MDF Storage Box

Toys seem to take up a large amount of space and yet need to be accessed easily on a daily basis. If you have storage space issues, or if you like the kids’ toys to be in one place, you can make an MDF storage box that is useful and stylish.
 
For this project, we’re using the space under the bed, but you may have other areas where this solution can apply.
 
This is one very simple project to create order out of chaos!
 
When you come to construct your box, you’ll need to plan ahead.
 
Where is it going to live? Under a bed? Under a couch? How big is the gap? How wide, how high and how long?
 
How high are the castors? Expect them to be around 50mm high. Allow for quality castors to ensure it will be useful for years to come. Rubber wheels are quieter on a timber floor than plastic.
 
Get your measurements together and draw up the dimensions of the box – remember to subtract the height of the castors and leave at least 50mm extra space (height) in case toys are left poking out the top.
 

In our example:   Box height: bed height (space under)= 360mm less the castor height of 60mm.                     less clearance of 50mm.= 250mm box height.   Box length: bed width = 900mm less 100mm for clearance.                                   = 800mm long.   Box width :bed width = 800mm less 200mm so it will fit through doors.                                  = 600mm wide.

 

Materials
 
1. Sheet of MDF:depending on the size of your box you may only need an ‘Easypanel’ from Mitre10, which are available in several useful sizes. We are using 16mm white-faced MDF, which will give a nice clean finish.
 
2. Castors:You will need four or more and there are so many options here. If your storage box is going to be long, you could consider using an extra couple of castors under the middle.
 
3. Screws:Choose a suitable size and quantity (approx 50) wood screws for fixing the sides to the base and some shorter screws for fixing castors to base.
 
4. Bumpers:It is very likely the box will eventually bump into walls, bed and possibly other furniture, so find something to lessen the damage – it could be a rubber strip around the entire perimeter or some ‘door stop’ rubber knobs – be creative! We’ve used some clear plastic tubing screwed to the sides.
 

Choose the thickness of the MDF before you choose the screw length.

Construction
 
Check the size of your box is going to ‘fit’ on the sheet of MDF by measuring out the base and four sides.  Make sure to allow 16mm extra each end of the end pieces as this will allow the long sides to be wrapped into and fixed to the ends.
 
Cut the base first by using a straight edge clamped to the sheet to ensure dead straight lines (pic 1). Depending on the size of the box you’re making, attempt to cut the long side first without stopping i.e. cutting right across the sheet.
 
Plan ahead of your cut. Look at where you are standing, how long your power lead is, how the sheet is supported, where the cut piece is going to end up. This will allow you to make the cut in one attempt without pause.
 
The sides can be made to sit on the base, which is the easiest way, with fixings made through the base and up into the sides. If you are confident in your skills, you can follow our directions and have the sides wrap around the base.
 
Both versions described below are with the sides wrapping around the base; one without using a router and the other using a router.
 
No router version:
 
Measure and cut the height of the sides and then cut them to length. Fix the sides to the base first and then measure the gap for the length of the short sides. Use wood screws approximately every 100mm to affix. This will be strong enough for the sides on a small to medium-size storage box.
 

Tips for fixing Pre-drill holes using a drill bit with a smaller diameter than the shank (central spine) of the screw. This way it doesn’t matter how deep you drill, the screw will still have something to grab. Use the clutch setting on your drill to prevent tearing out the material (overdriving) with the screw thread. If you want the head of the screw to sit flush with the MDF, you need to countersink the holes. Do this by hand or drill using a bigger diameter drill bit than the screw (eg 10mm or 12mm diameter) and gouging out a little bit of the surface so the screw head can sit in the recess.

 
Router version:
You have the choice of just rebating the corners, or rebating the bottom edges as well. Both will add to the strength and visual appeal of your storage box. Lines of fixings can be hidden with your bumper strip at the end.
 
Decide which face will be most visible when the storage box is under the bed, the reverse side of this face needs routing. Here we decided the ends of the short sides needed to be routed. These ends therefore also needed to be 16mm longer than the base measurement.
 
Clamp the work pieces down firmly and set the router depth to cut 2mm or 3mm (pic 2). Always try to do all your routing at the same time, so you do not need to reset the cutting depth or width. Practice on some scrap MDF to set the cutting width, which should be the same as the thickness of the MDF sheet or fractionally larger.
 
Lay out the routed sides against the base and mark for length (pic 3). We have marked out the short sides first as mentioned above and then fixed the ends to the base (pic 4). Now, measure between the ends for the length of the long sides and cut and fix (pic 5 and 6).
 
Extras:
 
To help with the movement of the box, it is a good idea to have some handles attached to the outside; the placement of these is up to you, as is the style. For this project, we have opted to drill holes through the MDF to create portals that can be used as hand holds (pic 7, 8 and 9). To avoid the hole-saw creating a messy exit, stop cutting when part way through and continue cutting from the other side.
 
Although we have not needed to paint this storage box due to the use of white-faced MDF, if you need to, we recommend talking to the staff at Mitre 10 to find a style that suits and the right paint for sealing the MDF while being child friendly.
 
When you fix your castors to the base, make sure they are away from the sides and corners to provide the best support while not stressing the corners of the MDF.
 
Child-friendly ideas:

• Paint a road system inside the box.
• Set up a ‘permanent’ train set.
• Add a steering wheel.
• Paint (or screw) wheels onto the sides.

 

Safety Electrical: Ensure you have an RCD as part of your tool kit. Noise: Always use hearing protection when using power tools. Vision: A comfortable lightweight pair of safety-rated glasses are essential. Dust: Masks with an outlet valve help prevent heat and moisture build-up while keeping out MDF dust.