Ikea Hack: Alex drawers converted into model craft paint storage
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- Опубликовано: 25 июл 2024
- In this video I took the Alex Ikea under-desk drawer unit and convert it into an awesome storage and organizer for my paints.
Link to drawers:
www.ikea.com/us/en/p/alex-dra...
Link to PVC trim (I incorrectly called it wood in video):
www.lowes.com/pd/Royal-Mouldi...
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For anyone whose wondering, width holds 24 bottles of army painter or Vallejo, there’s 4 rows so
96 paints on display port drawer.
I got one of these drawer units used for free from a neighbor, and I am using it for fountain pen ink, pen repair equipment and supplies, and miscellaneous pen-related stuff. Two points that I don't like so much about them: 1) the drawer bottoms are not well supported (ink bottles can be heavy if you have enough of them), and 2) the drawer slides are not full extension, making the back of the drawers less useful. I am planning on getting some full extension slides to replace the existing ones, and possibly beefing up the bottoms of the drawers somehow.
Fantastic idea, was going to get one of these for hobby supplies anyway and happened to stumble upon this looking for something else!
Wonderful organization, I don’t build models but this will still work for my hobbies!
Thanks
Good show. This is what I need. I have the same problem you had. I think I will just start with the cabinet and put my paints in.
The added benefit this provides is dust control. My wall racks were dust magnets. Despite how much I dusted, it was a nightmare keeping dust out of my model space. Now everything is in a closable drawer and dust problems have gone way down.
I used spice drawer inserts from The Container Store, but it's a bit clunky and expensive. This is a sleeker alternative.
Nice work, thanks for sharing.
Excellent build. Thank you for posting👍
Thanks. I have my desk storage unit under $30 video coming up within the next couple of weeks
Great work there. Just a couple of suggestions if I may…..
If you have the “headroom “ try fixing the rails to a sheet of thin acrylic or polycarbonate to be able to lift it out as a unit with a couple of thin cords affixed as handles. Then the rear is accessed much easier. Also, you might have positioned your saw with its blade at the 60cm distance from the wall which would act as an indexing stop for quicker repeat cuts. I agree, imperial measurements are an arsepain on a tape rule when we’ve been brought up on metric and millimetres.
Thanks, probably the best paint storage system I’ve seen. 👍
Why thank you. It works pretty well. Been using it about a year.
This video is awesome! Thank you so much for sharing. I'm definitely going to do this!
You’re welcome. Thanks for taking the time to watch and leave a kind comment.
Nice video!
I've done a whole room with Ikea cabinets on 3 walls. I modified the insides using foam core board from a craft store, which is very cheap and can be cut with a utility knife. It can be quickly glued using a hot melt glue gun. If you want to get fancy, you can put white electrical tape to finish the edges. I did a drawer fro Ammo Oil Brushers in a very similar manner to your storage, setting them at an angle, and bracing them in a couple of places with wedges, also cut from foam core. Not only can you organize paints, but other supplies with this method, and you can even "double deck" the drawers to use every cubic inch of space. For labels, I did a search for card file holders, which are metal frames that you can insert cards into, which is nice if you re-arrange your stuff periodically.
nicely done.
This is what I need for my workshop. Guess I’m going to ikea this weekend.
Stay safe 🌲
Just FYI… price a lot higher since I filmed this video a year or two ago.
brilliant, what a great idea....thanks
Thanks Ritchie for the idea. Completed one myself 👍
Awesome. So far I love mine. Still need to print some labels out for the drawers though.
@@RWHobbies Its genius! Now I can put a flat screen in place of the paint rack 😁
I´m so glad to see this. In my opinion, this is the best solution to store the paints. Nice DIY.
Thanks buddy. Several years later it is still going strong.
@@RWHobbies My new Hobby Bench is in progress and this is one of my favorite DIY's. Excellent, keep up the good work.
@@Micha_WS check out my studio build series each Friday. Part 9 will cover all my IKEA furniture I use and desk I build with IKEA kitchen counters. It will be released in a few weeks.
looks great
This is amazing. Thanks for sharing! I was looking for better ways to use Alex drawers for my paint and craft supplies. This is going to be great for the ink supply drawer 😊
Glad it was helpful. Richie
Thank you using this as a guide to put it together
You're welcome. Have a great weekend.
I am so glad I saw this right before heading to the hardware store to build a wall storage rack set up. This is soooo much easier to make and I think much easier to use.
Hit the sub button as I have just built a new studio and full of ikea furniture and storage solutions. 10 part video build series coming soon
@@RWHobbiesdone
@@RWHobbiesdo you happen to use abteilung 502 oils? Wondering how to also store them. I guess now preferably in the Alex drawers.
