Question about building a drawer

[Melissa]

I got so many helpful replies about a corner tv cabinet measurement, I'm hoping there might be help to this question as well.

My plan is to build furniture for my living room, the tv cabinet was one piece. Another is a large bookcase with a drawer for hanging files on the bottom. There will be two of these on either side of a desk with hutch unit. My question is about the file drawer. I would like to make a drawer that is 11" high x 13 3/4" deep x 38 1/2" wide. This part I have already worked out. I will have a shelf mounted directly above this drawer, that will also slide out, for a printer and scanner to sit upon. For aesthetics, I'd like to make the drawer face to cover both the front of the drawer, and the slide shelf, which would make that drawer face very large - 29 1/2" high x 40" wide. I don't think the drawer operation will be a problem, there won't be a lot of weight and I'll get heavy duty glides. My concern is the drawer face. Is that just too large to be practical? Any thoughts? The drawer would likely be opened only once a day at most if that makes any difference. On my hand sketched drawing it looks okay, but I don't want to just rely on the drawing.

[Phil Crow]

29x38 seems a bit large for a drawer front. Why not have the 11-inch high drawer and a pair of swinging doors for the printer/scanner? Even better (in my opinion) would be a set of pocket doors.

One humble opinion.

-Phil Crow

[Jerry Gilreath]

Whew, IMO, that seems a little big. If aesthetics is what your after, what else is going to be that big to match? Can't you do it in 2 pieces maybe?

[Pounds on Wood]

That's a pretty large face. But more importantly, if I understand you correctly, in order to pull out the printer shelf you would also have to pull out the file drawer first? Won't the whole thing tip over on you?

[Mike]

Melissa,

While the size of the door you propose is big (add center mullion) but not excessive I frankly have doubts about the design. For one thing the file drawer is not a standard legal or letter size. Secondly the large face will get in the way when accessing the files. Especially if you plan to attach the printer shelf to it. Plus you will have to open the file drawer to use the printer.

Divide them up. Make a correctly sized file drawer and use hanging files. For the printer shelf check out the tilt down hardware like that used for cutting boards. Another concern is the width of this shelf. I would add a piece of finished wood to the front and back to add more ridgidity and also to the sides in order to mount the bigger full extension+ slides required to get the printer and scanner out from under the top.

If the full height door look is absolutely critical for visual reasons I would go with two separate doors that you open to access the interior like rollouts in a kitchen. If you must get them out of the way use pocketing hardware.

my 2 cents Mike

[Melissa]

Thanks for all the suggestions guys, this is just what I needed to hear. It seemed large to me as well, but also seemed more workable than it apparently would be. I think I'm going to try the suggestion above, but have decided that instead of having the large drawer on the bottom, that I will just put two large pull out shelves (with the reinforcement you described) with file crates placed upon one and the other still for the printer/scanner. I think this will give more flexibility in the future. In case anyone was curious, I wanted a drawer front as I would be accessing the files from the side, rather than the front, and thought that would be easier, but the pocket/sliding door should accomplish the same thing. And I just thought the one solid piece would look nicer, but the desk hutch next to it would have doors anyway, so.... Thanks so much for helping me think this planning stage through. Per Bill's concern about tipping, we have young children, so already planned on attatching to the wall with brackets, but a good reminder nonetheless. Thanks!