# Storage Cabinet weight problem . . .



## dawziecat (Dec 8, 2009)

Hi Everybody:

I have made a two drawer cabinet to store paraphernalia associated with an astronomical telescope.

I am happy with the (still unfinished) result but when the bottom drawer is opened, the cabinet tips forward. This results in the top drawer then sliding open too. You can imagine the result.  I need 15-20 lbs extra weight in the rear to prevent this. Any suggestions as to what to use to best accomplish this? There is about a 2" deep space free at the back of the cabinet between the back of the the bottom drawer and the cabinet back to attach weights which would then be entirely concealed. But I don't know what to use. 

Picture of cabinet is attached.


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## jlord (Nov 16, 2009)

Hi Terry,
What's in the drawer to make it heavy enough to tip the rest of the cabinet over? How thick are your drawer parts? If it is empty it will get worse when loaded.


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## Cochese (Jan 12, 2010)

The cabinet couldn't be secured to the wall or floor in some manner? An oven anti-tip bracket might be ideal.

Otherwise play sand would be the cheapest.


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## dawziecat (Dec 8, 2009)

jlord said:


> Hi Terry,
> What's in the drawer to make it heavy enough to tip the rest of the cabinet over? How thick are your drawer parts? If it is empty it will get worse when loaded.


Drawer parts are ALL 3/4" pine except the bottoms, which are 1/4" hardboard. The faces are an additional 3/4" slab of pine. It is not empty at present but I have placed heavier objects at the rear of the drawers. I chose the drawer guides for full extension quite deliberately as I need access to the very back.

So, I should have seen this coming. :fie:

I have found about 10 lbs of counterweights placed between the rear of the bottom drawer and the cabinet back panel works fine. But I NEED these counterweights!  They are expensive! I need an equivalent 10 lbs (15 would be better and 20 would be great!) of weight in something cheap. I tried a couple of firebricks. Too thick though. My weights must be 11/2'" thick or less to hide away inconspicuously.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Terry

Just put in a stop stick, so the drawer can't come out to far..a spring down (out of some hardwood ) type works well than finger lift it up when you need to get into the back of the drawer.. 

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## dawziecat (Dec 8, 2009)

Cocheseuga said:


> The cabinet couldn't be secured to the wall or floor in some manner? An oven anti-tip bracket might be ideal.
> 
> Otherwise play sand would be the cheapest.


It's on casters. Rolls beautifully, BTW, on carpet and hardwood. But only on the second try. The first set of casters weren't so great at all. :no: So, no anti-tip bracket. 

I doubt play sand would do it. Not dense enough nor readily "containable" in the area I have in mind.

They sell B-B type weight pellets for garage door counterweights any more?


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## newwoodworker (Mar 27, 2009)

concrete in ziplock bags maybe? seeing how you can mold them into any shape you need and allow to dry?


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## RJM (Apr 11, 2010)

dawziecat said:


> Hi Everybody:
> 
> I have made a two drawer cabinet to store paraphernalia associated with an astronomical telescope.
> 
> ...


What about making some concrete weights. You can make forms any shape you want. While wet, you could insert thin rebar to hold them togehter better (probably not really needed) and metal tabs with holes in them (or small eyebolts). Then you can hang or attach them using the holes in the tabs.

Edit: I missed newwoodworker's reply that already says this.


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## BigJimAK (Mar 13, 2009)

*Weighing down a moose...*

When my son was in grade school he saw a wooden moose paper towel dispenser and decided we should make one for mamma for Mothers day.

As you can see from my pictures, with a roll of paper towels in the dispenser and the dispenser on the counter, a tug on the towels cause the moose to fall over.

As a workaround we routed out the bottom of the base and filled it with bb-sized lead shot and filled in around it with liquid epoxy. When it dried we added a piece of felt over the top. 

Lead is very dense so it added 5#-10# to the base. Nowadays the dispenser doesn't even slide when you tug off a towel.

Perhaps you could adapt something similar, attached to the inside back? That or a scrap of plate steel? Lead may be more pricy but it's about 1.5x as dense as steel. Either will work though; where steel is about 490#/cubic foot, lead is about 710#/cubic foot. It'll get heavy quickly!!

Mooseburgers, anyone? Cooking them imparts a delightful wood-smoke flavor!!


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## jlord (Nov 16, 2009)

Hi Terry,
You said this was on casters? How much room is there under the cabinet to add weight in the center area between the casters. Might be another area to add weight.


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## CharleyL (Feb 28, 2009)

Go to a metal fabrication shop and buy a piece of 3/4" thick steel that will fit in the rear half of the base of your cabinet. You will likely only need a piece that is 4-6" wide with a length that will fit crosswise in back of your cabinet's base. It will add about 40 lbs to your cabinet, so make sure that you mount it very securely. We used to put a 10 X 24" piece of 1" thick steel plate in the bottom of 5 drawer cabinets (below the bottom drawer) and it would keep the file from tipping forward even if the secretary opened all 5 of the drawers at once.

Charley


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## LinuxRandal (Mar 11, 2011)

What about a free weight from a used sporting goods store, or a garage sale? People are always selling the exercise equipment, and my father has used them a time or two.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Terry

Just make trip to the junk/scrap yard/demolition company and pickup one or two elevator weights, bolt them inside of the free space behind the drawers that should give you the mass you need to keep it from tipping over..

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dawziecat said:


> Hi Everybody:
> 
> I have made a two drawer cabinet to store paraphernalia associated with an astronomical telescope.
> 
> ...


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## dawziecat (Dec 8, 2009)

Thanks to all for the replies.

I have learned that there are indeed ascetic ways of handling this matter. Commercial window sash weights and lead blocks are commercially available that would fit the space.

But, of course, these cost $$ and, as for shipping lead around, well . . . 

I have settled on a broken patio stone and a standard brick in the interim. They work and are invisible.


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## jlord (Nov 16, 2009)

Are you going for the herringbone, basket weave, or running bond pattern?


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## OPG3 (Jan 9, 2011)

You may find satisfaction utilizing cut-to-fit rectangular sheetrock panels. It will not be difficult to confine them between the bottom drawer mechanism and casters - as you have described above. BB's would work great, but would be tricky to confine economically. You could tape the cut edges to form a "dust-free slab" - which will be quite heavy at 2" thickness. Sheetrock is very cheap and the small sizes you need would easilt fit in your Mini-Cooper! *OPG3*


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## dawziecat (Dec 8, 2009)

jlord said:


> are you going for the herringbone, basket weave, or running bond pattern?


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## dawziecat (Dec 8, 2009)

OPG3 said:


> You may find satisfaction utilizing cut-to-fit rectangular sheetrock panels. *OPG3*


Great idea, Otis! I have some in the basement that I could try for this. 

This is gonn'a work!! :yes4::sold:

Done! Thanks!


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## OPG3 (Jan 9, 2011)

Terry, I hope this works well for you! I am glad to help, but don't always get a chance to check-out the new posts on the Router Forum as often as I would like. Please just remember that after stacking the identically dimensioned and cut parts, tape the edges; because the dust from sheetrock seems to never stop! Best of luck.........*OPG3*


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## dawziecat (Dec 8, 2009)

Well, in my haste I did NOT tape the edges, thinking it unnecessary as the panels are 
confined and should never be disturbed at all. I will keep an eye out for dust though and take appropriate action if I need to.

Thanks again for the suggestion . . . cheap, easy, materials already on hand, invisible and functional. A complete success!

Image with open drawers attached.


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