I do. I had them standing up in a rack but felt the oil kind of sunk to bottom. I just have them lying flat in a tray in a regular Alex drawer. I use this…a.co/d/bZXaazS
I will do a man cave tour in a couple of months. As part 10 of my studio build video series
@@RWHobbies yeah I’ll use something like that tray then. One last question if I may. You said that because the bottles are laying more flat that it’s better for the paints inside. Why is that? Also. One extra plus I was thinking for this drawer set up is a wall set up gets dusty.
I will make the Alex paint storage drawers in a few months or sooner. Once the renos are done. Will shoot you a pic! Look forward to your future videos you mentioned! Cheers!
It is works perfect. Thanks for sharing this amazing idea.
Most welcome 😊 Have a great weekend.
Great video, very inspiring, thank you 👍☺
You’re welcome. Have a great weekend
i grabbed this same model alex unit, just the other day, and have been fretting about how my vallejo and scalecolor bottles only stand up in the bottom larger drawers and what you've done here is just marvelous and i can't wait to try it out, this weekend!
Awesome, glad it was helpful. Only issue is that the drawers don’t pull out far, so there is some wasted space at back of drawers.
@@RWHobbies aye, i'm taking that into account and will use the space behind for extra paints, mediums, and otherwise awkward bits!
granted I'm like waaay late since you did this video , But great job :) I used 2 of the different alex drawers for my insanity room.. again Great job Sir !
Thanks
Great video! I posted it to the Military Miniatures Society of Illinois FB page 👍🏻
Awesome. Thank you very much for sharing the love. Richie
Really great video. I'd throw in a few 1" brad nails in each row at an angle with a few through the sides. It's tricky since the material for the drawer bottoms is so thin, but it's doable with the right touch.
Thanks. Yeah drawer bottoms are basically cardboard
Excellent video! Also, I live on Broad and saw in the video you driving by my route to my job! LOL!
Small world.
Nice Thanks for sharing ... I also use Alex but without the corner thingy ... nice idea :D
Thanks for watching. Richie
Nice solution Bro. Marching On Together.
Yes sir. Delighted with mid-table finish and looking forward to 2021/2022. Richie
Looks great! Always love These neat ideas some ppl have. Looks like a bought product lol
Thanks. A year later it is still working well.
This is a pretty good way to do it.
I currently have those Ikea Cube shelves and have pull out bins. But it is hard to see the paints I am looking for and they really just kind of flop around every which way. I am looking for some sort of tray like this to hold the paints. Your design is possibly adaptable to my shelving unit.
Neat idea
very well done , but i'd have to sort the paint ranges by colour , with say darker reds at the left side and going to lighter reds moving to the right . then i can easily pick a colour and it's highlights .
The idea is just great!
But, as a furniture maker, I can say: "Have an idea? NO IKEA!!!" There is simply no bigger shit in the world of furniture... If this cabinet was made with good mechanisms, the drawers would open FULLY! And you wouldn't have to stick your hand so deep... Everything that you have at the end of the box is INACCESSIBLE...
And the idea with the corners is JUST GREAT :)
This is genius
I know it's been over a year since you posted this but here's my 2cents worth. Great idea, and I'm considering doing this to replace my wall paint storage. Wood glue needs pores to soak into and painted surfaces cover up the pores in wood. However, wood glue should hold well enough for this use. Hot glue might work well too. If you want the L shaped molding to be permanent, use epoxy...sparingly!
Hot glue would be perfect. I don’t have a hot glue gun. But 2 years on, it is working great.
Can I make a suggestion… get some of those little price stickers, paint them in the colour that is going to rest in that space and then stick them to the wood strip… then when you take the paint out to use it you can then find where it belongs when you put it away
Good idea
I saw some great foam triangle which might be a good idea, especially if weight is an issue
Good idea. Richie
Great idea, thanks for sharing! I have been using the Alex drawers for some time now, but I run into a major problem with them. The bottom of each drawer is a very thin slice of chipboard, which slides into thin grooves into the four vertical sides of the drawer. There is a slight play in the whole construction, due to the way the four sides lock together. If you place too much weight inside the drawer (and I had them full of paints and tools, so that was quite heavy), with time, the bottom surface starts curving down (because it's so thin), and because the grooves that hold it in place are not very deep. In addition, I found that the back vertical side of each drawer, may bend (because of humidity? I am not sure) towards the back, making it easier for the bottom to slip out of its groove. The result is that the bottom can easily slip out of the grooves and even block the drawer from opening (also causing the drawer below it to get blocked too). There is no easy way to fix this if it happens, as the four sides of the drawers cannot be tightened more (due to the way they click together). I had to screw some screws diagonally on each drawer back, to tighten the fit between the thin bottom chipboard and the back vertical side of the drawer, which made the whole thing more sturdy. But I am now very wary of filling the drawers with paints and heavy tools. Anybody else having the same issue?
