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.
- The top under the tv passes the sag check.
- This piece must be fixed to the wall. The hardware and step are included.
- A TV on top makes it top-heavy: anchor it to the wall, and strap the TV too.
Shopping list
| Qty | Item | Est. |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1×2 pine board, 6′ (board) | $8.40 |
| 2 | 3/4″ birch plywood, 4×8 sheet (sheet) | $136.00 |
| 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 | 1″ brad nails (box of 1000) | $6.00 |
| 1 | Felt floor pads (pack) | $5.00 |
| 2 | 3/4″ iron-on birch edge banding (25 ft roll) | $18.00 |
| 1 | 1/4″ shelf pins (pack of 16) | $5.00 |
| 2 | Full-overlay cabinet hinge (pair) | $18.00 |
| 2 | Cabinet pull (each) | $8.00 |
| 1 | 5/8″ pan-head screws (slides, hinges) (box of 100) | $6.00 |
| 3 | 2″ cable grommet (each) | $9.00 |
| 1 | Furniture anti-tip kit (stud mount) (kit) | $9.00 |
About $270 · rough estimates, check the store
Parts
| Part | Qty | Length | Width | Material | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Side Edge-band the front edge. | 2 | 22″ | 16″ | 3/4″ birch plywood |
| B | Top and bottom | 2 | 58 5/8″ | 15 3/4″ | 3/4″ birch plywood |
| C | Kick board | 1 | 58 5/8″ | 3″ | 3/4″ birch plywood |
| D | Back | 2 | 19″ | 30″ | 1/4″ plywood |
| E | Top stiffener Glue and screw under the top, flush with the front. | 3 | 19 1/16″ | 1 1/2″ | 1×2 pine board |
| F | Divider | 2 | 17 5/8″ | 15 3/4″ | 3/4″ birch plywood |
| G | Adjustable shelf Edge-band the front edge. | 3 | 19″ | 15″ | 3/4″ birch plywood |
| H | Shelf edge strip Glue under the shelf front. | 3 | 19″ | 1 1/2″ | 1×2 pine board |
| I | Door Edge-band all four edges. | 2 | 18 7/8″ | 20″ | 3/4″ birch plywood |
Cut list
3/4″ birch plywood, sheet 1 of 2
3/4″ birch plywood, sheet 2 of 2
1/4″ plywood, sheet 1 of 1
1×2 pine board, 72″ → E 19 1/16″ · E 19 1/16″ · E 19 1/16″
1×2 pine board, 72″ → H 19″ · H 19″ · H 19″
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 18 7/8″, 15 3/4″, keep the rest.
- 3/4″ birch plywood: rip into strips 15 3/4″, 15″, 3″, keep the rest.
- 1/4″ plywood: rip into strips 19″, 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.3Edge-band
Iron edge banding onto every front edge that shows, and all four edges of each door and drawer front. Trim and sand.
4Drill the shelf-pin holes
Two rows per side of each shelf bay, 2″ from the front and back, 1/4″ holes 3/8″ deep every 1 1/4″ (32 mm): bay 1: 6 11/16″ to 18 5/16″; bay 2: 6 11/16″ to 18 5/16″; bay 3: 6 11/16″ to 18 5/16″.
Use a shelf-pin jig so both sides match.
5Build the case
Glue and screw the bottom between the sides with its underside at 3″, and the top flush with the top ends. 1 5/8″ screws, 3 per joint.
Glue and screw a stiffener under the front of the top in each bay, flush with the front edge.
Fit the dividers between top and bottom at 19 3/4″, 39 9/16″ from the left side, outside faces.
Screw the kick board under the bottom, 1/2″ back from the front.
Square the case and nail on the back.
✓ Diagonals match within 1/16″.
6Hang the doors
Drill 35 mm hinge cups 1/2″ deep, 7/8″ from the hinge edge: 2 per door in bay 1, at 3″, 15 7/8″ from the door bottom; 2 per door in bay 3, at 3″, 15 7/8″ from the door bottom. Screw the plates to the case 37 mm from the front edge, clip the doors on and adjust the gaps to 1/8″.
STOP. Set a depth stop on the 35 mm bit before drilling a door.7Set the shelves
Glue a strip under the front of each adjustable shelf, flush with the edge.
Push in 4 pins per shelf and lay the shelves on.
8Drill the cable holes
Drill a 2″ hole in the back of each section, 3″ below the top, and press in the grommets.
9Anchor 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.10Finish
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.