Coffee Table With Storage

• Cut the boards for the table top slightly longer than 55". This allows the table top edges to be squared up with a saw and cut to proper length after the glue up.
• Apply wood glue to the edges of the boards and clamp together with just enough force to cause the glue to just squeeze out. Allow the glue to dry overnight to fully cure. When the glue has dried, sand the table top down completely smooth. This can be done with a belt sander, orbital sander, and/or drum sander.
• Once the table top is smooth, cut the ends to square them up and cut the top to size.

To attach the top, install three desktop fasteners into each end of the base. Trace the larger end of the fastener with a pencil on the top portion of the base. Using a drill and a 3/4" forstner bit, drill a hole a little less than 1/8" deep (or until the fastener is flush with the top of the wood). Attach the fastener with a 1 1/4" wood screw.

• Center the tabletop over the base, measuring to make sure the overhang is equal.
• Clamp the top to the base and then attach with 1 1/4" wood screws through the desktop fasteners. There is not enough space to fit a drill or impact driver between the top and the shelf, so a right angle drill attachment is needed to drive the screws in. This one is a Milwaukee Right Angle Drill Adapter.

• Cut the 3/4" plywood to size for the drawers.
• Drill 3/4" pocket holes into the front and back drawer box pieces. OPTIONAL: use a roundover bit on a router to round off the top edges of the drawer box pieces.
• Glue and clamp the drawer boxes together, then attach with 1 1/4" pocket screws.
• Measure the bottom of the drawer box and cut 1/4" plywood to fit.
• Glue and nail into place with 3/4" brad nails or use a narrow crown stapler and 3/4" staples. Install the drawers with the 18" drawer slides and the Kreg drawer slide jig.

• With the drawers installed, attach the drawer fronts. Begin by using the Kreg cabinet hardware jig to drill the holes in the drawer front based on the size of the hardware you are using.
• Drill 3/16" holes through the drawer fronts only.
• Place the drawer fronts up against the drawer boxes. Use equal stacks of playing cards to ensure an even, 1/8" gap all of the way around the drawer front. Drive 1 1/4" wood screws through the holes you drilled and into the drawer boxes.
• Pull the drawer out and permanently attach the drawer front from the inside of the drawer box, using 1 1/4" wood screws in each corner of the drawer box front.
• Finish drilling the 3/16" holes through the drawer box and install the drawer pull.

Finish the coffee table as desired with stain or paint.