DIY Drawer System - Gonna have a go.

[Chris]

... A gnat's chuff is what we say around here.

Make sure the clever trickery is compatible with metric threads though. Don't get caught out. Also best in silver or black if you can get it. Red will work at a push but tends not to fit as well with bright ideas. OK?

Chris

 

[Mal Eade]

A FEW TIPS

Hi

Before you ask this one is going to Mr Suttleworth when I remove it.




This is the second rear storage unit I have made. I a third is on the cards. A few lessons I have learnt are.

1.
Don't make the drawers to big you will fill them with all heavy stuff and they will be to heavy to pull in and out and will fall apart.
2.
Don't use roller drawer runners as they will rattle and are easily bent with long drawers.
3.
3 or 4 drawers are better than 2 believe me you will be searching through all the stuff looking for that one item you need with 2 drawers. My next one will have 4 drawers.
4.
Lay out all the gear you need to store in the unit. Make one drawer the most used stuff draw at one end and the next drawer stuff that is used but not that often.
5.
The front of the drawers can also be used for things that are used everyday. This way you don't have to pull the entire draw out looking for stuff in the rear of them.
6.
Good strong handles Bolted not screwed on.

The plywood I used is a Phenolic faced Birch ply 9mm. It has one smooth side and one patterned. http://www.dhhtimber.co.uk/riga/riga_heksa.htm

Its Not cheap but will last for years.

The main unit is made with the ply and fixed at each corner with 50 x50 x 1.5mm Alloy angle Bolted through same with the devisers.
The drawers are then made in the same the bottom has the smooth side outwards and so does the inside of the unit. The drawers will slid very early in and out without the use of rollers, I have also sprayed mine with some dry silicon lube.
The bottom of the drawer is made as a snug fit into the unit this stops any rattle and acts as a guide.

The top of the unit is made to take other storage boxes that are held inplace with some hardwood runners. These give extra storage and I can get a layer of 5 on the bottom and a further 3 on top of those.

I have also made a small unit for the fridge to sit on with a shallow drawer under.

 

[Sam]

@Mal Eade - Nice looking system and some good ideas there. Thanks for taking the time to post pics etc.

@Chris - Damn good call. I was holding some blue trickery in my hand... just about to bolt it to the red... and bam! - fell apart. You were so right.

Ok so quick update. I didn't get much time over the weekend... but it was just enough to stuff it up! A lot. A very lot. Erm... yeah... a lot. (tried to add the little red face fellas here but the system said there wasn't enough left for my needs)

I will of course post full details for you all to giggle at - and make myself fully available for laughing and pointing - but not just yet.

Got to put it right, get the project back on track and hopefully reclaim the smallest amount of dignity first

It's all going to be ok. It's nothing really. A tiny hiccup. Just need to start again that's all.
And as soon as I can stop SWMBO laughing I'll be right back on it - though that could take a while!!!

Did prove a few concepts. The cable tray is pretty good. Feels strong enough once bent (as long as its braced and strutted to keep shape) and the box section runners/bearings are fantastic. Stood on them fully extended and nothing broke - or even looked like it might. So all good.

Holes are a right pain to line up though. Depends what you want. It's probably not important that the bearings line up opposite each other - but I wanted them to (especially at the front taking the weight) - so that meant trimming bits off both ends of the tray... and I haven't got an angle grinder... so as I said - bit of a pain. In princliple though - all worked a treat.

Just failed to factor in the impact of my own stupidity. Still, we learn from our mistakes. Just means the finished thing will be that much better.... and erm... well... right!

 

[Sam]

Right... Exciting stuff is a-foot.

As part of my disaster recovery I've been speaking to the people that manufacture the cable trays. Thoroughly decent bunch of chaps I must say.

I'm just waiting for a call back for a price on a "special" custom cable tray that's going to make a lot of difference.

Watch this space... fingers crossed.

 

[Chris]

Sam. I told you. The drawers go INSIDE the car

How many more times.


Chris

 

[Gary Stockton]

Funny that - Superman never got it right either

On a more serious note, Sam - remember to take note of the slope the back door has on the top half - its very misleading and I very nearly had a complete balls-up there - the frame almost came through the glass

 

[Sam]

I know Chris.. always thinking I know best - when will I learn eh?!

Cheers for that Gary, but I'm only making drawers for now. That should mean I only get to about 12" high... and while recent events would suggest I could indeed reach the window with my 12"... I'm hoping I wont! Let's just hope that when it comes to anything higher I remember this post.

Latest update on the project is that the guys that make the cable trays have said they will indeed make me some special ones for me.

