A Poor retired Plumbers Take on Baking Tray Storage

I have had an epitomy, you mean an epiphany, yes one of those as well. What’s brought this on she asked. Boredom I replied. Go on then epitomy me she encouraged.

Ok, you know how you get frustrated, yes, she answered almost immediately. You never let me finish. Ok go on. So here I am standing in front of you she said, getting ever so frustrated. You are so twisting my words I uttered in my own frustration. Are you frustrated as well, she asked. I am know, I spluttered.

I will start again I said. When you are baking etc. you go to the cupboard under the oven to get baking trays and there are so many, they usually all tumble out on to the floor. Yes, she replied. Well, I am going to rearrange the cupboard to make that all a thing of the past. That’s your epiphany she enquired. Yes, I replied, it’s going to be the best tray cupboard in the street. Yes, she said, the neighbours will be beside themselves with jealousy. Are we going to have an open day when it’s finished. Will I put on Hors d’erves.

I felt at this point I was being disrespected, so me and my epitomy headed for the workshop where I had full respect.

Well, you have seen the before photo, so what to do. It was initially going to be vertical slats spaced apart to slide in or horizontal shelves, neither seemed ideal as you could only see the front edge and apart from that there were baking dishes which were smaller but deeper.

So, I decided on shelves, but with sides and full-length drawer runners, five in all at 4inches deep. Back on to Amazon and a 5 set of runners ordered for just under £20. I used a sheet of 12.5mm ply which surprised me as when I did all my cuts, I only had a 150mm strip left over.

Now I could have got out my dovetail jig and produced the finest dovetails known to man, but I didn’t because I have owned a Leigh jig for about 10 years and haven’t a clue how to use it. I just bought it when I saw Norm using it on the New Yankee Workshop. It’s more for decoration, makes the workshop look as though I know what I am doing. So, screws it was, lots of screws.

The photos tell the story and the only consideration I had to take into account was allowing for the Euro hinges on the cupboard door. I used old Venetian window wooden slats for spacers between the drawers and I used an old pair of full throw runners on the bottom drawer to get full access.

That’s it, lads and lasses, let the boredom commence

Colin, in Scotland slightly frustrated