| Project by jeff_wenz | posted 294 days ago | 2194 views | 44 times favorited | 18 comments |  |
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My wife wanted some dividers to go in her silverware drawer. I saw it as an opportunity to design and build “the ultimate silverware drawer.”
One of the initial problems is we only have 2 drawers in our kitchen. So we try to shove a lot of “stuff” into this drawer. We have certainly used up all available space horizontally, but we were wasting space vertically. I thought a possible solution would be the design of a 2-level drawer to help maximize this space. Building a removable tray was one option, but having to lift something out to get to something under the tray seemed like a pain. Somewhere (maybe on Lumberjocks), I had seen the idea of a drawer within the drawer. This would work perfectly for my use.
The drawer is 20” wide, 21” deep and 4 3/8” tall. The drawer is made from maple with a plywood drawer bottom. The finish is a couple coats of Deft lacquer. My wife likes to keep food storage like plastic wrap, aluminum foil, sandwich bags, etc. in this drawer. So those items dictated the size of the left side of the drawer. Those items are too tall to accommodate a 2 story approach. So the double decker drawer is only on the right side.
The secondary drawer is built with ½” maple with a 1/8” plywood drawer bottom. It has self-closing 20” side mounted drawer slides. This drawer is installed with a cutout in the back of the main drawer so when the main drawer is open, the secondary drawer “opens” into the now vacant cabinet space. I hope the pictures explain the concept better than I can explain it in words.
The majority of the dividers are permanent, but some have felt on the ends and are moveable. Overall, I am happy with the design and execution of this project. I don’t know if this is the ultimate silverware drawer, but it sure is an upgrade in our kitchen.
What do you guys think? Is it the ultimate silverware drawer or not? What feature is it missing?
-- Jeff, North Carolina
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18 comments so far
Kernal
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24 posts in 445 days
#1 posted 293 days ago
I love it!
Also, my answer to “What feature is it missing?” is almost always “A secret compartment.”
-Kernal
-- A new version of the old adage - "Count twice, buy once."
jeff_wenz
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112 posts in 1718 days
#2 posted 293 days ago
Kernal,
Because the secondary drawer slides back into the cavity and I trimmed it out so you can;t see any of the drawer slide hardware, it kinda has a secret compartment.
-- Jeff, North Carolina
HerbC
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776 posts in 1028 days
#3 posted 293 days ago
Very clever. Now, do it with the drawer slides made of wood!
Just kidding. Great design.
Keep up the good work.
Be Careful!
Herb
-- Herb, Florida - Here's why I close most messages with "Be Careful!" http://lumberjocks.com/HerbC/blog/17090
sras
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3244 posts in 1297 days
#4 posted 293 days ago
Nice innovation!
-- Steve - Impatience is Expensive
ShaneA
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3963 posts in 767 days
#5 posted 293 days ago
Sweet! Excellent use of space.
jeff_wenz
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112 posts in 1718 days
#6 posted 293 days ago
I’m not completely happy with the dividers that are not permanent. Some are too loose for my liking. Other than making news ones that are slightly longer, does anyone else have any ideas?
-- Jeff, North Carolina
Macster
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46 posts in 299 days
#7 posted 293 days ago
Nice! I like the frame of the upper drawer to hide the slides.
-- "Still Learning"
jeff_wenz
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112 posts in 1718 days
#8 posted 293 days ago
Thanks Mac. Hiding the hardware has been my focus the last couple projects.
-- Jeff, North Carolina
TopamaxSurvivor
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13192 posts in 1844 days
#9 posted 293 days ago
Very original and interesting idea. I like it ;-)
-- "some old things are lovely, warm still with life ... of the forgotten men who made them." - D.H. Lawrence Wake Up America!! Please read; http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/01/26-0
omextreme
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47 posts in 545 days
#10 posted 293 days ago
Looks great, I built one last year (maybe you saw mine!!) but I like your hidden hardware and the split design. I will be adding another one to my kitchen soon and will probably split it like you did….
What its missing…. I added bumpers to the back of the slide unit so if you close the main drawer without pulling the slide part closed it does not bang so loud when it hits the back of the cabinet.
Here was my first one,
http://lumberjocks.com/projects/57124
jeff_wenz
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112 posts in 1718 days
#11 posted 293 days ago
OmExtreme,
It may have been your project I saw the idea. Thanks!
-- Jeff, North Carolina
SebLolo
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58 posts in 385 days
#12 posted 293 days ago
Very interesting idea!
iamcliff
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237 posts in 321 days
#13 posted 293 days ago
This is a great idea. This is the solution to a couple of our drawers. Thanks for sharing.
-- Cliff. Proverbs 16:9
ChrisK
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540 posts in 1250 days
#14 posted 293 days ago
Great execution of a good idea.
-- Chris K
tool_junkie
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125 posts in 697 days
#15 posted 293 days ago
Seems like you were in my kitchen and saw the only two drawers we have in there, not to mention the mess they carry currently.
This is great inspiration. I think I will have to do the same with our drawers.
-- Looking for a good quality Drill Press and a Cabinet Saw for cheap!
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