Large Storage Cabinet Design Help

[Chris Tsutsui]

I need help desgning a functional storage cabinet that is about 8 feet wide. I may need to make multiples of this so I am trying to find the most economical and fastest method of doing so.

My realm of cabinet design has only been with 3/4" sheet goods, so the cost is relatively high using 3/4" plywood for the entire construction. except for the toe kick which will be pre-milled pine or something rather.

I chose piano hinges for the doors, and regular hinges to make it a double door. Because the door's swing clearance would be huge for a nearly 4 foot wide door.

I would make a simple frace frame with cheap construction material as well.

If anyone can help me make this cheaper or easier to build I am open to all possibilities.



The cabinet will sit directly on a raised concrete foundation under a large carport. Directly above the cabinet are existing cabinets attached to the wall. Thus, nothing will go on top of this cabinet, only inside. The cabinet needs a locking mechanism of some sort that I need to find.

These don't have to be secure since they go in a gated community and used by retired folks.

I just want the easiest to use locking mechanism possible, and the cheapest and economical solution for a storage box this size. The box will be primed and painted to match the car port and it can have screws, and be rough around the edges since it will only be seen by the home owners. Looks don't matter, just function.

I attached below a quick MS paint sketch of what came to my mind. That's basically it only it doesn't have a face frame. Will 3/4" plywood work for this? I'm factoring the cost at $30 per sheet and will need at least 3 sheets.

Anyways I'd appreciate if any cabinet builders had any tips before I take on this project. Thanks

[Brian Smith3]

Well I haven't given this a huge amount of thought. Areas that I have found I can pull some money out of a project. In no particular order:
See if you can make the verticals 1/2" and the outer carcass 5/8"
Try to think of the project as a whole. In other words maybe you use 2.5 sheets of plywood per box but build an even number of them, or look at special ordering 10 foot sheets of ply.
See if you need a back or can you secure it to an existing wall, or use existing infrastructure to support your box
If you need a back can you use 1/4"
If you don't need a back then adjust the verticals so you can cut three from a half sheet of ply and use the other half as the door. Now you have 2 sheets of ply.
Maybe you could make a single fold down door that fits into a rabbet, with hinges on the bottom and a chain. This would give the user a temporary shelf when they were moving things in and out, be less labor, save a couple of piano hinges.

Well that's just a few ideas.

[jim carter]

if you have a home depot or lowes around you or similar store, look in their cull bin for cutoffs and damaged wood. you can get these at great prices and sometimes you can get alot of plywood and lumber in a single trip.

[Chris Tsutsui]

Thanks for the tips.

The only thing I worry about is I use 1/4" backing that the cabinet won't be as strong, though I guess Ikea and a lot of store bought furniture uses hardboard as a backing so I guess it should work.

1/2" verticals would save about $10 or so. Would it be ok to use 1/2" sheets because nothing will go on top of the cabinet?

I just worry about it being flimsy if I go too thin. I also will be using a brad nailer and glue for construction and I'll probably add some drywall screws to add some strength.

Jim, I have both Lowes, Home Depot, and Ganahl lumber very close to me. I will try to see what they have come build day, but It probably won't be a reliable source if I have to make 2 or 3 more of these boxes.

If I have to pay a little more for a better plywood, then I'd rather buy the quality stuff.

Should I go 5 ply or 7 ply, and is there a certain type of wood that would suit this application?

[Jamie Buxton]

I'd do the doors different. You have four panels, arranged as two bifold pairs. I'd lose the bifold concept, and hinge each panel directly to the cabinet. One benefit is that you get half as much weight hanging on the hinges you've designated as piano hinges. The other benefit is that the thing flapping around in the breeze is not 48" wide, but only 24".

[Jamie Buxton]

One more thought... The usual piano hinges are light-duty hinges. They're made of thin sheet metal, and use tiny #4 screws. You'd do much better using standard hinges. They're stronger, and not such a bear to install.

[Chris Tsutsui]

Thanks for the advice Jamie, I am 99% sure I am going to go with your idea and go with normal hinges and 2 swing open doors for each cabinet. I imagine the bi-fold doors might not be as durable of a design.

I'm going to get started on this project this weekend and will post pictures of the results and what I ended up with.