Sliding Tool Panel

[tomp]

Not quite finished yet - still needs the "holders" for the various tools, and toying with the idea of throwing a couple of quick coats of poly at it - but far enough along that I can give you the general idea. I find myself with several (expensive - they're mostly red if that gives you any idea) layout tools and no place to safely store them - and the available wall space in my shop was used up long ago. So, based on an idea that I saw somewhere, I'm making a pull-out tool panel that sits at the end of my long workbench - so between the end of the workbench and the router table. I attached strips of 3/4" ply to the end of the bench so that I could attach the fixed half of the slides, and made a second set for the sliding half of the slide.

SAM_1088.JPG

As the outer face of the panel will be exposed, I plan to add a shadowbox frame around the outside so that the tools can't get bumped and fall off - this photo shows the top strip being clamped after gluing.

SAM_1097.JPG

The upper strip, with slide half attached, was screwed to the back face of the panel, assembled with the upper fixed slide half and the panel clamped to the bottom sliding strip to check for smooth operation. After a minor adjustment - only use the slotted holes in the slide at this stage - the bottom strip was screwed to the back of the panel.

SAM_1101.JPG

The panel was removed and the permanent screws installed in both halves of the slides. Final photo shows trial layout of some of the tools that will be stored on the panel - the other side is already "full".

SAM_1106.JPG

[Nickp]

Great idea to use every inch of space...good one...!

[tomp]

Second try at an update post, managed to delete the first try before it was finished. Here are a couple of update photos - more on the camera waiting to be downloaded. Took about a week of trial and error, but I think this is the final arrangement of the pieces on the back of the panel, other side is going to be harder because there a multiple small pieces and their holders.

SAM_1110.JPG

SAM_1116.JPG

SAM_1117.JPG

[Cherryville Chuck]

I needed a place to store a bunch of small tools and things like sand paper, sanding drums, driver bits, measuring tools, etc and I needed to make a larger outfeed table for my saw while I was at it. I wanted one that was wide enough to hold up a panel after I ripped it so I added a bunch of drawers under it. That might be another option. It winds up as an extra workbench at least as much as it serves as an outfeed table.

[tomp]

That's a nice looking cabinet, and it sure looks as if it has plenty of storage space. I have the fold-up outfeed table that matches my Unisaw, but keep it folded down most of the time and use the adjustable height workbench that I made as an outfeed table as that setup gives me more working space, but still able to use it if the workbench is in use for something else. I'm planning to make an insert for the Kreg workbench shown above, adding shallow drawers to the one side for small tool storage - although the next step after the sliding panel is to add rolling drawers under the shelf of that bench.

[Cherryville Chuck]

A variety of sizes is useful. It doesn't show from that picture but there is maybe an inch and half difference in the depth from shallowest to deepest. I have some deep drawers under one work bench but I found if I stored small stuff in them that I couldn't find what I was looking for at times because of the clutter in the drawer.

[Nickp]

I've always had a problem figuring out drawer sizes starting from scratch. It always seems that you have to lay everything out first, drawer by drawer, and then make the drawers. And since I still have LOTS of stuff to put in drawers that is still in boxes and bins I am faced with the challenge again. I may just copy your specs, Charles, and keep to that 1 1/2" of difference between drawer sizes...

The cabinet I'm thinking of will be the bench/outfeed around the table saw.

[tomp]

I believe, in general, that shallow is better in most cases - woodworking tools are mostly small, and get lost in deep drawers if there is more than one layer of tools.

I built a cabinet with drawers under the drill press table without really thinking the project through - I mean, this is for drill press accessories, who needs drawers that are 3" or 4" deep?

IMG_3606.JPG

Adding sliding trays at the top of the drawers helped a little, but...........

IMG_3603.JPG

So, I took out the one drawer and replaced it with three shallow drawers, and used lengths of aluminum angle for slides.

IMG_4596.JPG

IMG_4657.JPG

IMG_4652.JPG

I'm planning to use the same setup to make the drawers under the workbench, except perhaps a little deeper, again thinking only one tool lying on the bottom of the drawer. The drawers will be about 12" deep, but you can open the drawers most of the way if you have the drawer below partly open to act as a support. It's 44" between the angle iron legs, so figuring 3 drawers wide by 3 or 4 high, should give me plenty of accessible (and organized) storage right there at the bench.