Make it yourself: Strong design for a cupboard, made with repurposed old scaffolding.
This is a very strong design to make a cupboard or chest with drawers.
Its structure is firstly strong because it is made from solid wood, appoximately three centimeters thick.
Furthermore the chest has a secondary frame , made from thick scaffolding tobes and tube clamps.
Each of these constructions is already strong by itself.
- A 4 Galvanised or aluminium tubes, size 26,9 mm. and a lenth of 1550 mm.
- B 2 Tubes with a length of 272 mm.
- C 2 Scaffolding tubes 867 mm. long.
- D 2 Door grips..
- E 4 Corner connections.
- G 8 Railing holders.
- H 1 Board multiplex 4mm. x 773 mm. x 1290 mm.
- J 4 Round foot plates.
- K 4 Hinges.
- L 2 Planks scaffolding wood 3 cms. thick 30 x 195 x 1000mm.
- M 4 Planks 30x195x1240mm.
- O 4 Planks 30x195x1300mm.
- P 4 Planks 30x195x720mm.
- R 4 Planks 30x195x783mm.
- S 2 Square slats 30x30x270mm.
- T 6 Square slats 30x30x350mm.
- U 8 Verbindingslatten smal 30x30x390mm.
Furthermore you will need a box with one hundred self tapping screws, size 5x50mm.
Plus sixteen screws for the railing holders, size 6x30mm.
Assembly of the cupboard.
- Firt of all make the side panels for the cupboard.
Take two planks M and connect these with the slats U. - Make the bottom and floor for the chest.
Use the planks L and connect these with the connecting slats U.
These U slats in the middle will serve as support for the shelves. - Attach the four previously made panels as on the construction drawing.
- Now fixate the chest backside against the box structure.
This backside is a one piece board, cut from multiplex or MDF board. - Make the doors.
Connect two planks O with slats T. - Put the chest flat on the floor.
This makes it a lot easier to attach the metal skeleton on the outside. - Assemble the four legs befor you attach them to the cupboard.
Slide all tube clamps around the pipes. - The last tubes to fit are the horizontal pipes C.
Push all tubes as far as possible in their corresponding tube clamps, then slightly tighten all the allen bolts. - Now you will attach the external frame to the wooden cupboard with sixteen self tapping screws size 6x30mm.
- Tighten all tube clamps.
- Fit the door hinges and the doors themselves.
Attach the door handles or grips and magnetic clips to keep the doors shut.
Some examples of wooden furniture with an external frame from scaffolding pipes.
More homemade furniture from steel pipes and reclaimed wood.
