A0 Architect's Chest

[ajayre]

Hello, newbie to here and woodworking.

For Christmas I would like to build my wife an A0-sized architect's plan/blueprint chest for her craft area. Does anyone know where I can get plans for something like that? Generally she needs large, shallow drawers.

I have a SCMS, workbench, drill, some hand tools and access to a table saw and drill press. How realistic is it for me to build such a thing with such basic tools? Doesn't have to be fancy, just look nice and be functional. Too ambitious?

My thinking is to create a sub-unit of four drawers and then build two or three of these that can be stacked vertically.

Any pointers, advice gratefully received.

Thanks, Andy

 

[Jacob]

Basically any standard chest of drawers design would do, trad or modern. Personally I'd go for traditional.
The only unusual detail would be the drawer bottoms as these would need one or two muntins for strength, which would need to be flush with the bottom.

 

[bugbear]

Hello, newbie to here and woodworking.

For Christmas I would like to build my wife an A0-sized architect's plan/blueprint chest for her craft area. Does anyone know where I can get plans for something like that? Generally she needs large, shallow drawers.

I have a SCMS, workbench, drill, some hand tools and access to a table saw and drill press. How realistic is it for me to build such a thing with such basic tools? Doesn't have to be fancy, just look nice and be functional. Too ambitious?

My thinking is to create a sub-unit of four drawers and then build two or three of these that can be stacked vertically.

Any pointers, advice gratefully received.

Thanks, Andy

These have often come up at my local auction, as architects go digital. I'd have a sniff around s/h suppliers, and save your time and skill for other occasions/projects.

BugBear

 

[Cheshirechappie]

I'd echo Bugbear's advice. As industry has contracted over the last few decades, and as drawing production and storage has digitised over the last decade or so, there must be literally hundreds of planchests made redundant. If you're prepared to go as far as the industrial areas of Leeds, Sheffield and the like, you may well find office equipment dealers begging you to take as many of the things as you can carry.

 

[Jacob]

Yebbut most of the things we make could be bought cheaper elsewhere.

 

[JustBen]

I'm after one of these too and all the ones I've seen on fleabay are going for silly money.

 

[Baldhead]

Basically any standard chest of drawers design would do, trad or modern. Personally I'd go for traditional.
The only unusual detail would be the drawer bottoms as these would need one or two muntins for strength, which would need to be flush with the bottom.

+1 If you are a confident woodworker it shouldn't be a problem.

Baldhead

 

[MARK.B.]

You say you are new to woodworking,is that no idea new? or ok at diy new?, just a amateur wood butcher myself but i would say if a complete novice you may be taking on a little to much for you to complete before xmas.

 

[xy mosian]

The Plan chest I have has a very useful drop front to the drawers. The whole of the front is hinged along the bottom turning the drawer into an open sided tray.
xy

 

[MMUK]

I'd echo Bugbear's advice. As industry has contracted over the last few decades, and as drawing production and storage has digitised over the last decade or so, there must be literally hundreds of planchests made redundant. If you're prepared to go as far as the industrial areas of Leeds, Sheffield and the like, you may well find office equipment dealers begging you to take as many of the things as you can carry.

I remember contracting at a site in Enfield a couple of years ago. The drawing office there all went over to AutoCAD and there were FIVE 20yd skips full of drawing boards :shock: I mean the dogs danglers, all counterbalanced with 1" thick ply laminated surfaces. Must have cost £2k+ each new. Each one weighed a fair amount, they had cast iron stands.

If I'd had the storage space and a way of transporting them I'd have rescued as many as possible.

 

[Jacob]

Basically any standard chest of drawers design would do, trad or modern. Personally I'd go for traditional.
The only unusual detail would be the drawer bottoms as these would need one or two muntins for strength, which would need to be flush with the bottom.

Forgot to add- you could also have a runner under each muntin, to help carry the weight and keep things flat.

 

[ajayre]

Thanks for all the replies. I just bid and lost on a A0 10-drawer on ebay - went for £310. With delivery that would have ended up as £360. On top of that it was painted so would need stripping and refinishing.

I think I have nowhere near the type of tools I need to make one so I will keep this on the back burner for some other time.

Andy

 

[MMUK]

Regular hand tools should suffice, along with some decent sized sash clamps.

What are we talking here? Dovetail jointed draw frames with doweled support muntins? Plywood bases? Half lapped softwood outer frame with a ply back board and mortice & tenon transoms and mullions?

Maybe throw in a circular saw for cutting sheet to size for ease but hand tools and patience could make this cabinet quite nicely.

 

[ajayre]

Hi, thanks for replying. All the simpler plans for chests of drawers I've managed to find so far use dados to join the sides of the drawers together. I don't have a router yet. If you could point me to some ultra-simple plans that I could adapt then I would really appreciate it.

Andy

 

[Eric The Viking]

The difficulty is the drawer area - it's huge!

Jacob (rightly in my limited experience!) points out you need muntins (or sommat) to stiffen the drawer bottom. The other issues: little wood at the sides vertically, to give you a strong joint with the fronts, and once loaded with heavy plans and charts, there would have been a lot of friction. You'd need ball-bearing or roller sliders I'd guess.

You'd also need to be very accurate in setting out, and need good stock - if the carcase rails between the drawers moved, for example, they'd start to stick very soon.

I have a double plan chest, which I use for small tools. I was lucky enough to get it via freecycle. It's metal (Bisley, possibly - no brand marked), and there are very strong sliders at the sides, with two extensions to get to the back. Even then several drawers still jam a bit (the sliders just get stuck for no obvious reason).

Much as it would be fun to try to make one, I'd still have a look round any s/h furniture stores in your area. The metal ones aren't glamorous, but they are functional, and might cost a lot less than a smart wooden one. At a pinch you could always clad it externally.

Start by making something a bit smaller and easier - success begets confidence, but overreaching only disappointment and frustration (I wouldn't tackle it!).

E.