The spec was:

- 2 trays 225mm x 2200mm
- solid (without holes)
- 25mm single returns
- V's pre cut at 850mm and 1350mm
- perforations at 850mm and 1350mm for folding
- 8 strips 500mm x 50mm (from the bits left over from 3m lengths)

Using the strips to rivet to the front and back edges (top and bottom) to keep shape and possibly lock drawer catches into.

Looking like they want £80 a tray.... plus £20 shipping (plus a bit for cutting the offcuts into strips.. so about £200 all in)

Cant help thinking I'd be pretty daft to pay for someone to cut little v's into a bit of metal when 10 minutes with a hacksaw or 30 seconds with tin snips would do the job... aaaand a bit of a muppet to pay someone to perforate a bit of metal when I own a drill...

Not quite sure how that came to be the spec... can't remember what was his idea and what was mine. Anyway, point is the guys there are great. I'm certainly not saying the price is steep - not for a custom pain in the butt job for just 2 items. I think it's the spec that's daft. Thought I'd see what they came back with out of interest - then I'd have no cutting or perforating to do (learnt the sheets bend with quite a curve without guides - and feeling lazy).

I think £80 a tray is a bit too much to justify though when I'm only saving half hours work all in... so back on the phone in a minute to get simple ones - solid, cut to length, 25mm single returns + strips for edges... I'm guessing £30 a tray. Place your bets.

 

[Chris]

Buy an angle grinder from Aldi and a cutting disc and get chopping. Like you say, even a hacksaw would do this. Bending the tray is easy as you can score it with the slitting disc between the top cut out and the bottom. Just don't cut all the way through, that would be careless!!! Ahh, maybe I see a flaw in my plan already

Chris

 

[Sam]

Didn't think of scoring with a grinder... but a hacksaw did indeed do it very well. In fact I couldn't find mine so I popped to B&Q and got one for £4.98 - made a noise like a screaming dinosaur but worked a treat. Filed for finish and had perfect ends. What a waste of work that was!

Didn't think to perforate the bend last time either. Will definitely make a line of little little holes to help this time. It's really easy to bend if you've got your v's in line, but its still a real curve when it's done because the cable tray holes start to fold as you bend (cant get far enough away from them to stop it).

Easy enough to knock close to shape after with a hammer to get a better curve - but I reckon a quick line of holes will make all the difference - that and having a solid tray to start with of course.

And yup - we both know I'd cut all the way through Chris... the tray and both legs!

 

[Chris]

You see, with the holes in the tray, I would bolt through (either side of the point where I would bend it) and clamp some steel flat bar to reinforce it. Then bend.

Chris

 

[Sam]

Me too - if I had any to hand... and took the time to do it 'proper'.

Instead I opted for standing on some box section along the fold line - marvelling at how it raised me into the air in defiance.

A curve bend isn't bad though - still pretty tidy. Apparently it's the length between bends and overall final shape that makes all the difference

 

[Sam]

Time to confess.

Not started on my second attempt yet, so cant reclaim any dignity - but just for fun here's the result of my first attempt.

Started well... got my 2 shiny new 225mm cable trays from City Electrical Factors and a couple of lengths of box section from some nice chaps in a barn.
Bigger and heavier duty aluminium than needed (2" x 1" x 3mm) but that's all they had - I got impatient.

Quite a comical moment there as the fella handed me my 5 meter length of box section, took my money and said thank you... followed by a long pause.. followed by me slowly looking at the LC then slowly back at his blank expression... pause.. followed by me venturing the comment - "It's the same on the inside as it looks on the outside!" ... and finally a "Oh - maybe I should cut that in half for you?"....... yes please.

So, looking at my shiny cable tray I thought it would be wise to check my measurements. Now bear in mind here that I've given this a lot of thought... some might say too much with my pencil sketches, Google Sketchup 3d model and various annotated notes. Ready? I could make this baby in my sleep.

So the measuring begins. I want 850mm deep and 1000mm wide overall. That's 2 units 850mm x 500mm. Easy. Lets go.

Oh hang on - the holes are cut in such a way that if I bend it at 850mm and then again at 1350mm things just don't line up. I'm only using the horizontal holes for the bearings and want them to be in line at the front - so that means chopping off a bit from both end. Not a problem I can do that - so off I go jiggling around with the measure finding the cutting points.

Damn. There isn't a way to jiggle things so I get what I want with those dimensions - especially because I don't want to bend ON the holes. Ok no problem I'll just change the dimensions by a few mm... not like I'll notice the difference. Off to the LC to re-measure to see what I can get away with... back to the tray to see where I can bend... back to the LC to check if that's ok... back to the tray to check. Got it. It's all good. It's gotta be 855mm x 960mm.

