Save HUNDREDS of dollars building your workbench like this!

This video is about my Best Tip for designing a workbench! The Drawer System I use is affordable, flexible, and very easy to make. A perfect integration for your workbench!

Products Shown in this video:

AUKTOOLS Router

BenchDogs INCRA Quad plate

Some China Tools I used in this video:

Enjoywood clamping squares

Hongdui Edge trimmer

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My Personal Banggood favorite of all time!

1. Hongdui Edge Trimmer

2. Doweling Jig / Multi-row puncher

3. 20-watt diode laser

4. Drill guide cabinet jig

5. T-ruler

6. Precision square

7. Miter square

8. Miter square brass

9. Height gauge

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My name is Dennis and I am from Hooked on Wood.
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My Youtube channel is a hobby. This means I try to upload 1 a 2 video's a month. But this is not at a specific schedule. So If you do not want to miss my videos. Subscribe and click the notification.

Products I use in my workshop.

Table saw with dust system:
Felder 740S Slider
Felder 140

Workbench:
Incra master-R-router lift
AEG 1400w router
Incra 25" SL positioner with Wonder Fence

Drill press: Jet JDP 15B
Miter saw: Festool Kapex 60

Different links to products I use

Clamps:
Axminster trade hold down clamps
Piher Rail guide clamps
Micro Jig dovetail clamps
Bessey parallel clamps
Axminster trade parallel clamps

Push blocks
Micro Jig Gripper
Incra Push block
Thank you for viewing.

Best regards,

Dennis

[WillNGo]

Good video. Your basic idea is really smart and even if someone doesn't do exactly what you've done, seeing how you've thought about the problem and solved it is just really good to know. Your details are really good.
I've made a lot of drawers. I don't think I'd 'want' to use your method.... but it's so efficient and easy that it's probably the best method for a new shop. After a few years the ones that start to wear, just upgrade them. And the ones that haven't? You've just had the use of them for many years and saved a lot of time and delay.
I've made drawers using finger jointed Baltic birch, hardwood runners rabbeted into the drawers and the carcass... Better, sure; and the drawers I made 30 and 18 years ago are still like new...but I haven't been able to bring myself to the hours and hours and set ups required to make more. The drawers you have and use are much better than the ones you don't have and can't use.
I think I would make sure that if the carcass sides started to wear they can be popped out, replaced or rabbeted so hardwood runners can be inserted.
The best coating for the MDF slots and the bottoms of the drawer sliders that I know of would be epoxy with carbon filler. It's black . Don't need fiberglass. You can quickly sand and buff this coating with steel wool this surface until it's smooth like a mirror (if you want). It's tough and slick, but I would always use beeswax or paraffin wax (not sure what they call this stuff in Europe). With this coating I don't think you need worry about anything wearing out. But definitely your edge easing and sanding is important, otherwise the drawer bottoms will start cutting into the carcass.
I would double the number the slots in the carcass. so 70mm high drawers... 75mm slots, cut another set at 37.5mm. So you could use two drawers in three slots and space above the drawer. I've found that it's very easy to over fill a drawer. Suppose you decide to have a drawer for power tools? Some of these will be higher than the drawer sides. You could drop down half a height, problem solved.
Also, because my method for making drawers was so time consuming I just made as many as possible, I arrived at a standard size (too big to mention here, I also used them as art print drawers). So for my shop I just made tall carcasses with runners so I could use all the drawers. So if I set up to make a bunch of drawers I'd make as many as possible.
To coat the Baltic birch I drilled a small hole in the 152 x 152cm sheets, sand the whole sheet with a pole sander and ROS. Then I hung them on a wire hook and coated them with Bona floor coating. Then I cut out all the drawers. Hope this contributes to your brilliant solution.

[matonmacs]

This drawer system is brilliant. The ability to have lots of shallow drawers relatively cheaply is a huge organizational win. Thanks so much for the idea! Merry Christmas!

[MyGrowthRings]

Very smart, Dennis. I’ve used drawers like this for years, but standardizing the size and space is a game changer. Well done. Scott

[danhalen]

I did something similar in my shop but I added UHMW tape on the underside of the drawers to help them slide more easily.

[billparrish]

Really great video! I appreciate the depth you got into as to design choices and talking through them. I have some slightly different design elements on mine, based on need, available materials I wanted to use, etc., but your process definitely helped me.

One idea I used that may help you is that I incorporated iron-on white melamine edge tape onto the gliding surfaces of my drawers, as a hardening treatment to make the action more slick. Mine has simple drawer boxes (no lip on a wider bottom), gliding on protruding cleats attached to the uprights, and the top surfaces of the cleats treated with the tape. If you wanted to use this harder/slicker surface treatment, you could route a mortise along the bottom edges of the drawers that is the thickness of the tape, iron it on there, and not have to change anything else.

