Saturday, April 21, 2012

File Cabinet for Hanging Folders

My shop tool manuals and other shop information are currently kept in a plastic desk top file case, a bench top space waster, so it's time to make a two drawer file cabinet that will fit under the bench like the multi-drawer cabinet shown in a separate post. The first order of business is to design and build a drawer that will fit in the space and work. The drawer will be build using 12mm Blonde plywood from Lowes and assembled with pocket screrws and glue. Hanging folders normally hangs from two metal strips in a file cabinet and for this we will use aluminum angle.


Completed File Cabinet


Shop files in place.


Hanging file folder drawer prototype.
The protoype drawer seems to do the job with the height adequate for tab clearance Here is the material list for the drawer. The pocket holes at the top were a mistake.
  1. Front/Back, 12 1/16" x 10 1/16", 2 ea, 12mm ply
  2. Sides, 18" x 8 3/4", 2 ea, 12mm ply
  3. Bottom, 18 x 13", 1 ea, 3/16" Ply
  4. Rail, 1/2" x 1/2" x 1/16" x 3' aluminum angle
Now to build the cabinet which will be constructed similar to the others in this blog. Essentially, it will be a frameless type cabinet consisting of 4, 18mm thick sides and a 3/16" back. The front of the cabinet sides will be edged with 1/2" poplar and a step will be cut in the back edge to receive the 3/16" back panel.

Material Cuts for the Cabinet:
  1. Sides: 22 5/8" x 18 1/2", 2 ea, 18mm ply
  2. Top/Bottom: 14" x 18 1/2", 2 ea, 18mm ply
The construction of the cabinet starts by drilling pocket holes in the top and bottom pieces. During assembly mount the top with the pocket holes inside the cabinet and the bottom either inside or outside. Before assembly, cut a notch into the back edge of the panels 1/2" wide and 3/16" deep using the table saw. This is done as shown below by clamping a strip of wood to the saw fence and creating an indent for the saw blade. Using the wood strip as the fence, pass all the cabinet pieces through the blade, then adjust the blade to widen the cut and make a second pass.

Table saw setup for cutting back edge notch.

Glue and screw two pieces together at a time using squaring clamp blocks to hold the pieces square until the glue sets about 3/4 of an hour. The use of the squaring blocks are shown in other posts in this blog. When the cabinet is assembled glue and nail 1/2 poplar to the front edges. Finally, sand down all surfaces and, then, round over all edges with a 1/8R round over bit. Hand sand the finished cabinet and seal with Sealcoat. Sanded that surface when dry and finish with two coats of water based urethane.


Finished cabinet with slides mounted.
Mount two pair of ball bearing slides at 7 1/4" and 17 1/8" from the top. Mount the slide on the drawer 7" from the top ( measure from top of  the back or front).. For uniformity I always measure from the top of the draw.


Drawer with slide mounted.


Back added.
To simplify moving the cabinet, two 1 1/2" rigid caster are mounted at the back of the cabinet and 2" feet made from 1 1/2" square poplar at the front. #14, 2 1/2" metal screws are used to attach the feet having pre-drilled thru with 1/4" drill and counter sunk, 1/4" deep, with 3/8 Forstner bit.

Bottom showing legs and rigid 1/2" casters






    Sunday, April 8, 2012

    Simple Flat Panel Cabinet Doors

    Flat Panel Shop CabinetDoors

    Most of my shop cabinets have been finished and now it is time to make doors. As with the other shop projects in this blog, Kreg pocket screws will be used. The method used is very similar to making cabinet frames as shown on the Kreg website. The process is to cut 2 1/4" rails and stiles from 3/4" poplar plank and then, using the table saw, cut a 0.22" groove length wise on one edge of the stile and rail.

    Step by Step:

    1. Cut poplar plank into 2 1/4" widths for stiles and rails
    2. Cut stiles and rails roughly to length
    3. Cut a 1/4" deep by 0.22" groove in one edge of the stiles and rails
    4. Cut stiles to exact length
    5. Clamp stiles on bench to exact door width and measure rail length
    6. Cut rails to length
    7. Use Kreg fixture to drill pocket holes in rails
    8. Assemble one rail onto stiles as shown. Use glue and screws.
    9. Clamp other rail in place and round over front inner edge
    10. Cut and insert flat panel
    11. Attach other rail
    12. Sand all surfaces
    13. Round over all outer edges
    14. Drill holes for hinges
    15. Hand sand door and use Sealcoat
    16. Add two coats of water based urethane
    17. Mount hinges on door and cabinet
    18. Mount door 
    Notes:
    1. Cutting groove: Position tables saw blade and fence, so that when a stile is run through blade in both direction ( flip the stile around ), the groove is cut to correct width and depth. You will need wood scrapes.


    Table saw set up to cut groove.


    Stiles clamped to bench to measure rail length.

    Attaching bottom rail.


    Rounding over front inside edge with top rail clamped in place.

    Inserting flat panel.

    Attaching top rail.


    Round over outside edge.


    Locate hinges with centering scale 11" from center, i.e., 22" separation.

    35mm Forstner bit positioning jig. 

    Drilling hinge hole using drill press table with fence.


    Using jig to drill hinge mounting holes.



    Hinge mounted



    Using jig to drill cabinet hinge mounting holes.


    Mounting door. and done.