On 20/01/2019 12:29, jkn wrote:
Hi All
I have a nice large tool chest with sliding drawers, bought via Gumtree a
while ago. It has eight drawers of depth varying from about 50mm to about 200mm.

I am using the shallower drawers for small tools, but want to separate the tools
out and stop them rolling around. The edge of the drawers have useful slots
(about 2mm thick) at 20mm or so intervals. So you can put thin inserts in these to
mark out areas in the base, as it were - a bit like an adjustable cutlery drawer,
if you get me.

The (italian) manufacturer of this chest charge a fortune for the 'proper'
spacers, but I am after doing something on the cheap. So I am looking for ideas
as to what material I might be able to ... find in a skip, type thing.

Some sheets of 2mm Alu would be nice, guillotined down, but that looks a bit
pricy unless I happen across some. Thin MDF would be too weak, I think. FR4 PCB
material might work, but the offcuts I see at work are only 10mmdeep or so, and
some treatment would need to be applied to the edges - GF splinters are not nice!

The drawers are quite large, so I would need lengths of something like 700mm.

Any thoughts as to other sources of cheapskate materials I might consider for
this?

Thanks, Jon N

Almost anything 2mm thick and 700mm long will not be stiff enough to
stop is pinging out of the slots when the centre flexes as it will do
inevitably.
Cheapest/easiest will likely be some U channel of ali or hardwood fixed
to the base and ends of the drawers, with ply dividers slotted in.
You used to be able to buy ramin U channel moulding for bookcase glass
etc but since the demise of Woodwork DIY and ramin being classified as
endangered species, these useful mouldings are like hens teeth in the
diy sheds now with only cr4p softwood ones.
If you are stuck and want to go the wooden route, I can make hardwood
mouldings for you? I'm near Southampton. you can pm me about it if you like.
Bob