Cheers, and thanks again!

[t.e.]

I recently made similar type drawers with a flexible system for my work van out of Birch plywood. I clear coated the drawers and cabinets and then gave them both a generous coat of waxed. They work great!

[DanielGeorge-ct]

Excellent drawer system, I plan to add a pull out bread board above the top drawer for tool layout. The bread board will used like an extension of my bench but 5” lower since my workbench top is a 5” laminated beam. This allows the top of the bench to be uncluttered with tools and staged work pieces while easy access. I plan to add the breadboard the same finish details as the drawer bank. Also the bread board can be pulled out on either side of the bench above each of 3 drawer banks. I will cut blocks that can be placed level with the top of the work bench to effectively expand the width of the bench top. This drawer system is so efficient and adaptable, nice job Eric.

[sneakyhippo]

This the route I wanted to go but wasn’t sure how except with hardwood. I’m glad this alternative turned out great and it’s the way I will go. Plus drawer slides are so expensive with as many drawers as I plan to have. Thank you!!!

[CNile-sexw]

Your drawer system is absolutely brilliant. 👍
My wife & I are elderly so I'm keen to convert our kitchen door/shelf cupboards to drawers, & your system means that it will be affordable.
My workshop is tiny, I've got a circular saw track guide, but no router or table saw, so your last suggestion making the slots with pre-cut pieces will be perfect. 👍

[michael.schuler]

As a professional shopfitter, I had access to scrap slatwall. I used this pre-made material to form slotted case sides and avoid the need to cut multiple dados. Even if the slatwall is purchased new, this is an economical way to execute the same design.

[johnallen]

Simple ideas are often the best and the drawer system here is no exception.. Cheapest materials and simplicity . It also makes accurate building EASY. All you have to do is cut the MDF to the correct size and squarely. Screwing panels on to create the drawer runner slots is simple yet brilliant. No daunting router work for the beginner woodworker !
Excellent Dennis !

[slowfinger]

Now that's some proper engineering! I retired from the custom woodworking industry, and know a good drawer when I see it.😎 Great video, and nice shop.
One tip to offer up about runners, to everyone, came from a forty year old dresser(now 70). Way back in the day, I guess we did this. Plastic Laminate on the tops of the carcass runners. Plus add 1/2" tall lam. strips on the carcass sides(above the runner, or right in the dado, like an L) and get a closer fit, no-wiggle tolerance. Can be glued up on the long strips before cutting to length. Based on that old dresser's still slick drawer action, I built a set of four tall dressers for a family friend from mahogany ply, and we know ply on ply doesn't cut it. It was a simple solution to use some scrap lam that color matched. These dressers had conventional sides and runners well spaced vertically. That was over 30 yrs. ago. There's hardly any wear on the laminate, save for a bit of the color worn off, on the leading edge. None but the faintest scuffs (1/2") on the lacquered drawers.

[peterkitchell]

I agree, this is a well worked out drawer system. I have used the more tempered 1/4 masonite instead for bottoms and fronts. If oiled and finished it turns dark brown and can be worked up to a fairly shiny surface if you want to put multiple coats on. No handles just a hole to pull with your finger. Yours is beautifully thought out and executed as usual.

[makernova]

Great tips! I didn't even think about having the nook between the drawers and the tabletop for placing a tool that you're using - good idea! Also, I love how neat, tidy, and clean your workshop always is.

[bremg]

Plannen gekocht en een variatie hiervan aan het maken. De plannen missen heel veel maten, non stop scrollen en zoeken. Verder fantastisch design!

[CalAgricola]

Those drawers look really sharp and give a really professional look to your shop. Nice job!

[ogearbox]

This system is perfect for my new old shop. The cost of lumber and plywood is through the roof so the MDF is something I switched to, loved the gray scheme against the yellow pine drawer pulls.

[sudsf]

I've been looking for a method like this to make drawers for my shop. This is terrific! Thank you!

[miteytuff]

I worked at an office furniture manufacturer for years. Their lateral file cabinets were based on multiples of 3" which gives a wide range of drawer options and combinations. You've done the same thing. Excellent work.

[constantinosschinas]

Brilliant aesthetics and ergonomy. I always loved simple wooden sliders. They last an eternity plus another one, they work as expected, they stay or glide when needed, they are cheap, can be installed with minimal if no measurements and can be used in a modular system like the one shown here.

Excellent content!