Drag an orange dot to resize; a dashed line shows when it snaps to a common size. Click a dot, then use the arrow keys to nudge 1/8″ (hold Shift for 1″). Every size can also be typed in the panel.
Checks
- The shelf passes the sag check.
- This piece must be fixed to the wall. The hardware and step are included.
Shopping list
| Qty | Item | Est. |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1×2 pine board, 8′ (board) | $11.20 |
| 1 | 3/4″ birch plywood, 4×8 sheet (sheet) | $68.00 |
| 1 | 1/4″ plywood, 4×8 sheet (sheet) | $28.00 |
| 1 | 1 5/8″ wood screws (box of 100) | $9.00 |
| 1 | Wood glue (bottle) | $5.00 |
| 1 | Felt floor pads (pack) | $5.00 |
| 1 | 1″ brad nails (box of 1000) | $6.00 |
| 1 | Furniture anti-tip kit (stud mount) (kit) | $9.00 |
About $141 · rough estimates, check the store
Parts
| Part | Qty | Length | Width | Material | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Side | 2 | 84″ | 11 1/4″ | 3/4″ birch plywood |
| B | Top and bottom | 2 | 28 5/8″ | 10 1/2″ | 3/4″ birch plywood |
| C | Shelf | 4 | 28 5/8″ | 10 1/2″ | 3/4″ birch plywood |
| D | Kick board | 1 | 28 5/8″ | 2 1/2″ | 3/4″ birch plywood |
| E | Front edge strip Glue flush with the shelf top. | 6 | 28 5/8″ | 1 1/2″ | 1×2 pine board |
| F | Back panel | 1 | 84″ | 30″ | 1/4″ plywood |
Cut list
3/4″ birch plywood, sheet 1 of 1
1/4″ plywood, sheet 1 of 1
2 × 1×2 pine board, 96″ → E 28 5/8″ · E 28 5/8″ · E 28 5/8″ each
Kerf 1/8″ included. Every cut runs edge to edge.
Have the store cut it
Most home centers rip sheets on their panel saw. Show them this; do the short crosscuts at home.
- 3/4″ birch plywood: rip into strips 11 1/4″, 11 1/4″, 10 1/2″, 10 1/2″, 2 1/2″, keep the rest.
- 1/4″ plywood: rip into strips 30″, keep the rest.
Steps
- Tape measure
- Speed square
- Pencil
- Drill/driver
- Clamps
- Safety glasses
- Hearing protection
- Dust mask
- Circular saw and a straight edge (or have the store cut the sheets)
- Hammer
- Stud finder
- Level
- Sander, 120 and 180 grit
1Before you start
Read every step once, start to finish, before you buy or cut anything. Each step names the parts it uses by letter; the parts list gives their sizes.
Set up somewhere flat with good light. A pair of sawhorses with a sheet of plywood on top makes a fine work table.
Wear safety glasses whenever a tool is running, hearing protection for saws, and a dust mask for sanding and for cutting treated wood or sheet goods. Tie back long hair and loose sleeves. Keep children and pets out of the work area.
- Tip At the store, pick straight boards: hold each one up to your eye and look down its length. Skip boards that bow, twist or have big knots near the ends.
- Tip Measure twice, cut once. Most mistakes are a misread tape, not a bad cut.
2Cut and label the parts
Cut every part on the cut list. Cut the longest parts first: if one goes wrong, it can still become a shorter part.
To mark a cut, hook your tape on the end of the board, make a small V with its point exactly at the measurement, and draw a square line through the point with a speed square. Put an X on the waste side.
Cut on the waste side of the line, so the blade's kerf (about 1/8″) comes out of the scrap, not your part. Cut sheets with the good face down when using a circular saw: the blade splinters the top face.
Write each part's letter in pencil on a face that won't show, and stack the parts by letter.
Sand the faces before assembly while they're flat and easy to reach: 120 grit, then 180.
✓ Lay the parts out and count them against the parts list. Measure a few: if one is off by more than 1/16″, recut it now.
STOP. Let the saw reach full speed before it touches the wood, keep both hands clear of the blade's path, and never reach under a board you're cutting. Support long boards on both sides of the cut so the blade doesn't pinch.3Mark the shelf lines
Lay both sides (A) inside face up, edges together, ends flush.
Mark the bottom at 2 1/2″ and the top at 83 5/16″ from the floor end.
Mark 4 shelf lines at 18 11/16″, 34 13/16″, 51″, 67 1/8″.
Square each line across both boards so they match.
4Glue on the edge strips
Glue a strip (E) to the front of every shelf, top, and bottom piece, flush with the top face.
Clamp for 30 minutes. Sand flush.
5Build the box
Stand one side on its back edge. Glue and screw the bottom (B) on its line: 3 screws, 1 5/8″, through the side.
Add the top (B) the same way, then the second side.
Screw the kick board (D) under the bottom, set back 1/2″ from the front.
✓ Measure both diagonals. They should match within 1/16″.
6Add the shelves
Slide each shelf (C) to its line. Glue and drive 3 screws through each side.
7Attach the back
Lay the case face down. Square it, then nail the back (F) every 4″ around the edge and along each shelf line.
✓ The back squares the case. Check diagonals before the last nails.
8Anchor to the wall
Slide a stud finder along the wall behind where the piece will stand and mark the studs.
Fix the anti-tip kit's bracket to the back or top of the piece, then screw its other end into a stud with the screws supplied.
Do not load the piece until it is anchored.
STOP. Confirm the wall type first. Drywall on studs: use the studs. Plaster or masonry: use the kit's matching anchors or ask a pro.9Finish
Ease every sharp edge and corner with 120-grit sandpaper so nobody gets a splinter.
Sand all over with 180 grit, always along the grain (the direction the wood fibres run). Scratches across the grain show through stain.
Wipe off the dust with a barely damp rag and let it dry.
Paint, stain or a clear coat (water-based polyurethane is the easiest). Apply thin coats with the grain, let each dry fully, and sand lightly with 220 grit between coats.
Let it dry for the time on the can before using it.
- Tip Try your finish on a scrap of the same wood first: stain looks different on every board.
Conceptual layout, material estimate and assembly guide from the sizes you entered. Not engineering, not a building plan, not stamped or approved. Confirm measurements on site; follow local codes and product instructions; anchor tall pieces before use. Using this plan means you accept the Terms of Use.