Classic 3 Drawer Nightstand

• Drill pocket holes for 3/4" material around the drawer bottom plywood pieces and also both ends of the drawer b/f (back and front) pieces. Use wood glue and 1 1/4" pocket hole screws to attach the drawer bottom to a drawer b/f piece on the both 17" sides. The drawer back and front pieces should be flush with the drawer bottom.
• Repeat for 3 drawers.

Attach drawer sides to the drawer bottom and drawer b/f with wood glue and 1 1/4" pocket hole screws. Repeat for 3 drawers.

• Drill pocket holes for 3/4" material in both ends of the drawer front stiles.
• Drill pocket holes for 1/2" material in the drawer front plywood.
• Attach a drawer front stile to a drawer front rail with wood glue and 1 1/4" pocket hole screws.
• Attach a drawer front plywood to the drawer front stile and rail with wood glue and 1" pocket hole screws, the plywood needs to be flush on the back and inset 1/4" on the front.
• Then attach another stile to the plywood end and rail and finally the last drawer front rail.
• Repeat for 3 drawer fronts.

Install the 3 drawer runner sets on the nightstand according to manufactures directions. The drawer runners need to start about 1" in from the nightstand front (3/4" for the drawer front and 1/4" inset drawers). If needed add scrap wood (shims) to fill the gap from the side panel inset and legs to mount the drawer runners. Also if your plywood isn't 3/4" thick, you may also need to add shims to make up the difference.

• Place a drawer on its drawer runners.
• Clamp a drawer front onto the drawer and evenly space the drawer front with the legs and front rails, about 1/16" gap around. Use a couple of 1" screws and attach the drawer front to the drawer from the back (through the drawer into the drawer front.) Repeat for each drawer.

• Drill pocket holes for 3/4" material in 3 sides of the top plywood.
• Trim the top front, and top side pieces to fit the top plywood.
• Attach the top front and side pieces with wood glue and 1 1/4" pocket hole screws.
• Place the top on the nightstand, the back should be flush with the back legs and centered side to side. Use the pocket holes drilled in the side panel plywood to attach with 1 1/4" pocket hole screws.

• Cut 3/8" square dowel to fit the perimeter of the nightstand.
• Attach the dowel with wood glue and 1" brad nails. I put the bottom of the trim about 1 1/2" from the nightstand top.

• Sand the nightstand starting with 80 grit and finishing with 120-150 grit sandpaper in the direction of the grain.
• Apply paint or stain as desired. For this nightstand I sprayed Rustoleum paint primer first and allowed that to dry. I rolled on 2 coats of Rustoleum black gloss paint with a foam roller and brush as needed.
• Add drawer pulls as desired.