Parts Organizer Cabinet

As much as I would like for my time to be unlimited, it’s not. The minutes that disappear in droves hunting through a myriad of random tackle boxes, loose bins, jars, drawers and general mess, that even appears to be neat, in order to find that right nut, bolt, screw, nail, du-hickie or what-not gets pretty frustrating. Especially considering, that when I am hunting for something I am sure I have, I am usually running out of time for some reason or another.

I finally got it through my thick skull that that it was worthwhile to bite the bullet, make the investment and take the time to organize all the small parts in my workshop. Having built a smaller and insufficient version of a parts organizer once before, I had learned a few lessons that I wanted to carry into this project. My main criteria were as follows”

• · Lots and lots of small drawers to organize small parts
• · Some larger drawers for larger parts or quantities
• · Ability to roll cabinet around shop or even outside to pick up with forklift and put on truck if needed.
• · Avoid 2 step process of having to open drawer then open lid of another container
• · Ability to label drawers and bins
• · Ability to remove bins to take parts to sport where I am working

I am very happy with the resulting solution. Ultimately, it took longer and cost more that I thought it would, but I am confident that over enough time, it will prove to be a fruitful investment. It has certainly made my time in the shop more productive and enjoyable.

5 – 1/4” 4x8 sheets plywood

3 – 3/4" 4x8 sheets plywood

2 – 1/2" 4x8 sheet plywood

6 – 1” x 4” x 8’ Southern Yellow Pine (AKA 5/4 x 4) (1” Southern Yellow Pine is readily available in this part of the country and that is the only reason it was chosen)

6 – 1x6x6 Select Grade Pine

6 – 1x4x6 Select Grade Pine

14 – 1x4x8’ Select Grade Pine

1 – 1x12x4’ Select Grade Pine

1 – 2x8x12 common

6 – Caster wheels – preferably locking – Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07YSV4HD7/ref=...

9 packages - (54 total) black finger edge Pulls – Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07K3V7MBS/ref=...

6 packages – (60 total) black Label Frame card holders – Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07QFT2M2G/ref=...

2 sets – black folding shelf brackets – Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07BT44C1D/ref=...

2 – black 20” aluminum grab bar – Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07YC37Q8S/ref=...

54 sets – 24” bottom mount drawer slides – Cabinetparts.com - https://www.cabinetparts.com/p/hickory-hardware-d...

84- large utility boxes – Bass Pro Shops – (I caught these in sets of 4 on sale for about half price, most other utility boxes on the market will work just fine) https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/cabelas-extreme-s...

1 – self adhesive measuring tape – Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08HLTWMMS?psc=1&ref=pp...

25’ 5/8” flat bungee cord – hookandcord.com - https://www.hookandcord.com/58_FLAT_BUNGEE_CORD-U...

Plywood Cut List:

¾” Plywood (Fig. 1)

· 2 – 23 ¾” x 54 ¼” sides

· 2 – 23 ¾” x 54” vertical dividers

· 1 – 24” x 51” top in

· 1 – 23 ¾” x 49 ½” bottom

½” Plywood (Fig. 2)

· 6 – 26” x 19 ¾” horizontal dividers

· 3 – 13 ½” x 53 ½” cross support backs

¼” Plywood (Fig. 3)

· 54 – 15” x 19 ¾” drawer bottoms

To start, I cut up the ¾” plywood first according to Plywood cut list and (Fig. 1). Then I also cut the ½” Plywood according to the plywood cut list and (Fig.2). While I was at it, I went ahead and cut up the drawer bottoms according to according to the plywood cut list and (Fig. 3). With all the flat stock cut down to size, the next step is to cut some mortises.

After setting up the table saw to cut a ¾” wide x ¼” deep dado, I cut a dado on one side of the cabinet sides and both sides of the vertical dividers to 17 ½” and 35 ½” from the top. (Fig. 5 & 6)

For the sake of efficiency, I want to predrill the screw holes for the glides before the cabinet is assembled. Since the screws for the glides are so small, and the main reason for predrilling them in plywood is to position them, I am not going to use a drill, but a template and a small nail. It makes the process much faster, accurately locates the screws, and puts enough of starter hole in the plywood for the threads of the screw to grab.

