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A plywood tower where three laundry baskets ride metal-angle rails like drawers — the internet-famous laundry room build, one strip of plywood per dresser.
| Part | Qty | T × W × L | Material | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sides | 2 | 3/4" × 15 1/2" × 35 1/4" | 3/4" plywood | ☐ |
| Bottom | 1 | 3/4" × 15 1/2" × 24 1/2" | 3/4" plywood | ☐ |
| Top The top overhangs — 26", not 24-1/2"; the plan flags it because everyone cuts it wrong. | 1 | 3/4" × 15 1/2" × 26" | 3/4" plywood | ☐ |
| Back | 1 | 1/4" × 25 3/4" × 36" | 1/4" plywood | ☐ |
| Basket rails Or 2x2 wood cleats. | 6 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 15 1/2" | Metal angle | ☐ |
| Item | Qty | ✓ |
|---|---|---|
| Plywood, 3/4", ripped to 15-1/2" x 8 ft One sheet yields strips for two dressers — this line is one dresser's share. | 2 each | ☐ |
| Plywood, 1/4", 36" x 26" The back. | 1 each | ☐ |
| Metal angle, 1-1/2" x 1-1/2", 15-1/2" lengths Ask for it at the hardware store; they'll often cut it. 2x2 wood cleats substitute. | 6 each | ☐ |
| Wood screws, #8 x 2", or 1-1/4" pocket hole screws | 24 each | ☐ |
| Wood screws, #8 x 3/4" Metal angle to the box sides. | 18 each | ☐ |
| Wood screws, #8 x 1-1/4" The back. | 20 each | ☐ |
| Wood glue | 4 oz | ☐ |
| Wood filler, primer, and paint Semi-gloss survives a laundry room. 'Oops paint' is the traditional finish. | 1 quart | ☐ |
| Laundry baskets, rectangular Buy FIRST and identical — the box is sized to them. Not in the estimate. | 3 each | ☐ |
Overall cost: $$. Lumber varies by region, species, and season, so we give a band rather than a figure.
Tools: Circular Saw, Drill / Driver, Pocket Hole Jig, Speed Square. Materials: Plywood, 3/4", ripped to 15-1/2" x 8 ft, Wood screws, #8 x 2", or 1-1/4" pocket hole screws, Wood glue
Rip the plywood strips, cut the parts, and join sides to top and bottom — pocket holes (source's method) or countersunk 2" screws, plus glue. Note the top is 26" against the bottom's 24-1/2": the top overhangs the sides by design.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Random Orbit Sander, Tape Measure. Materials: Plywood, 1/4", 36" x 26", Wood screws, #8 x 1-1/4", Wood glue, Wood filler, primer, and paint
Rack the box until the diagonals match, then glue and screw the 1/4" back on with 1-1/4" screws — the back holds the square.
Then do what the source did: finish at this stage, before the rails. Fill every hole and plywood edge void, sand coarse then medium (budget plywood demands it), prime, and paint semi-gloss. Painting around installed metal rails is the avoidable chore this ordering avoids.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Drill Bit Set, Hand Saw, Level, Pencil, Tape Measure.
Cut the metal angle to length (hacksaw, or the store's cutter), pre-drill three holes per rail, and mark the rail heights off your ACTUAL baskets — the lip rides the rail, so space each pair one basket-height plus a hand's clearance apart.
Screw the rails to the sides with 3/4" screws at a very slight downward angle toward the back — the plan's best tip. Gravity then parks every basket rearward instead of letting it creep out at you.
Slide the baskets in. Stacking two towers? Anchor the top one to a wall stud — non-negotiable with kids in the house. Then go sort some laundry into the only dresser that empties itself.