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This is one base cabinet in a modular office collection: a short, narrow open-shelf box you can pair with drawer bases and file bases under a shared desktop. Built from a sheet of 3/4" plywood or MDF ripped into 15-1/2" strips, it's a fast, clean build whose only real refinement is the trim that frames the front and hides the plywood edges.
The trim does double duty — it dresses the front and it reinforces the joints. When you fasten the top side trim into both the top and the sides, you're stiffening the box's corners, not just decorating them, so don't treat those pieces as optional. If you build with plywood, iron on edge banding for the front edges; with MDF you can skip it since MDF edges paint cleanly.
Because it's modular, keep it square and keep the 15-1/2" depth consistent with the other pieces in the collection — a base that's a hair off will throw the shared desktop out of flush. Pocket screws give the cleanest carcass, but screws and glue work fine.
| Item | Qty |
|---|---|
| 3/4" plywood or MDF, 4x8 sheetRip into 15-1/2" strips; scraps feed other modules in the collection. | 1 each |
| 1/4" plywood or MDF, back pieceOnly a 31" x 21" piece needed. | 1 each |
| 1x2 board, 8 ft | 1 each |
| 1x3 board, 8 ft | 1 each |
| Edge bandingFront plywood edges; skip if using MDF. | 12 ft |
| Pocket-hole screws, 1-1/4" | 30 each |
| Finish nails, 1-1/4" and 2" | 40 each |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Top3/4" plywood | 1 | 3/4" × 15 1/2" × 19 1/2" |
| Sides3/4" plywood | 2 | 3/4" × 15 1/2" × 29" |
| Shelves3/4" plywood | 2 | 3/4" × 15 1/2" × 18" |
| Back1/4" plywood | 1 | 1/4" × 19 1/2" × 29 3/4" |
| Top inside trim1x2 | 1 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 18" |
| Bottom inside trim1x3 | 1 | 3/4" × 2 1/2" × 18" |
| Top side trim1x2 | 2 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 15 1/2" |
| Bottom side trim1x3 | 2 | 3/4" × 2 1/2" × 15 1/2" |
| Top front trim1x2 | 1 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 21" |
| Bottom front trim1x3 | 1 | 3/4" × 2 1/2" × 21" |
Buy 5 boards at 8 ft.
2 boards
1 board
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 →
Fasten the two shelves to the sides, then the top to the sides, with pocket screws (or screws and glue). Keep it square — this module has to line up with the others under a shared top.
Glue-and-nail the 1/4" back on with 1-1/4" nails. It squares the box and keeps it rigid.
Fasten the top and bottom inside front trim, nailing through the sides and shelves into the edges of the trim with 2" nails. This frames the opening.
Line the side trim up with the front edge of the shelves and top and fasten with 1-1/4" nails and glue — fasten the top side trim into both the top and the sides, which reinforces the corner joints. Then measure, cut, and attach the front trim with brads and glue.
If you built in plywood, iron edge banding onto the exposed front edges and trim it flush. Sand everything smooth and finish to match the rest of your office modules.
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