Workshop base units.

[phil p]

Hi,

I boarded out my garage last year and decided it was about time to make some storage base units and was wondering the best way to do this.

I have already got the 18mm ply cut into lengths and was thinking of making 3 units, 8 foot long (ply length) into like a galley shape, 1 along the back wall and a unit down both sides.

What would be the best, and easiest way to do this?

Would it be best to make the full height of the unit standing on the floor and cutting a piece out for plinths, the floor is fairly level as it's boarded, or just make some boxes and use those plastic legs that go on kitchen units (hope I'm explaining this right) which is the way I'm thinking of building them.

Also 8 foot units are quite long but thought this would be better for longer items to be stored, however I thought the bottom shelf will sag, however I know I could prop up from the underside with those plastic legs, or should I make smaller individual units and screw them together?

I know a little about the construction from YouTube etc and was thinking a 6mm rebate for the side panels for to take the bottom shelf (if I do the floor standing unit) and just put stretchers at the front and back at the top and screw the tops to these.

Would this be O.K. or is there a better way? also I want to be as economical with the wood aswell if I can as it's quite expensive.

Any advice or tips would be appreciated.

Thanks
Phil

 

[hansonread]

I know it is cheating, considering I make kitchen cabinets for a living, but I have to be honest, I fitted my workshop out with cabinets bought from Howdens.

Depending if your doing it for the fun of making the cabinets, or if this is a commercial venture and you would rather be making something your being paid to make.

By the time I had costed it out with materials and labour etc, it was by far the cheapest option, to buy them in already made. From memory, for a 1000mm base unit, including doors, handles hinges, shelves and legs etc, for the Houdens 600 range I was paying around 40 quid a unit.

 

[DiscoStu]

I did that with racking, worked out the cost of the wood and realised a decent 300kg metal rack was cheaper to buy!

 

[Tierney]

You really can't argue with Hansonread's price of £40; but, if you're making your own, then...

An 8ft span is too long if you wanted to put any shelves in, maybe put a divider in the middle and some sort of flexible shelving.

Using those flexible plastic things is a good idea, or you could build a plinth to place the carcasses on. In a FWW magazine the guy did this using strips or plywood on edge, so imagine strips of plywood say 4" wide on edge on the floor in a rectangular shape and some more strips spaced every 2" going front to back. You can shim the plinth to level so it is easy to place the carcasses on top.
Another solution is to make the sides of the carcasses longer so they rest on the floor, again you can shim these to level

A 6mm rebate should be fine, I used 5mm in my carcasses made out of 18mm ply, although some people recommend a deeper rebate.

You can also use the plywood on edge for the stretchers, but you will lose some usable height. Depending what you are using for the top will depend how much strength you need in the stretchers, if you are using kitchen countertop, then you don't need any real strength in the stretchers.

DT

 

[Mark A]

Only a few weeks ago I bought three 1000mm base units from B&Q for storage in my garage. The quality isn't fantastic, but they only cost around £31 each with my Trade Point card. I think the regular price is £40 so similar to Howdens (minus doors) but you don't need a account to buy them. I'll make some MDF doors for my units when I can.

Mark

 

[MickCheese]

What a coincidence I am in the middle of making some storage myself.

I went through the same thought process as described above but settled on three 1.5m long drawer units on casters. Will have six drawers in each of varying sizes. The length may mean I need to chock up the centre of the units to support the weight and stop them sagging but that's OK.

Making them out of 18mm cheap ply with 12.5mm ply for the drawers on metal drawer runners that fit to the bottom edges. Got them and the casters from eBay.

Only cut up the sheets as yet as never seem to have enough time free.

Mick

 

[fluffflinger]

I'm in the kitchen business so I obviously used kitchen cabinets for my workshop refit, well actually no.

Built mine from the chipboard packing sheets that come with pallet deliveries, infact the Howdens in our area have piles of them outside that you can take FOC.

Definately don't build anything longer than 1000mm and put in drawers not cupboards you will get far more in and you can vary the height to suit what you need to store. My drawers were simple 18mm ply with 9mm bottoms, all glued and dowelled together with an applied MDF front. On the the 1000 wide drawer units I built the base of the cabinet is centrally supported so the drawers at floor level are a little under 500mm wide.

My units were built as per a kitchen cabinet with a 150mm toe space but rather than use adjustable legs I built the carcasses to the floor and put a shallow drawer at floor level. Add up the space you will lose under the cabinets and I'm sure you'll do the same.

The other comment I would make is in a small space (mines is pretty compact) make as many of your machines mobile.

Good luck and enjoy.

 

[Lons]

If you want to do it really cheaply, look around your area for some kitchen installers and scrounge the next lot of old cabinets they remove when doing a new kitchen. They have to pay to get rid of them and will be happy for you to take them off their hands. (I install kitchens btw :lol: ).
Probably get all you want and easy to adapt and make your own doors if you don't like the old ones. You'll get hinges and handles as well and if really lucky maybe oak doors and drawer fronts.
The other thing you'll find if there's a local small business who make their own carcasses is that they buy in 3000 x 2000 x 18mm sheets (approx) and throw away loads of useful shelf size bits.
I'd agree about drawers being more usefull than cupboards though you do need both.

In my own workshop I still have ex kitchem wall cupboards but have replaced the base units with oak c/b and drawers salvaged from a college tech labs when they threw them out. I showed pics in an earlier thread.

Bob