This project was built and designed by Zach from Bear Mountain Builds.
What started as a simple cabinet idea for storing filmmaking gear turned into a full-blown hobby hub, combining camera storage, woodworking supplies, and 3D printing organization into one large, versatile cabinet. The build features a generous pull-out work surface, multiple drawers, pull-out shelves, and clever storage solutions tucked behind a pair of large doors.
Watch the full video and subscribe to Bear Mountain Builds:
Design and Purpose
Zach designed this cabinet to serve as an all-in-one hobby station rather than a basic storage unit. The idea was to create a space where someone could leave a project mid-way, close the doors, and walk away without worrying about tidying up. Motion-sensor lighting was added underneath the cabinet so visibility never becomes an issue, even with the doors shut.
A built-in power station with USB and wall outlets rounds out the design, making it easy to charge batteries or plug in tools directly from the cabinet. The whole system was built to be flexible, so the layout can be adjusted to fit almost any hobby, not just filmmaking.
Framing and Carcass Assembly
The build begins with sheets of plywood cut down into the main frame pieces. Zach uses a rigid foam insulation board under the plywood when breaking down larger panels with a circular saw, which protects his table and keeps cuts clean.
Pocket holes are added to most of the frame pieces before assembly, and Zach recommends testing pocket hole settings on scrap first to dial in the right depth for the plywood thickness being used. Using two worktables set at the same height makes it easier to support the back panel and side walls during assembly, especially when square corner clamps are used to hold pieces at 90 degrees while screws are driven in.
The side walls, back panel, and cross pieces are glued and screwed together in stages, with spacers used throughout to keep everything parallel and square. This spacer-based approach removes a lot of the guesswork that normally makes larger cabinet carcasses tricky to assemble solo.
Drawer and Pull-Out Shelf Construction
With the main frame complete, attention shifts to building the drawers and pull-out shelves from thinner plywood. Corner clamps speed up the drawer box assembly significantly, letting Zach glue and pin each joint quickly before moving to the next.
Drawer fronts get a routed finger pull using a shop-made template, which allows for a clean, handle-free look. Positioning spacers are used to center each front and maintain consistent reveals around the drawer boxes, ensuring a professional, evenly spaced final appearance.
Pull-out shelves follow a similar build process, but with a few differences since they don’t separate drawers from one another. Left and right-side shelves also need different spacing to clear door hinges, something worth keeping in mind for anyone adapting this design.
Installing Slides With the Stacking Method
Rather than measuring and leveling every slide individually, Zach relies on a spacer stacking method to keep drawer and shelf slides parallel throughout the cabinet. By building up from a consistent reference point with stacked spacers, each slide lines up automatically without extra math or guesswork.
This approach is especially useful for anyone who finds drawer slide installation intimidating, since it removes most of the trial and error typically involved. Locking slides are also used for the pull-out work surface, ensuring it stays securely in place while in use and only releases when intended.
Doors, Hinges, and Hardware
To allow the doors to swing open wide, Zach installs 175-degree hinges using a hinge jig that speeds up drilling and positioning dramatically. The jig uses the same screw holes for both alignment and final hinge installation, which cuts down on wasted motion and the chance of misaligned hardware.
Handles are added using another shop-made template to keep placement consistent across both doors. After final hinge adjustments, the doors close evenly with matching grain lines across the fronts, giving the whole cabinet a cohesive, finished look.
Safety and Wall Mounting
Before loading up the cabinet with gear, Zach anchors it securely to the wall studs through the back panel. This step is especially important for a cabinet this size, since the weight of pull-out drawers and shelves shifts significantly when extended.
Customizing the Interior
Once built, the cabinet becomes a blank canvas for organization. Zach adds French cleat strips to the upper interior, allowing tools to hang and be rearranged easily. Small 3D-printed bins fill gaps between the drawers and cabinet front, perfect for holding spray cans, small hardware, or other loose items.
Additional add-ons include rollers under the doors to support their weight, a power supply with a 3D-printed cable pass-through and cover, and a small parts organizer mounted inside for screws, nozzles, and other tiny components. Foam drawer liners are added to the drawers and pull-out shelves for a cleaner finish and better grip for stored items.
Why This Build Matters
This hobby cabinet shows how a single, well-planned storage unit can serve multiple purposes at once, from camera gear to woodworking tools to 3D printing accessories. The techniques used throughout, like spacer stacking for slides and jig-based hinge installation, make the build far more approachable than it might first appear, even for those new to drawer and shelf installation.
The adaptable design means the same basic structure could be customized for nearly any hobby or storage need, making it a practical project for woodworkers looking to organize a workshop, garage, or hobby space.
See This’s plans here: https://www.bearmountainbuilds.com/products/hobby-cabinet
Matt’s Take
These are my personal thoughts and tips based on my own experience in the shop. This section is not written, reviewed, or endorsed by the original creator of this project.
This cabinet is a great example of how much easier big builds get when you lean on jigs and spacers instead of measuring everything by hand. The spacer stacking method for drawer slides is a trick worth remembering even outside this project — once you build up from one solid reference point, you take out most of the drift that happens when you try to level a dozen slides individually. Same goes for the hinge jig approach. Anytime you can reuse the same holes for alignment and final install, you’re cutting down on the chances of a door sitting crooked.
If you’re working with plywood on a project this size, it’s worth testing your pocket hole settings on scrap first, since plywood thickness can vary slightly between sheets and even between batches from the same supplier. A little time spent dialing that in up front saves you from stripped screws or blown-out holes later.
Anchoring a cabinet like this into wall studs isn’t optional once you start adding pull-out shelves and a work surface. Fully extended drawers shift the center of gravity forward more than people expect, and a loaded cabinet without proper blocking can tip. If you’re not hitting studs in the right spots, adding horizontal blocking inside the wall first gives you more flexibility for anchor placement.
Foam drawer liners are a small touch, but they go a long way for protecting tools and keeping things from sliding around every time a drawer opens. Worth considering on any shop storage project, not just this one.