Untitled - Wood Tools

uilding the
RAIL ASSEMBLY
What makes the unique "pull out, drop
down" feature of these storage trays possible
is the rail assembly. It! made up of6ve
parts: rwo hardwood rails that enclose the
sides of the unit. rwo aluminum tray supports,
and a hardboard mounting plate.
Sizing the Rail Assembly - When
sizing the assembly, the outside faces of the
rails should sit flush with the sides of the
cabinet. My cabinets were 18" wide, so the
rail assembly matches that width. As for
depth. you'll wanr ro make ir l/2" shorter
(front to back) than the depth ofthe cabinet.This
will allow for a l/2"-thick false
front that's added later.
Making Rails - The rails (A) are
pieces of %"-thick haridwood that are ripped
to width and cut to length on the table
sawTo accept the shelfsupports,you'Il need
to cut a centered groove in the inside face
of each rail. A pass on the table saw is all
that's needed to accomplish this.
Of course, the tray would just pull out
ofthese open-ended grooves. So I glued
in a hardwood filler strip (B) to create a
"stopped" groove.
RAIL ASSEMBTY
The next step is to cut a rabbet in the
top and bottom edge of each rail. The
rabbets in the top edges hold a mounting
plate that's added next.The bottom rabbets
accept the aluminum tray supports.
Mounting Plate - The mountng
plate (C) is a piece of 1/s" hardboard that
connects the rails. It will also be used to
attach the storage tray unit to the cabinet.
For easy assembly later, it's best to drill
mounting holes now (RailAssembly Detail).
.lUhile you re at it, drill holes for attaching
the mounting plate to the rails.
Tiay Supports - The next step is to
add the tvvo metal tray supports (D).These
are pieces of aluminum bar stock that
form a lip to hold the tray. (Aluminum bar
stock is available at most home centers.)
Cut the tray supports to length with a
hacksaw, and then drill countersunk shank
holes, which will be used to attach them
to the rails.
Next, use a sanding block to round
the front end of each support. This will
prevent the sharp edges of the metal from
digging into the tray when ith open.
Putting It Together - Now it's time
to put the rail assembly together. To do
this, clamp the mouncing plate benveen the
rails. Using the countersunk holes as
guides, drill pilot holes in the rails, and
attach the mounting plate with screws.
Before you attach the tray supports,
there's one thing to be aware of.To allow
the tray to tilt down at the proper angle,
the supports must be set back from the
front end of each ral, (RailAssembly Detail).
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#6il"Fh
Woodscrew
Mounting holes
to otloch unit
to cobinet
(see Roil Assembly Deraill
7s"-wide
9roove,
5/o" deep
Roil
l/2" x27/16" x ll7z"l
3/e" robbel,
7e" deep
#6x l" Fh
Woodscrew
7s2" shonk hole, \
counl,ersunk
NOTE: Round
front end of
troy support Troy Support
fl/g" ofum. x3/t" x95/s"l
1-
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woRKBENcH Lt.yunr 2004 71