I want some quick fast drawers for my workshop... Why not have a ply base for a drawer running sat on two plastic runners made of some kind of slippy plastic?
I could pull the whole drawer out and use it as a box (when i want my drill bits or whatever's in it.)
wooden runners would catch with splinters, so what could I make them out of?
george
PTFE will do but it is expensive and isn't an engineering plastic so it needs to be as a layer on top of a metal structure.
I find that tool drawers the weight means that it needs the sort of runners with wheels on that heavy duty kitchen drawers use. They work very well indeed. The next problem is that you have to reinforce the floor of the drawer to prevent the weight of tools springing it out.
If you don't mind having to pull hard then welded together angle iron will do for a heavy space frame and waxed bottom edges of the drawers.
Hardwood will not splinter and for small drawers and modest weights, candle wax is a good lubricant with a fresh application from time to time. For heavier jobs, HDPE is a good compromise between low friction and strength. "plastic" chopping board can be a good source for modest sized pieces or online suppliers of engineering plastics for larger pieces but still DIY quantities. PTFE is lower friction by poor strength and deforms under pressure.
It all depends on the weight of the tools, how much of the work you want to do yourself, and what you want to spend. Do I take it you already have some sort of cupboard space?
Make friends (informally) with the caretaker/site manager of your local primary school)s). When classrooms are refurbed the tray units used to stor all manner of things in plastic trays are often thrown out. It may be possible to intercept one or more on the way to the tip for a few beer tokens (from experience)
Malcolm
UHMW is the stuff usually used for that kind of application. You can get it in sheets:
PTFE?
You might get away with nylon.
Brian
Oh dear, I don't think one quite needs to go that far, but it very much depends on the tools.
Ordinary plastic runners and furniture polish work quite well, and the reinforcement of the bottom very much depends on the drawer construction. Many of the kitchen types are not well made in my experience.
Brian
Filing cabinets with a lift out tool box is probably the way to go, lots of second hand filing cabinets about. Brian
Look for UHMW adhesive tape (ultra high molucular weight) axminster sell it if you can't find it cheaper elsewhere.
sounds just like the average piece of chipboard furniture with a melamine veneer. Polythene or nylon. Pick up a chucked out chipboard drawer unit.
NT
Yip Brian. I bought one when I bought my first computer - Amstrad 1640. The computer even in those days was a load of shit. The metal filing cabinet is still in my garage. It is full of tools but wheels out nicely.
One of the best things ever are the metal sets of drawers used for storing computer punched cards. The drawers are removable and about 11 inches long. Just metal on metal.
No-one appears to be selling them on, and I am not selling mine!
Get some decent telescopic roller bearing runners. The type that allow the drawer to open fully. The sort I have also allow the drawer to be removed easily.
found some runners 50p each from ebay, buying 24 to experiment with, (and a metre of UHMW Tape).
Only if you're really, really, crap at woodwork. B-)
Even softwood will work well just apply candle wax as a lubricant.
Rub a tablet of soap on it.
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