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A six-foot entry bench with three real drawers on full-extension slides — 2x4 frames wrapped in plywood, with a face frame that makes it read as cabinetry.
| Part | Qty | T × W × L | Material | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frame rails | 4 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 70 1/2" | — | ☐ |
| Frame uprights | 8 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 14 1/4" | — | ☐ |
| Side panels | 2 | 3/4" × 17 1/4" × 23 7/8" | Plywood | ☐ |
| Top | 1 | 3/4" × 23 7/8" × 72" | Plywood | ☐ |
| Drawer fronts/backs CUT TO FIT your slides and openings — listed sizes assume 1/2"-clearance slides. | 6 | 3/4" × 9 1/4" × 19" | 1x10 | ☐ |
| Drawer sides Cut to fit — match your slide length. | 6 | 3/4" × 9 1/4" × 23 7/8" | 1x10 | ☐ |
| Drawer bottoms Cut to fit. | 3 | 1/4" × 20 1/2" × 23 7/8" | 1/4" plywood | ☐ |
| Face frame top rail | 1 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 72" | 1x2 | ☐ |
| Face frame bottom rail | 1 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 72" | 1x4 | ☐ |
| Face frame stiles | 4 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 13" | 1x2 | ☐ |
| Drawer face frame rails Approximate — sized to an even 1/8" reveal. | 6 | 3/4" × 2 1/2" × 12 3/4" | 1x3 | ☐ |
| Drawer face frame stiles, end drawers Approximate. | 4 | 3/4" × 2 1/2" × 17" | 1x3 | ☐ |
| Drawer face frame stiles, middle drawer Approximate. | 2 | 3/4" × 2 1/2" × 16 1/4" | 1x3 | ☐ |
| Item | Qty | ✓ |
|---|---|---|
| Plywood, 3/4" cabinet grade, 4x8 sheet Ripped into two 96" x 23-7/8" strips — sides and top. | 1 each | ☐ |
| 2x4, 8 ft The two frames and the slide spacers. | 5 each | ☐ |
| 1x10, 8 ft Drawer boxes. | 3 each | ☐ |
| Plywood, 1/4", 48" x 48" Drawer bottoms. | 1 each | ☐ |
| 1x2, 8 ft Face frame — 12 ft needed. | 2 each | ☐ |
| 1x4, 6 ft Face frame bottom rail. | 1 each | ☐ |
| 1x3, 8 ft Drawer face frames. | 2 each | ☐ |
| Full-extension side-mount drawer slides Buy FIRST and read their instructions — the drawer boxes are built to the slides, not to the plan. | 3 each | ☐ |
| Knobs or handles | 3 each | ☐ |
| Screws, #10 x 3", self-tapping | 40 each | ☐ |
| Pocket hole screws, 1-1/4" | 40 each | ☐ |
| Brad nails, 1-1/4" and 3/4", 18 ga | 150 each | ☐ |
| Wood glue | 8 oz | ☐ |
Overall cost: $$$. Lumber varies by region, species, and season, so we give a band rather than a figure.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Miter Saw, Pocket Hole Jig, Speed Square. Materials: 2x4, 8 ft, Screws, #10 x 3", self-tapping, Wood glue
Cut the frame parts and assemble two ladder frames — 3" self-tapping screws, or 1-1/2"-setting pocket holes with 2-1/2" pocket screws.
Build the second frame stacked on top of the first, corner to corner. The drawer slides span between these frames; 'identical' isn't a virtue here, it's a functional requirement.
Tools: Brad Nailer, Drill / Driver. Materials: Plywood, 3/4" cabinet grade, 4x8 sheet, Wood glue
Attach the plywood side panels to the frame ends — 2" screws, or nails and glue. The bench silhouette appears.
Tools: Brad Nailer, Drill / Driver, Pocket Hole Jig, Tape Measure. Materials: 1x10, 8 ft, Plywood, 1/4", 48" x 48", Pocket hole screws, 1-1/4", Brad nails, 1-1/4" and 3/4", 18 ga, Wood glue
Read the slide instructions first, then build three boxes to fit your openings: for standard 1/2"-clearance side-mounts, the box is the opening width minus 1", sides as long as the slides.
Pocket-holing the boxes? Put the front pocket holes INSIDE the box (the drawer face frame hides interior faces later is not true — the outside face shows through the opening). Bottoms go on with glue and 3/4" brads or narrow-crown staples.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Level. Materials: 2x4, 8 ft
Set 2x4 scraps inside the bench as spacers, rest each cabinet-side slide member on its spacer, and screw to the frame. The spacer trick guarantees left and right slides sit at identical heights — which is the entire game with drawers.
Tools: Drill / Driver. Materials: Full-extension side-mount drawer slides
Attach the drawer-side slide members to the boxes per the slide instructions, and set each box into its cabinet slides.
Tools: Drill / Driver
Cycle every drawer fully. Binding or rubbing gets fixed NOW — slide screws loosened, shimmed, re-driven — because after the face frames go on, access gets worse and motivation gets weaker.
Tools: Brad Nailer, Random Orbit Sander. Materials: Plywood, 3/4" cabinet grade, 4x8 sheet, Brad nails, 1-1/4" and 3/4", 18 ga, Wood glue
Fasten the plywood top with 1-1/4" brads and glue (screws hold better but show — your call on a piece this visible). Ease the front edge well; the backs of knees meet it every shoe-tying.
Tools: Brad Nailer, Drill / Driver, Pocket Hole Jig. Materials: 1x2, 8 ft, 1x4, 6 ft, Pocket hole screws, 1-1/4", Brad nails, 1-1/4" and 3/4", 18 ga, Wood glue
Pocket-hole the 1x2/1x4 face frame together flat on the bench (3/4" setting, 1-1/4" screws), then attach the completed frame to the front with brads and glue. Building it as a unit first is why the reveals come out even.
Tools: Brad Nailer, Drill / Driver, Pocket Hole Jig, Random Orbit Sander. Materials: 1x3, 8 ft, Knobs or handles, Brad nails, 1-1/4" and 3/4", 18 ga, Wood glue
Build the three 1x3 drawer face frames and attach each to its box with brads and glue, holding an even 1/8" gap on all sides — playing-card stacks make good shims. Add the knobs, finish the whole piece, and reclaim the front hall.