Pantry pullouts

Re: Pantry pullouts

Kelly M Robison

Sounds alright to me. I have some drawers in my workshop cabinets that same size and they work great.

Maybe

Dick Coers

Since you don't mention pull out construction, it's hard to say. I wouldn't want to have a frame with a 1/4" bottom if going that wide. Also make sure you use hinges that get the door out of the way. Having the pantry against a wall will also be a concern with the door movement.

Re: Pantry pullouts

Jim Dillon

Bob, unless you are planning on loading the drawer entirely with canned goods, 100 pound sliders should work fine. If you want to stick with a 1/4-inch bottom, you might consider adding a middle divider to add strength, especially in a drawer that wide. I'm also assuming the drawer height you plan is not something crazy. Good luck. Jim

Weigh some samples

Bill Houghton, Sebastopol, CA

I'd make up a quick plywood tray that size, load it with what you think will be typical contents, then add a little more weight (because, in real life, you'll always add a little more weight); and then weigh it. The tricky part will be the weighing. Unless you've got a local store with a suitable scale*, you might get by with your bathroom scale. Make a platform for the scale from two chunks of 2x4, set apart the width of the platform on your bathroom scale and tacked together with a thin plywood/masonite bridge so they don't fall over. Then enlist a friend/lifemate/one of your kids to balance your tray on the 2x4s on the scale, and check the weight. That last step might require a flashlight and mirror.

I've never done anything this big this way, but I've used the bathroom scale to weigh a lot of things, often by the subtractive method: I weigh myself, sigh at the numbers, then weigh myself holding the item, and subtract my unburdened weight from that higher number. It's accurate within a pound or so.

If in doubt, I'd step up to the next higher weight rating. Were this your laundry closet, 100 pounds would be fine; for a pantry, you could easily get up to and past 100 pounds in a hurry.

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*Our feed store in town used to have a platform scale in the front part of the store, and they were always open to people weighing strange stuff on it. Alas, a fire destroyed the store, and, when some of the employees bought the store and rebuilt it, the scale wasn't part of the rebuild.

Re: Pantry pullouts

Barry Irby

My experience is that I have always been happier with Heavier duty runners than necessary. If in doubt, increase the weight rating.

Re: Pantry pullouts

BobinNP

My plan was to build pullouts entirely out of 1/2 inch Baltic birch ply with some some type of drawer lock joinery, glued and brad nailed. Think I’ll do the mock up as mentioned above and weigh them. One more question, I’ve been using euro door hinges and the 32mm system. I’ve asked once before about having to drill the mounting plates to accommodate the 5mm screws I’m using. Only answer I received was I’m buying from the wrong supplier. That project I drilled all the plates, worked out fine. Can I specifically order hinge plate for 5mm screws? Thanks for the help.

Re: Pantry pullouts

Barry Irby

I have minimal experience with Euro hinges. Many years ago I built cabinets to earn money for college. Then basically ignored the emergence of Euro hinges.

There are at least four or more brands and three or more mounting methods. I suggest you pick a brand and then go to their website for installation instruction. I have used the version with regular wood screws. I have seen version where you insert the plastic plugs. I have some 5mm screws but have not used them. On YouTube I saw the version where you press the plate in and close the cover, but have not done that. My understanding is the hole placement is consistent from type to type, but they vary in diameter.

So, look up the specific brand. And be alert that they project into the cabinet and will get in the way of the pull-outs unless you install a spacer as mentioned above.

Re: Weigh some samples

Don Stephan

Google estimates that 1/2" baltic birch plywood weighs about 1.5 pounds per square foot.