In a second Alex unit that I have I never encountered this problem, as it was never loaded with heavy items. But for storing paints long-term this may be an issue. IKEA has another Alex unit, at 14' width (instead of 26'). This works without issues with heavier loads (like paints) as the width of the bottom surface is much shorter, so the bend is much less. If somebody has some Structural Engineering skills, perhaps they can advise what is the maximum width (and length) of the chipboard used by IKEA for the bottom surface of their drawers, to avoid bending (for a particular load)! 😅😅
Oh wow. Yeah I don’t have much weight in mine. But no issues thus far. My issue with it is the drawers don’t slide out very far so wasted space in each.
@@RWHobbies ok that's great to hear, who knows, maybe my unit was slightly defective (it's also about 8 years old now...). But I want to try your rack solution, with the wooden angle insets, it's a brilliant idea.
For the problem with the wasted space in the back (I have the same problem, obviously 😎), one easy solution is to remove the two screws that fix the drawer to the metal sliders on each side (the ones that you screw from the inside of the drawer, to its sides). The fit of the metal sliders is very tight, so nothing bad will happen, and you can pull the drawer further out (just be careful that you don't remove it completely from the sliders, and it falls down). The sliders (is this the right word? ?? ) are moving freely along their groove, but they keep the drawer securely in place, even without those screws. If you are careful, this works just fine.
Is indeed a issue, had the same happening to mine. Due to the weight the drawers start to hit each other during opening them. It’s only suitable for lightweight stuff.
nice ! thanks!
Sure, thanks for watching. Richie
pretty kool not something i would need but kool keep them coming
If you ever try the AK real color paints which are lacquer based if you don't tilt the drawers its perfect as they label and color the lids. I have a similar set up and cut white labels, write the ref on top of them and attach to the top of the tamiya/aqueous bottles. Looking at the colors does not work when you have 50 shades of grey :)
Not a big fan of AK RC paints tbh. Much prefer Hataka orange. Thanks for watching. Richie
Only problem with the Alex drawer sets is the drawers do not come out far enough. There is always a lot of wasted space at the back of the drawer. Other than that, they’re great.
Agreed. You can fit 6 rows in, but due to drawer sliding, I ended up doing only 4, so some wasted space at the back of the drawers. Richie
I use the Alex drawers as well, just no those wide ones on casters. I tried that hack that gets you to pry open the tracks and cut the bearing unit in half which lets the drawer extend further but I found it sags really bad and I would bet the wide drawer would sag eve n worse. I found that a local Lee Valley sells direct swap replacement 17mm slides that let them pull out about 1 1/2" further.
But when I was installing them I found that it wasn't necessary to actually screw the slide to the drawer. Now they extend fully and don't sag but for safety sake you should come up with some type of stopper to prevent an accidental over extension. I just fastened a picture wire to the back of the cabinet then the back of the drawer box. This will keep it from being pulled out too far.
I have my drawers full with paints and they don't sag at all and I can use the whole drawer now.
The drawer will slide on the rollers to its usual point then stop. You have to pull it out the last 3 or 4 inches which will have the slider glide in the channel of the drawer which sort of acts like the 2nd track on a full extension slider. At least this doesn't involve tearing apart the slider and ruining the bearing sleeve. Plus if you're not comfortable with how it works you can just put the screw back in!
I think I’d just use the end part to store duplicate paints or rarely used paints.
If you remove the screw from the sidebar of the drawer, they can be pulled out to their full extent. The proviso is that you have to be careful you don't pull it all the way out.
Great video. But giving up leg room under the bench would be an issue. Definitely want to sit closed to the bench.
Thanks for the video! Any specific suggestions on how to adjust this for Citadel paints? They make up most of my collection 😅
Probably can keep it as is, but narrow the gap between the lines of angled PVC so that they rest on the 45 degree and don't stand up. But personally I bought dropper bottles and put all my Citadel paints in them. Much easier to use the paint and doesn't dry out so fast.
A quick tip that may help when gluing, instead of using pans as a clamp try a few dabs of superglue with an accelerater between the wood glue as that would hold the joint while the wood glue dries...... Great video
Good tip. 2 years later I used Gorilla clear glue and the wood glue didn’t hold.
@@RWHobbies Yeah sorry for the late reply your video just came up on my feed and thought I'd give it a watch. However, you do have a new subscriber because of it so.....
