How to create a slide-out bin cupboard?

[lockers]

I have a double door section of our under-bench cupboards in the kitchen that we place the bin in.  What I wanted to do was  create a slide bin as it is just sitting in the cupboard at the moment.  Questions are these:

How do I join the two doors together so they are stable. 

The shop bought ones I have seen advertised have the bin hanging from the sliders in the top.  My idea was to have the sliders on the bottom and the bin sit on a base.   I suppose the big question is would being fixed to the bottom of the door put too much stress  on the screws holding the base to the doors and  this is why they are usually secured at the top.

If anyone has done this already pictures would be great      

[EricL]

Hello @lockers

Thank you very much for sharing your question about putting a slide-out bin in your cupboard. Would it be possible for you to post a photo of your under-bench cupboard and the size of the doors? Once our members see the cabinet layout, we'll be able to make recommendations on how you can configure the installation of the bin.

We look forward to seeing the photos of your cabinet.

Eric

[lockers]

Thanks @EricL 

Here are the photos of the cupboard area, still have holes in the bottom from a previous fixed bin.  Sizes of the doors are 330 x 750 and the internal dimension of the cupboard 640 x 700, not sure why the photos don't want to be the right way around

[DIYScientist]

Hi @lockers 

This is an interesting question.

I have worked as a cabinet maker before and typically these slide out bin system cabinets are the width of a single door. At least the company I worked for only had those.

I cannot quite give you advice on how to install the pull out system you had in mind; however, I have built my own system for a single cabinet using pine timber and extra heavy duty full extension drawer runners. I did not like the system we initially had installed in our house (not sure the brand) as the method for affixing it to the door was not of the best quality.

If I were to convert the entire cabinet you are showing into a bin drawer, I would remove the hinges from the doors and join them together using a long metal bracket or fix them with screws to a melamine board about the size of the two doors combined. You may want to leave a slight gap between the two doors to make them appear as standard doors and that the spacing between all the doors in your kitchen don't start looking weird.

If you already have the bins and do not want to buy new ones, then you could build a small shallow drawer box for them and have them sit in that (makes changing the bin liner very slightly easier compared to them hanging in something). The down side of this is that there will be a lot of torque on the door/drawer interface and you have to fix the doors to the drawer box at as close to 90 degrees as possible, otherwise there may be a gap and the doors may tilt towards you over time. To combat this issue, I would use some metal 90 degree brackets to fix the doors to the drawer box to reduce the amount of torque.

If the bins are hanging, then there will be less torque on the drawer-door interface.

This is just what I would do and I am sure there are other (easier and smarter) solutions.

Cheers,

Matt

[EricL]

Hi @lockers

It's great that you've received excellent advice from @DIYScientist. My idea is actually very similar to the suggestions made. Thank you very much for posting those photos of your cabinet. I was curious when you mentioned that you wanted both doors joined together. Please give me a few days to draw up a sketch of the bin assembly. 

Eric

[EricL]

Hello @lockers 

Thank you for your patience, here is the plan for your pull-out bin assembly. You'll need a single panel of 2400 x 1200mm 16mm MDF Panel Standard. I suggest gluing all the parts together with Gorilla 532ml Wood Glue. Any surface or end that joins together must be glued, be generous with its application. I recommend using Zenith 8G x 30mm Countersunk Rib Head Chipboard Screws in the 100 pack set. 

My best tip for this assembly is to drill pilot holes and counter sink them to prevent splitting the MDF. If your drill has a torque feature, lower its setting so that it does not overdrive the screw and split the panel. Your kitchen doors can then be installed from the other side of the assembly. Make sure your doors are 16mm thick otherwise the screw tip will drill through the door. If in doubt use a shorter screw.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

[Jason]

Hi @lockers,

Hope all is well. 

Just curious what you thought of Eric's plans. Please let us know how you're progressing and whether you need any assistance. We're here to help.

Jason

[lockers]

Hi @EricL and DIYers

So finally pulled my finger out and did the bin drawer using the easy to follow instructions from EricL.  The doors look a little out of place at present as we are about to redo the kitchen with cabinet and bench top paints, so I though rather than remove the doors again when we do the reno I will just do them first.  Thanks for all the help and especially Eric with the plans.

[EricL]

Hello @lockers 

Thank you very much for posting that update on your slide out bin project. That looks very nicely done and the best part about this particular design is that if you ever need to upgrade or change your bin, the top part that holds the bin can be taken out and a new one put in place. 

I'm sure our members would love to see your kitchen makeover, please don't forget to post an update once you've finished your project.

Eric