Diy Cabinets
A Tool Cabinet.
Diy cabinets tutorial: The wooden cabinet shown in Fig. 30 is constructed,
as regards its case, in the same way as that just described, but the drawers
are built up of several pieces. The over-all dimensions of the cabinet repre¬sented
are as follows: Height, including plinth,
-
25 inches; width, 17-3/8 inches; depth, 10-1/2 inches. The drawers are 16 inches
wide (outside), by 10-1/8 inches.

FIG. 30. -- Large cabinet (a), details of drawer joints (b, c, d), and padlock
fastening (e). From back to front, and, reckoning from the bottom upwards, are
3-1/4, 3, 2-1/2, 2, 2, 2, 2, and 1-3/4 inches deep.
The construction of the drawers of this diy cabinets tutorial is indicated
by the diagrams, Fig. 30, b, c, d. The fronts are of 5/8-inch, the sides and
backs of 3/8-inch, and the bottoms of (barely) 1/4-inch wood.
The grooves should not come nearer than 1/8- inch to the bottom edge, or be
more than 5/16 inch wide and deep. The possessor of a suitable "plough"
plane will have no difficulty in cutting them out; in the absence or such a
tool the cutting gauge and chisel must be used.
The back piece of a drawer has 1/4- inch less height than the front, to allow
the bottom to be introduced. The ends or the bottom are bevelled off towards
the top edge to fit the grooves, so that no part may be above the grooves.
Glue should be used to attach the sides of a drawer to the back and front in
the first place, and nails be added when the glue has set. As an aid to obtaining
perfect squareness, without which the drawers will fit badly, it is advisable
to mark out on a board a rectangle having the exact inside dimensions of a drawer,
and to nail strips of wood up to the lines on the inside. If the parts are put
together round this template they will necessarily fit squarely.
Diy cabinets Divisions. -- If the drawers are to be subdivided
in one direction only, the partitions should run preferably from back to front,
as this enables the contents of a compartment to be more easily seen. Where
two-¬direction division is needed the partitions are cut as shown in Fig.
31. All partitions should touch the bottom, and be made immovable by gluing
or nailing. It is a mistake to have so many divisions in a drawer that the fingers
cannot get into them easily.
Wooden knobs for the drawers can be bought very cheaply of any turner, or suitable
brass knobs at any ironmonger's. Take care that the knobs are in line with one
another; otherwise the general appearance of the cabinet will suffer.

FIG. 31. -- Divisions of drawer notched to cross each other.
Diy cabinets Lock and Key. -- If a cabinet is intended for
storage of articles of any value it should be provided with lock and key. One
lock will secure all the drawers if attached to a flap hinged on one side to
the cabinet, as shown in Fig. 30 a, to engage a catch projecting from one of
the drawers.
A special form of lock is sold for the purpose. If the single flap seems to
give a lop-sided effect, place a fellow on the other side, and fit it with sunk
bolts to shoot into the overhanging top and plinth. If you wish to avoid the
expense and trouble of fitting a lock, substitute a padlock and a staple clinched
through the front of a drawer and passing through a slot in the flap (Fig. 30,
e).
Diy cabinets Alternative Method. -- The fixing of the front
bars can be avoided if the front of each drawer (except the lowest) be made
to overhang the bottom by the depth of the runner. This method, of course, makes
it impossible to stand a drawer level on a level surface.
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