Overview: Cabinet design, cost and materials
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Combination cabinet
The cabinet closes compactly against the wall. You can hang stuff on the outside of the door too.
We designed this wall
cabinet with painting
supplies in mind, but you can
use it to store just about anything,
including hand tools and small
boxes of fasteners and hardware.
We simplified the construction by
using a build-a-box-and-cut-it-in-half
technique and then face-mounting
a full-length continuous
hinge. It couldn't be easier. And the
result is a sturdy, practical wall-hung
cabinet.
Materials for one of these cabinets
cost us about $55, but you
could reduce the price per cabinet
by buying 4 x 8-ft. sheets of pegboard
and plywood and building
several cabinets instead.
Figure A: Cabinet details
Figure A: Cabinet Details
Build the cabinet from a 4x4 sheet of plywood and a 4x4 sheet of pegboard. Find the Materials
Note: Figure A and a Materials List are available in pdf format in Additional Information below.
Step 1: Assemble the box
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Photo 1: Glue and nail the box together
Build a simple box and cover both sides with pegboard. Remember to face the good
side of the back pegboard to the inside of the box.
Start by
cutting 8-in. strips of plywood and
screwing them together to form a
2-ft. by 4-ft. box. Place screws accurately
as shown in Figure A to avoid
hitting them when you cut the box
in two (Photo 2). Also be sure to orient
the pegboard so the good side
faces out on the front and in on the
back. Be careful to cut the pegboard
pieces perfectly square and with
straight sides so you can use them as a
guide for straightening the box sides
and squaring the box as you nail on the
pegboard (Photo 1).
Step 2: Cut the box into two parts
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Photo 2: Saw the box in half
Cut the box in two using a guide board for a perfectly straight cut. Before the final
cut, use shims and tape to hold the box together.
To cut the box into two pieces, begin
by tacking a straight board to the box
sides as a saw guide. Position the
guide so the cut runs 3 in. from the
front edge of the box and falls between
the screws. Set the saw blade to cut 7/8
in. deep. Align the guide carefully on
each side so the cuts meet in the corners.
Before you make the final cut,
use shims and tape to hold the cabinet
together, and keep them on until the
cut is complete (Photo 2).
Step 3: Install the hinge
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Photo 3: Attach the hinge
Mount the door on the cabinet with a continuous hinge. Hold it in place with one
screw on each end. Then use a small, self-centering bit to make pilot holes for the
remaining screws.
Reconnect the boxes with a 48-in. long continuous hinge (Photo 3).
Step 4: Add the trim and shelves
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Photo 4: Install trim
Trim the door with corner molding.
Mark the inside of the molding at
cabinet corners and turn the molding face
down on the miter saw to cut the miter.
Figure A shows
the cabinet dimensions and details as
well as the rack we added to hold paint
roller covers. Screw two 3-in.-wide
strips of 3/4-in. plywood to the back of
the cabinet. These provide a stronger
hanging surface, and they space the
cabinet from the wall to allow the use
of pegboard hooks on the cabinet back.
Mount the cabinet by driving 1/4-in.
by 3-in. lag screws through the hanging
strip into wall studs.
