Workbench Tool Cabinet

Nice project. The best is the lower cost. We often try to make everything out of the exotic woods when the cheaper will do. Keep up the good work.

-- Bob K. East Northport, NY

I’ve never built, or seen how to build, drawer glides like you did (even though they’re common). How do you get them lined up and attached? You can’t have the drawer in place while you do it (or can you?).

-- Measure twice, then try to figure out which one was right.

very nice bench with storage good design and weel done

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

Love the top! Is is built up from 2x material?

-- The beatings will continue until morale improves.

Great looking bench and storage unit. I like the mobility also.

-- Jerry--A man can never have enough tools or clamps

JJohnston – To get the drawers mounted correctly:

1) Make sure the groove in the drawer box is dead-center. I made the groove 1” wide and 1/4” deep.

2) Make a setup guide (I made mine from hardboard) that is the the width of the distance between the edge of the drawer box and the edge of the groove plus 1/16”. For example, the guide for the 5 shallow drawers is 1 5/16” wide, and the guide for the 5” drawer was 2 1/16” wide.

3) Cut the mounting rails 1” wide and 1/4” thick … male sure they fit in the grooves in the drawer boxes.

4) Pre-drill / counter-sink three holes in the rails, set the rails on the setup guide, and use flathead screws to attach the rails to the sides of the case. I set my guides on the bottom of the drawer opening.

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ThreeFingerBrown – The top is 3 1/2” thick Douglas Fir milled from 2×12 kiln-dried stock. Each board is 1 1/4” thick and 3 1/2” wide. There are 18 boards in the top, laminated with Titebond III.

-- The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary. -- Vincent T. Lombardi

It sounds like the method is based on the height of the drawer being 1/8” less than the height of the drawer opening, am I right?

-- Measure twice, then try to figure out which one was right.

JJohnston – Correct

-- The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary. -- Vincent T. Lombardi

Hey Mr. Dane: How did you cut and square up the grooves? Router set in a homemade jig? I had planned to put 1/4 inch thick 1 inch wide hardboard runners in dados in a solid divider. The drawer side bottoms will rest and slide along the runners. But I’m liking your idea. Do you like the arrangement and size of the drawers. I’m debating the number and size of the drawers and using that as an excuse not to start :>(

-- david roberts, houston area, "A little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but that has never been a problem for me."

This is a nice bench and I like the addition of the drawers to it. They provide plenty of storage and help add weight to the bench. This one looks to be rock solid.

-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.

Good looking functional bench…well done Dane.

-- I will just keep doing it till I get it right.

davidroberts – I sort of adapted a technique you see Norm Abram use a lot. I didn’t have a 1” straight router bit, so I used a 3/4” bit and set the fence on my router table so the bit was as close to the center of the workpiece as I could get it. I routed a 3/4” groove, then turned the piece around and routed in the opposite direction. It took a little trial and error with some scraps, but I got a groove that was exactly 1” wide and dead center in the board, which made placing the oak rails a lot easier.

The divider between the two sets of smaller drawers is off-the-shelf 1×3 select pine that is dadoed into the dust frame and cabinet top.

Your drawer design may be stronger than mine. The once concern I have with the way I built these drawers is the fact the hardboard bottoms are sitting in 3/8” grooves that are a 1/4” wide with only 1/4” of material supporting them. Time will tell.

The size of the cabinet itself was dictated by the available opening under the bench and the space I needed to accommodate my air compressor. Another requirement was that at least one drawer be big enough to accommodate my Stanley No 7 and its playmates … that is what the bottom drawer is for. The other drawers were sized to hold my hand saws (dovetail, coping, Japanese, etc.), my chisels and other hand tools, along with the collection of measuring and marking instruments I have.

-- The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary. -- Vincent T. Lombardi

Very nice looking project, you should be proud. Atta Boy AAA +++

-- Mark, Katy, Texas, Did they give Noah a hardtime about the wood boat in his driveway

nice job on your bench and storage unit

-- Occie down in Costa Rica. come down and see us some time. I'll keep the light on for you Occiegilliam@yahoo.com

I really love that this is inexpensive, small, and portable, and yet it still has all the elements you need to get some serious work done.

This is a keeper for my to-do list. Thanks!

-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"

One more thing – could you tell us about the knockdown hardware you used on the stretchers?

The reason I’m asking so many questions is that this bench is as close to the one I’ve built in my head a hundred times as I’ve ever seen.

Edit: never mind. I see it’s all covered in part 1.

-- Measure twice, then try to figure out which one was right.

JJohnston – They are ‘bench bolts’ from Highland Woodworking (http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=7580).

The stretchers are mortised into the legs (1” deep, 2” wide, 2” high). Drilling the holes straight is a little tricky but I found a video on Fine Woodworking’s website that showed an easy jig you can make to deal with that. I can’t find the video now, but one of their guys did a multi-part series on becnh construction a few months ago.

-- The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary. -- Vincent T. Lombardi

very nice bench. I need one of these in my garage shop

-- ~ Inspiring those who inspire me ~

Nice utile looking bench. Nice job.

-- Mike. mwurm13@yahoo.com

My favorite feature is that it portable which is a great feature in a small shop. Nice work all around thanks for sharing…Blkcherry

Nice workbench.

-- CJIII Future cabinetmaker

Drilling the holes straight , I saw someone said that was a problem. I think I solved this for me, take a piece of 2×2 3’’ long hand sand off all square edeges place on drill press that is 90 deg. drill like 1/4 hole,or any size you need. put same bit in portable drill place piece of 2×2 flush and tight aginst where you want to drill hole ,it should go in 90 deg. Hope this helps someone I doint have a wood work shop so I half to go to a friends house for the good things .I found this site to day because I want to build a roll around tool cabnet to hold a sears 26’’ or 40.5 tool box.The 40.5 is model #82552 there on sale. Have a nice day Rickugg.

great job

-- Ike, Big Daddies Woodshop,www.icombadaniels@yahoo.com