ALM FAB
DESIGN + FABRICATION
New Plans!
IMPERIAL & METRIC
Building drawers can be intimidating. There’s a lot of measurements, options for joinery, and types of runners. To help simplify the process I’ve put together this guide. If you’ve never made a drawer or if you are looking to take your furniture skills to the next level, this guide will help you take that next step.
The guide covers the 3 most common drawer types:
Wooden Runners
Side-Mounted Slides
Undermount Slides
It shows you how to measure your materials, cut the joinery, and install the slides, so your drawers come out perfect and last for years.
Whether you’re making drawers for your workshop, home, or a client, these three methods will have you covered.
This guide is in both imperial, and metric.
The long awaited Shaper Origin Tool Cart is here!
If you are a Shaper Origin user, and you want a compact mobile workstation for your Shaper tools, this is an easy DIY build that will leave you saying “Why didn’t I make this years ago!”
Built from 2×4’s and plywood with pocket-hole joinery, this cart is a quick weekend build packed with features designed around all the tools in the Shaper ecosystem.
The cart holds Shaper Origin with WorkStation and works great with or without BenchPilot. There’s a small drawer on the front, a bigger drawer on the side, and a pull out table extension above the big drawer to provide more workspace. Below, there’s plenty of room below for a shop vac, Systainers, and Workstation shelves.
The space beneath the drawers is sized for a Festool CYC Midi dust extractor, but I have managed to fit my CT 26 by removing the top cover. That space is 20” (508mm) tall by 30.5” (775mm) wide by 28” (711mm) deep if you want to measure for your vac.
Total Dimensions
L 28” x W 34 3/4” x H 29 1/4” (743mm)
Note: Height is without casters, and the recommended casters add 4 1/4” (108mm) bringing it up to 33 1/2” (851mm)
Recommended Tools:
Table Saw
Miter Saw
Pocket Hole Jig
Brad Nailer
Jigsaw
Screw Gun
Materials:
2x4 stud framing lumber QTY 3
3/4” (18mm) plywood QTY 1 sheet (48” x 96” each)
1/2” (12mm) plywood QTY 1 piece (24” x 24”)
1/4” (8mm) plywood QTY 1 piece (24” x 24”)
Difficulty - Beginner-Intermediate
This tool wall is designed to fit any workshop. It’s made up of four different sized segments including shelves, hardware drawers, and two different sized tool wall panels. These elements can be organized however you like to fit the sized wall in your workshop. These plans are in both imperial and metric.
The AlmFab Modular Tool Wall is designed so you can use whatever tool holding system you like. Peg board, French cleat, hand made solid wood tool holders etc. The KM Tools Cleat Storage System is what’s featured in the photos. This system is sold separate.
The tool wall outlined in the plans is 36” (952mm) Tall, 86” (2185mm) Wide and 14” (356mm) deep (5 1/4” (127mm) deep without shelves). However, as I’ve mentioned it is a modular system and the plans detail how to alter the elements to fit any width of wall.
The plans include detailed drawings, step-by-step instructions, as well as a cut list.
Material usage for tool wall is variable, but to give you an idea of what you’ll need, The tool wall outlined uses one sheet of 3/4”(18mm) ply, half a sheet of 1/2”(12mm) ply, and and a 36”(902mm) x 11”(280mm) piece of 1/4” ply.
The hardware drawers used in the project are 3D printed and those files will be provided to you in the file. I will also show you how to build drawers out of wood if you don’t have 3D printer.
Tools you’ll need include
Circular saw/track saw/ or table saw (to cut panels)
Table saw or router (to cut dados)
Pocket hole jig (to join parts)
Brad nailer (optional)
Jigsaw/Bandsaw/handsaw (detailed cuts)
Drill
Measuring tools
How to Pattern Plywood
All step-by-set guide to making your own
Patterned Plywood.
Bundle and save with the 3-Volume Set!
FREE 3D Printing Files
Tools and organizers to help you in your workshop
This 3D printable hardware drawer was designed for my Modular Tool Wall, but you can download the files for FREE! Whether you are building the Alm Fab Modular Tool Wall or not, these can be super handy to have in the woodshop. Included are STL files for the drawer, drawer bottom, lid, and shelf. As well as a drawing to show you how to cut your panels to accommodate to drawers.
These 3D printable pins are designed to stop drawers when you don’t have a face frame. By drilling a 1/4” hole through the side of the drawer and a 1/4” deep x 1/2” wide hole from the inside, centered in the 1/4” through hole, the pin will sit flush on this inside, and stick out a bit to catch in a track.
The track can be formed with a 3/8” router bit cutting 1/4” deep into your cabinet side. the drawer sides should be 1/2” wide with a 3/32” gap between the drawer box and cabinet side.
These pins are designed to be removed easily with an allen key.
I recommend using a material with more strength than PLA I used PETG for mine
The perfect drawer gaps are 3/32” (~2.5mm), but I’ve had the hardest time finding shims that size, so I’ve designed my own. I call them the ALMighty shim. They have proven incredibly useful in my shop in the short time I’ve used them!
The 90 degree angle prevents the shim from falling through, and because both the long and short tab are 3/32" you can use them to space the side of the drawer at the same time you are setting the height of the next drawer.
I hope to offer the physical prints for sale in the future, but at the moment, I want to share the 3D printing files, so I can get feedback from other woodworkers. Feel free to download and print them for your own use.
Downloading this file grants you a Non-Commercial License, therefore these files are for personal use only, they are not to be re-sold commercially.
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What tools should I use?
Alm Fab is now offering a selection of Michael’s favorite tools. Including pull saws, forstner bits, Router bits, and CUSTOM MADE KM Tools Stop blocks. Emblazoned with the Alm Fab Logo
Peer Recommended Lumber Stores
Click on the map to check out this community driven interactive map of lumber stores suggestions near you