To start, I cut a piece 1 ½” x 1/8” aluminum flat stock to the same width as the sides and vertical supports – 23 ¾”. I then located the glides where I needed them according to the manufacturers directions. There are three different drawer heights. The top 2 sections containing seven 2 ½” drawers, the bottom section containing three 4” drawers and one 5 ½” drawer. (Fig. 7) I then just lined up the template with my marks and tapped the nails through the template to locate my screws. (Fig. 8)

With that done, it is time to assemble the cabinet. I assembled it lying flat on its back starting with the bottom and one of the sides and working my way across using glue and finish nails to secure it together. I utilized a piece of scrap wood nailed diagonally across the front to hold it square. This will be removed and the open edge of the plywood will be covered soon. (Fig. 9 & 10)

I cut two pieces of the 2x6 to a length of 51” and screw them to the bottom. They will serve to provide a solid base for the wheels, prevent sagging, and protect the cabinet if picked up by a forklift. The 6 caster wheels are then attached to the 2x6s. I also install the top with more glue and nails before the cabinet is set upright on the ground. (Fig. 11) Then the 3 backs are installed leaving a 1 ¼” gap between the sides and the vertical dividers. (Fig.12)

The gap is to allow for the drawer glides to pass through and not lose the 4” of space behind the drawer. Instead of making the cabinet shallower and using full extension glides. I made the cabinet a little over 24” deep. This makes the unit less likely to tip over and I can use 24” standard bottom mount glides which are much cheaper and allow for a drawer construction that avoids capturing the bottom in a mortise. The quarter inch gained in drawer depth is critical for the plastic organizers. Even though the glides are not full extension, I only need them to reveal 19” for the organizers I am using and the leftover space in the back is utilized for a bit of hidden storage.

With the plywood cabinet assembled, it is time to clean up the raw edges and gain an additional half inch of depth by installing quarter inch trim on both sides. The edges are made by slicing up one the 1x4x8 select pine boards to about 7/16” thickness and then reducing them to 1/4” in the planer. Then they are just cut to length and attached with glue and 18 gauge 1” finish nails. (Fig. 13 & 14) Around the top, the edge protrudes on the front and sides distinguishing it from the cabinet and building in a cut line between the paint and polyurethane that will be applied later. To keep a finished look, I mitered the edge around the top. (Fig. 15)

After puttying the nail holes and sanding everything, I chose to paint the cabinet gray and leave the top natural with a few coats of polyurethane to make it easy to clean.

So, now it is time to move on to making the 54 drawers this unit will house. Having cut out the bottoms while cutting the other plywood earlier, the remaining sides, fronts and back need to be cut out. Most of the drawers will be housing organizer boxes meaning that the sies are basically retainers for those storage bins and do not need to be very tall. First I sliced up the 1x4x8 Southern Yellow Pine Boards to about 11/16” Thick. (Fig. 16 & 17) While working with the table saw I also cut 3 of the 1x6x6 down to 4” for the lower drawer fronts and 7 of the 1x4x8s down to 2 ½” for the 42 upper drawer fronts. The bottom drawer fronts are made from 1x6x6 and do not need to be ripped. Two of the 1x6x6 boards are ripped down to 4 ¾” for the bottom drawer sides and back.

On to the planer. The 11/16 Southern Yellow Pine boards along with 5 of the 1x4x8 boards and the 4 ¾” boards are planed down to ½” thickness for the drawer sides and backs. (Fig. 18)

All the drawer components are now cut down to size as follows. (Fig. 19, 20 & 21)

• · 42 small (2 ½” tall), 9 medium (4” tall) and 3 large (5 ½” tall) drawer fronts all cut down to a length of 15 7/8”
• · 42 small (1” tall), 9 medium (3 ½” tall) and 3 large (4 ¾” tall) drawer backs cut down to a length of 14”
• · 84 small (1” tall), 18 medium (3 ½” tall) and 6 large (4 ¾” tall) drawer sides cut down to a length of 19 ½”

The drawer fronts need some additional work prior to assembly of the drawers. The first thing is to use the table saw with a ¼” dado blade to cut a ¼” wide x ¼” deep slot in the back of the drawer front ¼” away from the bottom of the drawer front for the drawer bottom to slide into. The first of two jigs will the need to be made. This jig is for recessing the pull into the back and top of the drawer front. To do this, I use the router with a quarter inch spiral upcut bit in a router table. I utilized a ½” table bushing to guide the jig. Therefore, I cutout a guide 1/4” larger (1/8” on each side) than the 3 - 5/32” width and 1 – ¼” height. (Fig. 22) The bit is set to a depth of 1/8”.

To create the recess, it is just a matter of hogging out the material on the top and back of the drawer front. (Fig. 23 & 24)

The second jig is to locate the front structural screws and the label holder. The jig is very similar to the one used to locate the drawer slides on the cabinet. The first 2 holes are for the structural screws and are located 15/16” from either side and 1 1/4” from the top. The holes for the label holder are spaced 2 – 7/16” apart and offset to the left. Again, I use a nail to make a pilot indention. The nail indention will serve as enough of a pilot hole for the small screws that came with the label holder. The indentions for the larger screws serve as markers for an additional drilling step. (Fig. 25) For the taller drawer fronts, I simply flipped the jig over to the bottom to make a second set of indentions for the structural screws.

