What Should I Do with All These Wooden Drawers?

[erikmannie]

These wooden drawers belonged to the late Byron Wilson, a successful jewelry designer.

He had them lined along shelves & on top of cabinets. I don’t have shelves (or room for shelves) in my shop.

I would like to make a chest for these drawers. I work with metal, & not wood.

I would have a need for a lot of drawers for organizing hardware, taps, dies, etc.

These are nice dovetailed drawers.

What would you guys do with them?

 

[erikmannie]

Detailed photo. Are these quality? Not so much?

 

[benmychree]

Not dovetail, but finger or box joint.

 

[erikmannie]

Not dovetail, but finger or box joint.

Good to know!

 

[John O]

make a metal chest to put them in

 

[erikmannie]

make a metal chest to put them in

I think that’s what I will do.

The price of steel right now is a total disaster but I’m just not set up to work with wood at all.

 

[mmcmdl]

Firepit !

 

[Shiseiji]

Ask around and maybe you can swap work. You can easily get by with a simple box case put together with pocket screws. A small jig is used to drill holes inside the case to hold sides to top/bottom, a thin back provides rigidity. KISS runners for the drawers. I'd make them two drawers wide to manage weight. A hanging system called a French cleat will let you quickly simply lift them up on/off to change locations. Quick image search will show them. Also works well for tool hanging, extension cords, etc. Or two drawers wide and as tall as desired sitting on floor. KISS 2X4 treated lumber base.

 

[Martin W]

Make a design, and take that to a local cabinet shop. Have them cut the parts for you and you can assemble it at your shop with no mess. If you have a local wood shop with a CNC, they can cut, edge, drill any holes for assembly.

Martin

 

[tq60]

There are simple things that are not expensive and resemble and involve metalworking tasks and process.

Visit a well stocked hardware store and look for shelf supports.

Or you can make these.

Consider a chunk of 1/4 round stock about 1 inch long.

One end is round and other is flat.

The round end goes I hole and shelf sits on flat end.

They are cheap or can be made.

Next, you can buy either correct size lumber or have them cut some sheet stock.

You make vertical spaces same width as the boxes plus clearance.

Make a drilling guide that has 2 or 3 horizontal rows of 2 to 3 columns of holes.

This guide requires your metalworking skills to do the layout and drilling.

For side vertical supports drill in part way.

For center supports go through and either pin support from both sides or make long ones that do both sides.

The boxes will sit on the pins well.

Improvement would be cut sheet metal on pins then boxes have better support.

Not overall expensive to do and minimal tools required.

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