Pantry design

[rnelson0]

My wife has given me a vague project description - put something in the pantry on the bottom, below the shelves, to organize things. Right now we have a 2-2.5' high area under the shelves that has two big tubs of dog food and then a whole pile of crap - onions, potatoes, garbage bags, a watering can, etc. Obvious ideas are some potato and onion bins, some shelfs, and two compartments for dog food (two different kinds, so cannot combine them) with some sort of easy access door.

The pantry has a normal door on it, so it looks like a sideways C. This means that I cannot simply drop a 6 foot wide unit in there, not if I ever want to get it out again. I was thinking of simply making some standalone cabinets on wheels, or maybe some sliders since the floor is hardwood. The bins and shelves I have no problem with. What kind of designs has anyone used for storing dog food or other large quantities such as rice, something where you want the item closed off but easy access both to remove small scoops and to refill? I thinking of either a pull out slide or a tilting door. The pull out seems easier but a tad more expensive. The tilting door is cheaper but I am not sure it will work out better in the long run. Looking for thoughts on how each option would turn out in the long run.

The other question is, sliders or casters? I would probably have 4 individual units, so casters would again be the pricey option. I would think the sliders would work, even for the food tubs. The heaviest weight each cab would carry is 40#.

Thanks

[poolhound]

I have a few thoughts but a picture or two of the bottom of the pantry would help.

[cabinetman]

I made a tall pull out drawer for 40 lb bags of dog food, and just used one set of full extension slides. The actual drawer is about 10" deep, and the drawer front (approx 30" high) is an overlay add on. Works good.

You could eliminate the cost of slides by using a pair of euro hinges and make a tip out (like a hamper).
.

[rnelson0]

You could eliminate the cost of slides by using a pair of euro hinges and make a tip out (like a hamper).

That is what I was thinking, and then a hinge on the lid for filling - pull it out, flip the lid up, fill it, put it back.

I have a few thoughts but a picture or two of the bottom of the pantry would help.

It is basically a closet that is about 4.5' wide and 2' deep with a standard 30" panel door (rough measurements). There are some shelves right now around 24-28" high, but I am open to changing them. I am going to have to do *something* since they use angle brackets that would prevent anything from going directly underneath them anyway. That, and I hate wire closet shelving.

Personally I was looking for some suggestions for cheap casters or sliders, as that will significantly impact the design. I am NOT building 4 separate units if they each need 4 $40 casters. I am looking for something to support up to 40 lbs plus the carcass itself (1/2" or 3/4" ply), to roll or slide in any direction, and to not require any regular maintenance.

[cabinetman]

HF has inexpensive casters. You could likely get ones with rubber wheels that are short enough to put the floor of the roll outs at toe kick height. I use fixed casters 2-2 1/2" on trundle beds that work great.
.

[Pappy]

I built some under-bed storage units a while back. I used relatively cheap casters from Lowe's and they work fine. Remember that the casters share the load. A 60 pound unit is only putting about 15 #'s on each caster. Obviously the distribution of the contents could make the load more in one corner than the others.