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| by:
Mark Wright
photos: Christopher Campbell
illustration: Len Churchill |
STAIRCASE DRAWERS |
| In-step
drawers turn wasted space into a storage place |
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| Open
up a windfall of unexpected storage space with these
staircase drawers. When closed, the only hint that
the drawers are there is the finger-pull hole |
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Some time
ago, I got an idea that forms the basis for this project. I’m
not sure where I first saw it, but some clever builder installed
bookshelves in the space under each staircase turning the book
spines into the riser faces. It’s easiest to build these
drawers if your stairs have open stringers. If they do, skip
ahead to the drawer building section of this project. If your
stairs have riser faces on the front of the stringers, you’ll
need to remove them first. A few taps from behind will free
the risers if they were nailed in after the treads. If the risers
were installed first, remove the treads before tackling the
risers. Take extra care removing the risers so you can use them
to make the drawer fronts.
Determining Dimensions
Before building the drawer box, measure the distance between
the inside faces of the stringers and the distance from the
top of a stair tread to the bottom of the next stair tread.
Determine the required dimensions using the formula in the materials
list.
Drawer Building
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| Install
a plywood spacer to support the drawer and slide
beyond the back edge of the stringer |
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Begin by
ripping the 5/8" medium-density fibreboard (MDF) to width.
Cross cut the drawer box sides, back and front to length. Cut
the drawer bottom groove with a tablesaw. Set the fence 1/2"
from the blade and the depth to 1/4". Pass along the inside
bottom edge of each drawer piece, then adjust the fence away
from the blade. Repeated passes widen the groove. Simple rabbets
milled on the front and back of the drawer create the box corner
joints. Cut the rabbets using a tablesaw and assemble with glue
and finishing nails. Cut the bottom panel to size—making
sure it sits in the drawer bottom groove as you bring all four
sides together.
Let It Slide
Mount
the drawer slides onto 1/2" plywood spacers. These spacers
perform two functions: they extend the drawer slide mounting
area beyond the stringer’s back edge; and, they are adjustable
to accommodate the angled irregularities common with builder-grade
stairs. Cut and install the spacers with screws. Each drawer
slide comes in two pieces. One attaches the drawer to its mate
on the stringer. First attach the drawer slides to the drawer
box and then place the drawer on a couple of 1/4"-thick
shims on the tread.
Mark the mating drawer slide location on the plywood spacers.
Level and
attach the stair-mounted drawer slides and slide the drawer
into place. The drawer should be flush with the front edge of
the stringer when in the closed position.
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| CLICK
ABOVE TO ENLARGE |
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Complete
the drawer by ripping the removed riser to width and attach
it to the drawer box with screws from behind. Drill a 3/4"
finger pull hole and the first drawer is done. Fill any holes
left over from the removal of treads and risers with latex filler
and touch up with matching paint. Only ten more to go!
|
| You
Will Need |
| Part |
Material |
Size |
Qty |
| Box
sides |
MDF |
5/8"
x 5 1/4"* x 12" |
2 |
| Box
front and back |
MDF |
5/8"
x 5 1/4"* x 29 1/2"** |
2 |
| Drawer
bottom |
hardboard |
1/4"
x 5 1/4" x 28 3/4" |
1 |
| Drawer
front riser |
|
3/4"
x 5 1/4" x 34" |
1 |
| Drawer
slides |
metal |
1/2"
x 12" |
2
pairs |
*
tread top to tread bottom less 1/2"
** distance between inside faces of stringers less 1 1/2" |
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