Advice on fitting drawers/shelves into metal table frame

[crazybrit]

A while ago I welded up this table. It's 8' x 3'. To hold a CNC Mill (400 pounds) and CNC Lathe (300 pounds).
[4"x2" legs, 2"x2" cross supports, 2" angle on the bottom]

Top will be 1-1/2" thick oak. I already have the boards. Will be tongue and grooved.

My plan was for the interior was:

Front side 24" deep: left metal leg | 3 drawers vertically | 3 shelves vertically | center metal leg | 3 shelves vertically | 3 drawers vertically | right metal leg

Back side: 12" deep: left metal leg | 3 shelves vertically | center metal leg | 3 shelves vertically | right metal leg

"wall" between front and back.

I was planning on making everything out of plywood.

I unsure on the best way to construct this and to secure it to the frame.

Hoping to be educated.

 

[K'ledgeBldr]

Build a carcass to fit the space-
Build out the interior of the carcass with shelves, drawers, etc.

 

[May Pop]

I welded unistrut facing down front to back 5 or 6 pieces. Its flush with the frame. I can hang a cabinet or filing cabinet with bolts and spring nuts.

 

[niget2002]

I did this on mine. I did a plywood carcass and mounted the drawers to it.

I used 1/4-20 rivnuts installed in the metal frame and used bolts and washers to bolt the carcass to the frame.

I slid the carcass into the frame, used a pilot drill to predrill all the holes, then removed the carcass to install all the rivnuts.

Do this after installing all the drawer slides so you don't accidentally put a mounting hole where a drawer slide goes.

My project was smaller than yours, but the method should still work.

 

[jake28]

+1 to building a box and installing the drawers as needed. I
Built something similar for my lathe table and welded on 3/4” x 1.8” angle iron to support the box. The boxes aren’t attached to the frame; the 500 lbs of tooling vices keep them in place just fine.

 

[ez-duzit]

Weld some lengths of angle to the frame to support shelves and drawers. Or screw drawer slides the frames and build the drawers to fit.

 

[crazybrit]

Do this after installing all the drawer slides so you don't accidentally put a mounting hole where a drawer slide goes.

So you're familiar with my previous projects then

----

Thanks for everyone's suggestions.

Thinking more it was a mistake for me to use angle on the bottom. It was intentional at the time (I was thinking the plywood floor could sit down "inside it" - the bottom of the angle is at the same level as the bottom center square tube cross support - and I had some scrap angle lying around) but my concern now is that I'm going to have a 4ft wife span of plywood without any center support.

I always planned to add two more pieces of square tube (blue lines in this picture) on the top.. I'd like to do same for the bottom but flat bar going front-to-back is going to offer minimal additional support. I suppose I can grind off the angle and replace with square tube and then use square tube for the bottom center support. Maybe there is an alternative way?

 

[niget2002]

3/4" Plywood won't have any issue spanning 4' front to back. If you use 3/4" center panels as your dividers and use screws through the bottom piece and up through the side panels, it will all hold together quite well. A 3/4" plywood back panel will also help push the load points into the corners where the angle iron is.

 

[crazybrit]

3/4" Plywood won't have any issue spanning 4' front to back. If you use 3/4" center panels as your dividers and use screws through the bottom piece and up through the side panels, it will all hold together quite well. A 3/4" plywood back panel will also help push the load points into the corners where the angle iron is.

Makes sense. However there isn't going to be a back panel. It's going to be 24" in from front. On rear side is 12" deep shelves.

 

[ez-duzit]

...use 3/4" center panels as your dividers and use screws through the bottom piece and up through the side panels...

Never screw into the edge grain of plywood.

 

[niget2002]

Never screw into the edge grain of plywood.

fair enough. kreg jig from the side panels then.

Honestly, the screws are just there to hold everything in place while the wood glue dries.

 

[ez-duzit]

fair enough. kreg jig from the side panels then.

Honestly, the screws are just there to hold everything in place while the wood glue dries.

If the glue is epoxy, maybe.
Better is to screw both pieces into a mating cleat, again glued with epoxy.

 

[crazybrit]

If the glue is epoxy, maybe.
Better is to screw both pieces into a mating cleat, again glued with epoxy.

I have a Kreg jig. What is a mating cleat in this context?

 

[niget2002]

I have a Kreg jig. What is a mating cleat in this context?

It would be a block of solid wood that's running along the length of the shelf that both the shelf and bottom piece would be screwed and glued in to.

 

[crazybrit]

It would be a block of solid wood that's running along the length of the shelf that both the shelf and bottom piece would be screwed and glued in to.

got it. thanks

 

[yhprum]

This might give you some ideas. I have thought about making one along these lines.