Hello all,
I believe this is my first contributing post to the forum so I thought I would share my drawer build
I wanted to build a drawer system that looked quality, fit my vehicle needs, and was in budget
Criteria
-looks professional (as my skills allow)
-fits the back cargo area and allows normal use of backseats
-lightweight
I wanted to originally use a syn sheet material that would be a lightweight and strong substitute for plywood. Most option I looked into were almost $300 for a 4x8' sheet which would put me way over budget.
I ended up building the box out of 3/4" birch plywood. I started to build out of 1/2" plywood but the panel flex was too much for my liking. To save what little weight I could, I used 4, 1x2s across the uprights as bottom supports instead of an entire panel. The middle upright is 1 piece of 3/4 that both slides attach. The drawer bottoms are 1/2" plywood.
Parts list
4x8 sheet of 3/4" birch plywood
4x4 sheet of 3/4" birch plywood
4x4 sheet of 1/2" birch plywood
4, kv 150lb ball bearing 30" slides
2, 3x5" satin black locking paddle latches
8, corner braces
2, ring mounts
2, turnbuckles
2 cans rustoleum bedliner
1qt behr ext satin black paint &a primer
The drawer assembly measures 39" wide and 38.5" deep.
It is wedged between the wheel tubs and has about 1/2" to spare to the rear hatch.
The body of the drawer assembly is painted with the behr and the drawers is painted with spray bedliner. The contrast between the two is a nice touch in my opinion.
The hardest part of the build for me was building this on my crooked, warped, and generally un-level back fire escape. The fit and finish is nice but the precision of some of the cuts and angles could be improved if i had a proper workshop to use.
The mat on top is temporary for now.
An 1/8" black diamond tread mat is going on the top along with stainless edge trim to protect the deck from loading and unloading cargo.
The turnbuckles are getting changed out for brackets that bolt to the floor. I wish I would've followed others and skipped the turnbuckles. They make that space basically unusable.
I can make a video over it in more detail once it is completely finished if people are interested.
I met most of my goals.
I built a box that fit my needs and that I am proud of the quality.
I was close but over budget slightly. I planned on $250 but spent $300 (over half the cost was the paddle latches and slides). I do have lots of parts, random brackets and a spare sheet of plywood I could return and probably make my goal.
It is heavy. Probably 75lbs to be honest and the 3/4" top deck is the main contributor.
Overall I like it compared to a similarly sized goose or outback drawer for 20% of their price.
Hope this helps someone and any comments are welcome
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I believe this is my first contributing post to the forum so I thought I would share my drawer build
I wanted to build a drawer system that looked quality, fit my vehicle needs, and was in budget
Criteria
-looks professional (as my skills allow)
-fits the back cargo area and allows normal use of backseats
-lightweight
I wanted to originally use a syn sheet material that would be a lightweight and strong substitute for plywood. Most option I looked into were almost $300 for a 4x8' sheet which would put me way over budget.
I ended up building the box out of 3/4" birch plywood. I started to build out of 1/2" plywood but the panel flex was too much for my liking. To save what little weight I could, I used 4, 1x2s across the uprights as bottom supports instead of an entire panel. The middle upright is 1 piece of 3/4 that both slides attach. The drawer bottoms are 1/2" plywood.
Parts list
4x8 sheet of 3/4" birch plywood
4x4 sheet of 3/4" birch plywood
4x4 sheet of 1/2" birch plywood
4, kv 150lb ball bearing 30" slides
2, 3x5" satin black locking paddle latches
8, corner braces
2, ring mounts
2, turnbuckles
2 cans rustoleum bedliner
1qt behr ext satin black paint &a primer
The drawer assembly measures 39" wide and 38.5" deep.
It is wedged between the wheel tubs and has about 1/2" to spare to the rear hatch.
The body of the drawer assembly is painted with the behr and the drawers is painted with spray bedliner. The contrast between the two is a nice touch in my opinion.
The hardest part of the build for me was building this on my crooked, warped, and generally un-level back fire escape. The fit and finish is nice but the precision of some of the cuts and angles could be improved if i had a proper workshop to use.
The mat on top is temporary for now.
An 1/8" black diamond tread mat is going on the top along with stainless edge trim to protect the deck from loading and unloading cargo.
The turnbuckles are getting changed out for brackets that bolt to the floor. I wish I would've followed others and skipped the turnbuckles. They make that space basically unusable.
I can make a video over it in more detail once it is completely finished if people are interested.
I met most of my goals.
I built a box that fit my needs and that I am proud of the quality.
I was close but over budget slightly. I planned on $250 but spent $300 (over half the cost was the paddle latches and slides). I do have lots of parts, random brackets and a spare sheet of plywood I could return and probably make my goal.
It is heavy. Probably 75lbs to be honest and the 3/4" top deck is the main contributor.
Overall I like it compared to a similarly sized goose or outback drawer for 20% of their price.
Hope this helps someone and any comments are welcome
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk