OFF: CD Storage Info

[Larry Estep]

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    It's pretty spooky that this topic should show up now.  CD storage has
been a problem for me, too.  As someone mentioned, the racks are ugly and
they take up a lot of space that I just don't have.  I had CDs stacked
on every flat surface near the CD player.
    In an attempt to organize them, I started using the lids from the paper
boxes we use at work.  I could get three rows of about 25 CDs each in one
of these.  I started thinking about stacking them in the box lids, but the
weight would be on the CDs below and they tended to flop around some, so
that probably wouldn't be a good idea.  Besides, it would be a real pain
to get to the ones at the bottom.  Too bad I couldn't pull them out like
drawers. ....
    Hmmmmmm!  Drawers!  A CD chest that only takes up a section of floor
space about 2' x 2' could have about 8 drawers and store at least 800 CDs!
I think have somewhere between 600 and 700.  This would take care of what
I have now and leave room for future expansion.
    I'm fairly mechanically inclined.  I do all of my own automotive
work and computer work.  Surely I can build a simple piece of furniture.
    I ran into a few snags, but overall it went well.  My biggest problem
was that I couldn't run a saw in a straight line.  I eventually called a
friend who was into woodworking and had him cut all of the boards using a
radial arm saw.  I also got him to run a router around the drawer fronts
and the top of the cabinet to give them a classier appearance.  Using the
right tools makes a HUGE difference!
    I originally planned for the drawers to be 16 inches deep.  After I
got the first one together, I realised that the rails the the drawer rides
in will only travel 11 inches.  This will leave 5 inches of the drawer
inside of the cabinet.  Any CDs in that area would be a real pain to get
to.  So I moved the backs of the drawers in 5 inches.  I lost a lot of
space due to this, but I still get 92 (or was it 96?) CDs per drawer.
    The cabinet isn't as sturdy as I expected and wants to lean to the
left slightly.  I'm going to add some braces inside the cabinet which
should correct this.  I also still need to stain it...that should be
an adventure!
    All together, counting the wood, the hardware, and the stain, I have
around $200 and a weekend (so far) of work in this thing.  But I think
it was worth it.  It looks decent and I can store all of my CDs conveniently
in a small area.
    I've never done anything like this before, so I probably did several
things wrong.  I even caught and corrected some of them!  :)  Anyone who
wants to discuss it further or wants details on how I did it can send me
email at ljeste01 at morehead-st.edu.

Larry

obCD:  Motorhead -- 1916

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