Thanks for the support
Your video is just what I was looking for. I have the same Alex drawer that I purchased to store nail polish bottles, unfortunately the bottles are too tall to stand upright. I know the Alex has other, deeper drawer options, but i liked that this unit slides right under my desk. So your solution is GENIUS and what I need. However, I don’t have access to an electronic saw machine. Do you think instead of wood, would something like furniture edge guard bumper(made out of foam cushion) would work?
You can swing by and borrow mine. 🙂 . You can always just hand cut the PVC with a regular saw. But it won't be so neat. I don't know about the foam stuff. Will depend on how strong it is and if it will hold the weight of the bottles. You can always do one strip and see if it works.
@@RWHobbies yes, I was also wondering if the foam would hold up. How about instead of borrowing it, you cut them for me? Lol! Kidding. I might be able to get some one at Lowes to cut them for me. Again thanks for your super idea and making the video. I’ll have to post a photo after im done
Heh! Funny, I did exactly this 1.5 years ago...
Around same time then. This video went live May 01, 2021
Ye gads, that’s a lot of paints!
I managed for many years with about 25 bottles of mostly Vallejo paints plus a box of cheapo craft acrylics for mixing. Have added a couple of dozen bottles since, mostly for my new airbrush. But I must fight the temptation to buy more!
You never have enough paints and tools!
@@RWHobbies - Tools sure, but with paints you can always mix your own colours. Most of the world’s great painters used a palette of less than ten colours.
Thank you for the video. How do you reduce the smell in the room with all the spare paint bottles?
Zero smell. They are in sealed bottles.
Ok wasn't expecting to find a random Richmonder when I clicked this vid lol
Welcome to the channel
wow I can make it❤
For sure. 😎
What would you recommend for the Citadel Paints any help would be great. Excellent set up im defo doing this soon. 👍
Put them in dropper bottles. 😉
@@RWHobbies yes that's fair 👌
How tall are the drawers in that "Alex" unit? It does look like it will work very well for me, I am just wondering about the height of the drawers for some of my other things as well. Thanks for the video!!
Bottom 3 are 4", top 3 are 3 1/4' high. That is outside measurements. Inside about 1/2" less.
Full dimensions should be on Ikea website.
With respect to using wood glue, I would guess that the glue won't stick to the white laminate. Do you have to scrape off much of the laminate to get that good wood to wood bond with the glue? How do you remove the laminate?
Gorilla glue probably way to go
Thanks for sharing this. would it fit Citadel and vallejo paints standing upwards?
Citadel regular paint pots sure, the washes or Vallejo dropper bottles not in the smaller drawers. But yes to the 2 larger drawers.
@@RWHobbies Awesome thanks for the info. I may actually go for this drawer for my paints!
Great idea. How many Vallejo bottles can fit into one of the top drawers?
Just checked mine… 23 on a row, 4 rows. So 92.
@@RWHobbies thank you for checking. on my way to ikea now ;-)
Love this setup. Will a 2 ounce createx paint bottle fit without a problem with the drawer closing?
I am sorry I don't use those paints. Vallejo bottles fit no problem, so do to Alclad bottles and Xtreme metals. I don't know if that helps.
@@RWHobbies Thank you for the reply. Wanting to do this setup for my paints, but I use createx almost exclusively. I'm just worried that the extra height from the bottle/dropper design might hinder the drawer from closing. Have a great day.
Hello. Did you explain which side you glued the trim pieces you used in the drawers? I don't think I catched it?
I glued both sides which touched the drawer.
How tall are the bottles? Im wondering because I would love to do this for nail polish bottles. I have the same drawer but the first 3 are not as deep as the bottom 3 🥲
8cm
This is really inspiring,
just a doubt, the size of the corners´ savers you used is 1-1/8 in. is 1,125 inches=2,86cm? is this right?
Sounds about right. PVC angle from the hardware store
Sure you can order to you're home anywhere but at what cost.... DETOLF cases where $70 when was looking into getting some they wanted $350 for shipping. For one of them.
Now I’m trying to figure out how to organize by Abteilung oils...
I have the Hobbyzone rack. It is crap. They keep falling off.
TIP: when you are engineering on the fly at Lowe's or Home Depot, get more than you think you'll need. Then you don't have to go back for more. Then just put whatever you didn't use in a "return pile", and just return it the next time you go. Doing it this way will save you the time and aggravation of having to stop the project and to go get more supplies.
Also, it's good that you're wearing eye protection with the chop saw, but do yourself a huge favor: get some proper hearing protection. Take it from somebody that's lost theirs due to power equipment use and no hearing protection. Hearing loss is cumulative --It will sneak up on you.
