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This is one modular base cabinet, meant to be built as a repeatable unit for a wall of storage — a plywood box with an adjustable shelf on shelf pins, closed with a mitered-frame door faced in 3/8" plywood or MDF. The door frame is built as thin rails and stiles glued and stapled to a plywood back panel rather than traditional cope-and-stick joinery, which is what makes it approachable without a router table: dry-fit the door back into the opening first and confirm an even 1/8" gap all around before you commit any glue to the frame pieces.
The optional pull-out drawer is a nice built-in efficiency: it's sized specifically to use up the scrap piece left over from cutting the main box, so building it costs you almost nothing extra in material once you've already committed to the cabinet.
| Item | Qty |
|---|---|
| 3/4" MDF or plywood, ripped into 23-1/2" strips, 8 ft sheet | 1 each |
| 1x6 board, for the optional pull-out drawer | 1 each |
| 3/8" MDF or plywood, for backs and doors, full sheet | 1 each |
| 1x2 board | 1 each |
| 1x3 board, 24 in needed | 1 each |
| Base moulding, 2-1/2" high, 24 in | 1 each |
| Butterfly hinges or face-frame euro hinges | 2 set |
| Pulls or knobs | 2 each |
| Shelf pins | 4 each |
| Undermount drawer slides, 21"Only needed if building the optional pull-out drawer. | 1 pair |
| Edge bandingOnly needed if staining rather than painting. | 1 roll |
| Finish nails, 1-1/4" and 2" | 60 each |
| Wood glue | 4 oz |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Sides (A)3/4" MDF or plywood | 2 | 3/4" × 23 1/2" × 29 1/4" |
| Bottom (B)3/4" MDF or plywood | 1 | 3/4" × 23 1/2" × 22 1/2" |
| Top (C)3/4" MDF or plywood | 2 | 3/4" × 23 1/2" × 24" |
| Back (D)3/8" MDF or plywood | 1 | 3/8" × 24" × 30" |
| Bottom trim (E)1x3 | 1 | 3/4" × 2 1/2" × 24" |
| Top trim (F)1x2 | 2 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 24" |
| Side trim (G)1x2 | 2 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 25 1/4" |
| Shelf (H)3/4" MDF or plywood | 1 | 3/4" × 23 1/2" × 22 1/2" |
| Door backs (I)3/8" MDF or plywood | 2 | 3/8" × 10 1/4" × 25" |
| Door rails (J)3/8" MDF or plywood | 4 | 3/8" × 1 1/2" × 10 1/4" |
| Door stiles (K)3/8" MDF or plywood | 4 | 3/8" × 1 1/2" × 22" |
| Pull-out drawer bottom (L)3/4" MDF or plywood scrapOptional — sized to use the scrap left from cutting the main box. | 1 | 3/4" × 17 1/2" × 22" |
| Pull-out drawer sides (M)1x6 | 2 | 3/4" × 5 1/2" × 22" |
| Pull-out drawer front/back (N)1x6 | 2 | 3/4" × 5 1/2" × 19" |
Buy 11 boards at 8 ft.
2 boards
1 board
1 board
Fasten the bottom (B) to the sides (A) — the top of the bottom panel sits 2-1/2" up from the floor, leaving 1-3/4" of clearance underneath. Add the top (C) to the sides with 2" fasteners.
Check the box for square, then fasten the 3/8" plywood back with 1-1/4" fasteners.
Check for square, then add the bottom trim (E) with 2" fasteners. Check square again, then add the top trim (F), keeping outside edges flush, and finally the side trim (G) the same way.
Mark where the shelf will sit and drill two holes 1" from each end with a 1/4" bit, 1/2" deep — set your drill bit so only 1/2" is exposed to keep every hole consistent. Insert the shelf pins and drop in the shelf (H); it can be repositioned any time. If using plywood with a visible edge, finish it with edge banding.
Dry-fit the door backs (I) into the cabinet opening and confirm about a 1/8" gap all around, trimming if needed, and check your chosen hinges will fit the door thickness. Use 5/8" staples or brad nails plus glue and clamps to attach the rails (J) to the tops and bottoms of the doors, then the stiles (K) the same way, keeping outside edges flush. Weight the assembled doors flat under a piece of plywood and something heavy while the glue dries.
If dressing up the base, add the base moulding with 1-1/4" fasteners. Hang the finished door with your chosen hinges and add pulls or knobs.
Cut the drawer bottom (L) from the scrap left over from the main box. Fasten the sides (M) to the bottom, then notch the front face as needed and fasten the front and back (N) to the sides and bottom. Mount using the undermount drawer slides.
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1 board
2 boards
1 board
1 board
2 boards
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 →