Little Library / Community Pantry Box

Rip the half-sheet into two strips — one 17" wide, one 20" wide — then crosscut the parts and LABEL each one: bottom, shelf, back, two sides, roof.

For the sides, mark the low edge at 18-7/8" and cut the triangle off the top to create the slanted roof profile. The two sides must match — cut one, and use it to mark the other.

Screw and glue the bottom to the back with the 2" screws. Exterior glue on every joint in this build — the fasteners hold it together, the glue keeps water out of the joints.

Attach the sides to the bottom and back with 2" screws, slanted profile running down toward the front. The box takes shape here — check it sits flat and square before the glue sets.

Screw the 1x2 strips across the top of the opening front and back. They close the gap between the sides at the roofline and give the roof panel something to fasten to along its edges.

Glue and screw the roof panel down through into the sides and top strips with the 1-1/4" pocket screws (used here as short wood screws). The overhang goes to the front and sides — it's the box's umbrella; make it even.

Install the interior shelf at whatever height suits the mission: taller bays for cookbooks and picture books, shorter for cans and boxes. It doesn't have to be centered — an asymmetric split is usually more useful.

Frame the front opening with 1x2s — best built as a pocket-holed frame first, then attached to the box with glue and trim screws. This frame is what the door closes against and what the weatherstripping later seals to, so keep it flat and flush.

Pocket-hole the 1x3 door frame together, then screw the acrylic panel to its back — drill the acrylic slightly oversize so the screws don't crack it when the wood moves.

Hang the door on the exterior hinges, add the handle and the clasp. The clasp isn't decoration: it's what pulls the door tight against the weatherstripping in a storm.

Fill every plywood edge void with exterior filler, sand, paint, and topcoat everything with two coats of spar urethane — the finish is what decides whether this box lasts three years or fifteen.

After finishing, run weatherstripping tape along the TOP and SIDES of the door opening only. Leave the bottom open on purpose: any water that gets in must be able to leave.

Mount on the 4x4 — 5 ft post buried 2 ft, or 3 ft post set in a planter under 2 ft of soil — and screw the box down through its bottom into the post. Stock it, and watch the neighborhood find it.