Deck/Outdoor Chest.

[Pat]

Hi,

I am looking for links to ideas/examples/plans for a storage chest for use on a deck.

Instead of a hinged top I would like to use a large drawer. So I'm looking for ideas for the type of plywood to use for the drawers and any ideas on the type of drawer slides to use. Over all the drawer will not hold more than 100lbs. The chest will be about bench height.. about

24 inches deep and 5-6ft long. I'll make the outer shell out of a paint grade material such as doug fir, or redwood. I want it to look nice and function well.

Ideas?

By the way I searched using google for this project but didn't really come up with a lot and certainly nothing that used drawers.

[DonkeyHody]

Even if you come up with drawer slides adequate for the task, the chest will likely tip over with that much weight hanging out. Instead I'd just put rollers on the bottom of the drawer and let the drawer roll across the deck. Simplifies everything. Think of a trundle bed. If it's bench height, it will find use as a bench, so build your case plenty sturdy. The pressure treated plywood I can find locally warps too much for such an application. Can you get marine grade plywood?

I built a similar chest of pressure treated 2 X 4's to store pool chemicals, but it has a hinged lid and no real bottom. Items inside just sit on the deck. The 2 X 4's are spaced 1/4" apart for ventilation, and I put aluminium flashing under the top to keep water out. Works fine, but the lid is quite heavy. My wife can barely raise it.

DonkeyHody "He who lieth down with dogs riseth up with fleas."

[Lew Hodgett]

Years ago I built a dock box for a boat using 2 sheets of 3/4 exterior grade ply, some 1x4 trim and complete with a shingle roof.

Basically a shed with hinged front doors that were padlocked shut with a heavy hasp, complete with a couple of coats of paint inside and out.

Since this box was left unattended, security was an issue.

I'd stay away from drawers.

Consider using plastic bins that can be stacked inside the box.

HTH

Lew

[professorpaul]

I had a similar situation. Use T-111 plywood, framed up with treated

2x4's, and hinged lid with enough overlap to keep out the rain. Put together with deck and drywall screws. I used it to store boating stuff on a dock. Hasp for padlock. Simple.