Here are 15 plans for how to build a filing cabinet, as well as ideas for how to reuse and fix up old filing cabinets. You can always make a useful and beautiful piece of furniture by changing one of these designs or combining pieces from two or three of them.
This side-by-side filing cabinet has a lot of space for files and papers. It would look great in any room of the house, not just the home office, with a few changes and the right accessories.
Think of the adjustable file brackets and bars from Kinetron as a more flexible alternative to standard file rail systems. Hanging rails made of metal can be put deeper in the drawer or even below the top of the drawer (if the drawer is deep enough). You can hang files from the front to the back of a file cabinet instead of from side to side by using lateral brackets that slide over the rail.
Trying to turn a blank drawer into your own filing cabinet? If you know what you’re doing, building a filing cabinet yourself can save you money and give you more options. The knowledgeable woodworkers at Woodworker’s Hardware can give you some tips on how to turn an old drawer into a neat filing system. These simple rules can be used for a wide range of file cabinet systems, such as those that need to be side mounted, recessed, or dropped in.
Before making a drawer into a file cabinet, one of the first things to do is to measure how big the inside is. For most hanging frame uses and to keep files from sliding, your drawer should have at least 10 “of the height inside. Also, there should be 1-1/4 “enough space above the folder tabs in the drawer so that they don’t get caught when the drawer is opened and closed. Some types of file cabinet rails, like side mount, need drawers to be about 12 “The inside is wide.
TIP: People always ask me how I keep things straight using only one pocket hole screw. I usually do this by quickly putting everything together before the glue has a chance to dry, setting it on my table saw (which has a known flat surface), and making any necessary changes until the feet are flat.
It’s hard to find office furniture that looks good and works well, but this set has both. Free and easy DIY furniture plans to make a Hendrix Lateral File Cabinet like the ones at Pottery Barn!
How big are the different sizes of lateral file cabinets?
Most lateral files are between 32″ and 36” wide, which is big enough to hold letter- and legal-sized papers that can be put back to front or side by side.
How deep should a file drawer that slides out be?
Ladder files are a great and cheap way to keep your office, no matter how big or small, clean and well-organized. They now come in many different shapes and sizes, but most of them have two to three drawers, are about 20 inches deep, and are 30 to 42 inches wide.
What is a filing cabinet’s width?
The typical office vertical file cabinet is 2812 inches deep and has a drawer that can hold 27 inches of files. Letter-size cabinets are 15 inches wide and legal-size cabinets are 1814 inches wide.
What is the smallest depth of a file drawer?
Standard file drawers have minimum depths of 14 5/16 inches for letters and 17 1/4 inches for legals (bars facing the front).
What is the size of a file drawer?
How Big Are the Drawers in a File Cabinet? For face frames, a legal or letter file drawer must be at least 23 inches wide and 16.5 inches deep. For inset frames, it must be 23 inches wide and 17.25 inches deep, and for frameless frames, it must be 21.5 inches wide and 16.5 inches deep.
How deep is a side-by-side file cabinet?
Like lateral files, these cabinets come in widths of 30 inches (760 mm), 36 inches (910 mm), 42 inches (1,100 mm), and 45 inches (1,100 mm), but they are usually stacked 5 or 6 high. Most of the time, these cabinets are 12 inches (300 mm) or 18 inches (460 mm) deep, which is good for letter or legal size folders.
A vertical file cabinet or a lateral file cabinet?
People like vertical file cabinets because they take up less wall space, but lateral file cabinets are bigger and may be able to hold more papers.
What’s the difference between a vertical file cabinet and a lateral file cabinet?
Vertical storage systems put the folders in the same plane as the front of the drawer. Lateral storage systems, on the other hand, put the folders perpendicular to the front of the drawer. This gives a lateral storage cabinet about the same depth as a standard storage folder.
How does lateral filing work?
The main benefit of lateral filing is that it saves space because papers are added from the side of the file and the identifying tab is on the side of the file, making it easier to pull out documents.
How tall should a drawer in a file cabinet be?
The recommended minimum inside drawer box height is 9-1/4 “.
Can a dresser be converted into a filing cabinet?
To fit a normal letter-sized hanging filing system, which needs a dresser drawer at least a foot high, you may need to combine the bottom two rows of drawers into one unit by cutting the bottom out of the upper drawer and making a new drawer front that connects both rows.
What does a lateral file drawer look like?
Labels on the side edges of lateral files make them easy to find. Lateral files can be put sideways instead of vertically. Most of the time, they don’t need drawers because they are moved into and out of open shelving by their sides.
Can you save money by making your own cabinets?
Making your own cabinets saves about 66%, but if you don’t know how to build them, the cost of tools and time will make this savings very small. You can build your own kitchen cabinets if you have a lot of time, a tool shed, and a lot of carpentry experience.