Since the sides are only ½” thick and will rely on glue and screws to attach to the drawer fronts, precise drilling of the pilot holes is crucial to prevent splitting. For this reason, the indentions I made with the jig before will now serve as markers for drilling a full pilot hole with the drill press. (Fig. 26)

Before assembling the drawers, I stained all of the drawer fronts with a Merlot stain. I am keeping the rest of the drawer bodies natural so it was easier to stain the fronts separately. (Fig. 27)

Time to assemble the 54 drawers. I elected to do this in 2 stages with 2 jigs made with scrap lumber. The first jig was to locate and square up everything except the drawer front. (fig. 28) Glue is applied to all the connecting surfaces and then the bottom is reinforced with some ¾” staples while the sides are reinforced to the back with some 18 gauge 1” finish nails. (Fig. 29)

The second jig is employed to center the drawer front to the rest of the drawer body and again glue is applied to all connecting surfaces. The pilot hole drilled in the front serves as a guide to drill the pilot hole into the drawer side before the screws are driven. (Fig. 30) A few 18 gauge ¾” finish nails are driven at roughly a 30 degree angle though the drawer bottom into the drawer front for extra reinforcement.

After a few coats of satin polyurethane were applied to all of the drawers, I then installed the drawer slides, label holder and drawer pull. (Fig. 31)

With the drawers complete, there are a few items to wrap up on the cabinet. First, all of the drawer glides need to be installed utilizing the pilot hole nail impressions made earlier. (Fig. 32)

The hidden shelves in the rear utilizing the 4” of leftover drawer glide space need to be built. These are constructed of the remaining 1x4x6 Select Pine for the vertical supports cut to six 52” pieces and the top and bottoms cut to 13 ½” from leftover 1x4. I also cut eight shelf pieces of the 1x4 to 12” in length. The top, bottom and sides are glued and screwed together first, then the shelves are screwed in. (Fig. 33) The shelves are screwed in through the sides at whatever interval you prefer. I set mine up so one set held lids from the organizers, one held tall leftover pieces of narrow material, and one held mostly cans.

To retain items in the shelves from falling out when the unit is rolled around, I used 5/8” flat bungee cord cut to 14” sections with a flat blade in a soldering iron. (Fig. 34) After painting the shelves, I folded over the ends of the bungee cord for reinforcement, stretched them across the shelf frame, and secured them with ¾” staples. (Fig. 35)

The shelves are then screwed in top and bottom and are ready for use.

The final details are the side shelves and handles. I cut the 1x12 select pine into two 24” sections, sanded and finished them with a few coats of satin polyurethane. Then I installed the black aluminum folding shelf brackets and 20” grab bar per the manufacturer’s instructions. The shelves are designed to provide a small, collapsible work surface to set things on while I am retrieving a part. (Fig. 36)

Sliding the drawers into the cabinet one by one is a very satisfying part of this project. (Fig. 37)

The final part of the build is to put in all of the organizer bins. I had gone through several iterations of organizer bins in the planning stage prior to starting the build. I had considered 3D printing custom bins after being inspired by a YouTube video made by Alexandre Chappel (link below) until I calculated all the time and material that required. I then developed a way to create my own bins much faster and cheaper using a CNC router and plastic sheets. I posted a video on how to manufacture those and I will include that link below as well. After I had made a few test runs and was about to order the plastic sheets for the remaining bins, fate intervened and I stumbled across a sale at one of my favorite stores. I came home with 84 plastic organizer bins (Fig. 38)

The biggest advantage to these is time and cost. I still like the idea of the individual bins better, but these organizers do have a key advantage. I did not want to create a barrier to putting parts away in their proper place so I removed all of the lids. I store a number of them in the back of the cabinet so that if I want to work on something at some other location, I can pull the organizer tray with the parts I may need out of the drawer, snap the lid back on, and travel without worrying about parts spilling.

This turned out to be an extensive project, but I am glad I made the investment. I hope you enjoy the project too.

Link to Alexandre Chappel video Parts cabinet Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHFK5sY8ToE&list=LL&index=9&t=383s

Link to previous video on manufacturing small parts bins from sheet plastic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Jjdns2HIH4

Rod Gunter is Operations Manager at Gunter Building Solutions and has over 20 years of experience in the homebuilding and cabinetry industries. Rod has been responsible for building over 200 homes above the $500,000 price point. Rod has trained large groups including all the major home centers on selling skills, construction techniques and sustainable natural wood products. Rod resides with his family in Holly Springs, North Carolina. Gunter Building Solutions owns WoodAirGrille.com which manufactures wood return air filter grilles and wood return air vents.