NotchLoading plan…
Loading plan…
This dresser combines a plywood carcass, a separately-built face frame, and euro-style drawer slides with genuinely large 6" caster wheels — sized to actually roll over carpet or an uneven floor rather than the small furniture casters used elsewhere in this catalog. The 2x2 legs need to be straight stock, not just any 2x2 — the plan calls this out directly, since a warped or twisted leg board telegraphs into a rolling dresser far more obviously than it would on a stationary piece.
Build the carcass first with spacer blocks positioned specifically where the drawer slides will later attach, and drill the pocket holes for the top and face frame while those spacers are still accessible — trying to add these holes after the box is fully assembled is much harder. Build the face frame as its own flat, square unit, then line it up with the assembled carcass and attach.
The center support pieces are explicitly over-building, by the plan's own admission — they take weight off the center of the dresser and help keep it square, and the plan suggests an optional fifth caster wheel at the center if the dresser will carry unusually heavy loads. Drawer slide cleats go in next with pocket holes, drawers get built and installed on the euro slides, and drawer faces with knobs finish the piece.
| Item | Qty |
|---|---|
| 3/4" plywood, ripped to 15-3/4" strips, full sheet | 1 each |
| 1x2, 8 ft | 3 each |
| 2x2, 8 ft, straight stock | 6 each |
| 1x8, 8 ft | 6 each |
| 1x10, 8 ft | 2 each |
| 1/4" plywood, full sheet | 1 each |
| Euro style drawer slides, bottom corner mount, 16 in | 6 pair |
| Pocket hole screws, 1-1/4" and 2-1/2" | 200 each |
| Brad nails, 1-1/4" | 80 each |
| Wood glue | 5 oz |
| Knobs or handles | 6 each |
| Caster wheels, 6 in | 4 each |
| Primer and paint, or stain and poly | 1 set |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Sides3/4" plywood, ripped to 15-3/4" strips, full sheet | 2 | 3/4" × 15 3/4" × 32 1/4" |
| Drawer slide spacers1x2, 8 ft | 6 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 15 3/4" |
| Top3/4" plywood, ripped to 15-3/4" strips, full sheet | 1 | 3/4" × 15 3/4" × 62 1/2" |
| Legs2x2, 8 ft, straight stock | 4 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 62 1/2" |
| Center support legs2x2, 8 ft, straight stock | 6 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 30" |
| Drawer slide cleats2x2, 8 ft, straight stock | 4 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 15 3/4" |
| Face frame stiles1x2, 8 ft | 4 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 29" |
| Face frame center brace2x2, 8 ft, straight stockBoth ends cut at 45°, ends not parallel, longest point measurement. | 2 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 41" |
| Drawer sides1x8, 8 ft | 12 | 3/4" × 7 1/4" × 26 1/2" |
| Drawer front/back1x8, 8 ft | 12 | 3/4" × 7 1/4" × 16" |
| Drawer bottoms1/4" plywood, full sheet | 6 | 1/4" × 28" × 16" |
| Drawer faces1x10, 8 ft | 6 | 3/4" × 9 1/4" × 28 3/4" |
Buy 23 boards at 8 ft.
7 boards
Attach the drawer slide spacers to the sides, level, with 1-1/4" brad nails and glue. Drill 3/4" pocket holes facing upward for attaching the top and forward for attaching the face frame while the spacers are accessible.
Attach the top using the predrilled pocket holes and 1-1/4" pocket hole screws.
Build the face frame separately, checking for square, then line it up with the cabinet box and attach with 2" brad nails and glue or through the predrilled pocket holes.
Attach the legs to the box with 1-1/2" pocket holes and 2-1/2" pocket hole screws and glue. Attach the drawer slide cleats the same way.
Attach the center support legs to take weight off the center of the dresser and help keep it square. Optionally add a fifth caster wheel at the center for heavy loads.
Build the drawer boxes with brad nails and glue, attaching the bottoms with brad nails and glue. Install on the euro drawer slides.
Attach the drawer faces with an even reveal gap and add knobs. Attach the 6" caster wheels to the base. Sand and apply primer and paint, or stain and poly.
No reviews yet
Sign in to review this plan or share your build.
No reviews yet. Be the first to build this.
2 boards
2 boards
7 boards
3 boards
2 boards
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 →