shop temperature considerably. About 7 months of the year I work with the windows and doors open in comfort. It is just the two and a half hottest and two and a half coolest months that I close the shop up while working to conserve the heat or the cool.

    I completely understand wanting to use every square inch of space in a shop but you might find that the insulation and plywood walls out weigh the every inch of space with being able to use the shop in comfort a greater portion of the year?

    Do you own or rent? If I rented I would have a much tougher time investing the money and my time in finishing the inside of the shop. If you are going to finish the inside of the shop the less tools and stuff you have moved into the shop (and the less cabinets you have built) the easier it will be to finish off the shop.

    As mentioned above second hand kitchen cabinets might save you a lot of money on materials as well as construction time if you can score a good deal on some.

    P.S. "In my world" a French cleat is set inside the walls of the cabinet not added to the back of the cabinet. If you added a French cleat to the back of the cabinet it would hold the cabinet off the wall the thickness of the cleat making it not very sturdy and messy looking. The top inside part of the cabinet pictured below is a French cleat. The cleat was cut into the solid piece across the top with a dado blade then a 45 degree router bit. There is a rabbit on the bottom of the solid piece to accept the 1/4" plywood back. After the cabinet cleat goes over the cleat on the wall the cabinet will come down ~3/4" to engage the cleat on the wall so there will always be a gap between the top of the cabinet and the ceiling when you use a French cleat.



    If you don't use a French cleat this inset piece will usually be solid and used as a "nailing" board to screw through and mount to cabinet to the studs. A 1/4" back will usually not be sturdy enough to screw through and mount the cabinet hence the "nailing" board.
    Last edited by Michael Schuch; 07-18-2022 at 5:53 PM.

  13. #13
    I appreciate the advice and picture, Michael.

    I own the house and don't see myself moving for many years. You've got me considering insulating the shop because working out there in the summers is becoming brutal, even if I start my work after I finish my day job at 5pm. I guess I'll need to price out what it would take to insulate it. I'll post a picture of the shop in a moment.

  14. #14
    The shop is 12' across the front and 10' deep. It was built to the maximum allowable dimensions based on the property lines.

    The picture below was taken a few months ago right after I put on the first coat of paint after I built it. The second picture is a wide-angle picture of the interior that makes it look narrower than it is, but this is the space I'm limited to. I've already removed the metal rack in the back left corner and moved my jointers bench into that corner. There is a crude overhead shelf for storing lumber right over the door and along the right side wall (visible in the second picture). I'm trying to remove as much unused stuff as possible and find a way to most efficiently store the lesser-used stuff, hence the shop cabinet idea. My plan was to mount them several inches over my head to still give me room to work underneath them. I'm open to any other ideas that anyone has learned through this experience.

    SIGlbCN.jpg

    4vw69pM.jpg

  15. #15
    The shop is 12' across the front and 10' deep. It was built to the maximum allowable dimensions based on the property lines.

    The picture below was taken a few months ago right after I put on the first coat of paint after I built it. The second picture is a wide-angle picture of the interior that makes it look narrower than it is, but this is the space I'm limited to. I've already removed the metal rack in the back left corner and moved my jointers bench into that corner. There is a crude overhead shelf for storing lumber right over the door and along the right side wall (visible in the second picture). I'm trying to remove as much unused stuff as possible and find a way to most efficiently store the lesser-used stuff, hence the shop cabinet idea. My plan was to mount them several inches over my head to still give me room to work underneath them. I'm open to any other ideas that anyone has learned through this experience.
    SIGlbCN.jpg

    4vw69pM.jpg


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