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This is a full-size eight-drawer dresser and one of the most ambitious builds in the catalog. It's real furniture casework: a plywood drawer case wrapped in a 2x2 frame, framed end panels with mirrored legs (the back leg deliberately larger than the front), tapered feet, and a top dressed with cove molding and quarter round. Eight drawers ride on 20" glides behind shop-made framed fronts.
The build rewards precision at the start. In the 2x2 frame section, get every joint and edge flush and even — the plan warns that misalignment here compounds into real trouble down the line. The end panels are mirror images, so keep track of which leg is which (the larger goes to the back). Make the angled foot cuts before cutting the feet to length; it's easier and safer to bevel a long piece than a short one.
The drawer fronts are the signature detail and a small project each: a 1/4" plywood back, an outer frame of 3/4" x 1" wood, and an inner frame of quarter round. Glue and nail the outer frame from behind through the plywood, then fit the quarter round (measuring the short end pieces first, flexing the long sides into place). Two fit rules run throughout: keep drawer-box plywood bottoms perfectly flush so they don't foul the slides, and set drawer boxes 1" back from the dresser face to leave room for the fronts. Use 1/8" shims for even gaps. Designed to paint or stain.
| Item | Qty |
|---|---|
| Plywood, 3/4 in, 4x8 sheetDrawer case. | 1 each |
| Plywood, 3/4 in, half sheet (2x8)Top — or MDF if painting. | 1 each |
| Plywood, 1/4 in, 4x8 sheetDrawer bottoms, drawer fronts, end panels, back. | 2 each |
| 2x2, 8 ftFrame. | 4 each |
| 2x4, 8 ft | 1 each |
| 1x3, 8 ftEnd rails, front bottom rail. | 2 each |
| 1x4, 8 ftLegs, dividers, drawer-face frames (ripped). | 8 each |
| 1x6, 8 ftDrawer sides and ends. | 10 each |
| Cove molding, 3/4 in, 10 ft | 1 each |
| Quarter round, 3/4 in, 8 ftTop trim and drawer-front inner frames. | 7 each |
| Drawer glides, 20 in | 8 pair |
| Knobs or handles | 8 each |
| Trim-head screws, 2 in | 1 box |
| Finish nails, 1-1/2 in | 1 box |
| Wood screws, 2 in and pocket screws 1-1/4 in | 1 box |
| Wood glue | 1 bottle |
| Finish or paint | 2 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Case sides3/4 in plywood | 2 | 3/4" × 22" × 26 1/2" |
| Case top3/4 in plywood | 1 | 3/4" × 20 1/2" × 62 1/2" |
| Case bottom3/4 in plywood | 1 | 3/4" × 22" × 60" |
| Long rails2x2 | 3 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 63" |
| Front end rails2x2 | 2 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 27 1/4" |
| Back end rails2x2 | 2 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 26 1/2" |
| Bottom corners2x2 | 2 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 19" |
| End rails (1x3)1x3 | 4 | 3/4" × 2 1/2" × 17 1/4" |
| Front legs (ripped 1x3)1x3 | 2 | 3/4" × 2 1/4" × 35 1/4" |
| Back legs (ripped 1x4)1x4 | 2 | 3/4" × 3" × 35 1/4" |
| End panels1/4 in plywood | 2 | 1/4" × 19" × 28 1/4" |
| Front plywood legs (ripped 1x4)1x4 | 2 | 3/4" × 3" × 35 1/4" |
| Front bottom rail1x3 | 1 | 3/4" × 2 1/2" × 58 1/2" |
| Center divider1x4 | 1 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 26 1/2" |
| Drawer dividers1x4 | 6 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 28 7/8" |
| Top3/4 in plywood | 1 | 3/4" × 23 1/4" × 64 1/2" |
| Drawer faces1/4 in plywood | 8 | 1/4" × 28 5/8" × 5 13/16" |
| Drawer bottoms1/4 in plywood | 8 | 1/4" × 21" × 27 5/8" |
| Top drawer sides (ripped 1x6)1x6 | 4 | 3/4" × 4 1/2" × 21" |
| Top drawer ends (ripped 1x6)1x6 | 4 | 3/4" × 4 1/2" × 26 1/8" |
| Lower drawer sides1x6 | 12 | 3/4" × 5 1/2" × 21" |
| Lower drawer ends1x6 | 12 | 3/4" × 5 1/2" × 26 1/8" |
| Back1/4 in plywood | 1 | 1/4" × 29 1/2" × 63" |
Buy 32 boards at 8 ft.
4 boards
1 board
Cut a 3/4" x 1-1/2" notch out of both drawer-case side panels. Attach the sides to the 60" x 22" bottom with four 2" screws per joint (pocket holes also work). Install the case top (62-1/2" x 20-1/2") flush front and back with a 1-1/4" overhang on each side.
Keep every joint and edge flush and even here — misalignment now causes trouble throughout the rest of the build. Attach 2x2 pieces to both ends, hanging 1/4" past the top of the case, driving 2" screws from inside the case. Flip and add the bottom rails; the 19" pieces get screws driven in from the ends (predrill to avoid splitting) or pocket holes. The last 2x2 sits in the notches you cut earlier.
The two ends are mirror images — the back leg is larger than the front, so keep track of orientation. Drill two pocket holes in each end of the 17-1/4" rails, ~1" from the edges, and screw the panels together faces flush. Glue and finish-nail the 1/4" plywood to each frame. Attach the completed end panels to the case with 2" finish nails or trim-head screws, flush with the top and front, larger leg to the back.
Attach the front leg faces with trim-head screws into the 2x2s, then the face pieces between the front legs with finish nails. Flip the unit onto its top to make the feet: cut the angled cuts first, then cut the feet to length (safer and easier that way). Clamp the feet in position and fasten through the legs with trim-head screws, adding screws down into the 2x2 frame.
Lay the 64-1/2" x 23-1/4" top on, front and side edges flush, and attach by driving 1-1/4" pocket screws up through the top of the drawer case. Then add trim: miter one end of the cove molding, run it along a side with its top edge even with the bottom of the top, nail it, and cut the excess flush using the back as a guide. Miter and fit the front, then the other side. Repeat the whole process with the quarter round.
Build the drawer boxes (the top two are 1" shallower than the other six) with pocket holes 1" from the edges, holes to the outside. Nail on the plywood bottoms flush all around. For each drawer front, glue and clamp a 3/4" x 1" outer frame to a 1/4" plywood back, finish-nailing from behind through the plywood; then fit the quarter-round inner frame — short end pieces first, then flex the longer sides into place, nailing at an angle into the outer frame. Drill knob holes from the flat back.
Install the glides so each drawer box front is 1" back from the dresser face. Fit the drawer fronts using 1/8" shims for an even gap, driving 2" finish nails through the outer frame into the box. Finish drilling knob holes. Nail the 1/4" back panel on with a finish nail every 6". Finish or paint, and add knobs last.
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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 →