adding draw to metal bench

[paceman]

hi all,

i have this metal bench that a friend made for me:



and i would like to add a full length draw under the top (which is now present)...

i was thinking about just screwing a couple of draw slides (similar to what people use for their fridge slides) onto each upright (front and back)... and then screwing the draw to that...

it won't hold anything heavy, just some screw organisers...

any other suggestions on how to attach the slides or other slide/draw methods appreciated, as well as ideas on materials that i can use instead of the ply i was going to use?

thanks,

shannon

[MB TD42]

hi all,

i have this metal bench that a friend made for me:



and i would like to add a full length draw under the top (which is now present)...

i was thinking about just screwing a couple of draw slides (similar to what people use for their fridge slides) onto each upright (front and back)... and then screwing the draw to that...

it won't hold anything heavy, just some screw organisers...

any other suggestions on how to attach the slides or other slide/draw methods appreciated, as well as ideas on materials that i can use instead of the ply i was going to use?

thanks,

shannon

I have 4 suitcase style scene organizers...together they weigh 20kg...be mindful of the agrigate weight once loaded. May not seem much when you first chuck a couple of screws in it.but it ads up...
If you any good at sheet metal work you could have the bases, rear and sides as metal and hang a timber face on it...but thinking a little more metal on metal will eventually attract rust/corrosion.
Plenty of ways to skin a cat.

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

[paceman]

I have 4 suitcase style scene organizers...together they weigh 20kg...be mindful of the agrigate weight once loaded. May not seem much when you first chuck a couple of screws in it.but it ads up...
If you any good at sheet metal work you could have the bases, rear and sides as metal and hang a timber face on it...but thinking a little more metal on metal will eventually attract rust/corrosion.
Plenty of ways to skin a cat.

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

thanks... i'm not that great at metal work... that's why my friend made the bench... 

the weight of my containers is probably about 10 kgs all up... and they are full, so that's all i want to put in this draw...

[ivan]

Would it be better to ask mate to add shelf then put stuff in tubs. Then when you need that philips head screw down past the chook shed you can take the tub full for the dropped or wrong size screws. No more walking back to the shed 10 times for that 2 minute job.

[paceman]

Would it be better to ask mate to add shelf then put stuff in tubs. Then when you need that philips head screw down past the chook shed you can take the tub full for the dropped or wrong size screws. No more walking back to the shed 10 times for that 2 minute job.

these are the type of containers (4 in all) i am looking to store in the draw:



at the moment, they are just stacked on top of each other on another shelf...

[#jonesy]

A drawer that wide will flex a bit under the weight unless the base is fairly thick. If you go drawers try and make it 2.

A piece of ply screwed on the inside of the legs and the slides screwed to the ply. If the ply was full height you could even hang a few tools on the outside.
For the middle support you could bolt a piece of 19mm X (drawer height) to screw the slides.

But as Ivan said a shelf would be better.

[paceman]

A drawer that wide will flex a bit under the weight unless the base is fairly thick. If you go drawers try and make it 2.

A piece of ply screwed on the inside of the legs and the slides screwed to the ply. If the ply was full height you could even hang a few tools on the outside.
For the middle support you could bolt a piece of 19mm X (drawer height) to screw the slides.

But as Ivan said a shelf would be better.

thanks for the feedback, all...

some good advice here...

as suggested, i might just add a plywood shelf, held up with small metal brackets instead...

[Bird]

Get your friend to weld in soem box sections for a frame for the draw to sit on?

[jwb]

Yeh! What Bird x a squillion
Get him to finish the job he started
It's great to have a mate who's handy gluing
steel together!
Lucky for me I have one of those

Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk

[paceman]

Get your friend to weld in soem box sections for a frame for the draw to sit on?

too much of a faff to get it back to him now...

i do have some alloy angle that i could use...

might ditch the draw idea and just put a shelf... although the draw would allow me to look at the top of the boxes easily...

maybe just a draw running/sitting on the alloy angle...

[GBC]

A drawer that wide will flex a bit under the weight unless the base is fairly thick. If you go drawers try and make it 2.

A piece of ply screwed on the inside of the legs and the slides screwed to the ply. If the ply was full height you could even hang a few tools on the outside.
For the middle support you could bolt a piece of 19mm X (drawer height) to screw the slides.

But as Ivan said a shelf would be better.

Being a chippy I'd do this. Ply down each side and a set of HD drawer slides from bunnings, then make a drawer to suit, and a drawer front that closes over the steel to hide it all.

[paceman]

Being a chippy I'd do this. Ply down each side and a set of HD drawer slides from bunnings, then make a drawer to suit, and a drawer front that closes over the steel to hide it all.

i guess if i did this, i could have a couple of draws...

12mm or 18mm ply be OK for the sheeting down the sides?

i do have access to some MDF type board as well...

[Alan Loy]

A suggestion from a hack.  You could bolt angle iron to the sides (use adhesive as well?).  You could either use this for a shelf or use then as "runners" for a draw. If you want it to slide better "yellow tongue" makes great slides.

 https://www.bunnings.com.au/poly-eiger-4mm-3-6m-yellow-poly-cable-feeder_p4430566

[GBC]

i guess if i did this, i could have a couple of draws...

12mm or 18mm ply be OK for the sheeting down the sides?

i do have access to some MDF type board as well...

12mm would be heaps. I'm not a huge fan of MDF for detail joinery work. Yes you could make the whole thing drawers underneath if you wanted. I'd be tempted to put the single drawer and then a base and a couple of hinged doors under to store bulkier items?

[paceman]

12mm would be heaps. I'm not a huge fan of MDF for detail joinery work. Yes you could make the whole thing drawers underneath if you wanted. I'd be tempted to put the single drawer and then a base and a couple of hinged doors under to store bulkier items?

it's got a base on it already where i keep my drill, grinder and sander boxes...

the ply idea sounds good...

[Rob C]

Just added this to my bench

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/SLIDE-OUT-DRAWER-SYSTEMS-Suits-Industrial-Racking-HAFCO-Part-No-S014D/332660769961?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/SLIDE-OUT-DRAWER-SYSTEMS-Suits-Industrial-Racking-HAFCO-Part-No-S014D/332660769961?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649