Cart drawer material.

[RadoStefanov]

I am finally at a stage designing my drawers on my 2 carts. I am having to decide what material. Should I use aluminum 2020 and aluminum composite or simplify by making them thin plywood, or weld aluminum sheet?

Trying to keep it as light as possible.

 

[Wyatt Tuzo]

What are your dimensions? Is there a reason you’re straying from aluminum pre-fab drawers (rack width or otherwise)?

Wood will likely add more weight than you’ll ideally want, but as with anything, it depends on your use-case and tolerance for such things

[OB1]

A venn diagram does not allow for Good, Light, Stiff plywood to coexist.

 

If you can weld aluminum sheet(!!!), why would you consider anything else?

[RadoStefanov]

10 hours ago, Wyatt Tuzo said:

What are your dimensions? Is there a reason you’re straying from aluminum pre-fab drawers (rack width or otherwise)?

Wood will likely add more weight than you’ll ideally want, but as with anything, it depends on your use-case and tolerance for such things

My cart is a lot smaller than 21” wide. I experimented with a rackmount cart and it is a lot bigger for the work I do. Also I put it on the back seat of my car.

 

9 hours ago, OB1 said:

A venn diagram does not allow for Good, Light, Stiff plywood to coexist.

 

If you can weld aluminum sheet(!!!), why would you consider anything else?

that is what I taught. I am also trying to figure out how to do it with composite aluminum. 

[Wyatt Tuzo]

How wide are you looking to go with the cart? Do you have a depth in mind?

 

[RadoStefanov]

My carts are done. Just need the drawers.

One is 15x16 and the other one 16x15.5

 

[Wyatt Tuzo]

Yeah, with those dimension you're probably either looking at Festool Stortainers (Edit: Systainers) or custom.

If custom: you'll lose a bit on each dimension, but have a look into AlumaCorrr for the walls if welding is out of reach

[RadoStefanov]

11 minutes ago, Wyatt Tuzo said:

Yeah, with those dimension you're probably either looking at Festool Stortainers or custom.

If custom: you'll lose a bit on each dimension, but have a look into AlumaCorrr for the walls if welding is out of reach

What us Festool Stortainers ?

 

[Wyatt Tuzo]

Sorry, meant Systainer

[RadoStefanov]

Do you think alumacorrr is throng enough?

 

my drawers are only 8” deep and 13 1/4 wide. 

[Wyatt Tuzo]

 

1 minute ago, RadoStefanov said:

Do you think alumacorrr is throng enough?

 

It's not the route I would go unless I was in a pinch. I've seen a version that is all aluminum, but I can't find it at the moment.

Maybe this stuff?:

https://www.tobiasmade.com/products/solid-core-aluminum-panels

 

Either way, you'd need to frame this stuff out (though likely less so than simple aluminum sheet metal, as it is more rigid on account of the corrugation)

 

Just spitballing here

[RadoStefanov]

53 minutes ago, Wyatt Tuzo said:

 

It's not the route I would go unless I was in a pinch. I've seen a version that is all aluminum, but I can't find it at the moment.

Maybe this stuff?:

https://www.tobiasmade.com/products/solid-core-aluminum-panels

 

Either way, you'd need to frame this stuff out (though likely less so than simple aluminum sheet metal, as it is more rigid on account of the corrugation)

 

Just spitballing here

My cart panels are made of composite aluminum like in you link. I can make the drawers the same way as my card with 8020 and composite aluminum but it will add a lot more weight 

[Derek H]

I used “Alucobest” aluminum composite panels in a cart for the top and bottom deck and it’s held up pretty well and seems very rugged. Time will tell I suppose but so far so good. 

[RadoStefanov]

6 hours ago, Derek H said:

I used “Alucobest” aluminum composite panels in a cart for the top and bottom deck and it’s held up pretty well and seems very rugged. Time will tell I suppose but so far so good. 

My panels are made of that. I can use aluminum extrusions to make the drawers I guess