Hanging cabinets from ceiling?

[mleichtle]

I've decide to put cabinets in the shop, problem is, its a steel framed building, no walls just insulation with a fabric covering. The shop side has a storage loft with a 3/4" plywood floor. I figure I'd run stove stove bolts down through the plywood. I plan on building from MDF, would that not be the best choice? Any ideas on how to hang them?

[gmack5]

Alternate Material Suggestion

Because of the fact that MDF is quite heavy and you propose to hang your cabinets from the ceiling, I would suggest that you consider a lighter material for your cabinets.

Shop grade Plywood might be a better choice.

[cabinetman]

Could you give more details of exactly how the loft is done and what it's made of, and how it is attached.



"I'M NEVER WRONG - BUT I'M NOT ALWAYS RIGHT"

[mleichtle]

Its supported by steel C channel thats flush with the perlin thats at about 7'. I think I'd hang em just below the C channel, rather than tight to the plywood. Also wondering the best way to construct them, the plans I'm going off of call for just rabbit to connect the top to the sides.
Heres a couple of pics

Edit: the C channel is 3" thick

[RayintheUK]

Also wondering the best way to construct them, the plans I'm going off of call for just rabbit to connect the top to the sides.

If you were to hang them off metal straps (or pairs of straps to prevent the load from tilting the cabinet), then the rabbit joint is of no consequence, as the load will be taken elsewhere. I'd inset the back all round in a dado, to give additional support to the bottom, or extend the straps so that they wrap under the bottom (see crude drawing below).

Perhaps some Dexion (angle iron stuff used for industrial shelving) might do it if fixed to the sides near the top, then hooked into the C channel? You'd need to re-inforce the bottom joints, though.

A final thought (for today, anyway) is that chain would also do the job, but you'd need to use four. JMTQW

Ray

[cabinetman]

I took your picture and lightened it up enough to see what the heck the channel looked like (see below). The edge that you have the clamps attached, don't know what that dimension is (length 90 deg to the plywood). Anyway, you could bolt a 2x4 on edge to the edge of the channel, and then run cross members the depth of the cabinet. What you will wind up with that way is a frame the size of the top of the cabinet, bolted to the channel, then you use long coarse thread screws through the top of the cabinet into the 2x4's.

As for the cabinet, I would rabbet the sides and put the full edge of the top and bottom into the rabbet with glue and screw through the sides into the top and bottom. You are much better to have the weight of what's inside hanging on a glue joint and a fastener. If you want them decorative, seat the screws deep and tap in a wood plug. The sides and top and bottom should be rabbeted for the back to fit in, with glue, and nail into the cheek of the rabbet. Your nails and /or brads will be at a slight angle to stay within the wall thickness of the sides and bottom. It's not real necessary to glue in the back, but every little bit helps. If there is a concern about seeing the edge of the side showing on the underside, rabbet those deep and leave 1/16 or so of the leg of the rabbet so not much will show from the underside. For this method, your fastener would be from the bottom and clamp the sides. Or, rabbet the floor and set the sides into the rabbet, following the same type procedure.

I would use a shopgrade plywood (just because of the weight) at least 5/8" or 3/4", just to get some decent glue joints. Use 1/4" ply for the back.

You could just install the cabinet right to the plywood with long bolts 1/4 x 20 minimum with large fender washers. If the cabinet is longer than the distance between the channels, mount a like spacer on top of the cabinet to equal the channel height. The whole idea is to disperse the weight over a large area.



"I'M NEVER WRONG - BUT I'M NOT ALWAYS RIGHT"