Pull-Out Trash Bin – 10 Easy Steps To Make Pull-Out Trash Bin

RON HAZELTON:
You know, any way you slice it, trash is a byproduct of home life, and in particular, kitchen life. Now I don't know about you, but around here, well, I'm the trash man. So I've decided I want to come up with the most efficient kitchen trash can I can think of. And for me, that's one that's close to the food prep area, as large as possible, and most importantly, out of sight.

Now what I'm planning to do is to convert this door and this drawer to a pullout trash unit. Now I could, if I wanted to, use a smaller trash can and just put it down here. But I want to use a large ten gallon size and that's going to require all the space from the bottom, all the way up to the top.

My first step is to remove the door and drawer. I'll be reusing these later. Next, I take out the drawer glides, then cut out the rail that separates the two openings. My Japanese handsaw is the perfect tool for this.

My pullout trash system will have two main parts: a base that I'll fasten to the inside of the cabinet and a trashcan holder. I’ll cut out the top and drop in as plastic trash can. I'll attach the two together using a pair of ball bearing drawer glides. The entire unit will be concealed behind the door and drawer fronts.

I'm using cabinet grade birch plywood for this project and as usual, I'm cutting out all of the parts at one time. Now I'm going to start by putting a base together. The construction for all of this is pretty much going to be glue and nails, so I'll put a little bit of glue along this edge right here.

Now when I'm working alone, I find this to be a really handy tool. I call it a positioning clamp and this is the way it works. I'll slip it on right here and then, I'll slip my second board in here. Now what this actually does is kind of act as one hand holding this end of the board, so I'm free to use my other two hands to get everything aligned here. I like to feel the edges. Sometimes, you know, your fingers can be more accurate than your eyes. Just by dragging this over the edge, I can make sure that i'm flush there. Right. Now we can go ahead and nail it.

Okay now I'm just going to do the same with the other side. With the base assembled, I'm moving onto the small cabinet. Okay, now what I've got here right now is a wooden box. Set this down here. Now eventually I'm going to put this trashcan inside.

But before I can do that, I've got to cut an opening in the top. So to get the size of that, I'll put the trashcan on bottom side up and then just trace the outline of the lip. I draw a second line about a half inch inside the first so the opening will be just a bit smaller than the trashcan lip. A roll of tape makes a perfect template for the corners. To start the cut more easily, I drill a hole inside the cut line, drop the blade of a jigsaw in the opening, and begin sawing.

Well now for that moment of truth. Oh it's good. Now I've got something to hold the trashcan. The next step is to make it slide in and out. Now that's how the trashcan holder is going to fit into the base. What's going to make it move easily are these. These are ball bearing full extension drawer glides. And what I'm going to do here is separate these.

This section right here, I'll mount on the inside of the base and this piece here on the side of the trashcan holder. Well, it's time for another of those moments of truth. I should be able just to engage the two sides of the glides here.

One little push. Very smooth. Now I'm going to put a coat of paint on this and then take it back inside and install it in the cabinet.

Well the paints dry and now all I have to do to install this base is to slip it into the cabinet, give it a turn, and then pull it up to the base cabinet like that.
Then screw it in place. Now I can engage the glides and slip the trashcan holder into the base. The door I took off earlier gets pinned to the front then attached with screws from the inside. The drawer front goes on the same way.
Well I think I have ended up with, what for me at least is thee perfect kitchen trash system. It’s large, it’s close to the food prep area, as a matter of fact over here on the island I can just push these food scraps from the countertop right into the can. But most importantly when I don’t want to use this it is completely out of sight.

Convert the Under-Counter Space behind a Single Kitchen Cabinet Door and Drawer for a Hidden Pull-out Trash Bin

Leave that unsightly garbage bin hidden under the kitchen counter, put it on drawer glides to make a pull-out trash bin that lets you avoid touching during food preparation. Learn how to convert the space behind a cabinet door and drawer, leaving the raised-panel face and drawer pulls to both camouflage and access the large waste bin behind.

The spring-type assembly clamps used in this project are no longer available from Woodcraft Supply. Instead Ron recomends this alternative fro Rockler.com.

sawing off the rail with a Japanese handsaw

Step 1

Remove the Cabinet Door and Drawer

Remove the cabinet door and drawer from the front of the trash bin space. Their raised panels will be reused later. Remove the existing drawer glides. Use a Japanese handsaw to cut out the rail that separates the two openings.

cutting birch veneer panels for the pull-out trash bin

Step 2

Cut All the Wooden Panels on a Table Saw

Cut out all the components for the base and sliding trash bin box on a table saw before beginning assembly. Use cabinet grade birch veneer to make each panel with a smooth paintable finish when the project is complete.

slipping a positioning clamp on a base panel

Step 3

Glue and Nail together the Three Panels for the Base

Coat the edges of the base panels with glue and lap the edges flush. Hold them together with a positioning clamp until you secure them with a pneumatic nail gun.

preparing to add the sixth panel to the trash bin box

Step 4

Assemble a Closed Box for the Sliding Trash Bin

Glue and nail six panels into a closed box for the moving portion of the pull-out trash bin. Lap the glued joints flush and hold them in place with a positioning clamp until secured with nails.

rounding the corners for the pull-out trash bin opening

Step 5

Mark a Cutline for an Opening in the Closed Box

Trace the top rim of the garbage can on the closed box. Draw a cutline for the trash bin opening 1/2-inch inside the traced line, using a roll of tape or other circular object to round the corners.

Step 6

Drill a Starter Hole inside the Cutline

Drill a large starter hole inside the cutline for inserting the blade of your jigsaw. Cut the opening along the inside line, making a smooth cut. Remove the cutout

Step 7

Install Ball-bearing Full-extension Drawer Glides on the Base and Box

Purchase two ball-bearing full-extension drawer glides. Separate each glide and mount one piece inside the base and the other one on the side of the box in corresponding positions. Paint the stationary base and the sliding box.

positioning the pull-out waste bin base against the cabinet

Step 8

Positioning the Pull-out Trash Bin Base in the Cabinet

Slip the pull-out trash bin base in the cabinet, positioning it flush against the inside of the cabinet face. Secure it by driving screws through pilot holes in the base and into to the cabinet floor beneath.

engaging the drawer glides on the base and the box

Step 9

Insert the Sliding Box to Engage the Drawer Glides

Insert the pull-out trash bin box into the base, matching the glides on the side of the box with those inside the base. The box must be movable, so no nails or screws will secure it.

reattaching the raised panel façade to the pull-out trash bin

Step 10

Pin the Original Door and Drawer Face to the Box

Attach the raised panel face from the cabinet door and drawer removed earlier. Pin them to the front of the pull-out trash bin box with a pin nailer. Secure the panels permanently from the inside of the box with screws.