Ok so the extra 5mm on the depth is nothing - losing a little bit on the width but its 40mm - I can live with that - more room to slide stuff down the sides.

Now I know me. I've spent a lot of time in my company. Quite bright but easily distracted - and things have changed. So it had to be time for coffee and re-check of the plan... I mean, the last thing I want to do is write this post!

Coffee ingested, plan revised - final measure. Scribble out the 850 and the 1000, replace with 855 x 960. Measure LC. Measure tray. Measure LC. Measure tray. I now firmly have the words resounding in my head - "get it right - 855mm x 960mm... 855mm x 960mm.

All measured up. Holes will definitely line up perfectly. Marked the tray with positions for the v's for bending.

Out comes the £4.80 b&q screaming dinosaur hacksaw - both ends cut. Perfect lines. File for finish. Job done.

Quick check with the measure.... cue first obvious incident...

I'm not even going to comment. First aid kit Gav?

Perfect tray ends anyway. Next it's cutting the v's - cue screaming dinosaur...

Job done - filed and perfect!

No need to reiterate the comedy of my levitating act as I stand on the bits of box section on the tray to try and coax a tight bend...

The finished unit. Now that's cool. Ok it's not rocket science but it's a nice bend - its all straight and the holes line up a treat. Good start.

A perfect 855mm x 960mm unit. Excellent. Well done. Let's move on to the second one....

Hang on... erm... hmmmm.

Suddenly that bloke with the box section doesn't seem so daft. Exactly how wide do I think the LC is?????

Cue Gollum moment..
-- That's 2 units at 855mm x 480mm Sam... what did you do??
-- Yeah but you said 855mm x 960mm so many times I got bored and switched off...
-- Muppet!

In a vain attempt to rectify the situation I cut up the other tray to make a couple of 830mm lengths that I could rivet into place with brackets in the middle to hold the tops. I even stopped to ponder whether I could take a photo in such a way that it wouldn't show... but eventually I've decided to abandon it. It made SWMBO laugh more than she has in a while and that's good enough for me. Got a couple of new 2200mm solid trays on order with some spare strips to rivet across the front and back (top and bottom) to make it a bit more rigid - and take 2 will be perfect - or at least perfecter. At least all the other bits (carpet, wood, bearings etc.) are all still good to go again.

If this made anyone chuckle I'm glad....... just don't tell anyone!

 

[silvercruiser]

Measure twice cut once

Or should it be measure ten cut once

Joe

 

[Andrew Prince]

Sam, how much are the African Outback drawers again? Unless you're a masochist, in financial terms whatever the AO ones cost would be a bargain compared to your trials & tribulations here However I get it that half the appeal is doing it yourself

Hats off to you for giving it a bash and maintaining your humour! I'm sure I'm not alone in having a chuckle at your posts!(and secretly making notes to myself never to attempt this!)

Cheers,

 

[Sam]

Got to say Andrew - I did consider it again

I'm only going to be £30 down and it was well worth it for the chuckle - going to make me smile every time I use them when they're finished........... see that... that's confidence that!

 

[Mal Eade]

Hi

As I said in the post lay all the items out you want to put in the drawers.
Make the drawers to the sizes needed.

They DON'T have to be all the same size. Small drawers for Small items and bigger drawers for bigger items.

Most items are long rather than wide my wides item is my socket set the box is huge. I will now strip out all the items and put them on socket clip bars and they then with the ratchets can be contained in canvas tool roll, taking up far less room.

My largest item now to house is my large pan 300mm but the others fit inside.

Lay it all out and look at what can be reduced in size.

Mal

 

[Sam]

Thanks again for the tip Mal... I'm working on the theory that it's going to be easier to split the drawers up with dividers (that I can easily move around) than it will be to make 3 drawers and then realise I need 4 or 2.... and I haven't bought half of what I'm going to need to go in them yet so I'm working on having the most flexible set I can for now.

I'm sure I'll learn a lot about how I use them this summer when I'm on my travels, so version 2 (erm... 3 after this mishap) will probably be better.

 

[Chas]

I've got the biggest (two) drawers that would fit and quite deep, and then use boxes inside to segregate things, simples, The drawers are the same height as the rear seats folded down, originally I was going to be sleeping inside the truck and I would have been able to sleep on top of the drawers and then I went and bought a roof tent.

 

[Sam]

That's half my plan. Can't afford the roof tent yet so any kind of bumpy hill between the drawer tops and the seats folded down will be preferable to under a rainy bush for the occasional unplanned stop along the way!

 

[Chas]

Before I got the roof tent I was going to have a flat piece of board hinged on the rear edge that would fold over the rear seats when down to give a flat surface from rear doors to front seats but the tent appeared before I got that far.