Here's a stackable storage cabinet for small parts that's pretty exciting. After a lifetime of accumulation of tools, hardware, and parts, I've got "stuff" strewn into every available nook and cranny, and am desperate for more room, expandability and better organization. (My wife thinks I own every tool and fastener in the known universe, but ... well, you know that story, eh? ... ;-) As is the case for most home shop owners, my floor space for storage is at a premium.

Frustrated with the dinky-toy plastic parts cabinets available everywhere - and faced with the dearth of reasonably priced alternatives - I designed the unit to utilize a common parts organizer tray relatively new to the market which features credible size, a multitude of round-bottom (great!) adjustable sections (24 per tray), and a hinged cover for ease of transport. Each tray offers the storage volume equivalent of about 12 of the common plastic parts bin drawers, and with nearly 2" of usable depth, is adaptable to a wider range of small-parts storage needs. Usable size per compartment varies from about 2w x 2d x 1-7/8h (all dividers in place) to 1-7/8w x 13-5/8d x 1-7/8h (all dividers removed.) (Tray Source: Wal-Mart, either Shimano or Eagle Claw Organizer, UPC Number 7-25033-80353-3.)

With end-wise tray insertion, the storage unit achieves doubly deep storage with full accessibility, and crams 576 good-sized 2x2x2 compartments (in 24 organizer trays) into a volume that's less than 15"d x 22"h x 35"w.

The project isn't intended to be "pretty" - rather, it anticipates that the bare-bones storage unit will be eventually installed within a standing storage cabinet. However, the stackable basic unit is also designed to stand alone with (user-designed) addition of back, side panels, face frame and doors. Lack of sophistication (simple joints & uncomplicated patterns) points to minimal material cost and considerable ease of fabrication.

The only caveat is that the specified trays aren't cheap (but are arguably a real bargain in "bang for the buck"), as they cost nearly $4 apiece, and 24 are required to fill the cabinet. Alternatively, the cabinet plans/dimensions may be easily altered to accommodate as few as 2 trays. As might be expected, there is no guarantee of continuing availability - I've ordered a full complement of 48 (for two units) just to be sure that they're available and of similar dimensions. (The flip side of cost is the acquisition of very dense utilization of storage volume, minimal floor space, outstanding practicality in use, transportability, modular stackability, and elimination of a multitude of storage devices of varying sizes - all for about $120.)

Why use commercial trays? After all, is this about woodworking or not? You bet it's about woodworking. Personally, I'd rather efficiently use the commercial trays (and spend the better portion of my time making furniture) than to spend "forever" in building a zillion little compartmented boxes that only I would appreciate.

There's a second plan image at the end of the page constituting a conceptual outline of a 36x96 floor cabinet which houses a stacked pair of the tray storage project units, plus tool and parts storage compartments above and below.

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INSTRUCTIONS (see drawing above):

MATERIALS:

• 3ea 2x2x96 pine or fir
• 1ea 48x96x1/4 Tempered Masonite
• 1ea 14x36 (rough dimensions) 1/2" fir plywood
• Yellow wood glue (NOT fast setting!)
• Fasteners

CUTTING and ASSEMBLY STEPS:

1. Check the 2x2 stock, which is frequently not square. If "good" 2x2s elude you, it's possible to rip 2x4s (or larger) to the desired finish dimensions. If 2x2s are marginally out of square, it's legitimate to set up guides and rip as needed to obtain square sections. (If 2x2s are "made square", final overall depth of the cabinet may vary without compromise of purpose or function.) If twist, bow, and crook are minimal or nonexistent, then you should be able to craft accurate uprights from cut-off sections.

2. Cut the six 2x2 pieces for the bottom frame. Assemble with bar clamps & glue; add a 3" #10 low-root screw in each joint for additional strength. Rout the 1/2x1/4 rabbet for the base cover. (Note: For greatest simplicity, the rabbets can be pre-cut on the table saw. The result will be an unfilled rabbet end at each corner, but that won't affect utility and will be invisible if the cabinet is later enclosed.)

   Our bottom is shown at 1-1/4 height - the result of restriction of available space at our location. You may substitute full-bodied material, e.g., 1-1/2 x 1-1/2 net, with the result of 1/4" increase in overall unit height. If you make that substitution, the thickness of the two base center crosspieces will change from the designed 1" to 1-1/4". Similarly, if you must rip the base frame material to get it square, then the thickness of the center crosspieces must be adjusted so as to match the exact height of the cover rabbet.

3. Cut the eight vertical members to length, then cut the bottom rabbet plus 7 shelf support dados in each. (Precision table saw setup -square, parallel, etc.- is critical to obtaining square upright alignment.) Exact depth match for all dados will yield a square finished assembly.

