Storage under a awkward sized workbench?

[Hsmith192]

Advice needed on a mechanics workbench I have. It currently has a bench drill,small sander and grinder.

My question is:

What sortve of storage would be helpful on something like this? Also can a sheet of ply suffice?

I have one proposed design and one of the bench in it’s current state.

Thanks all.

 

[Sideways]

You would get 2 stacks of dewalt toughboxes, possibly milwaukee packouts or the ones from b&Q, side by side in the 1200 width under the bench. That's a lot of airtight storage if you suffer from winter damp.

Another option is to buy 100kg rated ball bearing drawer slides (£30 a pair) and make pull out shelves the size of your whole bench top. You could get most people's entire set of planes and chisels in one good drawer like that.

My benches went that way. One has a simple but strong shelf near the floor just to stay above the damp and it's loaded with organiser cases for screws and my better powertools in systainers. There's one full width, shallow drawer above.

Another worksbench has 2 stacks of original dewalt toughboxes under it with a variety of mechanics, woodwork and power tools between them.

I can't afford to store anything in a simple cupboard. Everything has to be sealed to cope with winter damp.

 

[Sachakins]

Just added 8 Dewalt TStack cases under a smaller size bench opening, only 1000mm w 500mm deep space under whole bench. Mounted to ply sides with wood runners. Cheap n cheerful but works great.

 

[Sideways]

It currently has a bench drill,small sander and grinder.

All of these throw dust or swarf so ply sheeting to the back and the two ends of the space underneath will help keep whatever you store there cleaner.

 

[Hsmith192]

That’s really interesting, I’m currently storing t stacks under there on a piece of melamine and i desperately need some sort of drawer/slide shelf for my big collection of chisels and planes, do you both have any pictures of what yours look like?

 

[Cabinetman]

@Sideways said, Another option is to buy 100kg rated ball bearing drawer slides (£30 a pair) and make pull out shelves the size of your whole bench top. You could get most people's entire set of planes and chisels in one good drawer like that.
Yes I have done that sort of thing, but I stopped at 1200 wide, even then the shelves can wrack a little. One way to reduce wracking is to have a pull handle in the middle, pulling even slightly off centre induces wracking.
Ian

 

[Hsmith192]

@Sideways said, Another option is to buy 100kg rated ball bearing drawer slides (£30 a pair) and make pull out shelves the size of your whole bench top. You could get most people's entire set of planes and chisels in one good drawer like that.
Yes I have done that sort of thing, but I stopped at 1200 wide, even then the shelves can wrack a little. One way to reduce wracking is to have a pull handle in the middle, pulling even slightly off centre induces wracking.
Ian

If I used 18mm plywood would that prevent racking? On a 1265mm wide shelf?

 

[Cabinetman]

If you want to do it, it will work but not all that smoothly, as it’s a workbench for your own use ok but when you get the opportunity you will probably turn it into 2 narrower ones.
That’s exactly what I used (with a thick front lip). It’s purely down to the distance between the runners.
Another problem that will be encountered is the sheer weight and unwieldy- ness of the shelf, a tool shelf like that in a freestanding unit will tip it over of course.
Ian
Edit, thinking about it I think my shelf is only about 900 wide and it doesn’t work all that well.

 

[Sideways]

Ignore that this bench is framed with ally extrusion.
Just see the full size of the drawer and the big shelf below.

The slides are triple extension so the drawer which is only 2" less than full depth comes all the way out.
If you look at the detail pic, there are two lengths of 5mm alloy L running front to back. On the outside, one is used upside down. The fixed part of the slide is bolted to that and the foot of the L acts as a roof above the ball slides to help keep out dust.

On the inside, the foot of the L supports the drawer bottom. Mine is made of a sheet of 8mm high pressure laminate flooring. The alloy front and back edges just stop the drawer bottom from sagging. More L section would have been cheaper but I had some 2040 extrusion spare so used it.
A drawer for planes would be deeper and you would use timber to frame it. You could build a drawer like this for £60 or £70 in materials ? and add it to almost any bench.

I could sit my wife in that drawer, but when the bench is fully loaded, with toolboxes below and a 60kg steel worktop above, it weighs upwards of 300kg and tipping is not a problem. The drawer slides without any stiffness or binding.

 

[Hsmith192]

That is really good. Need to find myself some large draw runners now. Thank you that was really insightful

 

[Sideways]

Need to find myself some large draw runners now.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/253931250880?var=553282132261
I bought the 650mm / 100Kg version here, and some 750mm later for a different project.
The seller has been around for a while.

For anyone looking for smaller ball bearing slides, Protrade in Derby / Nottingham have some 45kg ones on clearance for just £1.00 plus vat and delivery. Super cheap if you want to put a pull out shelf under each toolbox to improve access to a stack.

 

[Cabinetman]

Judging by what Sideways posted I can only think it’s down to the side to side movement on the individual arm as it extends, so check the tech info when buying the runners, as some must be more suited to wide drawers methinks.
Ian