Wall-mounted Tool Cabinet

I finally decided to create a shop cabinet so that I would have a place to put my tools. Previously they ended up scattered all over my bench, causing me to constantly fight for space. I got the plans from ShopNotes’ special Setting up Shop issue.

The body is made from 3/4” birch plywood. The edging is simple molding from a big-box. The piece is put together primarily with 2 in screws. It is secured to the wall using 3” screws into three separate studs. The project featured a large amount of rabbet work. There is no finish on it at this time. The lower drawers are made from 1/2” birch plywood, quickly knocked together with a brad gun.

I am still in the process of creating custom holders for my commonly used tools. Right now you can see a screwdriver/chisel holder, a combination square/tape measure slot, sanding block box, and a wrench rack. More to come as I decide what I often use. I still keep the majority of my uncommonly-used tools in a large toolbox.

Challenges
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Before this project I had never used a Dado set so that was an interesting learning experience. I also learned to use a router with a mortising bit to cut dadoes in the middle of long pieces of wood. The weigh of the piece was also a bit of a problem. Getting this sucker up on the wall by myself took a lot of time, patience, and planning.

I seriously butchered the shelf pins. I attempted to construct a jig to make it easier but I still over-drilled holes and mis-aligned them. I think before I do any further work I will purchase one of the commercial shelving jigs I’ve seen for sale from Rockler and whatnot. I think I will also drill the shelf pin holes before assembling the carcass.

After mounting the cabinet I realized that it would not open due to the garage door track. So, I unscrewed it, heaved the heavy sucker down and remounted it where I thought it would be okay. I then learned to my horror that I was 1/8” too high. That really enforced the “measure twice, move a really freakin’ heavy cabinet once” lesson.

Lessons Learned
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1. Cabinet construction is harder than you think.
2. Dado sets are awesome.
3. If you ask the guys at the big box stores to cut a sheet of 4’x8’ plywood down for you, watch them closely. They butchered a lot of the cuts and splintered edges all over the place.

Conclusion
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This was a really valuable learning experience for me. It took about 15 hours for me to make it and is really useful now. Now all I need is a real workbench!

-- Brian - Belmont, Massachusetts