4. Cut 1/4" tempered Masonite panels:
   (7) Shelves @ 11 x 34-1/2
   (1) Base Cover @ 11-1/2 x 32-1/2

5. Cut top - 1/2" plywood @ 34-1/2 x 13-1/2
   Note: The top could be lesser material - Plywood is chosen to increase rigidity and allow for modular stacking, if desired.

6. Glue and nail the Base Cover into the base rabbet.

   Check your work: Be sure that the assembled base is flat and does not rock.
   Note that the Base Cover is rabbeted flush so as to ensure that the uprights rest on the Base frame and not on the softer Masonite cover.

7. Assemble one front corner upright to base with glue and bar clamp. Allow time for glue to set. Assemble the other corner upright in the same manner. After glue has set, drive 3 nails at slightly differeing angles into each joint (we used a pneumatic finish nailer to minimize potential for splitting.)
   

   Step 7 is critical, and worthy of extra time and attention. Before applying glue, dry assemble. Use a 24" carpenter's square to ensure that both of these uprights align square with the base in both directions, as they will determine dimensional integrity of the entire assembly. If the upright's rabbetted joint doesn't align vertically, then either the base frame or the upright rabbet (or both) is out of square. The base edge(s) may be ripped to square on the table saw if necessary. (Note that cutting the base edge or re-cutting the upright's rabbets will slightly reduce width for top and shelves ... measure and re-cut widths if needed. If one upright is altered, then all must be similarly remachined.)

   No, we're not crazy. Although the joint alignment method may seem risky, we achieved square alignment at the free ends of the uprights within less than 1/32" on the first try. That's not furniture quality, but is certainly sufficient for this small utility cabinet.

8. Assemble the two remaining front side verticals by the same method, and with the same attention to square alignment. At this juncture, you've a base platform with its four front uprights firmly attached. Its carefully crafted alignment will ensure that all remaining steps result in a square finished assembly. Allow at least 30 minutes for glue setup.

   Cautions:
   • If your stock is not straight, bar clamps in the remaining steps will distort the entire assembly.

   • If assembly (9 & 10 below) is not completed before shelving glue sets, the shelves will be misaligned in the front upright dados. If you must pause midway, be sure that the rear uprights are dry-assembled with the shelves and clamped in place.

9. Lay the assembly front-side-down and dry-fit the shelves, ensuring that all slip into place with proper clearance and fit end-to-end with the corner upright's outer edges. Remove shelves, apply glue to the bottom dado for each upright, and insert the first shelf. Align shelf for end-to-end match with corner uprights. Repeat for the remaining six shelves. Add back uprights without glue and affix bar clamps to ensure that shelves have been fully drawn into dados.

10. Remove bar clamps. Glue rabbet and all dados in one back corner upright. Place, align with square, and clamp front-to-back at top, bottom and center. Repeat for remaining three back uprights. After glue has set, add finish nails at bottoms of uprights.

11. Apply glue to tops of uprights, then align and nail or screw plywood into tops of uprights.

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The finished unit owes its considerable stability to the many glued joints amongst shelves and uprights; neither back nor side-panel reinforcement is required. In our estimation, the likelihood of encountering severe wear of sliding surfaces is remote. However, should the crafstman so choose, there is ample "headroom" for installation of thin plastic wear strips in each cabinet compartment. Since the tray height dimension is nominally 2", there is ample finger space (1/2" above and below each tray) in which to grasp tray ends even if their integral end tabs eventually break off.

Two or more such units may be stacked with addition of locating dowels, corner brackets, or metal mending straps.

Our intended use involves crafting of a finished cabinet to house a stack of two storage units, as shown in the sketch at right. The final installation will include two such enclosures, including a total of four of the modular storage units with 96 organizer trays (and their potential for up to 2304 individual compartments), plus over-and-under tool storage.

Enclosure Notes
We've designed our enclosure cabinet (at right) in anticipation of using 1/2" plywood for the sides, with 1/4 clearance between those sides and each end of the storage unit - an approach that will allow for any minor misalignment without distortion of the enclosure cabinet.

Depth of an enclosure cabinet must exceed the 13-1/2" depth of the storage unit, as the trays are deliberately allowed to project beyond the storage unit's face so as to provide finger grip clearance for each parts tray. We'd suggest adding 3/4" for enclosure rear frame and back, plus 1/4" interior back clearance, plus 1/4" for an added back (traystop) in the storage unit, plus about 1-1/2" inside front clearance - thus making the case depth not less than 16-1/4" out-to-out from enclosure back to front surface of face frame. If doors are to be mounted flush, add another 3/4" so as to achieve the 16-1/4" dimension to the inside of the face frame.

The tray inspection shelf should be at least 8" deep, and might overhang the lower cabinet body by not less than 3/4". Thus, the enclosure base cabinet depth might be in the range of 24-1/4" including face frame and doors - roughly the depth of a workbench. Because of that depth, its height should be slightly less than (or exactly match) that of any nearby work surface so as to avoid interference with long workpieces on the bench.