[Rob]

I'm designing some cabinets for a cargo trailer. I want a clean, crisp look for the cabinets and have decided to go with frameless. I've made lots of face frame style but never frameless.
The entire run of cabinets will be 148" long with 4 separate sections for lots of drawers holding heavy items. My questions concerns the basic carcass sonstruction. Should I build 4 separate boxes, 37" wide (with 1/4" backs) and screw them together or, make 2 longer boxes, 74" long and put a 3/4" vertical divider in the center? The cabinets will be 39" tall with a 6" toe-kick area.
I'm thinking separate cabs will give more rigidity (also more weight).
Thoughts???

 

[Big Dave]

I think either way will work fine. I will tell you though you need to be prepared to do alot of shimming. My trailer was not straight or square for nothing.

 

[nywoodwizard]

Thats a choice you'll probably have to make ,i personaly would make the four and use 3/4 backs especialy if there all draws and the'll be filled with heavy items,the wieght is not that much of a differnce.if these cabinets are going into a cargo trailer,how did you plan on mounting them,and what do you plan on using to keep the draws from flying out ?

 

[Rob]

The drawers and doors will be inset as I want everything flush. Less of a chance of things getting banged up that way. I planned on installing cam style locks on every single door and drawer, keyed alike. The drawers will on be on Accuride 100 lb. full extension drawer slides. My thinking for the locks is this. I can unlock and pull the drawer out via the key to open the drawer. When parked on a street with the doors wide open, which is the way it is when you are working on a job, it's too easy for someone to simply reach in and grab something. This is a deterent and shouldn't be too much of a hassle for getting in a drawer.
Planning on screwing the backs of the cabinets to the 16" OC ribs that run vertically up the trailer walls. I'll run 3/4" horizontal stretchersacross the back, top and bottom to beef that up. 3/8" ply presently makes up the walls, but may remove it and beef it up a tad. They will also be screwed to the toe kick assembly.
I'm open to all ideas. My last trailer was a 6x10 and I outgrew it quickly. I vowed never to trip, stunble or hunt for anything again. My plan is to have everything in it's place and not a whole lot viewable by looking in.
Dave, planning on extending the back of the laminate on the countertop 1/2" or so and will scribe to the wall. Will inset the back panels 1/2" on the end cabs so I can scribe there also.

 

[Big Dave]

1/2 inch may not be enough. Seriously. String the walls and check it first.

 

[Rob]

Wow! No kidding!

 

[skymaster]

Rob; Also look into the file cabinet locking systems; internal full length locking rod, kinda just unlock the "master drawer" and all open same in reverse, unseen but quite secure.

 

[Rob]

Skymaster...can you give me a link? I'm not having much luck finding what you are speaking of.
Thanks.

 

[skymaster]

Rob; will see if I can do that for ya. I know that my supplier has a website www.outwaterhardware.com You can find it in his catalog and I will try to narrow it down for ya.
JackM

 

[mdlbldrmatt135]

www.timberlinelock.com

http://www.timberlinelock.com/pdf/timb-stockcat05.pdf

they're a nice one and you order the cylinders seperate (so they can be keyed alike)

 

[Rob]

Great looking stuff! Thanks for the link. I'll definetly be looking into them further.

 

[mdlbldrmatt135]

Yeah it is nice stuff. I worked for about 5 years as a Design Engineer at a pretty big Office Furniture company. We used that stuff for everything. (Actually we helped develop some of it for Our needs) I still have a box of some locks & cylinders kickin around in the Garage.... I have bought direct from them too. (what I couldn't get from the floorstock at work)