What is the length you had to cut the strips to fit the inside of the drawer (to have at 45 degrees?)
Hello, I don't remember as I built this several months ago. But I for sure talk about it in the video and remember I even flash up the length as a text call out in the video as I cut them on the miter saw. Richie
10:54 is your timestamp. I just re-watched it for you!!
@@RWHobbies Many thanks, going to be a few days before I can get to IKEA but wanted to get the strips cut first, since I have the time. Super good idea. Most people don't know that most acrylic paints (and possibly others) have the color altered/faded over time by exposure to UV. This helps minimize that a lot.
@@13Robzilla make sure you check Ikea website for stock before you go. I was going to go myself this weekend and a lot of stuff is showing sold out.
@@RWHobbies Always a good tip, even if you checked the night before; please check that day, so you don't waste a trip.
I agree that is annoying and wastes space. I know there are videos on youtube that show a hack for expanding the pulls. I think IKEA doesn't have them pull forward more because of hazard tipping forward. Most people don't bolt these drawers to a wall.
whats the Trim size in Metric please..? (for a fellow UK person)
2.54 cm to an inch 😉 I built this so many years ago, I have no idea of the measurements I used. But they should be in the video.
Does this design leave enough space for pro acryl paint bottles?
I use lacquer paints not acrylic so cannot answer this.
@@RWHobbies no worries. Based on the video you were able to store vallejo paint bottles and from the space that was left over there is definitely enough room. Thanks for sharing this idea on storing paint.
I know this vid is 2 years old but can these drawers be stacked?
Sure, just don’t put the wheels on the top set. I would recommend some bracing to join them and probably strap it to the wall as if they topple going to kill a child or pet. There is a tall Alex drawer set, but it is narrower.
Stay tuned. I just ordered a 3d printer and will be printing custom plastic inserts as an upgrade in 2024. Instead of the angled PVC I used.
@@RWHobbies great thanks for the advice. I wasnt planning on putting wheels on either set just wanted it to stand as like a tall set of drawers with no wheels. Can the lower part withstand this? Never bought ikea before. No i aint got no worries bout my kids theyre 20 n 21 so if it falls on them its theyre own fault at this stage 😀
IKEA does a tall set in the Alex range. It is just a bit narrower. I would personally just buy that. Unless you needed the wide version.
I don’t like the bottles laying flat, they leak
The angle piece means they are not flat. They are on the 45
Why 4 rows instead of 5?
I explain it at the end. You can't get your hand that far back to get the paint. The drawers do not extend out far enough. I pulled the 5th rows and re-used them in other drawers.
@@RWHobbies : sorry, I was up at 4:00 am to take the dog out, came home and watch your video. I fell asleep on the part you mentioned about the paint racks by then, I sent out the reply. Great video overall!
try paint ur tamiya paint lids then u can find them easier
The Tamiya lids are in the color already. You mean Vallejo? I did. The color is in then enter of the top.
Interesting idea. I think you lose more space then its worth though.
Lose space in terms of under bench? I figure 4 rows of 60cm is 240cm (or 8ft) of paint storage per drawer. I must admit I usually put my in-progress kit boxes on floor next to me. Now with the drawers they don't fit. But on flip side paints are organized and a breeze to get when painting. Richie
You know, the saddest part is the US officially adopted metric a while back. 1975 under Ford. But it was completely voluntary adoption. Therefore, nothing
As someone in the US who does CAD for 3D printing projects etc. It drives me insane as people will ask me to reconvert to imperial. Which just sucks.
Metric is easier for sure. In the UK it is all messed up with a hybrid of both.
Can I just pay you to do this for me? Lol
Sure, PayPal me $5,000 and we are all set. 🙃
Are you American?
British living in USA
Inflation is a MFer.....same drawer is now $180 (Sept 20, 2022)
Oh wow… yeah that sucks. That is a lot of money for what is a basic drawer unit.
Why in Gods name do you have so many paints???
Haha... may be I need a therapist.
I comes from me building all kinds of stuff, not just one genre. Model Color and Citadel for hand painting. Rest for airbrushing.
@@RWHobbies Nice. I think we all need a therapist!!!
Was settling down to watch and hopefully pick up some ideas, but nearly switched off after a minute..........there propped against the wall......a dirty l@@ds sign....had to run to the bathroom to wash my eyes out....but apart from that great video 🦉
Great solution. I’ve got most of my paints up on the wall as I’m a bit weird like that lol
OMG the "Wirral Modelling God" has left a comment on one of my videos. You have made my day! Richie