Introduction: Make a Tilt Out Trash Bin

The tilt out trash bin was actually a project we made for a family member that was based on a Pinterest pin that was sent to us. Rather than make it identical to what was in the pin, we decided to put our own little spin on it and try some new things. It's a fun, somewhat simple and very practical and useful project.

What we used:

  • WOOD - Standard pine boards and a little plywood (1) 1x12 - 8', (1) 1x8 - 8', (2) 1x6 - 3', scrap 3/4" plywood - NOTE these are what we used and your design may be different depending on the dimensions of your trashcan.
  • HARDWARE - Drawer pull, (2) hinges, a bit of chain, (4) eye screws
  • OTHER - Paint, clear finish, sandpaper, wire brush

Make sure you check out the video, it shows a bit more of each step than the images do. Please enjoy and if you make it or something like it, we'd love to see it. Share it with us on here or on Facebook, Google+, etc.

Step 1: Making the Sides

The sides were made up of a glued-up panel. This consisted of a section of 1x12 and a 2" strip from the the 1x6. The length of these will depend on the size of your trashcan. A good idea here would be to add about 3 inches to that length you get to account for the tilt of the door.

Two panels were glued up for this and another was glued up off-camera that will eventually serve as the bottom of the inner compartment that the can sits on.

After the glue had dried, we cleaned it up with a chisel and then ripped down the panel to the final width we wanted.

Step 2: Face Frame #1 (top and Bottom)

Two more strips were cut from the 1x6. These were 1" wide for the top and 2" wide for the bottom and were attached using glue and brads. Again, the length of these will depend on the overall width of what you need for your trashcan.

Step 3: Attaching the Top

Two more pieces were cut from the remaining sections of wood. These were measured as we went and are cut so they are flush with the outside edges and so the front hangs over and inch or so. These too, are glued and nailed.

Step 4: Face Frame #2 (vertical Pieces)

Since the top was now on and everything was a bit more sturdy, we ripped down two pieces that were 3/4" wide and attached them to the front to finish out the face frame. This brought everything out flush to the front and will give the door a nice frame once it is made and installed. Attached again with glue and brads.

Step 5: Support Blocks

Two more pieces were measured and cut for the bottom support blocks. The sit flush with the top of the bottom portion of the face frame. These are in place to support the weight of the compartment that will hold the can and it prevents it from tipping in too far.

The front piece can be slid into to fit flush, but the middle support will need to be spaced properly to sit flush with the rest. Glue and brads, of course.

Step 6: Backing

We wanted to leave the back open a bit to let some air move through the cabinet. To do this, we just cut a few pieces of scrap 3/4" plywood we had and fit them in at the top and bottom, leaving a good size gap in the middle. This also made the cabinet extremely rigid. Oh yeah, glue and brads.

Step 7: Cabinet Door

The cabinet door or front of the compartment rather, is just a simple butt joint frame assembled with pocket screws. This will have to be made to fit inside the front face frame of the cabinet with a 1/16"-1/8" gap all the way around and about 1/4" at the top to account for the hinges that will be on the bottom.

Step 8: Angle Bracing & Compartment Assembly

Here is where we attached the door frame to the bottom of the compartment. This panel was made during the process of Step #1. This too, will have to be measured and cut to fit, leaving enough gaps around the edges to let the compartment move freely inside of the cabinet. The angle bracing was cut to fit and everything was made square while assembling. GLUE AND BRADS!!!

Step 9: Paneling the Door

The backing for the door was just a bunch of pieces ripped off of a scrap 2x4. They were intentionally cut kind of haphazardly and were not sanded. This gave the door a bit of a rustic crate-like look to it. These get glued and yes... you guessed nailed down with brads.

Step 10: Adding Hinges

This is pretty simple. Just make sure they are spaced properly and set right with the edge of the cabinet frame and the door frame. It might take some trial and error. I know it did for us. We took this apart for painting, but it attaches again the same way.

Step 11: Paint

It's just paint. Pretty simple and straightforward. You might wan to slap some wood filler in the nail holes, but that's your prerogative. Sanding... sanding might be something you want to do as well, but again, that's up to you. We did. Yeah, we recommend sanding.

Step 12: Distressing

Controlled chaos ensued as we distressed the cabinet. Basically we just lightly ran 80-grit all over the surfaces and then came back over all the edges and high spots with a lot more pressure. In some spots you want to get it down to the bare would to achieve that rustic/distressed look. To add the older aged look to it, we went over the whole thing one more time, lightly with a wire brush. This added a dirty, weathered look to it and also added some more scratches.

After we were done beating the crap out of it, we added a few coats of clear finish. This was just a standard semi-gloss clear coat, Krylon or the like.

Step 13: Final Hardware

The front of the cabinet receives a drawer pull at the top to make it easier to open. Each side of the door receives an eye screw and a length of chain that runs from the door to the inside of the cabinet. This prevents the compartment from falling out all the way and hitting the floor. No glue or brads were used in this step.

Step 14: All Done!

That's it. It was a fun project to make, though the assembly was a bit chaotic at times. I think it is one of those projects that once you make one, the second one would be a breeze, though I'm not sure why exactly you would make more than one. Either way, it's a fun little project that can be made in a weekend and be customized a lot of different ways.

We hope you enjoyed this DIY project and the video that goes along with it. If you have any questions or comments please let us know, we'd be more than happy to help you out. Thanks for checking out this Instructable.

Wood Contest 2016

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Wood Contest 2016