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This is a desk-system base, meant to sit under a continuous countertop that spans a whole desk run rather than carrying its own standalone top. Build the base to that in mind — the divider splits the interior into an open cubby (tall enough for a desktop tower) and a drawer bay, with 1x2s across the top tying the case together and giving the shared countertop something to screw into.
Size the drawer to your actual opening, not just the plan's numbers — measure the interior width once the divider and sides are in, and keep the drawer box about 1" narrower than that opening so the slides have the clearance they need. Attach the drawer face with a couple of screws in addition to the nails and glue; nails alone are enough to hold at first but a drawer face gets grabbed and pulled every single day, and that repeated stress is exactly when a nail-only joint tends to let go.
| Item | Qty |
|---|---|
| 3/4" plywood, ripped 15-3/4" strips, 10 ft totalAbout half a sheet. | 1 each |
| Pine, 1x4, 10 ft | 1 each |
| Pine, 1x2, 6 ft | 1 each |
| Pine, 1x6, 2 ft | 1 each |
| 1/4" plywood scrapsBack panel and drawer bottom. | 1 each |
| 16" bottom-mount drawer slides, pair | 1 pair |
| Drawer knob or handle | 1 each |
| Pocket hole screws, 1-1/4" | 1 box |
| Finish nails, 1-1/4" | 1 box |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Sides3/4" plywood strip | 2 | 3/4" × 15 3/4" × 29 1/4" |
| Bottom footersPine 1x4 | 2 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 19 1/2" |
| Bottom shelf3/4" plywood strip | 1 | 3/4" × 15 3/4" × 19 1/2" |
| Divider3/4" plywood strip | 1 | 3/4" × 15 3/4" × 17 3/4" |
| Cubby shelves3/4" plywood strip | 2 | 3/4" × 15 3/4" × 9 1/4" |
| Top railsPine 1x2 | 4 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 19 1/2" |
| Drawer sidesPine 1x4 | 2 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 16" |
| Drawer front/backPine 1x4 | 2 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 17" |
| Drawer bottom1/4" plywood | 1 | 1/4" × 18 1/2" × 16" |
| Drawer facePine 1x6 | 1 | 3/4" × 5 1/2" × 19 1/4" |
Buy 7 boards at 8 ft.
2 boards
1 board
2 boards
1 board
1 board
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 →
Attach the sides to the bottom footer pieces with 3/4" pocket holes and 1-1/4" pocket hole screws, hidden on the inside faces.
Set the bottom shelf on the footer pieces and attach — pocket holes work well, and reinforcing with 1-1/4" finish nails and glue into the footers adds extra hold.
Build the divider panel separately with pocket holes, position it inside the cabinet, then attach to the side with glue and finish nails.
Attach the 1x2 top rails across the upper portion of the cabinet with pocket holes — these tie the case together and give a shared desk countertop something to screw into later.
Measure the actual interior opening for the drawer, and build the drawer box about 1" narrower than that measurement. Install it into the base with the drawer slides, keeping a 3/4" gap at the front to allow room for the drawer face.
Attach the drawer face with 1-1/4" finish nails and glue, then add a couple of screws from inside the drawer box for extra hold — a face that's grabbed daily benefits from more than nails alone. If you're installing hardware, it's easier to attach the knob or handle before mounting the face to the drawer.
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