Hanging tool cabinet design question

[bandit571]

Not mine, but....

   
This might take awhile....

[®smpr_fi_mac®]

Thanks for the advice, gents! I'll include a bunch of the ideas presented here in the design. Definitely gonna make it modular. I'm not worried about blocking the light; I don't want the doors to open much past 90* anyway.

[ez-duzit]

A drawer in a rollaway cabinet near my cabinetmaker's bench stores most of my planes. The rest are in drawers in the bench itself.

[Admiral]

.  I want to modify the plans to 65" wide; which will put the outer edges of the case centered on two studs (with plenty in between to support the French cleat and eventual weight of a filled-up cabinet).

Second question:  Will a continuous hinge, ~46" long, be able to support two doors that are 32" wide, with the tools that they'll eventually carry?  Should I divide the cabinet into three sections with three doors instead?

This is my first tool cabinet build and hope to get it right the first time.

Below is my quick and dirty cabinet built 4 or 5 years ago, Borg plywood hung with a french cleat, the cabinet and shelf beneath bear no weight.  It is 48" wide so doors are 24".  I'd hesitate to go much wider than that.  The hinges are just fine to hold my doors, the one on the right is loaded more heavily than the left and I've not had any sag, don't know about how this would work with fully loaded 32" ones.

[Stwood_]

I see a couple of easy options. 

Narrow the cabinets to 30 in. wide and put a 5 in.-wide filler piece between them. Set the filler piece a couple of inches back from the hinge line to give the doors room to swing open more than 90°. Hang yard sticks or other long skinny things on the filler. If you really wanted to use the space, you could make that filler strip a door to cover cubbies for hand planes or something.

Maybe like this:






Another option is to make the cabinets 24 inches wide and put a shelf unit between. You would still need to put the front of the shelf unit back a few inches so the doors will open to more than 90°.

I'm liking Dave's idea. Defiantely use the space between, shelves or cubbies for sheets of sandpaper, etc.

[JimReed@Tallahassee]

Below is my quick and dirty cabinet built 4 or 5 years ago, Borg plywood hung with a french cleat, the cabinet and shelf beneath bear no weight.  It is 48" wide so doors are 24".  I'd hesitate to go much wider than that.  The hinges are just fine to hold my doors, the one on the right is loaded more heavily than the left and I've not had any sag, don't know about how this would work with fully loaded 32" ones.

Nice cabinet. I see some room for more planes...

[AgGEM]

I'm liking Dave's idea. Defiantely use the space between, shelves or cubbies for sheets of sandpaper, etc.

I read that too and thought it very clear thinking.
Ag

[Admiral]

Nice cabinet. I see some room for more planes...

Ah, er, well, the pic is a few years old, and I must admit there's less room in it now........

[BillMcD]

Go with the plans as written.  Envision the cabinet open.  In my mind's eye, 32 across is perfect for that space.
You can keep flat, long odds and ends on the walls, behind where the doors will be when open.  Hand saws, framing square, winding sticks, etc.

[®smpr_fi_mac®]

Eric,

I'll try to find a copy of that. Thanks.

Ray,

I have the Woodsmith with that tool chest and love it. I have LOTS of wall space and want to use it to free up floor space, though, so a hanging cabinet will work better for my space.