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This is a proper 18"-wide kitchen base cabinet — face-frame construction, a 2x4 toe-kick base, plywood box, and your choice of a trash pull-out or a hinged storage door. It's built to standard cabinet dimensions so it can slot into a run of kitchen cabinets, and it's genuine cabinetmaking: pocket-hole joinery, a clamped-and-squared face frame, and drawer-slide hardware.
The plan is built around 3/4" plywood ripped into 22-3/4" strips (called '1x24' throughout) — you buy a full sheet but only need half, saving the center scrap for the supports. A workflow tip that saves real frustration: drill all your pocket holes before assembling anything, because drilling pocket holes into a mounted trash-can opening later is miserable.
The face frame is the part that makes it look like a kitchen cabinet: build it flat on a table with clamps, square, joined with 3/4" pocket holes, then attach to the box front with a 1/4" side overhang. Everything after that depends on your hardware and your trash can. Side-mount slides usually need a 1/2" plywood spacer to bring them flush with the inside of the face frame; mount them at the height of your can. The pull-out is set up for two cans side by side but adapts easily — more compartments, or a bottom-mounted pull-out platform (add cross supports for strength if you go that way). The trash pull-out attaches to the door, flush at the bottom with a 1/4" gap each side. Add the back last (after the slides are in, so you can reach inside), and buy or build a 30-1/4" x 17-1/2" door to suit.
| Item | Qty |
|---|---|
| Hardwood plywood, 3/4 in, 4x8 sheetRipped into 22-3/4" strips; half a sheet used, scrap kept for supports. | 1 each |
| 1x2, 8 ftFace frame. | 1 each |
| 2x4, 8 ft (or stud)Toe-kick base. | 1 each |
| 1x4, 8 ftDrawer/pull-out sides. | 1 each |
| Plywood, 1/2 in (slide spacers)Only if side-mount slides need it. | 1 each |
| Plywood, 1/4 in, sheetBack. | 1 each |
| Drawer/pull-out slides | 1 pair |
| Cabinet door, 30-1/4 in x 17-1/2 inBuy or build. | 1 each |
| Trash can(s) to fit | 2 each |
| Pocket-hole screws, 1-1/4 in | 1 box |
| Finish nails, 1-1/4 in | 1 box |
| Wood glue | 1 bottle |
| Finish or paint | 1 quart |
Overall cost: $$$. Lumber prices vary by region, species, and season, so we give a band rather than a figure we would only be pretending to know.
| Part | Qty | T × W × L |
|---|---|---|
| Sides3/4 in plywood | 2 | 3/4" × 22 3/4" × 31" |
| Bottom3/4 in plywood | 1 | 3/4" × 22 3/4" × 16" |
| Back support1x4Or scrap plywood. | 1 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 16" |
| Countertop supports1x4Or scrap plywood. | 2 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 22" |
| Back1/4 in plywood | 1 | 1/4" × 17 1/2" × 34 1/2" |
| Face frame stiles1x2 | 2 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 31" |
| Face frame rails1x2 | 2 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 15" |
| Base 2x4s2x4 | 4 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 17 1/2" |
| Slide spacers1/2 in plywoodOnly if side-mount slides require. | 2 | 1/2" × 3" × 22 3/4" |
| Pull-out short sides1x4 | 2 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 14" |
| Pull-out long sides1x4 | 2 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 21 1/4" |
Buy 7 boards at 8 ft.
1 board
1 board
2 boards
Drill all your pocket holes before assembling anything — it's far easier on flat boards than around a mounted trash bin later. Attach the bottom to the sides with glue and 1-1/4" pocket screws.
Add the back support, using the scraps from cutting the plywood or a 1x4/1x3. This ties the back of the box together.
Build the face frame flat on a smooth table with clamps, square, joining with 3/4" pocket holes, 1-1/4" screws, and glue. Mark the sides at 1/4" for the side overhang and attach the frame to the cabinet face through predrilled pocket holes.
Attach the countertop supports (also fasten them to the sides, not just the front, for lateral support). Build the 2x4 toe-kick base and attach it under the cabinet.
Most remaining steps depend on your slide hardware. For standard side-mount slides, add a 1/2" plywood spacer to bring the slides flush with the inside of the face frame. Mount them at the height of your trash can.
Build the pull-out from 1x4 to hold your can(s) — this plan fits two side by side, but you can add compartments or put the pull-out on the bottom as a platform. If you make it a bottom platform, add cross supports for strength. Size it to your actual can.
Attach the trash pull-out assembly to the door with screws, keeping the door flush at the bottom and with a 1/4" gap on each side so it clears the face frame.
Add the back last — after the slides are installed, so you could reach inside to work. Use glue and 1-1/4" finish nails. Sand and finish or paint to match your kitchen.
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1 board
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Assumes 8 ft stock, a 1/8" saw kerf, and buying each part at its own width. Change the board size or kerf on the full board plan →