Need advice on building large garage cabinets

[EEHammar]

I'm planning on building some large garage cabinets (40" wide x 18" deep x 96" tall) for storage.  I plan on using pre-finished 3/4" plywood for the carcass and 3/4" prefinished MDF for the doors.  They will be Euro-style.  I had planned on bolting a ledger board to support the base of the cabinets and also running screws through the 3/4" back of the cabinet in to studs (I was hoping not to have feet or a ladder base).

I realize these cabinets will be heavy.  I'm open to using 1/2" material for the back.  I had been planning on just screwing the back on to the box (not inset inside the box).  I would use a panel at the end of the run of cabinets to conceal the exposed back.  However, after reading some recent posts on fitting an inset back to a cabinet, it gave me cold feet that perhaps just screwing the back on may not be strong enough.  The cabinet box would be assembled with domino's and would be screwed from the outside (again, the panel would cover the screws on the last cabinet). 

Would this be a sound construction method or am I asking for trouble?  Any advice would be appreciated.

thanks,
Eric

 

[tjbnwi]

At that height I would use a fixed center shelf and screw the back to that also. Most of the vertical load will be carried by the ledger.

Use a large head screw to securer the cabinet to the wall. I'd install more screws towards the top contact the cabinet wanting to roll off the wall.

Tom

 

[greg mann]

A well secured French cleat inset within the sides would also do the job, be more flexible in terms of relocating and would seperate the hoisting of the cabinet from securing it to the wall.

 

[tjbnwi]

With the back screwed on flush he'd have to do a cleat at the top and a spacer at the bottom.

Tom

 

[greg mann]

With the back screwed on flush he'd have to do a cleat at the top and a spacer at the bottom.

Tom

Agree, Tom. The back would need to be inset but he already indicated a willingness to have his sides hide a back that was just fastened proud of the carcase. The case side cleat could actually be cut into the back panel as a window if he doesn't mind it showing when the doors are opened. (Garage, after all) A 40" cabinet with a 34" wall cleat. The back could then be tight to the wall, inset flush or just screwed on, and the cabinet would be super easy to mount.

 

[tjbnwi]

Greg, my honest opinion is all cabinet backs should be inset into a groove not a rabbit. I don't trust the screws into the edge of plywood. Glue and screws much more so but......... I also feel the inset backs allow for an easier install. You're only dealing with 2 edges of wall contact instead of the entire back surface.

I'm also a big believer in French cleats. Strong and easily done.

I also like French toast ;D

Tom

 

[Just F Me]

Just curious as I'm new to wood chucking...

Can you make a french cleat out of plywood?  Or is it not strong enough?

 

[tjbnwi]

I've made french cleats out of plywood. No issues at all. If anything they should be less susceptible to failure due to the 90º plies. Solid cleats are normally ripped in the grain direction.

Tom

 

[tiralie]

I've made french cleats out of plywood. No issues at all. If anything they should be less susceptible to failure due to the 90º plies.

Agree, a higher quality plywood with less voids is preferable.
Tim

 

[JZ Bowmannz]

I just made these crude 8' cabinets (so no laughing please  [embarassed]) about a month ago to hide most of kids stuff in my garage, and they are 1/2" plywood carcass, doubled on top / bottom and fix shelf. They are very solid when I bolted all four cabinets together onto the wall.

Doors are MDO with Euro hinges. The reason of making these was to practice my LR32 system.

I didn't have the back boards, because majority of that side of the garage wall was build with plywood under sheetrock, so I just screwed French cleat on the wall. The bottom of the cabinets was also supported by a strip of plywood on the wall.

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[waho6o9]

Nice cabinets JZ.

 

[GreenGA]

Not bad. Not bad at all.

 

[Billedis]

I don't know why you are apologizing, those look very good.  Bill

 

[JZ Bowmannz]

They just don't look as refined as the most of member's projects when you open the doors. Picture shows that... (in case you are wondering the most left upper doors, they are sliding on a pair of drawer slides because the garage door rail is in the way if they are set up as double openning doors).

I learned a lot of tips and building stuff from FOG members of this site in the past year, really really appreciated all of you!

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[dltflt]

I think they look just fine.

 

[EEHammar]

Thanks for the illustrations and pictures.  Those, along with the previous suggestions, have been very helpful.

Eric

 

[cgmojoco]

I have sliding doors (like closet doors) along the entire length of one side of the garage.  And four heavy duty shelves mounted across  the entire length.  Doors are less in the way and I can access things much more readily.