Fresh Approach to Storing Produce

Apples, potatoes, onions and other fruits and vegetables will stay fresh longer in this build-it-yourself storage bin unit. The wire mesh panels on the front of each of the three bins allow air to circulate, keeping food dry and preventing rotting.

The bins also hold a lot of produce. The top shelf is flat for storing canned goods or dish towels, and the two bins below, each measuring about 10 inches deep by 15 inches wide, pull out for easy access. The unit looks nice in the kitchen, too.

Materials for the project include standard pine lumber, three pieces of wire mesh, finishing hardware (including porcelain knobs), nails, glue, stain and finish.

The project is easy enough for novices, because the curved cuts for the lower bins and base are traced from full-size patterns. The unit is assembled in three parts, then sanded and finished. The lower bins are then hinged to the main section and the knobs are attached.

The project measures 40 inches tall by 19 inches wide by 12 inches deep.

The storage bins plan, No. 797, is $8.95 and includes step-by-step instructions with 11 photos, full-size traceable patterns, exploded diagrams and a complete shopping list and cutting schedule. A mail-order source for a complete hardware kit is also included.

A package of three plans for the kitchen, No. C88, is $15.95 and includes the storage bins plan along with plans for a chopping block and a utility center. A catalog picturing hundreds of do-it-yourself projects is $3.95. Prices include postage and handling. Please allow three to four weeks for delivery (for rush delivery, add $1 per item up to $3 maximum and allow seven to 10 days).

To order by mail, clip this article and send it with a check or money order to U-Bild Features, in care of Los Angeles Times, P.O. Box 2383, Van Nuys, CA 91409. To order by credit card, call (800) 828-2453. You may visit U-Bild on the Web at https://www.ubild.com.