DIY canister cabinet 2022
On sale you can find a variety of things made by skilled people from improvised means. For example, a very interesting idea is a canister converted into a bar cabinet. Looks impressive and worth the same. At the same time, such a thing can be done by yourself, so that it satisfies exactly your requests and needs. In bars, the door, as a rule, opens down, which may not always be convenient.
Below is an instruction on how to make your own canister cabinet with height-adjustable shelves. The layout of the shelves depends on the purpose for which the cabinet is intended, for example, the combination below is suitable for photographic equipment, but you can adjust it to your needs.
Necessary materials and equipment
To work, you will need the following:
Materials:
- Old washed or new canister.
- Boards.
- Loops.
- Pen.
- Rubber compressor.
- Screws, bolts and nuts.
Equipment:
- Dremel with cutting disc.
- Angle grinder with cutting disc (Bulgarian).
- Band saw (or jigsaw).
- File.
- Marker, pen.
- Angle ruler (optional, a ruler will work too).
- Sandpaper.
- Plane.
- Bench drill press or drill and drill bit.
Decide on door size
Before you start cutting a door in a canister, you should decide what size it should be. Using a marker attached to the square, you can mark the doors of different sizes and choose the most suitable one. In the example shown, this is 30 mm from the edge of the canister.
In order not to accidentally erase the line drawn with a marker, you can stick it with a translucent adhesive tape, and draw a thinner line on top with a pen, along which it will be more convenient to cut.
Cut out the door
The door can be cut with a dremel or grinder.
The second option may be faster, while the grinder leaves a wider slot, because. she has a wider disc. Since it is planned to stick a rubber seal on the door and the edges of the opening, this would be a more suitable option. When working with a grinder, you will most likely need help to fix the canister.
At the final stage, it is more convenient to use a dremel to cut rounded corners. When cutting metal, you must be very careful with sharp edges in the cut. Use gloves and file the edges with a file.
Rubber seal on the door and sizing
Glue the rubber seal around the edge of the door and check if the door fits snugly. If necessary, cut and adjust the corners with a dremel and a file.
Determine the dimensions and location of the shelves inside the canister
Now you need to make the internal shelves for the locker. Depending on what you plan to store in it, consider its design. The picture shows a layout suitable for photographic equipment, while the entire structure can be further disassembled and redone, since the assembly uses a locking connection.
The internal dimensions of the canister may vary slightly depending on the manufacturer, so you’d better use your own measurements. You can use a design software like Autodesk Inventor to simulate the end result and imagine what it will look like.
Making shelves
First of all, sand the boards. In this case, the boards turned out to be 12 mm thick. Then, using the templates, mark out the details for the shelves on the boards. To cut them, it is best to use a band saw. Because this canister has a notch in the middle along the narrow side, it was necessary to cut a hole in the shelf using a drilling machine. Drill also a hole for connection to the support posts in each corner, 6mm from the edges 3mm wide and 8mm deep. When securing a shelf with a clip, put a piece of wood between the clip and the shelf itself so as not to damage it.
To accurately fit all the parts to each other and to the dimensions of the canister, careful grinding of the edges and joints will be required. Remember that sanding is best along the grain of the wood.
Finally, you need to cut out the vertical posts. To connect to the shelves using dowels, make holes 12 mm deep, 3 mm in diameter at the ends of the posts (then the fastening should be 20 mm in length).
Preparation and installation of the door
Choose the right hinge design. After measuring the width of the loops and determining where you want to attach them, make a mark using a nail or something sharp. One of the options: loops at a distance of 15 mm from the edge of the canister, at a height of 100 and 270 mm.
In order not to make a mistake with the location of the hole, start drilling using a thin drill bit, preferably 1 or 2 mm in diameter, and then install a thicker one that matches the purchased bolts.
Install the hinges and trim the seal if necessary. It is now easy to determine the location of the holes on the door by attaching the door and placing it in the desired position. Drill holes in the door as described above and attach the hinges to it.
Last but not least, attach the doorknob to the desired location. In this case, it is installed 45 mm from the edge and 180 mm from the lower edge of the door.
Shelf assembly
Finally, you need to assemble the shelves for the locker. Whether it will be easy or difficult depends on how intricate the design you come up with.
Fill your locker and enjoy
Think about where you will store the amazing locker. The most important thing, of course, is to find a place where it will be in full view, and you can proudly show everyone the creation of your hands.
