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I want to utilize some space under a stairway with an array of cubbyholes - something like the attached picture. I will probably build a bin for each cubbyhole. It will be in a garage and will hold lots of miscellaneous small stuff (a.k.a. junk) so it doesn’t have to be fancy. So, my questions are:

- Should I build if from plywood or MDF?
- Should the sides and horizontals be 3/4” or would 5/8” be sufficient?
- How thick should the dividers be?
- What dimension material should I use for the bins?

Thanks in advance for your help.
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I've not built anything like this before, so I can't help with materials selection for your project. However, I do have a "favorite" style of storage bins that I use around the house...
http://www.Sterilite.com/ProductCategor ... &section=1

I use these most everywhere and LOVE the fact they are clear. It makes looking in the bins easy without having to pull them off shelves and open them all. I've got them in the garage, basement, kitchen, bedrooms, at work... pretty much everywhere I keep stuff.

Take a look at a local store and see what you think. If you like them, you may want to design cubby spaces around their various sizes.

I'm not a big fan of MDF for this application, it probably won't wear too well and soaks up moisture like a sponge. This project will be enough work that you will want it to last for a while.

As far as plywood thickness you may be over killing this a bit which will cost you quite a bit in storage space. When you factor the thickness of the structure with the thickness of the bins the volume of space lost will likely surprise you. Unless you are storing lead or tungsten ingots I would think that 1/4" or 3/8" ply should be sufficient for much of the upper structure.

Think about what and how much you intend to store in each bin and size your material accordingly. If you plan to build your own bins then you might consider dividing the assembly into two sections with three vertical supports from top to floor made from the stouter 5/8" of 3/4" ply. Use dadoes in these supports to mount shelves sized according to bin size and projected weight. The remaining dividers can all be thinner stock as they will be used mostly to act as guides for the bins. If you purchase bins than you will have to modify the structure as needed to fit the bins.


Troy

Underdog wrote:...
I use these most everywhere and LOVE the fact they are clear. It makes looking in the bins easy without having to pull them off shelves and open them all. I've got them in the garage, basement, kitchen, bedrooms, at work... pretty much everywhere I keep stuff.

I like the idea of a clear bin but my space constraints will not allow for anything deeper than 11 3/4". I'll have to see what's available. Maybe I'll use some clear plastic on the front of the bins.

Sometimes the best way to store the smaller plastic bins is sideways... I have some not so deep shelves in the garage and the shoebox sized bins turned sideways are perfect! Same with some of our closet shelves.

Cheapest way I've found to get the bins is the day after Christmas, as they are all on sale then. That's probably a little further out than you want to wait...unless your projects progress like mine...I could easily pick up a year or two's worth of bins before I'd finish the shelves. I tend to take on too many things at once, and never finish most of them...

Underdog wrote:I tend to take on too many things at once, and never finish most of them...

Ah... They are playing my song...


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mountainbreeze wrote:I want to utilize some space under a stairway with an array of cubbyholes - something like the attached picture. I will probably build a bin for each cubbyhole. It will be in a garage and will hold lots of miscellaneous small stuff (a.k.a. junk) so it doesn’t have to be fancy. So, my questions are:

- Should I build if from plywood or MDF?
- Should the sides and horizontals be 3/4” or would 5/8” be sufficient?
- How thick should the dividers be?
- What dimension material should I use for the bins?

Thanks in advance for your help.

For material, I recommend plywood. If you choose 3/4" ply, then use it throughout the project. Same thing with 5/8" ply. It would lead to problems getting the pieces to be properly sized and fit if material is changed for parts.

Nice drawing!!!:) It looks like your larger cubbys are still small enough to support a good bit of weight if using 5/8". So long as you don't store gold or lead in them. However my favorite would be 3/4" as the edges are usually better, easier to dado (thicker) and easier to finish if you are so inclined. Take a good look at the edges of both thicknesses of plywood at your source.

Two small recommendations - 1) In order to have all shelves level. Saw all lower dados on all uprights with one setting of your saw. Same thing with upper dados. Saw ALL uprights while you have a dado particular setup. This means you will have to first saw all upright panels to size before dadoing. 2) Make sure your plan calls for fastening the finished project to a wall or put a back on the unit. This is in order to prevent racking.

One thing I'd suggest regarding design is that you move the wider compartments to the top and put the narrower ones to the bottom. As shown, you could end up with considerable weight bearing down on the centers of those wider compartments that likely would cause sagging of the whole unit over time.

pennview wrote:One thing I'd suggest regarding design is that you move the wider compartments to the top and put the narrower ones to the bottom. As shown, you could end up with considerable weight bearing down on the centers of those wider compartments that likely would cause sagging of the whole unit over time.

I assume that 'larger' stuff would be 'heavier' stuff. You do want the heavier stuff to be 'lower'.
The thing to consider, is what supports the upper cubbys. As has been suggested a vertical support from top to bottom is desirable. When terminating those supports at the bottom in the center of a larger cubby, you must make sure the horizontal 'top' it connects to is adequate to handle that load.

The thing I would be concerned with is the multiple 'joints'(rabbet...) and accumulative slop. A partitioning horizontally(3-4 'sub-assemblies' stacked on top of each other) will help prevent that(the slop/racking would stop at the boundary of each partition). That would also provide extra support of those vertical support members.

If you do not add a back, at least attach two diagonal braces corner to corner.

I like the suggestions thus far. Back to the drawing board for Rev 2!