Shop Cabinet Project

[Jeff]

Recently I scored a 1978 Snap-On Roller Chest. The problem is where to put the darn thing. After restoration of the chest, I am planning to build a shop cabinet around the Roller Chest.
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Here's my shop cabinet design finished just a few moments ago. The framing will be standard 2x4 lumber, with 3/4" BC Plywood for the shelves, sides, top, and bottom.

I wanted doors but I didn't want cheesy looking plywood doors, even with edge trim. Standard sized kitchen cabinet doors wouldn't be right either. Luckily my good friend Dave come up with a nifty door solution.

An interior wood door I asked? "Yes", Dave said, "think outside the box." A design concept was born.

The 28" doors will be framed within the 2x4 cabinet frame. The doors will be flush mounted and feature 17mm-19mm S-Curve chrome wrenches as door handles. Clear LED rope lighting will run fore and aft of the shelf corners and operate through a door pressure switch.

Above the roller chest will be two 12" deep bookshelves with lighting. The flat top surface of the roller chest will be covered with a handmade oak table top, sans legs.

Stay tuned, this is gonna be fun!

 

[Omphaloskeptic]

Will the doors hit anything when open? What's going to live in the tall cabinets? Are you going to leave vertical room for a future mid and top box? Is you bottom box on casters; will it be stationary?

 

[Jeff]

Will the doors hit anything when open?

No, they will swing free.

What's going to live in the tall cabinets?

Anything!

Are you going to leave vertical room for a future mid and top box?

I could add a cabinet to the upper middle section at a later date.

Is you bottom box on casters; will it be stationary?

Yes, the roller chest will keep its caster. They will be hidden by a kick plate.

 

[Omphaloskeptic]

I like your design; very clean and balanced. I was just throwing out some questions pertaining to design considerations. You know, the 'shoulda, coulda, woulda' ideas that hit us just after we complete a project. lol

 

[Jeff]

I like your design; very clean and balanced. I was just throwing out some questions pertaining to design considerations. You know, the 'shoulda, coulda, woulda' ideas that hit us just after we complete a project. lol

I always welcome questions and comments.

The 2x4's and plywood are all from scrap. I will have to buy the doors and hinges, unless I can score some at the ReStore.

The S-type wrenches for the handles are enroute.

The color scheme is red cabinet with grey doors and shelves.

I'm still working out the lighting and switching design.

 

[csp]

Good idea!

Horrible Fright 13 drawer cab with 16.5x42x78 cabinets on either side. Wall space above tool cab will receive 41" LCD TV. I'm not using this tool cab for storing any tools.

The drawer cab to the right still needs a top. This picture was taken just four days ago as I finally got the doors painted. Still need to trim out the cabinet bases with base molding.

I bought three sheets of cabinet grade plywood. The backs, bottoms, face frame, and doors were all made from scrap/extra materials from building our home.

 

[Jeff]

The door handles didn't come out like I expected. I didn't know that welding chrome has some disadvantages. After many suggestions I couldn't get the heat marks removed. Oh well, lesson learned.

Now on to the next idea. Fellow GJ member, CAOS, suggested epoxying the bolt head to the open end of the wrench. Excellent idea!

Since the old wrenches are junk for the handles, I decided to use these Beta socket wrenches I found on an Amazon deal:

I will epoxy M20x80mm bolts in the short end for installation.

Stay tuned...